Qing Yang Zi

It was Tan Rui, pointing his finger at Lin Fan as he approached.

Behind him were the other enrollment seekers who had succeeded in reaching the top of the stairs.

Only two-thirds of the enrollment seekers made it to the top.

Lin Fan didn't even bother with Tan Rui; he just looked away.

This nonchalant attitude triggered Tan Rui.

How dare he get to the top of the stairs before him!

Taking away all the limelight from him.

If they weren't in Qing Feng sect, he would've killed Lin Fan on the spot.

"What do you mean by cheated? How and what did he do?"

The disciple giving out the Qi restoration pill asked.

"He helped his friend and pushed one of the others down."

"What did you say, you liar?" Ho Ming wasn't pleased with what he heard. "The man fell down on his own! He must have lost all his energy."

"Nonsense, the man looked all right; he suddenly fell."

"Yeah, you guys must have pushed him somehow."

"But I heard the man say, 'Help me, I'm tired' before he fell."

Chatter began as the enrollment seekers gave their own opinions.

Everyone but Tan Rui.

Tan Rui bit his lips as he knew it was impossible the man would lose his energy; the man was a cultivator from the Tan family.

He'd better go with the point of Lin Fan pushing the man down.

"Silence! You will all be disqualified if you squabble any more. Let the chief organizer decide."

The disciple put up both hands and stopped the chatter.

Not far away from the square was a pavilion.

Sitting in the pavilion, two men in their Daoist robes and Zhang Xi were seated inside.

One of them, the sect master, Qing Yang Zi, with gray hair, long beard and small eyes that turned into a line when he smiled, was drinking his tea.

The other, Tan Fei, with his stout figure and villainous thin, sharp-ended mustache, rubbed his chin.

When Qing Yang Zi finished his tea, he put down his teacup and said with a smile, "Tan Fei, you are the chief organizer this year; you decide. Remember, the Dao must be harmonious for everything to work. We mustn't do things to the extreme to stir the Dao."

Tan Fei squinted his eyes and thought to himself, "You sly old fox, telling me I'm in charge but still reminding me that I shouldn't go too far."

"Sect master, that Lin Fan did help his friend. As for that person falling, we might have to ask for witnesses."

After careful consideration, Tan Fei replied.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xi wasn't too happy.

Even though she was here as a representative for her dad, as he was in secluded cultivation, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

"As the assistant organizer this year from Physique peak, I disagree. Qing Feng sect disciples have been taught to help each other in need; if we penalize him, it shall make the disciples deeply disheartened."

"Hmm... Little Zhang Xi, I can see that your dad, Zhang Yi Nian, has taught you well," Qing Yang Zi nodded and picked up his teacup for another sip.

"I know what to do now, sect master," Tan Fei wasn't too pleased; his thin mustache fluttered from him blowing hot air from his nose.

He stood up and his voice boomed in the air, "Lin Fan exhibited qualities that a Qing Feng sect member should have, helping fellow disciples. Therefore, he can continue onto the next test."

"What about the man pushed down the stairs by him?"

"Yes, what about that?"

"You must get to the bottom of this."

"Get that man up here and confront Lin Fan."

The crowd wasn't pleased.

Lin Fan was fit enough to be the first to get to the top; he was a threat to their enrollment chances.

By now they would try anything to get him disqualified.

Tan Rui, however, kept quiet.

If the man was brought to question, his cover would be blown as a cultivator mixing in with the enrollment seekers.

"Young lord Tan Rui, don't keep mum; say something."

"Don't worry. We will stand by you and stand for justice."

Uncharacteristically, Tan Rui kept quiet, and his eyes darted around.

He thought furiously in his mind, what stupid fools these people are.

Can't they see they are not helping?

Finally, he glanced at Tan Fei in the pavilion with a pleading look for help.

Tan Fei pointed to his close guard standing outside the pavilion and said, "Go check on the man who fell; get him here to confront Lin Fan. Make sure he recovers well."

"Yes, Master Tan Fei." The close guard nodded and went on his way down the stairs.

Moments passed as everyone waited eagerly for the close guard's return.

Lin Fan didn't bother; sat down on the ground, took out buns, and shared them with Ho Ming.

They started to feast on the buns, getting ready for the next test.

"Eat more; if the first test was about endurance, the next must be about power."

Ho Ming nodded.

"Master Tan Fei, the man is... the man is dead from exhaustion, all his energy gone."

When the close guard arrived, he reported to Tan Fei.

Tan Fei shot a glance at Tan Rui and said to the crowd, "That closes the case. The next test starts soon."

He had asked his close guard to finish off the man.

The sect master isn't some senile old fool; getting the man here would mean trouble.

And if he pursued it any further, the sect master has his way of digging out memories from dead men.

"Well done, Tan Fei. Always remember, it's all about maintaining the harmony in the Dao."

Stroking his long gray beard, Qing Yang Zi gave Tan Fei his compliments.

"Sly old fox," Tan Fei smiled at the sect master but muttered silently in his mind.

With the sect master's words in mind, Tan Fei stood up and announced, "Now that it's over, time for the next test."

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