Di Lan, The First

Di Lan nodded. At this moment, the elder walked in from the entrance. Di Lan and the man stood up and turned around to greet.

When the academy elder saw Di Lan, his face was full of smiles. He strode over and stood in front of Di Lan, patting his shoulder in a friendly manner. "You did well, Mu Di Lang, you did not disappoint me. You are indeed a Gold grade talent – genius! All those silver grade and bronze grade peers of yours will never compare to you no matter how hard they try. Ha ha ha."

Di Lan and Di Lang were twis; their outer appearance was similar to a fault despite having different genders. Even the academy elder was mistaken.

Di Lan was neither haughty nor humble. He took a little step back, letting his shoulder free from the academy elder's hand. He stared at the academy elder, his hands folded behind his back. Then he said with a faint smile, "Sir elder, you have been mistaken. I am Mu Di Lan, Mu Di Lang is my younger sister."

"Huh?" The academy elder opened his mouth slightly, his expression startled. He glared at Di Lan doubtfully, his brow turning into a frown. After a few breaths, he finally spoke. "You are Mu Di Lan?"

"Correct sir," Di Lan replied.

"You have refined the Moonfang Spirit?" The academy elder was extremely surprised. His two eyes covered with spiritual essence glared firmly at Di Lan's forehead, making the broken crescent mark appear. His eyes were shining; he was asking the obvious.

"Indeed, that is the case," Di Lan said.

"Then, you are first of your batch?" The academy elder was asking stupid questions, but he was not entirely at fault. After all, this situation was entirely out of everyone's expectations.

One must know that he had been in charge of the academy for decades and is extremely experienced. He had seen bronze grade talent students contending for number one before this, but it was never this early. Not to mention that in this batch there were peers with gold and silver grade talent.

"If there is no one earlier than me…" Di Lan pretended to be in deep thought, then he rubbed his nose and continued, "Then it seems like it."

The academy elder: "....."

+++++++++

The sky was not yet bright, and the sun had yet to rise. The east sky just began to turn bright as the dark colours in the sky slowly fading away, yet the smell of the night still remaining in the air.

The streets were empty, then came the sounds of quick footsteps. The early dawn mountain air was moist, yet Mu Di Lang did not feel the slightest cold rush; her heart was full of surging enthusiasm. Her face blushed red, and now she was walking swiftly towards the academy.

"I have been cultivating hard these few days, spending 3 spirit stones. I did not sleep at all last night, and I've finally successfully refined the Moonfang. I am a Gold grade talent and I was so hardworking. No one can be faster than me, no one! Father and mother, I told you I won't let you feel disappointed."

When she thought of the moment where she told her aunt and uncle about the good news earlier, they expressed happiness and relief, making Di Lang feel a surge of joy and pride.

"Just wait, all you clanspeople who looked down on me, and big brother. From today onwards, I shall make you all look up to me, Mu Di Lang!"

The more she thought, the more Di Lang felt excited. She could not help but clench her fists, and her pace quickened a little more.

She came to the academy entrance.

The academy's two guards looked at her strangely. They asked her, "Umm, Mu Di Lang, why are you here so early?"

Di Lang looked at the two guards suspiciously. "I'm here to report to elder sir about completely refining the Moonfang Spirit."

The two guards can only shake their heads, one of them sighed and said, "You came one step too late. Just last night in the late hour, your older brother Mu Di Lan came and met with sir elder and took the top prize. I'm afraid you're too late."

"What, big brother was here?" Di Lang suddenly opened her eyes wide, crying out, "Wait, you said he'd gotten number one?"

How can this be! Isn't her big brother a mortal grade talent?

Getting number one, this has to be a joke right?!

"It's true. How could we possibly joke around with this matter?" Di Lang in disbelief, the guard seemed somewhat unhappy.

"This matter has been confirmed by the academy elder. In due course, the name list will be released and announced. What's wrong, your older brother did not tell you about it?" The other guard added.

Di Lang just stood silly at the door.

The truth was so much different from her imagination; right now, she just could not understand what had just happened. In Di Lang's heart, there were several illusions of her adversaries. Among them, the ones that brought the most threat were two – Mu Mo Chen, and Mu Shi Chi.

These two were of silver rank talent. Behind them were the clan's two largest family branches, and each of them had a grandfather that carried huge authority as elders, as well as sufficient financial power.

If any of these two people won first place over her, Di Lang's heart and mind was still prepared. Even though she would feel a sense of loss, it was still acceptable.

But right now, the one who took away number one was not Mu Mo Chen or Mu Shi Chi; it was not even any of the opponents in her heart.

But it was Mu Di Lan, her older brother!

That person with a mortal grade talent!

That person who fell downhill and turned dejected after the Awakening Ceremony!

That person who slept soundly in class all day!

That person who was always heavily drunk and never turned home at night!

That person who always held her down, just like a shadow entrenched in her heart!

"How can it be like this? It can't be possible!" In a short while, Di Lang roared in his heart, "I was so hardworking, but he just drank everyday until he became drunk, and yet in the end he was the one who got number one, is this even fair? Why? Why?!"

"Ah, whatever!" After a few breathes of accepting the outcome, she would never have guessed that Di Lan would snatch away the number one.

The sun rose from the east, the birds chirped around, and the overflowing air of spring took over Qing Mao Mountain.

Mu Di Lang bathed in the warm sunlight. She slowly lowered her head, gritting her teeth, looking at her own lonely shadow. The excitement in her heart had turned into a balloon that leaked air, long dissipating. Instead what took its place was the emotions of confusion, resentment, unwillingness, puzzlement, fear and other complicated feelings.

As time went by, the sun climbed higher.

The academy bulletin wall had posted a new name list, and on the list were just two names – firstly Mu Di Lan, and then Di Lang. Following the appearance of this list, the news gradually spread out.

After hearing the news, all those young students who had been bent on refining their Spirit at home after receiving one were in an uproar.

"How can it be like this!"

"If it was Di Lang who got number one I would still have believed it, but it's Di Lan, isn't he a mortal grade talent?"

"Could there have been a mistake, the gold grade talent Di Lang actually lost to the mortal grade talent Di Lan? This is preposterous!"

The Mo branch family home.

The greenery in the courtyard was overflowing, the fragrance of tea dancing about.

One of the clan elders of the Mu clan, Mu Mo Shen was sitting in front of his desk, looking at the spring scenery outside his window. He leisurely drank his tea and said, "Mo Chen hasn't continued refining his Spirit?"

The housekeeper standing at a side hurriedly replied, "After he heard about news concerning Di Lan in the afternoon, young master Mo Chen seemed to be deeply affected and has no mood to continue refining the Moonfang Spirit. It is a pity, young master Mo Chen was just so close to succeeding. Actually, if Di Lang got number one it could still be ignored, but it just has to be that mortal grade talent Di Lan. So young master Mo Chen lost his interest, it can't be helped."

"Hmph! Do not excuse him." Mu Mo Shen snorted coldly, his face stern and his tone hard, "A Spirit Master's cultivation process is full of hardship each step, what is a small setback like this? That Di Lan is just a mortal grade, so to be able to get number one it is presumably because of luck. The Moonfang Spirit that he chose must have had a weak will, so that is how he could snatch the top. If Mo Chen can't see through this and let such a small setback get to him, then how is he supposed to be in charge of our Mo family branch in future, how can he compete with the Shi family branch? No one is allowed to advise him, let him think about it by himself!"

"Yes, master." The housekeeper did not dare refute.

Almost at the same time, in the home of the Shi family branch.

"Sigh, Mu Di Lan…" The clan elder Mu Shi Chi gave a long sigh, his brows held down in a frown as he thought, waving his hand around. "Someone, call young master Shi Cheng over please."

In a moment, Mu Shi Cheng walked into the room with a lost expression, kneeling down with respect, "Your grandson greets his grandpa."

"Seems like you already know about the news," Mu Shi Chi stared at his only direct grandson, his tone gentle. He slowly said, "I called you over to prevent you from getting influenced by this matter. You see, when refining the vital Spirit, firstly one looks at the talent, secondly at the heavenly Spirit."

"Di Lan's talent is just mortal grade, yet he was able to gain number one this time. This means that the Spirit he chose -compared to all the Moonfang Spirit your peers have – has a will that is much weaker. This is entirely due to luck. So my grandson, do not be discouraged, this is nothing really. He is just a mortal grade talent, though he is the same as you, but his supply of resources is not as well as yours. His road to advancement will also be harder than yours, believe your grandpa, you will soon surpass him."

"Hence you should put away this trivial matter. Di Lan will not be your opponent, and is not worthy to be your adversary. Your real enemies are the gold grade talent Di Lang and the Mo family's Mo Chen. Do you understand?"

"Yes, thank you for your advice, grandpa. I understand. I will go now and continue refining my Spirit!" Mu Shi Cheng had lost the sad expression on his face, replacing it with a high-spirited will to fight.

"Mmm." Elder Mu Shi Chi nodded his head, satisfied. A kindly smile emerged from his face and he said, "Good grandson. While your talent is only bronze grade, but you can be rest assured that grandpa will fully support you. Later on, I will come out and use the aura of a Rank three heavenly Spirit to suppress your Moonfang Spirit's will and help you refine this Spirit!"