Chapter 228: A Visit

Zhang Junxue took the one on top and whispered, "I hope you also achieve good results tomorrow, Brother Zhu."

"Hahahaha." Zhang Junlan laughed loudly. "He no longer has a tomorrow."

"Ah?"

"He was too embarrassing today; he didn't even last twenty moves."

"What can you do when you run into someone from the Cuiyu Sect?" Zhang Junyan argued loudly. "Didn't I tell you guys? Chu Nian is the number one among the Fourth Life realm of the Cuiyu Sword Gate! How are you supposed to fight that? I'm the eldest of the Zhang family, not the eldest of Bowang Prefecture."

Zhang Junlan sighed, "If even you, the eldest, are afraid before the fight, it's quite normal for us younger brothers and sisters to be unable to beat people from the sects—isn't that right, Junxue?"

Zhang Junxue held the persimmon, took a small bite, and watched them with a smile at the corners of her mouth, saying nothing.

"But Junxue won," another person interjected. "Though it's true that many of us ran into sect members this year; in previous years, the losers didn't include these people."

"Isn't that the truth! I said it when I arrived: anything is fine, just don't run into the Bai Zhu Pavilion. They perfectly counter my blade style. If you meet them, you're bound to drop a round in ranking." The second brother slumped, raising his hands to the sky. "And it turned out I ran into the Bai Zhu Pavilion for three rounds in a row. Truly, bad luck is upon me; even the immortals can't save me!"

"That's because in previous years, the Third and Fourth Life sect members were all among the winners, but this year, many powerful figures appeared at the very top of the winners' side. Layer upon layer, they pushed us out." Third brother Zhang Junshu was still sitting at the table picking at the leftovers; he at least still had the losers' bracket to fight in tomorrow. "Junxue, among the people who came down today, who do you think is quite powerful?"

He was clearly talking about the eight people eliminated from the winners' side today. As one of the eight who came up from the losers' side, he had to compete with them tomorrow for the remaining spots in the top sixteen.

Zhang Junxue thought for a moment. "Brother Gu Guang and Zhang Huan are both Fifth Life. As for the others, I don't know."

"Junxue doesn't care about the defeated Fourth Life losers." Zhang Junlan hugged the young woman's arm and said with a smile, "Don't chat about those losers of yours; let's look at Junxue's opponent for tomorrow instead."

Zhang Junshu chewed on a steamed bun. "The top eight tomorrow... Shang Huaitong and Zhang Zongyuan are unbeatable. Li Piaoqing and Yang Yan also look hard to provoke. Yu Yingcai and Shen Yao also seem to have their own strengths—it seems we can only bully that Fourth Life kid."

"Why don't you think about how he managed to enter the top eight as a Fourth Life?"

"Because he never ran into a Fifth Life."

"... It seems that's true."

Zhang Junxue said in a muffled voice, "Pei Ye is my good friend, and I can't beat him either."

"You can't beat a Fourth Life?"

"Then, Junxue, what kind of opponent do you want to run into?"

"Why not think about it? You can still carve it on later."

The young woman was still not quite used to being the center of everyone's conversation; every time someone spoke, she hurriedly shifted her eyes away, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Just then, the curtain to the inner room was lifted.

Two elders walked out.

The hall instantly went quiet.

Zhang Junxue felt a tug in her chest, and her heart began to thump.

Third Uncle Zhang Wendian was a man who had received the Mingyuan Blade. Sixteen years ago, he climbed a cliff alone while holding his blade, snuck into a bandit stronghold, and cut off the heads of the three leaders. Now over fifty, the years had softened the sharp angles of his face. Standing solemnly now, he held a box containing a short blade with a cold, bright light.

The other was Fifth Uncle. He was in his prime, not even ten years older than Zhang Junyan. He was also holding a tray, upon which lay a stack of bright red silk.

Everyone stood up one after another, though Zhang Junxue had actually been the first to stand up on her own.

The Rite of Offering the Blade.

Since she was small, she had seen several elders and older siblings perform this rite. They stood in the middle, tightly surrounded by everyone, like the center of the world. When they raised their short blades, they would receive the cheers of everyone; that was the whole family standing with them.

As a member of the Zhang family, this should have been an honor branded into her heart since childhood.

However, for over a decade, the young woman had always been on the edge of isolation, always practicing her blade alone in silence, like a shadow in this lively, large family. She never said what she wanted to do, nor had she ever thought that one day everyone would prepare a rite for her.

Yet, just like telling a scholar who has studied for ten years that he has placed high on the imperial examination, or telling a cowherd servant that the young lady of the house is willing to marry him... the young woman's mood at this moment was exactly like that.

A feeling of overflowing fullness poured out from her heart. Under the kind greetings of the two elders, Zhang Junxue walked over, seeing that the short blade was as bright as ice and the red silk was as beautiful as cherries.

Seven or eight older siblings indeed surrounded her, surrounding her in the center with smiles on their faces. At this moment, she wasn't nervous anymore because everyone was very close, not the solemnly quiet, serious, and focused way she had imagined them watching her from afar. The atmosphere was very warm; the eldest brother and third brother had already raised their four hands and were waving them on both sides.

But she couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied secretly—feeling that the two brothers were being a bit too playful. She was receiving the blade; even if she was nervous, she still wanted it to be a bit more solemn.

However, just like when facing the young lady earlier, she wouldn't oppose these older siblings who had surrounded her tightly.

Third Uncle looked at them and smiled. Standing by the table, he spread his arms, shook out the red silk, and hung it in front of the main hall, while Fifth Uncle held up the short blade and handed it to her.

Zhang Junxue took a deep breath and gripped the hilt. This was the first time the newly forged blade had been unsheathed. Zhang Junxue lightly drew it across her forearm, hanging a string of bright red blood beads on the new edge.

Afterward, she put the blade down and looked at the paper and brush on the table.

"You can just write your wish for tomorrow's martial trial on it," Third Uncle said gently with a smile beside her.

But Zhang Junxue actually hadn't thought it through too well—meaning, she had originally thought about filling in "top four," but at this moment, she felt it was a bit too casual.

For a moment, she stared blankly at the brush and ink on the table. "I... what should I write?"

The older siblings burst into laughter, and Third Uncle also stroked his beard and laughed, saying gently, "This is naturally for you to decide yourself. Second place, top four, or even just doing your best—all are fine. If you must have me say it, it's just that you, Junxue, are too honest. Actually, writing 'top four' is nothing."

Zhang Junxue widened her eyes, not expecting this dignified uncle to say such a thing. She picked up the brush; the red silk before her was as clean as new, just waiting for her to write her name and the deed she was about to perform.

The young woman raised her wrist and wrote the three characters "Zhang Junxue" upright, stroke by stroke.

Then, looking at the large blank space, she felt a bit conflicted.

At this moment, she understood the young lady's words. She really wanted to write down her aspirations for the blade path, but her little thoughts really couldn't be suppressed—if she did that, when would she ever get the Mingyuan Blade?

The older siblings watched her patiently. Amidst the harmony, suddenly, "dong, dong, dong" came from the courtyard—the sound of someone knocking on the door.

The whole room was stunned for a moment.

"At this time..." Zhang Junyan muttered, turning to push the door open and go out. Soon, with a "creak," he opened the courtyard gate.

They heard him talking to the visitor in surprise outside, and then footsteps approached. Zhang Junyan trotted back, poked his head in, and held the door. "It's Gu Guang here to find Junxue."

There will be another chapter in a while; you don't have to wait.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 229 =====