Chapter 816: Kids

"A talent show?" Chu Yi was utterly baffled.

He listened as Lu Jiangtong explained in detail how Chu Liang had established The Rise of the Nine Provinces Talisman Specialists, then fell into deep thought.

Did he orchestrate the Talismanic Sect into the Terrestrial Ten just to expand its reputation and rake in money? I’ve always known that Senior Brother cared only about wealth, but I never imagined he would go to such painstaking lengths for it.

No wonder he could become the richest man. You could never fathom the effort he would go through just to transfer your spirit-stone coins into his own pocket.

Chu Yi let out a deep sigh and said gloomily, "I really can’t figure him out."

Just as he finished speaking, a voice called out from the side. "Hey!"

A thin girl in scarlet robes strolled over lazily, her tone cool and indifferent. "The senior monk is calling us over."

Chu Yi immediately responded, "Understood."

Then, he turned to Lu Jiangtong and instructed, "Keep an eye on what’s happening at Mount Shu. Let me know the moment anything changes."

"Yes," Lu Jiangtong replied.

Chu Yi jogged over to the girl with a smile. "Senior Sister, thanks for your hard work."

After Chu Yi became a disciple of the Noble Dharma, Jiang Guo, who had joined Holy Mountain a few years earlier, became his senior sister. Whether in seniority or combat prowess, she completely overpowered Chu Yi, and he held great respect for her.

It seemed that every figure with the surname Chu seemed to have their own version of Senior Sister Jiang.

However, Jiang Guo seemed to be naturally cold. She maintained an icy demeanor toward everyone on Holy Mountain, and Chu Yi was no exception.

The two made their way to the Buddhist hall, where they found Dhyana Master Wu'e standing with a warm smile, holding two small baskets of fruit.

"Monastery Tower sent over two baskets of Flowing Cloud Fruits. Since the Noble Dharma is in closed-door cultivation and there aren't enough to share with everyone on the mountain, I figured I would give them to you two kids instead. They’ll spoil if we leave them out for too long."

Dhyana Master Wu'e handed a small basket to each of them and continued, "I just tasted one. It’s quite delicious, full of spiritual energy, and perfect for your growth."

Chu Yi tried to decline politely, "Senior Brother Wu'e, I’m not a child anymore..."

Jiang Guo shot him an icy glance and scolded, "Shut up. You are."

Immediately, Chu Yi became silent.

His politeness wasn’t the issue, but if he refused too much and they ended up splitting the fruits differently, she would end up with fewer. If that happened, she might just offer him up as a sacrifice to the god of earth.

Having grown up on Silver Sword Peak, Chu Yi was well-versed in dealing with lazy, bad-tempered women like her.

Dhyana Master Wu'e left with a smile.

Chu Yi glanced at Jiang Guo, who was silently devouring her fruit. Hoping to lighten the mood, he said, "Senior Sister, you might not believe this, but I’m already over six hundred years old."

"So what?" Jiang Guo replied between bites, not even looking up. "They say I’m over three thousand."

"Uh..." Chu Yi blinked.

It sounded ridiculous, but judging by his senior sister’s demeanor, she didn’t seem to be lying. Given her cultivation level, which far exceeded what someone of her supposed age should have, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

Had competition in the world of immortality become so intense that people were even competing over who was older?

On this very mountain alone, even the Noble Dharma would only rank third.

While he was still surprised, Jiang Guo had already finished the fruit in her basket. Judging by the look on her face, it really was delicious.

Before she could even glance at him, Chu Yi unhesitatingly pushed his basket over.

Little kids should eat more good food. No matter how old they were.

...

"Greetings to all the esteemed Talisman Specialist Judges. My hobbies include singing, dancing, and crafting talismans..."

A misty water screen hovered over Red Cotton Peak, projecting an image below. It showed an elegantly dressed young man with neatly parted hair in the middle of his audition for The Rise of the Nine Provinces Talisman Specialists. The open auditions had entered their third day, and most contestants had already taken the stage.

A massive crowd of cultivators had gathered to watch, even larger than those who had attended Male and Female Cultivators, Charge Forward. It seemed talent shows were far more captivating than obstacle courses.

Three people sat at the judges' table. The first was Chu Liang, the overseer of Red Cotton Peak, a prodigy of the Mount Shu Sect, and the champion of the Assembly of Immortal Sects. The second was Fragrant Tiger Lin Bei, the leader of the Four Overlords of Mount Shu. The third was an esteemed guest invited from outside the sect—Wen Xuanzi, a highly respected master of the Dao of Talisman-Making.

Traditional talisman specialists had already developed hostility toward the rising Talismanic Sect, but the presence of such a renowned master silenced much of the industry gossip surrounding them. Wen Xuanzi had initially been reluctant to attend, but as a close friend of Venerable Wen Yuan, he couldn’t refuse entirely.

The judging panel had a well-balanced dynamic: Master Wen Xuanzi provided professional critiques, Lin Bei kept the atmosphere lively, and Chu Liang oversaw everything. The setup worked seamlessly.

Di Nufeng had originally wanted to join the panel and make an appearance, but Chu Liang had his concerns. He worried she might resort to personal attacks, whether it be verbal or physical and the contestants simply wouldn’t stand a chance.

Left with no other option, Chu Liang assigned his teacher a "more important" task instead.

Chujiu’s exhibit at Silver Sword Peak was now open to the public, with visitor numbers on the rise. As Chujiu’s reputation spread, tourists eagerly lined up to see the so-called "vicious beast of Jiuli," only to be completely charmed by the adorable little furball.

If left unchecked, some visitors would linger around the exhibit all day. To manage the crowd, Chu Liang assigned his teacher to keep things in order, periodically urging people to move along.

And if anyone refused to follow the rules, they would face consequences—whether through a mental or physical attack. Either way, it would be more than these ordinary visitors could endure.

The current ecosystem of Silver Sword Peak revolved around little Chujiu doing whatever it pleased to generate revenue, while Di Nufeng and the Golden-Furred Hou stood guard outside. Occasionally, the koi sisters, who had once been the beloved mascots of the Red Cotton Peak, would make an appearance, still drawing excitement from those who remembered them.

At the end of a long day, just as Chu Liang was about to return to Silver Sword Peak, a message arrived from Lin Bei. "Han Lingshou is here."

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"The king of Fuyao Kingdom?" Chu Liang frowned in confusion. "What’s he doing here?"

When Chu Liang arrived, he was met with the sight of Han Lingshou clinging to Lin Bei, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Aaah! Brother Lin Bei, they were too cruel!" Han Lingshou wailed, smearing his snot and tears all over Lin Bei’s clothes. "If I hadn’t learned my lesson last time and stayed outside the palace, I wouldn’t have lived to see you again!"

"Brother Han, don’t cry yet! Explain what’s going on first," Lin Bei said, patting his chest confidently. "Whoever dares to cut my brother’s wings, I’ll rip out his entire intestine! Your bro is here. Just give me a name, and I’ll handle it."

"It was the people of the Penglai Supreme Sect!" Han Lingshou said, his expression turning serious.

"Hmm..." Lin Bei lowered his head. "Tell us exactly what happened."

Han Lingshou sobbed while saying, "After Jing Wuya was suppressed last time, the Fuyao Kingdom enjoyed a brief period of peace. However, following the assassination attempt, I became even more cautious. I arranged for a body double to attend court and public events in my place, while I secretly resided in a courtyard near the imperial palace, managing affairs from the shadows."

Hearing this, Lin Bei suddenly asked, "Did you bring your consorts?"

Han Lingshou was briefly stunned by the question before replying, "Of course I did. I brought seven."

"Heheh," Lin Bei chuckled. "Brother Han, you’re truly brilliant. This way, you can skip court sessions, enjoy time with your consorts, and stay safe."

"Right?" Han Lingshou grinned smugly. "Recently, I even came up with a new—"

Chu Liang interrupted, "How about we talk about the important things first?"

Unbelievable. When it comes to their so-called "academic discussions," these two have absolutely no sense of timing, setting, or propriety.

After Han Lingshou finished his tearful recounting, they finally understood the full story.

"Owh..." Han Lingshou nodded, then suddenly froze. He had been crying uncontrollably earlier, but the abrupt interruption had completely broken his momentum. Now, he could no longer immerse himself in the emotion, and the tears simply wouldn’t come. In the end, he had no choice but to give up and explain what had happened calmly.

Just when peace had finally settled in Fuyao Kingdom, something unexpected happened—Han Lingshuang rebelled.

Even Chu Liang was caught off guard and blurted out, "Han Lingshuang?"

As a royal family member and one of Han Lingshou’s most trusted confidants, would she really betray him?

"That’s right," Han Lingshou confirmed. "Since what happened last time, she was put in charge of the Royal Wave Bureau. I never expected her to lead troops into the palace and rebel. When I saw things turning for the worse, I fled to Mount Shu."

Lin Bei asked, "But what does this have to do with Penglai?"

"The place I hid was arranged by Han Lingshuang," Han Lingshou explained. "If she had truly wanted to rebel, I wouldn’t have been able to escape. But she only led her people into the palace to kill my double. That means she didn’t want to kill me. She simply had no choice."

Lin Bei immediately caught on and muttered, "She didn’t have a choice..."

Han Lingshuang definitely had no desire to rebel, but if Fuyao Kingdom’s survival was at stake, she would be forced to act and take down Han Lingshou.

Last time, Han Lingshou had publicly defied the Penglai Supreme Sect. And in the East Sea, only one force had the power to orchestrate something like this. It was clear who had forced Han Lingshuang.

Chu Liang frowned slightly. "The Penglai Supreme Sect... has finally made its move?"