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nChapter 51: Chapter 51: Arriving in Succession

nTranslator: 549690339 I

nZhouHeng’sgazefell on the entrance of the martial arts hall, wherehesawa charming figure standing gracefully.

nShe was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features and unparalleled beauty, dressed in a crimson skirt. Noticing Zhou Heng’s glance she waved her hand, her smile blooming like flowers. § g ’

nIt was Yun Xiu.

n“Miss Xiu’er, when did you come back?” Zhou Heng greeted her with a smile oftheZZ beredthatYUnXiUalWayS–b—helastfiveorsixdays

nsteps, suddenly, she stopped, raised her hand above her own head and gestured OU eng, sighing, “Brother Heng, have you grown taller?”

nAmonth ago, Zhou Heng had only been half a head taller than her, but now he was nearly a whole head taller.

n“ TTT5 year’ 3 b°dy that had alm°St finished developing, taller than the averageg-? ‘0 COnsiderabIy

n“Hmrn> h seems I have grown taller,” Zhou Heng nodded and said with a smile. Ninth Grade is the stage of physique refinement and foundation building him torTu °Vera11 C°nditiOn °f the b°dy BeSideS’if Was normaI him to grow taller since he was at the age of development.

nBy the standards of Earth, he had already passed 1.8 meters.

n^You iookeven better!” YunXiu praised him openly, then pouted and asked, going on?”1* ty°UCOrnetOITly h°USef°rbreakfasttbesePast Lewdays?What’s “Well…” Zhou Heng scratched his head and replied with a smile “I’ll go omorrow, definitely tomorrow. Miss Xiu’er, can I still have your buns then?” He couldn’t really explain his absence at breakfast lately. He had been practicmg Palm Thunder, which often resulted in the accidental death or stunning of innocent birds and beasts, and they’d end up cooked on the spot for the Z ? P

/inCiPle °fnOt NatUre‘S giftS’he had bee” <^ng these he past few days instead of going to Yun Xiu’s house.

n“Of course, you can!”Yun Xiubeamed and then added, “By the way, Brother Heng, I heard you ‘re going to take the test at Chang Xing Sect, right?” ???eCaU7hreaChed Grade by takin® med’c*ne> I have to test my

noundation. Zhou Heng nodded. “The people from Chang Xing Sect are alreadv here, and I guess the test will be in the next couple of days.” “Then I will be there to cheer you on! Also, I have some good news,” Yun Xiu tell you then, see you!”

nWith that, she turned and left, leaving behind only a faint scent in the air. jin’?h?ZenSWafChedherdePar“‘ngfiS‘,re‘inter‘lal,ys–

n111 tell you when… such a sentence formation.

nIt’s too dangerous!

nThen ,YU He came over> patted aou on shouid^

nBrother, can you tell me how to win a girl’s favor?”

nlook, shook his head, and replied, “It’s a matter of the face.” “Alas poorme, with my utterly unremarkable face, “Yu He sighed. “Seems like have to go to Yixiang Tower tonight and throw some money around to listen to some tunes, just to maintain a bit ofzest in life.” und to listen ^’y^er.differentfromCuixiangTower,was named after rhe scentof y glad.es “was a famous brothel in Huangtong Mansion City. Yu He’s favorite pastime was to go there, spend money, and listen to courtesans sing. “The curse of the wealthy,” Zhou Heng didn’t hide his envy. Of course, it was only the money he envied, nothing more.

nAnd certainly not the courtesan girls playing their little tunes, the delicate strumming and plucking.

n7?’Iegsalot7kabout that Howpreparec^are y°u f°r t^e upcoming test?” Yu He asked with a smile. “I heard that Kong Chengshun is very strong stern and impartial. You should be careful.”

n^Don’t worry.” Zhou Heng waved his fist and declared, “I have got this in the

n“That’s good to hear. Oh, you remember Liu Changsheng, right?” Yu He continued, “He’s about to leave. He’s throwing a banquet at my family’s QianmanagerjasHime.” WantSthan^y°Uf°rbdP*ngb‘mdea‘W‘tbtbat X””d! sre,t r“S0, w “s

nIt was midday.

nLiu Changsheng had been attacked by a ghostly being that had possessed Qian manager; although he only suffered minor injuries, it was still a frightening exPerlence. After a few days of recuperation, he had finally returned to normal. At the banquet table.

nZThhoeZg.nOt many Pe°Ple’ °nly UU ChangShen& W“g– «e, -d

nAs ZhouHengwas still practicing his martial arts, they substituted teaforwine. After the “wine” had been passed around three times,

nLiu Changsheng straightened his expression and said seriously, “Does Young Master Zhou have any interest in joining the Five Elements Sect as aTiscjple?” choTr” T?’Sitting beSide him’WaS S° Startled by this <3uestion that his chopsfcks dropped, and he looked at Liu Changsheng with a shocked expression, saying, “Holy smokes, Young Master Liu, are you serious?” The Five Elements Sect!

nSecond RaenWkOrt‘d j 7* S6CtS‘ Grandmaster has reached the formidable

nSecond Rank, truly one of the very top of the Martial Dao Sects.

n^Ri^a wb®tber in terms of prestige or fame, it is only slightly less than one

nIt is a sect that countless martial artists dream of joining.

nAnd now, they were proactively inviting Zhou Heng?

n“Join the Five Elements Sect?” Zhou Heng was also taken aback by the words

n“IS thateVen P°SsibIe?Can YoungMasterL‘u dhectly invite

ndiscipleXme aS y–ag-, t can ask my master to reserve a

n“After a few years, when I reach the Sixth Rank inmartial arts, lean acceptyou :zzrThatway’youcanna–pyb~

n“Young Master Zhou, you have an exceptional comprehension of the Five El ments Path andhigh talent,” Manager Wang also added, “If you can receive Th Z T gS °f the ElementS SeCt’you wiU surely reach the Middle Third Rank in the future.” am me middle

nThe vast majority of martial artists all pursue the Seventh Rank level, and those who reach the Middle Third Rank are few and far between.

nAs for the Upper Third Rank… thatis akin to the realm of Earthly Immortals.

nThere aren’t many who dare to hope for such an achievement. alZ’d^ WangS remaA “Wil1 SUrely rMCh the Middle Third Rank” was already a very tempting proposition for others.

nYu He wanted to speak up and persuade Zhou Heng to agree.

nAfter all, from his business mindset, a few years in exchange for the status of a rue disciple of the Five Elements Sect was an incredibly lucrative deal.

nCompared to the true teachings of the Five Elements Sect, the mere identity of an outer sect disciple of the Chang Xing Sect is nothing to mention.

nBut in the end, he didn’t speak. sZrnZ7tantmatterSh0UldbededdedbyZhOUHenghims^be houldn t influence Zhou’s decision with his own persuasion.

nZhou Heng did not immediately respond; he fell into deep thought. Nobody else spoke either.

nThe banquet table became quiet.

nAfter a long while, Zhou Heng lifted his head, looked at Liu Changsheng shook effort onZ ‘ Tv * W°Uld require ^siderable

neffort on your part, Young Master Liu, no need for that.”

nHe had declined the offer.

nThat was the Five Elements Sect!

nThe Five Elements Sect!

nAt Zhou Heng’s response, Liu Changsheng was also surprised, but with great p01se’besL* smiled and said, “Since that is the case, I won’t bring thhup6^ aga*n‘H°wever, if Young Master Zhou is ever interested, a disciple slot will always be kept open for you.”

nManaSerWanS*linply railed quletlp.wfchoui saying anptMngmwe.

nKnew that this matter was now impossible.

nAfterwards, the banquet continued quietly and soon came to an end.

nInside the room.

nSeeing that Manager Wang had a displeased expression, Liu Changsheng kughed and said, “What’s the matter, Manager Wang? Are you in a bad mood?” “A little.” Manager Wang nodded and said, “That Zhou Heng actually refused your invitation, who does he think he is?”

nhead and said, I just gave him a suggestion, not forcing him to join my ranks Besides, my Five Elements Sect hasn’t fallen on such hard times.”

n“Uh, that’s, the young master makes sense, “Manager Wang still felt somewhat dissatisfied and said, “But he really thinks too highly of himself, not recognizing what’s good for him.”

n«’■ UuCh regahrdieS.S’ Zh°U haS US °Ut D°n,t harbor «“t ugh Liu Changsheng s expression became serious as he solemnly said future.” HenS refUSed my inVitati°n’ he WiU StiH be myfriend in the

n“Yes, young master, I understand,” Manager Wang nodded.

nHe originally harbored no ill will towards Zhou Heng, but had felt a touch of esentment when his young master was refused. Now awakened to the proper perspective, that resentment vanished. P

n“Moreover, do you think I wanted to invite him to join my Sect just because of ^uS ta entm the way of Five Elements?” Liu Changsheng walked over tTthe6 window, looking out at the sun.

nalth?6? hn°therreaS°n?“Manager Wangasked cur*ous‘Y’know‘nS that XTd yrgraasterenjoyedmarM

nrashly-on the contrary, he was astute with strong insight.

n“I happened to see that Zhou Heng carried a talisman on his person,” Liu knowh g 7ld Mth 3 Smile’ “A‘th0Ugh 1 didn,t See the WhoIe thin8and don’t

nDoes the young master mean that someone from Pure Yang Palace has alreadv b^n Zhou Heng,?„ Manager tog,s eygs *«•*

n“Pure Yang Palace is extremely strict about accepting disciples, and the process is cumbersome, having contact does not imply that he’s already a disciple Othenv.se, I wouldn’t want to take him as my disciple,” Liu Changsheng gently Shook his head, then added, “But one thing is beyond doubt, if a person from ure Yang Palace didn’t value him, he wouldn’t have their talisman. This means he must have even more extraordinary aptitude.”

n“I understand

/’ Manager Wang nodded earnestly and said, “The young master has keeninsight. Befriending this Zhou Heng will not bringus anjLL when?’” a’ ChangSheng n°dded S‘ightIy and SmiIed‘ “In a couple of days when he undergoes the test, let’s also go take a look. Maybe we can offer some

nYu He and Zhou Heng made their way back to the martial arts hall together. On the way.

nYu He couldn’t help but ask, “Why didn’t you agree to Liu Changsheng? Isn’t the true discipleship of the Five Elements Sect good?”

n“Hehe, “Zhou Heng chuckled and said, “If I could enter the Sect right now and

nagreed. But in a few years…”

nHe shook his head lightly, smiling without a word.

n“What about in a few years?” Yu He was puzzled and said, “Are you afraid Liu Changsheng won’t make a breakthrough to the Sixth Rankin a fewyears? That shouldn t happen, his father is an elder of the Five Elements Sect, a celebrated figure on the Earthly Rankings.” cieorared

n“No, what I mean is…” Zhou Heng laughed and said, “In a fewyears, I might be n Th?thanh,m‘By that tlme’eVen if 1 Wanted that disciPleP°sition he probably wouldn’t be comfortable offering it. Better to just end it now ”

n“Heh, I’ll take that as a compliment,” Zhou Heng laughed, about to unabashedly praise himself some more when he suddenly felt a chill on his

n“What’s wrong?” Yu He asked, puzzled.

nhead h0?1? Sh°°k a Slight fr0Wn and sa‘d. “Let’s

nhead back to the martial arts hall first.”

nAfter Zhou Heng and Yu He left, on the rooftop of a nearby building, two figures appeared out of thin air. figures

nA man and a woman, one tall and the other slender.

nThe girl appeared only fifteen or sixteen, exquisitely beautiful yet still somewhat immature-it was none other than Pei Luoling.

na full beard, exuding an aura of natural authority.

n“The kid has good perception,” the middle-aged man said with a smile “Just ow, although I did not intentionally hide my gaze and it even carried a bit of rpness, martial artists below the Seventh Rank might not notice, but he sensed it instantly. Hmm, not simple.”

n“See, Uncle Zhantu, I told you, someone who can tell such good stories can’t be b d at martial arts,” Pei Luoling exclaimed with joy, the middle-aged man si e er eing Pei Zhantu, who, according to family lineage, was her uncle.

nMasmrntU’ 3C°llateJal member°f thePing2h°U PeiClan>FifthRankS«t

nMaster, serving as the Martial Affairs Commissioner of Pingzhou County. “He indeed qualifies as a genius,” Pei Zhantu nodded and said, “Ayouth with

nXXhI’T’”’? Un®”gMa‘“4B–M“ae iZ8 ‘nd,sn“”’’ ‘ !he “ ””“d

nclaim 6 aug martini Arts Hall, lending some credibility to the

n7?’!r7d;PeiZhank‘PerSOnanyCametoHuangt°ngMansionCityto her back, and she took the opportunity to set her terms: She would return, but only if this matter was perfectly resolved.

n“Rejected?” Pei Zhantu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled and said, “Then ec XX” b0W7Sy°Ung^

nSect s test. 111 see how Tian Chong behaves then.” S

n“Uncle Zhantu, you are so wise!” Pei Luoling chirped joyfully.

no“an?:andmountainsandvaney^

ntZZ?rrc7rangoutthroughthes^

nthro ughthecloudsa ndmtst, stirring up g^r waves as it ascended into ^gh skies, speeding across the towering mountains and sweeping through the

nOn this white crane lay a middle-aged Taoist, his hair and beard unkempt his atures somewhat handsome. His Taoist robe was wrinkled, stained with’ grease, and some parts had even hardened into crusts.

nGlug, glug! The Taoist took a big swig of wine from his gourd belched contentedly, his tipsy eyes blurred as he muttered to himself. HZ7?nOrthernPart’inPingZhOUCOUntyOfHUangtongMansion City,Zhou ca iber h IngnMartial HaU” that ,iang,ian a lad of high

ncaliber, hmm, might as well take a look… *hic*… hehe, good wine, glug

nAs evening approached, Lin Cang knocked on Zhou Heng’s training room door

nX“’MasterLin?“zhouHeng^

nZedT t barrdS’ HUang JingfU and H°ng Kang‘ are no g°od!” ^n Cang g d his teeth, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly, “Zhou Heng I’m

nsorry, I had you training the Running Clouds Falling Sun Sword these past days yet I never imagined they would stoop so low.”

n“What happened?” Zhou Heng looked perplexed.

n“They proposed a barehanded test!!” Lin Cang recounted the test rules he’d heard from Lei Xiuyan, ending with indignation, “This is clearly a deliberate attempt to suppress you! You’ve just learned your hand techniques for a few days, how can they test you like this?”

n“Master Lin, please calm down,” Zhou Heng smiled, “Actually, I think this test proposal is reasonable.” mis test

n“What? What did you say?” Lin Cang was stunned and exclaimed in threTti^

ntimes. He s a master ranked ninety-ninth on the person list.”

nTwo days later.

nin front of the Martial Affairs Office of Huangtong Mansion, a large and

nMany people eager to watch the spectacle flocked to the site.

nm! hZZ’””” °’T°ngd”s M“w a»”gaengM„ial gradually made their appearance.

nYun Xiu, Pei Luolingi Liu changshengi Manager

npositioned themselves at places with a good view to wait.

nCirculating his inner Qi, he calmly meditated.

nSuddenly, his eyes snapped open, turning towards the other side of the stage.

nKong Chengshun had arrived and climbed directly onto the platform.

nThe testing bout!

nWas about to begin!

n