Introducing Applicant Number One!

There were many different types of people in this world, and few truly had the interests of others at heart.

Yet even among them, there were some who were especially selfish and possessive, blatantly seeking to monopolise whatever they could, even if it was at the expense of others.

Judging from the current situation, Tu Shi would not be surprised if Zhao Yunxiao had tried all sorts of ways just to keep Lu Zhiying close to him, including resorting to means that involved feeding the innocent Lu Zhiying with lies.

After all, Lu Zhiying was exceptional in terms of both looks and talent. Any man would love to keep her by their side.

On top of that, Lu Zhiying had only just joined the Black Tortoise Sect not long ago, and would not know how to differentiate truth from lies.

In that sense, Zhao Yunxiao was clearly in a position of power over her.

Who knew what he had said to her in private that could have influenced her decision?

To have the heart to ruin someone's future due to their own selfishness – this was the kind of man that she despised the most!

"A private chat...?" Zhao Yunxiao asked hesitantly.

"That's right," Tu Shi answered solemnly.

Zhao Yunxiao felt the corner of his lips twitch.

Under any other circumstances, he would have been happy to accept the invitation for a chat since it was equivalent to an opportunity to establish a connection with someone from the prestigious Black Rose.

However, different situations called for different approaches.

Lu Zhiying's unexpected declination of the invitation, coupled with the slightly hostile expression on Tu Shi's face, inevitably caused Zhao Yunxiao to heighten his guard.

Thinking back on how the conversation had flowed up until now, Zhao Yunxiao quickly realised that he might have caused a slight misunderstanding.

"Why don't you reconsider, Junior Martial Sister Lu?" Zhao Yunxiao urged, making sure he was loud enough for Tu Shi to hear. "Joining Black Rose is a golden opportunity that most others would die for."

"It's okay, I prefer to hang around you guys instead!" Lu Zhiying shook her head. "If the two of you are not joining, then I won't either!"

Zhao Yunxiao: "..."

While he understood that Lu Zhiying truly meant what she said, her words could also be interpreted in a way that suggested Zhao Yunxiao and Gu Qiansi had told her to make a choice between Black Rose or them!

"Junior Martial Brother Zhao?" Tu Shi asked again. "Would you like to step out with me for a moment?"

"How about another time?" Zhao Yunxiao suggested nervously. "I still have something to attend to."

If he really had no choice but to go ahead with having this conversation, then so be it.

But even then, rather than jumping straight into it, he had to first come up with a way to convince Tu Shi of his innocence!

"It won't take long," Tu Shi insisted. "Besides, what do you have to attend to? If need be, I can help you with that later to make up for your lost time."

"You won't be able to help," Nie Hanchang's voice sounded out before Zhao Yunxiao had the chance to reply.

Everyone turned to see Nie Hanchang entering the canteen and making his way over to their table.

"Senior Martial Brother Nie?" Tu Shi frowned. "And just what is it exactly that I will not be able to help with?"

"I don't think we need to report our activities to you, do we?" Nie Hanchang did not bother phrasing his words nicely.

Such harsh words caused the atmosphere in the canteen to freeze all of a sudden. No one had expected Nie Hanchang to enter the conversation in such a fiery manner!

At the same time, Tu Shi's frown instantly deepened.

She had not been spoken to in such a condescending manner for a very long time now, and for good reason as well.

Tu Shi was considered exceptional even among the members of Black Rose, and this went far beyond just her seductive looks.

Instead, her cultivation talent was truly what set her apart.

At her current age of twenty, Tu Shi had just broken through to the Peak Essence Gathering realm a couple months ago.

Back when it happened, this piece of news had swept through and astonished the entire outer sect.

After all, it was a huge milestone to reach the Peak Essence Gathering realm by the age of twenty.

Peak Essence Gathering realm by twenty, or Peak Essence Physique realm by twenty five – these were the basic criteria that essentially qualified any outer disciple to join the inner sect.

As long as she did not screw up badly during this year's annual assessment, she would likely be an inner disciple this time next year!

Of course, as a member of Black Rose, she was expected to enter the inner sect sooner or later. It was just that actually doing so was still considered a significant accomplishment regardless.

But while Tu Shi was definitely famous, Nie Hanchang was not exactly lacking in comparison either.

Up until about a month ago, Nie Hanchang had been regarded as nothing more than a bow fanatic who seemed to be overly obsessed with the bow and arrow.

However, he suddenly shocked the entire sect by forging a mythical tier bow.

Now, few in the sect did not know of his name, and that included even the inner disciples.

In that regard, his fame even overshadowed that of the Black Rose members!

And even if that was not the case, Nie Hanchang's words were not wrong.

They were all outer disciples, so they truly did not have an obligation to report their plans to Tu Shi.

Zhao Yunxiao felt the corner of his lips twitch.

He had wanted to gently de-escalate the situation, but it seemed like that was no longer an option.

He could not really blame Nie Hanchang for this either, since the latter was simply trying to help him. On top of that, Nie Hanchang was not exactly lying as well.

They truly had something important to deal with after breakfast.

Since the words had already been said, he might as well go with the flow here!

Of course, Zhao Yunxiao knew better than to take as hard a stance as Nie Hanchang.

"We have some matters to discuss relating to forging, Senior Martial Sister Tu," Zhao Yunxiao explained. "We might not be showing it right now, but we are truly pressed for time today. Perhaps we can have our conversation another day instead?"

Tu Shi had originally felt insulted by Nie Hanchang's comments, but she had no retort after hearing Zhao Yunxiao's explanation.

Who in the outer sect did not know that Nie Hanchang was someone who had forged a mythical tier weapon?

If it was something related to forging, then considering Nie Hanchang's level of attainment in that regard, there was actually nothing wrong with him saying that Tu Shi would not be able to help much!

"...Fine, another day instead," Tu Shi said reluctantly before turning back to Lu Zhiying. "Don't be in too much of a haste to decide, Junior Martial Sister Lu. We will speak to you another day, perhaps after the cultivation lecture in a few days' time."

With that, Tu Shi and the rest of the Black Rose members turned to leave.

Trailing behind the rest, Ou Fengtian made sure to wave goodbye to Lu Zhiying before catching up to the others.

Along with their departure, the gazes of the most male disciples closely followed them out. There were even some who immediately got up from their seats to chase after them.

This was a common sight whenever Black Rose members made an appearance.

After all, an overwhelming majority of male outer disciples were fans of theirs, and most of them would not want to give up any opportunity to get to know them better!

"But I've already decided..." Lu Zhiying muttered under her breath as she watched the group leave.

"Did you offend her somehow?" Gu Qiansi asked. She could tell that something was wrong with the conversation earlier.

"It seems like I somehow managed to do so during this short encounter," Zhao Yunxiao let out a regretful sigh.

Offending Black Rose was definitely a bad move.

If he did not want to permanently lose this potential source of benefits, he would have to think of ways to reconcile with them soon!

"But Senior Martial Sister Tu is right," Zhao Yunxiao said to Lu Zhiying. "You really should give it another thought. Joining Black Rose will truly provide you with huge benefits."

"Yes, yes, I get it," Lu Zhiying shrugged.

Zhao Yunxiao: "..."

Do you really get it?

Nevertheless, whether to do so or not was still entirely up to Lu Zhiying.

If Lu Zhiying did not want to join Black Rose, it was not like Zhao Yunxiao would force her to, either.

In any case, Zhao Yunxiao was confident that even without joining Black Rose, Lu Zhiying would still be able to join the inner sect sooner or later!

"But do the two of you really have plans?" Gu Qiansi eyed the two guys suspiciously. "Or is it just a ruse to avoid the conversation with Senior Martial Sister Tu?"

"We are exemplary men of integrity. Would we lie just for something like that?" Zhao Yunxiao shrugged. "Go get your breakfast, Senior Martial Brother Nie. I can wait."

"Exemplary men of integrity, eh?" Gu Qiansi scoffed in response.

She had lost count of the number of times that she had caught Zhao Yunxiao lying.

"There's no need for that. I've already eaten," Nie Hanchang shook his head. "I have been honing my skills by going on regular hunting trips recently and ended up with a huge stockpile of meat, so I have been settling my meals with that instead. While it might not be too tasty due to my cooking skills, the nutrients are undoubtedly beneficial to my constitution."

"So that's why we haven't seen you at the canteen recently," Gu Qiansi nodded in realisation.

"Oh?" Zhao Yunxiao suddenly had an idea. "Do you still have a lot of it left? Would you need a chef to handle it for you?"

"What are you trying to say?" Gu Qiansi narrowed her eyes at him. She could roughly guess what Zhao Yunxiao was trying to get at.

"Well, I do have quite a huge stockpile left, and it is only growing by the day. These beasts are huge, after all," Nie Hanchang said. "But... a chef? Are you volunteering to cook it for me, Junior Martial Brother Zhao?"

"Not me, but I know someone who can do just that!" Zhao Yunxiao lightly pushed Gu Qiansi forward. "Introducing Applicant Number One... Gu Qiansi!"

"Junior Martial Sister Gu?" Nie Hanchang exclaimed in surprise.

"Are you asking for a beating?" Gu Qiansi felt the corner of her lips twitch.

"That's right, Gu Qiansi," Zhao Yunxiao ignored Gu Qiansi and continued. "Don't judge her solely by her nasty character – her cooking skills are actually top notch! Rest assured. With her handling your ingredients, you can say goodbye to the days of nasty tasting food. As long as you are able to provide sufficient ingredients, you are guaranteed to have a satisfying and delicious meal! In fact, you will even be able to get more nutrients from your food due to proper food preparation!"

"It seems like you have a death wish..." Gu Qiansi felt a vein popping on her forehead.

"...Are you sure about this?" Nie Hanchang could naturally see Gu Qiansi's reaction for himself.

"What are you doing? It's our perfect opportunity to settle our meals elsewhere. Don't ruin it!" Zhao Yunxiao told Gu Qiansi off.

"Did you even ask me?" Gu Qiansi retorted. "And just how would cooking for Senior Martial Brother Nie help with that?"

"Didn't you hear him say that he has a lot of leftovers? If you cook for him, I'm sure he will be willing to share some with us too!" Zhao Yunxiao answered.

"Did you even ask him?" Gu Qiansi questioned. "On top of that, if Senior Martial Brother Nie is providing the ingredients and I am doing the cooking, why do you need to be included?"

"That's harsh! Are you saying that you want to exclude Junior Martial Sister Lu as well?" Zhao Yunxiao quickly stepped behind Lu Zhiying and pushed the latter forward.

"That's harsh, Senior Martial Sister Gu!" Lu Zhiying immediately understood the assignment and echoed Zhao Yunxiao's words.

"...I guess it's fine," Gu Qiansi had no choice but to take her words back.

"It shouldn't be a problem," Nie Hanchang interjected. "If it means that the food quality will improve, simply sharing some ingredients is nothing in comparison. I have received far more from you guys, after all."

"You have?" Gu Qiansi raised an eyebrow.

Since when had they helped Nie Hanchang?

She was certain that she had never helped Nie Hanchang with much.

In that case, when had Zhao Yunxiao helped him? And with what?

"Don't worry, Senior Martial Brother Nie. The food quality will definitely improve – that I can attest to," Zhao Yunxiao assured before turning to Gu Qiansi. "Hear that? He has already agreed. It's all up to you now."

"Is it really okay?" Gu Qiansi asked. "This guy has always been a little crazy, so please don't feel pressured into going along with him, Senior Martial Brother Nie."

"Don't worry, Junior Martial Sister Gu. This will be a good thing for me as well," Nie Hanchang laughed. "As long as you are agreeable to it, I am more than happy to provide the ingredients."

"Then that's settled!" Zhao Yunxiao clapped. "Starting from tomorrow, let's have our meals at Senior Martial Brother Nie's place instead!"

"Yay! Let's do that!" Lu Zhiying cheered. "Senior Martial Sister Gu's cooking is the best!"

"It's not that simple!" Gu Qiansi declined immediately. "It might be fine for you to visit Senior Martial Brother Nie's place frequently, but how can you expect Junior Martial Sister Lu and I to do so as well? If we really want to do this, then let's arrange for it to be at the Lightwind Pavilion instead."

"That's a fair point," Zhao Yunxiao rubbed his chin in contemplation. "In that case, let's prepare a food storage there as well. This way, the rest of us can still have our meals there even if one or two of us are engaged."

"Sure, I can also free up some space at home if I can leave my stockpile there as well," Nie Hanchang agreed.

"What do we need to do regarding the food storage? I will help wherever I can!" Lu Zhiying volunteered.

"All right, let's discuss this and come up with a sustainable plan," Zhao Yunxiao said with a smile.

Due to Lu Zhiying's rapidly growing popularity drawing unwanted attention, they had been feeling rather uncomfortable when having their meals at the canteen recently.

And now, they had finally found a way to solve this problem!