Chapter 134: A More Important Task

The selection tournament finally began in a bustling clamor with a word from Li. Instantly, the area erupted into a deafening roar, voices blending into a wall of sound where individual words were lost, leaving only a chaotic murmur echoing endlessly in the ears.

"Yao'er, let's just secure a spot in the top three for now. We can leave first place to this Huayin," Ji Xuanyu said. With no other choice, he had to use soul transmission, as it was the only appropriate method for such a private conversation.

Yin Yao nodded in agreement.

The arena was packed with people. The rule of the selection was simple: whoever defeated the greatest number of opponents won. Consequently, right from the start, a swarm of competitors leaped onto the stage and began fighting fiercely.

In truth, this was a foolish approach. If someone had already defeated a hundred opponents, defeating that person effectively counted as defeating a hundred and one. Anyone with intelligence and a modicum of strength would never choose to make a move at the very beginning.

For instance, right now, Yin Yao, Ji Xuanyu, and Huayin had not entered the fray. They stood watching the spectacle on the arena with great interest, occasionally pointing out certain individuals on the stage, discussing them, or analyzing better strategies based on their own experiences.

Having transformed into a refined gentleman, Huayin had shed his previous impatience. As he conversed with Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu, every single point he made was piercingly accurate. Truly formidable! This left both Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu astonished. He truly lived up to his reputation as the genius youth second only to Mei!

This also confirmed Yin Yao's inner suspicion: Huayin clearly suffered from dissociative identity disorder! While it might seem rather bizarre in this world, within Yin Yao's vast experience, it was far from rare. Thus, Yin Yao readily accepted Huayin's dual personality.

After about half an hour, well over half the people on the arena had been eliminated. During this time, new combatants joined the fray—these were the ones who, like Yin Yao and her companions, had been watching and waiting, knowing that blind slaughter was never the optimal strategy.

Another half-hour passed, and only a countable ten people remained on the stage! Huayin looked at the two companions beside him. They did not look rushed at all, radiating absolute confidence. Their air of serene certainty was impossible to ignore. Huayin thought to himself that these two young brothers would likely be his most formidable obstacles on the path to claiming first place.

"There are only ten left. Let's go up!" Huayin finally spoke first.

"Please, Young Master Huayin," Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu made a polite gesture, inviting Huayin to take the lead.

Huayin couldn't be bothered to waste any more words! To secure first place, he needed to defeat four of the remaining ten fighters on the stage. Since seizing the initiative was crucial, he certainly couldn't afford to miss this opportunity!

Watching Huayin leap onto the stage, Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu exchanged a brief glance and smiled faintly before soaring up onto the arena together.

As the number of people on the stage dwindled, Li had already turned his attention to Huayin, Yin Yao, and Ji Xuanyu. Naturally, he understood that these three were bound to make their move at the very end. Sure enough, when only ten fighters remained, they stepped onto the stage—though with one minor surprise: Huayin turned out to be the first of the three to enter the arena.

The remaining ten fighters on the stage were closely matched in skill, meaning victory depended entirely on who could defeat four opponents first. What Huayin did not know was that Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu had already coordinated their plan: each of them would take care of three opponents, leaving the remaining four for Huayin to resolve.

Huayin's combat skills were indeed extraordinary. His strikes were decisive, showing ruthlessness where necessary, completely devoid of his usual comical demeanor. Even Yin Yao couldn't help but praise him inwardly! If Huayin didn't have that peculiar mental quirk, he would undoubtedly be a rare and formidable expert!

The final outcome unfolded exactly as Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu had arranged, without a single error. However, the restored and normal Huayin managed to perceive some subtle clues; the result was not as simple as it appeared! Yao and Yu seemed to have concealed something!

"Huayin, not bad at all! You really took first place, just as you said. How about it? Let's go grab a drink later," Li said as Huayin stepped down from the arena, walking over and patting him gently on the shoulder while speaking in a low voice. After all, with so many people still around, Li couldn't afford to shout.

That being said, Yin Yao was actually quite curious as to why the relationship between Huayin and Li was so close.

"The Patriarch has arrived," someone announced in a loud voice.

Yin Yao and the other two stood to the side, waiting quietly. Li had already mentioned earlier that this selection was not merely for the elite guard, so the personal arrival of the Patriarch was hardly surprising.

The Patriarch was a middle-aged man with exceptionally handsome features. One could trace a five-tenths resemblance between him and Mei, though Mei's beauty tended toward softness, whereas the Patriarch possessed a distinctly masculine elegance. He was undoubtedly a striking man in his own right!

"I heard the results are out, so I came to take a look. Where are the top three? Let me get a good look at these three heroes," the Patriarch's voice was deep and resonant, much like that of a stout-hearted warrior.

"Greetings, Lord Patriarch," Yin Yao, Ji Xuanyu, and Huayin stepped forward simultaneously, cupping their fists in salute toward the Patriarch's position.

The Patriarch, whose single name was Wang, looked at the three advancing youths and nodded approvingly. "Not bad, not bad at all! Huayin is here too! Ah, truly a rare talent. And these other two young men? Introduce yourselves."

"This humble one is a rogue cultivator named Yao, and the one beside me is my elder brother, Yu. We two brothers pay our respects to Lord Patriarch," Yin Yao looked up at Wang with a smile, calm and composed.

"Yu pays respects to Lord Patriarch," Ji Xuanyu adopted the exact same attitude as Yin Yao.

Their poised and unflinching demeanor greatly favored Wang in his heart. He nodded, acknowledging the introduction. Wang caught Li's gaze and gave a slight nod, and Li immediately understood his cue.

"The results of this selection tournament are now finalized. The top thirteen individuals shall enter Lord Patriarch's elite guard!" Li stood atop the arena, channeling his spiritual energy to project his voice far and wide.

This outcome differed from previous years, as past tournaments only admitted the top ten, while this one added three more slots, naturally arousing some doubt. Noticing the crowd's confusion, Li smiled and spoke again, "I imagine everyone must be curious as to why there are three extra positions. Let me explain: these three extra spots were added because the top three winners have more important matters to attend to!"

Hearing Li's explanation, naturally no one dared to doubt it, especially with the Patriarch standing right beside them.

Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu secretly exchanged a glance. They sensed something unusual was afoot, though they had no idea what these "more important matters" might turn out to be.

A flash of purple robes swept through the crowd as someone hurriedly departed.

Once the crowd dispersed, Li walked over to the three of them, offered his congratulations, and began outlining their next steps.

"The Patriarch has granted you three days to prepare. Three days from now, you will need to visit the Patriarch's estate. But rest assured, I will personally lead you there! For now, you can all go back and get a good rest! However... I happen to have a much better idea," Li paused, deliberately leaving them hanging to wheist their appetite.

"Just spit it out, Brother Li. These brothers of mine will certainly accompany you," Yin Yao laughed heartily.

Ji Xuanyu also smiled gently, having already guessed what Li had in mind.

"Haha, excellent! Come on, let's head to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and have a proper drink!" Li clapped Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu on the shoulders, pulling Huayin along as they walked toward Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.

They ordered a table brimming with dishes and called for several jars of fine wine before finally digging in! By the looks of it, they were determined to drink until they dropped!

"Tonight, we drink until we fall! Whoever passes out first is a coward!" Li shouted, waving a wine jar in the air. Who would have guessed he possessed such a boisterous side!

"Fine, fine! Let's drink till we drop!"

"Come on, bottoms up!"

"Don't just drink, eat some food! The dishes at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion are exquisite!"

...

Late into the night, Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu supported each other as they emerged from the tavern, while Li and Huayin were already completely drunk, fast asleep inside the private dining room.

Returning to their rented inn, they opened the door only to be greeted by a familiar color: purple.

Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu instantly jolted awake, their minds clearing up. Mei had come! Evidently, he had learned the results of the selection and had come specifically to pass along some instructions!

"Wait a moment." Seeing Mei standing by the window, Ji Xuanyu spoke up. He and Yin Yao sat down on opposite sides of the table, closed their eyes, and began channeling their spiritual energy to purge the alcohol from their bodies.

A short while later, the two opened their eyes once more. Their gazes were crystal clear, all intoxication completely gone. Seeing this, Mei walked over and remarked, "You two were in high spirits today. You drank quite a bit."

"Mm, it wasn't too bad. Just had a bit too much with Brother Li and Huayin," Yin Yao nodded, picking up a teacup from the table and taking a sip.

"Uncle Qiang asked me to tell you that Huayin is one of our own," Mei said leisurely.

This revelation nearly made Yin Yao spit out her tea...

Huayin was actually one of their own? Yin Yao felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Did things really have to be this surreal? It seemed Huayin's appearance was no coincidence at all—it had been entirely arranged by Uncle Qiang. This left Yin Yao full of admiration!姜果然还是老的辣—姜还是老的辣, indeed, ginger grows more pungent the older it gets!

Ji Xuanyu was also somewhat surprised, but his reaction was far less dramatic than Yin Yao's. He raised an eyebrow in silent acceptance and waited for Mei to continue.

"It seems a bit of a surprise to you. Actually, I was quite surprised myself to find out Huayin is Uncle Qiang's adopted son. This is top-secret information; if not for your appearance, Uncle Qiang probably wouldn't have told me either. Uncle Qiang said Huayin has suffered from dissociative identity disorder and a dual personality since childhood, but fortunately, his heart is kind. If you need any help in the future, you can go to him directly—or, of course, you can come to me."

"Huayin already knows your identities. What you'll face next is something neither I nor Uncle Qiang can foresee. I just hope Huayin manages to pry some information out of Li," Mei dutifully relayed everything he knew to Yin Yao and Ji Xuanyu.

"Thank you, Mei," Yin Yao expressed her gratitude once again.

"Don't mention it. I'm doing this voluntarily. Besides, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement, isn't it?" Mei replied with a mischievous smile, brushing off her thanks.

"That's true. Still, thank you for bringing us the latest news," Yin Yao smiled.

"Proceed with caution from here on out. Since even Uncle Qiang has no idea what lies ahead for you, you'll have to rely entirely on yourselves. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask Huayin more often. Although he can be a bit thick-headed at times, he's the real deal!" Mei pondered for a moment before adding that piece of advice.

"Mm, got it!" Yin Yao nodded.

"I'll be taking my leave then. I'll contact you if anything comes up, and if you have an urgent matter, you can leave a message with the innkeeper here, and he will pass it on to me." Mei waved his hand and leaped straight out the window.

In the cloak of night, Mei's figure quickly vanished.