Meeting Prime Minister

Yearly Grand Competition (2)

The streets of Qinyun Imperial City crowded with people and decorations, especially flags of different sects. 

The young and elderly came to enjoy the event that will decide which sect would be number one this year. Jiang Sect remained above everyone else for a few years now, followed by Scarlet Sect and Ren Sect. Who would be standing in their spots this year? 

Today was also the day where sects recruit and take in new disciples. Many young children and teenagers waited in line to find out if they had potential.

Combined together, it was called the Yearly Grand Competition. 

"I didn't think you'll be interested in this," said Master Ling as he handed a letter to Mei Lin.

Master Ling wore a lavender blue hanfu and stood next to Ou Renshu who had on a similar one like his. Anyone could tell they were wearing a couple's set, even their hair ornaments matched. 

"Of course, I have to be here to watch the show. And since the snow has died down a bit, what use is it to stay home?" Chu Feng replied honestly. "I didn't think you'll come too."

"Like you said, what use is it to stay home?" Master Ling smilingly said. 

Ou Renshu accompanied Mei Lin to cut through the line of impatient young adults while Chu Feng and Master Ling enjoyed the event. They bought a few tanghulus along the way to the large square stage which had nine large brown circles where disciples from different sects would battle it out in those circles. Each sect had about five soloists and seven team players. In all, the limit was 12 representatives. Although, the sects can decide if a disciple will be solo, in a team, or both. The first rounds would be the soloists, then the team players. 

It was only a few more minutes before the first 18 disciples from different sects come on stage. The host was still announcing the rules and hyping the audience up.

Master Ling laughed along with the crowd at the host's jokes while Chu Feng looked for someone.

Noticing this, Master Ling asked, "Have you found them?"

"Not yet," Chu Feng answered automatically. 

Master Ling continued to watch the show until he saw someone glaring at him from the stage. He only smiled back at the glaring woman. The woman clenched her teeth and continued to glare as if she could kill him.

This time, it was Chu Feng's turn to ask, "Someone you know?"

"Nope."

"Someone Ou Renshu knows?"

"Yep."

"Aah, I see."

With Ou Renshu's good looks, of course, people would be chasing after him. The only reason not too many would affectionately chase after him was because they knew Ou Renshu was bloodthirsty and cold to "bugs".

"Found them yet?" Master Ling asked once again.

Chu Feng responded once more, "No."

"Okay."

Out of curiosity, Chu Feng asked, "Which sect did you recommend her to join in the letter?"

"Lingyuan," Master Ling replied, munching on the candied fruits.

"Lingyuan?" She never heard of that sect before.

"Lingyuan Sect is located in Lingyuan City, the west coastal area. They don't partake in something like this though they are accepting disciples. It was an all-woman sect not too long ago. Although, even now, not many men are in it since they only take in two disciples a year."

Seeing Chu Feng questioning face, he continued, "You don't need to worry. Mei Lin will be taken in as the Sect Head's first inner disciple with Ou Renshu's and my recommendation. She won't be treated harshly. And, compared to all other sects, only Lingyuan Sect fits in with Mei Lin's attributes."

"Thank you," Chu Feng earnestly said from the bottom of her heart. Was it too soon to let Mei Lin go? No... No, no more second thoughts. 

"It's fine. Mei Lin, has a lot of potentials. She can't afford to stay in one place." 

"I know. I can't keep her here."

Master Ling replied, "You can't keep her here even if you wanted to anyway."

"You know?" A little shock appeared on Chu Feng's face. 

Master Ling crossed his arms and smiled handsomely, "Of course. If you need help, just say so. Don't try to do it all yourself."

Chu Feng shot him a friendly and understanding smiled. It wasn't that she was trying to hide the fact that Mei Lin and herself were flower maidens. However, having someone know was a little surprising.

Time ticked by in a flash and so did the battles. Chu Feng's eyes smiled as she saw someone she recognized coming up onto the stage. Their eyes met for a moment but it was as if they were only strangers.

After coming out of seclusion, did Ming Shu not recognize her anymore?

Just as she was about to call out to her (MS), she heard a few whispers.

"Ah? General Ming's daughter is actually coming out? Isn't she supposed to be recuperating from failing her breakthrough?"

"She should just go back! She was lucky enough to survive a failed breakthrough. Now she's just seeking death!"

"Hey, didn't her old master purposely make her fail her breakthrough?"

"Shhh! Watch your tongue!"

"Why? Everyone already knows how bad her old master has been after he found out she had a pure yin body. Just because she wouldn't sleep with him, he interrupted her breakthrough during her seclusion training and now she's suffering from it."

The person stopped to look around and sighed.

Then, he continued, "She's got memory loss now too after that incident. Poor girl. Years of cultivation down the drain!"

"If Ren sect heard you, all ten generations of your family will be gone!" 

The man quieted down finally. He just wanted to gossip.

As Chu Feng listened to it, her heart began to increase its pace.

To get rid of the anxious feelings she had, she turned her head over to the stage only to find Ming Shu laying face down on the floor in a pile of black blood. Everyone knew what black blood meant and it confirmed the conversation just now. Anyone who failed to breakthrough, if unlucky, will die and, if lucky, will survive but their blood will be black. Slowly, they will decay.

It was as if poison was seeking out of her body instead of blood.

Ming Shu's familiar, Ahxi, was covering its master even with wounds all over itself. It was a divine beast like Mingyu yet it looked unrecognizable.

Was this the once majestic phoenix?

Its wings seemed to have been cut off even before the life-death battle -same with its tail. It was now a phoenix with no wings and tail. Its fire wasn't bright like how it should be.

Without thinking, her body got onto the stage.