Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
110. Grand Sect Tournament

As they flew toward the sect’s martial arena on Xiao Tian’s back, Tian Li sat stiffly in Jin Shu’s lap due to the lack of space.

The moment he had taken on his female form, her body had tensed.

“Everything okay? Are you uncomfortable?” he asked.

She shook her head rapidly. “N-no, I’m f-fin—ah!”

A sudden jolt nearly sent her tumbling.

Jin Shu quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, steadying her.

“Why isn’t Xiao Tian keeping you grounded?”

“She can’t—because I’m not technically on her back.”

“Oh. So I should hold you in place like this?”

“Uh… y-yeah…”

He adjusted his grip, pulling her closer until her back was pressed firmly against his chest.

That was when he noticed a problem.

Now that he was, for all intents and purposes, a woman, his chest was… much more pronounced than usual.

And currently, it was firmly pressed against Tian Li’s back.

She flinched.

Jin Shu caught sight of the bright red hue creeping up her ears.

He had known before that she was attracted to this form—she had even confessed her love for him while he looked like this.

But he had dismissed it as strong attraction rather than love.

Then again, who was he to say? He had fallen for her the moment he first saw her as well.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Was she truly only drawn to him in this form? If so, he had two options: accept that she would never love him for who he really was—or find a way to make her fall for him, not just this disguise.

Yet, he had no idea how to go about that.

He sighed, deciding to leave that problem for the future.

Tian Li shivered as his breath brushed against the back of her neck.

Moments passed in silence before she finally spoke.

“Jin Shu?”

“Yes?”

“Can I… make a selfish demand?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, nearly lost in the wind.

“Um… sure?”

“You need to get second place, right?”

“Yeah, I’d like to get the library pass.”

“Then you’ll have to beat me,” she said, turning to meet his gaze with a serious expression.

“I guess I will…”

“Then, let’s make a bet.”

“What kind of bet?”

“When we fight—if I win, you have to grant me a wish.”

Jin Shu raised an eyebrow. “And if I win?”

She hesitated before answering.

“…Anything you want.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Anything? As in absolutely anything?”

She nodded, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

“Can I hear your wish first?”

She shook her head.

Jin Shu fell silent, contemplating.

If he lost, he would have to grant her a wish. And if he won… she would give him anything he wanted.

He had a few guesses as to what she might wish for—though the most prominent one was something he’d rather not think about.

As for what he wanted from her… well, the thing he wanted most wasn’t something she could give him in exchange for a simple bet.

Still, there was no harm in agreeing.

“Alright,” he said finally. “If you win, I grant you a wish. If I win, you give me anything I want.”

Tian Li beamed. “Great!”

“And what about us?” Li Xue interjected, clearly having overheard their conversation.

“For you? Nothing. But if Biyu wants in, sure.”

He half expected Li Xue to protest, but instead, she just smiled slyly.

“Fine. But next time, you have to make the same bet with me.”

“…Okay?”

He wasn’t sure what to make of that. Then again, he had long since accepted that Li Xue was unpredictable.

According to Gold’s memories, she likely had something called bipolar disorder, given how frequently her mood shifted.

“Well, if I’m part of this bet, then I won’t be holding back during the tournament,” Biyu said.

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Jin Shu replied with a nod.

He had no plans to hold back either. He expected them to fight seriously—and he intended to do the same.

“What if one of you gets knocked out by that Liu Hua girl?” Li Xue asked.

“She’s seeded,” Tian Li explained. “She won’t be entering the tournament until the semi-finals. At that point, it’ll switch from single eliminations to round robin.”

“Oh, I see,” Li Xue said, nodding in understanding.

“The arena is just up ahead,” Chen Ai Yun called out, flying alongside them.

Though it was called ‘flying,’ it looked more like she was stepping on the air itself.

Next to her, however, was Sun Mei’er—and she was truly flying.

Jin Shu had expected his mother to use her spirit to teleport to the arena. But instead, she had summoned her spirit—an ethereal pair of phoenix wings—and was using them like real wings to soar beside them.

He couldn’t help but be fascinated by the spirits of Spirit Realm cultivators.

His mother’s in particular was an unusual one.

Most cultivators awakened an animal spirit—simple to cultivate but difficult to control.

Some awakened weapon spirits—harder to cultivate, but easier to wield.

But his mother’s spirit was even rarer. While it was technically part of an animal, it was neither simple to cultivate nor easy to manage.

A Spirit Realm cultivator had to plant a seed of intelligence into their spirit, nurturing its growth.

For an animal spirit, this was relatively easy—it could cultivate its own intelligence after being fed the seed, though this often made them more willful.

Weapon spirits, on the other hand, required multiple seeds and constant training, making them much more obedient.

But his mother’s spirit could neither cultivate intelligence on its own nor be trained like a weapon.

That was why she was so desperate to find the hidden Phoenix Realm and the legendary technique rumored to be hidden within it—a technique said to allow one to cultivate a phoenix spirit properly.

Jin Shu was pulled from his thoughts as Xiao Tian began to descend.

Looking past her massive form, he saw the arena that Chen Ai Yun had mentioned.

It was perched atop a mountain, its peak sliced cleanly off as if severed by a sword.

The surface was perfectly flat—except for a massive depression in the center, carved into spectator stands surrounding a grand fighting platform.

The stands were already packed with spectators.

It seemed they were the last to arrive.

Xiao Tian swooped toward a raised platform where tables and chairs had been set up, half of them already occupied by what Jin Shu could only assume were sect elders.

Among them, he spotted a familiar figure—lounging, seemingly asleep.

The Grand Elder, Feng Lian.

Seated beside her were Liu Hua and Liu Ying.

His gaze drifted further, landing on two more familiar faces.

One was the elder his mother frequently referred to as ‘that bitch’—the same elder who had tried to kill him three years ago when he first arrived at the sect.

And, surprisingly, seated beside her was Ling Shi—her hulking frame barely fitting into the small chair.

Just before they set down, Jin Shu recognized an unexpected face—or rather, her fiery red twin-tails.

It was Bin Yu.

Next to her sat another woman with the same vibrant red hair, though hers was left to fall freely. Jin Shu guessed that she was likely Bin Yu’s mother and, given her presence here, an elder or high-ranking figure within the sect.

By that time, Xiao Tian landed alongside Chen Ai Yun and Sun Mei'er. Everyone, except for Feng Lian—who continued to sleep—stood and greeted them, specifically addressing the Sect Master and Vice-Sect Master.

““Greetings, Sect Master Chen and Vice-Sect Master Sun!!””

Chen Ai Yun raised her hands, one placed over the other in salute. “Greetings, elders.”

Sun Mei’er merely waved them off. “Yeah, yeah, let’s not waste time. Let’s get this started already.”

The elders wore difficult-to-read expressions, but Jin Shu could guess what they were all thinking: We’ve been waiting for you…

Jin Shu and the girls climbed down from Xiao Tian’s back. Tian Li and Jin Shu stood on either side of Chen Ai Yun, while Biyu and Li Xue—who, for whatever reason, had positioned herself there—stood on either side of Sun Mei’er.

“I don’t recognize two of these girls. Are they new disciples?” one of the elders asked.

It was the woman whose name Jin Shu couldn't quite recall—only the nickname his mother always used for her. He seemed to remember it sounding something like ‘Green Tea’ (Lu Cha).

“What’s it matter to you, Lu Cha Biao?” Sun Mei’er asked casually.

Oh. Right. Mom calls her ‘Green Tea Bitch’.

Jin Shu nearly laughed out loud but quickly covered his mouth.

“You!” Lu Cha jabbed a finger at Sun Mei’er, her face turning an alarming shade of red from sheer rage.

“Pftt…” Chen Ai Yun stifled a laugh before stepping forward, placing herself between the two. “That’s enough. Let’s not do this in front of all the disciples,” she said.

“Hmph!” Lu Cha snorted but didn’t press the matter further. “I would still like to know who these two girls are.”

“This is Jin Shu. She is my newest disciple,” Chen Ai Yun said, motioning toward Jin Shu.

“And this is my son’s second wife. Her name is Li Xue,” Sun Mei’er added, gesturing toward Li Xue.

“Hello, Elder Lu Cha Biao!” Li Xue greeted with an enthusiastic bow.

“How dare you!?” Lu Cha growled, raising her hand.

“If you touch her, I’ll take your hand and shove it up your—”

“Enough!” Chen Ai Yun shouted, letting a sliver of her qi leak out, pressing down on the gathered elders and disciples alike. “Li Xue, apologize.”

Li Xue bowed again. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought that was your name—it really suits you, after all.”

Lu Cha’s eyes went red, and for a moment, it seemed she might disregard the Sect Master’s presence to rip Li Xue apart. But she took a deep breath, scowled, and turned away. She whispered something into Ling Shi’s ear before stepping back.

When Ling Shi lifted her head, she gave Li Xue a nasty grin before shifting her gaze to Jin Shu. Clearly, she recognized them both from the Resting Phoenix Pagoda.

As they stepped away, a few other elders came forward to offer personal greetings. One in particular stood out—Bin Yu and the elder beside her, both sharing the same bright red hair.

“Greetings, Sect Master Chen, Vice-Sect Master Sun,” the red-haired woman greeted formally.

“Greetings, Bin Yin,” Chen Ai Yun responded.

“Hello, Senior Sisters!” Bin Yu practically jumped with excitement. “I have something for you, Senior Sister Biyu.”

She pulled out a small pouch and handed it to Biyu. “These are the pills you ordered but never picked up.”

“Oh, thank you, Bin Yu! So much happened that day that I completely forgot,” Biyu apologized.

“No problem! I heard about what happened,” she said, turning to Jin Shu. “Are you alright, Senior Sister Jin?”

“I’m fine. No need to worry.”

Bin Yu nodded, then pulled on the woman next to her. “This is my mom! She’s the sect’s only fifth-grade alchemist!”

“Greetings, Elder Yu,” Tian Li and Biyu said, clearly having met her before.

Elder Yu offered a small bow in return but remained silent.

“Don’t mind her, she doesn’t like socializing,” Bin Yu said with a teasing smile.

Bin Yin’s brow twitched before she grabbed her daughter by the arm and dragged her away.

“Ah! Wait, Momma! It was just a joke!” Bin Yu cried as she was pulled along.

Jin Shu could only shake his head at her antics.

The next elder to step forward was one he recognized—and she, in turn, recognized him. Her eyes lit up the moment they met his.

“Oh! It’s the pretty sister!” The small elder, who looked no older than sixteen, practically shouted. “I’ve missed you since that day!”

“Have you met my new disciple, Elder Wu?” Chen Ai Yun asked.

“Yes, I met her a few weeks ago, and I’ve been smitten since,” Elder Wu nodded. “Would you mind lending her to me sometime?”

Chen Ai Yun lifted a brow. “No, I don’t think I will.”

“Oh~? Keeping the goods to yourself? I didn’t realize we shared something in common, Sect Master,” Elder Wu said with a sly smile.

Chen Ai Yun blinked. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, don’t play coy now. You clearly want to—mmm!”

Elder Wu’s two disciples rushed forward, grabbing her arms and covering her mouth. “We’re sorry, Sect Master! We’ll get this thing out of your sight.” They dragged Elder Wu away before she could say anything else.

“Glad to see Elder Wu hasn’t changed,” Sun Mei’er laughed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chen Ai Yun asked.

“Oh, nothing. You wouldn’t get it since you never interacted with her when we were disciples.”

“Hmm… if you say so.” She furrowed her brows but didn't press any further. 

“Anyway, that’s enough pleasantries. Let’s begin the tournament.” Chen Ai Yun ordered.

The various elders nodded and dispersed—some taking their seats, others heading down to the arena below.

Jin Shu exhaled, steadying himself.

The tournament was about to begin.

And this time, he wouldn’t be so helpless.

His gaze flickered to the stormy-eyed woman who hadn’t left her seat next to the Grand Elder.

Liu Hua met his eyes and grinned, her smile crackling with barely contained electricity.

Jin Shu narrowed his eyes.

This time, I’ll give you your payback.

And so begins the tournament arc.

Also look at this adorable art of Yin’er! 🥰