Chapter 32: Chapter 31: Apologize to Me

A half hour later, Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang got up to take their leave.

Niu Yuanshan courteously escorted them all the way to the courtyard gate.

This action caused several servants in the courtyard to glance sideways, puzzled as to why these two registered disciples warranted such attention from the grown-up.

After sending the two off, Old Niu picked up the jar of Er Lang Wine on the table and returned to his own room alone.

Once inside, the broad-browed, square-jawed face changed expression.

“How did Chu Huaixu manage to open two acupoints?” He was utterly perplexed.

As a Gold Face in the organization, previously responsible for newcomer induction tasks, he had seen this kid’s file.

“By all accounts, he is a pseudo spiritual embryo.”

“Moreover, his innate nine acupoints were completely blocked!”

This situation defied the common knowledge of the cultivation realm.

It was hard not to be shocked!

“Could he be one of those legendary dust-covered spiritual embryos, with a hidden spiritual embryo that led people to mistakenly think it was pseudo?”

“Once he formally starts cultivation, will it be different?”

As an old hand in the organization, his curiosity about this newcomer grew keener.

He was even tempted to take a drop of the newcomer’s blood to examine his spiritual embryo status carefully.

After a few seconds, Niu Yuanshan’s eyes suddenly hardened.

Then, he harshly raised his hand and slapped himself with such force that he skewed his own face.

He even used spiritual power in that slap.

“Slap—!”

“How many times, how many times has it been now?”

“Niu Yuanshan, oh Niu Yuanshan, you never learn!”

“How can you keep making this kind of mistake!”

“Precepts” article three: Do not harbor excessive curiosity towards fellow disciples.

…

…

On the other side, after bidding farewell to Old Niu, Chu Huaixu glanced at the azure sky.

During the past half hour, drawing from his experience as a seasoned player, he kept trying to receive tasks through various interactions.

But the task system remained unresponsive.

“Borrowed Sword” is a highly versatile game, it made no sense that it wouldn’t allow him to turn traitor.

Therefore, he planted a seed of doubt in his heart.

On their way home, Han Shuangjiang suddenly called out to Chu Huaixu.

The cold-faced girl’s gaze was evasive, and she muttered, “Um… thank you for today’s matter.”

Clearly, this iceberg wasn’t even adept at offering thanks.

Chu Huaixu played the fool: “First of all, I’m not ’that’.”

Seeing the puzzlement in her eyes, he also realized he was being entirely frivolous.

“No need to thank me, it was the right thing to do, and besides, the outcome was good, wasn’t it?” He smiled at her.

To this, Han Shuangjiang also felt relieved.

If Chu Huaixu had met with an accident because of her, she, who was fundamentally kind-hearted, would feel guilty for life.

Thinking for a moment, she took out the jade token fragment from her storage token.

“This is for you, I don’t think I should keep it,” Han Shuangjiang said.

Chu Huaixu glanced at her, suddenly feeling this world’s protagonist seemed to love keeping accounts meticulously.

Previously, when he said he was going home and asked her to seek Old Niu’s help, she was unwilling.

Now she even wanted to give him the hard-earned jade token fragment.

“I’ve already got one, giving me more won’t help, I don’t need two ’keys’,” Chu Huaixu said.

“You can exchange it for sect contribution points,” Han Shuangjiang said earnestly and insistently.

Like he would accept it!

It’s known that there are a total of 10 jade token fragments, meaning there are still 8 with Liu Tianfeng’s side.

By then, it would be 8 of them against just the two of us in the dungeon.

Therefore, while Liu Family’s Three Scoundrels would find it painful, they’d still think—advantage lies with us!

But Chu Huaixu was clear-eyed, knowing this iceberg in front of him was the world’s protagonist, the child of fortune who would monopolize the remaining two Dao ancestor inheritances!

“You coming with me into the dungeon gives me more confidence,” he thought to himself.

Thus, he furrowed his brow, sounding displeased and a bit fierce, “I told you to keep it, just keep it!”

Han Shuangjiang’s rosy lips under the veil pursed slightly.

Chu Huaixu looked at her and said, “This was gotten by Steward Niu for us, he has already distributed it, one for each. Instead of giving it to me here, it would be better to help me more in the secret realm.”

The cold-faced girl hesitated for a moment and then had no choice but to concede, softly saying: “Alright.”

Along the way, the two chatted as they walked.

After this incident, their relationship seemed to grow somewhat closer.

The habitually reserved girl, usually distant with people, uncommonly spoke her mind, saying:

“I didn’t expect that within the Daoist Sect, there would be elders like Steward Liu. I thought all Daoist Sect elders were like Steward Niu.”

Hearing this, Chu Huaixu was amused.

“If they were all like Old Niu, the Daoist Sect would be doomed, right? What, from Sect Leader to Stewards, all were undercover agents?” he mused.

Chu Huaixu glanced at Han Shuangjiang and said: “That’s normal, anywhere can have rotten apples, let alone human nature is inherently complex.”

“As long as someone is human, there will be self-interest.”

“Let me tell you, Liu Chenggong, who came to capture me, seems to be a fun guy, I got quite a bit out of him on the way.”

“Apparently our Steward Liu, before he was promoted to Steward years ago, went down the mountain with his wife and a group of outer sect disciples on a mission, and then something happened.”

“His wife died on the spot, he was severely injured and his cultivation stalled, but all those outer sect disciples were unharmed, well protected by him.”

“Maybe he’s been corrupted by power, or maybe his son is just his Achilles’ heel, who knows?” Chu Huaixu shrugged.

Hearing this, Han Shuangjiang fell further into silence.

Chu Huaixu looked at her and said: “Don’t worry, since they intended to target us, you see, I didn’t let them get away easy, right?”

The cold-faced girl turned her head to look at him, saying seriously: “I indeed didn’t expect you to suddenly deliver a palm strike at the end.”

In response, he became cocky, with a crooked smile: “How about that, pretty bold, huh?”

Han Shuangjiang: “…”

Without speaking, she was compelled to nod slightly as he kept staring at her.

“See, bold is good!” Chu Huaixu laughed heartily.

The bolder he was, the deeper his background seemed!

He continued: “You know why there’s the phrase ’bully the weak and fear the strong’, and why there’s the phrase ’bully the lower and flatter the upper’, don’t you?”

“Because those who bully the weak usually fear the strong, and those who bully the lower always flatter the upper.”

“Why don’t we make a bet, do you believe me when I say, even though I slapped him like that, he’ll still visit tomorrow with gifts as an apology?” Chu Huaixu said.

Han Shuangjiang asked: “But, haven’t we already received the secret realm keys?”

“That’s an apology, and it was Steward Niu who secured them for us,” Chu Huaixu dismissed with a wave.

“Initially, didn’t he say to prepare gifts and visit the next day? Since he said it, he has to do it, he can’t just gloss over it after giving the Pill King’s token.”

“After all, he can’t be sure if we actually took those words to heart, what if we did?”

Steward Liu is an old hand; he surely knows how to handle such matters.

“Furthermore, an apology is an apology, forging good relations is another matter.”

Looking at her, Chu Huaixu asked again, “So, do we bet or not?”

“No bet.” Han Shuangjiang shook her head vigorously and quickened her pace.

She always felt he thought of many things she hadn’t considered, no way!

“Come on, bet a little, I haven’t even said what we’re betting on, don’t refuse right away,” Chu Huaixu felt she was dampening his spirit, finding her rather uninteresting.

“No bet, no bet.” Han Shuangjiang, with a cold face, walked even faster with her long legs.

…

…

Not listening, not listening, turtle recites scriptures.

No matter what Chu Huaixu said, Han Shuangjiang refused to bet.

Back home, they each returned to their own bamboo huts.

Chu Huaixu sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, beginning to adjust his breathing.

He had gained a lot this time, earning 1000 experience points, enough to level up, and even for several levels.

“With Han Shuangjiang’s godlike cultivation speed, if I don’t have some experience points, I’ll soon be left far behind.”

“Moreover, after this incident, I guess she also feels a sense of urgency and wants to become stronger, so her cultivation speed might be even faster,” he speculated.

“Having a talent is great, unlike me, having to endure pain, having to complete tasks. Everything I have depends on my effort!”

“System! Level me up!”

“Refining Sword Formulas” Third Floor, Fourth Floor, Fifth Floor.

Chu Huaixu opened three acupoints in a row.

…

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