The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Luo Linlang’s final words struck a chord with Lu Sangjiu. She truly was in desperate need of increasing her strength.

So, Lu Sangjiu didn’t argue. She nodded and promised, "Alright. I will get stronger as fast as possible."

Although Lu Sangjiu was worried about the situation in Qingyun State, it was already late, so there was no immediate rush.

After chatting with Luo Linlang for a bit, she returned to her own abode.

The moment she sat down, a voice echoed in her mind, "The waterfall on the back mountain. Come quickly."

Lu Sangjiu paused. Although she hadn’t heard this voice in a long time, the words "the waterfall on the back mountain" were a dead giveaway.

’...Master Jingxu?’

She was a bit surprised. ’Why would this Supreme Elder seek her out now of all times?’

However, she had dealt with him before. He had even taught her Starry Sky, so she didn’t particularly distrust him.

Without much hesitation, Lu Sangjiu got up and headed for the waterfall on the back mountain.

While this area wasn’t a Forbidden Land, it was rather close to the mountain where the Supreme Elder resided, so people rarely came this way.

Lu Sangjiu was one of the few who wasn’t afraid of the Supreme Elder and didn’t have such reservations. That’s why she had often come here seeking peace and quiet, only to have accidentally run into Master Jingxu.

Lu Sangjiu had told Luo Linlang about her dealings with Master Jingxu, but she had only glossed over it in a few sentences.

In reality, however, their first encounter had been far from the simple, harmonious affair she’d made it out to be.

She still remembered it well. She had only been at the Seven Emotions Sect for a few months and was still not used to using Spiritual Power. So, whenever she had a free moment, she would go to the waterfall and diligently practice all sorts of Basic Techniques to familiarize herself with her Spiritual Power more quickly.

And because she was so unaccustomed to it, she supposed she really did look a bit awkward.

She had no idea when Master Jingxu arrived. All she knew was that as she was practicing, she heard a very punchable-sounding scoff.

She followed the sound with her eyes and saw a Cultivator who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen sitting in a treetop. A blade of grass dangled from his mouth as he watched her with great amusement.

Back when the Immortal Demon war was at its most intense, Master Jingxu had been in seclusion, breaking through to the Body Integration Realm. As a result, he had never been on the battlefield, and Lu Sangjiu didn’t recognize him.

At the time, her Divine Sense had not yet recovered to the Divinity Transformation level, so she couldn’t discern the height of his cultivation with a single glance. Deceived by his appearance, she subconsciously assumed he was, at best, an ordinary Golden Core Disciple.

So she glared at him rudely and snapped, "What are you laughing at?"

He replied with extreme bluntness, "You, of course. I’ve never seen anyone so stupid. Whose disciple are you?"

’Lu Sangjiu had never been called stupid in her life. After all, she was a once-in-a-generation genius; otherwise, how could she have reached the Transcendence Tribulation Stage in just a few hundred years?’

His words instantly stoked her anger. "Who are you calling stupid? I’ve only just started Cultivating Immortality and haven’t gotten used to it yet. Once I do, I learn things incredibly quickly!"

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with amusement, and said in a deliberately teasing tone, "Oh, really? I don’t believe you."

Lu Sangjiu was furious. "Who do you think you’re looking down on? Since you think so little of me, how about a bet?"

He looked slightly surprised, yet also intrigued. "Oh? And what do you want to bet?"

She lifted her chin, brimming with confidence. "You can teach me the most difficult technique or spell that you’re allowed to share. I guarantee I’ll learn it faster than you did!"

Her statement made him roar with laughter. "You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you? Trying to get something for nothing?"

’Lu Sangjiu had indeed thought it through. After all, back then she had no access to any high-level techniques or spells.’

’The simple ones were fine for casual practice, but she found them completely beneath her when it came to actual combat.’

’Now that she’d run into someone who dared to laugh at her, wasn’t this the perfect chance to kill two birds with one stone? She could shut him up and score some benefits for herself at the same time.’

Her intentions having been exposed, she felt no embarrassment at all. Instead, she became even more aggressive. "So, are you going to take the bet or not?"

"Hmm... Since we’re making a bet, there have to be stakes. What happens if you win, and what happens if you lose?"

Lu Sangjiu declared, "I’m a very kind person. If I win, all I need is for you to apologize and admit that I’m smarter than you."

’She wasn’t being greedy at all. Just by winning, she would already have learned a new skill. Nothing else was really that important.’

He nodded. "And if you lose, you’ll have to carry a sign that says, ’I am the biggest idiot in the world,’ and walk all over the Seven Emotions Sect shouting it. How about it?"

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

’This guy is so malicious!’

’But there was no way she was going to lose.’

So, she nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Deal. I’m Lu Sangjiu. What should I call you?"

"My name..." He smiled. "I’m Yan Lingzhi."

"Lingzhi?" Lu Sangjiu commented. "Like the valuable mushroom? Sounds expensive. Not a bad name."

Yan Lingzhi’s smile froze on his face. After a moment of silence, his expression darkened. "It’s the *ling* of a bird’s feather! Not a fungus!"

"Oh... got it, Lingzhi!"

Yan Lingzhi: "..."

He more or less guessed that Lu Sangjiu was deliberately trying to get a rise out of him. He snorted. "I’m having second thoughts. Your skill level might not even be worthy of a bet with me."

With that, he casually tossed a Jade Scroll to her. "At the very least, you have to prove you’re capable."

"Furious Wave Palm. I’ll come back in three days to check your progress. If you pass this test, then our bet will officially begin!"

Lu Sangjiu examined it carefully. While the Furious Wave Palm wasn’t considered exceptionally powerful, it was a higher Level than the simple Basic Techniques in the Book Collection Pavilion.

’To just hand over something of this Level right from the start...’ This made her even more excited. ’I have to get my hooks into this little fat sheep!’

So, she agreed readily. "No problem. See you in three days!"

After returning to her abode, Lu Sangjiu practiced the Furious Wave Palm day and night. She wasn’t stupid to begin with, so of course she was able to learn it.

Three days later, she gleefully demonstrated her new skill for Yan Lingzhi, only to earn a dismissive remark in return. "It’s passable... but I suppose you’ve cleared the first hurdle."

With that, he took out another Jade Scroll. "This is the most difficult technique I know. It took me over three years to barely master it. If you can learn it in under three years, I’ll admit you’re smarter than I am."

"However, until you’ve mastered it, you must keep this a secret. Don’t tell anyone."

"If you agree, I’ll give it to you."

Lu Sangjiu didn’t hesitate for a second. "Of course! I’ll keep it a secret!"

Yan Lingzhi tossed the Jade Scroll to her. "I’ll come back here for you in three years. Don’t even think about running away if you lose."

After that, Lu Sangjiu never saw Yan Lingzhi again.

The truth of his identity only came to light when she was practicing Starry Sky and sensed that its Level was unusually high. Her suspicions piqued, she went to the Book Collection Pavilion to look through the historical archives of the Seven Emotions Sect.

There, she discovered that the real name of one of the sect’s current Supreme Elders, Master Jingxu, was none other than Yan Lingzhi...

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