Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

Wu Manqing gave a slight nod, saying nothing more.

She turned her gaze back to the stage.

Wu Manqing watched the supporting character, whose figure seemed blurred and dim beneath the protagonist’s dazzling halo. She remembered being here two years ago, watching this very same scene.

Now, the answer was silent, yet it resounded like thunder.

.....

In a private room at the Drunken Immortal Tower, the seat by the window overlooked the bustling streets of the Prefecture City.

Xu Qi poured his own drink, his brow heavy with gloom.

Across from him, the young man—Zhao Mingyuan, Young Master of the Prefecture City’s Zhao Family—listlessly prodded at a plate of Exotic Beast Meat with his chopsticks.

"I’ve got to say, Brother Xu."

Zhao Mingyuan finally broke the silence. "What’s gotten into you today? You’re usually the life of the party, but now you’re quiet as a clam. Has all this fine wine and food failed to lift your spirits? Don’t tell me... has the position of Chief Disciple of the Cyan Wood Institute truly been decided?"

Xu Qi set down his cup.

He glanced up at his friend of many years and gave a bitter smile. "It’s been decided. It’s not Luo Xinyi, and it’s not me."

"Oh?"

Zhao Mingyuan’s interest was piqued. He sat up straight. "Then who is it? Aren’t you two the only ones at the Mid-stage Embracing Pill realm in the Cyan Wood Institute? Did some senior brother suddenly return from years of seclusion?"

"None of the above."

Xu Qi shook his head, his voice laced with an indescribable complexity. "It’s Chen Qing."

"Chen Qing?"

Zhao Mingyuan’s brow furrowed. "Which Chen Qing? The name doesn’t ring a bell... A new disciple? Or the son or nephew of one of the Elders?"

Xu Qi scoffed and refilled his cup. "You might not believe this, but he’s from a backwater place like Gaolin County. I heard... he’s from a family of fishermen. He’s usually so low-key you’d barely notice him. Then, out of nowhere, he breaks through to the Mid-stage Embracing Pill realm. At first, even I didn’t give him a second thought."

"A fisherman? Mid-stage Embracing Pill? Chief Disciple of the Cyan Wood Institute?!"

Zhao Mingyuan’s eyes went wide with disbelief. "Master Li... what was he thinking? He passed over Senior Sister Luo and you, Brother Xu, both with deep foundations, to pick some kid from a fisherman family with no connections and a humble background? This is just..."

For a moment, Zhao Mingyuan couldn’t find the words to describe how absurd it was. Then, as if a thought struck him, he said, "Brother Xu, you said he... has no connections? No powerful family backing him?"

Xu Qi said sullenly, "As far as I know, he only has the backing of one minor family that relocated from Gaolin County."

Zhao Mingyuan clicked his tongue, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Brother Xu, this might not be a bad thing!"

"Hm?"

Xu Qi shot him a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

Zhao Mingyuan leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Think about it. Xiao Ruize from the Li Fire Institute, such a big name, and then he was just... gone. Who benefited in the end? Li Wang! How did he get that position? It’s simply because Xiao Ruize disappeared and he was conveniently next in line, right?"

Xu Qi’s heart skipped a beat. He had a sinking feeling he knew what Zhao Mingyuan was implying, and his expression darkened instantly. "Mingyuan, what... what are you trying to say?"

"What am I trying to say?"

A ruthless glint flashed in Zhao Mingyuan’s eyes. "Since this Chen Qing has no roots, no backing, how secure can his position be? Accidents... in our world of Martial Arts, in the Jianghu, aren’t they all too common? Especially when it comes to upstarts with no connections..."

"Shut up!"

Xu Qi snapped, all traces of intoxication gone from his face. "You’re drunk! How can you even say something like that?!"

He glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then fixed his gaze on Zhao Mingyuan, enunciating each word. "That idea is too vicious! And far too dangerous! I have my principles. I would never resort to such despicable tactics! Besides, if we were exposed, the consequences would be unthinkable! Do you want to bring ruin upon my entire Xu Family?!"

Startled by Xu Qi’s sudden severity, Zhao Mingyuan just shrugged dismissively. "Brother Xu, you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet. If you’re always this cautious, how will you ever amount to anything? The opportunity is right there for the taking..."

"Enough!"

Xu Qi cut him off coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Do not bring this up again!"

Inwardly, Zhao Mingyuan cursed Xu Qi for being a coward and squandering a golden opportunity. Outwardly, however, he could only force a dry laugh to cover his embarrassment. "Forget it, forget it. You know best, Brother Xu. It was a slip of my tongue. I’ll drink to my mistake, I’ll drink to my mistake."

He raised his cup and took a drink to hide his expression.

The subsequent small talk became dull and tasteless. Each lost in his own thoughts, they exchanged a few half-hearted pleasantries.

Before long, Zhao Mingyuan made an excuse about having family matters to attend to and rose to take his leave.

Xu Qi didn’t press him to stay, merely giving a faint nod.

As he watched Zhao Mingyuan’s back disappear down the stairs, the coldness in Xu Qi’s expression deepened.

"Hmph. What a fool."

He muttered to himself, "When you have nothing, taking risks is a desperate gamble, a matter of life and death. But to take such risks after you’ve already achieved success and have a family fortune to protect? That’s just courting death. Only a complete idiot would do that!"

’I, Xu Qi, am going to compete, but I’ll do it carefully, one step at a time.’

’Use such underhanded methods? The risk is too great, the price too high. If word got out, the thunderous wrath of the Wutai Sect would be enough to grind everything the Xu Family has painstakingly built into dust!’

’The life of luxury the Xu Family now enjoys was hard-won.’

’I, Xu Qi, would never gamble the fate of my entire family for a single Chief Disciple position.’

.......

「The Fishery. Inside a room.」

Chen Qing sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, the latest issue of the *Jianghu Anecdotes* open in his hands.

His eyes scanned the front page, which was still filled with analysis of the Nine Waves Island aftermath and the Demon Sect’s recent movements, interspersed with reports on a few recent robberies in the Prefecture City.

He turned the page and, in an inconspicuous corner, saw his own name.

"Wutai Sect’s Cyan Wood Institute Chief Disciple Confirmed: New Disciple Chen Qing Personally Appointed by Master Li!"

The report was brief. It only mentioned that he had taken over as Chief Disciple and did not elaborate on the process.