The Tianji wood fragrance rose in wisps from the table.

Once again, it failed to calm her mind.

Ling Luo couldn’t help but look back several times, trying to catch another glimpse of Yue Liang Ze. This was noticed by the patrolling Yu Xiu, who tapped her table with his jade flute.

Yu Xiu said softly, “Hall Master Fan is watching you.”

Only then did Ling Luo become more restrained.

She held her brush but didn’t move, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed.

How could Yue Liang Ze be at East Island’s Tianji, and as an outer disciple of the Tianyun Sect?

Wasn’t he the disciple of Old Man Guaici?

With exceptional talent, he had emerged suddenly at the Golden Luan Pool Banquet, astonishing all immortal sects by drawing out the Immortal Jade Sword with one hand and defeating her, becoming the number one in the sword path. He had broken through the Life and Death Boundary at twenty and was the Sword Saint worshipped by thousands.

Yet… he was an outer disciple of the Tianyun Sect who carried wine jars for others and was kicked around.

Ling Luo’s expression became strange. She wished she could go directly outside the hall, grab the young man by the collar, and take a closer look.

If she hadn’t seen his full appearance, she might have guessed it was someone with the same name.

But when they made eye contact earlier, the young man’s features were identical to Yue Liang Ze’s adult self.

Especially those eyes.

As tranquil as a deep pool, yet concealing countless thoughts.

Ling Luo couldn’t help but grip the brush in her hand tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white.

The elegant wood fragrance entering her nostrils brought her back to her senses.

She needed to clarify what was going on.

Ling Luo made up her mind and picked up her brush again to answer the papers.

At dusk, the incense burner burnt out.

Hall Master Fan announced loudly, “Stop writing. Today’s Three Trials are over. You may leave.”

Ling Luo was the first to stand up.

Yu Xiu, who was preparing to collect the papers, was startled.

But Ling Luo didn’t look at him, striding toward the hall exit.

Yu Xiu watched with some curiosity.

“Ling Luo!” Qin Yuan called softly as she caught up, blocking his view.

The crowd moved toward the outside of the hall. Everyone wore the same sect robes, but Ling Luo kept her eyes fixed on Yue Liang Ze’s back. She followed until they reached the outside, where people began to talk among themselves, the atmosphere becoming lively and the terrain more open.

“Ling Luo?” When Qin Yuan rushed out, she couldn’t find her anymore. She looked around bewilderedly, scratching her head, her face full of confusion.

Ling Luo had already followed Yue Liang Ze far away.

Yue Liang Ze walked to a very remote area, far from the crowd.

Ling Luo had long forgotten the layout of Tianji’s outer sect. Additionally, she still remembered Yue Liang Ze as the top swordsman, so she followed very cautiously.

Ahead was the Discipline Hall.

Usually, only disciples who had been punished by Venerable Masters or their teachers would come here.

Yue Liang Ze entered without a word.

Ling Luo: “…”

She didn’t follow him in but quietly waited outside.

About half an hour later, Yue Liang Ze came out.

He didn’t appear any different.

She wondered what he had been doing inside.

Ling Luo continued to follow.

Next, Yue Liang Ze went to the kitchen behind the evening refectory.

Ling Luo climbed a begonia tree outside the courtyard wall, hiding among the branches to observe secretly.

Yue Liang Ze was sweeping the kitchen with a broom.

He was an outer disciple, not a servant. Why wasn’t he practicing cultivation but doing chores instead?

Ling Luo couldn’t understand.

But an even more incomprehensible scene appeared.

Several inner disciples who had kicked Yue Liang Ze earlier came out from the back kitchen, each holding a small jar of wine. They had broken the seals and the wine’s fragrance spread.

“Hey, did you go to the Discipline Hall to take the punishment today?” Hong Mao asked teasingly.

Yue Liang Ze continued sweeping without stopping, saying quietly, “I went.”

“Good, that’s our good junior brother indeed.” Hong Mao mocked. He went back to the kitchen and came out with a cup, poured some wine, and tossed it toward Yue Liang Ze. “A reward from your senior brother.”

The cup shattered with a “pa” sound at Yue Liang Ze’s feet, and a little wine splashed onto his shoes.

The others let out mocking laughter, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank your senior brother!”

Yue Liang Ze replied with dignity, “Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Ling Luo was almost stupefied watching this.

Her temples throbbed relentlessly as she stared with wide eyes, repeatedly questioning in her heart: Is this it? Is this it? Is this person truly Yue Liang Ze?

It must be someone with the same name!

It must be!

After finishing his bullying, Hong Mao said before leaving, “Today, your Senior Brother Yin Wen was also punished. Remember to kneel for his share tomorrow too.”

Yue Liang Ze didn’t answer.

Yin Wen scolded, “Did you hear me? Or are you unwilling?”

Only then did Yue Liang Ze speak, “I understand.”

“Good, hurry up and clean this up, then bring three stacks of crisp fragrant cakes to find me afterward,” Hong Mao and the others turned to leave.

Watching this, Ling Luo wanted to kick him too, to wake him up.

What was he doing?

He was the future strongest sword cultivator of the immortal path, Old Man Guaici’s most beloved disciple, the Sword Saint admired and respected by disciples of all immortal sects!

Here he was being disciplined by some trash who hadn’t even broken through the Life and Death Boundary, and even replacing them for punishment kneeling at the Discipline Hall?

He was… Ling Luo gnashed her teeth, thinking this was simply outrageous!

I never received such treatment. Why are these worthless people allowed to order him around like this?

Back then, I had to coax and trick you into doing anything for me. Why is this happening?

Ling Luo was furious.

As she climbed down from the tree, she angrily plucked a flowering branch, causing a shower of flowers to fall.

Yue Liang Ze at the courtyard wall glimpsed the falling flower shower and couldn’t help but look up at the flower tree, his expression slightly stunned.

It seemed even heaven was against him.

The ground he had just cleaned would need to be swept again because of this flower shower.

Ling Luo kept watching Yue Liang Ze.

She saw him finish cleaning, and then deliver snacks to Hong Mao and the other three who were patrolling outside. They ordered him to run errands, keeping him busy until nightfall before finally letting him go.

She had thought he would return to the dormitory at the mountain foot, but Yue Liang Ze took a turn, walking a different path toward the most remote Medicinal Compound.

Because the area around the Medicinal Compound was full of bitter smells, few people ever came here.

Yue Liang Ze didn’t enter the Medicinal Compound either but wound through twisting small paths to the back mountain of the compound, passing through a small forest path to reach a small courtyard surrounded by begonia trees at the end of the road.

Did he live so remotely?

And not in the dormitories?

Ling Luo’s mind was full of questions.

Yue Liang Ze reached the courtyard, and lit the stone lamp on the path, illuminating the area.

The small courtyard was arranged very delicately, with flower vines and grape vines. He had also opened a small plot of land where he grew vegetables. In a winnowing basket next to the vegetable plot, some dried fruits were drying, and several rings of dried persimmons hung by the kitchen door.

Ling Luo looked at everything, not particularly surprised, even finding it normal. As expected of him.

Because she knew Yue Liang Ze had a strange habit of only eating food he prepared himself.

Back when Yue Liang Ze was trapped by her on Mount Tianzhao, although she had sent demon spirits to deliver food to him regularly, she learned that he hadn’t touched any of it, enduring for half a month.

When Ling Luo returned and heard about this from the demon spirits, she thought this man must have starved to death.

But when she went to see, she discovered that Yue Liang Ze was still sustaining himself with his profound spiritual energy.

She had sat nearby, resting her chin on her hand, smiling as she asked, “Why are you being so stubborn? There’s no poison in the food we sent you.”

Yue Liang Ze had glanced at her silently, only saying, “I’ll cook myself.”

“Fine,” she had smiled. “Today I’ll taste the culinary skills of our number one swordsman.”

Her words were full of mockery, but Yue Liang Ze hadn’t become angry.

It was proven afterward that the number one swordsman’s culinary skills were quite good.

At least during the days she had spent with Yue Liang Ze, Ling Luo only enjoyed eating food he made.

The creaking sound of the door brought Ling Luo back from her thoughts.

She looked ahead to see Yue Liang Ze enter the kitchen. The lights inside were bright, casting the young man’s shadow dancing on the window.

Smoke curled upward, and the sound of chopping vegetables overlapped with cricket chirps in the night.

Ling Luo watched the silhouette on the window and pouted. After being bullied, he still had to come back and cook his meals. Are you such a wooden block? Don’t you have any temper at all?

She kept watch outside the house, occasionally smelling the food aroma wafting from inside, which made her stomach growl softly a couple of times.

Ling Luo: “…”

To follow Yue Liang Ze, she hadn’t eaten dinner.

In her previous life, she would have simply barged in and taken the food, but now she could only curse inwardly as she left, going to the evening refectory to steal a few cold cakes to eat.

That night, Ling Luo had a dream.

At the kitchen courtyard wall, she smashed a wine cup at Yue Liang Ze’s feet as he held a broom, arrogantly saying, “Don’t sweep!”

Yue Liang Ze didn’t even look at her, lowering his head to continue sweeping.

She was furious and tossed another cup at him. “Yue Liang Ze, I said don’t sweep!”

Yue Liang Ze ignored her.

Ling Luo smashed one cup after another, but Yue Liang Ze silently swept them all away. Angered, she rushed over to grab the young man’s collar and beat him severely, but she grasped empty air, the young man scattering like flower petals.

She woke up instantly.

Dazzling light streamed through the window, and Qin Yuan’s energetic voice came from outside: “Ling Luo! Get up for morning lessons!”

Ah.

Morning lessons again.

Ling Luo rubbed her eyes, got up, and went out.

Qin Yuan asked, “Where did you go yesterday? I looked for you for quite a while but couldn’t find you.”

“Just went for a walk,” Ling Luo answered vaguely.

“Today is the third day of the entrance examination. Are you confident about the afternoon written test?” Qin Yuan said with a worried face. “I’m anxious. The senior sisters said the written tests get harder as they progress, and I felt that yesterday.”

Ling Luo listened absent-mindedly, her thoughts still on Yue Liang Ze.

The two went to the evening refectory for a meal and passed by Yue Liang Ze, who was coming out.

Ling Luo paused, whispering to Qin Yuan, “Do you know that person?”

“Hmm?” Qin Yuan followed her gaze. “Ah, I know him. That’s Senior Brother Yue.”

“…Senior Brother?” Ling Luo swallowed, incredulous.

Qin Yuan nodded, “Yes! He entered the sect two years before us, so he’s a senior brother, right?”

Entered two years earlier?

Yue Liang Ze was her senior brother!

Ling Luo was deeply shocked.

She hadn’t known this when she was in the outer sect before because she didn’t care about her surroundings, which was understandable. But why hadn’t anyone mentioned that Yue Liang Ze had once been a disciple of East Island’s Tianji even after he became famous with one sword?

People only knew him as the disciple of Guaici from the Sacred Sword Sect.

No wonder he had inexplicably come to stop her from destroying Tianji back then. Was it because of sectarian loyalty?

Wait, looking at the suffering he endured yesterday, what kind of sectarian loyalty was that?

Ling Luo grumbled inwardly. During the morning lesson, she looked around the teaching hall but didn’t see Yue Liang Ze.

How could he be an outer disciple yet not attend the teaching hall’s morning lessons?

The third day of written tests began in the afternoon.

This time, Yue Liang Ze was present.

After the written test ended, Ling Luo secretly followed Yue Liang Ze again, observing him covertly.

Today, he went to the Discipline Hall again, taking punishment on behalf of Hong Mao and the other senior brothers.

This time it took longer; he came out after an hour. There was no visible change in his appearance, but Ling Luo could smell blood.

Today’s punishment was not just kneeling; there was bloodshed.

After the Discipline Hall, he was again ordered by Senior Brother Hong Mao to do chores. After finishing the chores, he had to wash dishes at the evening refectory, and only after that did he return to the back mountain of the Medicinal Compound to make dinner.

For these few days, Ling Luo did nothing but watch Yue Liang Ze.

She always felt he was pretending, playing with the pig to eat the tiger. With his talent and strength, how could he be bullied like this?

He must be enduring.

Ling Luo thought, I want to see how long you can endure.

On the morning of the sixth day of the inner sect entrance examination, the results of the first five days’ written tests were announced.

At the front of the Three Trials Hall, the scores of all participating disciples were posted on the public notice board.

Ling Luo was still looking for Yue Liang Ze’s name when she heard people around her saying, “Ling Luo? Who’s Ling Luo? Got a perfect score and ranked first!”

“It says she’s from the Tianyun Sect.”

A Tianyun Sect disciple scratched his head in confusion: “I’m from the Tianyun Sect, but I don’t remember her?”

Qin Yuan covered her mouth and smiled beside her.

Ling Luo took some time to find Yue Liang Ze.

He ranked thirtieth.

Just enough to qualify for the inner sect.

Seeing that he didn’t even attend morning lessons at the teaching hall, she had thought his written test scores would be poor. Now it seemed he had indeed hidden his abilities.

Ling Luo couldn’t help but want to see Yue Liang Ze’s expression at this moment.

She looked around and spotted Hong Mao and the others on the outskirts of the notice board. Her heart sank as she quietly followed them.

As soon as she approached, she saw Hong Mao grabbing Yue Liang Ze’s collar in a corner of the steps outside the hall, cursing, “You little bastard, you did this on purpose, didn’t you!”

As his words fell, he threw a punch directly at his face.

The forceful blow immediately knocked him to the ground.

Nearby were two or three outer disciples who were close to Hong Mao and the others, including Senior Brother Xiu Man.

Senior Brother Xiu Man was now furious, angrily going over to kick him: “Last year you didn’t even take the exam, and I never see you practicing, but this time you specifically came to take the written test and just happened to take my ranking position. You’re deliberately trying to provoke me!”

“I’m saying, junior brother, you seem quiet usually, but you’re quite the schemer,” Yin Wen coldly watched Yue Liang Ze being beaten. “Knowing we wanted to secure Xiu Man a qualifying rank, you deliberately competed to push him out. Is that what you meant to do?”

Yue Liang Ze didn’t answer. Hong Mao stepped forward in anger and viciously kicked his waist and abdomen: “Speak up!”

Xiu Man followed with another kick, “Senior Brother is asking you a question!”

Yue Liang Ze hunched over, covering his head as he endured the brutal beating.

Ling Luo had always thought he was pretending, enduring.

But weren’t you enduring too much?

Aren’t you going to fight back now?

Allowing these worthless people to beat and kick you!

“Ling Luo!” Qin Yuan found her and caught up, covering her mouth in shock at what she witnessed.

These men were so enraged that they didn’t notice Yu Xiu and Hall Master Fan coming around the corner at the top of the steps.

“Yue Liang Ze, say something! Are you mute?” Xiu Man vented his frustration, bending down to grab his collar and raising his fist to strike again. “I’m not done with you this time!”

This is outrageous!

Unbearable!

Since today was the martial test, Ling Luo had brought her sword. She made a single sword seal, and Qin Yuan watched as the sword left its sheath, emitting a dangerous low hum as it slashed toward Hong Mao and the others.

At the top of the steps, Yu Xiu, who was pointing his jade flute toward the crowd, stopped in his tracks.

The sword trembled slightly, producing a sharp sound. The unstoppable sword wind made Hong Mao and the others look over in fear, instantly thrown back by the sword wind, landing awkwardly on their backsides, shocked as they watched the young woman walking toward Yue Liang Ze.

After the sword hilt knocked away Xiu Man, who was grabbing Yue Liang Ze, it flew upward, then descended to be caught in Ling Luo’s hand. She pointed the sword tip at the young man on the ground, saying crisply: “Draw your sword.”