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Outside the door, a crowd had gathered, and when Xunuo arrived, they all rushed forward with a loud cheer. Xunuo noticed that among them were several Outer Sect Disciples dressed in white.
The first to speak was the plump Outer Sect Disciple, Manager Zhang Changzai. He raised his voice and said, "Congratulations to Master Lu for joining the Seven Star Sword Hall and becoming a model for us young disciples."
Xunuo immediately felt a surge of disbelief. He thought to himself, You’re already old enough to be buried halfway in the ground, yet you still call yourself a young disciple.
However, he couldn’t help but admire Zhang’s opportunism. The other disciples around him fell silent upon hearing Zhang’s words.
In fact, Zhang Changzai referred to Xunuo as Shishu, which was within the rules. Typically, those who entered the Inner Sect were third-generation disciples and would refer to second-generation disciples as Shishu or Shibo. But Xunuo was merely a registered disciple without having performed the formal bowing ceremony and was still mingling in the Outer Gate, so he didn’t qualify as a senior.
Moreover, Xunuo had only been in the sect for a month and was still quite inexperienced. Usually, he was met with teasing and scolding, devoid of any respect. However, since Zhang had called him that, others felt it inappropriate to address him differently.
The Outer Sect Disciples didn’t dare offend Zhang Changzai and cursed his ancestors in their hearts. The few in white, however, were not intimidated and glared at him.
Zhang Changzai continued without a care, "Master Lu is now on the Outer Sect Disciple list, so you won’t have to do any of the rough work like chopping wood or carrying water. However, according to regulations, you still need to take on some miscellaneous tasks. I’ve brought a list of chores from the sect; you can choose one that you’d like to do."
With that, he handed a notebook to Xunuo.
Though Xunuo found his character distasteful, he didn’t want to be rude by refusing to take it from him. He replied, "I’m not very familiar with what chores there are; just pick one that I should do."
Seeing that the surrounding disciples seemed hesitant to speak up, Xunuo realized that since Zhang had taken the lead in calling him Shishu, it would seem disrespectful for others to refer to him as a junior disciple. Yet suddenly changing their address would be awkward too. So Xunuo smiled and said, "I’ve only been at the Outer Gate for a day; I’m still your junior disciple. If Manager Zhang is eager to act like a younger generation member, that’s his business and has nothing to do with you all."
Only then did everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
An Outer Sect Disciple, with a grim expression, said to Zhang Changzai, "Once you're done talking, hurry up and leave. Don't embarrass yourself here."
Zhang Changzai ignored the person and continued to smile at Xunuo, saying, "If Master Lu has any further instructions, please let me know. I will do my utmost."
Xunuo secretly gave a thumbs-up in his heart and thought: Excellent.
Then he said to Zhang Changzai, "There's nothing much left. Manager Zhang, please feel free to go."
Zhang Changzai replied, "I'll go back and find a good position for Master Lu. I will make sure Shishu is satisfied," before turning to leave.
At that moment, a figure in white spoke up, "All three of us practice the Eight Extremes Fist but have not found the right path for a long time. Today, seeing Lu Shidi perform the Eight Extremes Fist so smoothly, we came to exchange some insights."
Xunuo quickly declined but established an agreement for mutual exchange. The three Outer Sect Disciples clasped their fists in farewell and left.
Once the three Outer Sect Disciples had departed, Guo Shujiang peeked in cautiously.
Through Guo Shujiang's introduction, Xunuo learned that some of these Outer Sect Disciples were friends of Guo Shujiang, while others had come at Guo Shujiang's request to spar with Xunuo.
The few Outer Sect Disciples sought Xunuo for a sparring session, but Guo Shujiang did not dare to take charge and hid away. He only emerged once they had left, pretending to be relaxed.
Seeing Guo Shujiang take on so many tasks for himself, Xunuo coldly smiled and said, "Brothers, thank you for your congratulations; I truly appreciate it. As for sparring and testing skills, you can come find me after defeating Brother Guo."
After finishing his words, Xunuo clasped his hands and walked away.
The others exchanged glances, their expressions strange as they looked at Guo Shujiang. Guo Shujiang's heart sank as he thought: This is bad; trouble is coming.
With a determined spirit, he managed to coax everyone away before finally entering the room. He saw Xunuo sitting on a stool, deep in thought, and smiled sheepishly as he asked, "Lu Shidi, have you officially become a disciple of Master Tian today?"
Xunuo replied, "It's not an official apprenticeship yet; I'm just a registered disciple. I won't formally become a disciple until after the Outer Sect Competition at the end of the year."
Guo Shujiang exclaimed with delight, "With your talent, there's no doubt you'll pass the Outer Sect Competition at the year's end. You've taken a giant leap forward and have no worries now. I'm happy for you as your senior brother."
Xunuo understood that his rise to prominence pleased Guo Shujiang the most. However, he was annoyed that Guo had casually made commitments on his behalf. With a serious expression, he said, "Now that I’m on the list and have become Hall Master Tian's registered disciple, I won't easily engage in fights. You can handle those sparring matches you agreed to."
Guo Shujiang's face turned sour as he pleaded, "Shidi, please help me out. One of them is ranked twenty-second on the list. This person has a volatile temperament; if I really leave him hanging, it could cause trouble for me."
Looking at Guo Shujiang, Xunuo pondered for a moment and said, "Just this once; it won't happen again."
Guo Shujiang's expression lightened up as he opened a box and took out some pastries. He smiled and said, "Shidi, have some snacks. These are the most famous chestnut pastries from around here—rarely available otherwise."
Seeing that the box was filled with pastries and silk cloths, Xunuo couldn't help but wonder how many favors Guo had traded for them. Thinking about it made him feel frustrated about being sold off like this. He snatched the box of pastries from Guo and began to eat heartily.
Guo Shujiang was stingy; although he knew all about local delicacies, he was reluctant to spend money on them. He had heard of these chestnut pastries but had never tasted them himself. Now that he had tricked a box out of Xunuo and watched him devour them without any intention of sharing, he couldn't help but swallow hard.
Inwardly cursing, he thought: Is this guy part dog? So protective of his food.
In no time at all, Xunuo finished off the entire box of pastries and then pushed open the door to leave. Guo Shujiang stared at the empty pastry box on the table and couldn't hold back his frustration any longer. He shouted, "I kindly offered you food, and you devoured it like a pig! Eating like that, how can you even taste anything? Don't expect such good fortune again in the future!"
Having released some pent-up frustration, Xunuo chuckled at the scolding as he walked toward the back of the house. Once in an open area, he focused his mind and began practicing Tongbi Fist.
As for why Tian Feiyu made an exception to accept him as a registered disciple, that was something he needed to discuss further with Guo Shujiang.
After the battle with Liu Changqing today, Xunuo was afraid that the insights gained would fade away, so he immediately began to contemplate them as soon as he had the chance. While searching for that understanding, he practiced the Tongbi Fist, creating a whooshing sound with each strike. It wasn't until nightfall that Guo Shujiang arrived, prompting Xunuo to stop his training.
Seeing Xunuo, Guo Shujiang said, "No wonder my junior brother has achieved so much at such a young age; it turns out you work this hard. Hurry back to eat and practice again tomorrow."
Xunuo thought for a moment and realized he had matters to discuss with Guo Shujiang, so he agreed and returned with him. After they finished dinner at their residence, Xunuo asked, "Are there any others like me who have become registered disciples without participating in the Outer Sect Competition?"
Guo Shujiang pondered for a while before replying, "As far as I know, you are the only one."
Xunuo frowned slightly and said, "That's rather strange. Although I've gained some recognition from this challenge, it shouldn't be enough for Hall Master Tian to make an exception and accept me as a disciple."
Guo Shujiang nodded thoughtfully. "You have a point. Over the years, all disciples who entered the Inner Sect have apprenticed under second-generation disciples. Those Masters Tian have long stopped accepting direct disciples. Moreover, Master Tian of the Seven Star Sword Hall has only coveted the sect leader's closed-door disciple, Liu Yunfei. He claimed to have misjudged him, allowing Master Ancestor to take advantage of the situation. When Liu Yunfei participated in the Outer Sect Competition that year, he ranked around twentieth and indeed did not stand out. The Seven Star Sword Hall only selected the top three from the Outer Sect Competition, and Master Ancestor chose just one—Liu Yunfei. This shows that Master Ancestor does have some discernment."
Xunuo smiled faintly and said, "Could it be that Hall Master Tian is betting on my potential this time?"
Guo Shujiang blinked his small eyes and replied, "There is indeed a possibility. Right now, he has only accepted you as a registered disciple. If you show exceptional talent in the upcoming Outer Sect Competition at the end of the year, others will find it difficult to choose you since Master Tian will have established a master-disciple relationship with you. However, if your performance is mediocre, then being a registered disciple won't mean anything at all. You might not only lose that status but also your place in the Seven Star Sword Hall."
Xunuo nodded in agreement. "I was thinking along those lines as well; otherwise, this matter would be puzzling."
Guo Shujiang shook his head and said, "Actually, there's another possibility that I need to ask you about."
Xunuo was taken aback. "What do you mean by that, Senior Brother?"
Guo Shujiang looked at Xunuo intently and said slowly, "It all depends on whether you possess something they covet."
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