28 Invitation
"I really appreciate it! Your ladyship!" the pointed-chin boy never dreamed that an Escape Fu could be exchanged for two pine crystals.
He didn't take them both but gave one back to Gu Qianqian, and said respectfully, "Pine crystals was far more precious than Escape Fu, I shouldn't take them all. Please take one back, your ladyship."
"Oh?" Gu Qianqian showed a surprised look. She'd actually got more than ten pine crystals and estimated that it might be more than 80% chance for her to pass the trial, but now, the longing eyes of the guys around told her that she could certainly pass it.
Countless eyes, as if those of hungry Wolves, were fixed on the pine crystal in the pointed-chin boy's hand. Gu Qianqian took it over, she took the dreams of countless participants.
All of a sudden, it turned into a weird silence around. And a moment later, someone finally summoned up the courage enough to come forward, "Greet your ladyship, I'm Xu Fangjin from the Family of Xu in Qizhou City. I wonder if the pine crystal in your hand could be exchanged with me, yours truly."
The words immediately made the entire crowds exploding. Many a participant rushed up around Gu Qianqian, crying and naming a higher and higher price for the pine crystal in her hand. Gu Qianqian'd never expected this situation by such a little stuff in her hand, standing stunned without any reaction.
Just at that moment, a solemn cold snort sounded in every ears of the crowd, followed by a dignified voice, "This is the place for the trial of the sects, not the auction house! Who authorized you to bid for pine crystals!?"
In a shock, the crowds followed the voice to look over the flying ship subconsciously: a dark blue figure appeared on the edge of the deck, he jumped up and landed firmly on the ground.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue robe, with such an unusual temperament as the deep night sky. His eyes scanned the whole crowds, no one around spoke any more.
"I declared, the trial assignment officially ended. Now, start to count the quantity of your pine crystals."
"It just..." many participants looked pale, the announcement was the killer of their last chance.
After a long silence, some low voice came from the crowds, "But... Master, you'd proclaimed before there were 90 days for the trial…I mean…still one day left…it should be… Would that announcement be unfair?"
The middle-aged man in dark blue looked into the speaker in the crowds, and responded without any hint of happiness or upset, "Well, indeed, still one day left; the last day for those who got no pine crystals, return into the forest to make your final effort; for those who have got pine crystals, you can hand them in now and get your ranking ."
The only day? What could be found in the next one day?
Yet someone had set out — they went with their last hope, resort to those who'd been on the way back, regardless of buying or robbing.
The pointed-chin boy showed the pine crystal in his hand and said loudly, "Master, could I hand in this one?"
"Yes! What's your name?" asked the middle-aged man in dark blue.
"Master, my name is Zhong Xiaoman," replied the pointed - chin boy, respectfully.
"Come aboard with me," the middle-aged man said to him.
"Master! I've also got one!"
"So do I!"
…
Following Zhong Xiaoman were about eight persons, who went up to hand in their own pine crystals.
There were still dozens of participants around. Many just didn't think that the guys, who seemed humble and weaker around themselves, actually got the pine crystal. Most complaining much about the unfair, complaining wouldn't bring them pine crystals, more and more participants entered into the forest again.
Wei Gaoyuan gave a look to Hu Xiaoshu, who got it soon, pulled Lin to go forward and said with his head lowered, "Master, we also got pine crystals."
The middle-aged man nodded, still a calm expression, "What're your names?"
"My name is Hu Xiaoshu, from The East Mountain Sword Club."
"My name is Yu Lin'er, also from The East Mountain Sword Club."
Subsequently they two were sent to the flying ship.
Gu Qianqian looked at Wei gaoyuan and asked, "How many have you got?"
"Not much~ That's it," Wei Gaoyuan took out a handful of pine crystals from the bag, counting them one by one.
"Twelve?" seeing Wei Gaoyuan ended counting, Gu Qianqian gave gurgles of delight with her eyes turning lovely crescents, "I win this time, I got fifteen~"
Then she took a pile of pine crystals out of the bag behind her. Except for that one exchanged for the Escape Fu, she'd got fifteen.
The middle-aged man next to them showed a look of satisfaction," Fifteen is quite good, even good in the history of the trial; you also broke through into the ninth level of the Mystery, as the first genius girl around the Qizhou City in the past fifty years, good job."
"Ah! Master knows me?" with her small mouth slightly opened, Gu Qianqian didn't anticipate that the envoy of the sect had heard of herself, hence got secretly pleased in heart.
Then the middle-aged man turned his eyes to Wei Gaoyuan and asked, "You should have got more than twelve pine crystals, just take all them out, the sects will offer you rewards on quantity."
Rewards from the sects?
Wei Gaoyuan was startled, it was surely a good message although he still didn't know the usage of pine crystals. He put his hand into the bag again, and took out a dozen more.
Once saw it, Gu Qianqian pursed her lips. She knew, she lost this time, again.
An annoying guy, she thought.
Then Wei Gaoyuan took another pile of pine crystal again, and again, and again…
He took out a total of 114 pine crystals.
And he threw a giant rock into the placid waters.
"These... are all pine crystals!!?"
"Where did he get it!? Why haven't I found any one?"
"He must find the pine tree!!"
"A lucky boy…"
…
Gu Qianqian was stunned as a statue. Even the eyes of the middle-aged man were full of surprise.
More than 100 pine crystals, that hadn't happened for quite long since… uh…couldn't remember when it happened last time...
"What's your name?" the middle-aged man stopped thinking it and asked.
"Senior, I'm Wei Gaoyuan from the East Mountain Sword Club," Wei Gaoyuan responded respectfully.
Oh? Another one from the East Mountain Sword Club, the one from it with more than 100 pine crystals, Lady Luck must be taking a nap in the East Mountain Sword Club.
For those who'd ever watched how Wei Gaoyuan did with those of the H-Sun club in the dining hall of the flying ship, it was not strange at all that Wei Gaoyuan could pass the trial finally, however, none of them expected this guy could take out that quantity of pine crystals.
The middle-aged man in dark blue stared at Wei Gaoyuan, seemed thinking something, a little curiosity and surprise in his eyes. It was a long time before he just asked, "Are you really the student from the East Mountain Sword Club?"
"Yes, honestly, I dare not tell any lie to senior," Wei Gaoyuan didn't understand why he asked so.
"Uh…Your breathing methods and Qi seemed very special, even I could hardly perceive the details of your status, only roughly feel that…you are at the Mystery, and should be… stronger than the one at ninth level of it," said the middle - aged man, in a serious way.
"Yes, I am at eighth level!" responded Wei Gaoyuan, quietly releasing his Qi.
Feeling Wei Gaoyuan's Qi, the middle-aged man smiled, "You boy will have a bright future, have you ever thought about coming to the Ancient-Stream Sword Clan?"
"Ah!?" Wei Gaoyuan opened his mouth slightly. He never thought a strong senior in sects would sent him an invitation under current circumstances.
In his heart, the East Mountain Sword Clan was the only option because of sister Yun while it might still be a question —the cylinder in the club had confirmed that he had no spiritual root at all— whether the East Mountain Sword Clan would offer him an olive branch, so he hesitated well and didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Looking at the eyes of the middle-aged man, he decided just to tell his true thought honestly, then a sudden voice came far from the flying ship before he was about to speak,
"Well, brother Feng, you're breaking the rule…"
