Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

He had been adopted by his master as a child and given the name Wu Kui. His master’s wish was that no matter what he did, he would not seek glory, but rather, a clear conscience.

’No! I can lose my own face, but not the sect’s face—and especially not my master’s.’

After several shifts in his expression, Wu Kui gritted his teeth and decided to come clean:

"Yingxue, I... I lied to you. The Heaven-Stepping Sect doesn’t have any ’Laughing at the Mortal Dust.’ And the sect’s entrance examination absolutely forbids any cheating or favoritism. To join, you have to pass the trials!"

Yingxue’s perfectly round eyes widened. She planted her hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks, and demanded, "You liar! Why did you lie to me?!"

"I... I..." The blush still hadn’t faded from Wu Kui’s face. Ashamed, he didn’t dare meet Yingxue’s gaze, stuttering for a long time without managing to explain himself.

Finally, he managed to choke out, "Yingxue, don’t worry. I’ll make good on my promise about the Laughing at the Mortal Dust. I can’t get you a jar a day, but I can definitely manage one every three days."

"Liar!" Yingxue muttered the single word, yet she extended her crimson tongue to lick her lips, her throat bobbing with a swallow. It seemed her craving had been stirred.

Lin Hao hadn’t understood why Wu Kui would lie to her, but seeing Yingxue now, two words flashed through his mind—femme fatale.

Although he had looked down on Wu Kui’s actions, hearing his confession now, Lin Hao’s impression of him improved considerably.

Wu Kui’s motives may not have been pure, but it’s only natural for a gentleman to court a fair lady. What he did was merely a man’s instinct.

If it had been anyone else, this silly girl might not just be standing here now.

Most importantly, for a man to dare confess his wrongdoings in front of the woman he admired required more than just courage.

’The guy’s annoying, but he’s not a bad person at heart.’

With this in mind, Lin Hao, for the first time ever, actually spoke up for Wu Kui.

"I’m telling you, silly girl, you should be content. Look at him—he’s got the looks, he’s the disciple of a Sect Leader, a total ’Mr. Tall, Rich, and Handsome.’ And he’s being so sincere with a silly girl like you. That’s rare. If it were me, I would’ve just carried you off by now!"

At that moment, Lin Hao’s words were laced with roguishness, and a wicked grin played on his face. Paired with his tattered clothes, he truly looked like a scoundrel—the kind of guy who was just begging for a beating.

"You... you scoundrel! You’re actually helping this liar? I’ll kill you!" Yingxue pouted, raised her little fists, and started chasing after Lin Hao...

"Phew..." Wu Kui, who had been waiting for his sentence, watched them run off and let out a sigh as if a great weight had been lifted. Yet, his eyes were filled with confusion.

In his mind, Lin Hao should have taken this perfect opportunity to kick him while he was down. But Lin Hao’s reaction was completely unexpected. In fact, his words had clearly been meant to defuse the awkward situation for him.

After his expression shifted several more times, Wu Kui’s gaze hardened, and he let out a cold snort.

’Hmph! You, Lin! Don’t think I’ll be eternally grateful just because you said a few nice words! Yingxue is mine! No one is taking her from me. I’ll nip any such possibility in the bud!’

In the sect, although Wu Kui was the Sect Leader’s adopted son, his constitution and innate talent were both surpassed by a certain someone. Thus, from the very beginning, he had given up on competing for the position of Young Sect Leader. He’d originally thought he would live out an ordinary life in the sect, but after meeting Yingxue, he found a new goal.

There are some people whose faces you can never forget after a single glance. Win her heart and never part, until your hair turns gray.

’If my efforts bear fruit, I, Wu Kui, will have no regrets in this life. But if they are fruitless, I will still have no regrets for having tried!’ Wu Kui secretly swore in his heart.

Seeing the two run off into the distance, Wu Kui gave chase, his eyes filled with persistence and resolve...

By the time Wu Kui caught up, the two had stopped their bickering. And, completely out of character, he enthusiastically invited Lin Hao to travel with them.

It was an offer too gracious to refuse, so Lin Hao eventually agreed. The three of them then set out together on the road to the Heaven-Stepping Sect.

And so, an odd trio was formed: a scoundrel, a liar, and a silly girl.

"Lin Hao, you’re so incredible, you even killed a Celestial Demon Pig—they’re said to be unkillable! You must be at least at the Fifth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, right? How long have you been cultivating?" As soon as they were on the road, Wu Kui cleverly avoided provoking Yingxue and instead struck up an enthusiastic conversation with Lin Hao.

Lin Hao blushed, scratching his head as he answered sheepishly, "No, I’m only at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm. I started cultivating at age eight, so it’s been seven years."

’I just failed to escape from Yuxin, and I can’t even begin to see through Yingxue’s cultivation. That means this silly girl’s realm is only higher than mine, not lower.’

’Being weaker than a silly girl...’ Lin Hao felt a little embarrassed just thinking about it.

Wu Kui saw Lin Hao’s discomfort and was secretly gloating. This was why he’d let Lin Hao tag along: to put him down, piece by piece, and use the contrast to make Yingxue see him in a more favorable light.

And this question was merely the first step of his plan.

"Given your humble origins, it’s not easy to have survived at all. Reaching the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm in seven years... well, even with mediocre talent, that’s not too bad. If my master hadn’t taken me in, I’d surely be the lowest of beggars by now, let alone reaching the Sixth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm in seven years."

Wu Kui offered this "kind" consolation to Lin Hao with a beaming smile, his demeanor absolutely impeccable.

After he finished speaking, Wu Kui couldn’t help but admire himself. ’Putting down a rival while simultaneously lifting myself up... this feels amazing.’

If only he knew that Lin Hao had started cultivating at eight and reached the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation by eleven. If his cultivation hadn’t been forcibly suppressed, he would have broken through that bottleneck long ago.

If only he knew that after having his bloodline stolen and spending three years in a state of chaos with his cultivation completely gone, Lin Hao had managed to reach the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm again in just three short days—one wonders if he would still be smiling then.

Lin Hao’s eyelids twitched, and his eyes began to dart around.

’Damn it. And here I thought the guy had a change of heart. Looks like he’s just finding new ways to put me down. How the hell do I look like a beggar?!’ Lin Hao couldn’t stop himself from cursing inwardly.

But then he looked down and realized... he really did look like a beggar.

His perfectly fine clothes had already been torn up a few days ago during that fight in the jungle. And in his rush to travel over the past two days, he hadn’t had a chance to change.

Not only were his clothes in tatters, but his body still hadn’t fully recovered from having his bloodline stolen and the three years of chaos that followed. He wasn’t even much taller than he had been three years prior.

He was almost shorter than the silly girl beside him now, to say nothing of Wu Kui, who was a full head taller.

’Compared to a ’Mr. Tall, Rich, and Handsome’ like Wu Kui, I’m a total ’Mr. Short, Pathetic, and Poor.’’

’A beggar, then. At least no one will pay attention to me, and I can cultivate in peace.’

After the upheaval three years ago, and especially after integrating the Carefree Divine Monarch’s memories, mere verbal insults were child’s play to Lin Hao. He adjusted his mindset in an instant.

"I’m from a small place; I can’t compare to a Sect Disciple," Lin Hao replied with a smile, not bothering to defend himself.

’Haha, I hit a sore spot.’ To Wu Kui, Lin Hao’s reaction looked like an attempt to cover up his embarrassment, which made him even more pleased with himself.

’This country bumpkin’s realm, talent, constitution, family background, and looks are all inferior to mine. Even if Yingxue is a fool, she’ll know who to choose.’

Reveling in this thought, Wu Kui glanced at Yingxue with a smile, only to find her staring at him with a strange expression. It was a look that said... he was the fool.

’Everything about that country bumpkin Lin Hao is inferior to me. It would make sense if you looked at *him* that way, but why are you looking at *me* like that? What’s going on? *I’m* not the fool here.’

Wu Kui’s brain short-circuited. He couldn’t quite process it.

What he couldn’t imagine was that in Yingxue’s heart, his performance right now was no different from that of a fool.

Don’t be fooled by Yingxue’s youth or the fact that Lin Hao called her a "silly girl." She wasn’t silly at all; in fact, she was exceptionally clever. She was merely pure of heart.

But girls mature early, and Yingxue already understood many things. For instance, she had long been well aware of what Wu Kui was thinking.

As for Wu Kui’s current line of questioning, Yingxue knew perfectly well what he was up to. ’You’re only asking this to make yourself look superior.’

"Hmph! You’re such a shameless liar. Don’t think I didn’t notice you hiding off to the side just now. A cultivator at the Sixth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm who didn’t even dare to face one stinky pig, and now you have the nerve to say things like this? Have you no shame?"

Being pure of heart and one to speak her mind, Yingxue blurted out everything she was thinking.

Now, Wu Kui finally understood where he’d gone wrong.

His handsome face flushed crimson, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He nearly slapped himself.

’Damn it, how could I be so stupid as to ask a question like that!’

Yingxue’s words, combined with her look of contempt, made Wu Kui’s heart bleed. He had known her for days, and she had never looked at him with such scorn before. ’It’s all that country bumpkin’s fault!’

With that thought, Wu Kui’s hatred for Lin Hao deepened.

"Um, Yingxue, I had my reasons for acting that way. I can’t see through your cultivation level, but you fall into a panic the moment you encounter a Devil Beast. That just won’t do. The reason I didn’t intervene was to awaken your combat instincts, so you’ll be better able to protect yourself in the future."

His mind raced. The previously shame-faced Wu Kui’s eyes suddenly lit up as he found the perfect excuse for himself.

"Really?" Seeing Wu Kui’s sincere attitude and righteous expression, silly little Yingxue became a bit confused.

Wu Kui nodded his head so fast it was like a chicken pecking at grain.

"Lin Hao, while you shouldn’t have intervened just now, I still must thank you for saving Yingxue. By the way, those clothes aren’t really suitable for visiting the Heaven-Stepping Sect. I happen to have a spare set here, made of the finest silk, purchased from the best tailor in Red Beauty City."

Seeing that the situation was turning around, Wu Kui cleverly thanked the one who had saved Yingxue’s life.

As he lowered his head to untie his bundle, Wu Kui couldn’t help but feel pleased with himself. ’My way with words is getting better and better. I’m doing him a favor, making Yingxue happy, and putting that country bumpkin in his place all at once.’

’And at the same time, I’m subtly reminding her that this kid is a pauper who can’t even afford a decent set of clothes.’

Lin Hao glanced at Wu Kui but remained silent. He could see right through what this jerk was planning. ’Damn it all. If you want to woo a girl, then woo a girl. Why do you have to use me to show off your superiority?’

’Just because the tiger isn’t roaring, you take me for a sick kitty?’