No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 982 Searching for Insects in Qiutang
Back then, Ouyang Rong invited everyone to a dinner party in order to set up a scheme to collect Lu Jinghong's palm blood. In order to invite Lu Jinghong, he also specially invited Song Zhian. At that time, the latter was in semi-seclusion, so it was a great honor for her to come.

Ouyang Rong nodded secretly.

However, he decided that after lunch, if there was nothing important, he would say goodbye in advance and go back to rest.

He also has to work the night shift and deal with Yun Xiangyi, so he needs to conserve his energy.

Although Yun Xiangyi's unexpected change of events last night allowed him to leave the water prison early, finish his shift early, and go home to sleep relatively early, Ouyang Rong would normally be sound asleep at this time of day.

Plus, there's that little devil who doesn't want anything good for him... We agreed to wake him up on time in the morning, but Miao Si dragged it out until almost noon before waking him up. Otherwise, Ouyang Rong would never be late; he's always early, never late, when it comes to appointments.

The fairy goddess definitely did it on purpose.

Ouyang Rong was too lazy to even criticize her anymore.

On the other side, everyone was still chatting enthusiastically. Compared to Ouyang Rong's topic, Lu Jinghong was clearly more interested in Miss Song's matter.

He proactively inquired:

"Miss Song, how is your seclusion going? You invited us to dinner today, is it to celebrate something...? Could it be that Miss Song has broken through to the eighth rank!?"

Lu Jinghong's eyes widened slightly, her face filled with anticipation.

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Ouyang Rong, turned to look at Song Zhian, who was calmly pouring tea.

The latter gently shook his head and said:

"There are no eighth-rank cultivators. Among our peers, only Brother Liu's sister has broken through. Apart from that, there's no news from Chen Jiaxin either, so she must be stuck at a bottleneck as well... However, this period of seclusion has indeed brought some progress."

She smiled faintly, glossing over the matter with a nonchalant air:
"It's mainly about swordsmanship. I owe it all to my trip to Qingliang Valley last time. Unfortunately, Qiutang has another mission to take, and he's in a hurry, so I can't stay in seclusion in the courtyard any longer. I just came out of seclusion yesterday, and I thought it would be nice if we all had a meal together since we haven't seen each other for so long..."

Lu Jinghong, Yu Mili, and the others all looked on with curiosity.
"Qingliang Valley?"

"Ah."

Song Zhian smiled sweetly:
"Last time I went out with the team, I encountered an unexpected incident. I did well. After returning, Qiutang gave me a chance to study at the Qingliang Valley Library for three days. That day, on a cliff near the library, I came across a stone inscription by a senior and suddenly had an epiphany. I obtained a sword technique... After returning, I secluded myself for many days and gained some understanding of this technique."

"Although it wasn't very useful for breaking through to the eighth rank, it did improve my swordsmanship a bit."

Yu Mili stopped eating her pastries, listening intently with a look of envy on her face:
"Sister Song is amazing, good fortune is practically coming to her door."

Song Zhian shook her head: "Just lucky."

Lu Jinghong's tone was generally indifferent:
“Miss Song is too modest. Not everyone has the comprehension of Miss Song, who can comprehend rare sword techniques just by observing stone carvings... I have heard that in Qingliang Valley, besides waterfalls and strange rocks, the most abundant thing is the inheritance of sword techniques, which is hidden in many stone carvings and lost swords. Therefore, all the Yue women in the Sword Marsh hope to join the Jade Hall and stay in Qingliang Valley for a long time to hone their cultivation.”

"The stone carving that Miss Song encountered should be the legacy left by a senior sword cultivator. Miss Song is truly a blessed person with excellent comprehension and spirituality. In my opinion, she is in no way inferior to Chen Jiaxin. It is a waste of her talent to stay in Qiutang. She should be entering Yutang and ascending to Shulou."

Song Zhian waved her hand helplessly:
"Young Master Lu is too kind. Every senior sister from Yutang is an outstanding person. I am too dull to be qualified."

Sha Ergou muttered under his breath, "That's still better than that woman surnamed Chen. Miss Song is much better than her in every way. I really don't know how the goddesses chose her. You agree, Brother Liu."

While he was complaining, he didn't forget to turn his head and ask Ouyang Rong, who had been silent all along.

The latter gave a few blank "hmm" sounds, looking somewhat tired and sleepy, and didn't hear much of it.

Song Zhian lowered her eyes, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise. Then, as if remembering something, she immediately turned her head towards Ouyang Rong and changed the subject:
"By the way, Brother Liu, I heard from Madam Li that you are currently on night shift in the dining hall, delivering vegetarian meals to Qingliang Valley every night? Is it for Yutang?"

Ouyang Rong looked up as if he had just woken up from a nap, glanced around, rubbed his eyes, and nodded groggily in response:
"Uh-huh."

He paused for a moment, then added:
"However, when Miss Song went in for further studies, I probably hadn't even started my night shift yet."

“That’s true.” Song Zhian nodded slightly. “I knew the vegetarian food in the valley was bland and couldn’t possibly have been made by Brother Liu.”

After drinking his tea for a while, Lu Jinghong couldn't help but ask with concern:

"Is Miss Song coming out of seclusion this time because Qiutang has another mission and is going out again?"

Song Zhian turned around and said:

"Yes, this time it's the Sixth Lady leading the team, heading deep into the Great Swamp, to an unknown body of water..."

Lu Jinghong asked in confusion, "Are they going to look for something? What important business are they on? Why has it been Liu Shennv leading the team on so many occasions lately?"

Song Zhian pondered for a moment.

She glanced at the tightly closed courtyard gate, then at the crowd of curious onlookers, and whispered:
"Don't spread this around. Actually, other branches are already talking about it, so they don't need our information..."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh, paused, and lowered her voice to say:
"It was Her Highness's order that Qiutang was to find something, and the Sixth Lady was in charge. It seems to be a strange insect... However, the last few outings have been fruitless, and I've inadvertently stumbled into quite a few dangerous places. The reason I was able to receive this reward is because I accidentally discovered a crisis along the way and resolved it in advance..."

"However, according to my senior sisters, a thorough search of the outer perimeter of the Great Swamp yielded no results; the insect was nowhere to be found. The Six Goddesses have ordered preparations to be made, as they will be leading the team deeper into the swamp. The deeper into the Great Swamp, the more dangerous it becomes..."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other, their expressions turning serious.

Lu Jinghong's face was somewhat tense as she quietly asked:
"What kind of insect is that that the Queen is so concerned about... Also, Miss Song, although you are exceptionally talented, you are still not at the eighth rank. We are all at the lower rank of spiritual energy cultivation level. It would be too dangerous for us to go with you. Does Qiu Tang have any other people to help? Miss Song, why don't you see if you can make some arrangements to stay in Sword Swamp..."

Song Zhian interrupted directly:
"Young Master Lu, what are you saying? Qiu Tang has rules: we all share the same fate. Once you enter Qiu Tang, you shouldn't shrink back or be afraid of death. Even Her Majesty the Sixth Lady went there personally and took the lead. How can we be timid and hesitant?"

Lu Jinghong's face flushed slightly, and she quickly waved her hand, explaining the misunderstanding.

Keep your mouth shut and don't mention it again.

Sha Ergou seemed to understand but not quite, while Ouyang Rong buried his head in his tea to relieve fatigue, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Li Wan's face showed a thoughtful expression.

Even Yu Mili, who was waiting for her meal, understood what was going on and couldn't help but tilt her head, saying worriedly:
"Sister Song, please be careful."

Song Zhian remained calm and composed.
"Ah."

Just then, a servant came to the door to deliver lunch.

Everyone moved inside for a simple meal, the familiar large pot of food from Qingliang Valley Dining Hall.

During the meal, Song Zhian asked:
"By the way, Young Master Lu, Brother Sha, how have you been at the Bamboo Hall these days? Have you made any progress in your cultivation?"

Li Wan glanced at her son, who was sitting upright and proper while eating outside. The latter said politely and refinedly:

"It's the same as always. We're still consolidating our ninth rank; the eighth rank is still a ways off. After all, even Miss Song and you are still stuck at the eighth rank threshold, which shows how difficult this hurdle is." He smiled wryly and shook his head.

"In addition, my master also told me not to rush and to take my time. The most advanced swordsmanship cannot be learned overnight. The important thing is to comprehend it. Slow is fast, just like your adventure in Qingliang Valley, Miss Song."

Li Wan glanced silently at her son, who was always impatient when he spoke at home, and found that he was surprisingly patient in front of his concubine, and his arrogance had also subsided.

Song Zhian also took a good look at Lu Jinghong and nodded in approval:

"I feel that Young Master Lu has changed a bit; he's become much more down-to-earth and steady. Of course, that doesn't mean he wasn't good before..."

Lu Jinghong took over the conversation in a serious tone:

"I understand. I admit I was a bit rash before. Only after entering Jianze and Zhutang did I realize that there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding..." He then changed the subject, "Although I was fortunate enough to win a small victory against all my peers in this year's Zhutang Summer Sword Competition, I'm still just a frog in a well, and I need to continue honing my skills..."

As Song Zhian listened, she paused, feeling a sense of familiarity returning.

After wolfing down her rice, Yu Mili put down her bowl, patted her stomach, and then impatiently exclaimed:

"Me too, me too! Why didn't Sister Song ask about my situation?"

Song Zhian chuckled and rolled her eyes at her friend beside her:

"I know you too well. You little rascal, you know everything without even asking."

Yu Mili was a little confused when she heard this, but everyone else laughed.

Song Zhian noticed that Brother Liu seemed a little sleepy and absent-minded while eating, so she didn't ask any further questions. Instead, she turned her head and looked at Sha Ergou.

"How are Brother Sha doing lately?"

Lu Jinghong straightened his back, looked straight ahead, picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Sha Ergou looked around and scratched his head.

Yu Mili, unaware of the reason, asked out of curiosity:

"Brother Sha, have you reached the ninth rank yet? Last time I heard you say you hadn't reached the ninth rank yet. Logically speaking, Senior Jia Shu and Senior Dong Ya should be paying a lot of attention to you. It's been several months, the time should be about right. Hmm, I heard that all the Yue girls in the same year have already reached the ninth rank. I wonder how things are going at your Bamboo Hall..."

Lu Jinghong suddenly put down his teacup and said:

"As for Zhutang... almost all of them have reached the ninth rank and started Qi Refining this year."

He emphasized the word "almost," without glancing at Sha Ergou, who looked somewhat flustered beside him.

Song Zhian and Yu Mili also looked at the latter with curiosity.

Ouyang Rong glanced at Sha Ergou beside him as he put down his chopsticks and bowl. He saw Sha Ergou pull his hand back under the table and wipe the sweat from his palm repeatedly with the hem of his shirt... He seemed a little awkward.

Song Zhian seemed to sense something as well, and immediately looked away, preparing to change the subject:
"By the way, Brother Liu..."

Sha Ergou suddenly said in a muffled voice:

"I...I haven't reached the rank yet."

After these words were spoken, the air around the dinner table fell silent for a moment.

Lu Jinghong glanced at Sha Ergou.

Li Wan remained noncommittal, but took the initiative to smile and say, "Alright, alright, let's eat..."

Yu Mili couldn't help but ask, "Did Brother Sha not study seriously...?"

Sha Ergou shook his head honestly, his tone somewhat dejected:
"I studied hard. My master and Senior Dongya are so kind to me, and Brother Liu also gave me instructions. I studied diligently and dared not be too careless, but... but... no matter how hard I study, I can't get into the ninth rank."

The short-haired youth spoke haltingly, and even though his face was dark, a faint flush could be seen.

Before coming to dinner, he felt pretty good about himself, but after hearing what Lu Jinghong and Yu Mili said during the meal, he realized that he was a complete failure and immediately became anxious.

Under the somewhat strange gazes of the crowd, Sha Ergou slowly lowered his head and poked at the rice on the side of the bowl with his chopsticks:

"My master and Senior Dongya told me not to rush and to take it slow, but I... I feel a little sorry for them."

Everyone fell silent immediately.

Even Song Zhian and Yu Mili didn't know how to comfort them.

Sha Ergou tugged at Ouyang Rong's sleeve:

"Brother Liu, I... I've studied hard and haven't slacked off at all. I've tried everything, and my master and Senior Dongya have helped me a lot, but I still can't sense the gathering of Qi within my body. Am I stupid?"

Ouyang Rong seemed to only then notice the unusual situation on the field. He put down the bowl in his hand and looked up at his dejected younger brother in front of him.

Everyone noticed a look of confusion on his usually expressionless face:
"Is this ninth rank of Qi Refining really that important? Without it, can't one learn swordsmanship? I have a colleague in the dining hall who doesn't have the ninth rank, but he still diligently practices swordsmanship every day and even receives the favor and encouragement of the Five Goddesses. This shows that the way of swordsmanship here is not solely based on cultivation level. Talent may determine whether one can refine Qi, but whether one can learn swordsmanship depends solely on perseverance."

Amidst the surprised expressions of the crowd, Ouyang Rong continued softly:
"Besides, putting all that aside, Er Gou, you still have me at the bottom, right? No matter what, you're still better than me. What's there to be discouraged about? Have you seen me sighing and groaning?"

Sha Ergou was stunned for a moment, staring at Brother Liu, whose reasoning was quite peculiar, and subconsciously said:
"But...but I have let down my master and Senior Dongya..."

Ouyang Rong nodded in interruption:

"Perhaps the reason these two sword immortal seniors chose you and have always valued you is not because of your so-called talent for refining qi, but because of your great perseverance in practicing swordsmanship?"

"Besides, since they think so highly of you, you must not look down on yourself. Otherwise, you would be letting them down or even insulting them... Er Gou, you have made great progress by getting rid of your laziness. Take it slow. As Young Master Lu just said, slow is fast. I'm not very educated, but I think this is a very good saying."

Sha Ergou immediately fell silent.

Lu Jinghong was also surprised that the usually taciturn young man could utter such a logical and amazing statement, and couldn't help but look at him sideways.

Li Wan stopped smiling and carefully examined Ouyang Rong.

Song Zhian suddenly spoke:
"Brother Liu is truly insightful and wise, seemingly foolish yet profoundly intelligent. No wonder he was able to raise such a gifted child as your sister. Although she came from a poor background, Brother Liu, as the eldest brother, has been like a father to her, teaching and guiding her every step of the way. His contributions are immeasurable..."

(End of this chapter)