My Five Bigshot Seniors: I am The Most Coddled Junior!-Chapter 418 - 98

"Miss, what I did just now, will it be okay?" Xin’er looked at Wen Xiyue with some concern, afraid that her actions had been noted by Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu. If they decided to retaliate, even Wen Xiyue wouldn’t be able to protect her!

"Since they didn’t care just now, they surely didn’t take it to heart. You don’t need to worry." Seeing the worried look on Xin’er’s face, Wen Xiyue put away her wistfulness and comforted her.

"That’s good, that’s good, I was scared to death!" Because she was too worried, Xin’er didn’t notice Wen Xiyue’s mood. She knew Wen Xiyue was experienced and knowledgeable, and since Wen Xiyue said they wouldn’t make trouble for her, it was likely true. She completely relaxed her anxious heart.

"You, in the future, you shouldn’t be so impulsive. Not everyone has such a good temper as that lady. If you meet someone with a bad temper next time, I won’t be able to help you either." Wen Xiyue was quite fond of her maid, who had grown up with her, and couldn’t help but remind her.

"I understand, Miss. Rest assured, I will definitely be careful in the future." Xin’er knew that Wen Xiyue was doing it for her own good and quickly promised seriously.

...

After registering, Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu waited at the inn for two days.

Due to the Artifact Refining Competition, Zhonglan City was extremely lively. Many artifact refiners came upon hearing the news, and many people were from nearby cities, just here to watch the excitement, causing almost every inn in the city to be fully booked, and business was booming.

Every time Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu went downstairs to eat, they could hear others discussing the Artifact Refining Competition. The most talked-about topic was the three famous disciples from the three great families. Everyone believed that the first place in this year’s competition would definitely come from these three.

Jun Wu was also diligently gathering information about the three, but it was to understand his opponents. As the saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself, and you can win a hundred battles. On the other hand, Gu Qingqing mostly listened for gossip, as she had more confidence in Jun Wu, believing he would be the ultimate winner, and wasn’t worried that he would be outshone by the three.

However, she did hear some intriguing gossip, like how Mr. Shen from the Helian Family apparently liked Wen Xiyue from the Wen Family. Gu Qingqing had yet to meet Helian Shen, but she had seen Wen Xiyue on the street that day and thought that such a cool beauty was understandably attractive to Helian Shen.

But from what everyone described, it seemed to be a one-sided love. Wen Xiyue didn’t seem to have much feeling for Helian Shen, nor did she seem to be fond of him. Or rather, compared to Helian Shen, Wen Xiyue was more interested in artifact refining. In her eyes, artifact refining seemed to be the most important thing, and men didn’t affect her at all.

Sharing the same attribute was Leng Yan from the Leng Family. In the eyes of people in Zhonglan City, Leng Yan was even more aloof than Wen Xiyue. In Leng Yan’s eyes, besides artifact refining, even his family was treated with indifference.

This piqued Gu Qingqing’s interest in these two people, and she wanted to see what they were really like.

Fortunately, the time for the Artifact Refining Competition soon arrived.

The competition was held in a central square in Zhonglan City. About a hundred artifact refiners registered. After all, like alchemy, artifact refining required talent and wasn’t something anyone could do. And those who dared to participate in the competition surely had some skills; otherwise, it’d be too embarrassing to be eliminated casually!

Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu didn’t arrive early; many people were already present in the square. Jun Wu’s artifact refining skills weren’t well-known, so many people’s focus on them was due to their outstanding appearances. However, upon seeing that they were both very young, they quickly shifted their attention, not focusing on them further.

The two were happy to be left alone and waited nearby. Gu Qingqing also perked up her ears, trying to catch sensitive words from the crowd.

"Look, here comes Mr. Shen." Someone shouted, and the bustling crowd fell quiet for a moment.

The next moment, all eyes turned toward the entrance.

A young man was walking in.

He wore a blue brocade robe, his hair tied with a jade hairpin. His looks were sunny, with a healthy tan instead of a pale complexion. His eyes were large but not purely black; they were brown. His facial lines were well-defined, and his lips curved in a slight smile, giving off an energetic vibe.

Upon hearing others talk about him, Gu Qingqing had wondered what Helian Shen looked like. Although he wasn’t the handsome type she personally liked, he still looked good, the kind of man who left a comfortable impression at first glance.

"Look over there, Miss Wen is also here."

After the crowd’s attention was drawn toward Helian Shen, someone suddenly shouted, redirecting everyone’s focus. Even Helian Shen wasn’t an exception.

A woman in a black dress was walking slowly from a distance. Her hair wasn’t styled in a bun but tied high with a black hairband. Her cold aura was accentuated by her outfit, making her seem more gallant, not giving off an unreachable vibe like before.

Being the center of attention didn’t faze Wen Xiyue. In response to the courteous nods around her, she only slightly nodded in return, showing little emotion.

Upon seeing Wen Xiyue arrive, Helian Shen approached her.

"Xiyue, what have you been busy with lately? Why haven’t I seen you out?" Helian Shen asked with concern.

"Just preparing for the Artifact Refining Competition." Wen Xiyue didn’t have strong feelings for Helian Shen, viewing him more as a friend. Since Helian Shen never acted inappropriately towards her, she didn’t show him a cold face.

"No wonder, that’s why I’ve not seen you." Helian Shen smiled slightly, satisfied that Wen Xiyue didn’t ignore him.

As the two conversed, another commotion broke out nearby, drawing their attention as well.

"Young Master Yan still seems just as unattainable!"

A man near Gu Qingqing remarked, prompting Gu Qingqing to nod silently in agreement. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Leng Yan indeed seemed more unattainable than Wen Xiyue. He seemed to be a figure disconnected from the world, almost like a transcendental monk. If not for the hair on his head, he would appear to lack any trace of humanity.

His skin was quite pale, his complexion also extremely white, to the point where one could see the blue and purple veins on his face. However, his aura was different from Mu Chen’s sickly appearance; it was more of a distant vibe. When he looked at someone, even though he was looking directly, it somehow felt like his attention was elsewhere, as if in his eyes, you were no different from a random blade of grass or grain of rice beside you.

"This guy still looks so annoying!" Helian Shen looked at Leng Yan and mumbled quietly to himself.

Helian Shen didn’t exactly have a grudge against Leng Yan, but he just couldn’t stand Leng Yan’s indifferent demeanor, as if he didn’t care about anything. Helian Shen often felt Leng Yan was putting on an act, particularly when other people’s attention inevitably shifted to Leng Yan whenever he appeared. It made Helian Shen quite displeased, just like now!

Given the proximity between Wen Xiyue and Helian Shen, she naturally heard Helian Shen’s grievance. She turned her head to glance at him, upon which he immediately showed a smile, revealing a set of dazzling white teeth that could almost blind someone, causing Wen Xiyue to silently avert her gaze.

Leng Yan seemed to sense something and also glanced over at Helian Shen and Wen Xiyue. When his gaze met theirs, he nodded reservedly as a greeting, which naturally irked Helian Shen even more.

"There it is again, that lofty demeanor. I wonder what he has to be so proud of!" Helian Shen always regarded Wen Xiyue as one of his own and thus never concealed his dislike for Leng Yan in front of her.

Wen Xiyue’s mouth twitched slightly as if she didn’t hear Helian Shen’s words at all.

Once Leng Yan arrived, most of the participants for the Artifact Refining Competition had gathered, and the clan leaders of the three major families, along with the City Lord, also appeared on the high platform at this moment.

After the City Lord spoke to announce the start of the competition, the three clan leaders also announced the competition rules. All participants, holding their tokens, stood in their respective places, and the first round began immediately.

The first round was relatively simple. The event organizers provided three materials: Pear Wood, Black Iron, and Guiyu. Everyone had to refine a sword within the stipulated time, with scores awarded based on the refining time and the product quality. The shorter the refining time and the better the product quality, the higher the score.

Anyone failing to produce a finished product within the given time would be directly eliminated.

As the host announced the start, those standing in front of the Artifact Refining Furnace began to take action.

In the crowd, Jun Wu looked at the three materials on the table, his eyes flickering. After just a glance, he started working. He had refined these materials countless times, knowing all the steps by heart, so he needed no thought to begin the process.

Leng Yan and the other two did the same. As the host announced the start, they almost moved simultaneously to begin refining.

Compared to their smooth progress, some were struggling. Some had little refining experience or low artifact refiner rank and faltered under the pressure of many watchful eyes, quickly encountering issues. Before long, a furnace explosion occurred, and someone was escorted out, covered in ash.

Jun Wu and the other three were unaffected by these disturbances, continuing their work steadily, refining each material in an orderly manner. The fluidity of their movements was pleasing to watch.

Gu Qingqing sat outside, watching the competition. Though she hadn’t seen Jun Wu refine artifacts before, as she observed now, she felt he lived up to being the partner she chose, appearing exceptionally skilled in everything he did!

Indeed, in Gu Qingqing’s eyes, Jun Wu looked extremely graceful, exuding an aura of a star-struck fan.

Noticing Gu Qingqing’s gaze during a lull in his refining, Jun Wu’s lips curved slightly, but his hand movements remained steady, drawing approving nods from the judges nearby.

"Look at that gentleman; I wonder about his background. Among nearly a hundred young artifact refiners on this field, aside from the three major families, he’s perhaps the only one displaying such poised composure. Though others may appear calm, they still encounter minor issues, whereas he has remained stable throughout, even unaffected when those beside him had furnace explosions, hardly shaking!"

Jun Wu’s striking appearance naturally drew attention, and people soon noticed his movements matched those of Leng Yan and his companions, leading them to take note.

"Indeed, and his actions are quite standard yet still carry a unique rhythm. There’s even a hint of Dao in them; he seems extraordinary!"

"Do you think this gentleman might become a contender for the championship?"

"That’s hard to say. Young Master Yan and the others started learning artifact refining at the age of three. Though still young, they have years of refining experience under their belts. This gentleman appears skilled now, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he can compete with Young Master Yan and the others. Let’s wait and see."

"Indeed, while the refining process is crucial, the quality of the finished product is equally important. Let’s see what quality of sword this gentleman can produce!"

"..."

These discussions happened close to Gu Qingqing, and she overheard them entirely. Hearing them praise Jun Wu’s capabilities, she felt immense pride and looked at him with a gaze full of affection.

Time flew by quickly, and after about two sticks of incense, Leng Yan and his two companions finished almost simultaneously. As the temperature of the Artifact Refining Furnace decreased, they gestured, and three swords landed in their hands, then were carefully passed on to the judges by those standing beside them.

Jun Wu was slightly slower than the three, waiting for the furnace to cool before retrieving his sword, handing it off to a nearby attendant to present to the judges, and then stood aside waiting.

The judges were evaluating the swords crafted by Leng Yan’s group.

"This sword, third grade in the Immortal Realm, should be crafted by Yan’er. The style of the sword mirrors his manner—cold to the touch," the City Lord remarked, addressing the three family heads.

"Yan’er is fine in other aspects, but his demeanor is too cold. I’ve been quite worried about him, just hoping he can be a bit more personable. Otherwise, I’m genuinely concerned he’ll become a monk one day!" remarked the Leng Family Master, glancing at Leng Yan with a hint of concern.

The City Lord and the Family Heads of the Wen and Helian families exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. They shared the Leng Family Master’s sentiment, fearing that one day Leng Yan might truly decide to leave worldly life.