All My Cleverness Leads to Nothing

In the early morning, the Second Qi Refining Hall was even noisier than usual.

Many disciples, having cultivated through the night, were growing restless and discontent.

Due to the Spirit Gathering Formation, the spiritual energy within the Second Qi Refining Hall was twice as abundant as in the First Hall.

Cultivators often suppressed their five senses when entering a meditative state.

However, as they were only at the second stage of Qi Refining, they couldn’t completely shut off their senses.

Disciples who opened their eyes wore expressions of annoyance, yet with so many people clamoring in the hall, it was difficult to silence them. Doing so would only invite collective wrath.

Helpless, they too joined in the chatter, as more and more people arrived.

Most of the conversations revolved around the ‘great battle’ from a few days prior.

They were still too low in cultivation to comprehend the battles of those who wielded swords from thin air and chanted incantations.

But when it came to a mortal-like brawl, everyone suddenly had an opinion to share.

“Hoh, the atmosphere in the Second Qi Refining Hall is quite lively today~”

“Hua Youdie, you actually broke through.”

Lu Jinhan had also been interrupted from his cultivation by the clamor. His meditation cushion was positioned directly facing the Second Hall’s main entrance.

Having just opened his eyes, he immediately spotted Hua Youdie, who wore a ‘smug’ expression.

Upon seeing a ‘newcomer’ enter, many in the hall perked up, their faces revealing an eagerness to watch a spectacle unfold.

Just a few steps in, Hua Youdie immediately cupped his fists towards the crowd, bowing slightly as he loudly declared, “Greetings, Senior Brothers! My brother, Lu Jinhan, has been under your care these past few days.”

After speaking, Hua Youdie turned his head and waved to Lu Jinhan with a smile.

Lu Jinhan froze. ‘What trick is this damn rat playing?’ he wondered.

“He’s Lu Jinhan’s brother? Hey, is what this kid is saying true?” A Second Hall disciple, who had been ready to make a move, tilted his head and asked his companion.

“Ask me? How should I know? Who cares about all that? Do we usually check household registers before beating people up?” his companion retorted impatiently.

“But Lu Jinhan is formidable. He took down more than a dozen people just a few days ago.”

“This…”

Hearing the whispers around him, Lu Jinhan instantly understood Hua Youdie’s intentions. He was clearly trying to leverage Lu Jinhan’s ‘influence’.

‘This scoundrel!’

Seeing his objective achieved, Hua Youdie’s eyes narrowed once more.

He then strode directly towards Lu Jinhan.

“Good morning, Junior Brother Lu~”

Hua Youdie’s face held a teasing smirk.

“You shameless fellow!” Lu Jinhan turned his head away, feeling too embarrassed to speak to him.

“Look, they really do know each other!”

“Don’t be hasty, let’s observe a bit longer.”

Hua Youdie, hearing the continued chatter behind him, his lips twitched slightly. He gave Lu Jinhan a fist-and-palm salute, then walked straight towards a more central spot in the hall.

Spotting an empty meditation cushion, he promptly sat down.

“Hey, brother, that meditation cushion is already taken.”

A person nearby reminded him. The owner of that cushion was ‘certified,’ and the disciples of the Second Hall were always very ‘disciplined’ in adhering to the rules.

Hua Youdie smiled. “Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I know this spot belongs to Junior Brother Wugou.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, a wave of murmurs immediately swept through the hall.

“Good heavens, this newcomer truly has powerful backing! He actually knows both formidable new disciples! What should we do? Should we still make a move?”

“Make a move, my ass! Lu Jinhan, at least, could be worn down by surrounding him, but that Wugou kid is so fast he’s practically invisible. How could we possibly provoke him?”

“Then… then we’ll just let it go. What a perfect punching bag he would have been…”

“If you want to go, you go. I’m starting my cultivation.” With that, the person immediately entered meditation.

With no one stepping forward, the debate in the hall eventually faded into nothing.

Lu Jinhan naturally saw through Hua Youdie’s shameless antics, yet being in the Second Hall, he found the ‘guidance’ of these so-called Senior Brothers even more unbearable.

Out of sight, out of mind, Lu Jinhan closed his eyes and looked away. After all, it was that annoying Wugou kid’s meditation cushion that was being occupied, so what did it matter to him?

Noon.

Over the sea today, dark clouds gathered thickly, portending a heavy storm, possibly even a ‘dragon sucking water’ phenomenon.

However, with the island protected by a formation, they were certainly safe.

The defensive grand formation showed no bias today, yet the air remained cool and refreshing.

Wugou arrived a little earlier than usual.

The moment he stepped through the ‘hall entrance’ of the Second Qi Refining Hall, he felt several gazes fall upon him.

‘What’s this? Are these ‘Senior Brothers’ planning another fight today?’ he couldn’t help but wonder.

It was only when Wugou spotted Hua Youdie sitting neatly on his meditation cushion that he immediately understood.

That Hua Youdie kid had entered the Second Hall.

His clothes were neat and clean.

His expression was normal.

Not a single strand of hair on his head was out of place.

He had even deliberately chosen to sit on Wugou’s cushion.

Wugou’s eyes flickered, and he instantly grasped Hua Youdie’s strategy.

‘Good heavens, is this fellow truly just a youth?’

‘What cunning calculations!’

‘Impressive, truly impressive!’

Wugou walked over and squatted beside Hua Youdie, surprised that the fellow showed no reaction whatsoever.

‘That’s peculiar,’ he thought.

Observing closely,

He noticed Hua Youdie’s temples subtly bulging and then receding repeatedly.

‘This fellow!’

‘Excess spiritual energy… is he preparing for a breakthrough?’

‘But didn’t he say yesterday that he had already advanced to the second stage of Qi Refining?’

‘How did he manage to fool Old Man Zhu?’

Wugou remained bewildered.

By the time he regained his senses, he saw faint wisps of mist rising from Hua Youdie’s head. He had already reached the final step!

This fellow had likely deliberately pulled a fast one, intending to force a breakthrough using the abundant spiritual energy of the Second Qi Refining Hall.

‘What audacious courage!’

Wugou exclaimed inwardly. Though he had never delved deeply into the ‘cultivation methods,’ he knew that carelessly overshooting during a breakthrough could lead to significant after-effects.

“Hoo!”

Hua Youdie, before him, let out a sound and immediately took a deep breath.

His hands, which had been palms-up, clenched tightly.

Veins bulged visibly from his arms all the way to his neck.

Fortunately, the ‘Senior Brothers’ nearby were already in deep meditation and failed to notice this bizarre scene.

“Hoo~”

As Hua Youdie exhaled, his eyes slowly opened.

The sudden release of tension instantly left his forehead drenched in fine sweat.

“You’ve already sustained an injury,” Wugou stated calmly.

“Ridiculous! You mere child, what do you know?” Hua Youdie scoffed, his face full of disdain.

Wugou rolled his eyes at Hua Youdie, then retorted teasingly, “Aren’t you also only ten years old?”

When he mentioned ‘ten years old,’ Wugou deliberately raised his voice, having long learned Hua Youdie’s true age from others in the First Hall.

“Ahem, age isn’t about numbers, but about experience!” Hua Youdie declared, regaining his serious demeanor.

“Hey, don’t you even blush when you contradict yourself like that?”

Wugou was somewhat speechless. Hua Youdie’s shamelessness truly surpassed his own by several degrees.

“A face can’t feed you,” Hua Youdie said earnestly.

Wugou tilted his head upon hearing this, pondered for a moment, and then conceded, “Hmm… you have a point.”

He then patted his slightly numb legs and rose to his feet.

Seeing this, Hua Youdie quickly grabbed Wugou, anxiously saying, “Don’t leave yet! I just forced a breakthrough, and my true qi is depleted. Protect me for half an hour.”

Wugou was startled. It was the first time Hua Youdie had shown such a helpless gaze in front of him.

Wugou glanced around and noticed several people occasionally observing them.

‘It seems not everyone bought into Hua Youdie’s little scheme,’ he mused.

He sighed helplessly.

With his sleeve, he casually swiped a few times at the ground.

Then he lay down directly.

Remarkably, he simply propped his head with one hand on the ground and began to sleep.

The onlookers, seeing the two so ‘intimate,’ exchanged glances, shook their heads, and ceased paying attention to Hua Youdie.

Hua Youdie also noticed that the immediate danger had passed.

He hastily wiped the sweat from his face and neck with his sleeve.

Sitting upright, he even deliberately adopted a relaxed posture.

However, not long after, Wugou suddenly opened his eyes, then swiftly braced himself with both hands on the ground.

Hua Youdie, seated before him, naturally sensed Wugou’s sudden movement.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Wugou, in a motion akin to a dog pouncing, leap to a meditation cushion two spots behind him, and immediately adopt the ‘five hearts facing heaven’ posture.

Hua Youdie, naturally understanding what was happening, let out a soft chuckle and immediately closed his eyes.

“Ohm—”

A piercing, unusual sound suddenly rang out. Wherever Wugou was, Zhu Manzhi had grown accustomed to using this trick.

At this moment, some finally recalled the origins of Wugou’s movement technique from days past.

“Elder, Elder Zhu, good afternoon!”

“Elder Zhu, good afternoon!”

Some disciples, who had been chatting and boasting, immediately saw the newcomer. It was too late to pretend to be diligent, so they hastily stood up and bowed to Zhu Manzhi.

Zhu Manzhi stood still, scanning his surroundings for a moment, which caused several people to involuntarily tremble slightly.

If Elder Zhu caught them slacking, and he was in a bad mood, they would surely face a beating with the disciplinary board.

Elder Zhu saw Lu Jinhan and nodded slightly. Lu Jinhan’s performance these past few days had greatly pleased him.

He then looked towards Wugou, feeling a sudden bewilderment. When had this brat become so diligent?

It had been quite some time since he had caught the kid in any mischief, which made Zhu Manzhi feel rather unsettled.

After all, spanking that brat’s backside always brought an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

‘What a pity…’

Elder Zhu stroked his beard in discontent, but quickly shook his head, trying to dispel his ‘base’ thoughts.

He suddenly remembered that Hua Youdie, whom he had initially thought highly of, had also entered the Second Hall today.

He quickly looked over.

“Hmm, why is this sly fellow’s aura so erratic? Didn’t I have Youji teach him a set of offensive moves yesterday? Even if he were injured, with his talent and comprehension, he shouldn’t be like this.”

Zhu Manzhi wondered inwardly, slowly walking towards Hua Youdie.

Hua Youdie thought, ‘This is bad. Elder Zhu’s eyesight is exceptional; he almost spotted a flaw yesterday, and today…’

And indeed.

Upon closer inspection, Zhu Manzhi let out an angry roar.

“Hua Youdie, how have you been cultivating? Your Ren Meridian is riddled with hidden injuries! Are you trying to ruin yourself?”

Hua Youdie was alarmed. ‘Hidden injuries? That Wugou kid was actually telling the truth. Ruin myself? It’s… it’s really that serious?’

Hua Youdie hastily opened his eyes.

He immediately saw Zhu Manzhi’s furious old face.

It was the first time he had witnessed Zhu Manzhi truly enraged. In the past, Elder Zhu’s anger was merely to ‘tease’ the children, but now…

“You scoundrel! I had such high hopes for you, and this is how you harm yourself?”

Zhu Manzhi’s roar startled all the disciples in the Second Qi Refining Hall, leaving them trembling with fear.

Lu Jinhan also opened his eyes, but being further away, he couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

Hua Youdie looked at Elder Zhu’s expression of bitter disappointment before him. At this moment, he understood that he had caused a great disaster, and the ultimate victim was himself.

Regret, it was nothing but regret…

“Hmph, I thought you were a piece of unpolished jade, but you’re nothing but rotten wood!” Zhu Manzhi flicked his sleeve, and ripples spread beneath his feet as he instantly departed the Second Qi Refining Hall.

Lu Jinhan watched Elder Zhu leave in a huff and thought, ‘That damn rat was fine just now, wasn’t he? How did he manage to make Elder Zhu so angry in such a short time?’

The disciples in the hall exchanged glances, but soon some revealed expressions of schadenfreude.

Witnessing someone transition from a joyful demeanor to a face filled with sorrow was far more satisfying than personally beating them up.

Hua Youdie was somewhat dejected at this moment, his hands propped on the ground as he cried, “I… I actually made a mistake?”

“Hey, there’s still hope.”

A lazy voice came from behind Hua Youdie.

Hearing this, Hua Youdie’s body stiffened. He quickly turned around, muttering, “Still hope?” But then he immediately shook his head, looking utterly unconvinced.

“Heh heh, don’t lie to me. Even Elder Zhu has given up on me.”

Wugou rose, brushed the dust from his clothes, and walked towards the hall exit, leaving only the words: “Believe it or not, Old Man Zhu has already been here. I’m heading back to the dormitory now.”

Hua Youdie watched Wugou’s receding back, his heart struggling with indecision for a moment.

After a long while, he clenched his fists.

‘So be it then, if I die!’