"Chase him down!" One of the test participants finally exclaimed after recovering from the initial astonishment.
"Wait!" Third Elder immediately stopped the candidates from pursuing their foe. "Let the Heaven Dao Pavilion handle this. Kong Qing, lead them to the Heaven Academic Altar first!"
"I … understand!" Kong Qing gritted his teeth, but he ultimately understood the severity of the matter. At a time like this, maintaining 'order' was of utmost importance.
"Get changed first" Fifth Elder shoved his hand and threw Kong Qing straight off the edge of the cliff. Soon afterwards, he walked inside the Heaven Dao Pavilion with Third Elder.
Kong Qing nodded silently. His face was so dark that water could almost ooze out. As the disciple who hosted the first round of the Heaven Dao Pavilion selection test, he should have be revered. But now, he was attacked brutally by the entire horde of candidates, and all this was the fault of that damned imposter.
"I'll definitely kill you with my own hands to regain my dignity!" Kong Qing's eyes shot towards the Heaven Dao Pavilion, seething with rage.
Not only was Kong Qing enraged, Qian Wu also showed an equally dark expression.
"That scoundrel was an imposter?! Then he …. How evil, not only did he harm Si Mafeng, he nearly cost me my placing with a few stones! I must see who that scoundrel really is!"
Yan Xiu and Nan Gongmu exchanged glances, wanting to comment but they ultimately remained silent. Yet, both of them seemed slightly anxious.
As for Yan Qing, he was not really bothered by Fang Zhengzhi hurling stones at him. Instead, he stood at one side without uttering a word, but still cast his gaze subconsciously on Nan Gongmu.
…..
Fang Zhengzhi finally understood the true meaning of calling someone an old fox.
He really felt that he was exercising utmost caution and yet, he was still sniffed out by the two seasoned veterans Third Elder and Fifth Elder.
Allowing him to participate in the third round of the selection test? In the end, it was just a tactic to buy time. Their purpose was solely to trick Fang Zhengzhi into assuming that they would report this transgression to the Heaven Dao Pavilion and strip Kong Qing of his discipleship - or to put it more bluntly, it was to force Fang Zhengzhi into staying there.
What a great plan!
First, they pretended not to know Fang Zhengzhi's true identity and led him into the Heaven Dao Pavilion, then bought enough time to locate the real Kong Qing before finally dealing Fang Zhengzhi a fatal blow.
He had to admit that Third Elder and Fifth Elder were indeed crafty people.
The elders of the Heaven Dao Pavilion truly live up to their reputation.
At least the black sheep Kong Qing was eager for revenge. Otherwise, Fang Zhengzhi would have followed the two elders up the Sword Peak, and by then, he would be in a real pinch. After all, anyone would have a difficult time slipping away from over ten test participants along with Third and Fifth Elder.
Fang Zhengzhi was grateful for his own wit.
As the saying goes, one who survives a great disaster would definitely be rewarded with good fortunes.
The development of a cliched plot would now have Fang Zhengzhi stumbling upon some female disciple's boudoir, wouldn't it? Or perhaps, an unguarded treasure trove?
"God help me that I don't stumble upon a female elder's room. I can't stand the smell!" Fang Zhengzhi prayed silently as he rushed forward quickly.
Did he notice his surroundings? He didn't have much time on his hands, and after all, it was impossible for him to recognize anything no matter how hard he tried. He was truly a headless housefly in the Heaven Dao Pavilion - running everywhere without a clue.
He was just hoping that his luck would increase exponentially and allow him to stumble upon a hidden treasure trove.
And just as he mulled over this prospect, Fang Zhengzhi stopped. After he passed through an aisle lined with gorgeous scenery, his line of vision expanded significantly, but there was something more important than this.
Most importantly, there were Heaven Dao Pavilion disciples standing in his field of vision dressed in white scholarly robes. Each disciple had the two characters of 'Heaven Dao' embroidered on their chest.
Of course, Fang Zhengzhi was also donning the identical white robes, but … there seemed to a little too many Heaven Dao disciples standing in front of him.
Normally, there would be at most two or three Heaven Dao disciples standing guard along the various paths. Why are there thousands of them here now?
It was a sea of white - an entire horde of Heaven Dao disciples. And every single one of them was staring straight at Fang Zhengzhi. Their expressions were the same as those of vengeful wives seeing their lecherous husbands returning home.
"Where's this place?" Fang Zhengzhi gazed at the centre of the crowd, and there, stood a giant stone tablet as black as ink. The stone tablet was scribbled with cluttered lines of golden characters.
And below the giant tablet sat a bare-footed old man dressed in long white robes. He had snow-white hair and a rosy complexion, and his eyes were shut gently.
Fang Zhengzhi couldn't recognize this person, but he certainly recognized the two people sitting beneath the old man. They were the Great Xia Emperor Lin Mubai and the Xian King Lin Yun.
So … did he just stumble into the Heaven Academic Altar?!
Where was his miraculous luck? Who said that one who survives a great disaster would definitely be rewarded with good fortunes? Where was his female disciple's boudoir? His hidden treasure trove? Alright, he could do without all of these.
But, he could at least have entered a female elder's quarters, right?
Fang Zhengzhi was having an internal meltdown. After exhausting so much effort to escape the Third and Fifth Elders' monstrous grasp, he stumbled straight into the Heaven Academic Altar?
Great, that's a real surprise!
Fang Zhengzhi did not continue lamenting his atrocious luck. He just turned around and left, without even stopping for one second.
"Where are you going, Senior Kong Qing?"
"The Pavilion Leader and the leaders of the four lands should have waited for long. The second round of the selection test should be done, right?"
"Wait, Senior Kong Qing!"
Very quickly, a few other disciples exclaimed the same thing. At the same time, a few shadows swiftly appeared behind Fang Zhengzhi, each of their faces carrying traces of doubt.
A drop of cold sweat slid down Fang Zhengzhi's forehead.
He could certainly ignore the persistent proving of the disciples standing behind him, but that would undoubtedly raise even more suspicions. But if he replied them … F*ck, who has time for that?
"Hahaha … you scoundrel, he actually ran all the way here?" Just as Fang Zhengzhi wanted to hurl a few profanities, the sound of laughter rang from a distance.
Shortly after, two elders in white robes walked towards him slowly. They were Third and Fifth Elder.
"...." Fang Zhengzhi remained mum. He just raised his head slowly to marvel at the azure blue sky and the blinding sun hanging there.
Then, he quietly raised his two hands and pointed his middle finger at the two elders.
"How dare you, Kong Qing!"
"Senior Kong Qing, how can you disrespect Third and Fifth Elder?!"
"Senior Kong Qing, what exactly is going on?"
The disciples looked at Fang Zhengzhi's audacious gesture in confusion. After all, Kong Qing was certainly no stranger in the Heaven Dao Pavilion, and more importantly, has Kong Qing ever disrespected his elders?
"Yes, how can I disrespect Third and Fifth Elder? What's wrong with me?" Fang Zhengzhi asked himself the same question.
"Brat, you can't blame us. You came to find us yourselves, didn't you?" Third Elder smirked at Fang Zhengzhi's despondent expression.
"Right, you're absolutely right!" Fang Zhengzhi nodded.
"Hehe, in that case, do you wish to surrender? Or do we have to step in?" Third Elder paid no heed to the surrounding disciples' puzzled faces and continued probing Fang Zhengzhi.
"Is there a third option?" Fang Zhengzhi chimed casually.
"I don't think so." Third Elder and Fifth Elder exchanged glances for a moment and shook their heads in unison.
"Then can I take a break first, sip some water and have a meal?"
"No as well."
"I'm still a guest after all. Isn't this below the usual hospitality standards of the Heaven Dao Pavilion?"
"You're truly shameless. You dare talk about manners to us?" Upon hearing this, Fifth Elder was slightly stunned, but chuckled along. "Fine, let me explain this to you. You pretend to be Kong Qing, yet you talk about manners? You interrupt the Heaven Dao Pavilion selection test, yet you talk about manners?"
"Pretend to be Kong Qing?!"
"Interrupt the Heaven Dao Pavilion selection test?"
"This brat is an imposter?"
Upon hearing Fifth Elder's words, the Heaven Dao disciples behind Fang Zhengzhi finally realized what was going on and stared at Fang Zhengzhi in astonishment.
Besides them, the other Heaven Dao disciples standing around the Heaven Academic Altar widened their eyes in utter disbelief.
Someone actually dared to pose as a Heaven Dao disciple and disrupt the Heaven Dao Pavilion selection test?
This was something that has never happened in the past thousand years!
The Pavilion Leader Mu Qingfeng opened his eyes and gazed at Fang Zhengzhi from the Heaven Academic Altar. Although he remained silent, this clearly indicated that the incident unfolding before him has piqued his curiosity.
"Surrender now, brat!"
"How dare you do this in the Heaven Dao Pavilion?"
"Why are you still standing? Kneel!"
After the initial wave of astonishment, a few Heaven Dao disciples quickly came to their senses.They were not as patient as Third Elder and Fifth Elder. Anyone who dares disrupt the order of the Heaven Dao Pavilion must be met with thunder and fury.
Just as their voices trailed off … a figure already arrived in front of Fang Zhengzhi, not giving him any time to reply Fifth Elder's question. He landed a direct kick at Fang Zhengzhi's legs.
How dare an imposter pretending to be a Heaven Dao disciple still stand? If he wants to answer, he should speak while kneeling on the ground!
His movements were quick and merciless. After all, regardless of Fang Zhengzhi's status, the sin of posing as a Heaven Dao disciple and disrupting their selection test was worthy of the death penalty!