Ascending, Do Not Disturb!

Chapter 9: Test

Kong Hou stood at the doorway to Five Elements Hall.

“What is it?” Cheng Yi saw that Kong Hou seemed not to dare to enter. Now she knew to be afraid? He had thought that she was really fearless and that she took the storybooks as the absolute truth.

“No-nothing.” Kong Hou would not admit that she worried she did not have the good luck of storybook protagonists. She smoothed her fur jacket and said falsely, “I’m just adjusting my clothing.”

Cheng Yi laughed and took her hand. “Shimei, no matter what kind of talent you have, you will be my shimei. No one in Splendid Cloud Sect would dare to bully you.”

Kong Hou bit her lower lip. “Do useless people have value?”

The people in the palace said the reason why Emperor Jinghong kept her alive was because she was of some use. That was why he had kept her, a member of the previous dynasty. From a young age, she understood—after her mother-empress passed away, no one else in the world would be good to her for nothing.

She did not dare to walk around or speak freely in Splendid Cloud Sect. She feared bringing trouble to Master, and that Master and the shixiong would look down on her.

Seeing Kong Hou’s unease, Cheng Yi bent down and looked straight into her eyes. “Kong Hou, Shixiong does not have top talent. If you possess outstanding talent, Shixiong will be of no use to you. Will Shixiong be worthless to you then?”

Kong Hou shook her head. “No, Eldest Shixiong is very good; Master and Second Shixiong are also very good.”

“So, in our eyes, Kong Hou is also very good, no matter how much talent you have.” Cheng Yi smiled gently and reached out a hand in front of Kong Hou. “Do not be afraid—Shixiong will go in with you.”

Kong Hou slowly put her hand into Cheng Yi’s palm. Eldest Shixiong‘s hand was large and warm. It could wrap around her hand. Just like… a father’s hand. It gave her endless courage.

The supervisor of Five Elements Hall saw Cheng Yi come in with Kong Hou and put the tangram he was playing with back into his sleeve. “Greetings, Shishu.” There weren’t many matters in the sect in the last few days, and he had nothing to do. He hadn’t even played with the tangram for half an hour before the two shishu found him. He really was unlucky.

Cheng Yi pretended not to see the supervisor’s actions. “Little Shimei has just joined the sect. I’ve come to test her talent.”

The supervisor thought to himself, last time, he hadn’t managed to finish speaking before Cheng Yi Shishu had glared him into swallowing the words. Now he had come of his own accord. Moon Perching Peak’s people were confusing in their actions.

He ushered the two to the back of the building. There was a five element stone with seal formations drawn on the surface. People with spirit bases only had to put the spirit stone to their forehead to test their talent. This young shishu came from the mortal world. Before holding the apprenticeship ceremony, they hadn’t dared to even test her talent. She most likely did not have good talent.

After hearing the supervisor say what to do, Kong Hou picked up the five element stone from the table. She felt that she had karma with the word “five.” Maybe it would bring her good luck.

The five element stone was cold to the touch. The moment it touched her forehead, Kong Hou felt a wave of coldness enter her head. Slightly cold, but it was comfortable, like water washing away the mud on the stone, and she felt refreshed.

“Close your eyes, and relax your body and mind.” Cheng Yi saw the five element stone remain silent. “Slowly.”

The courtyard was extremely quiet except for the sound of snow falling onto the leaves.