Chapter 3

"Big Brother, have some more? This mutton was sent by Uncle Zhang, it’s very fresh!"

The breakfast was a fragrant mutton soup, but it couldn’t even stir Li Chun’s appetite, which greatly surprised Yan Huo’er.

In her memory, the biggest change in this Big Brother over the past three years was his obsession with food. She remembered that three years ago, he fell off a cliff while picking wild fruits and was unconscious for several days. She took care of him day and night, feeding him thin porridge to save his life.

When Li Chun woke up, his first words were, "This porridge is too bland... If you add some scallops, it would taste much better. Or give me a piece of pickled radish?"

Yan Huo’er almost spilled the bowl of porridge on his face.

Since then, he had become extremely particular about his food, insisting on the finest and most delicate dishes. Fortunately, he seemed to have developed some skills, and the family’s situation had gradually improved, even better than before his parents passed away. Whatever he wanted to eat, he could have it.

Li Chun had always been a food lover. With the high living standards on Earth, what couldn’t he eat? He was also a homebody, often cooking himself, and his culinary skills were quite good. This had spoiled his taste, turning him into a complete foodie, a trait that didn’t change even in the Miti World.

So, it was puzzling to see him staring blankly at the fragrant meat soup today, looking lost and dispirited.

"Not open... not open..."

Li Chun kept muttering to himself, frowning.

"I wish I hadn’t boasted so much..."

With the Langhuan Library closed, he couldn’t obtain the exquisite sword techniques. Other things could wait, like the scholar examination, which was still about three months away. By then, the library might be reorganized and reopened.

But the current problem was the sword discussion with Li Ba from the Thunderclap Hall!

There were only seven days left.

Seven days.

He had confidently promised his teacher and fellow disciples that he would bring glory to the Qingling Pavilion this time and secure the honor for the year.

What should he do now?

He sighed, his expression changing constantly.

"At this point, there’s only one way!"

Li Chun gritted his teeth, "I don’t believe a living person can be defeated by a little setback. I am destined to become a Sword Saint. How can I fail at such a crucial moment?"

He finally regained some spirit, reached into the pot, and ate a piece of juicy mutton. He straightened his clothes and stood up with determination.

"Huo’er, I’m going to school!"

"Okay!" Yan Huo’er wheeled him to the door, gently retied his belt, "Big Brother, come back early and don’t cause any trouble..."

"Got it!"

Li Chun waved and turned to leave.

When he said he was going to school, he meant the Qingling Pavilion.

Qingfeng City, though a remote small town, was planned like a major city, divided into nine streets and sixteen neighborhoods. The Qingling Pavilion was located in the Bifeng Neighborhood in the south of the city.

This was a school that taught martial arts and Daoist techniques, with a long history in Qingfeng City. It was said to have a close connection with the newly deified Daoist Master Luo Yuchuan—though this didn’t bring them many more students. While it wasn’t deserted, it wasn’t thriving either.

Firstly, the head of the Qingling Pavilion was a woman, whose sword skills were not very high, only at the sixth level. She had just been called a Sword Master, barely qualified to teach.

Secondly, the Thunderclap Hall in the same Bifeng Neighborhood was much more popular. Most wealthy students went there. Although the tuition was high, the faculty was strong, with an eighth-level Sword Master leading the way, making it one of the top schools in Qingfeng City.

Li Chun initially chose the Qingling Pavilion because of the low tuition and its proximity to his home.

But over time, he had developed feelings for the gentle teacher and the clumsy classmates.

Especially those silly classmates.

"Big Brother!"

"Big Brother is here!"

"Big Brother is mighty! May Big Brother be blessed with good fortune!"

As soon as Li Chun stepped into the outer hall of the Qingling Pavilion, he heard a chaotic and uncoordinated roar—no matter how long he trained them, they still couldn’t greet him in unison, which was quite frustrating.

"Big Brother! Quickly, help me calculate my luck in love today. Can I talk to A Hua at the teahouse?"

"Big Brother, your charm spell was so effective yesterday, Linglong really looked at me!"

Ever since Li Chun came up with the idea of love divination, these young men, who were full of desire but lacked courage, found an outlet for their infatuation. They surrounded him every day, begging for love predictions.

In the pavilion, his words were treated as gospel, more influential than the teacher’s.

"Alright, alright! I’ll help you during class!"

Li Chun had no heart to chat with them today. He signaled to the smallest and thinnest of the group, Xiao Hu, and after some effort, managed to calm everyone down. He then moved to the pond in the back courtyard, waiting under a willow tree. Soon, Xiao Hu, holding his stomach, sneaked over.

"Why are you holding your stomach?" Li Chun frowned.

"I told the others I had a stomachache and went to the toilet to sneak out..." Xiao Hu looked shifty, approaching Li Chun with a fawning smile, "Big Brother, what do you need?"

"Go, go! Stand back..." Li Chun sniffed disdainfully, his eyes darting around to make sure no one was around before lowering his voice.

"Xiao Hu, you said you could get new sword techniques? Can you get a seventh-level one? How much?"

"Choke!"

Xiao Hu choked on his own saliva, "Seventh... seventh level? Where am I supposed to get that?"

Li Chun glared, "Don’t play dumb! Didn’t you find out that Li Ba’s Thunderclap Sword Technique is around eighth level? If I don’t get a seventh-level technique, how can I beat him? I boasted to Man Niang, and I can’t back down now. You said you had a way, so why are you hesitating?"

"Big Brother!"

Xiao Hu complained, "You really plan to cheat? A seventh-level sword technique is a big deal. It’s not easy to get, and I can only manage eighth or ninth level techniques for exams. Seventh level... that’s enough for the imperial examination. Even if I can get it, it will be very expensive!"

"Stop whining!" Li Chun snorted, "No matter the cost, get it done!"

Cheating is inevitable in any world and any competition.

The sword discussion in the Miti World, including the imperial examination, was no exception.

The profession of helping others cheat has existed for a long time.

Sword techniques, though claimed to be newly created, are often developed at home and refined privately with a teacher before being unveiled to surprise everyone. Li Ba’s Thunderclap Sword Technique wouldn’t have been completed so quickly without the meticulous guidance of their hall master, Yue Tianying.

Purchasing impressive new techniques and passing them off as one’s own creations is not uncommon.

Li Chun, with no other options, had to resort to this.

"I... I’ll try..." Xiao Hu, intimidated by his senior, stammered.