Revealing the Token

Revealing the Token...

Qin Wentian's lips curled into a frosty grin, as cold and sharp as an icicle. "Let's cut the charades, shall we? Since the moment I, the esteemed Qin, swaggered into this White Deer Institute to perfect the art of Divine Inscriptions, I've been the poster child for integrity. But hey, if you're after my ancient scroll, just say it, don't dance around it. Seriously, the hypocrisy is giving me a crick in my neck."

Bailu You's eyes turned into slits, like a poker player who'd been called out on his bluff. He knew that if he let Qin Wentian walk away today, the coveted ancient scroll would vanish into thin air.

More White Deer Institute big shots rolled in, and when roughly six out of nine elders had gathered, Bailu Tong finally decided to chime in. "Hey, folks, mind sharing your wisdom on this conundrum? I'm Bailu Tong, and I've been geeking out on the Divine Inscriptions scene for ages. I'm not too shabby, actually. Snagging the Ascendant's ancient scroll might just be my golden ticket to joining the fifth-ranked Grandmasters club. So, chime in, how should we handle this pickle? A fifth-ranked Grandmaster can bring a truckload of street cred to the Institute, you know?"

"Mr. Qin here, he's a spry nineteen-year-old who's already nailed the fourth-ranked. Plus, he's a buddy of mine," Bailu Yi chimed in with the energy of a firecracker. "And what's this whole grubby heist vibe? Seriously, Institute folks, stealing from a deserving dude like him? It's like swiping candy from a baby, and not the adorable kind."

"You dare? You disrespectful whippersnapper!" Bailu You's roar sounded like a growl from a disgruntled grizzly. "And his odds are greater, you say? Guess what, he's still a stranger in our house."

"But some truths can't wait any longer, no matter how awkward they might be." Bailu Yi glanced at Qin Wentian, a spark of concern in her eyes. It was clear that the elders were flailing around like bullies in a china shop.

"Uncle Yu, mind escorting our friends down to guard the back mountains?" Bailu Yi turned to an elderly figure who seemed as loyal as a bloodhound. Uncle Yu's nod was as solemn as a judge's gavel.

With a wave, Uncle Yu herded the non-essential crowd away, following Bailu Yi's lead. They were like a sea of nodding bobbleheads, their obedience clear as day.

"What about you two?" Bailu Yi's gaze shifted to Di Feng and Di Cheng. "Need a timeout?"

"Little Yi, let's be upfront with our distinguished guest, Di Feng," Bailu Tong intervened.

"Rest assured, Miss Yi. My lips are sealed," Di Feng chuckled, looking every bit the suave diplomat.

Bailu Yi shot a glance at him, then turned her gaze on the White Deer Institute crew. "Elder Tong, humor me. Who between us holds the top spot in the Inscriptions game?"

Bailu Tong eyeballed Bailu Yi like he was decoding hieroglyphics. But he stayed mum. Another elder joined in, "Old Tong's the big cheese in Inscriptions, hands down. But talent-wise, Little Yi might have a bit more pizzazz."

"In that case, let's say the Institute grabs that Ascendant's ancient scroll. Whose pocket should it end up in?" Bailu Yi's question hung in the air, like a storm cloud about to burst.

Bailu Shan's eyes lit up like a thousand-watt bulb. If this were a math problem, the answer was his daughter, hands down.

Yes, absolutely! His daughter had a connection with Qin Wentian. So, his logic declared, give it to her.

"We'll divvy it up," Bailu Tong snapped back, his eyes sparking with annoyance.

"Okay, that's rich. So, if Qin Wentian's the one who scores the scroll, it's like, 'Hey, let's all have a slice of that pie'? Seriously?" Bailu Yi chuckled, ice in her tone. "Let me spell it out: Qin Wentian nailed that Ascendant's inheritance and he's on the 'Fifth-Ranked Grandmaster Express' toot-toot town. And to clarify, he's already handed me the scroll."

Everyone within earshot turned into human statues, jaws hanging low enough to collect dust. Wait, rewind. Qin Wentian forked over his Ascendant treasure to Bailu Yi?

Guess what? It was official, folks. Qin Wentian was in hot-and-heavy love with Bailu Yi.

Bailu Shan had a good laugh, mentally placing his chips on Team Qin Wentian.

Bailu Yi's grandpa, a White Deer Institute VIP, stroked his beard and chuckled like he'd just cracked the greatest joke in the universe. He was starting to see Qin Wentian as a pretty decent bloke.

"Before you make any hasty calls, ponder this: If Elder Bailu Tong makes a move against Qin Wentian, I, Bailu Yi, am taking the highway out of this joint. Does the Institute really want to lose not one, but two future fifth-ranked Grandmasters?" Bailu Yi's words slapped the crowd awake.

Cue the awkward silence, especially on the face of Bailu Tong, who looked like he'd just bitten into a lemon.

Because even if Bailu Yi was a card-carrying Institute member, there was zero chance she'd part with that ancient scroll.

"Little Yi, you playing the intimidation card on our Institute?" Bailu Tong spat back, all ice and no cream. "Plus, why, as a junior, are you holding onto the scroll? Isn't that a tad out of your pay grade?"

And with that, the plot continued to thicken like soup on a simmer.

Bailu Yi's voice dripped with sarcasm, a mockery as sharp as a blade. "Well, well, Elder Tong, your moral compass is quite the work of art. You make coveting another's treasure sound like the noblest of quests. Why in the world would I hand it over to you?" She grinned like a cat toying with a mouse before turning to the other elders. "Dear elders, care to share your two cents?"

"Elder Tong, you're pushing your luck," Bailu Yi's grandpa chimed in, standing firmly by his granddaughter's side.

"Can we not turn our sacred turf into a reality TV show?" The large-eyed elder's patience had snapped like a dry twig. He gave them a look that could freeze a volcano in its tracks. Then he shifted his attention to Qin Wentian. "Little Brother Qin, you're officially an honorary guest of Miss Yi. On behalf of the White Deer Institute, I apologize for today's debacle. Our actions were uncalled for. While the other fourth-ranked hotshots marched in like kings, our dear elders here chose to sit back, sip tea, and let it happen. But can you believe that one of these elders actually teamed up with those thieves out of pure greed? Our bad, really. Yours truly, the Great Elder, dropped the ball big time. My bad."

The Great Elder's confession hit like a battering ram, shutting everyone up like an unexpected rain shower. The core members who showed up late pieced it all together without breaking a sweat.

Divine Inscriptionist Bailu Tong turned out to be quite the sneaky swindler, all for a whiff of the Ascendant's ancient scroll. His big master plan involved Qin Wentian's soft spot for Bailu Yi. He didn't dare wrangle directly with Qin Wentian, so he looped in some outsider fourth-ranked Grandmasters. They'd apply the pressure, make Qin Wentian sweat, then—voilà!—he'd surrender the scroll to none other than Bailu Tong himself, a White Deer Institute elder.

The outside fourth-ranked Grandmasters weren't idiots. They knew Bailu Tong's game, but the siren song of that ancient scroll was irresistible. So, like devoted treasure hunters, they danced to Bailu Tong's tune.

But as the story swiveled on its axis, the plot took a left turn. Qin Wentian had a poker hand of aces up his sleeve, like a magician with an endless deck. Fourth-ranked Divine Inscriptions? Check. A fourth-ranked Puppet? Check. Protection from a Heavenly Dipper Sovereign? Triple check.

All those greedy fourth-ranked Grandmasters? Sliced and diced by Qin Wentian's master plan, like a piece of well-cooked steak. Bailu Tong's scheme? Poof! Gone like a puff of smoke.

Bailu Tong wasn't ready to toss in the towel, though, but the big-eyed elder had other ideas.

Qin Wentian could read sincerity in the large-eyed elder's gaze, a rare and honest quality. And he remembered that this elder had taken a shine to him from the start. So, Qin Wentian chimed in, "Just so we're clear, this isn't the White Deer Institute's mess. It's all thanks to Bailu Tong's mischief. My apologies, but I get it."

Since the large-eyed elder was all about building bridges, Qin Wentian decided not to play demolition expert. After all, he was prepping to step up as the White Deer Institute's next captain of the ship.

"Bravo, bravo! A big heart you've got there," the large-eyed elder chimed in, clapping like a proud parent. Truth was, he'd been waiting to see if Qin Wentian could handle the heat on his own stove. If not, he'd gladly swoop in to save the day.

"But, here's the thing, Great Elder. You can't call the shots on this one. I'm hauling this up to the big bosses, the supreme elders. Let them cast the deciding vote," Bailu Tong butted in, letting the words ooze out like a slow poison. The crowd's faces, once hopeful, turned into a symphony of grimaces. Yep, the situation was officially a hot mess, the kind that'd make a reality TV producer drool.

Bailu Tong felt all sorts of gutsy because, guess what, Daddy Dearest was one of the four top dogs, the supreme elders. And Daddy had a reputation for papering over his brat's antics with the best kind of excuses.

The large-eyed elder's face went through a kaleidoscope of expressions—anger, frustration, and maybe a hint of indigestion. Yep, thanks to Bailu Tong's unchecked greed, they had a full-blown institute smackdown on their hands. Drama at its finest.

Then, a voice like a lightning bolt cut through the chaos. "Since you're waving the ancient scroll like it's a flag, might as well let everyone take a selfie with it," the voice called out, each word a sonic boom that pierced the air.

Turned out it was one of the supreme elders.

You could feel the crowd's collective shiver, like they'd been doused with icy water. They guessed this supreme elder wanted Qin Wentian to crack open the treasure chest, hand out the loot, and make everyone happy. Not a bad idea, really. It would level up the White Deer Institute's Inscription game. And that was a game everyone wanted to play.

Qin Wentian's gaze drifted to the horizon. Looks like one of the supreme elders was batting for Team Bailu Tong.

Even though he'd graduated to fourth-ranked Grandmaster status, the White Deer Institute's attitude toward Qin Wentian remained as frosty as a polar plunge. It was like they'd marked him as "external" with a giant highlighter.

Thank goodness he hadn't spilled the beans about the Azure Emperor Token back then. If he had, he'd be up against a glacier wall of cold shoulders.

"As an uninvolved spectator, I'm casting my vote for Qin Wentian throwing a share of the ancient scroll party. And, in exchange, White Deer Institute can offer its world-renowned safety plan," Di Feng proclaimed, causing Bailu Tong's grin to stretch to the moon and back.

Qin Wentian shot Di Feng a side-eye and smirked. "Wow, thanks for your opinion. But who asked for it?"

"Someone you don't wanna cross," Di Cheng, Di Feng's loyal sidekick, sneered. "Last I checked, you're just a fourth-ranked Grandmaster. One flick from us, and you're a goner."

"Oh, the sweet smell of arrogance. Aren't you from the Azure Emperor's royal lineage?" Qin Wentian quipped, earning him a symphony of jaw-drops and raised eyebrows from the audience.

Qin Wentian knew the White Deer Institute's juiciest secret, and his words turned every pair of eyes into laser beams aimed at him.

That, and they looked at Bailu Yi like she'd just leaked the recipe to Colonel Sanders' secret chicken herbs.

"Traitorous wench," Bailu You spat, edging closer to Qin Wentian. "Now you've given me permission to squash you like a bug."

Bailu Yi just stared at Qin Wentian, as if she'd just seen a unicorn farting rainbows. Was he seriously going to unleash all the dragons he had hiding?

"Yep, he deserves to be minced," Di Cheng agreed, a shark-like grin slicing his face.

"So, we're all on the same page, huh? The descendants of the Di Clan have spoken," Qin Wentian said, glancing around. Then he smirked like he'd found a Snickers bar in a diet retreat. "Do you guys really revere the Azure Emperor that much?"

"No brainer. We're basically all living photocopies of the Azure Emperor. Bailu Yi didn't tell you?" Bailu You cackled.

"If the Azure Emperor Token holder told you to jump off a cliff, would you?" Qin Wentian inquired with a wry grin.

"Sure, why not?" Bailu You grinned back. It was a grand moment to ride the coattails of Di Feng's support.

"Oh, okay then," Qin Wentian said, raising an eyebrow. "Get ready to take the plunge."

He cast his gaze at the horizon and roared, "Qin Wentian requests an audience with the supreme elders of the White Deer Institute!"

His voice wasn't just talk—it was a shout that put the 'megaphone' in 'megaphone.'

"Who do you think you are? You think you can just ask for a coffee chat with the supreme elders?" Bailu You scoffed.

"You, my dear chap, are like a spoon at a knife fight," Di Cheng quipped, simmering in resentment since his last humiliation by Qin Wentian. Today was payday for all that pent-up animosity.

Qin Wentian chuckled, a sound that would give icicles a run for their chill. He stretched out his hand, revealing what he held. "How about now?"

"Huh?" Everyone's eyes snapped to the object nestled in Qin Wentian's palm, like a horde of curious cats investigating an unexpected toy. A collective mental explosion followed, and then they squinted, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.

A split second later, as if dunked in liquid nitrogen, they all went still, hearts thumping a furious tribal dance in their chests.

The word on that token—that very word—was Azure!

Di Feng's pupils sharpened, his heart hit by a tempest. In Qin Wentian's grip was the Azure Emperor Token!

Qin Wentian directed his gaze at Bailu Tong, Di Feng, and Di Cheng, each syllable a hammer blow in the chilly air. "I, Qin Wentian, am the true heir of the Azure Emperor."

His voice reverberated, ricocheting through the crowd that gawked at each other like fish out of water.

The Azure Emperor Token, the real deal, was unmistakable.

Di Feng hailed from the Di Clan, sure. But now, in the blazing sun, with the Azure Emperor Token clenched by Qin Wentian, it was crystal clear: the Azure Emperor's authentic heir was none other than Qin Wentian himself.