The Sword Trial Assembly

Chapter 627: The Sword Trial Assembly

Upon hearing Kui Huan’s words, Han Li offered a faint smile before speaking calmly.

“The only matter between us and the two senior brothers was the spirit fox. If not for that, what else could it be?”

Han Li’s demeanor was perfectly composed.

Kui Huan opened his mouth at this, but found himself momentarily speechless.

It was Senior Brother Wang who sighed and said, “Junior Han is indeed exceptionally sharp. It really is about the Snow Cloud Fox. We wanted to sell the beast sooner, so after parting from you, we went straight to the market town. But after walking a short distance, I felt unsettled and had Junior Kui open the Azure Cloud Pouch to check. And then…”

Wang paused here, a strange expression on his face.

“That demon fox used some trick to vanish from the pouch without a trace. It was downright uncanny,” Kui Huan cut in, his tone annoyed.

“Vanished without a trace?” Han Li furrowed his brow slightly, sinking into thought as if weighing the true meaning of those words.

Seeing Han Li like this, Senior Brother Wang’s heart sank.

He had intended to cultivate a good relationship with this junior, who, despite his modest cultivation, was skilled in talisman-making and possessed several mysterious magic tools. But before he could even properly establish a connection, this awkward incident had occurred.

If he had been wealthy enough, he could have graciously covered Han Li’s share out of his own pocket and left a good impression. But he and his fellow disciples were all short on spirit stones and tight on funds. Even wanting to win the man over now seemed a difficult task.

A flicker of dejection crossed Wang’s face, but he forced himself to speak. “I know this is hard to believe, but it truly happened. Regardless, you personally handed the spirit fox to us, and now it’s gone. I owe you an explanation. I’ve already sent another junior to sell the yellow essence we borrowed from you; the spirit stones will be delivered to you shortly. As for your share of the profit, we’ll make it up to you as soon as we’re a bit more liquid.”

At these words, Kui Huan’s face changed, and he said with some urgency, “Senior Brother! That’s a considerable sum for us. Even if we pool our resources, it’ll take at least two or three years. Without spirit stones to buy pills in the meantime, our cultivation will all be delayed.”

Wang shook his head, as if about to say something. But Han Li suddenly spoke up.

“Why must the two senior brothers be so concerned? Did I ever say I didn’t believe you? The Snow Cloud Fox is skilled in escape arts. It’s not strange that it fled from the pouch. I had originally intended to mention it to Brother Kui, but I felt it might be inconvenient, so I held my tongue. As for the spirit stones, let’s not mention them. Just return what you borrowed, and that will be fine. I haven’t suffered any loss.”

Hearing this, Kui Huan’s face lit up with joy. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, “I knew Junior Han was a generous man! The fault was ours, but we really don’t have any spirit stones. With your wealth, you probably don’t care much about this small sum. I, Kui Huan, definitely consider you a friend worth having!”

Upon learning he wouldn’t have to pay, Kui Huan was all smiles.

Senior Brother Wang, however, wore a conflicted expression. After a long moment, he could only manage a bitter smile. “If Junior Han is willing to be so magnanimous, I will, on behalf of my fellow disciples, gratefully accept your kindness. If you ever need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to ask us. If it’s within our power, I certainly won’t refuse.”

Even as he spoke so politely, Senior Brother Wang suspected that Han Li’s true feelings might be quite different. So he tried his best to sound tactful, hoping to leave at least a not-too-bad impression. After finishing, he even carefully observed Han Li’s expression.

But Han Li’s face remained as serene as ever, revealing no hint of pleasure or displeasure. This only caused Wang to frown inwardly.

For the rest of the time, the three men chatted idly outside the medicine garden.

Before long, the short, stout young man and his companion flew back on their artifacts, bringing the spirit stones from the re-sale of the yellow essence.

Han Li took the pouch of stones, swept it cursorily with his spiritual sense, and put it away without changing his expression.

“By the way. I noticed that your magic tools are quite ingenious, Junior Han. Will you be participating in the Sword Trial Assembly in half a year?” Senior Brother Wang asked suddenly, as if a thought had struck him just as he was about to take his leave.

“The Sword Trial Assembly?” Han Li was taken aback, a look of surprise on his face.

“What, you don’t know about it, Junior Han?”

This time, it wasn’t just Wang who was startled; even Kui Huan and the other two looked incredulous.

Suppressing his curiosity, Han Li replied calmly, “Is it that strange that I don’t know about this matter?”

“Of course it is. Oh, right! Junior Han only joined the sect a year ago and has been staying in the medicine garden ever since. It’s understandable that you haven’t heard of the Assembly,” Kui Huan said, blinking as if a realization had dawned on him.

The others exchanged glances and nodded, finding this explanation reasonable.

“We were quite surprised that you didn’t know about the Sword Trial Assembly. After all, the day of the event is not far off. Everyone in the sect, whether inner or outer disciples, is talking about it. Those looking to make a name for themselves are eagerly preparing,” Senior Brother Wang said, a peculiar look flashing across his face before he let out a light sigh.

“Speaking of which! This time, the sect has produced several young cultivators with impressive techniques. There’s Uncle-Master Gu from our Hidden Sword Peak, Sun Huo from Blazing Cloud Peak, who succeeded in Foundation Establishment shortly after joining, and Uncle-Master Mu from your Heavenly Spring Peak. All of them are expected to shine brilliantly at the Assembly. It’s a pity that although us outer disciples can also participate in the sect’s selection, none of us have ever actually won the right to represent the sect in the competition. At best, we might achieve a decent ranking and be rewarded with a mid-grade magic tool,” the short, stout young man interjected, a trace of envy in his voice.

“Oh? Even losing in the sect selection earns a magic tool reward. This Assembly seems rather unusual. Senior Brother Wang, could you tell me more about it?” Han Li asked, a flicker of interest rising within him.

“Of course. This Sword Trial Assembly is a grand event prepared by the three sects of Cloud Dream Mountain, specifically for newly accepted disciples. Basically, regardless of status, any disciple under the age of thirty who hasn’t reached Foundation Establishment can participate. And you, Junior Han, look to be only twenty-five or twenty-six. You perfectly meet the conditions,” Senior Brother Wang said, sizing Han Li up as he spoke.

“Is that so? But it seems that wouldn’t leave many eligible disciples,” Han Li said, stroking his chin in a leisurely manner.

“You have a point. The holding of the Sword Trial Assembly is actually closely related to the ‘Sacred Tree’ that the three sects jointly administer.”

“The Sacred Tree?” Han Li was momentarily stunned, but he quickly realized the man was referring to the Spirit Eye Tree of Cloud Dream Mountain.

His previously languid expression vanished, replaced by a grave one.

“What does the Sword Trial Assembly have to do with that spiritual object?” Han Li asked in a low voice.

“The Sword Trial Assembly is held in advance of the day the Sacred Tree produces its rich liquid. It’s a method for our Falling Cloud Sect, the Ancient Sword Sect, and the Hundred Craft Academy to divide the spiritual liquid. Any sect that overwhelms the other two at the Assembly gets to take half of the liquid for itself. The remaining two sects then split the other half. So, while the Assembly is nominally a competition for new disciples, the entire hierarchy of each sect takes it extremely seriously. Performing a great service at the Assembly will naturally earn you the attention of your seniors, bringing countless future benefits,” Senior Brother Wang explained in one breath. After a short pause, he added solemnly, “Of course, even without considering future benefits, the rewards for triumphing over other disciples at the Assembly are incredibly generous. Not only are top-grade magic tools awarded to the top few, but a single Settling Spirit Pill is given as an extra reward to the champion. While this pill is useless to us low-level disciples, if you were to take it to any Core Formation elder, you could easily trade it for three or four top-grade magic tools. However, the championship has been monopolized by the Ancient Sword Sect ever since our sect moved to Cloud Dream Mountain. Our disciples and those of the Hundred Craft Academy have always had to settle for second place. But that’s hardly surprising. The Ancient Sword Sect is a Sword Cultivator sect; both their techniques and their swords are incredibly sharp. For a cultivator of the same rank to defeat a Sword Cultivator is an exceedingly difficult task!”

Senior Brother Wang’s final words seemed caught somewhere between complaint and admiration.