Chapter 1161: Do You Have Some Ulterior Motive?

"I know your mother is impressive, but can I compare with her?" Mu Hanyan didn’t think Ling Baobao was just talking big. Although this guy had a bunch of God-man quirks, he was extremely respectful towards his mother and the numerous masters he hadn’t fully counted. He wouldn’t use them as a source of boasting.

Mu Hanyan wasn’t too disappointed. According to Ling Baobao, his mother was the strongest in that plane. With her current strength, not being as good as her was quite normal, right? However, that powerful strength made her heart race with admiration; her heart for strength became even more persistent and firm.

"In fact, you’re not much worse than her now. When she was your age, she had just stepped through the door of cultivation." Ling Baobao encouraged Mu Hanyan.

"Do you have some kind of ulterior motive?" Mu Hanyan looked at Ling Baobao vigilantly. "Offering such generous compliments for no reason is either crafty or deceitful."

"Can we negotiate? Leave a bit more for me?" Ling Baobao said shamelessly.

Although I picked up a lot of money today, after taking away Mu Hanyan’s, Huayue’s, and Zirong’s parts, there wasn’t much left for him. There’s no choice when one’s poor—betting capital is lacking.

"You don’t even need to spend money. Why keep so much?" Mu Hanyan asked.

"Of course, it’s for food! Traveling ten thousand miles, tasting thousands of delicacies; don’t you know how much a cup of Yingfeng Wine costs at Yingfeng Building? Do you know the price for a table at the Exquisite Banquet at Bafang guests, or the cost of Jun Zizui’s...?" Ling Baobao replied without hesitation.

Oh right, besides being a fortune-teller, Jiang Hu’s traveling doctor, and a con artist, this guy is also a standard foodie... hmm, according to him, it’s genetic.

"Eating too much isn’t good for you. You’re at an age where you’re still growing. If you get too fat, you won’t grow taller." Mu Hanyan didn’t want to listen any longer. She pulled out a few silver notes from his hand. "These are mine."

Next, she pulled out a few more silver notes: "These are Huayue’s."

Then pulled out a few more silver notes: "These are Zirong’s."

"These are Jiang Yuzhe’s."

"These are Tang Bufan’s."

"These are Tan Yu, Yu Shu, and Lin Feng’s."

...

Am I fat? Am I fat? Where am I fat? Moreover, even if I’m not fat, at my age, is there still a chance to grow taller? Looking at the few remaining silver notes in his hand, Ling Baobao looked up to the sky, speechless with tears streaming down, with a voice in his heart repeatedly saying, "Poor judgment in making friends, poor judgment in making friends."

Before long, they returned to Wenjian Valley. Seeing their figures, Jiang Yuzhe came up to them from afar.

"Thank you, my lord, for avenging me," Jiang Yuzhe bowed and solemnly said to Mu Hanyan.

"How do you know my master avenged you?" Tan Yu asked Jiang Yuzhe curiously.

Ever since recovering from his injuries, Jiang Yuzhe had been immersing himself in training and also following Mu Hanyan to study arrays. He hadn’t stepped foot outside, and today he had just found an opportunity for enlightenment, so he didn’t follow Mu Hanyan to the Array Dao Hall. He didn’t know how he received the news.

"I don’t need to guess to know. Is Tian Wenliang dead or crippled? I suppose he’s mostly crippled, right?" Jiang Yuzhe confidently asked.

The three of Tan Yu looked at Jiang Yuzhe with admiration. He knew what’s happening in the world without stepping out and guessed everything correctly; he was a God. But on second thought, they understood. It wasn’t that Jiang Yuzhe guessed correctly, but that Mu Hanyan never disappointed them.

Thinking this through, they looked at Mu Hanyan with even more reverence, a gaze filled with something akin to the frenzy of followers.

"You’re right, crippled," Mu Hanyan replied.

"I just knew it would be like this, what a pity, I didn’t get to witness the lord’s demeanor firsthand," Jiang Yuzhe said with regret.

"Don’t worry, you’ll see it soon enough," came Hua Yue’s voice.

Turning their heads, they saw Huayue and Zirong supporting the injured Tang Bufan as they returned.

"Congratulations, my lord, not only did you pass the assessment, but you also taught Tian Wenliang a harsh lesson," Huayue and the others quickly stepped forward and spoke to Mu Hanyan.

"You all have returned, how did Bufan get injured?" Mu Hanyan saw Tang Bufan’s wounds and slightly raised her eyebrows. Could someone have laid a hand on Tang Bufan?

"It’s not anyone else’s fault; it’s my own carelessness. That Exotic Beast was just too powerful. I’m ultimately a bit lacking in strength. I only managed to tame it with great difficulty," Tang Bufan was afraid Mu Hanyan would misunderstand and take revenge for him, so he quickly explained.

"So you passed the assessment?" Mu Hanyan was reassured and asked happily.

"Yes, I passed the assessment." Tang Bufan nodded, showing a radiant smile.

"Congratulations, I just knew you would succeed." Mu Hanyan was also happy for Tang Bufan.

In his previous life, until the moment of his death, he had not achieved much. Yet in this life, not only had he realized his dream of entering Long Yan Academy, he also passed his first assessment with flying colors. How could she not be gratified? The regrets of his past life were largely atoned for.

"And you all, you haven’t disappointed anyone, right?" Mu Hanyan turned to Huayue and Zirong.

In recent days, the news of them avenging Jiang Yuzhe and injuring Tian Wenliang had already spread through Long Yan Academy, so presumably, no one would dare to easily trouble them.

"Of course! That trivial Medical Alchemy Technique, as well as the Sealing and Breaking Seal technique, how can they trouble us?" Zirong said confidently.

"Since everyone passed the assessment, let’s go to Yingfeng Building for a feast," Ling Baobao said excitedly, having emerged from his earlier dejection.

"Alright, let’s go celebrate well." Although they didn’t think much of Ling Baobao’s foodie nature, on such a joyful day, it was only right to celebrate.

"I think we should go back and cultivate early, to prepare for tomorrow’s Sword Dao assessment," Zi Rong said with a serious face.

Long Yan Academy’s Sword Dao assessment had always been held a day later than others. This was to give academy disciples plenty of preparation time, so they weren’t all crammed into one day.

"What’s wrong?" Mu Hanyan asked curiously. Zirong’s personality was free-spirited and unruly; it was rare to see such seriousness.

"You probably don’t know who will be overseeing tomorrow’s Sword Dao assessment, right?" Huayue said.

"Who is it?" Mu Hanyan asked.

"It’s among Long Congyuan’s direct disciples, the one known as Duan Heshan, the One Sword Across Rivers and Mountains!" Zirong said with a serious expression.

"A direct disciple of Lord Long, and Duan Heshan!" Tan Yu and Yu Shu Lin Feng both gasped.

Mu Hanyan’s expression also grew serious.

Although Long Congyuan himself hadn’t been ranked among the academy’s top three masters, those direct disciples he trained were all outstanding figures of their generation.

Among them, Duan Heshan, known as One Sword Across Rivers and Mountains, on top of being a disciple of Long Congyuan—an expert second only to the academy’s three grandmasters—was also the youngest son of Duan Tianya, the Holy Sword Master of Zhengying Academy, and exceptionally favored. With family-taught ultimate skills and the meticulous training of Long Yan Academy, his cultivation was unfathomable. Among the second generation disciples, he was undisputedly prominent, said to be no less capable than some of the lesser skilled Sword Dao Masters.