Chapter 46 - 20: Thirty-Six Acupoints, the Spirit Core Condenses

Chapter 46: Chapter 20: Thirty-Six Acupoints, the Spirit Core Condenses

’Jiang Xuan is so against drinking. Does he really think he has a chance of opening all Thirty-Six Acupoints today and getting an "excellent" evaluation?!’

’But I remember his Spirit Root Grade is only Profound Middle, isn’t it?’

’Besides, his Talent is in the Sword Dao. That doesn’t have much to do with cultivation efficiency, does it?’

Although he had a theory, it was so outrageous that Dong Hao himself found it absurd.

However, after considering every other possibility, Dong Hao realized that only this ridiculous theory could explain why Jiang Xuan refused to show him even the slightest bit of courtesy.

This realization made him clench his fists.

’No, I have to make preparations immediately!’

Even though he found it incredibly hard to believe, the matter was simply too important. There was one thing Dong Hao hadn’t lied to Jiang Xuan about: he truly wasn’t very confident in breaking into the top ten in the second assessment or directly entering the Inner Sect after the Hundred-Day Exam.

His Talent was decent and his family was well-off, but the Chen Daoist School had no shortage of people just like him. The fact that nearly forty people had earned an "excellent" evaluation in the first assessment alone was enough to prove that Dong Hao was nothing special in the grand scheme of things.

If his prospects weren’t so limited, he wouldn’t have spent so lavishly to recruit a group of followers. But even so, he still had little confidence in his ability to enter the Inner Sect directly.

After all, he was far from the only one in the Daoist School with the resources to be recruiting talented individuals. Zeng Jun and Su Linyin hadn’t been idle these past few days, either.

But those rivals were recruiting elite talents—prodigies who were evaluated as "excellent." Such individuals possessed a natural arrogance and saw themselves as second to none, making them extremely difficult to win over.

As this realization dawned on him, Dong Hao’s fists clenched once more.

’Wait a minute... Jiang Xuan has the same mentality! When I offered him a Cultivation Technique before, he refused to accept it, insisting on signing a formal IOU. When I gave him Elixir Pills and Spiritual Cuisine, he always remained polite but distant. I originally just thought he had a proud and aloof personality, but now that I think about it, he clearly refused my charity because he was confident he could open the Thirty-Six Acupoints all on his own!’

’The only reason he agreed to my invitation today is that he’s already accepted a few favors from me and felt too obligated to refuse, making it awkward for him to just walk away.’

At this thought, Dong Hao instantly made up his mind. Not only could he not give Jiang Xuan the cold shoulder, but he had to redouble his efforts to show him favor and maintain their relationship.

’What’s the cost of a few resources? The materials for the Acupoint Opening Early Stage aren’t that precious to begin with. Even if it all goes to waste, it’s a loss I can afford. But if this gamble pays off, I’ll have a fellow disciple—one with an "excellent" evaluation and a genius in the Sword Dao—to help me. With his aid, my chances of entering the Inner Sect will increase by at least thirty percent. I’ll take that bet!’

"Cousin, if you feel like you’ve lost face, I can go teach Jiang Xuan a lesson for you. I’ll make him understand his place..."

Just as Dong Hao had figured everything out, Fu He was still chattering away at his side, endlessly suggesting schemes.

But her words sent a cold sweat down Dong Hao’s back. The next moment, he cut her off with a sharp rebuke, "Shut up!"

After he spoke, his expression turned grim. He shot a fierce glare at Fu He and said, word by word, "Don’t you ever say anything like that again. Brother Jiang doesn’t like to drink, so we’ll just invite him for tea from now on. What need is there to pass judgment on his personal preferences?"

"Huh?!"

Dong Hao’s rebuke and his complete reversal in attitude left Fu He frozen in place, her face a mask of bewilderment.

She instinctively started to argue, "But this isn’t about drinking! He undermined your authority in front of everyone..."

Before she could finish, Dong Hao cut her off again. This time, his tone was grave and permitted no argument. "Nonsense. I have always treated Jiang Xuan as a friend, never as a subordinate!"

"If we are friends, how could my authority even be part of the question?"

"???"

At his words, Fu He was left completely dumbfounded. Nearby, Wu Chen and Mu Yuan glanced at each other, their faces filled with utter disbelief.

They couldn’t understand it. Jiang Xuan was so aloof and had shown him no deference whatsoever. So why wasn’t Dong Hao angry? Why was he treating Jiang Xuan with even more respect, almost as if he were trying to curry favor?

The situation was so bizarre that a thought they would have otherwise dismissed as impossible suddenly popped into their heads: ’Could the rumors be true? Does Dong Hao really admire people with aloof personalities?’

’Should I... try to act like that, too?’

...

While the others were lost in confusion, Dong Hao wasted no time.

After reprimanding Fu He, he immediately summoned his Maid, Nan Zhi, and leaned in to whisper a few instructions to her.

The color drained from Nan Zhi’s face as she heard his words. She looked at her young master with utter disbelief, but just as she was about to speak, Dong Hao’s cold, hard voice cut her off. "Just do it."

"...Yes, Young Master."

And so, with the midday sun shining brightly overhead, Nan Zhi accepted her orders, hurried from the training grounds, and dashed toward the Dong Family’s Hundred Treasures Pavilion in the city.

Meanwhile, Dong Hao ignored the mocking gazes and whispers from those around him, calmly returning to his seat.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Nan Zhi hurried back and handed a brocade box to Dong Hao. He took it, rose to his feet, and once again walked over to Jiang Xuan.

"Brother Dong, about what happened earlier, I..."

Seeing him approach, Jiang Xuan assumed he was still bothered by the refusal to drink, so he quickly cupped his hands and began to speak apologetically.

However, before he could finish, Dong Hao cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Brother Jiang, you’re being too formal. As I said, it was my own lack of consideration. I didn’t take your preferences into account. In fact, I’ve come specifically to apologize."

"Eh?" Jiang Xuan was also taken aback by his words.