[Blanca2107]
And so, they subconsciously surrounded Su Luo. As the square was endlessly large, there were countless places one could sit.
Settling down to their spots, these candidates wasted no time in being idle and immediately began to meditate with their legs crossed and eyes closed.
If Su Luo had seen this, she wouldn’t have known whether to laugh. Because these candidates were no different than those who, in her past life, frantically tried to recite their lessons at the very last minute before an exam.
And so, Su Luo’s behavior wasn’t at all strange, instead it was the silly Big Sister Wei who was the odd one out. With her majestic appearance and wild gestures, she left a big impression on many.
As time passed, more and more candidates gathered, filling the air with noise and chatter.
It was very difficult to continue meditating in such a noisy environment, and so many contestants opened their eyes.
Right at that moment, a group of people flew in from midair, led by a white-haired old man.
The man looked about seventy or eighty years old, his hair and beard silvery white but his face was a lifeful flush. He seemed to be in very high spirits, something which wasn’t at all indicative of his old age.
Behind him followed four pupils, boys of no more than eleven or twelve, all of whom looked handsome with their youthful faces and light gait.
Seeing the old man, everyone, no matter what position they were in, stood straight up in salute at once!
They then all bowed respectfully.
The old man smiled, his face kind: “The January assessment is about to begin, now then…”
His eyes swept through each of the candidates’ faces, until suddenly, his kind smile wavered and his brows furrowed slightly.
All the candidates present focused their attention on the old man, who was fixedly staring at a certain spot on the ground with a frown, making everyone uncomfortable. With a rustle, they followed the old man’s gaze.
It was easy to see what he had been looking at.
Because there was but one girl who was still meditating on her own, with her elder sister standing firm beside.
“Who are those women? They seem new around here. Do you know them?”
“I’ve never seen them before. Where did they come from?”
“Aren’t they from Distal End Mountain?”
“Bah! What kind of candidate from Distal End Mountain has that kind of guts? Wasn’t she at all fazed with fear when she saw us earlier? Now that the Master is here, she even dares to sit and meditate with her eyes closed?”
“Does she have a death wish? Let’s see how the Master will punish her!”
“Not only does she not look at us, Downstream Mountain folks, in the eye. She even ignores the Great Master. Okay, suit herself! Even if the Master can’t discipline her, as soon as she enters the Tower of Trials, I will!”
At first, the gossip were mere whispers, but it soon grew into blatant, loud conversations.
Despite all their words and threats, Su Luo sat still, steadfast as a rock, with eyes shut and five senses closed to the outside world, which she knew nothing about, much less reacted to.
It was as if these people were throwing curses at a stone, but the stone did not move. It was rather annoying.
The master’s eyes flashed with disdain but only for a brief moment. Soon he was back to being a kind old man again.
Waiting for the crowd’s scolding chatter towards Su Luo to die down, the old man coughed and waved his sleeves: “I won’t say much, each month there will be an assessment. You all know the rules, so there isn’t a need for words.”
The white-haired old man decidedly ignored Su Luo and Big Sister Wei, the two candidates who came from Distal End Mountain. He cleared his throat and spoke in a serious tone: “Now line up for the ballot, all of you. Whichever group you draw, stay in it. Begin.”
