Chapter 27: Little Fatty

The disciples of the Divine Sword Sect stood tall and imposing, their gazes toward the Zhenwu Sect filled with hostility, as if they were determined to reclaim something that had been stolen from them.

In response, the disciples of the Zhenwu Sect showed no sign of yielding. Led by the nine true disciples, their eyes were all cold and piercing.

The atmosphere instantly grew tense.

Daoist Longshan felt helpless. He sighed and said, "I certainly haven't forgotten the ten-year pact. Then, as Brother Divine Sword suggested, shall we follow the old rules?"

The formidable aura of the Old Divine Sword suddenly faltered, and his expression became somewhat unnatural.

Ten years ago, during his battle with Daoist Longshan, he had already sensed that his opponent had been holding back. Now, knowing that Daoist Longshan had one foot already in the Heaven-Man Realm, if they fought again, it would be a guaranteed defeat. The mere thought of being crushed in front of so many disciples made his teeth ache.

However, the words had already been spoken. He naturally would not slap his own face in public. He cleared his throat twice and huffed, "Longshan, you old nosey priest, is this how you treat guests?"

Daoist Longshan froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Brother Divine Sword has brought such illustrious disciples of the Divine Sword Sect; my Zhenwu Sect has long been prepared with a welcoming banquet! Wentian, lead the disciples of the Divine Sword Sect over. Brother Divine Sword, please!"

With that, Daoist Longshan and the Old Divine Sword walked toward the Mingwu Pavilion, clearly having matters to discuss.

Seeing this, the disciples of both sects were somewhat bewildered, exchanging confused glances. It felt as though a fight was about to break out at any moment, yet suddenly, they were being invited to dinner.

Only a few perceptive individuals understood the situation; they knew these two elders merely appeared to be at odds, but likely still regarded each other as friends deep down, simply unable to let go of their pride.

Ning Qi couldn't help but smile slightly. Luo Wentian also shook his head, as he understood the intricacies of the situation better.

"Everyone, please," Luo Wentian said with a smile to Dong He, the eldest disciple of the Divine Sword Sect. Dong He responded with a helpless smile.

Qin Yun followed behind Luo Wentian; the sharpness in his eyes gradually faded, though a certain coldness remained. Ning Qi walked behind, accompanied by the white ape.

At that moment, a sly voice rang out: "Is this your pet?"

Ning Qi turned to look. A fair and chubby little boy was staring at the white ape with burning eyes. He sniffled, appearing quite envious of Ning Qi's miraculous pet. In fact, many disciples of the Divine Sword Sect were also staring at the white ape.

Before Ning Qi could say anything, the white ape was already enraged. He now considered himself a person; hearing the little boy speak like that, he bared his teeth in a snarl, startling the boy. Had Ning Qi not been standing right there, the ape would have certainly played a trick on him.

Ning Qi said seriously, "He is not my pet. He is a third-generation disciple of the Zhenwu Sect, named Yuan Tiansheng."

The little boy froze, and then, seeing the white ape let out a cold snort, he let out an "Ah!" of realization. "Sorry, sorry!" He couldn't help but add, "Yuan Tiansheng, you're so smart, you can actually understand me!"

The white ape merely crossed his arms and gave a cold snort, ignoring him.

The little boy wiped his nose sheepishly and looked at Ning Qi. "My name is Zhuang Chen."

Ning Qi nodded and smiled. "Ning Qi."

He could sense that the vitality within Zhuang Chen was not weak; clearly, he had already stepped onto the path of martial arts. Given his age, he was likely a peerless genius.

The disciples of both sects took their seats. With Luo Wentian and the others hosting, Ning Qi didn't need to do anything except look after himself. However, he now had a tag-along.

Perhaps realizing there was someone of a similar age among the true disciples of the Zhenwu Sect, Zhuang Chen sat directly next to Ning Qi. Dong He, the eldest disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, wanted to stop him, but Luo Wentian stopped him with a smile, saying that it was no problem for their junior brother to bring Zhuang Chen along.

This caused Dong He to cast a surprised glance at Ning Qi.

However, this proved somewhat troublesome for Ning Qi. The little boy, Zhuang Chen, turned out to be a chatterbox.

"Ning Qi, have you started practicing martial arts yet?" "For a while now." "Ning Qi, do you know any sword techniques?" "A little." "Ning Qi, how did you and Yuan Tiansheng meet?" "Ning Qi, let me tell you a secret, I'm very strong." "Ning Qi..."

At first, Ning Qi gave brief, perfunctory answers. But seeing that the little boy's words were becoming more and more frequent, Ning Qi tactfully fell silent. He let his mind wander; after listening to the conversations of the disciples for a while, he immersed himself in his own world, contemplating the Dao and martial laws wherever he could.

"Ning Qi, Ning Qi..."

Looking at the unfocused Ning Qi who wouldn't answer his questions, Zhuang Chen felt a sense of pity. "Ning Qi doesn't seem very bright. I ask him several questions and he only answers one."

Zhuang Chen then looked at the white ape, trying to strike up a conversation. But the white ape merely made a face at him and ignored him; the little ape was quite vengeful.

Zhuang Chen pursed his lips slightly and then turned his full attention to the food before him. Eating was his second greatest hobby.

The welcoming banquet proceeded without incident. Although the disciples of both sects were young and hot-blooded, and some found each other disagreeable, they all knew etiquette and exercised restraint.

It wasn't until the banquet was nearing its end that the figures of the Old Divine Sword and Daoist Longshan reappeared.

Ning Qi snapped out of his meditative state. The two elders took their seats at the head of the hall.

Daoist Longshan smiled and said, "Brother Divine Sword and I have just discussed a matter. From now on, the ten-year pact between our two sects must be modified."

Everyone watched with rapt attention.

The Old Divine Sword cleared his throat and said calmly, "The two of us are now advanced in years and it is inconvenient for us to fight. As the saying goes, when the master has business, the disciples shall bear the burden. Henceforth, the ten-year pact shall be decided by the sparring of your disciples. This time shall be treated as an adaptation and trial; the next time shall mark the official beginning."

"At that time, whoever wins shall have the right to use Mount Zhenwu for ten years."

The disciples all felt a jolt in their hearts. Fighting spirit rose in their eyes. Previously, they had merely been observers and witnesses to the ten-year pact, but from now on, they would have to participate.

Ning Qi felt a strange sensation in his heart. He suspected that the Old Divine Sword, knowing he couldn't defeat his master, had intentionally proposed this change in format. However, seeing Daoist Longshan's smiling face, it seemed he didn't mind at all.

The two changing the terms of their wager was likely a way to put some pressure on their disciples. Pressure creates motivation; only with the ten-year pact hanging over their heads could they progress faster.

Ning Qi smiled inwardly. This method was clearly effective, as even the white ape and the little boy beside him grew excited. Some of the younger disciples even turned red with fervor. For the disciples of the Divine Sword Sect, this was a perfect opportunity to fulfill the long-held wish of the Old Divine Sword; for the disciples of the Zhenwu Sect, it was a matter of defending their sect's honor.

Ning Qi couldn't help but feel that both his master and the Old Divine Sword carried a hint of mischief in their smiles. He wondered what exactly the two had discussed in the Mingwu Pavilion.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been stirred, Daoist Longshan stood up and said, "Although this time is merely for your adaptation and training, you must not be careless. You must give your all. Brother Divine Sword and I have prepared some rewards, which may be claimed by those who perform exceptionally well."

The disciples became even more excited.

But Ning Qi felt nothing. He could browse the entire Library of the Zhenwu Sect at will; he doubted the Old Divine Sword would produce any truly world-shaking secret manuals.