30 Chen Shi
Han Yan'er, being a princess and yet to be married, resided within the inner palace.
It was inconvenient for Mo Qingkuang, being a young man, to enter the inner palace. Therefore, Han Yan'er brought him to a manor assigned to her by the imperial family, known as Misty Rain Manor.
Upon entering the hall of Misty Rain Manor, they found several young people already waiting there. One of them was Tang Yu, whom Mo Qingkuang had encountered in the Flower King's Tomb.
"Princess Han, you've returned?" Seeing Han Yan'er, they quickly saluted.
Apart from Tang Yu, there were two young men and a young woman, all aged around seventeen or eighteen. Their attire was simple yet refined, revealing that they were the offspring of some influential families in the capital.
"Sorry for the wait. This is the recently famous Kuang Qing, who is also here to participate in the martial examination," Han Yan'er said with a gentle smile.
"So, you're Young Master Kuang. I've only heard your name but haven't seen you. Today is truly a fortunate day for me to meet you in person!" The young woman, dressed in red, exuded a hint of heroism and was the first to greet Kuang Qing, observing him with curiosity.
"I see you're disappointed." Han Yan'er teased with a smile.
She then turned to introduce her to Mo Qingkuang, "This is Gu Hongyi, who has been praising you constantly, often imagining you appearing before her in a fluttering robe."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Gu Hongyi blushed, scolding.
Even these young girls had their dreams of a romantic hero, and Kuang Qing, with his sudden emergence as a genius, was undoubtedly an ideal candidate in their hearts.
Even Han Yan'er, in secret, had thought about Kuang Qing being a graceful and talented gentleman of the world.
Unfortunately, upon seeing him now, there was a bit of disappointment. Indeed, perfect individuals were extremely rare in the world.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing. Also, this is Tang Yu. You should have seen him at the Flower King's Tomb, do you remember?" Han Yan'er pointed to Tang Yu.
"Young Master Kuang," Tang Yu saluted.
He was the one Lin Yang had fought against. He naturally remembered him and nodded, "I remember you, Brother Tang."
"And this is Chen Shi, the younger brother of the last martial arts champion, Chen Kong. His talent is no less than that of his older brother!" The other person, dressed in black robes, appeared nonchalant and slightly arrogant.
At the age of sixteen or seventeen, his cultivation level was the highest among them, reaching the level of a second-rank martial master.
"Nice to meet you." Kuang Qing smiled and saluted.
He didn't care about Headmaster Fu Qing's disciple's younger brother. What he cared about was the Headmaster's disciple, Chen Kong. In the future, when he becomes Zheng Tao's disciple, Chen Kong will not only be his senior, but also one of his biggest competitors.
Chen Shi nodded expressionlessly. "I heard you're quite strong. However, the martial arts champion will undoubtedly be mine."
"Good luck to you," Mo Qingkuang said without arguing. The real competition would take place on the stage.
Han Yan'er, seeing that everyone had been introduced, spoke up. "I believe Dean Zheng has already talked to you. The Yuan Sword Sect is sending people to disrupt the event. We were discussing plans to counter the Yuan Sword Sect, and when we heard you were registering for the martial arts competition, we thought of bringing you in."
"What? Dean Zheng came to find you?" Tang Yu was taken aback by the news, and both Gu Hongyi and Chen Shi showed a hint of surprise.
"Yes, Dean Zheng said that as long as I become the martial arts champion, he will accept me as his direct disciple." Mo Qingkuang nodded.
Upon hearing this, the others didn't show surprise; instead, they exchanged strange glances between Mo Qingkuang and Chen Shi.
"What's the matter? Is there something wrong?" Mo Qingkuang was puzzled. Being accepted as a disciple by Zheng Tao wasn't that big of a deal with his talent. There were plenty of people eager to take him as their disciple.
Chen Shi smashed his lips, scrutinized Mo Qingkuang once again, and said, "Dean Zheng also mentioned the same thing to me."
'Huh? Is it not just me he's interested in? Did he consider Chen Shi first?'
Mo Qingkuang felt a bit embarrassed. "Hehe, that's a coincidence. Haha."
"It's okay. There's only one martial arts champion. If you manage to get the second place, I can talk to him and ask him to accept you as a disciple too." Chen Shi said indifferently.
Since childhood, he had shown astonishing talent, his roots close to the level of a heaven grade. He was not inferior to his brother Chen Kong. However, due to his brother being the martial arts champion of the last term and being accepted as a direct disciple by Principal Fu, Chen Kong's reputation soared in the Tianxuan Empire.
Therefore, when people mentioned him, they often emphasized that he was 'Chen Kong's younger brother', weakening his own genius halo and making him very dissatisfied.
Originally, his elder brother was under Principal Fu, who clearly expressed the intention of accepting him as a disciple too. However, he refused and was determined to join Dean Zheng to compete for the title of the top genius in the Capital.
So, after Dean Zheng proposed the condition for becoming the martial arts champion, he had already regarded the title of this term's martial arts champion as within his grasp.
Mo Qingkuang couldn't help but smile inwardly.
'This guy is even more arrogant than me.'
On the surface, he also appeared to argue, saying, "Then I'll thank Brother Chen in advance for the kind words."
Han Yan'er knew Kuang Qing's temperament well, and the compliments coming from him didn't sound like good intentions.
Was Kuang Qing the type to easily yield? Fortunately, Chen Shi was straightforward and didn't overthink it. Otherwise, the two might have ended up fighting right there.
Smiling, Chen Shi said, "Stop discussing the martial arts champion. Let's talk about how to deal with the disruption from the Yuan Sword Sect."
"According to reliable information," Han Yan'er arranged for everyone to sit down and said with a frown, "The Yuan Sword Sect is sending all their elites this time. New disciples who wish to participate can join the battle. Moreover, they even sent an inner disciple."
"An inner disciple? Isn't it stated that those over 18 can't participate in the martial arts exam? Even if the inner sect disciples of the Yuan Sword Sect were from the new disciples from the previous batch, they should be over 18 by now," Mo Qingkuang said in confusion.
"Brother Kuang, you might not know. In the Yuan Sword Sect, newly admitted disciples indeed need to undergo various tests to become inner disciples. However, you've forgotten that there are some geniuses born within the sect, such as the children of the sect master, elders, and executives."
"They are considered inner disciples from birth, enjoying the best resources. Although they're young, their strength is not to be underestimated. At least, they are on par with someone like Song Qian," Tang Yu explained.
Mo Qingkuang nodded with realization. It turned out that family background differences existed everywhere.
Some people were born in the lower class, struggling to climb halfway up the mountain, while others were born at the top, looking down on the world from birth.
"So, the Yuan Sword Sect's disruption is very intense this time! If they succeed, not only will the Tianxuan Empire lose face, but the thousand-year tradition of the martial arts exam will also become a joke! Therefore, we must do our best to respond!" Han Yan'er's face became serious as she solemnly addressed the group.
"Princess, rest assured. We will do our best to uphold the dignity of the Tianxuan Empire!" Tang Yu, the first henchman of the Ninth Princess, immediately expressed his commitment.
Gu Hongyi squinted her eyes and said indifferently, "I also want a good ranking."
Chen Shi remained calm and only uttered, "The martial arts champion is mine."
Seeing everyone's gaze turned towards him, Mo Qingkuang could only shrug, "Can I refuse?"
"No!"
