Looking at the tightly shut door, the short-haired woman's expression froze for a moment, then she turned and left with a hint of disappointment.
Her companion, waiting nearby, saw this and couldn't help but tease her.
"Oh my, what's wrong with my girl? Spring hasn't even arrived, could she be feeling the flush of it already?"
"Ah, you, you're asking for a beating!"
Outside the door, the sound of their playful banter gradually faded.
Hu Qi refilled the Zhangcha Duck's food and water, then changed into a clean set of clothes.
After some thought, he still slung the bag containing his cross-bladed saber over his shoulder and walked out.
Soon, Hu Qi arrived at Wang Luo's office.
He reached out and gently knocked on the door.
"Hu Qi, right? Come in!"
Hearing Wang Luo's voice, Hu Qi reached out and pushed open the door.
Inside the room, besides Wang Luo, there were two other people.
One of them, with golden hair and red eyes, had a cold expression and carried a long sword on her back; it was Helinta, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
As for the other person, he was a man around forty or fifty years old.
The man was dressed in a gray Martial Artist uniform, with a peaceful face, and what was striking was his long braid that reached his waist.
The moment he saw this person, Hu Qi's heart stirred, and he instantly recognized his identity: it was Jiang Zuo, the Sect Leader of the Snake Heart Gate, whom he had seen in the basic information manual.
However, compared to the description in the book, this Immortal Master seemed even younger; his hair had no trace of silver, his skin showed no wrinkles, and he looked at most in his early forties.
"Hu Qi, you're here. This is the Sect Leader, and this is Second Senior Sister."
Wang Luo introduced them.
Upon hearing this, Hu Qi recalled the Sect Leader's age mentioned in the basic manual.
Adding to that, in today's society, the other party still had a braid.
This custom was only present in the fallen Dynasty before the Dragon Abyss Empire.
Hu Qi's thoughts raced, but his hands did not delay. Mimicking the etiquette of that Dynasty from several hundred years ago, which he had seen online, he clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Sect Leader! Greetings, Second Senior Sister!"
"Mm, not bad."
Jiang Zuo looked at Hu Qi's actions, a kind smile appearing on his face.
"Strong bones and vigorous Qi and blood. In just over twenty days, you've Cultivated the Snake Form Stake to the fifth level. Your Aptitude is even more outstanding than Helinta's."
Jiang Zuo chuckled, his gaze falling on Hu Qi, making him feel as if he was being seen through.
"Not at all, this is just luck. It's all thanks to the Snow Serpent Paste bestowed by Second Senior Sister."
Hu Qi said modestly.
He felt that after Jiang Zuo finished speaking, the Second Senior Sister's gaze had fallen upon him.
"Fifth level?"
Beside them, Wang Luo's expression was strange. How many days had it been? This kid had actually made another Breakthrough.
However, with Jiang Zuo present, he found it inconvenient to speak.
"You don't need to be modest. Snow Serpent Paste, in the end, only serves as an auxiliary function. If one's own Aptitude is not good, it's useless even if they've been soaking in it since childhood."
Jiang Zuo said with a faint smile.
Then, he changed the subject abruptly, without any circumlocution, and asked directly, "Do you know why I called you here today?"
Hu Qi's gaze flickered. After a moment of silence, he said, "If I'm not mistaken, the Sect Leader intends to take me as a Disciple, right?"
He had not hidden anything before, announcing his Cultivation progress with high-profile, naturally not just for the sake of showing off.
Rather, it was to attract enough attention, and now it seemed he had successfully piqued the other party's interest.
"Haha! You're right, I do indeed have the intention of taking you as a Disciple.
However, your current performance is far from enough.
If you can reach the third transformation of Qi and blood within three months, I will take you as a Personal Disciple!" Jiang Zuo shook his head.
At this point, he paused, his gaze falling on the cross-bladed saber on Hu Qi's back.
"I heard that you've been unable to make progress in Cultivating the Ghost Killing Blade recently. This blade technique is very powerful, but it also has extremely high Aptitude requirements for a Martial Artist. The best way to get started is through true life-and-death combat.
Before, your Second Senior Sister did the same.
If you have this idea, you can take on some tasks issued by Zhuxi. It can both hone your combat experience and help you quickly get started."
With that, he waved his hand, signaling Hu Qi that he could leave.
"Thank you for the Sect Leader's guidance!"
Seeing this, Hu Qi clasped his fists in salute again. After stepping out, he casually closed the door.
Walking down the stairs, Hu Qi pondered everything that had just happened. After confirming there were no issues, Hu Qi finally let out a long breath.
However, just as he was about to exit the building where the office was located, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
"Try to be careful these days. With your Aptitude, you might attract unnecessary trouble. You should know that our Snake Heart Gate has many enemies."
After speaking these words, the voice vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared.
Hu Qi recognized the owner of this voice; it was Jiang Zuo.
His gaze swept around, finding nothing. Hu Qi's heart tightened, and he no longer looked further, turning and leaving quickly.
He estimated the distance between himself and the other party in his mind; it was at least a hundred meters, and with the obstruction of doors and windows, for the words to clearly reach his ears was simply incredible.
This couldn't help but remind Hu Qi of a certain ability that only existed in films and television in his previous life—sound transmission through a focused line.
"It seems that not all sects live in harmony."
Hu Qi had long anticipated this situation.
There's a saying, the gun targets the bird that sticks its head out.
Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to be so obvious.
But if he didn't do so, he wouldn't be able to attract the other party's attention at all.
However, as long as he didn't encounter a truly powerful Martial Artist, or a Lower Black-Blood Species, he could escape with his current strength.
Besides this, he also had an advantage that others couldn't compare to, which was that as long as he had enough modification points and introductory skills, he could rapidly strengthen his own power.
As long as he could obtain truly powerful Secret Martial Arts, then by using modification points to strengthen and improve, he wouldn't need to worry about these things at all.
Before that, taking a little risk was worth it.
Playing the pig to eat the tiger, or being high-profile and flamboyant, both have their benefits, it just depends on the individual.
...
"It seems that it won't be long before I have another Junior Brother."
In the room, after Hu Qi left, Wang Luo, being perceptive, discreetly withdrew.
Although this was his office, it didn't matter.
After he left, Helinta, who was on one side, spoke.
"Heh heh, one can only say that this person's Aptitude is passable, but his Heart-Nature and other aspects still need to be verified.
You should know that there have been Geniuses even more Prodigious than you and your Senior Brother, but those people all died; only you survived."
Jiang Zuo chuckled softly.
"You must know that for us Martial Artists, the true strength does not lie in extraordinary Aptitude, but in having a strong Heart-Nature.
If one doesn't even have confidence in themselves, then what good is it, no matter how talented they are?"
His words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
"Master, I'm sorry, I've disappointed you."
Helinta took a deep breath and said.
"No, you've done well enough.
Some things, the more you force them, the harder they are to accomplish, and vice versa. You are too eager for success, which is not good.
Jiang Zuo reached out and patted Helinta's shoulder.
"I won't be staying long this time. The situation at Tianchi is quite serious this time, and it's only temporarily under control.
Now that your Eldest Senior Brother is in secluded Cultivation, the Snake Heart Gate will be temporarily entrusted to you during this period. Do not interfere too much with this person.
Also, if you encounter any special circumstances, you can discuss them with your Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters. Don't be impulsive, and wait for me to return before making any decisions."