Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 333 - 70: You Must Strive to Improve Your Knowledge
February 14, 2018
In the early morning, before the sky had brightened, the atmosphere in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard was already filled with a sense of impending conflict. Over a hundred young cultivators appeared on the training grounds, enduring the morning dew and cold frost, silently waiting for the tournament to begin.
The faces of these young people were filled with nervous excitement. A few showed slight fatigue, as if they hadn’t gotten enough rest before the contest. However, the overflowing combative spirit was enough to compensate for the minor lack of physical and mental energy.
Before long, as the first rays of sunlight shot over the horizon, Shen Herong appeared punctually in everyone’s view.
To the disciples of the Outer Courtyard who had arrived early, Shen Herong merely nodded and said, "Among all of you, the youngest has been in the Outer Courtyard for over two years. There’s no need to elaborate on the rules of the Outer Courtyard or the significance of this tournament. Use the last bit of time to adjust your state, and don’t bring shame to our Shen Family Outer Courtyard."
The word "again" was cleverly used, striking a sensitive nerve in the young people’s pride, like droplets of oil sizzling in a hot pan.
Following the direction of the sound, Shen Herong saw Shen Feihong, the tallest figure at the forefront of the crowd, unconsciously moving his arms. The cracking of his joints made one’s teeth ache, and the aura emanating from his body was so daunting that no one dared to approach easily.
The hundred-plus group on the Outer Courtyard training grounds formed a neatly arranged phalanx, with equal spacing between each person. However, around Shen Feihong there was a distorted empty space, a testament to his overwhelming presence, even the Outer Courtyard disciples were reluctant to endure it.
Shen Herong frowned slightly and asked, "Feihong, when was the last time you took a bath?"
Shen Feihong turned his head, looking down toward the instructor, and fell into contemplation over this question.
"Alright, alright, stop thinking, go quickly and take a bath! I don’t object if you want to seclude yourself, but at least take a bath when you come out of seclusion!?"
—
After sending off Shen Feihong, who had been in seclusion for days, just waiting for a chance to redeem himself, Shen Herong scanned the crowd with a slight anticipation and unease.
Gathered here were the cream of the younger generation of the Shen Family, trained by him, the Outer Courtyard instructor, for many years. In the past, they had always won the approval of the elders of the Shen Family. However, since the Li Family arrived in Shen City, the performance of the Outer Courtyard disciples had repeatedly shown problems, leading many elders to question the abilities of these children.
Practicing exercises but unable to fight actual battles, defeating Chaos Demon Essences but unable to fight cultivators of the same level — such comments were endless. But Shen Herong was well aware that these Outer Courtyard disciples were truly elite, and their strength was unquestionable.
Afterward, he turned his gaze to the real key figure of the day.
Shen Qing.
Despite Shen Qing’s unimpressive performance in last month’s battle with the Li Family, not as spectacular as Shen Feihong and Li Wanqing’s fierce clash, as an instructor, Shen Herong could see that this low-profile little fellow’s true strength was indeed superior to that behemoth who forgot to bathe after coming out of seclusion.
If he can prepare well enough, defeating the Li Family may not be impossible. Looking at him now, he seems to be meticulously prepared.
Behind Shen Qing, Shen Feihu wore a lazy smile. This lazy, cunning boy always gave Shen Herong headaches. Despite having considerable talent, he showed none of his brother Shen Feihong’s willingness to be a role model for his peers. He would never exert more than eight parts of his strength out of ten. Previously, during the confrontation with the Li Family, he hid below the stage, unwilling to step up. Shen Herong had tried multiple ways to correct this indolent temperament, but none were effective. To this day, he could only watch helplessly as this exceptionally gifted boy squandered his talents.
But this time, it seemed Shen Feihu was also ready to take action. One could only wonder how far this boy’s clever schemes would go, and whether he had received the hint when Shen Herong had quietly given it to him upon obtaining the project theme yesterday.
Thinking of this, Shen Herong stepped forward a few steps, walking through the phalanx as if inspecting an army, casually chatting with the young ones beside him. As he passed Shen Feihu, he asked, "How did you feel about the bird I sent you yesterday?"
While speaking, Shen Herong felt a bit anxious. Yesterday morning, upon learning that the Outer Courtyard competition project was a race, with the target being the Hundred-Year-Old Ancestor, he was quite baffled. This eccentric figure from the Shen Family’s history would be a real challenge in a racing project. Without a meticulously designed targeted strategy, winning would be nearly impossible.
If the children of the Shen Family weren’t prepared early, they might panic on stage and be crushed by the Li Family with absolute ease.
If it came to that, what the upper figures did and how they engaged in political maneuvering wasn’t his concern, but as the Outer Courtyard instructor, he would unavoidably have to resign in disgrace. Of course, resigning wasn’t something Shen Herong cared about since he had long wanted to quit for cosmetic surgery. But it was said that the Shen Family was going to enforce strict internal management recently, and those dismissed for dereliction would have their annuity deducted. That would really hurt. Without that generous annuity, Shen Herong truly couldn’t afford high-end cosmetic surgery!
So, even if it slightly went against the principles of the Shen Family, Shen Herong still chose a stealthy approach, slipping a hint of the theme to Shen Feihu — the shrewdest boy in the Outer Courtyard.
He gave a hundred-colored lark to Shen Feihu, claiming it was a reward for his good performance in a small project test. Such small tests and compliments were very common in the Outer Courtyard, and outsiders wouldn’t think much of it. But with Shen Feihu’s nature, he should notice Shen Herong’s intentions!
A lark, the Hundred-Year-Old Ancestor, such a connection — even a three-year-old should be able to make it!
So after asking this question, Shen Herong anticipated a reassuring answer from the other.
But then...
"Thank you, instructor. That bird tasted quite nice, though it was a bit small and not very filling."
"..." Shen Herong felt as if time had frozen.
Shen Feihu said with enthusiasm, "Initially, I was wondering if such a brightly colored bird could be eaten. Then I thought to myself, it’s not a mushroom, so why not? I plucked its feathers, removed its guts, skewered it with a wooden stick, and roasted it. With some honey and cream, the taste was really great. Thank you for the reward, instructor. I’ll definitely work harder in future tests."
Shen Herong could feel his old scars on his face nearly bleeding from embarrassment.
But before he could say more, familiar auras came from a distance, and Shen Herong quickly composed himself, looking past them with sharp eyes.
The Li Family had arrived.
Simultaneously, a Shen Family girl beside Shen Feihu, unable to hold back her curiosity, asked, "Feihu brother, what’s wrong?"
"Who knows? They gave me a bird yesterday and asked how I felt."
"Ah? Gave you a bird? What’s that supposed to mean?"
Shen Feihu’s face darkened: "I don’t know!"
"Hey, hey, what’s it supposed to mean?" The girl, piqued by not knowing, insisted on getting to the bottom of it.
Shen Feihu’s face turned ashen, adamantly refusing to say. But just because Shen Feihu didn’t say it, didn’t mean no one knew.
The elite of the Outer Courtyard weren’t just Shen Feihu, one round-faced girl explained with a laugh, "If you were in the Celestial Craft City area, a man giving a bird is akin to courtship. The more vibrant the bird, the deeper the affection implied. If the recipient agrees with the sentiment, they release the bird, signaling a mutual understanding and open communication. If not, they hide the bird and write to the suitor about the location, suggesting they seek love elsewhere. Of course, the cruelest way is to kill the bird outright, which means there’s absolutely no chance, move on."
"Hahaha, no wonder Feihu brother roasted the lark to eat!"
"Hey, wait, doesn’t eating the bird mean ’your heart will be with me forever?’"
"Hahaha, so that’s what Feihu meant!"
Amidst the laughter, Shen Feihu’s face turned so dark it could drip ink. And at that moment, someone suddenly asked, "Hey, do you think the instructor was purposely hinting something to us, like Hundred-Year-Old Ancestor with the lark..."
Shen Feihu replied curtly, "Do you think Scarface Shen would give us a tip?! He’s clearly a pervert!"
—
On the other side, as the "pervert" Shen Herong greeted the members of the Li Family at the door.
They didn’t seem any different from the last time they met, appearing relaxed and at ease, as if victory was in their grasp. Seeing this, Shen Herong’s heart sank.
These people were obviously well-prepared, especially seeing the relaxed banter between Li Chaolu and Li Xinyu at the rear, Shen Herong genuinely felt a sense of bleakness about the future. When he also noticed a secretary from the Deputy City Lord’s Mansion accompanying them, he almost felt like laughing bitterly. This could be seen as an indication from the Deputy City Lord’s Mansion, right?
But at this moment, he could only trust the children he had personally trained.
Next, Shen Herong composed himself, his scars seeming more orderly.
He gestured inward with his hand: "Please!"
