Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

A gold token was required to enter the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

And the holders of these gold tokens were, at minimum, Core Disciples.

So, the moment Lin Hao set foot on the staircase, he was blocked yet again.

A disciple at the top of the stairs to the third floor looked down on them and spoke coldly, "Junior Brother Wu, surely you know who is and isn’t allowed on this floor?"

"Gu Yunfei, what’s the meaning of this?" Wu Kui’s expression darkened.

The disciple, Gu Yunfei, fixed Lin Hao with an ice-cold stare. "Some people are better off staying in their kennels. It would be a shame to come out only to lose an arm or a leg."

He had clearly recognized Lin Hao.

Core Disciples were all proud and arrogant. How could they be convinced to accept a mere mortal physique as the sect’s Grand Senior Brother?

Although Lin Hao had now awakened his bloodline and his cultivation had reached the Sixth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, for it to happen in such a short time, there was only one possible explanation.

The Sect Leader must have given all the sect’s finest medicinal pills to this piece of trash.

As a result, the Core Disciples’ hatred for Lin Hao grew even deeper.

Now, seeing Wu Kui actually trying to bring Lin Hao up to the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion, how could Gu Yunfei possibly stand for it?

"Insolence! How dare you disrespect the Grand Senior Brother!" Wu Kui was practically seeing red.

Gu Yunfei let out a cold laugh. "Junior Brother Wu, you didn’t seem to hold him in high regard before, either. How did you become his dog so quickly?"

Before Wu Kui could retort, Gu Yunfei feigned a sudden realization. "Oh, I get it. It’s just as they say: birds of a feather flock together."

"Gu Yunfei, don’t forget your place! You’re just the son of a Peak Master. I can tolerate you looking down on me, but showing contempt for our Senior Brother is tantamount to showing contempt for the entire sect! Even if your father is the Peak Master of Celestial Qian Peak, that won’t fly!"

The reason Gu Yunfei dared to be so arrogant, paying Wu Kui no mind, was twofold: his own cultivation level, and more importantly, his father.

Celestial Qian Peak was the foremost of the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s eight major peaks, second in status only to Heaven-Stepping Peak itself.

The Peak Master of Celestial Qian Peak, Gu Qingyang, had joined the Heaven-Stepping Sect later in life. Before that, he had already made a legendary name for himself throughout the Cangnan Empire.

His cultivation was said to be second only to Wu Taichu’s within the entire Heaven-Stepping Sect.

With a father like Gu Qingyang, Gu Yunfei had the backing to be arrogant.

Therefore, Gu Yunfei paid Wu Kui’s words no mind. He took a step down the stairs and said mockingly, "I am looking down on him, right now. And what can you do about it?"

Wu Kui was only at the Sixth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm; Gu Yunfei didn’t see him as a threat in the slightest.

Although he knew he was no match for Gu Yunfei, Wu Kui remained fearless and prepared to strike.

But Lin Hao grabbed his arm and finally spoke up. "Good dogs don’t block the path. Go home if you want to bark."

Gu Yunfei had come looking for trouble in the first place, and he certainly didn’t have Lin Hao’s self-restraint. Hearing this, he flew into a rage. "Insolence!"

The word had barely left his lips before he lunged, striking down with his palm aimed at the top of Lin Hao’s head.

Lin Hao’s expression remained unchanged. He stood perfectly still, the corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smirk.

Although Wu Kui was no match for Gu Yunfei, there was no way he would stand by and do nothing.

However, Lin Hao’s hand was like an iron vise, holding Wu Kui so tightly he couldn’t move a muscle.

Gu Yunfei’s palm strike was exceptionally ferocious. The pressure bearing down on Wu Kui was immense, so much so that even his legs began to tremble slightly.

But Lin Hao seemed oblivious, his back ramrod straight and the smile never leaving his face.

Just as it seemed Lin Hao was about to die from the blow...

SLAP!

The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the air.

Without any warning, another person had appeared beside Lin Hao.

Wu Kui, who had squeezed his eyes shut in terror, opened them. He stared in astonishment at the newcomer.

The man was one of the Scripture Pavilion’s guards.

The guards’ duty was to protect the tomes within the Scripture Pavilion. They never interfered with sect business, even if disciples were raising hell, as long as the scriptures remained unharmed.

Wu Kui had been in the Heaven-Stepping Sect for over a decade, and the guards of the Scripture Pavilion had never changed in all that time. This was the first time he had ever seen one of them intervene when the scriptures weren’t in danger.

Gu Yunfei, the one who had been slapped, was also stunned. He would never in a million years have imagined a guard would interfere.

When Lin Hao hadn’t moved, he’d assumed he was scared stiff. But now it was clear: Lin Hao had been counting on the guard to intervene. He was acting so fearlessly because he had nothing to fear.

"Guard uncle, Gu Yunfei disrespects the sect and our Senior Brother! Teach him a lesson!" Seeing Gu Yunfei get slapped, Wu Kui was secretly delighted and wasted no time twisting the knife.

The guard’s figure flickered, and a moment later, another crisp slap rang out.

Before this man, Gu Yunfei was utterly powerless to resist.

"You... You..." Gu Yunfei trembled with rage. His whole life, he had always been the one slapping others; never before had he been on the receiving end.

Lin Hao nodded to the guard, then calmly walked past and headed straight for the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

From start to finish, he didn’t spare Gu Yunfei a single glance.

If one wanted to talk about contempt, this was true contempt.

Gu Yunfei wasn’t even worthy of a glance.

"Gu Yunfei, a word of advice: it’s best you pretend nothing happened today. Otherwise, if you keep challenging our Grand Senior Brother, you will die a miserable, miserable death," Wu Kui whispered in Gu Yunfei’s ear as he walked past.

Gu Yunfei kept his head down, his face contorted in a snarl, but he didn’t say a word, much less make a move.

In truth, Gu Yunfei’s desire to kill Lin Hao was overwhelming, but he didn’t dare move. He knew the guard’s aura was locked firmly onto him. If he made the slightest move, he would instantly become a corpse.

Previously, Gu Yunfei had felt no reverence for the Scripture Pavilion guards, even though he knew they had been personally appointed by the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s previous Sect Leader, Cang Yan.

’People assigned to be gatekeepers must be complete wastes,’ he had thought.

But at this very moment, he realized how utterly wrong he had been.

The aura this guard was releasing was in no way inferior to his own father’s!

The thought of his father gave Gu Yunfei a sudden jolt.

’I can’t let my impulsiveness ruin his plan!’

"Senior Brother, Junior Brother Wu, I, Yunfei, was deeply offensive just now. I hope you can forgive me. Honorable Guard, thank you for the slaps you bestowed upon me. They have woken me up." When Gu Yunfei looked up again, not only had his snarling expression vanished, but it was replaced with a smile.

In an instant, he had transformed from insufferably arrogant to perfectly courteous.

Lin Hao, who had just set foot on the stairs, paused. He turned and, for the first time, truly looked at Gu Yunfei. A sense of alarm rose within him.

’To be able to say something like that after being slapped twice... this Gu Yunfei is a dangerous person. I’ll have to be wary of him from now on.’

Even the guard’s eyes showed a hint of surprise, and he took a second look at Gu Yunfei.

As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling man. Lin Hao simply returned the smile, thinking little of it.

"Senior Brother, are you looking to choose a martial technique? As it happens, I have some experience. I could give you a few recommendations." Gu Yunfei shamelessly seized the opportunity, running up the stairs with a fawning smile to get on Lin Hao’s good side.

His current demeanor was the polar opposite of his behavior just moments ago.

"I’ve met shameless people before, but I’ve never met anyone as shameless as you. Gu Yunfei, I had no idea you were this thick-skinned." Wu Kui’s eyes went wide, as if he were seeing Gu Yunfei for the very first time.

"Junior Brother, you jest. When I first saw our Senior Brother, I admit I wasn’t convinced he was fit to be the Grand Senior Brother. But his bearing has won me over. Even you, Junior Brother, have seen the light. If I had just figured it out sooner, I wouldn’t have had to get slapped around, would I?" Gu Yunfei said with earnest gravity, his expression completely sincere.

Wu Kui was left speechless. He never imagined Gu Yunfei could be so utterly shameless.

"Junior Brother, what about those martial techniques you picked out for me?" Lin Hao asked Wu Kui without turning his head.

Wu Kui instantly forgot all about Gu Yunfei, his entire demeanor brightening with excitement.

"Right over there, Senior Brother."

The third floor of the Scripture Pavilion was clearly much better appointed than the two floors below; there were even desks and chairs provided for disciples to transcribe texts.

Right now, several martial technique manuals lay on one of the tables, a table that no one else dared to approach.

Although everyone on the third floor was a Core Disciple, Wu Kui’s status was plain to see—he was the Sect Leader’s adopted son and the sect’s only Alchemy Master.

No Core Disciple without significant backing of their own would ever dare to offend someone with such a status.

Seeing the trio appear, the other Core Disciples greeted them respectfully. "Greetings, Senior Brother Wu. Greetings, Senior Brother Gu. Greet... Greetings, Grand Senior Brother."

The last greeting clearly lacked conviction.

Lin Hao paid it no mind. A smirk played on his lips as he turned to Gu Yunfei. "Yunfei, go and see what martial techniques Junior Brother Wu has picked out for me."

Lin Hao’s smile was subtle, yet wicked.

Lin Hao, of course, knew that Gu Yunfei’s surrender was not sincere. He didn’t know what his game was, but it would be a shame to let such an opportunity—and Gu Yunfei’s painstaking act—go to waste.

As soon as Lin Hao spoke, all the Core Disciples on the third floor stiffened, their faces showing strange expressions.

’Could it be that even someone as proud as Senior Brother Gu has been brought to heel?’

When Gu Yunfei heard this, the corner of his mouth twitched, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes for a brief moment.

’Lin Hao is much harder to deal with than I imagined.’

This only made Gu Yunfei act with even greater reverence.

He walked over, flipped through the manuals, and then, seeing Lin Hao approaching, Gu Yunfei hurriedly bent down and began wiping a stool with his sleeve.

Wu Kui had been so busy selecting the techniques that he had kicked up dust all over the stool.

At this gesture, the jaws of the other disciples on the third floor dropped open.

One of them was so shocked that the martial technique manual in his hand fell to the floor with a THUD, and he didn’t even seem to notice.

It was always others who performed such menial tasks for Senior Brother Gu; they never imagined they would see him do the same for someone else.

And when they saw Lin Hao sit down with a completely natural air, as if this was only to be expected, they were even more astonished. A wave of regret washed over them.

’Even Wu Kui and Gu Yunfei are this respectful to Lin Hao. It’s obvious they’ve accepted his status as Grand Senior Brother!’

’I was so dismissive to the Grand Senior Brother just now... I’m not going to be punished for it later, am I?’

"Oh, Grand Senior Brother, don’t move!" one disciple exclaimed, then scurried over and carefully brushed non-existent dust from Lin Hao’s sleeve.

"Grand Senior Brother, you must be tired. I know a few massage skills, allow me," another disciple offered, beginning to knead Lin Hao’s shoulders.

Another went even further, kneeling on the ground to pat the dust from Lin Hao’s shoes.

Gu Yunfei was dumbfounded.

His real intention had been to use this as a chance to see which martial technique Lin Hao chose, then report back to Qin Huayang so they could ensure Lin Hao died a truly gruesome death. He never imagined Lin Hao would use him to manipulate the other disciples’ thinking.

Gu Yunfei gritted his teeth in hatred. The fists hidden in his sleeves were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

’Lin Hao is infuriating!’