"What instrument is making that sound? Why does it sound so strange, yet so beautiful?" The passing disciple stopped in his tracks and listened quietly. When the piece ended, his heart was filled with intense curiosity. On impulse, he vaulted over the courtyard wall and landed inside.
"Who are you?"
Serena Murong, who had been lost in the music of "Ambush on Ten Sides," snapped back to reality, her eyes wary as she stared at the uninvited disciple.
Ethan Yi looked embarrassed. "Sorry, Junior Brother and Sister, I was just curious and barged in on impulse. Please don't blame me!"
"A guest is a guest. Please, Senior Brother, have a seat!" Leon Huang smiled and pointed to a stone stool in front of him. He was the type who responded to kindness with even greater kindness.
Ethan Yi, naturally easygoing, felt even more goodwill when Leon Huang didn't blame him and even invited him to sit. "Then I won't stand on ceremony!"
He sat down across from Leon Huang with confidence, his gaze falling on the guqin, eyes full of curiosity. "What kind of instrument is this? I've never seen anything like it before."
"It's called a guqin, and it was invented by Junior Brother Huang!" Serena Murong explained, her tone carrying a hint of pride.
Ethan Yi was surprised and glanced at Leon Huang, then praised him: "Junior Brother Huang, you have real skill. Just a moment outside the wall and I was already captivated by the music. Could you play another piece for us?"
"Absolutely!"
Leon Huang nodded and plucked the strings again, letting the famous guqin piece 'Guangling San' from the real world debut in this one.
'Guangling San' is an ancient masterpiece, and its charm speaks for itself. Soon, everyone in the courtyard was completely absorbed in the music, utterly enchanted.
When the piece ended, Ethan Yi couldn't help but clap. "Amazing! This tune is truly incredible. Junior Brother Huang, not only did you invent such a marvelous instrument, you even composed such beautiful music. You must be a reincarnated immortal!"
Leon Huang smiled modestly. "You're too kind, Senior Brother. It's just a little trick, not worth mentioning. By the way, I've invented a little gadget to pass the time. Would Senior Sister Murong and Senior Brother Yi like to try it?"
"What little gadget? Show us quick!" Serena Murong urged, unable to hide her curiosity.
Leon Huang nodded and took out the deck of playing cards he'd made.
"What are these?"
Both of them stared at the playing cards.
Leon Huang explained, "These are called playing cards. There are lots of ways to play—two people, three, or even four. Since there are three of us, I'll teach you a game called 'Fight the Landlord.'"
Next, Leon Huang taught them how to recognize the cards, while attendants Wes and Tyson also crowded around, listening curiously.
Soon, the four of them had a basic grasp of the playing cards.
After that, Leon Huang explained the rules of 'Fight the Landlord' in detail.
"Is everyone clear on the rules?" Leon Huang asked.
Both Serena and Ethan nodded.
"How about we give it a try?"
"Sounds good."
"Let's do it!"
Both nodded eagerly, unable to wait.
At first, Serena and Ethan were a bit clumsy, but as martial artists with sharp minds, they quickly mastered the game. Before long, their skills rivaled those of seasoned veterans.
Unconsciously, time slipped into the early morning hours.
Leon Huang suggested, "Senior Brother Yi, Senior Sister Murong, it's late. We should all get some rest."
"Ah!"
Both of them were still caught up in the excitement, reluctant to stop.
"How about two more rounds?" Ethan Yi suggested.
"Alright then!" Leon Huang nodded, agreeing to play two more games.
After two more rounds, even though they were reluctant, they finally ended the game.
"Junior Brother Huang, can I have this deck?" Serena Murong looked at Leon Huang with sparkling eyes, full of longing.
"Of course you can!"
"You're the best, Junior Brother Huang! I absolutely adore you!"
Smack!
Before Leon Huang could react, Serena Murong leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, snatched up the deck of cards from the table, and disappeared.
"Junior Brother Huang, you've got some luck with the ladies. Serena is one of the Inner Sect's top beauties."
Ethan Yi joked with a smile.
"Is that so?" Leon Huang just smiled noncommittally, not taking it to heart.
Then Ethan Yi stood up, cupped his fists to Leon Huang, and said goodbye: "It's late, so I'll take my leave. I'll come visit you again tomorrow!"
Leon Huang stood up as well and took out another deck of cards. "Senior Brother Yi, here's another deck. Would you like it?"
"Of course I want it! Haha, thanks a lot, Junior Brother Huang!" Ethan Yi said happily. Cultivation days were far too dull, but with these cards, he could invite some brothers to play and pass the time.
After seeing Ethan off, Leon Huang turned around and found Wes and Tyson both looking at him expectantly.
"Here you go!"
Leon Huang casually tossed them a deck of cards.
Inner Sect women's residential area, inside a certain courtyard.
Serena Murong sat in her courtyard, lost in thought, holding a deck of playing cards. She'd been sent by Frank Feng to set up Leon Huang, but after several encounters, she'd come to genuinely enjoy chatting with him—especially today, which revealed another side of Junior Brother Huang.
For a moment, she couldn't help but hesitate about continuing the scheme.
If she didn't go through with it, she'd have a hard time explaining herself to Frank Feng. Though she was skilled at navigating the top disciples in the Inner Sect, it was mostly for self-preservation.
She knew Frank Feng fairly well—he was petty and vengeful, and rumor had it he was the grandson of an Inner Sect elder.
If she offended Frank, surviving in the Inner Sect would be tough.
But if she kept going with the scheme, she felt guilty about it.
"Forget it, I'll stall for a while. If it comes to it, I'll just return the pills to Frank." Serena thought bitterly.
Leon Huang underestimated how hungry people in this world were for entertainment. In just half a day, 'Fight the Landlord' swept through the Inner Sect, and plenty of imitation decks popped up.
Some even figured out how to gamble with 'Fight the Landlord.'
As the inventor of poker, he quickly became a celebrity in the Pristine Way Sect's Inner Sect.
The Inner Sect Grand Tournament was set for tomorrow.
Leon Huang would participate, and he planned to take first place.
It wasn't about showing off—only by standing out could he quickly draw the attention of the sect's top leadership. After all, his second mission was to become the Pristine Way Sect master.
The next morning, after days of clear weather, the sky suddenly turned overcast.
Still, that didn't affect the Inner Sect Grand Tournament.
With just over 3,600 Inner Sect disciples, only thirty-seven arenas were built on the Martial Arena Plaza.
The format of the Inner Sect Grand Tournament was much the same as the Outer Sect's.
First came the drawing of lots to divide everyone into groups.
Leon Huang was assigned to Group Thirty-Seven, the smallest group with only forty-six members.
Each group had an Inner Sect elder as judge, all of whom were at the Grandmaster realm.
The first round was a head-to-head elimination, with matchups decided by drawing lots.
Group Thirty-Seven's first match featured a Qi-Refining sixth layer youth against an eighth layer youth.
No surprises—the sixth layer disciple didn't pull off an upset, so the eighth layer disciple took the win.