"Young master He...?"

"Rest assured Master, your disciple will not lose to him in the upcoming martial tournament!" Lin Che raised his innocent face, clenching his fists in a solemn vow.

Zhihan looked into his eyes, intending to say something, but her attention was suddenly drawn to a white-robed figure appearing behind Lin Che.

She swallowed her words, her fairy-like visage rising with a hint of shame.

"This young fellow certainly talks a big game."

Unnoticed, Yino had placed his hand on the buzz-cut youth’s shoulder.

The latter jumped in fright. He hurriedly turned around, only to find the white-robed young man they had met on the street earlier staring at him with cold, piercing eyes.

Instantly, Lin Che felt a sense of foreboding.

But soon, Yino’s eyes softened. "Just a joke. I too look forward to an opportunity to exchange pointers with you in the future."

"Ah... right..." Lin Che nodded, unable to grasp the other’s true intentions.

As for Yino, he used the moment his hand rested on the boy’s shoulder to carefully probe his cultivation and physique.

He was no different from the protagonist in the game from his past life. With his buzz cut and Pure Yang Holy Physique, Lin Che naturally possessed a far more honest and innocent temperament; compared to Xumo and Chen Jianxin, he had no less youthful vigor, but far less worldly ambition.

Truth be told... he was so painfully honest that Yino almost couldn’t bear to make a move against him.

"Apologies, my disciple has made a fool of himself before you, Young master He," Zhihan smiled helplessly, standing up to invite the two guests to sit.

Yino deliberately took the seat next to Lin Che, while Zhihan shifted toward the window, making room for Yuyan to sit beside her.

"His name is Lin Che..."

"For now, he is a disciple of our Jianlan Sect’s Primordial Sacred Land."

When introducing Lin Che to outsiders, Zhihan’s tone and demeanor clearly lacked confidence.

After all, though she had accepted Lin Che as her disciple, he possessed absolutely no talent for the Sword Dao. Taking him out only invited ridicule from other sword cultivators. Over the past few months, she had grown increasingly insecure about introducing him.

"Why would I laugh? On the contrary, I think brother Lin possesses extraordinary aptitude. The outcome of tomorrow’s martial tournament is truly anyone’s guess!"

Yino smoothly took over the conversation to bail Zhihan out. Laughing and chatting, he naturally picked up the tea set and poured tea for the three of them.

He filled Yuyan’s cup first, then Zhihan’s, and finally, politely asked about Lin Che’s preference.

Yet, this overwhelming enthusiasm upon their first official meeting only made Lin Che clutch his teacup with rising nervousness.

"Do you truly believe so, Young master?"

Perhaps because he had been suppressed by Ji family and Lin Yuchen for months, Lin Che’s voice was timid and uneasy.

Yino glanced at him. Seeing the boy in such a state, his lips twitched imperceptibly before he offered a polite smile. "Naturally. I have high hopes for you!"

"Big Brother! If we ever have the chance to cross swords, I will definitely go all out! Please guide me well!"

Thrilled to finally be acknowledged, Lin Che beamed with joy, raising his fists in a martial salute.

But his sudden change in address to Big Brother made Yino freeze. His previously calculating heart suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

This plot... seems a bit different from how it went with Xumo and Chen Jianxin...

Clearing his throat, Yino forced his eyes to turn cold again. "Rest assured, I won’t go easy on you either."

Seeing the two young disciples hit it off and appreciate each other upon their first meeting left Zhihan watching in disbelief.

If she wasn’t mistaken, Yuyan’s Companion was the young master of the He mansion in Luo City.

To think that a youth of such noble birth and heaven-defying talent, upon hearing Lin Che vow to defeat him behind his back, wasn’t the least bit angered. Instead, they became friends in just a few words...

On this point alone, Yino was completely different from Lin Yuchen and Ji Zichen, whom Zhihan had encountered before.

"To possess such bearing at such a young age, it seems Yuyan has guided him well," Zhihan picked up the tea Yino had poured for her, leaning in to whisper with a faint smile by Yuyan’s ear.

Though Yuyan’s face remained impassive, the slight curl of her lips, hidden behind her teacup, betrayed a small spark of vanity deep within the her heart.

After all... Out in the Jianghu, Yino was not only her man but also, in a way, her disciple. Who wouldn’t enjoy hearing praise for their own disciple?

"Sister is too kind."

"Speaking of which, when Yino and I were strolling the streets earlier, we heard some rumors regarding Sister and the Jianlan Sect?"

Touching upon serious matters, Yuyan raised an eyebrow, her beautiful eyes laced with clear concern.

In truth, this was the real reason she had stopped Zhihan to invite her for tea.

As early as yesterday, when Yuyan and Yino registered for the tournament in the Immortal Alliance Hall, they overheard people gossiping. Word was that this year’s tournament would be a spectacle; if the disciple under the Jianlan Sect’s master Pei Zhihan failed to secure a top-three spot as agreed, her position as Sect Leader and control over the Primordial Sacred Land would be forfeit!

And if Zhihan was forced to step down, the Jianlan Sect’s Primordial Sword Art would likely leak to the public, no longer remaining an unreachable, exclusive sword manual envied by the world!

Though the Jianlan Sect was far away in the Northern Region, these rumors about Zhihan had spread far and wide.

After all, if Zhihan truly failed to defend the Primordial Sacred Land, who wouldn’t want to try their luck at the Jianlan Sect to snag an ancient sword manual as their destined Opportunity?

"I’ve let you hear a joke."

Hearing her own rumors, Zhihan’s eyelid twitched noticeably.

However, she gripped her teacup tightly, maintaining her unruffled demeanor. "The affairs of the Jianlan Sect are complicated and cannot be explained in a few words. I won’t trouble you with this burden."

Having been the number one Sword master and sword talent for a century, Zhihan couldn’t fully conceal the deep-seated pride in her heart.

Yuyan had always looked up to her as a role model.

At the very least... Zhihan didn’t want to show weakness in front of Yuyan.

"Actually, if Big Sister truly needs this ranking, Yino could intentionally..." Yuyan continued, her eyes brimming with concern.

But this time, before she could finish, Zhihan abruptly lifted her head. Pressing her crimson lips together, her beautiful eyes, stirred yet conflicted, stared straight into Yuyan’s.

"That goes against both your Dao and mine."

No matter how desperate she was, Zhihan suppressed her desires and spoke coldly.

"If my disciple needs to rely on such underhanded methods to secure a rank, even if we survive the present, how could we withstand the world’s scrutiny in the long run?"

"Apologies, Sister is right..." Yuyan lowered her eyes in guilt and said no more.

Zhihan was right. If it were Yuyan, she would rather suffer a crushing defeat on the martial stage than allow an opponent to throw the match out of charity just to hand her the crown.

Such dishonorable glory would only tarnish the Dao Heart of a true aspirant.

Once you compromise, you slowly plummet into the abyss, and it becomes impossible to uphold your original heart in your future cultivation...