**Chapter 20: A Beauty Gifts a Flute**

A cold gleam flashed in Lin Fengmian's eyes as he prepared to teach this guy a lesson.

But before he could make a move, a red ribbon appeared in front of Guan Chengtian, binding him and tossing him out.

Liu Mei slowly lowered her hand and coldly said, "You dare act unruly in front of us?"

Guan Chengtian, now disoriented from the fall, quickly regained his senses and apologized, "Senior Sister, please calm down, I didn't mean to!"

"Seeing as it's your first offense, I'll let you off this time!" Liu Mei snorted.

Lin Fengmian let out a sigh of relief and gracefully saluted Liu Mei, saying, "Thank you, Senior Sister, for stepping in to help."

Liu Mei could easily see through Lin Fengmian's attempts to curry favor with her. With a slight smirk, she teased, "Junior Brother Lin, you're quite sweet today. You're not usually like this."

Lin Fengmian chuckled awkwardly, "Senior Sister misunderstands, I'm always like this."

Liu Mei, not wanting to continue the conversation, chuckled and said, "Alright, next is the talent showcase. Let's see what talents the remaining junior brothers have."

Many of them were confused—talent showcase?

None of them had any idea what to do.

When the first person's turn came, he reluctantly sang a folk song, making everyone below burst into laughter.

The five senior sisters had various reactions. Some struggled to hold back their laughter, but they all scored his performance, giving him a total score.

The crowd soon realized that the winner would be determined based on total points.

When it was the others' turn, they all went wild, performing all sorts of stunts.

Some had no talents but were quick-witted, so they demonstrated the martial arts they'd recently learned in the sect, earning decent scores.

The rest had a revelation and followed suit.

When Lin Fengmian's turn came, he confidently leaped onto the stage, performing a sword dance.

As he recited poetry, his sword moved with him, the moves flowing seamlessly like water, with his sword aura radiating around him.

This instantly amazed the crowd, leaving them in awe, realizing they were facing a strong contender.

But he wasn't done. After finishing his sword dance, Lin Fengmian pulled out a leaf he had prepared earlier, placed it by his lips, and began to play.

Though it was just an ordinary leaf, in his hands, it produced a crisp, pleasant melody.

A gentle breeze blew, his white robe fluttering, as the handsome young man stood gracefully on stage. The women of Red Luan Peak couldn't help but be captivated by his charm.

Xia Yunxi was especially mesmerized, her eyes soft as she gazed at him, unable to look away.

After finishing his tune, Lin Fengmian smiled and said, "Given the circumstances, I could only offer a humble performance."

Wang Yanran curiously asked, "Oh? What else is Junior Brother Lin good at?"

Lin Fengmian stood proudly with his hands behind his back and replied, "Senior Sister jests. I'm skilled in all the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and I'm confident I can bring glory to the sect."

Mo Ruyu, seemingly skeptical, flicked her hand, and a jade flute appeared in it. She smiled and said, "Is Junior Brother Lin skilled with this?"

Lin Fengmian smiled and nodded, "I know a little."

"Then give it a try!"

Mo Ruyu playfully tossed the jade flute into the air, and Lin Fengmian caught it mid-rotation, smoothly spinning it in his hand before grasping it elegantly.

He gently stroked the jade flute, then looked at Mo Ruyu with a warm smile and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister, for lending me the flute. Allow me to perform."

Mo Ruyu's heart skipped a beat, realizing for the first time how effortlessly charming Lin Fengmian was. A hint of admiration appeared in her eyes.

Lin Fengmian immediately began playing the jade flute. The melody was serene and the tune graceful, creating a distinct atmosphere.

The women of Hehuan Sect were mostly well-versed in the arts of music, chess, poetry, and painting, as it was essential for their seductive allure over men.

In their eyes, Lin Fengmian's performance was quite commendable, standing out as exceptional amidst the crowd.

After finishing his performance, Lin Fengmian was about to return the flute when Mo Ruyu covered her mouth, giggling, "No need. Since Junior Brother enjoys it, I'll gift you the flute for your leisure."

Lin Fengmian felt victory was assured and respectfully saluted, "Thank you, Senior Sister, for the gift."

The scoring began, and Liu Mei was the first to mark her score, writing down the number "1." The other senior sisters were stunned.

For such a performance, Lin Fengmian only got a single point?

The women were hesitant. Liu Mei was notorious for having the final say on Red Luan Peak, and only Chen Qingyan would dare to challenge her.

No one dared to score next, all pausing in uncertainty.

Chen Qingyan, with a cold snort, picked up the brush and boldly gave him a perfect score of ten.

This put the others in a difficult position. Xia Yunxi, summoning her courage, also gave him a perfect ten, earning a side glance from Liu Mei.

"Seems like Junior Sister Xia has taken quite a liking to Junior Brother Lin," she teased with a smirk.

Xia Yunxi blushed and quickly responded, "Senior Sister, you're joking. I just feel he deserves this score."

Wang Yanran and Mo Ruyu ultimately gave moderate scores, not wanting to offend anyone.

Following Lin Fengmian was Xie Gui, who cleverly mimicked Lin Fengmian's performance, though lacking his elegance, but still making a decent impression.

After all performances concluded, Liu Mei stood holding the final score sheet, calling out five names.

"Based on the scores, the following disciples have won: Dong Gaoyi, Yuan Jiazhi, Yang Ding, Xie Gui, and Ji Chenbo!"

To everyone's surprise, Lin Fengmian wasn't on the list!

He was equally shocked, while Liu Mei's lips curved into a sly smile.

I just won't pick you, what can you do about it?

Although Lin Fengmian was furious, he had no choice but to accept it.

Damn it! Liu Mei, don't let me find an opportunity, or I'll make you pay!

At that moment, the normally quiet Chen Qingyan suddenly stood up and coldly said, "This result isn't fair!"

Liu Mei's eyes narrowed, and with a smirk, she asked, "What do you mean by that, Junior Sister Chen?"

Chen Qingyan replied coolly, "I simply believe your judgment is biased. Lin Fengmian and Ji Chenbo had the same score, but clearly, Lin Fengmian should be chosen over Ji Chenbo."

Due to Liu Mei's low score of "1", Lin Fengmian's score had dropped significantly, but even so, he had tied for fifth place with Ji Chenbo.

However, because of her personal bias, Liu Mei excluded him.

She sneered, "Lin Fengmian is at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, while Ji Chenbo is at the seventh. What's wrong with me choosing him?"

Chen Qingyan retorted, "This selection isn't based on strength but on talent."

Xia Yunxi chimed in, "I agree with Senior Sister Chen. I also believe Senior Brother Lin's talent is superior."

Liu Mei's smile didn't waver as she replied, "Talent? With the same score, the talent is equal, so strength should be the deciding factor."

As the two argued, Lin Fengmian sensed an opportunity and stepped forward, saying, "Please, Senior Sisters, there's no need to argue. I have a proposal."