Seeking all kinds of support.
"What's up?" Qi Tian's voice was very flat; no enthusiasm could be heard. Regardless of how his predecessor felt about Yuan Dan, Qi Tian distinctly remembered that in the month after his transmigration, Yuan Dan never came to see him or asked someone to inquire about his situation. Such a girl was simply impossible to feel any affection for.
"After the fight you had with Senior Brother Zhou last time, I thought something might have happened to you. Now that you're all safe and sound, I'm relieved." Yuan Dan's face was as usual; her words were pure formalities.
"Thank you for your concern." Qi Tian then turned again and continued towards Room 10 in block A.
"Qi Tian." Yuan Dan called out again.
"What's the matter?" Qi Tian asked again, his voice now somewhat impatient.
"The thing is, I urgently need some money, can you help me gather it?" Yuan Dan wouldn't even use the word 'borrow'. Previously, every time she expressed a similar need, Qi Tian would find ways to get her money, and she never had to return it. She took such treatment for granted, always stating that Qi Tian was giving the money voluntarily.
"Oh." Qi Tian took a couple of steps towards Yuan Dan, reaching into his bag.
Yuan Dan's lips lifted in a smirk of triumph. She knew that as long as she made a move, nothing could fail with Qi Tian. As her admirer, even the slightest gestures from her were means of manipulation towards Qi Tian.
By the time Qi Tian arrived in front of Yuan Dan, his hand was already out of his bag, extended towards Yuan Dan. "Here you are."
Yuan Dan stretched out her delicate hand, and Qi Tian loosened his grip. A pile of copper coins, interspersed with a few small pieces of silver, tumbled out. All the copper coins and silver together probably didn't even amount to one tale of silver. "This is for you, no need to return it."
Yuan Dan was stunned. She felt as if she was being pierced by the stares of the on-lookers, making her extremely uncomfortable. She raised her head, her eyes blazing at Qi Tian who was merely inches away from her, angrily asking: "Qi Tian, what do you mean by this?"
"Didn't you say you needed money? This is my contribution to you, you don't even need to pay me back. In this society, those who lend you money without asking for a repayment, that's true love. If you don't believe me, you can ask anyone here—who would lend you money without asking for it back?" Qi Tian answered with a smile.
The crowd burst into laughter. One spectator, who loved to stir up trouble, echoed: "Yeah, lending money and not asking for it back, plus taking a beating for you, that must be true love."
"Yeah, if anyone does that for me, I would love him to death."
...
Yuan Dan's bosom heaved in agitation. Due to her beauty, she was always the center of attention wherever she went. She had never experienced such humiliation. Qi Tian, this toad dares to mention "love" to her—it's downright despicable and shameless. She wished she could throw the pile of copper coins right back in Qi Tian's face. However, recalling the promise she had made, she took a deep breath and forced a rigid smile onto her face.
"Qi Tian, I need a considerable amount of silver urgently—do you understand what I mean?" Yuan Dan said.
"I understand. Silver is a good thing; everyone is short of it, including me. Aren't you raising funds? Why not squeeze in and raise another ten thousand tales for me while you're at it? I won't let you help for free—I can give you two percent interest annually—what do you think?" Qi Tian replied with a smile.
Yuan Dan's face changed drastically. She never expected such a response from Qi Tian. It was not in line with the script she had envisioned. She dropped all pretense and said: "Qi Tian, don't play dumb. I want all the money you have. If you dare to hide even a penny from me, I won't deal with you anymore."
Qi Tian replied: "You can't force love. If you don't want to deal with me, I can't push it. Please feel free to do as you like; don't delay my registration."
Yuan Dan was piqued. The tone of her voice turned cold: "Fine, Qi Tian, I hope you won't regret it." She then struck Jun Tian with a glare. With a stamp of her foot, she turned around, squeezed through the crowd, and left indignantly.
Someone who knew Yuan Dan said, "Brother, if Yuan Dan asks you for a loan, you should give it to her. If you've upset her by turning her away, she will never let it go. She and Zhou Kunlin are close. Be careful that she doesn't convince Zhou Kunlin to take out his frustrations on you."
Qi Tian's steps paused. He turned back to look at the man who had issued him a warning, memorizing the man's features in secret. Nodding, he said, "Thank you for the reminder. I will exercise discretion."
However, the man shook his head in sympathy. Among the outer disciples, Zhou Kunlin was a force to be reckoned with. Everyone at the Qi Cultivation Initial Stage, ranging from the Qi Cultivation First Level to the Qi Cultivation 3rd Level, feared him. It seemed unwise for Qi Tian, who was merely at the Qi Cultivation First Level, to repeatedly provoke Zhou Kunlin.
Alas, he was still too young.
Despite the crowd gathered outside Room A10, there were few inside. There was one person signing up like Qi Tian, and the other three were responsible for registration.
After Qi Tian entered the room, the prospective brother in front of him completed all procedures and left, leaving only him as the sign-up.
The three from Huangque Hall looked middle-aged, presumably around their thirties or forties. Like Qi Tian, they were in the Qi Cultivation Period, although not at his level of Qi Cultivation First Level. Two of them were at the Qi Cultivation 6th Level, and the other at the Qi Cultivation 7th Level.
"I pay my respects, Senior Brothers. I am here to sign up. Here is my Disciple Card." Qi Tian gave a respectful bow and handed over his disciple card.
Being in charge of verifying the qualifications of applicants and registration, the Qi Cultivation 7th Level Liang Xiaolong took Qi Tian's identity card, checked the list of names, and examined Qi Tian from head to toe before shaking his head. "Junior brother Qi Tian, you are just at the Qi Cultivation First Level, the very beginning. Frankly, signing up for County Master is like trying to run before you can walk; your aspirations are high but abilities low. Do you know that even the weakest of the applicants before you were at the Qi Cultivation 3rd Level? How can you compete with them? Please heed my advice. Don't sign up. The registration fee of ten thousand tales is no joke. With that money, why not invest in cultivation resources, increase your skills and understanding? That is far more important and practical than contending for the County Master."
Liang Xiaolong gave these heartfelt words. He did not belittle Qi Tian because of his young age and initial stage of training, but rather advised him sincerely. Qi Tian was grateful, although it didn't change his resolve. He clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother. But as the saying goes, 'Traveling thousands of miles will lead to gaining more knowledge than reading thousands of books.' The same goes for cultivation. I am joining this competition not with the intention of winning and becoming a visiting County Master, but to broaden my mind and expand my horizons."
Liang Xiaolong sighed without further persuasion. He had seen too many young men like Qi Tian, who would not learn until they hit rock bottom. After all, he was just a senior brother from his sect that had no close relation to Qi Tian. He had tried to advise Qi Tian, but if Qi Tian didn't hear him out, there was nothing he could do. So he registered Qi Tian's name on the list and handed him a waist tag to pay the registration fee on the side.
After Qi Tian paid the registration fee, he went to another person and received a registration tag engraved with his name. He could use this tag to participate in the County Master selection when the time arrives.
The official selection competition was scheduled for one month later, exactly on the third day of the third month.
As Qi Tian left Room A10, Liang Xiaolong shouted at him from behind, "Junior Brother, you have one month left. Use this time wisely to cultivate. I hope that by then, you'll at least be able to reach the Qi Cultivation 3rd Level. Otherwise, the problem won't just be whether or not you can pass the selection for the County Master, but whether or not you can survive."
Qi Tian turned around, deeply bowing to Liang Xiaolong, before leaving Room A10.
After Qi Tian left, the cultivator in charge of money collection said, "Senior Brother Liang, it's a waste of breath talking to a Qi Cultivation First Level kid like him. If he wants to throw his life away, let him. The National Master Manor already has plenty of people. We won't miss one."
Liang Xiaolong replied, "We are all part of the same sect. If we can help, we should help. Given that the Imperial Master Mansion is currently in dire straits, we should strive for unity more than ever."
When Qi Tian arrived outside Room A10, most of the wealthy individuals hoping to cultivate relationships didn't budge. Qi Tian was too young, and his cultivation was inferior. They barely acknowledged him. However, a few with the mindset of 'leave no stone unturned' approached him.
"Young Heavenly Master, would you be interested in visiting our Xiong family? We are quite hospitable and more than willing to befriend promising young talents. Here's a gift for you." Saying so, the person handed over a 100 taels silver note to Qi Tian, "A small token of our respect. If you're ever short on funds, please come to our home in the eastern city. My name is Xiong Xinya, and the Head of the Xiong family, Xiong Xinrong, is my older brother."
After Xiong Xinya, two more people approached Qi Tian, introduced themselves, and also handed him silver notes to be used for tea. However, they weren't as generous as Xiong Xinya, handing over only fifty taels each.
Qi Tian had no qualms about accepting the generously given silver. It was like when stores on Earth had promotional activities and handed out freebies, nobody turned them down out of guilt or fear of hidden traps. After expressing his gratitude to Xiong Xinya and the rest, he promptly left Huangque Hall.