Red plover

The steward's jaw dropped in stunned disbelief upon hearing this.

The old man appeared taken aback by the unexpected outcome, freezing in place with wide eyes fixed on Helian Weiwei. He questioned her, "Why?"

"No reason," Helian Weiwei calmly replied as she gently set down the long whip in her hand, picked up the silver ticket, and left without paying attention to the reactions of those behind her.

The old man's expression remained stiff, clearly unable to recover from the rejection. He struggled to describe his current state of mind—a mixture of shock, reluctance, and regret for missing out on such talent. Finally, he blurted out, "Supervisor Zhang, everything you witnessed today must be kept confidential."

"Yes," Steward Zhang quickly nodded, though he couldn't fathom why Elder Tu's demeanor suddenly turned so serious. As the steward of the Phoenix Tower, his only responsibility was to learn the art of secrecy.

The old man glanced at the "Nine-Curved Silver Whip" on the stone table, bent down to put it away, and carefully wrapped it in a black cloth. He then stated, "That settles it. You will take charge of the next test while I go to the Supreme Master."

"Huh?" Steward Zhang looked bewilderedly at the departing old man, utterly dumbfounded. He was just a steward and had no ability to discern martial cultivation potential in individuals!

"Tu Lao, Tu Lao!"

Steward Zhang trotted after him, calling out, but he couldn't capture the old man's attention.

In the old man's heart now, his sole focus was on how to recruit that girl. Such extraordinary talent was akin to a natural-born martial cultivator. If other sects were to learn of this, they would undoubtedly flock to her. He needed to find the Supreme Master as soon as possible to discuss the matter thoroughly...

...

"Look, that useless person is coming out!"

"How long did they stay? Shouldn't Elder Tu have driven them out?"

"Haha, it's highly likely. Elder Tu has a short temper. Originally, there were already few martial cultivation talents, and this useless person came to make a mockery. It's only normal that they were expelled by someone who couldn't tolerate it."

Amidst the mocking voices around her, Helian Weiwei's expression remained unchanged, just as nonchalant as when she had entered. She had expected an unfavorable outcome from the beginning.

Everyone reveled in their glee, further solidifying their preconceived notions, and they no longer spared a glance for Helian Weiwei. She was simply a waste, unworthy of their attention or energy.

Little did they know that the "waste" they referred to had actually obtained the "Summoning Order"...

...

Deep within the Battle Dragon Empire, an ancient palace spanned from east to west. The hall was adorned with delicate orchids, emitting a faint white mist that induced drowsiness.

The palace attendants hung embroidered silver silk curtains and delicately lit incense burners, adding spices with golden spoons before quietly retreating.

Baili Jia Jue reclined on a rosewood and gold chair, propping up his head with his elbows, his long dark hair cascading around him as he skimmed through an ancient scroll with his left hand.

The attractive palace maids on either side knelt beside him, holding the finest incense, but their thin attire revealed hints of their crimson undergarments.

Baili Jia Jue sneered and kicked the low stool away.

"Get out!" His voice was icy cold, piercing through the empty hall with a chilling force.

The two palace maids exchanged glances, trembling as they approached Baili Jia Jue's feet, grabbing the hem of his robe with one hand. One of them raised her head, her delicate face now bearing a slap mark, tears glistening in her autumn-colored eyes and long, fan-like eyelashes.

No matter how virtuous a man might be, he could not resist such temptation.

But Baili Jia Jue was not like other men.

Just as one of the palace maids was about to melt into his embrace, a glimmer of silver flashed.

The palace maid's head tilted, a thin stream of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Dispose of them," Baili Jia Jue commanded in a calm voice.

Within fifteen minutes, not a single palace maid remained in the hall.

The shadowy figure who carried out the order, ice blade in hand, stood behind Baili Jia Jue with a numb gaze, observing the scene.

Baili Jia Jue sneered, leisurely unfastening his sleeves and discarding his robe. "Take it and burn it," he ordered, tossing the valuable garment aside.

"Yes," the shadow responded respectfully, fully expecting this outcome from the start. He knew his master's robe was off-limits.

It seemed that apart from the young lady of the Helian family, no one else could get close to the master's body.

However, if it weren't for the audacious provocation of that young lady, the master would have likely killed her long ago. The fact that he kept her around was solely due to the master's unique taste...

The shadow gazed at his master's sinister smile, threw the precious robe into the stove, and silently mourned for a certain woman, hoping she wouldn't meet a miserable fate in the future...

The flames flickered, and commotion could be heard from outside.

"Young rascal, don't pretend I'm not here. I know you're inside!" The voice outside made the shadow wear a paralyzed expression of "not again" as he quickly prepared clothes and helped his master put them on first.

Baili Jia Jue, unperturbed, picked up his tunic, lazily fastening the buttons on the sleeves one by one, unaffected by the outside world.

"Young rascal!" An old man burst into the hall, wearing a white robe and panting. "I know you must be here!" Baili Jia Jue ignored him, not even bothering to raise his eyelids, but the coldness in his eyes made the old man gulp down his saliva.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, the old man changed his tone and spoke earnestly, "Yesterday, the National Master divined a hexagram for you, and it indicated that within three days, you will encounter... Ouch! Don't drag me, I apologize!"

"Supreme!" the shadow urgently whispered, fearing his master would become unhappy and beat someone to death in front of the most respected martial cultivator in the country.

The old man brushed him aside, pointing at the hall and howling, "You young rascal, what the old man said is true! The Red Bird is on the move, a great calamity approaches! If you want to preserve your freedom, immediately become my disciple, and I can help you decipher the hexagram!"

"Leave," echoed the chilling, dark voice in the hall, akin to countless sharp ice knives ready to slice through his throat at any moment.

Chilling!

The old man's voice immediately faltered, his neck recoiling as fear gripped him. "Well, even if you won't become my disciple, you should return to Tianbai Academy to train. If you skip class again, I will expel you!" With that, he scurried away.

In the darkness, the palace eunuchs standing nearby were drenched in cold sweat, their hands trembling in shock as they dared not raise their heads.

Watching the old man depart, Baili Jia Jue made no move to stop him. He simply gripped the chair's armrest with one hand and rose from his seat, a jet-black cloak billowing behind him. His narrow phoenix eyes seemed to find amusement in the monotonous existence, growing deeper and more wicked...

"The Red Bird's movement, huh? Let's see how a dead red plover still manages to stir."