I Just Won't Play By The Book
chapter-47

As an all-rounded master, Jiang Beiran had to go out during the day to trigger the option. At night, he had to work on his pills, formations, forging, and so on. Most of the time, he had his hands full. He did not have the time to go down the mountain to collect all the rare materials that were difficult to obtain in the sect.

Therefore, Jiang Beiran had no choice but to carefully select a few outstanding “errand boys.”.

Wu Qingce was the first person that Jiang Beiran selected. Firstly, this second-generation hero had a head-on battle with him. So, Wu Qingce was one of a few who knew a small part of Jiang Beiran’s true strength.

Secondly, a year after the incident, Wu Qingce had indeed kept his mouth shut and had never revealed Jiang Beiran’s strength to anyone.

Of course, the most crucial point was that when Jiang Beiran was going to beat him, the system did not give him any dangerous option, which meant that exposing a part of his strength to Wu Qingce would not cause any danger.

Therefore, Wu Qingce, who had passed the tests without his knowledge, was invited by Jiang Beiran to the back of the mountain for a deep conversation. He had an inexplicable admiration for Jiang Beiran and thought that Jiang Beiran was a trustworthy senior. Therefore, he agreed to Jiang Beiran’s condition right away.

This condition was that Jiang Beiran would provide him with all kinds of weapons, pills, formations, and venomous insects. In contrast, Wu Qingce had to help him run errands.

…

“Senior… you almost knocked me out just now.” Wu Qingce said as he wiped the two big bumps on his head with medicinal wine.

Jiang Beiran glanced at him after he heard that. “Will you learn your lesson if I don’t beat you?”

“I was wrong. I won’t barge into your formation again next time.”

“You!” Jiang Beiran raised his hand and wanted to hit Wu Qingce again, but he stopped when he saw the two big red bumps, “Do you think that I’m angry because you broke into my formation? I’m angry that you still made all the mistakes that you shouldn’t have made even though I’ve taught you so many times. First of all, what did you do after you smelled the strange smell?”

“I held my breath,” Wu Qingce replied.

“Sigh, do you think that if I really wanted to use the smoke to put the person down, I would let it emit a smell?”

“Ah…” Wu Qingce was stunned for a moment and asked, “So your purpose letting me smell the strange smell is to make me hold my breath?”

“What else? For many experts, a little trick like the incense was nothing. Once they found that something was wrong with their bodies, they would use all kinds of ways to expel the harmful things. However, if they deliberately let them smell it, they would hold their breath just like you. It would not be a big deal if a Mystic Practitioner did not breathe for two hours. However, if they did not inhale oxygen… if they did not breathe for a long time, their mind would gradually become dull, and they would lose their usual rationality and judgment.

“In the end, they will become as foolish as you were just now. You know that you can’t leave the formation, but you still insist on going in.”

“I see…” Wu Qingce came to a sudden realization. When he couldn’t leave the formation earlier, he was indeed a little intoxicated. Without thinking much, he went in again. Now that he recalled it, it was indeed as if he was possessed.

“You…!” Jiang Beiran couldn’t hold it in anymore. He wanted to hit Wu Qingce again, but he still calmed himself down first.

“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.”

Jiang Beiran had the right to be angry. He had repeatedly told Wu Qingce to play the flute when he came, and not to enter the formation by himself. It was extremely dangerous inside the formation. After all, the Eight Asura Formation just now was legitimately a killing formation. It was specially used to deal with those uninvited guests who tried to break into the formation by force. If he hadn’t arrived in time, his number one subordinate would have become the first one to fall into the formation.

Letting out a long breath, Jiang Beiran changed the topic and asked, “Why are you looking for me this time?”

Seeing that his senior had finally let him off this time, Wu Qingce quickly replied, “I have won the title of champion in the sect tournament of the Rivernorth district. I came here to tell the good news to you.”

When Jiang Beiran heard it, he understood. No wonder this kid suddenly drifted away. As the name implied, the sect tournament of the Rivernorth district was a competition between the young disciples of the various major sects. As long as they were not twenty years old, they could participate. If they could get first place in this tournament, then they would be worthy of being the best young disciple.

“So, this is the reason why you dare to challenge the formation?”

After hearing this, Wu Qingce quickly put away his proud expression. “I want to let you see my progress. On the way here, I’ve already read the Four Polarity Symbols Formation several times. I thought I figured it out, so…”

“Forget it. Winning the championship is quite a good achievement. I won’t say much about it. But next time, remember that the most complacent time is also the easiest time to fall. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Nodding his head in satisfaction, Jiang Beiran couldn’t help but sigh in his heart as he looked at the number one young disciple in Rivernorth.

“As expected, I’m the one who carried Sect of Returning Hearts.”

Jiang Beiran was naturally clear about Wu Qingce’s strength. After “working together” with Wu Qingce for a year, Jiang Beiran gradually began to truly treat him as his junior. Therefore, he would often give Wu Qingce some medicinal pills to improve his physical strength or martial arts. Occasionally, he would even act as a sparring partner for Wu Qingce, pointing out his weaknesses in battles.

However, he didn’t expect that Wu Qingce would become the “best disciple of the Rivernorth district” under his teaching.

“Oh right, there’s one more thing. The birch forest that you’ve asked me to go to has undergone some changes recently. A level two Thunder Patterned Leopard has suddenly moved in.”

Jiang Beiran’s figure paused when he heard that. He nodded and said, “Very good. Continue to observe and see if there are any more mystic beasts moving in. If there are more than three, notify me at once.”

“Yes.” after receiving the order, Wu Qingce hesitated for a moment before asking, “Senior, can I ask you what your plans are?”

“What is it? Is there something wrong?” After a long time “working together”, Wu Qingce would not ask Jiang Beiran about the orders. He would just do as he was told.

“Yes.” Wu Qingce cupped his hands towards Jiang Beiran. “My cultivation has increased a lot during this period of time, so I want to challenge a level two mystic beast and break through to the Great Mystic Practitioner in one go.”

“Oh? You’re finally about to break through? Alright, I’ll bring you along when I go to the birch forest. I’ll help you with the formation.”

“Thank you, senior!” Wu Qingce cupped his hands happily.

As they spoke, the two of them had already arrived at the “secret base” at the back of Jiang Beiran’s mountain.

Normally, it was impossible for an unofficial disciple like Jiang Beiran to have a training ground at the back of the mountain. However, he still managed to get one by using his superb Go skill and offering help to Order Master to solve some “small troubles”.

“Every time I come to here, I feel more comfortable than the last time. Senior, how do you keep these bamboos?”

Wu Qingce remembered that these purple bamboos were at most less than two meters high when he first came to the purple bamboo forest, but now they were almost reaching the sky, covering the sky and the sun.

“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask. Come and have some tea..”