You Chose to Kill Your Master, So Why Regret It Now? - Chapter 3:

Chapter 3: Who Do You Think You Are? You Dare Compete With Me for a Disciple?

Ye Youran had indeed chosen someone.

The disciple she selected was none other than Ye Feiyan, Lu Qing’s eldest disciple from his previous life.

She chose only her.

Ye Feiyan stepped forward and took her place behind Ye Youran.

Afterward, it was the First Peak Master’s turn to select disciples.

The First Peak was Heavenly Refinement Peak. Its Peak Master, Daoist Chihuo, wore a fiery red robe, and his hair stood wildly on end. In a rough voice, he said, “Sect Master, these disciples are quite compatible with my peak… Zhao Long…”

The Peak Master of Heavenly Refinement Peak called out one name after another.

Several prodigies immediately lit up with joy. Those who had been selected hurried forward and stood behind him.

“The Second Peak Master.”

The Second Peak was Pill Bamboo Peak.

Daoist Xuandan, dressed in a long robe embroidered with green bamboo, stepped forward. Stroking his beard, he said, “Sect Master… Zhao Xiu, Wang Erniu… the four of you, come over here.”

Another four prodigies were selected.

Next came the Third Peak, Ice Cloud Peak.

Its Peak Master, Saintess Xuanbing Nalan Qingqing, studied the roster in her hands until her gaze settled on a particular name.

Xiao Ning.

She was quite satisfied with this young woman. Not only was Xiao Ning’s talent impressive, but she had also achieved a perfect score in the examination.

Together with Ye Lian’er, Liu Yao, Ye Lingyu, Ye Feiyan, Murong Yuan, Ye Yan, and several others, Xiao Ning was among the most extraordinary disciples of this intake and ranked near the very top. These disciples not only possessed exceptional talent but also had excellent temperaments and mental fortitude.

However, there was a rule that each peak could choose only one disciple from the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking.

Therefore, Nalan Qingqing could select only one of them.

She carefully studied the candidates before finally settling on Xiao Ning. Then, her gaze moved toward a line at the end of Xiao Ning’s profile, where the disciple’s preferred destination was recorded.

Nalan Qingqing’s heart stirred slightly.

Xiao Ning had not written which peak she wished to join.

She had written only one sentence.

‘I don’t want to join Heavenly Sword Peak.’

‘She doesn’t want to join Heavenly Sword Peak? That makes sense. Heavenly Sword Peak possesses tremendous combat strength and specializes in killing and battle. It’s hardly strange for a young woman to dislike fighting and killing.’

Nalan Qingqing could not help glancing toward Lu Qing, the Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, who stood calmly nearby.

She did not give the matter much thought and soon withdrew her gaze.

“Xiao Ning.”

Nalan Qingqing called her name first.

“Ah…”

Among the crowd, the young woman named Xiao Ning froze for a moment before responding with complicated emotions.

Nalan Qingqing frowned and asked, “What? Are you unwilling?”

“Your disciple is willing. Greetings, Master,” Xiao Ning replied softly.

Even though she had once been a Great Emperor, she had no intention of becoming an unaffiliated cultivator. If she did, reclaiming her former position as a Great Emperor would take far too long.

Moreover, unaffiliated cultivators often had to plunder and fight for resources to obtain enough for cultivation, which could easily create tremendous karmic entanglements.

“Come forward,” Nalan Qingqing said with a faint smile.

Xiao Ning remained dazed for a moment before finally stepping forward and taking her place.

Her breathtaking beauty immediately stirred the hearts of countless newly admitted disciples.

More importantly, she was one of the unparalleled prodigies of this generation. In the future, she was almost certain to become one of the sect’s pillars.

Nalan Qingqing then called another two names before ending her selection.

Next came Green Bamboo Peak.

Peak Master Xue Miaoyin, known as Daoist Miaoyin, likewise studied the names ranked within the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking before choosing one of them.

“Ye Lingyu. I rather like that name.”

However, when she looked at the disciples’ stated preferences, her brows furrowed.

Ye Lingyu, Xiao Ning, Ye Qingyan, and Lin Yao had all expressed the same preference.

None of them wanted to enter Heavenly Sword Peak.

Beyond that, they had no other requests.

‘These four newly admitted disciples dislike killing and battle… However, for cultivators like us, fighting and killing are unavoidable. I’ll have to pay attention to that.’

Xue Miaoyin then said, “Ye Lingyu, come forward.”

“Yes…”

Ye Lingyu also froze slightly before walking forward.

She could not help remembering her previous life.

Back then, she had stood in this very place, yet this Peak Master had not even spared her a second glance.

Only Master had looked at her.

Only Master.

In the end, Lu Qing had gently beckoned her over.

Ye Lingyu would never forget that moment for the rest of her life.

And yet…

‘Why did everything end up becoming like that?’

With a soft sigh, Ye Lingyu stepped forward.

Afterward, Xue Miaoyin selected another two disciples from outside the top ten before concluding her selection.

The next Peak Master was Xue Qinghan, the Snow Spirit Fairy of Heartless Peak.

She also selected her disciple.

“Liu Yao, come forward.”

“Yes…”

Liu Yao stepped forward.

At this point, four of the five female disciples had already been chosen and taken away.

Then came the Fifth Peak.

Mystic Jade Peak.

Its Peak Master, Ye Xing, was a middle-aged Daoist.

He glanced at Lu Qing, who had his eyes closed in quiet meditation. A thought stirred in his mind, and he said, “Ye Lian’er, come forward.”

The other Peak Masters immediately frowned slightly at his choice.

Ye Lian’er was ranked first on this generation’s Heavenly Ranking.

She was a genuine peerless prodigy. Her natural talent, comprehension, and temperament were all astonishing, and she placed tremendous importance on personal bonds.

There was a very simple reason no one had selected her until now.

Heavenly Sword Peak.

There was currently only one person in Heavenly Sword Peak’s lineage, so it desperately needed someone capable of carrying its banner in the future.

Furthermore, Heavenly Sword Peak had never competed with the other peaks over disciples.

Precisely because of this, the other peaks traditionally gave it priority. As a result, the disciples of Heavenly Sword Peak were almost always among the finest talents of their respective generations.

Therefore, in principle, Ye Lian’er should enter Heavenly Sword Peak.

In the future, she might even become the next Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak.

No one had expected Ye Xing to suddenly interfere and attempt to snatch her away.

The Peak Masters frowned.

Although Lu Qing was the Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, his temperament had always been detached, and he rarely competed with others.

Perhaps Ye Xing really would manage to snatch this prize away from him.

They wondered what Lu Qing would choose to do.

Lu Qing, however, was quietly amused.

In his previous life, he would not have cared in the slightest.

With the Ten-Thousandfold Disciple Reward System, what difference did it make which disciple he accepted?

Whether someone was a prodigy or not had never mattered to Lu Qing.

But this life was different.

Ye Lian’er was already someone he had decided to accept as a core direct disciple. There was no reason for him to simply hand her over to someone else.

Furthermore, everything that had happened in his previous life had already proven Ye Lian’er’s character.

She valued relationships deeply.

To put it another way, she was foolishly loyal.

Otherwise, when Ye Xing betrayed the sect, she would never have remained unwaveringly by his side and followed him into betrayal.

She was also stubborn by nature. Once she acknowledged someone, she would never abandon them.

Lu Qing did not particularly need her unwavering loyalty.

However, after having his heart thoroughly wounded in his previous life, he found this sort of personality quite appealing.

At the very least, he would not need to worry about being stabbed in the back again.

“Ye Lian’er, hurry over here,” Ye Xing urged.

Seeing that Lu Qing had not spoken immediately, delight flashed through Ye Xing’s heart, and he quickly pressed the matter.

Ye Lian’er glanced toward Lu Qing.

Sect Master Ye Youran had privately transmitted her voice to her earlier, telling her that she might become Lu Qing’s disciple.

In truth, Ye Lian’er also liked Heavenly Sword Peak very much. She felt that it suited her exceptionally well.

However, now that the Fifth Peak had chosen her, she was merely a disciple and had no right to object.

Just as she was about to step forward, a voice suddenly rang out.

“Wait.”

Lu Qing slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, “I have also chosen this disciple.”

“What?”

Ye Xing’s expression changed.

He immediately said, “Peak Master Lu, aren’t you disregarding the rules? Selection follows an established order. According to the rules, even if you have an objection, you should wait until I and the other Peak Masters have finished selecting our disciples before discussing the matter.”

Ye Xing’s expression darkened as he continued, “Yet you interrupt while I am making my selection. What exactly do you mean by this?”

What Ye Xing said was indeed correct.

Although every peak had the right to choose disciples, once the initial selection concluded, any Peak Master who had failed to obtain the disciple they wanted could negotiate with the others. They could discuss the matter and even exchange disciples.

If Lu Qing truly refused to give up Ye Lian’er afterward, he could simply negotiate to get her back.

Ye Xing had never expected Lu Qing to ignore the usual procedure and speak up immediately.

Faced with Ye Xing’s questioning, Lu Qing slowly turned his gaze toward him.

After a moment, he said coldly, “I said that I have chosen this disciple. Peak Master Ye, are you incapable of understanding human speech?”

Rules depended on who one was dealing with.

Since Ye Xing himself had disregarded the unspoken rules, he had no right to expect Lu Qing to respect them.

“Lu Qing!” Ye Xing shouted. “If this were before, I might have shown you some respect. But today, I absolutely will not give this disciple to you. I am taking this disciple, no matter what!”

“Taking my disciple?”

Lu Qing seemed to have heard something amusing.

A faint smile curved his lips.

A moment later, however, his handsome features turned ice-cold.

“Who do you think you are? You dare compete with me for a disciple?”

The moment those words fell, the entire venue descended into absolute silence.