Chapter 57: Harassed

Chapter 57: Harassed

The story of the ancient white turtle left a special mark on Lou Yuqing's heart. She was genuinely happy for him that he was able to fulfill his promise at the last moment of his life.

Gazing at the lake surface ruffled by the breeze, Lou Yuqing seemed to see his reflection in it, but she knew that he would no longer exist in the sect's back lake.

"Junior sister, let's go." Si Nidie waved. "Today's patrol is over."

Lou Yuqing snapped out of her daze and followed in her footsteps. Her previous melancholy vanished, and back to reality, they still had to live their lives well.

The Enforcement Hall has recently become increasingly busy, with disciples from the Auditing Office filling in for them without pay, and they have been forced to experience the daily life of an enforcement disciple.

Lou Yuqing overheard her senior sister mention that a problem had occurred at one of the sect's mines, and disciples had been urgently dispatched to provide assistance. Not only disciples from the Enforcement Hall, but also many disciples from both the inner and outer sects had gone.

The Wendao Sect has over 100,000 disciples, and the departure of over a thousand will not affect the sect's operation. However, the disciples of the Enforcement Hall are all elites, and their departure cannot be replaced immediately.

This is why Lou Yuqing and the others were pulled in to do hard labor. Although they couldn't act as real law enforcement disciples, taking over the patrol work was fine.

The next day.

Lou Yuqing arrived at the Law Enforcement Hall just in time. When she went inside, she saw that everyone had arrived except for her, so she quickly ran into the group.

"Why are you only arriving now?" Si Nidie asked in a low voice. "Captain Wei specifically requested that you be here today. If he catches you, who knows what kind of punishment awaits you."

Although his junior sister had done Captain Wei a favor, if she made a serious mistake, Captain Wei would not be lenient at all and might even increase the punishment, since he was the kind of person who "demands more from those who are good to him".

Lou Yuqing gave an awkward smile: "I'll be more careful in the future."

Previously, she always came to work with her senior brother, and he would come to the cave to call her, so she didn't have to worry about missing the call. But since his old illness flared up, she has been working alone, constantly testing the limits of being late every day.

Lou Yuqing asked her master about Senior Brother Gu's health several times, and her master said it wasn't anything serious and that he would come back once he recovered. But until now, Senior Brother Gu is still nowhere to be found.

Zixiao Immortal Venerable: "..." Who told me to ruin my avatar? I'm currently looking for new materials.

"Thump!"

The clock struck Chenshi (7-9 AM) to awaken me.

Kui Houming entered the main hall, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone. Everyone was present and dressed neatly. He nodded in satisfaction: "It seems you have taken my words to heart. Continue to maintain this level of discipline, even if I don't summon you."

Lou Yuqing and the others replied in unison, "Yes!"

With his hands behind his back, Wei Houming said calmly, "You must already know the purpose of my summons today. The Enforcement Hall is currently short-staffed and needs to hold an entrance examination to recruit fresh talent."

The position of law enforcement disciple has always been highly dangerous, especially for those disciples who frequently go out on missions, whose probability of death is far higher than that of disciples in other positions within the sect.

Kui Houming knew without a doubt that at most only 30% of the enforcement disciples who were dispatched for this mining mission would return.

Despite this, there are still countless disciples who want to enter the Hall of Law Enforcement, because once they become disciples of the Hall of Law Enforcement, they will enjoy treatment that ordinary disciples cannot, with abundant cultivation resources such as pills, cultivation techniques, and spiritual herbs.

Kui Houming's face was serious as he continued, "The entrance examination is about to begin. All of you, keep your eyes peeled. If anyone tries to cause trouble, arrest them immediately, understand?"

"Know!"

Lou Yuqing and the others shouted loudly.

Kui Houming gave them a few more instructions, then said, "You all step aside."

Once the disciples had cleared a space, Kui Houming stepped forward and stood in the center of the hall. With a flick of his sleeve, a formation plate appeared in his hand. He quickly made a series of hand gestures and cast spells onto the formation plate.

Before long, the array plate emitted a buzzing sound, and a beam of light as white as jade shot out, shooting straight at the jade ceiling, instantly turning the world in front of everyone white.

Lou Yuqing squinted and raised her hand to block the light. When the beam of light dissipated, she looked ahead and found that the Law Enforcement Hall had undergone a major change.

The original palace buildings disappeared, replaced by a plaza that seemed to stretch endlessly. To Lou Yuqing's surprise, this transformed plaza was not brand new; the ground was covered with various scratches, marks from swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks, as well as craters and pits caused by the collision of various spells.

Kui Houming instructed the crowd: "Be prepared to supervise. The first round will test your flying ability. Those who fail to meet the speed requirement will be eliminated!"

Lou Yuqing's heart skipped a beat. This scene reminded her of when she entered the examination hall, except that this time she was the invigilator, not the examiner.

She told herself to relax, it's not like she's taking the test, so she won't be eliminated. After repeating this to herself twice, she finally felt less anxious.

Kui Houming held the array plate and pointed it in a certain direction. The space suddenly fluctuated, and in everyone's sight, a light gate appeared out of thin air and then slowly opened to both sides.

The next moment, the examinee leaped in.

Ling Yunxiao was one of them. The young man was tall and stood out among the disciples. His eyes flickered and fell on Lou Yuqing.

The two exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away.

This is a formal occasion; we cannot exchange pleasantries or greetings, otherwise it would be suspected of cheating.

However, despite thinking this, Ling Yunxiao couldn't help but glance in the direction of the girl after he stopped. Seeing that she didn't notice, he smiled smugly.

Lou Yuqing stood with her hands in her pockets, lost in thought.

The initial number of disciples applying for the entrance examination was over five hundred. They all possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation, including veteran disciples who had been eliminated in the past and new disciples who had just broken through their cultivation levels.

However, not everyone is qualified to participate in the assessment. Only about four hundred people came here to take the assessment. They had all been screened and had no criminal record in the Hall of Law Enforcement, nor had they been known for any bad reputation.

Those disciples who couldn't even pass the background check weren't even qualified to participate in the first round of assessment.

Kui Houming looked at the many disciples taking the test in the square and said coldly, "I reiterate, this test is to assess your flying ability. Start from here, touch the red line ahead, and then turn back. You only have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Anyone who does not return before the incense burns out will be eliminated!"

After saying that, he took out an incense stick, lit it, and flicked it casually. The incense stick went straight into a pillar in the square without being damaged in the slightest.

"Disciple understands!"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, and the voice boomed like a bell.

Kui Houming nodded slightly, lifted the array plate forward, and a white light screen swept out, enveloping the proctors, including Lou Yuqing, and said, "Go and supervise on the way. If you see anyone using a magic weapon, use your token to eliminate them."

"Disciple obeys!"

Lou Yuqing and the other proctors gripped their tokens tightly. The white light screen flashed and disappeared in an instant, and at the same time, they dispersed along the flight path of the examinees.

Lou Yuqing turned her head and saw that she was right next to the red line. This line stretched across the entire space and was incredibly long. The red light was constantly expanding and contracting, making it extremely conspicuous. Anyone who was not blind could see it.

She gazed into the distance. They should be setting off by now. She wondered who would be the first to cross the red line. Could it be... him?

The boy's flawless face appeared in my mind.

Lou Yuqing shook her head, clearing her mind of distractions, and stood there waiting for the winner to arrive. She wasn't very good with time, so she could only guess that about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea had passed.

"call."

The wind howled, bringing with it a chill.

Lou Yuqing saw a sky-blue figure appear in her line of sight from afar. The disciples were all wearing the same robes, so she couldn't tell who the person was.

Soon, the figure drew closer and closer.

Lou Yuqing stared intently and saw that the newcomer looked young, probably around twenty years old. Perhaps knowing that he had surpassed everyone else and become number one, he couldn't stop smiling.

"clank!"

The red thread emitted a clear, metallic ringing sound when touched by the person's palm, the echo reverberating pleasantly.

"congratulations!"

As expected, the young disciple came in first place in this test.

Lou Yuqing recognized this person. At the sect's spirit testing conference, there were three outstanding disciples, all of whom had mutated spiritual roots. He was one of them, a disciple with a wind spiritual root.

Wind represents speed!

So it's really only natural that he appeared here so quickly.

Upon hearing Lou Yuqing's congratulations, the young disciple chuckled, turned, and flew towards the plaza. His figure transformed into a wisp of breeze, drifting through the air, and in the next instant, he arrived ten feet away.

Is this the Wind Release technique?

It was truly miraculous.

A few flashes of blue light appeared on the horizon, and the young disciple disappeared from sight.

Second place, third place... and so on.

"Clang!"

At this point, another examinee crossed the line.

Lou Yuqing greeted the visitor with "Congratulations" as usual. To her surprise, the visitor not only stopped but also struck up a conversation with her: "Junior sister, you look very kind."

"..."

Lou Yuqing couldn't help but sized him up. He was good-looking, but seemed to have some mental issues. She asked him, "Are you sure you're not leaving? We're running out of time."

Gu Qinghong smiled gently and said, "No rush. It is my honor to be able to talk with my junior sister. It is fate that we meet. Let's get to know each other. My name is Gu Qinghong. You can call me Senior Brother Gu."

Gu Qinghong secretly glanced at the girl's face. He hadn't expected to find such a beauty here. If he could become her partner, it would be a fitting tribute to his status.

Lou Yuqing frowned, feeling uncomfortable with his gaze. Wanting to get rid of him quickly, she forced a smile and said, "Hehe, sorry, I already have a Senior Brother Gu."

Gu Qinghong's smile froze, his heart filled with anger. He thought to himself that this woman had a vile personality and was not worthy of being his partner. Changing his previous attitude, he coldly said, "Junior sister, why speak so rudely? I just wanted to make friends with you. Aren't you going too far by doing this?"

"Too much?"

Lou Yuqing saw his sudden change of expression and understood his character. She didn't want to save face for him: "You can't stand being told the truth? When I report back to the elder in charge, after hearing his reprimand, won't you want to commit suicide?"

Gu Qinghong's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Junior Sister, what do you mean by this? I only wanted to get to know you. You're bothering the Elder with such a trivial matter. Aren't you afraid he'll blame you for not handling things properly?"

"Why should I be afraid? I'm not the one who did something wrong."

Lou Yuqing rolled her eyes at him: "Let me remind you, this is the assessment site of the Law Enforcement Hall. If you want to make friends, you can do so after the assessment. No one will stop you."

Gu Qinghong was so angry that his nose almost crooked. With his appearance and cultivation, plus his impressive performance at the moment—at least in the top ten—dealing with this naive young girl should have been a piece of cake. But he ended up suffering a huge setback.

In the past, he was the one who looked down on others, but now he was the one being looked down on. Luckily, no one else arrived at this time, otherwise he would have lost all face and dignity.

Gu Qinghong couldn't swallow this insult and suddenly said sarcastically, "Junior sister must not have any men pursuing her. If you don't change your terrible personality, you'll suffer a lot in the future. I just don't know if junior sister is prepared to be single forever."

Lou Yuqing: ? ? ?

Lou Yuqing could hardly believe what she was hearing. She laughed in anger and didn't want to get entangled with such a brainless person. She decisively took out her token and shone it on him.

Gu Qinghong was clearly stunned, then shouted, "Wait a minute!"

Lou Yuqing remained unmoved as she activated the token, which emitted a beam of white light. She said sarcastically, "Whether I'm single or not is unknown, but your fate is destined to be elimination!"

A white light enveloped Gu Qinghong's body and, amidst his unwilling gaze, teleported him away.

Seeing this, Lou Yuqing slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and the negative emotions in her heart lessened considerably.

Hearing such outrageous remarks first thing in the morning is really disgusting.

Why didn't the Enforcement Hall screen out this idiot? He doesn't consider the occasion at all, coming to the assessment site to make friends. What was he thinking, trying to make himself special?

Lou Yuqing crossed her arms, her gaze cold, and gave the examiners who came after her a cold look. Perhaps because of this, no more disgusting things like this happened.

As time passed, more and more disciples crossed the line.

Those with faster flying abilities usually appeared alone, while those with similar flying abilities flew over in groups, since their average speeds were all about the same, and they couldn't gain much of a distance.

"boom!"

A beam of light shot into the sky in the distance, marking the end of the assessment.

Lou Yuqing lowered her arm, preparing to wait for Captain Wei to take her back to the square, when she suddenly felt that something was wrong and fell into thought. What could it be?

Wait, where's Ling Yunxiao?!

Lou Yuqing's eyes widened as she realized that she hadn't seen the boy at all. Could it be that he had been eliminated?

Just then, a white light emanated from her body, and with a blink of an eye, she was back in the square.

"Two hundred and thirty-three people have passed the first test. Those disciples who are not currently in the square are all eliminated. The rest will proceed to the second test!"

As the incense on the pillar burned out, Kui Houming calmly announced the assessment results. At the same time, he cast a spell on the array plate, and the examinees who were still on their way were teleported out.

Everyone watched this scene with a mixture of surprise and delight.

Because, although they passed the first round of assessment, there are still two more rounds of assessment waiting for them. Based on this elimination rate, most of them will be eliminated in the next round of assessment.

Lou Yuqing sighed regretfully. Ling Yunxiao should have left by now. She couldn't understand how he could have failed the test with his elusive and unpredictable escape techniques.

"Junior sister, what's wrong?" Si Nidie asked telepathically.

Lou Yuqing said helplessly, "Sigh, it's because Ling Yunxiao was eliminated..."

"Are you sure you're not mistaken? When was he eliminated?" Si Nidie looked at her junior sister in surprise and pointed in a certain direction. "He's right there."

Lou Yuqing looked in the direction she pointed and indeed saw Ling Yunxiao standing there tall and elegant: "..."

In an instant, the expression on her face became strange. The other party did not appear at the red line, so why did they pass the test?

Was it Captain Wei's mistake, or did Ling Yunxiao fabricate the story?

Just as Lou Yuqing was struggling with whether or not to report him, Ling Yunxiao transmitted his voice to her: "Can't figure it out? I assure you, I cleared the game normally, and I was in first place."

Lou Yuqing suddenly looked up at him. The young man smiled broadly, with a hint of teasing on his face, clearly seeing through her thoughts.

Lou Yuqing blushed slightly and asked curiously via telepathy, "I was right by the red line, but I didn't see you. How did you get through?"

Ling Yunxiao smiled mysteriously and asked in return, "Who do you think was the first place back then?"

"Of course it's that disciple with the wind spirit root." Lou Yuqing gestured with her lip toward the person next to the young man; the two of them were standing together.

Ling Yunxiao glanced at the disciple with the Wind Spirit Root, coughed lightly, and revealed the secret: "I used Shadow Escape Technique to hide in his shadow, and just as he was about to return to the square, I took first place before him."

Lou Yuqing: "..." Six six six.

No wonder the Wind Spirit Root disciple looked so frustrated. It turns out that Ling Yunxiao's first place was, in a sense, his achievement. This move was hard to defend against, after all, everyone has a shadow.

"I remember now, when he touched the red thread, it made two sounds." Lou Yuqing dug out this easily overlooked detail from her mind. She thought it was an echo, but she didn't expect that Ling Yunxiao had secretly touched the red thread.

Upon hearing this, the boy smiled faintly.

Kui Houming manipulated the array plate and explained the rules: "The second test is to fight against the puppet. Those who survive three moves will pass, and the rest will be eliminated!"

Everyone: Three moves?!

After the initial shock, they silently increased their vigilance. The other party's words were not unfounded, and if they didn't take them seriously, they might suffer a great loss.

Kui Houming was indeed intentionally reminding them; those who would listen would take it to heart, and those who wouldn't could only offer their respect and blessings.

The array plate shone brightly, and a strange movement occurred in the square. Ten humanoid puppets appeared in unison before the crowd. The puppets' shells were made of hard ore, and their surfaces gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen.

"The top ten, step forward and stand in front of the puppets. I'll let you know beforehand that each puppet is of equal strength, so don't bother trying to pick a weaker opponent." Kui Houming glanced meaningfully at the crowd.

When some disciples met his gaze, they lowered their heads guiltily. They had actually thought that way, but now it seemed that their thoughts had been predicted long ago.

Ling Yunxiao stood in front of the first puppet without hesitation, and the Fenglinggen disciple followed closely behind, choosing the second puppet. With these two as examples, the other disciples lined up obediently in order.

Kui Houming selected ten of his own men and said, "Go over there and supervise them. Anyone who can't withstand three moves from the puppet will be eliminated with a token."

"Yes!" the crowd responded.

Lou Yuqing and Si Nidie were not selected because their view was blocked as they were standing behind Captain Wei. Peeking out to observe the assessment on the other side made them look sneaky.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Wei Houming said, "If you want to look, then look openly. I'm not forbidding you from looking."

Lou Yuqing and the other woman were dumbfounded: they'd been caught red-handed.

"Tell me the reasons for eliminating people. Xiao Si, you eliminated three people, and Xiao Lou, you eliminated one person. Who wants to go first?" Wei Houming asked without turning his head.

Si Nidie spoke first: "Captain Wei, all three of them cheated. The first one used a magical artifact; the boots he was wearing had a speed-up effect."

"The second person took some pills halfway through the journey. Although his flight speed was much faster, he seemed to have been drinking. I spotted him immediately."

"The third person was something else. She actually used seductive arts on me, trying to fool me. Luckily, I had a calming spell on me, otherwise she would have succeeded."

When Si Nidie mentioned the last person, an amused expression appeared on her face. This female disciple reminded her of Wu Fengshu, and some unpleasant memories.

Kui Houming nodded: "Xiao Lou, what about you?"

Lou Yuqing: "...The people I eliminated did not cheat."

A look of doubt flashed in Wei Houming's eyes.

“But…” Lou Yuqing’s tone changed, “He harassed me.”

Kui Houming's expression changed.

Before he could speak, Si Nidie asked impatiently, "What happened? Junior sister, are you alright? Did he do anything to you?"

Si Nidie was stunned when she heard the news.

“I was on duty at the red line when a disciple named Gu Qinghong tried to talk to me but failed. Instead, he cursed me, saying that no one would want me. His character is very questionable, so I eliminated him. Captain Wei, is it okay for me to do this?”

Looking at the girl's questioning gaze, Wei Houming nodded in agreement: "Of course, no problem. People who harass the proctors during the assessment should naturally be eliminated. You did the right thing."

Lou Yuqing was relieved: "That's good."

Gu Qinghong...

Kui Houming chewed on those three words, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes: "Xiao Lou, give me the token, let me see what he has to say."

Lou Yuqing handed over the token.

Kui Houming placed the token on the array plate and manipulated it. After a short while, the token floated up into the air, spun around once, and then projected a light screen.

The scene in the picture shows Lou Yuqing and Gu Qinghong, and the previous scene is vividly displayed in everyone's eyes.

Seeing that the other party was harassing Xiaolou without any regard for his own safety, Wei Houming sneered. He knew what was going on and was thinking about finding a reason to send Gu Qinghong to solitary confinement for two days.

Si Nidie's face flashed with disgust: "This person thinks too highly of himself. Does he think he's a spirit stone that everyone loves? Junior sister, you did well. In the future, when you encounter such ignorant people, just deal with them like this."

Lou Yuqing nodded seriously.

Unbeknownst to her, Ling Yunxiao, who had just passed the test, had taken in everything on the light screen, and his delicate features were now clouded with frost.