27 Chapter 26

If someone heard what Zhi Ruo was muttering about in her heart then they would've vomited blood and cursed Zhi Ruo for her lofty words. They would pound their chest in frustration and in envy if they really found out that Zhi Ruo was actually speaking the truth.

Considering the fact that Zhi Ruo continuously and swiftly broke through the ranks within just a few days. It would have been a socially shattering news to people if they ever found out.

One must know that it wasn't very hard to enter the ranks of cultivation, but, it doesn't mean it's the same in breaking through each ranks. Zhi Ruo was already Gathering; Concentration rank 4 without much effort, and to people her around her age that has started cultivating the moment they learned how to talk. This level of Comprehension was still insanely fast. Especially since she just started from just a few days ago with some tarnished meridians.

Her eyes looked at the deciples going through repetitive cycles in their forms, she could help but let her heart be stirred.

She remembered that she was once like that, but she wasn't as competitive and as bursting with eagerness with her peers when she did so. The only thing that accompanied her was a old man, and the occasional tweets of the birds deep in some random jungle when she cultivated.

Earth was a planet that was already over inhabited by humans, no part was left that wasn't explored. Except the massive amounts of body water that took over the surface of the planet.

So there were always not enough Qi for her to cultivate and she had to rely on natural foliages. Like jungles and virgin islands, and it's not like she can breath underwater so that she could cultivate there. But she always tried to go as near as possible in oceans and lakes.

"Young miss?" Someone called from behind her, it's voice distinctively familiar.

Zhi Ruo turned around to look at Yu Zhúlín's approaching figure, her attention immediately zoomed into his natural dark green hair. Still not used to the fact that there is such a thing.

"Brother Yu." She nodded in greeting, bitterly keeping distance of the out of pocket man.

You really can't blame her for it. She was always around such people back on earth, that she had developed a sixth sense for them. And to make it even worst is that those people were her business partners, and her escaping skills in dealing with those people had even earned a comment or two from her secretary.

"It seems like brother Yu is working hard." She commented looking over his shoulders to the people that were stealing glances at them. Yu Zhúlín, of course, noticed but did not comment on it.

"Aa yes, I'm one of the participants that is attending on the annual youth competition with the well known clans." Yu Zhúlín smiled and said, though he kept his distance on her this time and kept with his civility. Obviously having his lesson learnt.

"Competition?" Zhi Ruo voiced aloud.

"Yes, our clan will be choosing the top 20 something participants to fight for the resources that the Empire will be giving out." Yu Zhúlín stretched his hands and tied his hair with utmost ease. "The tournament will only accept participants under 50 years old, so it's something of like a youth competition than ever."

"Why is it under 50? If it's a youth competition?" Zhi Ruo asked, watching Yu Zhúlín avoid her gaze. "Shouldn't it be under 20?"

"Young miss must be joking," Yu Zhúlín laughed wryly. "It's not that easy to cultivate with just under a mortal's lifetime. Unless if you are some genius of some sect or something." He laughed. "Under 50 years old is already considered young given the fact that our lifetime grows everytime we breakthrough."

'how quaint, I thought achieving my results were the norms here.' Zhi Ruo could not help but muse in her heart.

To be fair, it's wasn't like Zhi Ruo had someone to cultivate with her back on earth to compare to if she was doing good or not. Her master merely taught her some things and she followed his footsteps and did as she was told. Thinking that her level of ascension was normal.

Her master's praises could not be taken seriously of course, no, she could not really take her master's words for it in terms of her rapidly advancing level.

It was the same man who conned her into cultivating with him after all.

"So these people are?" Zhi Ruo motioned to the deciples that was diligently training on the platform of Huā Tián.

Yu Zhúlín nodded, "That's right, they are training for the selection tournament that will be held next week." He turned to Zhi Ruo's serene figure and hesitantly asked. "Will we be seeing the young miss in the competition?"

Zhi Ruo thought for a while before she asked something herself. "What would the requirements be if I wanted to join?"

Yu Zhúlín puts on a business like smile and answered. "You need to be under 50 years old of course, and have to be at least on the ranks of Gathering; Concentration rank 1." Seeing that Zhi Ruo nodded, showing that she was listening he continued. "Of course, you need to register beforehand so that you can participate in the next week's list."

"Oh, then I'm allowed to participate huh?" Zhi Ruo faced Yu Zhúlín (who was still unaware what rank she was) and asked. "Where does one register?"

"Oh that would be the library, you can just walk right on up and let them probe your cultivation level. They would allow you the, to register your name if you passed the criteria." Blinking Yu Zhúlín answered instinctively. However he snapped his head to Zhi Ruo's retreating figure instantly. "Does that really mean the young miss will participate in the up coming competition? "

Zhi Ruo snorted, "What does it look like to brother Yu?" She asked.

Yu Zhúlín struggled to keep up his smile when he saw that Zhi Ruo was just playing with him.

"Would you like to come with me brother Yu?" Zhi Ruo asked, her gaze landed on Yu Zhúlín's stunned face.

"Sure," Yu Zhúlín was too much of a man to decline a lady's invite. So somehow he ended up agreeing with Zhi Ruo.

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Ravel looked towards to the people that was chosen by Zhi Ruo. He could not help but sigh at the fact that there was something common in each people that was chosen. 'master really has a type.' he uttered in his mind. Seeing the cool faces that was waiting for instructions in the entrance of his new master.

"The young miss will be appointing you new people under her personally. In the mean time you should familiarize yourself with your noew rooms that would be assign to you." The older servant leading the people said, as she addressed the people around her.

Seeing that the people were listening she continued. "Currently Young miss is doing her daily things, but when she will face all 12 of you. She will need to pick at least two maid servants and a male servants to oversee her daily needs." She said while pausing for a bit. "Please note, that the Young miss' interests should be prioritized over anything else as she is the lady that you are serving."

Ravel nodded silently, agreeing with the woman's words. Slightly glad that their interests align when it comes to his master's needs.

Not long after the announcement, the rest of the chosen servants along with Ravel began to look for their quarters and received their own individual instructions.

Meanwhile, with Zhi Ruo and Yu Zhúlín.

Both were already at the library, and was being attended by the person in charge.

Yu Zhúlín was still awkwardly following the willful young miss around like they were close. Which was quite ironic really, because Zhi Ruo still thinks that Yu Zhúlín still did not get his lesson and still harbored some iffy intentions towards her.

And Yu Zhúlín, who was already very aware that Zhi Ruo wasn't some young miss that he could dilly dally around. And wanted to get away from her and remain a civil distance.

Both clearly did not want to bother each other, other than some sort of familiarity as in they are in the same clan and had introduced each other formally. Plainly speaking, they still have this rather amusing misunderstanding going on around them. One could not be bothered to address said misunderstanding, and one was very uncomfortable with addressing the misunderstanding.

Zhi Ruo disliked Yu Zhúlín's presence, but not to the point of actively showing her distaste. And if she was perfectly honest with herself she just did not want to go to the library alone. Lest she swears, she will have to interact more with some of the people that greeted her. And this time, she can't side step them because that would totally be seen as rude. And she can't really deal with another misconception at the moment.

And there they were, in front of the librarian while his assistant was still looking for the artifact to measure Zhi Ruo's realm. The librarian, whom Zhi Ruo could not tell wether he was checking her out or flat out judging her. If not for the fact that Zhi Ruo thinks she was dressed to the point of holiness she would've thought he was checking her out.

But understandably, Zhi Ruo wasn't delusional that this playboy ass cheeks with his perfect little symmetrical face was the kind of person to like someone by their personality much less someone they just met a few minutes ago. Actually, Zhi Ruo thinks that this librarian would probably flirt with the first thing that moves.

That paragraph should've just ended in: Zhi Ruo wasn't delusional, period. But playboys? Yeah, she has a love hate relationship with peoples that get to have the honor to bear the title.

Can't blame her, playboys are fun, just a different kind of fun. (Cross this out)

"So you are the new young miss huh?" The librarian laced his fingers and leaned on his table as he looked at Zhi Ruo with unmistakable judgement.

"Are you not going to help your assistant on looking for the artifact." Zhi Ruo banausicaly states as she ignored his probe.

His handsome face scrunched lightly, and Yu Zhúlín beside Zhi Ruo's steady figure broke out in a nervous sweat.

"He'll find it eventually, whats important now is that I finally get to meet the infamous young miss." Said man stood up, his loose robe was unnecessarily distracting as it slid to expose bare his chest. He crossed his arms as his fine as silk of a hair fell off his shoulders tantalizingly.

Give this man some proper clothes, or pay this man's clothes some proper salary. Clearly the clothes deserve a raise.

"I am Tiān Dì, the librarian of the the sighted Valley. One of the next appointed elder and taking the surname Ye." Tiān Dì said as he gazed at Zhi Ruo. "I suppose I should apologize for the fact that I could not welcome you when you toured the building. But it is hardly anything to cancel our tutoring lessons." Said the man with a frown marring his face.

"Sky and land..." Zhi Ruo chose to ignore his other words and muttered his name in wonder.

It was Tiān Dì who paused. "What about my name." He asked, seemingly with a bite in his words. He had clearly heard what Zhi Ruo had whispered.

"You are such a contradictory person," Zhi Ruo blurted out her honest thoughts. Not bothered by Yu Zhúlín's pleading face. "And as for why I cancelled on the tutoring lessons, well, senior brother Kohaku and senior sister Qing should've already told you the reason." Zhi Ruo copies Tiān Dì's movements and also crossed her arms.

Tiān Dì sighed and pinched his nose in, what Zhi Ruo could tell, vague annoyance with a hint of frustration. Instead of answering, he turned his attention to Yu Zhúlín.

"Yu Zhúlín, go out for a second. Find my assistant for me and and tell him to hurry up." Tiān Dì waved his hand and shooed Yu Zhúlín out of the room.

Seeing that it was his que to leave, Yu Zhúlín hurriedly nodded and closed the door behind him as he ran with his tail between his legs.