Be Gentle, Immortal Master

The next morning, all disciples assembled outside the pagoda, ready for the seal to the tournament ground to open. Bai Ye had told me that the designated area for the game was a special realm sealed with spiritual power, and all masters would be able to see our activities within it through water mirrors. The thought of being closely watched by everyone from the outside made me feel a little uncomfortable, but considering that meant Bai Ye would be able to see me while I was away, I supposed I could live with it.

I found Xie Lun and Wen Shiyin standing in a quiet corner of the crowd. Xie Lun was leaning against a tree, staring into the distance, and Wen Shiyin carried her sword in both arms—a bit of a strange posture. The air around them was quite obviously awkward.

"Senior Xie, Senior Wen," I greeted them with a big smile, trying to brighten the atmosphere. "I was excited to find out that we were all in the same group. It gives me so much confidence about winning first place!"

They stared at me in unison. The synchronized motion and the exact same look in their eyes felt a little creepy, and it made me freeze in my tracks. Well, it did seem that they shared a lot more between them than it appeared. I managed another smile and was about to say more when I heard a voice coming from behind me: "Of course the two of them would be in the same group. Someone must've begged her master to make sure that's the case."

I frowned at the hostility in that remark and turned around. It was Peng Yao, approaching us with her arms crossed. She didn't participate in the preparation trip before we left Mount Hua, and I didn't know her too well. I wondered if she was also one of Xie Lun's admirers and if that was where the enmity came from.

"My master isn't that easy to convince," Wen Shiyin smiled, attempting to turn the barbed comment into a joke. "If I had asked, she might try to do something totally opposite just so that I'd learn my lessons from it."

Peng Yao huffed. "Your master? Given how far out of her way she went to trip herself on those stairs, I'm sure she understands very well what you want and will do her best to help you get it."

Wen Shiyin's face paled. "Peng Yao, watch your words," she said, though she didn't sound particularly angry. Instead, she seemed a little embarrassed.

"What about it to watch?" Peng Yao retorted. "Everyone saw what happened then, Senior Wen. Don't forget that your master was almost a disciple to Master Bai Ye. To have that kind of thoughts for him …" she tsked. Her implication was clear.

"Peng Yao." It was Xie Lun who spoke next. "If you keep up with these disrespectful comments, don't blame me for reporting them to the Gatekeeper. You know the rules." He gave Peng Yao a hard glare, and the latter flinched. "What's between the masters is not within our right to discuss. Focus your extra energy on the tournament."

I suddenly felt a little chill. Peng Yao's attitude seemed to prove me wrong about this being a good team, but what bothered me most was that all of them seemed to share the same opinion of Su Nian—that it was wrong for her to show those feelings towards Bai Ye because she was like a disciple to him. Even Wen Shiyin seemed to agree, and now that I thought about it, her hesitance while passing Su Nian's invitation to Bai Ye back then finally made sense.

If even Su Nian's situation was enough to make them think this way … What kind of words would come into my ears if anyone found out about Bai Ye and me?

~ ~

Peng Yao heeded Xie Lun's advice—or threat—and didn't make any more similar remarks. When we entered the tournament ground, we all tried to put the earlier arguments behind us and concentrate on the task. "Where should we start?" Peng Yao asked first, readying her tracking device.

"The prizes are usually ancient artifacts that would facilitate our cultivation progress," Xie Lun offered. "They would emit a faint presence of spiritual power, just strong enough for a tracker to pick up. The trick is to figure out which one out of the myriad of targets is the top prize."

"Because the strongest artifact doesn't necessarily come with the strongest spiritual power presence," Wen Shiyin added. "You never know for sure if the target you're locating is a good prize or not, so in a way, this game requires a decent amount of luck. Sometimes all it takes is to start the search in the right direction."

I pondered for a moment. "But the focus of the tournament isn't on tracking abilities or luck … in the end, it's a competition of our skills as cultivators, isn't it?"

Three pairs of eyes turned towards me. When I saw the blank stares in them, I added, "Aren't these artifacts guarded by demons and beasts? A cultivator's ultimate task is to slay those with evil power. Wouldn't it be more reasonable that the best artifacts are kept under the watch of the most powerful protectors?"

The three of them exchanged a look. "You are suggesting that we search for the spiritual power of demons instead?" Peng Yao asked.

"I haven't tried this way before," Xie Lun said thoughtfully, "but come to think of it … Although sometimes I've had to fight ferocious beasts without getting any prizes in return, most of the time those encounters ended up with good prizes. It is quite possible that all the top trophies are hiding with those creatures."

Wen Shiyin considered it as well. "It's also much easier to track demonic power than the auspicious power from artifacts. Even if we end up leading ourselves to beasts that guard lesser prizes, it's not any worse than what we might find by trying to locate an artifact's power."

The other two nodded, and the decision was made quickly.. Tuning our trackers towards the worst enemies, we made our way forward.