If I stay in the Hehuan Sect, I'll live off the pampered daughters of the Heavenly Pride Sect.

Mo Chengyue remained silent for a moment.

Lin Wanqing leaned closer, speaking in a low voice.

"Senior Brother Mo, tell me quickly, my booklet is ready."

Mo Chengyue looked at the booklet in her hand, his tone very serious.

"Junior Sister Lin, your booklet is looking more and more like a murder weapon lately."

Lin Wanqing said.

I promise I won't write your name.

Xie Buci interrupted.

"She said the same thing last time."

Yu Jianhuan looked at Mo Chengyue with a smile.

"Junior Brother Mo, speak up. Everyone is waiting for you to lay bare your true nature for us to see."

Mo Chengyue sighed.

"Of course he was saving Lu Qingheng."

Lin Wanqing's eyes lit up.

"So Shen Zhaoxuan is a decent person?"

Mo Chengyue glanced at her.

"Junior Sister Lin, your conclusion is perfect for being tricked into counting spirit stones for others."

Lin Wanqing was not convinced.

"Then why do you think he spoke up?"

Mo Chengyue looked towards the outer gate seats.

"Lu Qingheng is now a role model in the eyes of students from humble backgrounds."

He accepted without hesitation.

"Liang Zhuo wants to break the flag."

Qin Wanzhuang said.

"Shen Zhaoxuan wants to support the flag."

Su Qingying said.

"Who are you trying to impress?"

Mo Chengyue said.

"It's for the outer sect to see, for the disciples who started as menial laborers to see, and for the sect leader to see as well."

Jin Qiaoqiao's lips curved into a slightly indifferent smile.

"He's not simply protecting people; he's winning them over."

Yu Jianhuan lightly tapped the silver bell with her fingertips.

"The former Holy Son of Tianqing Peak suppressed others for too long, and his reputation was not good after his death. Now they need to change their appearance."

Xie Buci lightly clapped his palm with his fan.

"Shen Zhaoxuan's face must be judged by rules, by propriety, and by fairness."

Lin Wanqing was taken aback.

"But he did stop Liang from burning people."

Mo Chengyue said.

"Good deeds can be real, and so can scheming."

Qin Wanzhuang nodded.

"Not stupid."

Wenrenji looked at Shen Zhaoxuan.

"We are ready to fight."

Xie Buci's gaze toward Shen Zhaoxuan became more serious.

"There are plenty of people who know how to fight, but far fewer who know when to speak up."

Mo Chengyue looked at Lu Qingheng, whose wrist pulse was being examined by the elder on the stage, and then at Shen Zhaoxuan, who had sat down again.

He closed the file, his voice very low.

"There are plenty of people who can fight, but those who can win people's hearts are the real threat."

As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples who had been eavesdropping around Qingquan Peak immediately exchanged glances.

"Mo Chengyue said Shen Zhaoxuan is winning people's hearts?"

"I told you it wasn't that simple."

"Is Tianqing Peak changing its approach?"

"In the past, Ye Wushang's lineage only knew how to suppress people, but now that Shen Zhaoxuan has come out to talk about the rules, the outer disciples will definitely remember his kindness."

"But he helped Lu Qingheng, so he did a good deed, didn't he?"

"It's a good thing, but people's hearts are also real."

Lin Wanqing lowered her head and wrote a few strokes, then asked cautiously.

"Senior Brother Mo, is it really okay not to include your name in this sentence?"

Mo Chengyue looked at her.

"If you write it down, I'll apply to go to the basement of the library tomorrow to inventory the moldy books."

Lin Wanqing was puzzled.

"Isn't that even worse?"

Mo Chengyue said.

"It doesn't matter if it's tough, the main thing is that no one's watching."

Xie Buci laughed so hard his shoulders shook.

"Third brother, the way you avoid the limelight always has a kind of self-exile beauty."

Qin Wanzhuang said.

"It's no use."

Su Qingying said.

"You have been heard."

Yu Jianhuan glanced to the side, and several outer peak disciples immediately pretended to be watching from the stands.

"They've not only heard it, they're practically treating you like the narrator for the competition."

Jin Qiaoqiao said.

What is narration?

Mo Chengyue immediately replied.

"An unimportant position in the library."

Wenren Jidao.

"That's a lie."

Mo Chengyue looked at his junior brother with a sorrowful tone.

"Junior Brother Wenren, you're getting more and more adept at sabotaging others."

On the stage, the elder in charge finally withdrew his hand.

He looked at Liang Zhuo.

"The Burning Meridian Force has entered the opponent's wrist meridian. Although it has not caused serious injury, it is suspected of damaging the meridians by circling around the weapon."

Liang Zhuo immediately replied.

"This disciple did not mean it."

The elder in charge of the matter said.

"This battle is suspended. Liang Zhuoji is hereby warned that if similar tactics are used again, he will be declared the loser."

A murmur of suppressed discontent emanated from the direction of Crimson Cloud Peak.

Cheers erupted from the outer seats.

"Well done!"

"Senior Brother Lu didn't hold back for nothing!"

"What Senior Brother Shen said just now was fair."

"This time, Tianqing Peak isn't just about intimidating people like before."

"Shen Zhaoxuan and Ye Wushang are different."

Mo Chengyue listened to these words and raised his hand to press his brow.

Xie Buci said softly.

"Did you hear that? The wind is starting to shift."

Qin Wanzhuang said.

"He made a profit."

Su Qingying said.

"Lu Qingheng has also retained his qualification to continue fighting."

Yu Jianhuan said.

"Crimson Cloud Peak lost face, Sky Pillar Peak gained fame, the sect leader learned the rules, and the outer sect remembered the favor."

Jin Qiaoqiao's assessment was more direct.

"One knife can be used for many purposes."

Lin Wanqing looked at Shen Zhaoxuan, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Will Lu Qingheng owe him a favor in the future?"

Mo Chengyue said.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be repaid."

Lin Wanqing asked.

Why?

Mo Chengyue said.

"As long as the outer disciples feel he owes them something, Shen Zhaoxuan has already won half the battle."

Xie Buci went to see him.

"Third brother, the way you talk about people's hearts is really unlike someone who guards the library."

Mo Chengyue immediately sat up straight.

"I made a reasonable inference based on the case files."

Qin Wanzhuang said.

"Keep making it up."

Wenren Jidao.

"I don't believe it."

Su Qingying looked away, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"He lies with more seriousness than he's observing a battle."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After Lu Qingheng's battle was suspended, the winds of change on the Sword Debate Platform shifted.

The outer disciples who had previously dared to cheer loudly were now speaking in hushed tones.

It was as if they were afraid that if they said something too harsh, they would scare away the justice they had just managed to reveal back behind the clouds.

Lin Wanqing held the booklet, her pen hovering over the paper for a long time without falling.

"Senior Brother Mo, I'm a little hesitant to write now."

Mo Chengyue sat upright with his hands on his knees.

"Very good, it means you've begun to respect the destructive power of words."

Lin Wanqing whispered.

"Elder Chen asked me to record the key points of the competition."

Mo Chengyue said.

"Then you can write: The wind is strong today, and the disciples' robes are fluttering, giving them a very sect-like appearance."

Xie Buci held his fan to his lips, laughing so hard his shoulders swayed slightly.

"Third brother, once you finish writing down these points, Elder Chen will make you sweep the fallen leaves in front of the Scripture Pavilion until next year."

Qin Wanzhuang looked at the battle stage, her tone crisp and decisive.

"Stop joking, the candidate for saintess will be decided soon."

Su Qingying's hand remained on the sword sheath, her clear, cold eyes appearing even more radiant in the sunlight.

"There aren't many people left."

Yu Jianhuan leaned lazily against the stone steps, her rose-purple skirt draped beside her, her bright red eyebrows carrying a hint of nonchalant detachment as she watched a play.

"Shen Shuangzhi, Liu Hanyan, and Senior Sister Yun from Tianlan Peak."

Jin Qiaoqiao's phoenix eyes were half-closed, and the seven-colored light in her hair flowed with the wind. She was mature and beautiful, but also had the oppressive feeling of a descendant of the demon royal family.

"Those who have survived to this day are not just relying on pretty faces."

Upon hearing this, Xie Buci immediately sat up straight.

"Miss Qiaoqiao, what you said is not quite accurate. A pretty face is a very powerful weapon."

Qin Wanzhuang swept him away.

"Shut up."

Wenren Ji held his sword.

"shallow."