Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 326 - 63: Refusing to Play Monkey for Shen Qingming
February 12, 2018
The mornings in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard are always filled with tension and busyness. On this particular day, as soon as the sky turned to dawn’s dim light, the unfortunate children forced their sleepy eyes open, bearing the weight of a thousand pounds on their eyelids, waiting for the instructor’s call.
Once the countdown started, within ten counts, they had to overcome numerous obstacles along the way to the training grounds. Any slight mistake would result in inhumane physical punishment, with the amount of exercise enough to bring down a 200-pound man’s body fat percentage to a single digit.
No boy or girl in the Outer Courtyard wanted to experience such rapid weight fluctuations, so they all kept their nerves taut, striving for perfection without any mistakes.
However, this tension stretched until daylight fully broke. Some kids, highly anxious, had developed dark circles under their eyes; boys with oily skin had used up an entire box of tissues, and some mature-looking lads discovered a large clump of hair in their hands when scratching their heads...
Moreover, looking at the radiant sunshine outside the window, a young cultivator suddenly felt a heaviness in his heart, a flash of insight crossed his mind.
Has the legendary End of Dharma Era finally arrived?
As the sons of the Shen Family Outer Courtyard, on their first day entering, they would learn some of the primordial history preserved by the Shen Family. Vaguely aware that, long, long ago, humans once occupied a vast and fertile land, the civilization of the Immortal Dao thrived, and Great Cultivators capable of Moving Mountains and Filling Seas were as numerous as the stars. Yet, such a brilliant civilization was ultimately destroyed by an invasion of foreign races. It took humans countless years of recovery before they could reignite the spark of civilization and flourish to this day.
However, it’s said that the disaster that destroyed human civilization did not completely disappear. If humans indulge in comfort and stop striving for progress, those foreign races will reappear and wipe out fallen humanity.
It sounds somewhat like the tales parents used to scare children with, saying if you don’t behave, the big bad wolf will take you away. Merely a means of intimidation to make kids obedient.
But at this moment, feeling the rare and eerie silence in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard, one couldn’t help but wonder.
Perhaps, the wolf has come, and it’s not just a fairy tale?
Had it not been for the Demon Race invasion that sneak-killed the Outer Courtyard’s highest-cultivation instructor, Shen Herong, allowing everyone to lie in like this would never have been possible due to that scar-faced pervert’s nature. According to the Shen Family Outer Courtyard’s consistent style, even if seriously injured and bedridden, the morning training every day was never skipped.
Thinking about that scar-faced man who tortured everyone for years, now quietly dying at the hands of foreign races, indeed left one sighing with emotion.
However, they would surely meet again soon. After the Demon Race killed Shen Herong, they wouldn’t kindly spare others. The legendary Celestial Demons are bloodthirsty and uncommunicative, and upon meeting them, it’s a fight to the death. The more than a hundred cultivators of the Outer Courtyard were just snacks for them.
It never occurred that after years of grueling training, each carrying their dreams for the future, they would silently perish on such a peaceful morning...
This sense of sorrow and mourning brewed in the silence, finally prompting the young Shen Family cultivator to kick open the door and shout loudly: "Avenge Scarface Shen!"
The word for revenge had not yet landed when a heavy sound abruptly cutting through space came from afar.
"Ten!"
——
After ten countdowns, the entire Shen Family Outer Courtyard assembled in the training grounds.
Shen Herong looked at the over a hundred dejected boys and girls below the stage with an ambiguous smile on his face.
"What’s this, just because today’s assembly was a bit late, you all lost your composure one by one? Look at yourselves, with those dark circles, losing hair, greasy and sweaty faces... I clearly gave you extra rest time, yet you’ve worn yourselves out. It seems that leaving too much rest time is rather bad, so from now on, each of you will have your daily rest time reduced by another hour!"
The crowd remained silent, though internally full of roaring curses, outwardly they maintained composure.
Shen Herong then turned his head to the young man dragged onto the stage.
"Shen Wuyong, I heard you want to avenge Scarface Shen? Tell me, who is Scarface Shen?"
Shen Wuyong was dejected, but when faced with the instructor’s question, how could he not answer? As an elite of the Outer Courtyard, the results of years of hard training had penetrated deep into his bones, so Shen Wuyong stood straight, lifted his head, and loudly said: "Instructor, it’s you! Scarface Shen refers to you! Because the scar on your face is very noticeable, I’ve always referred to you as Scarface Shen in private!"
Shen Herong’s facial muscles twitched as he cursed inwardly at how straightforward this group of little brats had become!? Did I really need you to answer!? And you answered so loudly!
Besides, what’s wrong with having a scar on my face? Nowadays, with plastic surgery so advanced, it’s rumored you can even switch genders at will, and recovery is exceptionally fast afterward. The first thing I’ll do once I save enough money for retirement is to have this scar removed and scare the hell out of you brats!
However, facing Shen Wuyong’s earnest and fearless expression, Shen Herong could only coldly pat his shoulder.
"Get back in line."
As Shen Wuyong returned to the team like a warrior who saw death as his homecoming, with his classmates watching in admiration, Shen Herong’s expression shifted as he said: "The assembly was late today because I received an urgent message this morning."
While speaking, Shen Herong raised his hand, unfurling a red letter in the air beside him.
"An order from the City Lord’s Mansion, personally signed by the Lord City Lord. In three days, there will be a grand competition in the Outer Courtyard to determine the five participants for the City Lord’s birthday banquet."
Finishing, Shen Herong raised his hand to stop several Shen Family juniors from raising their hands to ask questions.
"I know what you want to ask. Yes, not everyone can attend the City Lord’s birthday banquet this year. On his centennial birthday, the Lord City Lord will invite heroes from all over the world, even the Saint Sect will send an envoy to congratulate him. It’s no longer a simple family dinner like in past years. And with your current strength, you aren’t qualified to participate in a banquet of such stature."
"In fact, even I can only attend from the very edge of the venue... So, you should be grateful that the Lord City Lord is willing to give you young people a chance. Five spots—seize them with your strength!"
Before his words faded, Shen Herong was very satisfied to see the blazing fighting spirit in the eyes of the hundred or so people.
Although those who have lived in the Outer Courtyard for a while would know that the strength hierarchy among the Outer Courtyard people is very distinct, with the likes of Shen Qing and Shen Feihong being overwhelming in their advantage compared to others. Even after excluding those with such overwhelming strength, there might be at most one or two spots left out of the five, a hundred people fighting for one or two spots, most people with self-awareness would know they have almost no hope.
Yet no matter how slim the chance, the Shen Family’s style is to fight with all they have to the end.
Even if the opponents are Shen Feihong and Shen Qing, it doesn’t matter. Perhaps their strength is indeed strong enough to take on a hundred alone, but think about it from another angle: if you fight a hundred times, a thousand times, a million times, is there not a tiny chance they will make a mistake and reveal a flaw? And as long as there’s a chance, it’s enough to strive for with all one’s might.
"Furthermore, let me share another piece of good news with you," Shen Herong said, "This time, those participating in the competition are not just the ones present now."
The Outer Courtyard disciples looked on with puzzled expressions.
These days are rare times when the Outer Courtyard is fully assembled, with those out training or on leave returning... besides them, who else would compete?
Standing at the forefront of the lineup, a young man’s face suddenly changed.
Shen Herong keenly noticed his change in expression, nodding with satisfaction: "Shen Qing, you guessed it right. Several people from the Li Family will also participate in this competition."
The next moment, the crowd erupted.
A tall, solid man, eyes wide, exclaimed: "What!? The Li Family!? Didn’t they already graduate smoothly from the Outer Courtyard? Why are they fighting us for spots?"
Next to him, a long-haired young man said coldly, "Let them come, it’s just the chance to avenge our past defeat! The last time they came, they merely caught us off guard. We have worked hard in cultivation this past month and will definitely not lose to them again!"
"Exactly, exactly! We’ll definitely not lose to them again!"
Besides these impassioned voices of challenge, there were other voices in the crowd.
A girl with a pretty and sweet appearance, her face slightly red, asked, "Li Family people... Sister Wanqing, is she coming?"
A shy boy, his face also red, both excited and bashful, said, "Big chest... oh no, Is Sister Chaolu coming!?"
A chubby boy said excitedly, "Is Brother Xinyu coming!?"
Shen Herong couldn’t stand it any longer: "What exactly are you trying to do!?"
——
Meanwhile, at the Divine Sword Tower in Shen City, Shen Qingming, who was packing her luggage to return to the city, received a red letter from outside the window.
The letter was delivered by a high-grade, crystal-clear, and golden Flying Sword, fully displaying the letter’s extraordinary nature.
Shen Qingming thought for a moment, then put down the toiletries bag, sewing kit, towel, small bottle of body wash, slippers, and other items she was about to pack, and went to the window to take the letter.
She opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and after a moment, a disdainful smile appeared on her face.
"Ha, an Outer Courtyard martial competition, five banquet spots, these monkey-trapping tricks are never-ending, do they seriously take me for a fool?"
The next moment, Wang Jiu’s curious voice came from outside.
"Who took you for a fool again?"
"Don’t think I didn’t catch the meaning of that word ’again’!" Shen Qingming protested angrily, then explained, "The Shen Family wants us to take part in some sort of Outer Courtyard martial competition, to compete for five banquet invitations. Hmph, at that time there will definitely be all sorts of reasons blocking us from entering, I’ve long seen through these monkey-trapping tricks."
"True." Wang Jiu nodded, then handed over the free tea bag from the coffee table: "Don’t forget this."
"Oh oh, thanks for the reminder, I did forget."
