Chapter 17: Qi Hao? Very Strong? Tsk, Tsk!

Qian Mo wore a faint, unremarkable smile, nodding almost imperceptibly. This man was not bad; despite being from Tongtian Peak, he did not act with arrogance.

In truth, Minxin was very discerning. Lu Xueqi was the most outstanding disciple under their master’s tutelage, and Minxin herself was no fool—she could clearly see the trace of affection that glimmered in Lu Xueqi’s beautiful eyes.

This made her observe Qian Mo a few more times. Yet, no matter how she looked, she could not discern anything particularly remarkable. Apart from his outstanding appearance, he seemed no different from any other ordinary person.

In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, looks were secondary—so long as one was pleasing to the eye it was enough. What truly mattered was cultivation; without it, survival itself became impossible.

What’s more, for someone like Lu Xueqi, a favored child of the heavens, lacking extraordinary talent and cultivation meant one could only feel inferior beside her; their lifespans would not even be on the same plane. How could one speak of eternal companionship?

Still, if he could win Lu Xueqi’s heart, there must be something exceptional about him.

“Someone’s coming,” Qian Mo remarked.

Hearing this, everyone followed his gaze. In the distance, a group of over thirty young disciples approached, all dressed in white, exuding a vigorous and spirited aura—or, put less kindly, a sense of arrogance.

Of course, the disciples at the front of the group truly stood out, especially the leader, who was as dazzling as freshly fallen snow, handsome and elegant. Who could it be but Qi Hao, disciple of Dragon Head Peak?

Qi Hao!

Had he not appeared, Qian Mo might have forgotten this particular villain. In the original plot, Qi Hao snatched away Zhang Xiaofan’s senior sister and used a single Cooling Pearl to win over Tian Ling’er’s heart. Qi Hao himself was over a thousand years old—practically Tian Ling’er’s great-great-grandfather—yet he still had the audacity to pursue the young.

Ordinarily, Qian Mo would not have meddled—after all, the system’s tasks did not concern such matters. But now, seeing Qi Hao in person and recalling his shameless behavior, Qian Mo decided it was time to stir things up for this subordinate disciple. He scanned the crowd and, spotting Tian Ling’er among them, broke into a mischievous grin.

“So it’s Senior Brother Hao! We meet again!” Tian Ling’er called out joyfully at Qi Hao’s arrival, attracting everyone’s attention.

Others might not have noticed, but Qian Mo could see clearly: Zhang Xiaofan’s mood had soured considerably. Though he had reached the sixth level of Jade Purity, he kept his strength hidden, so none of the disciples from Bamboo Peak knew just how powerful their junior brother truly was.

Qian Mo resolved to give Xiaofan a helping hand in winning over Tian Ling’er—after all, he himself had already claimed Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao. He chuckled inwardly.

“Oh! So it’s Junior Sister Tian! It has been some time, hasn’t it? How have you fared with the Cooling Pearl I gifted you last time?” Qi Hao greeted with delight.

“It’s been wonderful!” Tian Ling’er replied.

At the rear of the group, Qian Mo stepped forward and deliberately said to Qi Hao, “What? Senior Sister Tian, did you just call Qi Hao ‘Senior Brother’? That’s completely mixed up! Do you know how many generations older Qi Hao is? He could be several times your grandfather! Qi Hao, am I wrong?”

Everyone was stunned by this remark—was he not afraid of courting death?

Zhang Xiaofan, however, was delighted, and cast Qian Mo a grateful smile.

The Bamboo Peak disciples, including Lu Xueqi, were also surprised—not by Qi Hao’s age, which they all knew, but that a disciple from Tongtian Peak would dare say such things so openly.

Most startled of all was Tian Ling’er. The senior brother she had admired for so long was actually old enough to be her great-great-grandfather? She felt ashamed for having fancied him—her junior brother Xiaofan was much better: young and honest.

Qi Hao’s expression darkened, his anger barely suppressed. He regarded Qian Mo with a deadly glare, though he quickly masked his killing intent. However, at Qian Mo’s level, nothing escaped his notice. Qi Hao spoke coldly, “And who might you be, junior brother?” He could not let go of someone who had humiliated him in front of everyone.

“Oh, nothing much, senior brother! I’m just a distant junior to Senior Sister Tian, barely worthy of your attention!” Qian Mo replied feigning stupidity, prompting Lu Xueqi and the others to stifle their laughter; they knew he was only pretending to be slow-witted.

“I see. And what cultivation has this distant junior of Ling’er achieved? Without sufficient strength, you hardly deserve the title, do you?” Qi Hao’s eyes glinted with scorn. The meaning was plain: someone was in for trouble.

“Oh, not very high at all! I’ve only been in Qingyun Sect for three years. Master always says I’m dull and untalented!” Qian Mo replied in a deliberately self-deprecating tone.

The onlookers thought to themselves that he was doomed—they could all see through the veiled threats.

“How laughable! What right do you have to call yourself Ling’er’s junior brother?” Qi Hao sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smile. Since you’ve provoked me, don’t expect to escape unscathed.

“Then may I ask, you old lecher, what is your cultivation?” Qian Mo shouted.

“Wh-what? Old lecher? You must have a death wish! I am at the peak of Jade Purity—an ant like you dares compare yourself to me? You had best not be eliminated too early, for I intend to personally put you in your place. I wasn’t even going to compete, but now I’ll show you just what it means to live in a world ruled by the strong!” Qi Hao was thoroughly enraged.

“Oh.” Qian Mo replied indifferently, turning to leave. As he walked away, he glanced back and said coolly, “A strong one, are you? Well then, venerable elder, don’t let me be disappointed!” Though his words were light, the dominance of the strong over the weak was unmistakable.

With that, he left. Both the Bamboo Peak and Big Bamboo Peak disciples who witnessed this scene thought he was incredibly impressive.

“Hmph! Such arrogance!” Qi Hao’s entire body stiffened, his face flushed with embarrassment, and his gaze towards Qian Mo burned with fury. It was all the fault of that inexplicable scoundrel.

After Qi Hao departed, the Bamboo Peak disciples approached the Big Bamboo Peak group. “Do you know what cultivation that Qian Mo fellow has? After all, Qi Hao is already at the peak of Jade Purity, half a step into Shangqing!” They were all curious, as was Lu Xueqi. She herself was only at the eighth level of Jade Purity and would not be able to match Qi Hao.

“Uh, honestly, we don’t know either. We’ve only met him twice. Two years ago, he and Zhang Xiaofan were both survivors from Grass Temple Village. We rescued them, and the Sect Leader took a liking to him and accepted him as a disciple. After two years of training, when he came to Big Bamboo Peak to visit Xiaofan, he was already at the fifth level of Jade Purity,” Song Daren explained.

“What? The fifth level of Jade Purity in just two years?” The Bamboo Peak disciples, including Lu Xueqi, were all astonished. Even she had not reached the fifth level in two years.

“I know Qian Mo. He never does anything he isn’t sure of. If he dares provoke Qi Hao now, he must be confident. I saw it—when Qi Hao mentioned his own peak cultivation, Qian Mo’s eyes flashed with disdain,” Zhang Xiaofan, who had been silent until now, spoke quietly.

“Could he have already reached Shangqing? That seems impossible, doesn’t it?” someone wondered, shaking their head. After all, reaching the fifth level of Jade Purity in two years was already monstrous. Shangqing was simply unthinkable.

“Well, who knows? The truth will come out in time,” Zhang Xiaofan said.

“Yes, we’ll find out soon enough.”

Thus, the Seven Peaks Martial Tournament officially began.

(End of chapter)