Chapter 19: Wariness

However, accepting the task was one thing; the elder's attitude was quite another. Lin Hao took the Cloud-Swallowing Sword, looked at the elder, and said bluntly, "I don't know why, on our first meeting today, you seem to be targeting me. But since you insist on giving me this Cloud-Swallowing Sword, then I will accept it. The wheel of fortune turns, and we will meet again. I will remember what happened today."

Lin Hao cast a meaningful glance at the elder, then turned and left, paying him no further heed. He wanted to leave, yet as he stepped out, the elder was momentarily stunned. Seeing Lin Hao holding the Cloud-Swallowing Sword, he suddenly reacted and called out loudly, "Wait! Stop right there!"

Lin Hao paused at the elder’s words, turned back, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Is there anything else you wish to instruct me, Elder?"

"Since you have chosen the Cloud-Swallowing Sword as your life-bound artifact, you must bind it in my presence. Otherwise, how can I know you truly intend to make it your life-bound artifact?" The elder of the Artifact Pavilion ordered Lin Hao.

He had been somewhat intimidated by Lin Hao’s gaze just now, but upon seeing Lin Hao about to leave with the Cloud-Swallowing Sword, he could not allow him to go.

Meanwhile, the newly admitted inner disciples had also been sent to select their life-bound artifacts, so others began to arrive one after another. Beside the Artifact Pavilion was the Technique Pavilion, and some were there to study the texts.

Lin Hao and the elder were locked in a stalemate at the doorway. Everyone stopped, uncertain what was happening.

Everyone knew Lin Hao was the first to be granted entry to the Artifact Pavilion by the sect master yesterday, making him the object of much envy. Seeing the current situation, they sensed the tension between Lin Hao and the elder.

"What’s going on? Didn’t Lin Hao come early to choose his life-bound artifact? What happened? Did he offend the elder?"

The crowd whispered among themselves.

Someone with sharp eyes spotted the sword in Lin Hao’s hand. "Hey! Look at that—could that shabby sword really be Lin Hao’s chosen life-bound artifact?"

"No way, it’s so worn out! Maybe he offended the elder, so the elder gave him this broken thing?"

Their guesses were close to the truth.

Lin Hao and the elder heard the murmurs nearby. Lin Hao’s expression shifted from anger to calm, while the elder’s was the opposite. Originally, he had wanted to handle things quietly, but in no time, so many people had gathered.

The elder of the Artifact Pavilion scowled at Lin Hao and said, "Stop dawdling. Since you’ve accepted it, bind it right away, and then you may leave."

"Really! So Senior Brother Lin Hao is actually going to choose that thing as his life-bound artifact. Has he lost his mind? Has he never seen anything better?"

"Exactly. Lin Hao is too naive. He’s already in the inner sect, yet he picks such a broken thing as his life-bound artifact? Doesn’t he know how important a life-bound artifact is?"

The crowd ridiculed Lin Hao for his poor taste in choosing such a battered sword.

Lin Hao looked at the Cloud-Swallowing Sword in his hand, hesitating. Although he had accepted it, and the system claimed it was a fragment of a Chaos artifact, he wondered if this black, rusty sword could truly serve as his life-bound artifact. If it really was just a broken sword, wouldn’t he be ruined?

Noticing Lin Hao’s hesitation, the elder grew especially impatient. The crowd was growing, and to avoid further complications, the elder lunged forward to snatch the sword from Lin Hao’s hand and force him to bind it.

Lin Hao, deep in thought, sensed the elder’s movement, spun swiftly to evade the elder’s grasp, and demanded sternly, "Elder, what are you doing? Are you trying to force me to bind it?"

"You brat, since you’ve agreed to make it your life-bound artifact, you must bind it in my presence. Otherwise, if you turn around and throw it away, how will I explain to the sect master?" The elder was even more impatient after Lin Hao dodged him, pointing at Lin Hao and shouting.

"So Senior Brother Lin Hao agreed to this himself! Has he really lost his mind?"

"Maybe it wasn’t the elder’s doing—perhaps Lin Hao really chose it himself."

The crowd’s opinion shifted, no longer sympathizing with Lin Hao but speculating that he had chosen the artifact himself, looking at him with disdain.

Lin Hao was not one to yield to pressure; if handled amicably, he might have bound the artifact on the spot. But the elder’s attitude irked him, so Lin Hao quickly said, "Elder, your words are not fair. You picked this thing for me at random. To avoid offending you, I accepted the Cloud-Swallowing Sword, but I need to show it to Senior Brother Qingyun first. After all, it was Qingyun who secured this opportunity for me. How can I bind my life-bound artifact without letting him see it? So I can’t bind it right now."

He even mentioned Qingyun.

The elder was surprised at the mention of Qingyun. "Qingyun? Do you mean the sect master’s first disciple, Qingyun?"

"Precisely," Lin Hao nodded.

"What is your relationship with Qingyun? Why do you need to show your life-bound artifact to him?" The elder, hearing Lin Hao confirm Qingyun’s name, felt a trace of apprehension and probed further.

"Yes, Senior Brother Qingyun. Is there anything else you wish to ask, Elder?" Lin Hao did not answer about his relationship, instead using Qingyun’s reputation to question the elder.

The elder’s face darkened, furious at Lin Hao’s insolence. "You impudent brat! Do you think anyone can just say they know the sect master’s first disciple? I think you’re lying to me. Don’t bring up irrelevant people. Even if you really know Qingyun, so what? Here in the Artifact Pavilion, I make the rules. Bind the Cloud-Swallowing Sword now and stop wasting time."

The elder believed Lin Hao could not explain his connection to Qingyun and was therefore unafraid.

"Oh, so to you, Cousin Qingyun is just an irrelevant person!" Lin Hao feigned surprise, covering his mouth and looking at the elder.

"What cousin? Qingyun is your cousin?" The elder caught this and questioned Lin Hao.

"Mm-hmm," Lin Hao replied haughtily, refusing to engage further, merely scoffing.

Seeing Lin Hao’s demeanor, the elder began to doubt, but Lin Hao’s attitude convinced him somewhat. He thought: Is Qingyun really Lin Hao’s cousin? Otherwise, how could Lin Hao dare to act so boldly?

The surrounding disciples were mostly newly admitted inner disciples or those of low status, who rarely interacted with Qingyun and knew nothing of Lin Hao’s true identity. Hearing Lin Hao’s claim, they were astonished.

They whispered below.

"So Senior Brother Lin Hao is Senior Brother Qingyun’s cousin—no wonder!"

"Yeah, no wonder the sect master personally ordered that Lin Hao be the first to choose an artifact!"

Hearing this, the elder felt uneasy, his face turning awkward. He silently cursed Elder Zhou for making him target Lin Hao; if Lin Hao was Qingyun’s cousin, he must be well acquainted with the sect master.

If he offended Lin Hao over a mere artifact, wouldn’t that mean offending Qingyun as well? Even if Elder Zhou spoke on his behalf, it would be useless. After all, Qingyun was the sect master’s disciple, far more influential than Elder Zhou.

The elder now did not know how to react. After weighing things in his mind, his gaze flickered; he looked up at Lin Hao, his expression softening and his attitude changing. "Lin Hao, Master Lin, is it? If you’re Qingyun’s cousin, why didn’t you say so earlier? Regarding your life-bound artifact, we can discuss it further. Please follow me inside the Artifact Pavilion; we can talk privately."

At this point, the elder no longer wanted the crowd to gossip. He wanted to invite Lin Hao inside to resolve the matter privately.

But Lin Hao refused. "Discuss further? Elder, didn’t you make your position clear just now? I don’t understand your intentions now."

"Uh, I must have been confused earlier. The sect master personally instructed you to choose your life-bound artifact—it wasn’t supposed to be this one. I must have gotten it wrong. My apologies. Even though you’re holding the Cloud-Swallowing Sword, it is indeed a sacred artifact, but it may not match your spiritual root. To be honest, this Cloud-Swallowing Sword has been in the Artifact Pavilion for some time, yet no one has been able to unlock it, so its attributes are unknown. Let me select another artifact for you, one that matches your spiritual root. How does that sound?"

The elder, annoyed by Lin Hao’s refusal to let him save face, forced himself to be polite, considering Lin Hao’s status.

"What? Elder, are you serious? The artifact you picked for me doesn’t even have a discernible attribute? Are you kidding? You realize the sect master himself ordered me to choose my life-bound artifact, and you do this? Aren’t you afraid the sect master will hold you to account? No, I must inform Senior Brother Qingyun right away."