163: Chapter 163 Zhao Zhanyuan

Zhao Chengtuo's pen shifted, drawing a mark next to your name, then he looked up, his gaze gentle: "Lin Shuangwan, right? Go back and wait for news."

"Thank you, Elder Zhao." You stood up, bowed, and turned to walk down the steps.

You noticed that to the few people before you, Zhao Chengtuo had said, "Very well, next," but to you, he had said, "Wait for news."

You didn't overthink it, returning to the waiting area to sit down and quietly observe the subsequent inquiry process.

Two hours later, the last person finished their inquiry.

Zhao Chengtuo stood up and, accompanied by three young members of the Zhao Clan and the scribe responsible for recording, walked toward a temporarily set-up tent behind the martial arts stage.

The curtains fell, cutting off the view and sounds from the outside.

...

Inside the tent, Zhao Chengtuo spread the booklet in his hands on the table. Before he could speak, a thin-faced young man wearing the standard robe of the Zhao Clan walked quickly from the side and said in a low voice: "Elder Zhao, there are a few things I need to tell you."

This was Zhao Yuan, a member of the Zhao Clan stationed long-term at Qingyue Market, responsible for daily intelligence gathering.

"Speak." Zhao Chengtuo picked up his teacup.

Zhao Yuan's gaze swept over the booklet, his fingertip pointing to a certain name: "This Lin Shuangwan has some fame in the market, though not all of it is good fame."

"How so?"

"Half a year ago, Meng Si, son of Meng Xiangyun of Tianhuo Peak, took a fancy to her and wanted to take her as a concubine, but she refused him to his face. Afterward, Meng Si used underhanded means to make her lose her job and her dwelling, forcing her to leave the market. Later, a female Loose Cultivator Sword Cultivator took her in. Meng Si feared that female Sword Cultivator's strength, so he temporarily ceased his actions, but that female Sword Cultivator left Qingyue Market a month ago."

Zhao Yuan paused, then added: "Meng Si is currently not in the market; it is said he returned to Luoyun Sect to handle some matters, but it is estimated that he will be back before long."

There was silence in the tent for a moment.

The first to speak was the burly man with a square face, Zhao Hong. He crossed his arms and frowned: "Offend Tianhuo Peak for a Loose Cultivator with an Inferior Grade Spiritual Root? It's not worth it. Although Meng Si is only an Inner Sect Disciple, his old man, Meng Xiangyun, is a High Grade Rank 1 Rune Master with considerable connections in Tianhuo Peak. There's no need for us to wade into this muddy water for such a person."

The woman in the purple dress, Zhao Wanqing, immediately let out a cold snort: "Heh, Zhao Hong, when did you become such a coward? Our Qingyang Zhao Clan has no fewer Inner Sect Disciples in Luoyun Sect than his Tianhuo Peak. What does Meng Si count for? A spoiled second-generation heir at the Late Stage of Qi Refining. If he dares to make a move against our Zhao Clan's Guest Elder, I'd like to see if Meng Xiangyun has the guts to protect him."

Zhao Hong's face darkened: "Wanqing, don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. Guest Elders are recruited to do work for the Family, not to invite trouble. A person with an Inferior Grade Spiritual Root, no matter how good her foundation in martial arts is, has a limited ceiling. Is she worth the Zhao Clan sticking its neck out for her?"

The two locked eyes, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense.

Zhao Chengtuo was in no rush to express his stance; instead, he turned his head and looked at the young man in the ink-blue robe who had been standing silently in the corner of the tent.

"Young Patriarch Zhao Zhanyuan, what is your view?"

Young Patriarch Zhao Zhanyuan had been keeping his eyes half-closed, as if he were daydreaming. Upon hearing Zhao Chengtuo call his name, he slowly opened his eyes, and his gentle voice resonated in the tent:

"Just accept her."

Zhao Hong immediately turned his head: "Young Patriarch Zhao Zhanyuan, you..."

Young Patriarch Zhao Zhanyuan raised his hand, signaling him to calm down, then said slowly: "Zhao Hong, you are right. Offending Tianhuo Peak for an Inferior Grade Spiritual Root is indeed not worth it. But looking at it the other way, there is no need for us to reject her just to curry favor with Tianhuo Peak."

He walked to the table and tapped his fingertip twice on the booklet: "The direct descendants of our Qingyang Zhao Clan in Luoyun Sect are mostly distributed across Luoxia Peak and Heishui Peak. These two peaks have always had poor relations with Tianhuo Peak; they are polite on the surface but secretly compete for resources and positions. If we publicly reject a Loose Cultivator today simply because she 'offended a Disciple of Tianhuo Peak,' and the news reaches the ears of those at Luoxia Peak and Heishui Peak, what will they think?"

Zhao Hong opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Young Patriarch Zhao Zhanyuan continued: "They will think, since when did the Qingyang Zhao Clan become a sycophant for Tianhuo Peak? Since when does the Zhao Clan's Talent Recruitment Meeting have to act according to the mood of an Inner Sect Disciple from Tianhuo Peak?"

"Once this impression is formed, the loss will be far greater than offending a mere Meng Si."

His tone was flat, as if stating a fact that couldn't be simpler: "So, we can accept her, but there is no need to give her any special treatment. Just follow the standard for ordinary Guest Elders and act as if we don't know about her affair with Meng Si. This way, Tianhuo Peak cannot find any fault. Our Zhao Clan's Talent Recruitment Meeting selects talent openly and admits fairly; we certainly cannot be expected to reject a qualified candidate just because of the private matters of the Disciples from your peak, right?"

"The logic is on our side. Our stance should be neither servile nor overbearing—neither intentionally currying favor with Tianhuo Peak nor actively provoking them."

The tent fell silent again.

Zhao Chengtuo put down his teacup, a look of undisguised gratification appearing on his face: "Well analyzed."

Zhao Wanqing also nodded, looking at Young Patriarch Zhao Zhanyuan with a hint of approval in her eyes: "Brother Zhanyuan is still the most thoughtful."

Zhao Yuan sighed sincerely from the side: "As expected of the Young Clan Master, his vision is simply different."

Amidst the chorus of agreement, Zhao Hong lowered his gaze.

His fists slowly clenched inside his sleeves, his knuckles turning white. His face still maintained an expression of "being taught a lesson," but deep in the depths of his eyes, a flicker of gloomy light flashed and vanished.

No one noticed his abnormality.

Zhao Chengtuo picked up his pen and finalized the list in the booklet, totaling fifty-three people, with Lin Shuangwan's name clearly included.

...

Outside the tent, you had already waited for half an hour.

The surrounding Loose Cultivators were chatting in groups of three or five; some were nervous, some anxious, and others were already celebrating in advance. You sat alone on a stone stool in the corner, eyes closed as if dozing, but in reality, you were circulating the Burning Heaven True Art to silently nourish your spiritual power.

"Dong—dong—dong—"

A few clear, resonant bell sounds came from the direction of the tent.

Everyone immediately fell silent, all looking toward the stage in unison.

Zhao Chengtuo walked out of the tent with a bamboo scroll in his hand. He walked to the front of the stage and stood still, unfolding the scroll. He injected spiritual power into it, and the characters on the scroll turned into golden specks of light that flew out, arranging themselves into rows of names in mid-air.

"Those whose names are read below are the people accepted in this Talent Recruitment Meeting."

"Zhao Yuan, read them." He handed the bamboo scroll to Zhao Yuan beside him.

Zhao Yuan took it, cleared his throat, and began to read them out one by one:

...

"Fang Han."

Name after name was read out; those who were called wore expressions of wild joy, while those who were not became increasingly anxious.

You still kept your eyes closed, your breathing even, your heartbeat steady.

"Lin Shuangwan."

You opened your eyes, feeling a sense of wistfulness in your heart, not knowing whether you should be happy or disappointed.