The Masked Strength of the Sect's Trash chapter 9

Chapter 9 He is the shame of Lingxiao Sect

"Welcome, Young Master Xie!"

Young Master Xie, an inner disciple of the Lingxiao Sect, was well-known. Although Zhang Jin, the steward, was meeting Lu Shaoqing and Xiao Yi for the first time, he was already quite familiar with the person in front of them.

This was Xie Chong, an inner disciple of Lingxiao Sect’s Biyun Peak. Talented and already at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, Xie Chong was expected to soon be promoted to a core disciple.

Xie Chong and his two companions, carrying the typical arrogance of major sect disciples, entered the establishment. They merely nodded slightly at Zhang Jin, who had come out to greet them.

"Prepare a room for us," Xie Chong ordered with a tone of indifference. "Today, I'm hosting two senior brothers from the Guiyuan Pavilion."

"Ah, welcome, esteemed disciples of the Guiyuan Pavilion. I'm the steward here," Zhang Jin responded, quickly guiding the three to a private room.

However, upon reaching the room, Xie Chong's expression turned sour. "Steward Zhang, what is this? Is this your best private room? Or do you think we don't deserve the best?"

His tone was sharp, and his gaze bore into Zhang Jin like a blade.

Sweat began to form on Zhang Jin's forehead. He knew he couldn’t afford to offend members of the Lingxiao Sect or the Guiyuan Pavilion. Quickly, he explained, "Young Master Xie, it’s not that I don’t want to accommodate you. It’s just that the best room is already occupied."

"Oh? By whom?" Xie Chong asked dismissively.

"Perhaps they could be persuaded to give it up. I’m willing to offer compensation," Xie Chong suggested.

Zhang Jin hesitated before answering, "I’ve heard that it’s being used by two direct disciples of your sect’s Tianyu Peak—Young Master Lu and Miss Xiao."

"Lu Shaoqing?" Xie Chong was visibly taken aback, as were the two young men from Guiyuan Pavilion.

"Tianyu Peak… Isn’t that where Senior Brother Ji Yan resides?" one of the Guiyuan disciples, Zhang Zheng, asked with respect.

Ji Yan had recently made a name for himself at the Tri-Sect Gathering, leaving a deep impression on many cultivators. It was widely agreed that he was the most outstanding among the younger generation of the three major sects.

"Is this Lu Shaoqing also highly skilled?" asked the other Guiyuan disciple, Wu Tianzong, with curiosity.

Xie Chong’s initial surprise quickly turned into disdain. "Senior Brother Wu, there’s no such thing as a 'dual pride' of Tianyu Peak. Senior Brother Ji Yan is our pride, but Lu Shaoqing is our shame. Honestly, we don’t even like to mention him in front of outsiders."

Zhang Zheng's interest was piqued. "What do you mean by that?"

Even Zhang Jin, who had been standing silently, listened closely. Although he had been here for a while, he had never heard much about Lu Shaoqing. The man was too low-key, overshadowed entirely by Ji Yan's brilliance, to the point where even Tianyu Peak's own master seemed less prominent.

Xie Chong continued, "In two words: lazy and useless. He barely cultivates, so who knows if he's even reached the Foundation Establishment stage? And as for useless… well, he's the kind of person who would be considered a spoiled brat if he were in a wealthy family. The sect leaders have reprimanded him many times, but he just ignores them, relying on his master's protection. That's why you rarely hear about him. We find it embarrassing to mention him outside of the sect."

Hearing this, Zhang Jin began to look down on Lu Shaoqing, understanding why he had been so arrogant in kicking him out earlier. "A rich wastrel," Zhang Jin thought disdainfully.

Wu Tianzong then asked, "If he's so worthless, why did the Peak Master of Tianyu Peak take him as a disciple?"

Xie Chong replied, "We don’t know the exact reason, but there are rumors that Senior Brother Ji Yan holds him in high regard. Maybe that’s why he was accepted into Tianyu Peak. After all, if it means getting Senior Brother Ji Yan, having a few extra useless disciples isn’t much of a burden."

Zhang Zheng and Wu Tianzong nodded in agreement. If Ji Yan wanted to join Guiyuan Pavilion and bring a hundred or even a thousand useless disciples with him, the pavilion would gladly accept them all.

Zhang Jin, now thoroughly uninterested in Lu Shaoqing, asked Xie Chong, "Young Master Xie, should I ask him to vacate the room?"

Xie Chong thought for a moment before saying, "No, it's not necessary."

Despite his disdain for Lu Shaoqing, he knew that as a direct disciple, Lu Shaoqing's status was much higher than his own as an inner disciple. He couldn’t afford to offend him and risk angering Ji Yan, who was extremely popular within the Lingxiao Sect. Offending Ji Yan would be social suicide within the sect.

Zhang Zheng and Wu Tianzong exchanged glances, each understanding the other's intentions. Zhang Zheng smiled and suggested, "Young Master Xie, we’d like to meet this Senior Brother Lu. What do you think?"

Xie Chong hesitated, "I’m not sure…"

To be honest, Xie Chong hardly knew Lu Shaoqing. He had only seen him once from afar at a sect gathering, and many Lingxiao Sect disciples had never even met him. Lu Shaoqing had skipped more than a few of these gatherings, so many new disciples hadn’t seen him at all.

Wu Tianzong teased, "Young Master Xie, you’re not afraid of him, are you?"

Challenged on his manhood, Xie Chong immediately retorted, "Are you joking? How could I be afraid of him?"

Zhang Zheng added, "It would be a rare opportunity to connect with a direct disciple of the Lingxiao Sect, especially one who’s a junior brother to Senior Brother Ji Yan. If we can establish a connection, it could be beneficial for all of us."

Xie Chong, seeing the logic, agreed, "Alright, let's go pay a visit to Senior Brother Lu."

Zhang Jin was pleased to hear this and eagerly led the way. As they walked, Wu Tianzong asked again, "Young Master Xie, are you sure his abilities are just average?"

Xie Chong nodded confidently, "That’s what everyone says, even the sect master has called him lazy."