“These guys chatter like market women. Taiping, don’t be disheartened. Just do your best in tomorrow’s contest.”

Old Eight glared at the few gossipy ones before comforting Xu Taiping with another sentence.

Wu Liang is the type who’s timid at home but aggressive outside. He’s well-behaved in the Seventh Peak, but once he leaves, he’s like a honey badger, biting anyone who provokes him and not letting go.

If it weren’t for Xu Taiping being here, he would have already gone up to argue with those disciples.

“Thanks, Senior Brother Eight, I won’t take those words to heart.”

Xu Taiping said with a smile and a nod.

He had heard too much ridicule, both as an Outer Disciple and in his secular life, to let it affect him now.

The only way to shut them up is to perform so well that they have nothing to say.

“Right, tomorrow’s topic is hanging objects and carving characters, isn’t it?”

Xu Taiping asked Old Eight.

“Mhm.” Old Eight nodded, then explained to Xu Taiping:

“Hang a ship-anchor iron on a flying sword, then carve the complete Qingxuan Seven Laws on the cliffside. You can challenge different weights; the heavier the ship-anchor iron hanging on the flying sword, the more that side will be considered the winner.”

Xu Taiping nodded.

Carving characters while controlling the sword wasn’t difficult for him, but he had never tried it with a ship-anchor iron hanging below.

“Senior Sister, Senior Brother!”

As they descended the stairs, they saw Senior Sister and Qingxiao with their group.

“Junior Brother Eight, Junior Brother Nine.”

“Let’s go back, today’s contest is over.”

Having just lost the contest, and disastrously so, Senior Sister Jiang Zhi and Senior Brother Qingxiao were in low spirits, managing only a forced smile and a nod at the two.

Not just them, even the usually optimistic Zhao Linglong looked dejected.

“Senior Sister, have some water.”

Xu Taiping handed over a water bladder he had prepared earlier to Zhao Linglong.

Zhao Linglong took the bladder and gulped down a few mouthfuls, then stamped her foot and exclaimed:

“We were so close!”

Hearing this, Senior Sister patted Linglong’s head and comforted her with a smile:

“Linglong, you performed well this time. It’s your big sister who held you back.”

At this moment, Jiang Zhi’s complexion was pale, clearly showing signs of her old illness flaring up.

“Senior Sister, how can we blame you?”

Zhao Linglong hugged Jiang Zhi’s arm with a pained expression, then pouted:

“You should have been resting and healing. If we weren’t so useless, you wouldn’t have had to fight injured.”

“It’s nothing serious…”

Jiang Zhi gently patted Zhao Linglong’s hand.

“Senior Sister, don’t participate tomorrow. Let Junior Brother Eight take your place.”

Qingxiao, walking at the front, also turned back and looked at Jiang Zhi with concern.

“I, your Senior Sister, am not at that point yet. At least for the fourth contest, I must win it for Seventh Peak.”

Jiang Zhi shook her head stubbornly.

Hearing this, Xu Taiping suddenly felt puzzled and thought to himself, why is Senior Sister so adamant about the outcome of this contest?

“Senior Sister, if we lose every match in this grand competition, will there be a punishment?”

He tentatively sent a soul transmission to Zhao Linglong, voicing his confusion.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Linglong replied to Xu Taiping:

“If we don’t win a single match, Seventh Peak will have many of its Immortal Fields and herb gardens reclaimed by the Qingxuan Sect, and for the next six years, the sect’s finances will be tight. All these matters are managed by Senior Sister, and she doesn’t want to see everyone living frugally, so she insists on participating in the contest.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Taiping immediately understood.

Senior Sister acted as the steward of Seventh Peak, managing all the expenses.

If Seventh Peak lost some Immortal Fields and herb gardens, it would be difficult for her to manage without resources, resulting in reduced elixirs and herbs for the disciples.

Not everyone had treasures like Dragon Gall Wine like Xu Taiping; the sect’s elixir supply directly affected their cultivation progress.

“By the way.”

Just then, Senior Sister Jiang Zhi suddenly turned to address everyone.

“You’ve all heard about the murder of Lu Chen from Fifth Peak, right?”

She asked the group.

Hearing this, Xu Taiping couldn’t help but tense up, but he nodded along with everyone else:

“We’ve heard.”

The news of Lu Chen’s murder had spread throughout the Qingxuan Sect the previous afternoon, and disciples from all peaks had been questioned by the Hall of Seven Laws.

Xu Taiping was no exception.

However, he had a perfect alibi, and after a few cursory questions, the Hall of Seven Laws let him go.

“This morning, I received a message from the Hall of Seven Laws, saying that Lu Chen’s death is very likely related to the Red-Haired Demon Blade. Considering that Fourth Junior Brother was also injured by the Red-Haired Demon Blade, we now suspect that the Red-Haired Demon Blade has indeed awakened. You all, before the break of dawn these days, must not go out.”

Jiang Zhi reminded everyone as they walked.

Hearing this, Xu Taiping secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought to himself that his last arrangement seemed to have worked.

“This time, I have to inconvenience you, Brother Demon Blade.”

He joked inwardly.

“Taiping, when you practice your sword, try to return early. If not, I’ll ask the Peak Master and Elder Sansan to make arrangements.”

Qingxiao then turned to Xu Taiping.

He knew that Xu Taiping had been practicing at Moon Scooping Lake recently, sometimes even until midnight, which was why he specifically reminded him.

“Senior Brother, don’t worry, I’ve been coming down the mountain before dark recently.”

Xu Taiping nodded.

Although he knew that Lu Chen wasn’t killed by the Red-Haired Demon Blade, he hadn’t let his guard down against the Demon Blade.

He still went to practice his sword on time every day, but since his sword flying technique had become more proficient, now, following Elder Sansan’s revisions, he could finish writing three thousand characters in just two hours.

And since Elder Sansan, besides continuously nitpicking every day, hadn’t asked him to practice more, he usually came down the mountain before dark.

“That’s good.”

Qingxiao nodded.

“By the way, the fourth contest is in three days. Here are the detailed rules for the fourth contest. Take some time to look it over these next few days.”

“You don’t need to feel too much pressure for this contest. As long as you don’t make mistakes, you’ll have completed the task. Leave the rest to me and Senior Sister.”

He then handed an envelope to Xu Taiping and gave him another earnest reminder.