Fairies Are Fierce

Chapter 11: Mother-in-law's View of Son-in-law

Zuo Lingquan stood straight under the cliff, waiting for a while. When he realized that the other party was not showing up, he felt a bit puzzled, but eventually let it go - it was probably because that "senior sister" from last night had informed them and deliberately made things difficult for him.

Zuo Lingquan didn't care about this little trouble and patiently waited.

On the cliff, Wu Qingwan had been observing Zuo Lingquan's movements. She planned to let him go back according to the princess's instructions when he became impatient.

But after waiting for half an hour, the kid below was as still as a wooden man, not even moving his eyebrows. Leaving aside other things, this kind of Transcendent composure was not something an ordinary person could possess.

The female disciples in the bamboo forest started whispering to each other after seeing the two of them wasting time. Some of them thought that Wu Qingwan hadn't noticed this handsome young man, so they specially ran up to inform her.

After waiting for a long time, Wu Qingwan couldn't bear to hide anymore. She had to put on a cold expression and once again stuck her head out from the cliff:

"Are you Zuo Lingquan?"

Zuo Lingquan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and saluted with his hand:

"Yes, I am. I have seen Senior Wu."

Wu Qingwan looked at the bamboo forest below and wanted to ask, "How did you offend Jiang Yi? Why is she making things difficult for you?" But it was not appropriate to say such words, so she hesitated for a moment and changed the topic:

"She has already told me about your purpose. Hmm... why did she help you and recommend you to join the Qihuang Valley?"

Zuo Lingquan had been standing for half a day and knew that the girl must have mentioned what happened last night. He truthfully replied:

"We didn't know each other until we had a chance encounter. We had a friendly exchange, and she didn't beat me. I was willing to admit defeat in a bet, so she gave me her token."

"Oh?!" Wu Qingwan showed a surprised expression and didn't quite believe that Longli Princess would lose to a little-known kid.

But after thinking about it carefully, she understood a bit - no wonder Jiang Yi recommended him to join but also made things difficult for him. It must be because he lost in a martial arts competition and couldn't accept it.

With this in mind, Wu Qingwan's doubts diminished, and her gaze softened a bit. She asked:

"Who was your previous mentor? Why did you choose to join our sect?"

Zuo Lingquan had been practicing martial arts since he was young and had consulted many seniors in the martial world, but he had never had a formal master. He had always trained on his own, so he responded seriously:

"I am self-taught."

His words sounded a bit arrogant.

Wu Qingwan narrowed her eyes and observed Zuo Lingquan for a long time. Seeing that he stood straight without any guilt, she half-believed and half-doubted as she said:

"Did you surpass her in martial arts through self-study? With a sword?"

Zuo Lingquan nodded, "Yes, with a sword."

Wu Qingwan stood up from the stone platform, stood at the edge of the cliff, and looked down carefully. The mountain breeze brushed against her light green skirt, and her slim long dress outlined near-perfect curves.

Zuo Lingquan stood directly below the cliff, originally looking up calmly, but from this angle, two large buns, like inverted jade bowls, blocked most of his line of sight.

"..."

Zuo Lingquan, being a man and not a saint, sensed that something was wrong. Afraid that his gaze was not appropriate, he quickly held his sword and bowed his head, saying,

"I speak no falsehoods. If Senior Wu does not believe, you can test me."

Wu Qingwan didn't notice anything unusual about Zuo Lingquan, but she thought this young boy was a bit arrogant. After a brief thought, her gaze turned towards a bamboo house in the forest, and she said,

"Xiao Hua, come and try."

"Yes, Master."

Zuo Lingquan turned his head and saw a girl who was watching the commotion from inside the bamboo house. Upon hearing the command, she eagerly picked up her sword and came to the bottom of the cliff. Her gaze first wandered on his face before she respectfully said,

"My name is Xiao Hua. Be careful, young master."

Zuo Lingquan looked at the young girl in front of him and could tell from her aura alone that she was far inferior to the girl from yesterday. She was clearly a novice who had never fought before.

However, in order to prove himself in front of the experts in Qihuang Valley, Zuo Lingquan still respectfully bowed and said,

"Zuo Lingquan from Qinghe County."

After introducing himself, Xiao Hua stood ten steps away, gripping the hilt of her sword. She waited for Wu Qingwan to say "begin" before suddenly rushing forward, drawing her long sword at the same time.

But to her surprise, the handsome young man who had been motionless ten steps away somehow appeared in front of her. He swiftly kicked her sword hilt, causing most of the unsheathed sword to be kicked back.

Zuo Lingquan held the unsheathed sword in its green scabbard and casually placed it against Xiao Hua's neck, raising his eyes to look towards the top of the cliff.

Xiao Hua looked bewildered, staring at the scabbard around her neck, and said,

"Young master, I haven't even drawn my sword yet..."

Wu Qingwan saw everything, calm as a virgin, fast as lightning. This stance could only be achieved after years of hard work. She was starting to believe Zuo Lingquan's words about defeating Jiang Yi.

However, Wu Qingwan couldn't see the technique Zuo Lingquan used. It seemed like he didn't even use his True Qi, relying solely on skill and physical fitness to overpower his opponent.

If that was the case, seeing Zuo Lingquan's young age of only seventeen or eighteen, it was enough to describe him as a "rare genius" in the path of cultivation.

With these thoughts, Wu Qingwan's eyes showed approval, and she smiled and said, "Alright, Xiaohua, you can go down now and learn more from your senior brother."

The little girl hadn't even drawn her sword and felt a bit sulky, but she nodded seriously and ran down.

Zuo Lingquan's expression showed a hint of joy as he spoke, "Senior Wu, are you willing to accept me as your disciple?"

Wu Qingwan's expression was peaceful as she shook her head slightly. "Taking on a disciple is a big matter and cannot be decided in just a few words. Like everyone else, you should cultivate in the valley first, become familiar with it, and then choose a master. With your talent, I'm afraid I won't be able to teach you."

Talent?

Upon hearing this, Zuo Lingquan hesitated a bit, wanting to mention his blocked meridians. But after some thought, staying in Qihuang Valley for a few more days wouldn't be a bad thing. If he mentioned it now and was discouraged, then his trip would have been in vain.

"In that case, thank you, Senior Wu."

Wu Qingwan nodded and raised her hand, pointing to a bamboo house near the waterfall and close to the pool. "You can live there from now on. You just arrived today, so settle down first, familiarize yourself with the environment, and tomorrow someone will take you to the registration room for lodging."

New disciples had to go to the registration room to register and receive their clothing badges, and then they would live in the collective dormitory. Only disciples who were in charge of various rooms and tasks were qualified to live in separate houses.

Wu Qingwan arranged a very good courtyard for Zuo Lingquan as soon as he arrived. The several girls in the bamboo forest couldn't help but show surprise, but after seeing the scene just now, there was nothing more to say. After all, Zuo Lingquan's skills deserved such treatment.

However, Zuo Lingquan's face turned awkward upon hearing this. He spoke, "Senior Wu, I still have some unfinished business in the capital. Can I delay my entry into the sect for a few days?"

Wu Qingwan understood, "Cultivation is a big matter, and you may stay in Qihuang Valley for the rest of your life or go to even farther places. Are you going to bid farewell to your family?"

Zuo Lingquan honestly replied, "I'm from Qinghe County. This time, I came to the capital because of my elders' arrangement to compete for the position of the Princess Consort..."

"Huh?"

As soon as these words came out, Wu Qingwan's smiling expression froze for a moment, then she slightly tilted her head with a puzzled and strange look in her eyes.

Zuo Lingquan saw Wu Qingwan's expression change so quickly and his words stopped. He thought that Wu Qingwan was displeased, so he explained, "Um... I'm just competing for the position of the Princess Consort. There are no less than two hundred young talents competing this time. I'm just one of them. The chance of being selected is slim. After finishing tomorrow's matters, I will enter the sect and focus on cultivation..."

Blah blah blah, he talked for a long time.

Unfortunately, Wu Qingwan didn't listen at all. Her thoughts wandered, and she didn't know where they drifted off to.

Princess Consort?

Jiang Yi's Princess Consort?

Jiang Yi knows him, and tomorrow they will select the Princess Consort. Why did she arrange for him to be here?

Let me, as her aunt, take a look at him.

I think he's pretty good...

He's really handsome...

If he's paired with Jiang Yi, hmm...

Wu Qingwan stared blankly at Zuo Lingquan, her strange gaze gradually turning into an inexplicable one, as if she were looking at a son-in-law who hadn't married into the family yet. The more she looked, the more pleasing he became, with a hint of suspicion and scrutiny.

Zuo Lingquan's embarrassment gradually turned into confusion as they stared at each other without speaking.

After a while, Wu Qingwan snapped back to her senses, coughed lightly, restrained all her emotions, and waved her hand. "You can go."

"Huh?"

Zuo Lingquan couldn't figure out the meaning and asked, "So after finishing tomorrow's matters, should I come back to pay my respects and learn from you?"

Wu Qingwan also couldn't figure out what the Princess Consort meant, but regardless of whether he was selected or not, Zuo Lingquan entering Qihuang Valley was a matter decided by the Princess Consort's words. Since she had already spoken, she wouldn't go back on her word. After thinking for a moment, she said, "You can come back after finishing tomorrow's matters."

Zuo Lingquan felt relieved. He had wanted to ask what would happen if he was selected as the Princess Consort, but he immediately dismissed this unlucky thought.

Since he had already entered the sect, it was just a matter of signing and sealing his name on the roster. How could the heavens play such a trick on him?

---

I made some adjustments to the setting, so I added an extra chapter...

(End of this chapter)