Chapter 501: Lin Changsheng

She hadn't yet tested her talent for talisman-making.

After all, even the test materials for this are given away for free.

But to be honest, after seeing the scene described in this emergency alert, she did feel a tiny bit tempted…

But quickly, that tiny temptation was suppressed.

Screw it!

Even though high-tier talisman masters are cool and awesome, other cultivation careers aren't bad either, and as for how well my nature fits with traditional cultivation careers…

Maybe when I test it, my talisman talent is even worse than my array talent!

Most importantly, no matter how awesome high-tier talisman masters are, it has nothing to do with mid- and low-tier talisman masters…

I'm already a fish whose edges have been worn smooth by life—I still need to think in terms of "practicality."

"Fish-fish~ Master! Test! Test!"

The bluish-gold long sword hovered beside her shoulder, and after seeing the content on her phone screen, it began urging again.

Chi Jiuyu: "…"

She steadied herself and pointed to a line of text on the phone screen.

"Look here—it warns nearby star systems to guard against roaming bio-weapons." Her tone was serious, "We need to set up some concealment arrays on the exterior of the starship first, to guard against bio-weapon attacks."

"Huh?"

Doesn't the starship itself have an invisibility function?

"That's not enough! Our starship can't take any damage—if it gets wrecked, we'll have to slowly make our way to the Talisman Spirit Star System."

Though the Grand Void Sword Dash is incredibly versatile and can pierce through space, the distance between two star systems is immense.

Due to my cultivation level, my current sword-dash technique is nowhere near "jump-class" yet.

Mm!

That's right!

This is the most important thing.

Testing can wait until anytime!

…And I feel I still need to prepare properly.

We still have two and a half days left!

As Chi Jiuyu explained the necessity of her actions, she walked toward the control room.

The bluish-gold long sword, confused and dazed, didn't press further.

…

…

Time passed like this for one day.

One day later, Central Continent, Hehuan Sect.

In the outer sect, a park exclusively for charm cultivators' "cultivation" and sect disciples' relaxation and rest, not open to outsiders.

At this moment, two figures walked toward them from afar.

One had skin whiter than snow, a face of peerless beauty, with a vermilion tear mole painted at her left eyelid, like a red plum dotting her pale, delicate skin.

Yet she did not appear alluring; instead, she radiated a solemn, icy elegance like a lone pine standing firm on a wind-swept cliff.

A very unusual beauty.

The other wore casual attire, with swordlike eyebrows and starlit eyes, handsome features, and an innate sharpness in his brow.

Sword cultivator!

Yet now, his expression was dull, as if he had just experienced something utterly unbearable—even the sharpness in his brow had dimmed somewhat.

These two were Wu Zhongfeng and Lin Changsheng.

Walking into the park, they reached a bench, and Wu Zhongfeng sat calmly on one side.

Lin Changsheng's dazed expression eased slightly; he glanced over and sat directly on the other end of the bench, leaving a large empty space in between.

Wu Zhongfeng didn't mind and said directly: "Before this, you always looked unconvinced after class—what happened today?"

The initial training process hadn't gone smoothly at all.

Even though Meng Ling had begun preliminary training and used many methods, Lin Changsheng still believed Sheng Qingqing was different.

Yet today, after only half an hour of class, he had become this gloomy, dazed figure.

This made Wu Zhongfeng curious.

"I…"

Lin Changsheng opened his mouth but hesitated, unsure how to begin.

Just as he was struggling…

Wuuu~

His phone rang.

He pulled it out and looked!

Lao Chang: "I heard from Lao Yue that your training is finally making progress?"

Lao Chang: "I thought you'd keep clinging to your delusions."

Lao Chang: "Wait, didn't you seem so firm yesterday? Why the change today?"

Lao Chang: "/curious"

Lin Changsheng: "…"

Sword Saint: "Get lost!"

After replying, he twitched his lips, and the complex emotions in his heart faded considerably; then he looked up at Wu Zhongfeng.

I just got out of the training center, and you've already sent the news to Old Chang?

"Even if you were going to send word to Old Chang, you could've at least told me first."

If it were only told to that scheming Old Chang, it wouldn't matter much.

But you could've at least given me a heads-up!

Wu Zhongfeng only glanced at him, then said lightly: "I didn't send it to him."

"Huh?"

Impossible!

Old Chang's message just now clearly said you were the one who told him!

Yet His next sentence nearly made Lin Changsheng draw his sword and stab over!

"I posted it in the group chat."

Boom—!

Though not loud, it exploded in Lin Changsheng's mind like a thunderclap.

For a moment, his ears buzzed.

"You f***ing—"

The words were already at the tip of his tongue, but then he noticed the surrounding Charm Cultivators who were livestreaming all staring intently at him and Wu Zhongfeng.

Every one of them itching to point every recording artifact at him.

"……"

The fact that he'd come to the Charm Sect for training was already going viral on the Spirit Web, and after people had recently spotted him appearing at the Charm Sect with Wu Zhongfeng, the matter was all but confirmed.

If he kept talking now, by tomorrow he'd truly become a laughingstock.

He might even surpass Zhao Ruoming from the last Xian Sect Grand Competition, who was beaten to tears by Little Martial Uncle right before everyone's eyes…

These Charm Cultivators would do anything for traffic!

Composing himself, he silently cast a sound-isolating divine ability, then said with a smile:

"You f***ing—! ***! **!"

And promptly launched into a string of birdsong and blossoms.

Wu Zhongfeng was unmoved: "Don't be so uncultured, like some body cultivator."

"***!"

"Looks like what you saw today really did break through your defenses."

The usual Old Lin was still quite composed—he might curse a few times over something like this, but never like this.

After all, the matter would only spread within their little circle.

"Break through my defenses, my ass!"

"Tell me about it then, you've already cast the sound-isolating divine ability anyway."

"Shit! Tell you, and then you'll post it in the group chat so they can all get a laugh at me?!"

The whole damn group chat is full of people who live for drama!

"Suit yourself." Wu Zhongfeng didn't press the matter.

Given his understanding of Old Lin, he knew the man wouldn't be able to hold it in.

Lin Changsheng: "……"

Shouldn't it be you who promises not to post it in the group chat?

He felt a bit sullen.

But glancing to the side, he saw those livestreaming Charm Cultivators still casting looks his way from time to time.

Even some Charm Cultivators in the distance were drifting closer.

Their burning gazes made him deeply uncomfortable.

"Let's go."

He could no longer sit still, called Wu Zhongfeng to leave the park.

But just as he reached the park exit, a figure in a purple skirt flashed past in his peripheral vision.

Perhaps the scene stirred his emotions, and that figure rose unbidden in his mind once more.

But then he thought of somewhere, and the figure vanished again just as quickly.

……

……

Afternoon, Charm Sect Anti-Scam Training Center.

Anti-Emotional-Scam Training Zone, inside Meng Ling's office.

Lin Changsheng sat on the sofa, a cup of red tea with wisps of "enthusiasm" rising from it placed on the coffee table before him.

Meng Ling sat at a desk not far away, flipping through a document in her hands.

After a while, she set the document aside neatly and looked at Lin Changsheng.

"Looks like you've already figured it out."

"Mm, sorry for the trouble these past days, Senior."

Among the clients she had trained, this Xiang Jianzong prodigy was also one of the more stubborn, "deeply poisoned" types.

Fortunately, realizing that this "opponent was no simple matter," she had communicated with his family and finally obtained fairly detailed information.

The result was just as she'd anticipated—this kid was "in denial about his illness," and had concealed a great deal.

"Later I'll import similar cases into the Illusory Realm. Go experience them a few times and raise your awareness, that should be enough."

"Thank you, Senior."

"You're welcome. This was part of the package to begin with."

Apart from the portion Lin Changsheng himself knew, his family behind him had also sent other information.

It was precisely by leveraging this point to generate an Illusory Realm that shattered the beautiful fantasy in his heart, and then handing him those materials, that this Lin Changsheng finally woke up.

Thinking of the contents on the materials, a trace of pity inevitably crept into her gaze as she looked at Lin Changsheng.

Others had side chick number three, side chick number four; the most she had ever seen was "Tales of the Tenth Concubine," topping out at two digits — but this Xiang Jianzong prodigy had…

It was quite the miserable story.

"To be fair, it's not really your fault. The person who schemed against you was genuinely skilled."

The gap in their levels was far too great.

In all her years in this line of work, she had only encountered the "Now Close, Now Distant" technique deployed to this degree perhaps once or twice.

One of those was the sole failure in her entire professional career.

Lin Changsheng's case could genuinely be made into a template for other clients' remedial treatment.

Of course, the prerequisite was that he had to agree himself.

"…" Lin Changsheng hesitated for a moment, then finally said with a bitter smile, "Shameful to say, but even now, I still cling to a sliver of fantasy."

"That's perfectly normal." Meng Ling's face remained impassive as she smiled and said, "Once the heart is moved, that's how it is."

"I didn't…"

Lin Changsheng instinctively wanted to deny it, but the words reached his lips and simply would not come out.

At this point, was there really any need to deny it?

"May I dare to ask, Senior, what should I do to forget?"

"Why force yourself to forget?"

Meng Ling was still smiling, though a hint of something inexplicable had crept into her tone as well:

"Since everything about her was false, then the one who moved your heart was never truly her."

Although this Lin Changsheng was a touch stubborn, he was a true, genuine seed of the sword cultivator.

Both his temperament and his talent were top-tier.

Had it not been for the schemer's arrangement coming to an abrupt halt because the Grand Competition ended, leaving behind in his heart a blurred shadow he kept beautifying on his own—

If that woman's scheme had truly continued, this Lin Changsheng might well have seen through her arrangement later on and glimpsed the truth.

After all, everything was merely false…

"And even if you did forget, on the day you merge with the Dao and behold your true self, wouldn't you still remember?"

"If you truly care, go see her again afterward." (End of Chapter)