### Chapter Thirty-Five: Huáng Àotiān: My Green Plum Must Be Protected by Me!
For Yun Zhonghe, there’s a certain sense of security towards Master Youyue. After all, she’s a hidden character in the late game stages. Therefore, Yun Zhonghe didn’t get much to be intimidated by in the plot.
Plus, she is at the Transformation Stage. With Yun Zhonghe as a small-time peasant (read: Karami), it looks like it’ll take some divine intervention for her to mess with Master Youyue.
Hence, the forces of fate shouldn’t tangle Master Youyue and Yun Zhonghe together. Yun Zhonghe doesn’t need to be on high alert, really.
But still, they’re fated to be future lovers; hence, she still needs to make a good impression. At least don’t provoke her.
Her mind whirring faster than a windmill, Yun Zhonghe quickly formulated plans to deal with the new main female lead.
At this moment, Master Youyue descended from the sky, waved a magical sword in a cool fashion, and gave a bow to the crowd of family heads: “Xuantian Sect’s Bai Zhen, hello, dear friends.”
Bai Zhen being the real name of Master Youyue, who has probably spent too much time in anime conventions.
“Hello, Master Youyue.” The crowd respectfully acknowledged her.
Being at the Transformation Stage, no matter what, everyone had to stay sharp. It’s not every day you meet the strongest person in Cangzhou City, Li Duzhu, who is basically the town’s official powerhouse—Yue Xia Xianling and she just hit the peak of the Yuan Ying stage.
With so many people present, exchanging pleasantries would be an epic waste of time. Plus, Master Youyue doesn’t do chit-chat. Her default mode is ‘three-no attribute’ perfection—basically, the social skills of a cardboard box.
Straight to the point, she retrieved a giant assessment stone from a magical ring and dropped it with a thud directly in the center of the plaza.
This stone must weigh at least five thousand jin (Chinese pound). Yet, somehow Master Youyue crammed it into her ring like a boss. Hence, the conclusion can only be that her magical ring is a mid-tier treasure capable of swallowing space and weight.
“I’ll follow routine, families should submit lists to me. Up to ten people per family. The Lin family gets a bonus and can have fifteen,” She said, her expression as impassive as a rock.
The selection ceremony organized by Xuantian Sect wasn’t limitless. Each family only gets ten spots. From these, three will be chosen. Since the Lin family introduced Mu Jixue, they received five more spots.
That’s a bonus from Xuantian Sect. It’s standard everywhere on the Eastern Continent, especially since Cangzhou City is like a starter town in a video game.
Of course, there are exceptions. Some families might be powerful enough to bypass the traditional routes. For instance, Yun Zhonghe is exempt because he’s the youngest son of the Yun family. His parents already cleared the red tape before his birth. This was clearly an unnecessary drama.
So, he just showed up today to scope out the scene, specifically to observe how Lin Zhongyu is doing.
“The assessment comprises two rounds. First is general testing. The stone assesses talents and cultivation, those who pass can proceed.”
After explaining the rules, families submitted their lists, one by one. Those mentioned on the list stepped forward to be assessed.
Standing among other youngsters, Yun Zhonghe kept glancing over towards the Lins, specifically isolating Lin Zhongyu in the crowd.
The first family to test was the Lins. Lin Feng, the eldest son of the Lin Family High Priest, was the first to go up.
According to seniority, it should’ve been Lin Zhongyu. However, taking her current situation into consideration, she might’ve been set aside intentionally.
Lin Zhongyu nodded silently, clenching her fists, clearly showing some nervousness.
“Lin Feng, talent grade B middle level, practice level Foundation Establishment 5th floor!”
“Overall score: Upper-middle!”
“You passed!”
As Lin Feng approached the stone, lines of text appeared.
Instantly, there were gasps from the crowd.
“Amazing! This Lin Feng is already Foundation Establishment 5th floor?!”
“He also got a middle-upper score. Looks like he will definitely be selected!”
Many were envious, but the average score meant a lot on the Eastern Continent. It’s like making a name for yourself in a small town.
With a confident smirk, Lin Feng accepted the acclaim and walked off the stage, giving a sly look at Lin Zhongyu and chuckling inside.
Next was Lin Fei, and then another…
And yet another…
Lin Zhongyu started feeling things weren’t right. Her clenched fists loosened and gripped again, slightly shaking.
But when the last Lin family member was called… it wasn’t her. Shivers ran down her spine. Someone had stolen her spot!
Shocked eyes found her father, Lin Zhan, family head of the Lins, who handed over the list to Master Youyue.
Mu Jixue also sensed something fishy and stared at Lin Zhan, unable to believe the turn of events.
“What? Uncle Lin, why isn’t Xiao Yu participating?”
Lin Zhan froze. Back during the high-ranking meeting, he distinctly remembered putting Zhongyu’s name at the end of the list of ten. Why had it changed?
“Did the list get switched?!”
His face darkened. Apart from the high priest, no one else could’ve done it.
“Lin Zhan, are you planning to alter the list, sending your useless daughter?” sneered the high priest.
“Everyone here knows your daughter’s recent recovery. But do you think she can make it through the first round in a few days?”
“Every household is watching here. If you insist, I won’t stop you. If you make a fool of yourself, your reputation will plummet. Then everyone will laugh at the whole Lin Family if you fall from grace. Will your chair remain warm?”
“Best not to act impulsively for now. Stabilize the situation.”
High Priest whispered in his ear, and Lin Zhan’s raised hand slowly lowered.
He knew his daughter deserved a chance, but seeing the bigger picture, Zhongyu’s lack of skill is undeniable. Pushing her in would just humiliate him and the entire Lin Clan.
Deep in contemplation, he realized he’d been tricked.
Mu Jixue noticed and instantly understood the high priest’s manipulative maneuverings. Anger boiled within her. She wanted to confront Lin Zhan and the high priest, but Lin Zhongyu’s pleading gaze made her hesitate.
She swallowed the anger, focusing on the task at hand.
“Father, please trust me. Give me a chance!”
Her eyes conveyed a message, but Lin Zhan’s expression remained conflicted. Despite his doubts, he ultimately chose to play it safe, ignoring Lin Zhongyu altogether.
Lin Zhongyu’s hope plummeted. Even her own father didn’t believe in her.
A wave of bitterness washed over her. Her vision blurred. She couldn’t comprehend why her father distanced himself.
Did the family head position mean so much to him?
Observing this heart-rending moment, Mu Jixue couldn’t hold back any longer. Her pearly white teeth peeked out, a fierce determination forming.
“Hold it!”
She shouted to interrupt the ceremony, determined to stand up for Lin Zhongyu.
Then, she subconsciously checked for Yun Zhonghe, noticing his absence.
With a burst of energy, she finally felt free to protect her green plum (romantic term) herself.
