Don't Worry. This Isn't a Big Deal

In a small room, around a round wooden table, sat four men.

The tip of Xiao Qixiu's sword rested on the floor. Xiao Qixiu frowned at Elder Sang as his fingers stroked his sword's hilt. "Are you really going to take Xu Xiaoshou as your disciple?"

"That's right," said Elder Sang after taking a sip of wine. "The fates willed it so. It was decided when he ate the first Infernal Fire Seed and lived. You knew then, didn't you?"

Elder Sang was talking about the Windcloud Competition's preliminaries, when Xu Xiaoshou had barged into the arena and begged Xiao Qixiu to save him.

Xiao Qixiu fell silent.

He'd been tempted to take Xu Xiaoshou as his disciple when the latter had revealed his Innate Stage Sword Will.

But, when he recalled the young man's eccentric and bizarre antics, as well as the way he spoke, which was absolutely infuriating…