Chương 102: Wu Er the Servant's Great Opportunity

Just as everyone in the Seven Towers of Mountain City waited anxiously—"The Disciple Recruitment Ceremony has officially concluded!"

"Possessor of the Dragon-Bearing Heavenly Bone, Su Zhe of Lu County, has claimed the title of True Dragon Champion!"

"By unanimous decision of the Five Manor Lords, he is granted the status of True Inheritor, becoming the tenth member of the True Inheritor Sequence."

"The True Inheritor Ceremony will be held at a later date." A majestic, ethereal voice echoed throughout the entire Sword Casting Manor. It reverberated through the mountains again and again, lingering in the air. Then— Nine great bell chimes rang out. Nine bell chimes signified only one thing. Sword Casting Manor had welcomed another True Inheritor.

"Golden Bells and Jade Chimes! Su Zhe, the True Dragon Champion, enters the True Inheritor ranks directly!"

"It's actually Su Zhe? Wasn't he only ranked tenth on the Linwu Rankings? How did he become the True Dragon Champion?"

"Direct admission as a True Inheritor... this has never happened before in the history of the manor!"

"So this is the terror of someone whose innate talent has been transformed? I once read Su Zhe's records. Back in Lu County, he only possessed a low-grade 'One in Ten Thousand' bone talent!"... The news spread like wildfire. The entire Sword Casting Mountain City erupted in an uproar. Countless people found it impossible to believe. A complete dark horse had shattered everyone's understanding. The Master of Tianshu Tower and Wu Er stared at one another, both wondering if they had heard incorrectly.

"Wu Er... slap me." The tower master took a deep breath. He suspected he was dreaming. Smack! Wu Er swung with all his strength, planting a solid slap across the tower master's face. The force immediately left five bright finger marks on his cheek, followed by a burning pain.

"Y-You brat! Why did you hit me so hard?!" The tower master clutched his face and glared at Wu Er.

"So... it's not a dream."

"My hand's burning too, Shopkeeper!"

"We've struck it rich! The True Dragon Champion came from our tower!" Wu Er shouted excitedly. The tower master gritted his teeth. He didn't pursue Wu Er's disrespect. After all, he'd been the one who told him to do it. As the shock faded, excitement slowly filled his eyes.

"Young Master Su... truly lived up to expectations."

"How could the other six towers possibly compare with Tianshu Tower now?"

"The rewards from Sword Casting Manor this time will definitely be enormous."

"And for years to come, our tower's reputation will overshadow every other one!" The more he imagined the future, the harder he laughed. He laughed so much he nearly lost his breath. Unfortunately, the movement tugged at the swelling on his face, making him grimace and suck in cold air.

"Quick! Go clean the room Young Master Su stayed in!" The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Put up a new sign.""' True Dragon Champion Suite.' Raise the price to one hundred times the normal rate!" The tower master suddenly remembered something and hurriedly ordered Wu Er. Every year, countless martial artists came hoping to enter Sword Casting Manor. Even outside the official recruitment period, many still visited, believing they might borrow a trace of the good fortune left behind by outstanding disciples from previous years.

Because of that, rooms once occupied by top-performing examinees were always in high demand, their prices climbing ever higher.

"Wu Er."

"You personally attended to Young Master Su."

"Go collect a reward from the accounts office later."

"As for Old Steward at the front desk... he's getting on in years."

"It's time for you to shoulder more responsibility." The tower master looked at Wu Er meaningfully.

"Yes, Shopkeeper!" Wu Er grinned from ear to ear, revealing a mouthful of dazzling white teeth. The tower master knew Wu Er was only a servant. But over the past three days, he had served Su Zhe with exceptional care. Su Zhe had even praised him personally. The tower master didn't know how close Wu Er and Young Master Su really were. But no matter what, helping Wu Er couldn't possibly be the wrong move. If anything, it might earn Su Zhe's goodwill....

"What?!"

"The True Dragon Champion... is Su Zhe?"

"Then what happened to Qin Tian?" The Master of Tianxuan Tower turned pale as he grabbed a servant by the shoulders.

"Shopkeeper... according to the information we bought..."

"Young Master Qin had terrible luck inside the Tempering Lake. He was bitten to death by a powerful demonic beast..."

"Only his head was left behind."

"... Bitten to death..."

"... Only his head..." The Tianxuan Tower Master collapsed into his chair, all strength draining from his body. The world spun before his eyes. Everything went dark. His breathing became ragged, as though someone had smashed him square in the chest. No matter how he thought about it... He never could have imagined... Qin Tian— The number one genius on the Linwu Rankings. The overwhelming favorite to win this year's recruitment ceremony. Had actually died.... Jade Body Peak. Hongyi Courtyard.

"Junior Brother, this Hongyi Courtyard used to be our master's residence back when he was a True Inheritor."

"It has sat empty for quite some time. I've already had people clean it."

"You can stay here for now." The disciple leading Su Zhe spoke as he brought him into the courtyard. His name was Yuan Lang. He looked to be around forty years old, dressed in a fitted martial outfit. His appearance was ordinary, but his eyes carried the sharpness of an experienced manager.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Yuan." Su Zhe looked around Hongyi Courtyard. It wasn't particularly luxurious, but despite being inside the bustling manor, it was wonderfully peaceful. He liked it immediately. He cupped his fists in thanks. The disciples of Jade Body Manor specialized in body cultivation. Every one of them was a battle-hardened monster. It was said that each of the Five Manor Lords accepted two True Inheritors. Ten True Inheritors in total. That number was fixed.

Unless a True Inheritor died, no new position could be created. The Jade Body Manor Lord already had two direct disciples. The reason Su Zhe had been able to enter the True Inheritor Sequence immediately was rather complicated. The biggest reason was that Mo Ye, the second-ranked True Inheritor of Heart Forging Manor, had died while training outside the manor. His death left one of the ten True Inheritor seats vacant. Otherwise, even someone as talented as Su Zhe would have found it much harder to enter directly.

"You're too polite, Junior Brother."

"To enter the True Inheritor Sequence directly... you've created history."

"Your future is limitless." Yuan Lang observed Su Zhe. Despite possessing such astonishing talent, the young man remained humble, showing not the slightest trace of arrogance. Yuan Lang couldn't help but develop a favorable impression of him. Yuan Lang himself had already reached the peak of the Fifth Rank. He was only one step away from breaking into the Sixth Rank—True Qi Realm. The disciples of Jade Body Manor were rather unique. The Manor Lord and his two True Inheritors were all cultivation fanatics.

If they weren't in seclusion, they were out tempering themselves through battle. As a result, Jade Body Manor had very few disciples. Yuan Lang had effectively become the manor's chief steward, handling everything from major affairs to daily management. Having spent nearly twenty years in Sword Casting Manor, he had seen every kind of genius imaginable. True geniuses were naturally proud. Even if they hid it on the surface, the arrogance in their hearts could never truly be concealed. But Su Zhe...

He was different. Smiling faintly, Yuan Lang looked at him deeply before saying,"Junior Brother, your temperament is excellent."

"Unlike your two future Senior Brothers, you're not someone who stirs up trouble." Since Su Zhe had only just arrived at Jade Body Manor, he naturally knew nothing about those two True Inheritors. Still, he was quick-witted enough to catch the hidden meaning in Yuan Lang's words. He replied calmly,"I come from a humble background."

"Only because Master guided me was I fortunate enough to receive today's opportunity."

"Everything I have now is simply good fortune."

"I would never dare become arrogant."

"The Martial Dao and the Smithing Dao are the only things I seek."

"A quiet courtyard like this, free from disturbance, is exactly what I hoped for."

"And I sincerely thank you, Senior Brother, for looking after me." Yuan Lang became even more satisfied. After a moment's thought, he continued,"Although you've entered the True Inheritor Sequence directly, do you know that simply receiving the title isn't enough?"

"If you truly wish to secure your place among the True Inheritors..."

"You must first pass the True Inheritor Ceremony."

"And that ceremony..."

"If your strength isn't sufficient, it won't become a glorious occasion."

"It may instead become a day of utter humiliation."

"When that time comes..."

"I'm afraid you'll become a thorn in the eyes of every outstanding core disciple."

"In their eyes..."

"You'll simply be the stepping stone they need to climb even higher." Su Zhe's expression shifted slightly. He could tell Yuan Lang was deliberately offering him guidance.

"This junior is ignorant."

"I hope Senior Brother will enlighten me." Su Zhe met Yuan Lang's gaze directly, neither arrogant nor impatient. His attitude was completely sincere. Having only just entered Sword Casting Manor, there were still far too many things he didn't understand. At a time like this, acting rashly would be the greatest mistake.