Chapter 356: Name Spreads Throughout the Valley
If it weren't for the pure and innocent look on Ning Zhuo's face, his eager, clear eyes without a hint of malice, Lin Shanshan would have scolded him as a "lecher."
Lin Shanshan was about to refuse, but Ning Zhuo slapped his belt and took out the mechanical arm from before.
"Miss Lin, I'll give you these two mechanical floating arms."
"You can control them and guide me in martial arts, how about that?"
Lin Shanshan let out a sound of surprise, and the barrier in her heart dissipated by more than half. She hesitated and said, "These mechanical floating arms are your trump card, and you're just giving them to me?"
What kind of trump card is this!
But Ning Zhuo still hesitated for a moment.
Then, he said sincerely, "First, I trust your character, Miss Lin. Even if I reveal the details of my mechanical arms in front of you, I have no worries."
"Second, I am deeply aware of my deficiencies in martial arts. This time, I'm facing Han Zhou, and in the future, I’ll face other opponents. Every battle is unavoidable. I might as well start solving this problem now!"
Such a firm attitude made Lin Shanshan admire him even more.
Without further hesitation, Lin Shanshan took the mechanical floating arms. "Since that's the case, let's start the special training."
The training focused on actual combat, with Lin Shanshan doing her best to mimic Han Zhou's fighting style as she sparred with Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo's cultivation was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, while Lin Shanshan was in the later stage. Moreover, Ning Zhuo restrained his magical power on purpose, simulating what it would be like to be overwhelmed by a strong enemy and how to counterattack and create distance.
Lin Shanshan's continuous assaults left Ning Zhuo struggling to cope, and soon he was drenched in sweat.
An hour and a half passed quickly.
Seeing Ning Zhuo's movements becoming sloppy and his energy depleted, Lin Shanshan took the initiative to stop. "Let's end today's training here."
Ning Zhuo was utterly exhausted, panting heavily, his clothes soaked with sweat. "Th-thank you, Miss Lin..."
"Today's sparring has benefited me greatly!"
Lin Shanshan was also slightly sweaty, but a sweep of her magical power quickly dried her.
She said, "Young Master Ning Zhuo, I can tell that you usually focus solely on practicing spells. You don't engage in sparring like this often, do you?"
Ning Zhuo nodded. "Miss Lin, your keen insight is spot-on. You must find it laughable."
Lin Shanshan shook her head, her face serious. "You might not have noticed your own performance before and after this sparring session. Your improvement has been tremendous, which speaks to your talent."
"You have an aptitude for this. By thinking carefully, recognizing your weaknesses, and constantly adjusting, you've achieved today's results."
"What you lack most is combat experience."
"That's why the Small Competition Peak is perfect for you, Young Master Ning."
"Even if you lose to Han Zhou this time, please don't be disheartened. As long as you stay on Small Competition Peak for a few months, you will undoubtedly undergo a transformative improvement!"
Lin Shanshan affirmed Ning Zhuo's talent and insight, while also offering him honest advice and comfort.
Even if you lose, it doesn’t matter—your future is bright.
Ning Zhuo nodded, staring intently at Lin Shanshan. "Without your guidance, Miss Lin, I could never have achieved these results by just training behind closed doors."
"When shall we continue here tomorrow?"
Lin Shanshan was taken aback.
She had never thought about continuing to instruct him. In her mind, one session was enough.
Buddha Heart Demon Seal!
Influenced by Ning Zhuo, the refusal she was about to utter turned into agreement. "Alright, tomorrow, same place, same time, how about that?"
"Thank you, Miss Lin!" Ning Zhuo bowed deeply and took out four Misty Orchids. "This is a small token of my appreciation..."
Lin Shanshan laughed. "I told you, the challenge with Han Zhou is partly my responsibility. Young Master Ning, I’m just following my conscience. If I accept your gift, it would change the nature of this."
"Do you understand?"
Ning Zhuo sighed deeply. "I understand now. Miss Lin, with your noble character, you truly deserve to be called the pride of the Myriad Medicines Sect! Such grace, I’ve never seen before in my life!"
Lin Shanshan had been praised countless times, but never had she been so directly, so sincerely, and so lavishly praised face-to-face by anyone like Ning Zhuo.
As a result, Lin Shanshan quickened her steps as she left the training ground.
"An hour and a half... the two of them stayed in the training ground the entire time..." Many disciples had already been paying attention.
Seeing Lin Shanshan and Ning Zhuo come out together, they covertly observed them.
They saw Ning Zhuo drenched in sweat, his steps unsteady, and Lin Shanshan walking ahead, her expression slightly tense.
Various speculations began to form in their minds.
As Lin Shanshan passed by some disciples, she paused briefly.
"By the way," she said, "reserve one of the top-tier training grounds for the next few days. I’ll be using it!"
"Understood." The disciples agreed immediately, though their hearts were shaken. From Lin Shanshan’s words, it seemed she would be spending more time with this young man!
"Who is this young man?" This burning question lingered in many minds.
So, when Ning Zhuo and Lin Shanshan took their leave, many people approached him, striking up conversation to subtly probe his background.
Ning Zhuo did not hide anything and explained that he was being challenged by Han Zhou, and that Lin Shanshan, being the noble-hearted pride of the Myriad Medicines Sect, was kindly helping him prepare for the battle.
"Is our young lady really that kind-hearted?"
"She is indeed helpful, but helping a stranger to this extent, it's a first."
"Why wasn’t I challenged by Han Zhou? Ning Zhuo, that brat, really turned misfortune into a blessing!"
News of Ning Zhuo and Lin Shanshan spread quickly.
When Li Jingqing heard about this, his face turned deathly pale!
"Damn!"
"Lin Shanshan will easily uncover the truth. The fact that she’s siding with him more shows what she thinks of me."
"I was trying to build good relations with the Myriad Medicines Sect, but now I’ve angered the sect leader’s beloved daughter. What the hell am I supposed to do?!"
Li Jingqing almost slapped himself in regret.
"Backfired!"
"It completely backfired!" He sighed in frustration, unable to sleep that night, tossing and turning in bed.
By early morning, he made up his mind. After freshening up, he meticulously dressed himself.
Leaving his cave abode, he climbed up to stop in front of cave abode number 281.
He channeled his mana into the formation at the cave entrance, then sent in his apology note.
In the next moment, the note was transmitted to Ning Zhuo's hands through the formation.
Ning Zhuo unfolded the note and glanced over the thousands of words, but his eyes only caught on the phrase "apology."
"Interesting."
He stored the note away, then informed Sun Lingtong, who was resting inside the Wanli Dragon, to control the mechanical dragon and hide nearby as a backup, just in case.
Then, Ning Zhuo opened the formation to his cave abode and leisurely invited Li Jingqing inside to talk.
Li Jingqing had brought heavy gifts to apologize.
But Ning Zhuo didn’t accept any of them. "I already learned the truth from Senior Sister Lin Shanshan—that you were the one scheming behind the scenes."
"I understand you, but I also detest you."
"However, today you’ve come to apologize sincerely. We could say this is a case of 'no fight, no friendship.'"
"I won't be accepting any of these gifts."
"To be honest, being able to fight Han Zhou is an honor for me, and I’m quite looking forward to it."
Li Jingqing pointed to a jade slip among the gifts. "This contains the latest information I gathered on Han Zhou, all guaranteed to be accurate."
Ning Zhuo glanced at the jade slip, then looked away. "I believe your apology is sincere, but I won't use something like this."
"I’ll face the first battle with my own strength."
"I’ll tell Senior Sister Lin Shanshan about what you’ve done."
Seeing that Li Jingqing was about to take out more gifts, Ning Zhuo waved his hand and interrupted, "Don't even think about having me put in a good word for you! I’ll only speak the truth."
"You can leave now."
Sensing Ning Zhuo's seriousness, Li Jingqing realized he shouldn't rush things. He could only nod, retrieve his gifts, and leave the cave.
Later, when Ning Zhuo met Lin Shanshan, he truthfully told her about Li Jingqing’s actions.
"A mere merchant, not worth mentioning," Lin Shanshan said with a shake of her head. "I never intended to make things difficult for him."
"However, don’t tell him that. Let him stay on edge for a while."
Lin Shanshan was very pleased with how Ning Zhuo handled the situation. This was the mark of a true man. If Ning Zhuo had really accepted Li Jingqing's apology and withdrawn from the challenge with Han Zhou,
Lin Shanshan could have understood, but she would also have looked down on him.
"I’ll be there to watch your fight with Han Zhou," Lin Shanshan said, her fondness for Ning Zhuo growing as she spoke without thinking.
Ning Zhuo's eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists. "In that case, I definitely won’t lose!"
Lin Shanshan silently praised him, her own fighting spirit also rising. "Young Master Ning, Han Zhou is indeed stronger than you, but you’re not without a chance. The next few days of special training may be the key to your victory!"
Ning Zhuo nodded. "I understand. Let’s begin."
The two trained intensely for several days, sparking many rumors.
Lin Shanshan had been the focus of attention at Myriad Medicines Sect since childhood. This brought Ning Zhuo into the spotlight as well, with countless cultivators learning about him. Many male cultivators gritted their teeth whenever they mentioned Ning Zhuo’s name.
Some cultivators even sought out Han Zhou in secret, offering to lend him magical tools or provide information on Ning Zhuo.
But Han Zhou rejected them all.
He spoke bluntly. "I heard about Li Jingqing, trying to give my information to Ning Zhuo as an apology. Ning Zhuo refused him."
"With such dignity, even though I’m a beggar, I’m still a man. How could I lose my integrity?"
"All of you, leave. Let me face him in a fair fight!"
Thanks to Sun Lingtong's efforts, stories about Ning Zhuo and Han Zhou's actions and choices spread as rumors.
The upcoming battle between Ning Zhuo and Han Zhou attracted more and more attention.
Their reputations and standing grew alongside the rising interest.
Especially Ning Zhuo—an outsider who had been here for less than half a month, yet his name was already known throughout Small Competition Peak and the Original Mountain.
(End of this chapter)