Chapter 44: Befriending the Young Elder of the Technique Hall
"..."
The young elder and I stared at each other after he finished asking his question, waiting for my response. However, I simply pursed my lips, and we continued to gaze at one another in silence. After a while, I had to straighten my neck because I was sitting while the young elder was standing. Looking up at him for so long had started to hurt my neck.
"I am talking to you. Hello!" The young elder waved his arm in front of my face, but I just stared back blankly. I had forgotten to bring my pen and notebook today, as well as the flashcards I had prepared for situations like this. Before the young elder could grow impatient, I made strange noises and gestures to convey that I was mute.
"Huh?!" The young elder, who had closed his eyes with a frown forming on his face, opened them again when he noticed my hand signs. For a moment, he seemed confused, but he was someone talented enough to be appointed the young elder of the Technique Hall—the third most important place in the sect.
"Are you mute?" he asked suspiciously. My eyes brightened as he seemed to finally understand. "Sorry. Is the female disciple from yesterday, the one who was with you, your friend? Shake your head left and right for 'no' and up and down for 'yes.'"
Hm.
I nodded, then shook my head to indicate that we weren't close enough to be called friends.
He continued with a confident smile, "Then why did she pull you by your hand if she's not your friend?" The young elder flashed an understanding smile—one that almost any male would recognize. I understood it too. He added, "Don't worry, I'm not interested in her. Don't be on guard. I just wanted to invest in a talented person."
I tilted my head, confused. "Talented?" What did he mean by that? Could someone only slightly older than me really determine who was talented and who wasn't? But he didn't seem to see through my true potential.
"I meant that I like to invest in talented disciples like you~" The young elder stepped closer, pulled out a heavy pouch from the inner pocket of his robes, and stuffed it into the chest of my robe. A noticeable bulge formed on my chest as a result.
Was he bribing me in broad daylight? For what? To convince Xue Lingxi to visit him?
I didn't know what to do. "Seeing as you're an outer disciple and have recently broken through to the Qi Condensation stage, you'll need more resources to continue advancing to the next realms. Don't get left behind by your... girlfriend~" The young elder left a mischievous comment and walked back to his rocking chair.
'From what angle do we look close?' I thought. Xue Lingxi and I had only met a handful of times—so few that I could count them on one hand. Before yesterday, I hadn't even known her name. And now, I was being bribed for something like this. It felt inappropriate.
I leaned back in my chair. Now that I had become mute in the eyes of the world, I realized the benefits of being able to speak. I turned back carefully, and the young elder nodded at me. Ugh—
I had lost the motivation to continue comprehending the technique. I stood up, returned to the shelf where I had picked up the Vanishing Blade technique, rolled up my notes, and dashed out of the Technique Hall.
I was walking straight ahead when I abruptly turned left, changing my direction. From the opposite side, Mei Xueyin was walking toward me, seemingly searching for someone. I wasn't being overconfident about my looks, but my instincts told me she was looking for me.
I wasn't in the mood for another encounter with her. My plan was set: wait and lie low until Long Chen left the Hidden Dragon Sect to embark on another adventure in his quest for greater strength. That was the best plan I could come up with for now. Long Chen's past behavior had made it clear that whenever he encountered a beautiful woman, he became possessive and let his lower body do the thinking.
I continued walking left without daring to look back. I took out the pouch the young elder had given me, as the bulge on my chest was attracting unwanted attention—especially from the male disciples. Meanwhile, the female disciples' faces flushed as they whispered to each other in hushed tones.
I looked around for someone who might need help. It seemed my luck wasn't entirely bad. Soon, I spotted a disciple a short distance away, asking others for assistance. However, everyone ignored him, minding their own business. I approached him, but just as I was about to ask what was wrong, I remembered that I was supposed to be mute and couldn't speak.
The male disciple's eyes lit up as if he had found a savior. Before I could slip away, he clung to me, his eyes turning red. "Brother, brother... please help me. I'm in urgent need of spiritual stones. I beg you. I'll repay you, I swear! If you want, I can even go to the Disciplinary Hall and sign an agreement in front of the hall members."
Without asking any questions, I placed the pouch in his hand and walked away. I didn't check how much was inside, but it should have been enough to help him. After all, those spiritual stones weren't mine to begin with.
'Haa... Finally, I feel like a heavy weight has been lifted from my chest.'