Chapter 14 Sneezing

"Achoo..."

"Achoo!"

Gu Shen sneezed twice in a row.

"One sneeze means someone is scolding you, two sneezes mean someone is thinking of you... Someone is thinking of you," Chu Ling's voice echoed in the mental link, followed by a well-timed addition, "That person isn't me."

Is that so?

Gu Shen looked odd as he rubbed his nose.

He pushed open the courtyard gate, and a spring breeze caressed his face.

After several heavy snows, Nagano finally bid farewell to the cold winter. The snow melted, the willows sprouted, winter departed and spring arrived, and the second month was perfect for quiet cultivation. During this time, the Chun Yu Pavilion had finally quieted down. Surely no one would be thinking of him, right?

The Snow Forbidden City was lively these past few days.

It was the time of year for the Newcomer Tournament.

Because a certain top genius wasn't participating, the young disciples of the Three Institutes and Five Great Families rushed to sign up at the last minute... They must be fighting fiercely right now.

But the villa district was the opposite.

Luo Yu was busy investigating cases, Gu Nanfeng had taken Tsukumo-oni off to who knows where, and after the Newcomer Tournament started, the Chun Yu Pavilion had no challengers. Shen Li hadn't been around either, so the entire villa district was empty, except for Senior Sister Lu from the Feng Lai Pavilion, who was still quietly practicing her swordsmanship.

Rare tranquility.

Gu Shen's mind was exceptionally clear.

He had traveled to the tundra for a few days not long ago, and the Chun Yu Pavilion's courtyard was covered with a thick layer of snow. Gu Shen began to clear the snow in the courtyard, then took out the ancient Wen glyphs of Qingzhong, and quietly studied them alone in the courtyard.

Unconsciously, time flew by.

Studying ancient texts and deciphering array diagrams were the most mentally and time-consuming cultivation... Often, one would become immersed in it, and half a day would pass in a flash. An ordinary person wouldn't even be qualified to study "ancient texts." Without the support of powerful breathing techniques and mental strength, even with the determination to work tirelessly, they wouldn't have the physical strength to stay up all night.

When he looked up again, it was already evening.

Much of the frozen snow in the courtyard had melted, and the earlier sunlight felt a bit chilly.

Gu Shen put on a thin coat, preparing to continue his "late-night battle." If life could continue to be so peaceful... it would be a wonderful thing.

He enjoyed the peace and quiet.

He was too lazy to pay attention to how those geniuses in Nagano were fighting for the Dream of Tinder.

"Gu Shen!"

A commotion arose.

A flurry of snow fell from the courtyard gate.

Along with the snow, a familiar female voice floated into the courtyard.

The woman, draped in a black feathered cloak, entered the courtyard without any hesitation. She sat across from Gu Shen at the stone table, gnashing her teeth and said, "You clearly said I had an ominous omen... You... you were lying to me!"

Bai Lu's shout of "Gu Shen" before entering the courtyard was still quite loud, but after catching sight of the wooden knife hanging in the Feng Lai Pavilion, she lowered her voice in the second half of her sentence, filled with anger.

"Ominous omen..."

Gu Shen was taken aback for a moment. He sized up the other party before remembering his initial, unintentional prophecy. He smiled and said, "Miss Bai, why so angry?"

"I've been quietly cultivating in the Zongtang for a long time... just worried about encountering bad luck."

Bai Lu, who was very wary of the word "ominous," had been drinking tea and reading books under the gingko tree in the Zongtang for the past few days, quietly cultivating her mind, until she vaguely sensed something was wrong today.

She said coldly, "But I went out for a walk today and didn't encounter anything 'ominous'."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Gu Shen said lightly, "Divination is meant to seek good fortune and avoid disaster. How can it accurately predict misfortune? Since you've been quietly cultivating in the Zongtang for a few days, perhaps you've avoided the misfortune that was originally supposed to happen."

Bai Lu glared angrily at the young man before her.

Nagano City had been peaceful these past few days. What misfortune could there be?

Now that she thought about it... what ominous omens and great misfortunes, Gu Shen had just made them up on the spot!

But since Gu Shen wouldn't admit it, there was nothing she could do.

"You wouldn't have come all this way just to demand an explanation, would you?" Gu Shen dusted off the ancient Wen diagrams and said softly, "If there's nothing else, Miss Bai can leave. I'm still busy."

Gu Shen had a lot of experience dealing with Bai Lu.

He was always too lazy to say much.

The other party was the daughter of the Bai family, with a noble status, so he still had to pay attention to her. However, after saying what needed to be said, Gu Shen directly issued an eviction order.

"Wait... wait!"

Bai Lu's expression changed instantly. She was originally the "little overlord" of Nagano, and everyone in the Snow Forbidden City was afraid of her, but she had encountered a "big ruthless person" like Gu Shen, who didn't respond to either soft or hard tactics.

If they didn't agree, he would just ask her to leave.

One needed a tough character to deal with another.

Her tone softened, and she said sincerely, "I was rude before. I apologize to you."

Gu Shen frowned.

He looked at Bai Lu, his expression a little odd.

Apologize?

He wouldn't be surprised to hear that from anyone else... but hearing it from Bai Lu made Gu Shen a little uncomfortable.

"Has the sun risen in the west?"

Gu Shen put away the ancient Wen diagrams and glanced at the wooden knife hanging above the Feng Lai Pavilion, saying lightly, "Speak your business."

"Alright," Bai Lu sighed softly. "The reason I came all this way is to find out... what exactly happened in Qingzhong? Did you and Xiaoxiu meet?"

Xiaoxiu had a very unpleasant falling out with the Elder Council because of the assassination attempt.

Although this matter had been suppressed and hadn't spread in the Snow Forbidden City... the news that Bai Xiu wasn't participating in the Newcomer Tournament still caused a stir. Many people began to speculate whether Bai Xiu had a rift with the Bai family.

After thinking it over, she decided to come to Gu Shen and ask what happened.

The rumors about Bai Xiu in the Snow Forbidden City these past few days had also reached Gu Shen's ears. From the two names that Master Chino had pointed out, and the recent anomalies in the Bai Clan's Zongtang, Gu Shen could roughly guess what Bai Xiu had encountered, as well as the general situation within the Bai family.

Guessing was one thing, but this was the Bai family's private matter, and Gu Shen wasn't interested in getting involved.

"You should ask Bai Xiu about this," he said with a light smile. "I heard that you two grew up together in the Snow Forbidden City and are considered childhood sweethearts. Why ask me about the Bai family's affairs?"

Bai Lu clenched her sleeves, rendered speechless by the question.

"Actually, nothing happened in Qingzhong," Gu Shen said honestly. "Bai Xiu and I met for the first time. We chatted for a few words in Qingzhong, but didn't fight."

"Is that so..."

Bai Lu murmured softly, still clutching her sleeves.

She was hesitating whether to continue speaking.

In fact, she also knew that it was impolite to suddenly come and ask Gu Shen about Bai Xiu's affairs.

Now, all of Nagano was discussing what exactly happened in Qingzhong.

Most people were concerned about... why Gu Shen and Bai Xiu didn't fight.

But in reality, Bai Lu wasn't concerned about this... or rather, she probably knew why the two didn't fight.

It only took one day.

Xiaoxiu found the identity of the Giver of Fate, as well as the culprit who planned the tundra assassination... This was something that even the Elder Council hadn't been able to do. If anyone could do it.

Then, looking at Nagano, it seemed that only the gravekeeper, Master Chino, could divine the future.

Taking a deep breath.

Bai Lu pondered for a long time, and finally made up her mind. She looked directly at Gu Shen and said slowly, "In the beginning, I just thought it was interesting, fun... The reason I made that deal with Han Dang wasn't because I really cared about those mundane things. I just wanted to see what the so-called 'S-level' was like."

Gu Shen raised his eyebrows slightly.

His expression was calm as he took a sip of water.

He listened quietly to Bai Lu's words.

"Now that I think about it, what I did before... was inappropriate in many ways. I apologize to you."

Saying such words was really not easy for Bai Lu.

But after saying them, she felt a sense of relief.

Bai Lu said seriously, "Thank you for helping Xiaoxiu."

Although she was a crazy woman.

She wasn't stupid.

Gu Shen knew that with Bai Xiu's personality, she wouldn't say much.

So Bai Lu must have guessed what roughly happened in Qingzhong.

"He has already expressed his gratitude for the Qingzhong incident."

Gu Shen didn't say anything. He slowly got up and took a few steps before turning back and saying, "As for your apology, I'll accept it. There's no need... I didn't take your little tricks to heart."

Bai Lu was stunned.

Subconsciously, a hint of anger appeared on her pretty face.

Gu Shen turned around and went back into the house, saying lightly, "Miss Bai, it's getting late. Hurry back, lest others misunderstand. When you leave... remember to close the courtyard gate for me."

Bai Lu was silent.

The anger in her eyes slowly disappeared, gradually becoming complicated.

...

...

Good things don't last.

The days of quiet cultivation didn't last long.

The day after Gu Shen returned to Nagano, the Chun Yu Pavilion immediately received guests, but it was no longer the "ill-intentioned" scene from yesterday.

This time, it was an old acquaintance.

Gong Zi, Shen Li, and Mu Nan didn't know when they had gotten together... The three of them appeared in front of the Chun Yu Pavilion's door with great tacit understanding, then habitually opened the door to drink tea and bask in the sun.

Gu Shen looked at the three people who had taken over as hosts, and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Brother Gu, it's a pity you didn't go to the Snow Forbidden City yesterday," Mu Nan said with high spirits, exaggerating, "You didn't see it. Old Gong defeated many opponents all the way, sweeping across the Three Institutes and Five Great Families... That wisp of the Dream of Tinder is definitely in the bag."

"Preliminaries, preliminaries, not worth mentioning..."

Gong Zi smiled slightly, then said angrily, "How many times have I said, don't call me Old Gong!"

Shen Li drank tea on the side and said seriously to Gu Shen, "Although it sounds a bit exaggerated, this guy does have some skill. If there are no accidents... he'll be the champion of this Newcomer Tournament."

Gong Zi usually seemed unreliable in his work, but in reality, his strength wasn't bad.

It was just that he was born at the wrong time.

The appearance of Bai Xiu made all the geniuses of the Snow Forbidden City unable to breathe.

"There are still several rounds left. This time, there's no Bai Xiu, so it's much easier... However, winning the championship won't be easy either," Gong Zi shook his head, saying with a serious expression, "Under Zhu Wang of the Tribunal, there's someone named 'Lian Zhou,' who has considerable strength. He's already at the seventh level of the deep-sea zone and shouldn't be underestimated."

"In this Newcomer Tournament... there's a third-stage transcendent?" Gu Shen was a little surprised.

Having just finished a fight in the tundra, he knew very well how big the gap was between these two levels of transcendents.

This was almost an insurmountable boundary.

The Newcomer Tournament was a "ring competition," with many rules and restrictions. It was enough to stop when one achieved victory.

Under such conditions, even if there were some "forbidden techniques," they couldn't be used to their full extent. If he fought against a so-called seventh-level transcendent now... he would likely be at a disadvantage.

"In the past, the peak of the sixth level was enough to win,"

Gong Zi said solemnly, "But because of Bai Xiu... the geniuses of the Snow Forbidden City have also become exceptionally diligent. Several transcendents at the seventh-level level have appeared in this year's Newcomer Tournament."

This was the truth.

Bai Xiu's appearance made all the geniuses in the Snow Forbidden City feel the pressure.

This was a "brilliant" era. In addition to Bai Xiu, who shone brightly on the mountain, many people were also heating up and shining.

"As far as I know, besides that 'Lian Zhou,' there's also a third-stage transcendent in the Commandery," Gong Zi said with a solemn expression. "If I want to win the 'Dream of Tinder,' I have to defeat them."

Gu Shen was also a little surprised.

That was Gong Zi's strength... had also reached the seventh level.

The Burning Fire's probing ability had always been very strong. He hadn't seen Gong Zi's depth in the past few meetings. He hadn't expected that the twenty-year-old Gong family's young master could cultivate to this level.

"Although the biggest boss isn't participating, it's not easy to get the Dream of Tinder."

Gong Zi took a deep breath and smiled, "I still want to try... to see if there's a chance to comprehend the dream left behind by the Divine Seat. What if I succeed?"

In recent years, the level of the Newcomer Tournament has been getting higher and higher, and the overall cultivation strength of the younger generation in the entire Snow Forbidden City has also been getting stronger.

But even so, none of the champions of the Newcomer Tournament have been able to successfully comprehend the Dream of Tinder.

They all failed.

Some even felt frustrated and depressed because of their failure to comprehend.

The Dream of Tinder that Gu Changzhi left to Nagano before he fell asleep was not so much a "hope"... as it was a cruel reality.

Becoming a Divine Seat was truly difficult, a thousand times more so.

Even in the first stage, among a thousand or ten thousand people, perhaps not even one could stand out.

"Keep a calm mind. Whether it's winning the championship or comprehending the dream, neither is as important as your own cultivation," Gu Shen patted Gong Zi on the shoulder and said, "You just said... that there's a disciple under Zhu Wang named 'Lian Zhou'."

The young master Gong smiled.

"I knew you would notice this guy..." He had investigated Gu Shen's files very carefully, so he naturally knew some of the troubles the latter had encountered after coming to Nagano.

Most of them were from Tree's "opponent's" door.

"Zhu Wang is now a prominent figure in Nagano City. His disciples are all talented. There's Han Dang before, and Lian Zhou after. Although they aren't top-tier geniuses like you and Bai Xiu, they're still strong enough."

Gong Zi said slowly.

"The Eastern Continent Federation has already announced Tree's matter to the Three Institutes. Tree and Tian Tong, these two titled masters, have embarked on the 'new sea route' in the disaster zone of Picheng. It's unlikely that any news will come out in a year and a half... In view of the emergency, the council has decided to confer the title of Temporary Grand Arbiter on Zhu Wang."

"Although it's a Temporary Grand Arbiter, he does have real power. I heard that Zhu Wang is planning to add a motion to add a Grand Arbiter seat... If this motion is passed, the Tribunal will have more than one Grand Arbiter."

Hearing this, Gu Shen understood: "...Then Zhu Wang's temporary position will completely become an official seat."

"That's right."

Gong Zi said calmly, "If Lian Zhou wins the Newcomer Tournament, then Zhu Wang's reputation will reach its peak, and he will be able to sit in the Grand Arbiter position more firmly. The significance of the Newcomer Tournament is not just the Dream of Tinder. Although this is the first tournament without Bai Xiu, it's the most valuable one to date... Everyone wants to compete for a ranking, the higher the better."

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes and asked slowly, "Are you confident that you can win?"

"Of course, I have no problem with a head-on confrontation."

Gong Zi smiled, "If I don't even have the confidence to win against this kind of guy... why would I bother trying to win the Dream of Tinder?"

"Head-on confrontation..."

Gu Shen keenly captured the key point in this sentence.

"I've collected all the videos of Lian Zhou's matches in this Newcomer Tournament," Gong Zi summoned a mental image. He said in a deep voice, "This guy's strength is indeed very strong... but I always feel that something is strange..."

Gu Shen began to watch these videos.

Because it was a ring competition, the venue was limited, and the recorded footage was stable and clear. These matches could be seen very clearly.

The strength of the opponents Lian Zhou faced was uneven.

There were scattered cultivators from the third level of the Deep Sea, with limited talent. Their age had reached the last limit for registration, and they had no choice but to participate in the Newcomer Tournament, wanting to try their luck to see if they could go a few more rounds and be noticed by the Three Institutes and Five Great Families. As a result, they encountered Lian Zhou, and the ending was undoubtedly a one-round trip.

There were also young geniuses whose strength had reached the fifth level of the Deep Sea, which was quite impressive.

All of these people were dealt with by Lian Zhou in one minute!

And what Lian Zhou did... was very simple. He simply bowed before the fight, and after the referee announced the start of the fight, he maintained a certain distance and stood in place.

Then the video would freeze... After a short few seconds, or tens of seconds, the opponent's clothes would be torn to shreds in an instant, and hundreds of bloody wounds would rupture, spraying blood.

This was actually quite a bloody scene.

Against Lian Zhou, no matter what the opponent's level... the ending was the same.

They were eventually rushed to treatment.

Because Lian Zhou's methods were too cruel... there had already been dropouts. As long as he stepped onto the stage, his opponent would announce their withdrawal.

Seeing these videos, Gu Shen's expression became more and more solemn.

"This is the reason why I came to the Chun Yu Pavilion today." Gong Zi exhaled softly and asked seriously, "I want you to take a look and see what means Lian Zhou is using... Is it a mental attack, or a domain?"

Although he had the belief that he would win, seeing these images, Gong Zi always felt something strange in his heart.

Gu Shen was a mental-type expert, so perhaps he could see something.

"It doesn't seem like mental power..."

Gu Shen watched it repeatedly several times, slowing it down with Chu Ling, and couldn't see anything wrong...

If it were a domain or ability, then there should be a premonition of activation.

As for mental attacks... his Burning Fire also needed a medium to ignite the body.

"It's more like... a seal, a very powerful seal, the kind that can directly tear the body apart," Gu Shen frowned and said, "Do you have any countermeasures?"

"Only one seal is allowed to be brought to this competition," Gong Zi hesitated, "Perhaps I can ask my family for a body-protecting treasure."

"Is that so..."

Gu Shen thought for a while and said seriously, "I'll lend you a treasure that isn't a seal... You can wear it, and if it's a physical attack, it can definitely withstand it."

"A treasure?" Gong Zi was stunned, a little disbelieving, "A treasure that isn't a seal?"

Gu Shen went into the house.

When he came out again, he was holding a cold, glittering iron suit of armor.