Chapter 1080: My Parents Died Early

Delicious!

Ye Guan devoured the bun. He had no idea that a mere bun could be so delicious.

After finishing it, the girl handed him another bun.

Taking it, Ye Guan said, "Thank you."

The girl looked at him but said nothing.

After finishing the bun, Ye Guan asked, "What kind of job do you think is suitable for me?"

The girl responded bluntly, "Odd jobs, cleaning."

Ye Guan thought for a moment, then asked, "Can you recommend one for me?"

The girl looked at Ye Guan and asked, "Are you sure?"

Ye Guan nodded. He had come to terms with reality.

Forget about the Sword Sect, the Guanxuan Academy, or even establishing an order. His survival was the top priority. He understood clearly that he couldn't wallow in self-pity. Problems loomed, but he lacked the ability to address them. The first step was to change himself.

After all, he was no longer the Academy Master of the Guanxuan Academy!

Moments later, the girl led him to a grand mansion. Seeing it, Ye Guan froze.

The Ye Residence!

He had visited it when he first came to Qingzhou to lodge a complaint many years ago.

Back then, the Ye Clan Leader had even gifted him two swords.

"The Ye Clan is hiring cleaners. Ten spiritual crystals a month."

"Sounds great." Ye Guan nodded. He then turned to her and asked, "Do you want to join me?"

The girl shook her head.

Ye Guan hesitated but didn't say anything.

The girl stared at him without speaking.

Ye Guan smiled faintly. "Be careful. I'll come to find you later."

The girl said nothing.

Ye Guan then asked, "We've spent two days talking to each other, but I still don't know your name."

The girl remained silent.

"Can't you tell me?"

The girl glanced at him. "My parents died early. I don't have a name."

With that, she turned around and walked away.

Ye Guan stood there, stunned.

After a long time, he sighed quietly and turned toward the Ye Residence.

When the guards learned that he was applying for a job, a steward brought him inside. After a series of physical examinations, Ye Guan was issued a uniform and was assigned to do some general chores.

The Ye Residence was vast, becoming even larger during his absence.

Ye Guan wanted to visit the courtyard where his father once stayed, but the rules of the Ye Clan were strict, and that area was off-limits. He had no choice but to let the thought go.

Initially, he found the work difficult to adjust to.

After all, he was a young master who had never done such menial tasks.

However, he adapted quickly upon realizing once more that survival was his top priority.

On that night, Ye Guan sat on the stone steps outside the servants' quarters, looking up at the starry sky. Suddenly, he laughed.

Little Pagoda asked,

"What's so funny?"

Ye Guan smiled. "For the first time, I feel like life is real."

"Real?"

"Before, my days were filled with nothing but fighting or preparing for fights. Every day was about cultivation, and I had an endless stream of enemies to face. I was like a machine..."

Ye Guan chuckled.

"But today? Haha, time felt so slow and fulfilling. This is a nice feeling."

Little Pagoda remarked,

"It's normal to find it novel at first."

Ye Guan laughed heartily.

The next day before dawn, Ye Guan awakened with the other servants of the Ye Clan. Their work started early, after all.

His task for the day was to clean the Ye Clan's martial training grounds—a vast area capable of holding tens of thousands. With six other servants, he worked diligently before the Ye Clan disciples could arrive for training.

Rumor had it that a distinguished guest would visit today, so no one dared slack off.

When the sun rose, the young disciples of the Ye Clan began filing into the training grounds. They were a mix of men and women, most of whom were swordsmen.

Ye Guan and the other servants stayed but stood on the side, awaiting further instructions.

Soon, over a hundred disciples gathered in the center of the grounds, standing in an orderly formation. All of them were highly skilled. The weakest among them was in the Major Tribulation Realm.

As the disciples waited, a radiant sword light streaked across the sky and landed on the training grounds.

When the light dissipated, a young woman emerged.

Ye Guan's eyes widened in surprise. The young woman was none other than Ye Zhuxin.

The first time he visited the Ye Residence, she was the one who greeted him.

Dressed in a blue dress and exuding a youthful, vigorous aura, Ye Zhuxin held a sheathed longsword in her hand. She had become more mature and had reached the Time Immortal Realm.

Upon seeing Ye Zhuxin, the gathered disciples grew excited and respectfully saluted her. "Greetings, Young Clan Leader!"

Young Clan Leader...

The Ye Clan boasted two exceptional prodigies. Sword Sovereign Ye Yu, who was part of the Guanxuan Academy's Sword Sect in the main branch—a pillar of the Ye Clan.

The second was Ye Zhuxin, present here as the representative of the Ye Clan's younger generation. She was the top swordsman among Qingzhou's youth.

Ye Zhuxin looked at the gathered Ye Clan disciples and said, "This time, I've returned for two reasons. First, I want to represent Qingzhou in the Wanzhou Martial Contest. Secondly, during my time here, I will enter closed-door cultivation at the Qingzhou Sword Sect. The Qingzhou Sword Sect has granted me permission to bring two Ye Clan disciples along with me."

The Ye Clan disciples were visibly excited.

The Qingzhou Sword Sect!

Although it was just a branch of the Guanxuan City Sword Sect, it was still regarded as a sacred place by countless swordsmen. This was all because the Guanxuan City Sword Sect was too far for most people, and the Qingzhou branch served as the best pathway to gain entry.

Each year, the Qingzhou Sword Sect could send one individual to the main Sword Sect.

The Ye Clan disciples were thrilled because this represented a golden opportunity—especially under Ye Zhuxin's leadership, where they could undoubtedly benefit from her guidance.

Everyone eagerly awaited Ye Zhuxin's decision, hoping that she would choose them.

Ye Zhuxin surveyed the crowd and said, "To ensure fairness, the two strongest will accompany me to the Qingzhou Sword Sect."

The disciples froze upon hearing her.

Just then, a young man in white and a young woman in green stepped forward together.

They were siblings—Ye Tong and Ye Yoon!

The siblings were the strongest among the Ye Clan's younger generation, second only to Ye Zhuxin.

Although they appeared calm, they couldn't conceal the excitement in their eyes.

The Qingzhou Sword Sect!

They understood well that this journey to the Qingzhou Sword Sect was not a mere cultivation trip. Each year, the prefectures would prepare talents to participate in the Wanzhou Martial Contest, which was held every three years.

The Wanzhou Martial Contest was a major event for all prefectures. It determined each prefecture's rankings and involved numerous benefits, such as resource allocations. After each competition, the Guanxuan Academy's main branch distributed resources to the prefectures based on their rankings.

It also brought fame, giving attention to talented individuals.

For example, if Ye Zhuxin achieved first place, the Qingzhou Sword Sect's reputation would immediately surpass that of all other Sword Sect branches, drawing in swordsmen from the other prefectures.

That was the power of fame!

Most importantly, the highest-ranking prefecture would receive strands of Great Dao Destiny—ten strands of Great Dao Destiny, to be exact. A strand was enough to guarantee one's ascension to the Great Sovereign Realm.

Of course, they'd also gain entry to the Guanxuan Academy's main branch.

The progression of the prefecture heads to the main branch depended on the Wanzhou Martial Contest. The higher their ranking, the better their chances of entering the main branch.

For the leaders of the powerful prefectures, joining the External Committee of the Guanxuan Academy's main branch was their ultimate goal.

The External Committee!

This was the true power core of the Guanxuan Universe. Although it wasn't always in the limelight, entering it was akin to defying fate. As for the Guanxuan Committee, it was only something one could ever dream of entering.

The Wanzhou Martial Contest was an essential stepping stone for these Academy Chiefs.

The Academy Chief of the academy fortunate enough to become the champion of the Wanzhou Martial Contest was guaranteed a position on the External Committee. As for those in the top five, their chances depended on how strong their connections were.

Thus, the Academy Chiefs prioritized the Wanzhou Martial Contest and spared no expense in nurturing their prefecture's talents.

When Ye Guan heard that Ye Zhuxin was going to the Qingzhou Sword Sect, he was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected her to represent Qingzhou in the Wanzhou Martial Contest.

Could it be that Ye Zhuxin had yet to officially join the Guanxuan Academy's main branch?

According to the rules, those in the main branch were no longer allowed to participate in the Wanzhou Martial Contest.

Ye Guan became curious about Nanzhou.

Who would represent them?

Shaking his head, Ye Guan got back to work.

He needed to save up some money to head to the Sword Sect.

He had to participate in the Wanzhou Martial Contest!

The Wanzhou Martial Contest was the fastest way for him to reach the Guanxuan Academy's main branch. Unfortunately, he only had three months left before the competition, so time was tight!

***

Ye Zhuxin and Ye Clan Leader Ye Lin sat in the primary seats of the main hall.

"Father, have you heard about the recent Guanxuan Guard assessment?" asked Ye Zhuxin.

Ye Lin nodded. "I've heard about it."

"I assume our Ye Clan must have received quite a few privileges."

Ye Lin hesitated for a moment before nodding.

The Ye Clan had Sword Sovereign Ye Yu and had some connection with Ye Guan, making their standing in the Guanxuan Universe exceedingly high.

Ye Zhuxin said softly, "Abandon them all."

Ye Lin froze.

Ye Zhuxin continued seriously, "Give up all of them. From now on, if our Ye Clan disciples want to rise, they must rely on their own abilities to fight for it."

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Ye Lin said solemnly, "Zhuxin, this..."

Ye Zhuxin shook her head. "Father, don't hesitate. Although we're forfeiting some immediate benefits, it won't be a bad thing for our Ye Clan in the long run.

"Within the academy, we can ignore the opinions of anyone, but we must pay attention to the Academy Master's perspective. Judging from this incident, the Academy Master harbors strong disdain for the privileges enjoyed by the major families and clans."

Ye Zhuxin's eyes flashed with a complex light as she said, "The Academy Master is serious about that. Whether or not the Academy Master continues to enforce these measures in the future, to be safe, we should take the initiative to relinquish those privileges.

"This will help us avoid potential calamities and preserve our bond with the Academy Master."

Ye Lin asked gravely, "If the Academy Master wishes to reform the academy, why can't our Ye Clan step forward and support him?"

Ye Zhuxin shook her head. "That won't work."

Ye Lin was puzzled. "Why not?"

"The waters of the academy are far too deep and murky. It's not just our Ye Clan. Even if we were to join forces with the An Clan, we wouldn't make the slightest ripple at all."

Ye Lin's expression changed slightly. "Zhuxin, are you sure about that? Are their conflicts really so serious—"

Ye Zhuxin raised her hand to stop Ye Lin, and her expression was unprecedentedly solemn as she replied, "Father, be careful! Be careful with your words!"