The man was surprised upon hearing Gu Shengâs words.
"You can sense the Spiritual Energy on me?"
"I can, and itâs very clear."
At this, the manâs expression toward him changed.
"I wonder which sect Brother is from to have such high capabilities. If Iâm not mistaken, Brother is intentionally concealing his aura, right?"
"Indeed, before the recruitment conference begins, I donât want to attract trouble, but I can be honest with you. Iâm from Stone Village. I wonder if youâve heard of it?"
The manâs pupils trembled at the mention of Stone Village.
"Iâve heard of it. I once stayed outside Stone Village and felt the changes brought by the ebony there. I didnât expect you to be from Stone Village."
"I also didnât expect you to have stayed there. I wonder what you think of Stone Village?"
After a long silence, the man asked, "What is your position in Stone Village?"
Taking out the Token, Gu Sheng solemnly said, "I am the Village Chief."
Seeing the Token, the man was evidently surprised.
"Iâve never met their Village Chief before; I didnât expect to encounter him here."
"I wonder if Brother is interested in Stone Village?"
Hearing this question again, the man lightly pursed his lips.
After a long silence, he said softly, "Let me think about it..."
Gu Sheng did not pressure him, just nodded gently.
"My name is Gu Sheng. You know where Iâm staying. If you decide, just come and find me."
"Alright, my name is Liu Ping. Even if I donât join Stone Village in the end, we can still be friends."
Gu Sheng smiled and waved at him.
Seeing him return, Lan Yao hurriedly approached.
"Gu Sheng, how was it? Did he agree?"
"No, he said he needs to think about it more, but this person is indeed powerful, even stronger than I expected."
"So impressive? No wonder he can hide so well that even we couldnât sense his true strength. Gu Sheng, did you find out his name?"
"He said his name is Liu Ping."
Upon hearing this name, Bai Yu was quite surprised.
"Itâs him. Itâs said that heâs been in Jianghu for many years, cultivating a noble spirit, and alone, he can match the combat power of a small sect. He has quite a reputation in Jianghu, but he is low-key, seldom known by people. Unexpectedly, you have unintentionally recruited such a figure. Gu Sheng, I must say, your judgment is exquisite."
Gu Sheng did not expect this person to be so renowned and grew increasingly satisfied.
At this moment, Lan Yao asked, "Gu Sheng, do you think he will ultimately join Stone Village?"
"I think itâs possible."
"Why?"
"Because he once stayed around Stone Village and felt its strength, he naturally can sense the lingering aura of the Sky Blue Sect. As long as he is wise, he wonât make another choice."
"What if he ultimately decides not to join Stone Village?"
"No matter, as long as someone of his strength doesnât join the Qingcheng Sect, it doesnât matter which sect he joins for us."
Upon hearing this, everyone realized.
"With what youâve said, I feel much more relieved. Itâs just a pity that I canât act under the name of our White Cloud Sect right now, or I too would want to recruit some talents."
Seeing Bai Yuâs regretful expression, Gu Sheng smiled and patted his shoulder.
"No need for regrets, donât you still have Luochuan by your side? He is a talent with potential. As long as you guide him well, he will surely not fall short compared to Liu Ping."
"Indeed, my disciple will surely be the best. One day, Iâll make sure he stands out!"
Regarding Luochuan, Bai Yu grew increasingly satisfied, now appearing to look at him like a beloved disciple.
"The Qingcheng Sect should be arriving soon, and by then, we should probe into their background to see if they have Death Soldiers. If they do, we should act quickly."
After Gu Sheng finished speaking, everyone immediately became serious.
"Do we act here?"
"Thatâs not feasible. Letâs do it on the way back; it will be easier to handle."
"What about the recruitment conference..."
"It doesnât mean much to us. Weâre just here to cause disruption. As long as the Qingcheng Sect doesnât recruit anyone, our purpose is to meet Luo Qin and explore his background."
"Alright, weâll all listen to you."
As the night deepened, everyone at the foot of the mountain fell asleep.
Under the moonlight, only Liu Ping was deep in thought.
Two days later, everyone gathered, and Luo Qin finally appeared.
When the Qingcheng Sect arrived, everyone kept glancing and whispering behind their backs.
Feeling the strange atmosphere, Luo Qinâs gaze became more sinister.
His gaze swept viciously across everyoneâs faces, and immediately they turned their heads away as if nothing happened, but once his gaze shifted, they whispered again.
Luo Qin was always proud and couldnât tolerate such behavior.
Calling his subordinates over, he said through gritted teeth, "Find out what theyâre saying! Make sure to get it clear!"
With a wave of his hand, his subordinates immediately dispersed.
At this moment, Gu Sheng saw something wrapped in cloth on Luo Qinâs waist, appearing to be round, seemingly something for the recruitment conference, which was why he was so cautious.
Thinking for a while, Gu Sheng laughed.
When he laughed, everyone was puzzled.
"Brother Sheng, why are you laughing?" Shi Lou asked.
"Iâm laughing at how Luo Qinâs items are somewhat unsightly."
Upon hearing this, Shi Louâs eyes lit up.
"Brother Sheng, what did he bring?"
"It should be a Luminous Pearl."
"Huh? A Luminous Pearl? Such a simple item, can he show it off?"
"Probably he really canât bring out anything else, so he brought a Luminous Pearl. Luochuan, did you empty his familyâs assets?"
Looking at Luo Qin, Luochuan laughed with great satisfaction.
"I suppose so, otherwise he wouldnât embarrass himself like this. Right now, none of the Shopkeepers are cooperating with him, and we took those two boxes away. Itâs already good enough if he could produce a Luminous Pearl, but he might not even have the chance to bring it out."
Everyone thought it was true; Luo Qinâs reputation was repeatedly tarnished, and likely few would wish to join the Qingcheng Sect, perhaps none at all.
After all, it is the recruitment conference with so many Jianghu characters and renowned sects watching. Even if someone wanted to join the Qingcheng Sect, they probably wouldnât have the face to do so. After all, those who could come here are personas of some standing. Who would take the initiative to join a flawed sect? That would be asking for trouble.
"Letâs go, itâs time to enter the venue. Weâll follow them closely, Bai Yu, keep an eye on the rear and see if he leaves any tricks."
Understanding his implications, Bai Yu nodded and fell back a few steps.
A bell rang in the mountains, and everyone hurried to enter the venue.
Gu Sheng kept following Luo Qin closely, occasionally glancing at him.
After observing carefully, Gu Sheng sneered repeatedly.
While queuing to enter, he deliberately extended his hand alongside Luo Qinâs, and as their arms brushed together, Luo Qin frowned tightly.
"Why the rush? You think you deserve it?"
Gu Sheng smiled apologetically, didnât say much, and stepped back two paces.
Secretly, Gu Sheng tightly gripped his right hand, wrapping his fingertips around, and then tossed it into the storage ring and turned to leave.
With so many people and a bustling crowd, Gu Sheng left unnoticed.
Slipping into the shadows, Gu Sheng hardly had time to sense Bai Yuâs aura when he suddenly noticed someone behind him.
Startled, he immediately grasped the Fire Spirit Dagger and, turning around, his eyes already showed the intent to kill.
Seeing the killing intent in his eyes, Liu Ping only felt his heart shudder fiercely and immediately retreated a step.
"Brother Gu, itâs me."
Seeing it was him, the killing intent in Gu Shengâs eyes slowly dissipated.
"Why are you following me?"
"Didnât you say to give you an answer once Iâve decided? I think Iâve made up my mind."