Chapter 3: The First Step to Villainy and the Sect Entrance Examination

At this moment, Hua Yaoyao’s peculiar thoughts could no longer be suppressed.

‘Yes, Senior Brother truly has been paying attention to me; otherwise, he wouldn’t know so much!’

‘Could it be that Senior Brother actually likes me too, but due to the disparity in our statuses, he hadn’t told me? I am merely an ordinary inner disciple, whereas Senior Brother is already the Chief True Disciple, the foremost among all disciples in the sect.’

‘Now, he’s bestowing insights and even weapons. Is he hoping that one day, I too can stand by his side?’

‘Yes! It must be so! Senior Brother believes in me so much, yet here I am, doubting myself!’

‘Hua Yaoyao! Hua Yaoyao! How could you betray Senior Brother’s kindness like this!’

At this moment, Qin Yangjun was still engrossed in the book’s description of Hua Yaoyao, lavishly praising her.

Hua Yaoyao’s emotions, however, could no longer be contained. She suddenly seized Qin Yangjun’s hand, her eyes glistening with tears as she gazed at him.

“I understand, I truly understand your painstaking efforts. I will certainly cultivate diligently and become the person you hope for.”

Although surprised by Hua Yaoyao’s tearful appearance—it was just a few gifts, after all—he knew that in the book, Hua Yaoyao was a classic tsundere.

The protagonist had given her quite a few things in the early stages of the story, yet she never reacted like this; at most, her attitude softened slightly.

Nevertheless, Qin Yangjun struck while the iron was hot:

“No, not the person I hope for, but the person *you* hope for. Your life belongs to you. This sword, you must treat it well; it holds extraordinary significance!”

As he spoke, Qin Yangjun placed the sword into Hua Yaoyao’s hand, emphasizing his final words heavily.

The more Hua Yaoyao treasured this sword, the higher the likelihood of her clashing with the protagonist.

At this moment, Hua Yaoyao’s heart was also brimming with excitement. She nodded profoundly, engraving Qin Yangjun’s words into her memory.

“I will certainly treat it well! I will not disappoint Senior Brother’s expectations!”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Hua Yaoyao skipped away, clutching the Coldwater Sword.

Watching Hua Yaoyao’s cheerful figure disappear, a slight smile played on Qin Yangjun’s lips.

This was merely the first step.

He was not one to resign himself to fate.

Since the role of a villain was unavoidable, he vowed to crush all protagonists beneath his heel in the future!

Time, like a white steed flashing past a crevice, swiftly moved on, and seven days had passed in the blink of an eye.

The sect entrance examination arrived as scheduled.

Below the gates of the Yuqian Sect, a clamor of voices filled the air.

As a prominent sect in the Southern Domain, the Yuqian Sect inspired longing in countless young people.

Consequently, nearly ten thousand individuals participated in each entrance examination.

However, not just any Tom, d*ck, or Harry could reach the Yuqian Sect’s gates.

Prior to this, there were preliminary assessments.

Those currently present had already been culled several times over.

Even so, there were still over a thousand people.

Now, this entrance examination required culling the vast majority of these thousand-plus hopefuls, with an estimated twenty to thirty individuals ultimately passing.

Yet, despite the hour already being noon, the sect entrance examination had yet to commence.

It had been announced that the chief examiner would arrive at sunrise, at which point the examination would begin.

Thus, these individuals had appeared early, hoping to make a good impression on the chief examiner.

However, even now, only two assistant examiners were present, with the chief examiner nowhere in sight.

The weather today was exceptionally fine, with the blazing sun directly overhead; they had been standing there for two hours under its fierce glare.

Those below were already drenched in sweat.

Many began to grow irritable.

They had passed numerous preliminary assessments to gather here, without even having breakfast.

Yet, this chief examiner had no sense of time, leaving them to bake.

‘Are all Yuqian Sect members so fond of putting on airs?’

“What exactly do these Yuqian Sect people mean by this? Do they have no concept of time?”

“Exactly! This young master hasn’t even eaten yet; I’m starving to death.”

“I didn’t pass so many assessments just to stand here baking in the sun.”

“…………”

Once the first person spoke up, others quickly followed.

For a time, the disciples below began to converse in hushed tones.

Most of those conversing were clad in luxurious attire.

Their faces carried a hint of arrogance, and their physiques were noticeably slenderer than those of the plainly dressed disciples.

They were either scions of aristocratic families or individuals with significant backing.

Naturally, a small number of people stood rooted to the spot like wooden stakes, utterly silent.

Among them was a young woman dressed in white.

Her attire was a simple practice uniform, her hair tied in a single ponytail.

Although her pretty face was already beaded with sweat, her eyes still held an unwavering resolve.

A peculiar aura emanated from her, as if she could glow.

Even standing still and doing nothing, she commanded attention.

During this time, many tried to strike up conversations with her, but she merely offered a gentle smile, engaging in no extensive exchanges.

This was precisely the female protagonist Qin Yangjun had been “longing for.”

Yu Lingyue.

“Lingyue (TL Note: A diminutive form of Yu Lingyue’s name), how much longer will this take? I’m practically sun-dried.”

At this moment, the young woman beside Yu Lingyue suddenly spoke up.

The young woman wiped the sweat from her cheeks, swallowing with difficulty.

Yu Lingyue, however, said little, merely glancing up at the sky and uttering two words.

“Just wait.”

As time continued to tick by, a restless stir began to ripple through the crowd below.

Emotions, once ignited, spread quickly through a throng.

Finally, someone could no longer contain themselves.

“What exactly is the meaning of this, Yuqian Sect?! Didn’t you say there would be an examination?! Where is the chief examiner?”

The speaker was a young man with a robust physique and a rugged appearance, clearly possessed of a fiery temper.

“I’d also like to know what you Yuqian Sect people mean by this! Other sect examinations are punctual, but you’ve been dragging your feet for nearly three hours! Even if your chief examiner overslept, surely they should be awake by now?!”

This time, the speaker was a young noble, clad in splendid robes of brocade, his eyes simmering with barely suppressed anger.

No sooner had his voice faded than a group of people immediately echoed his sentiments.

These individuals, too, were mostly dressed in lavish attire.

The white-clad young woman couldn’t help but look over, instantly recognizing the person.

“The Second Prince of the Great Yang Dynasty, Li Xuanyang…”

It was said that this person was a genius, possessing a superior root bone (TL Note: A measure of innate talent for cultivation) and, with the abundant resources of the dynasty, his cultivation had already reached the peak of Qi Condensation (TL Note: The first stage of cultivation, focusing on gathering and refining spiritual energy) even before joining a sect, surpassing everyone else present.

Most of those who echoed his words were also scions of the dynasty.

Seeing the situation below grow increasingly chaotic, a powerful, resonant voice boomed from the sky.

“If you think our Yuqian Sect isn’t up to par, then just leave. Why bother staying here and suffering our ‘airs’?”

Boom!

A bolt of startling lightning cleaved through the sky, and a sword wreathed in thunder struck directly into the center of the clearing, sending all the dynasty scions reeling back.

The next second, a man in a golden long gown descended from the heavens, slowly alighting upon the sword’s hilt.

This individual was none other than Qin Yangjun.

Qin Yangjun gazed indifferently at Li Xuanyang, who was now seated on the ground.

Several royal scions around him were about to step forward and argue, but Li Xuanyang stopped them with a gesture.

‘These clueless fools! They didn’t even bother to do their homework before the examination. They don’t recognize the person right in front of them, yet they dare to try and enter the Yuqian Sect!’

“I am Li Xuanyang. Greetings, Chief Qin.”

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