Volume 1, Chapter 34: Concealing One's Talents

Once the farce at the Treasure Pavilion had finally concluded, Gu Mingxi and Gu Mingyue left the marketplace and returned to the Tianyan Sect.

Gu Mingyue remarked with some confusion, "Mingxi, as the daughter of the Xuantian Sword Sect leader, is Mu Yao truly so lacking in magical artifacts that she would lower herself to squabbling with others in broad daylight? It’s simply beneath her status."

Gu Mingxi replied with a playful smile, "Perhaps she simply happens to like this particular artifact. Surely she couldn't be deriving joy from snatching the hard-earned spoils of others, could she?"

Gu Mingyue pondered this for a moment but could find no logical reason, so she dismissed Mu Yao from her thoughts. After all, Mu Yao was an insignificant figure to her; it was far better to focus on the upcoming Sect Grand Competition.

"Mingxi, the competition begins in two days. We might end up facing each other, so don't you dare go easy on me!"

Gu Mingxi chuckled, "Giving every match my all is the greatest respect I can show my opponent. I won't hold back, Mingyue. Let’s have a proper, formal duel!"

Gu Mingyue laughed as well, "Alright, Mingxi, I look forward to it!"

...

After parting ways with Gu Mingyue, Gu Mingxi returned to Xiaoyao Peak. No sooner had she arrived than she received a telepathic summons from her master, requesting her presence.

When Gu Mingxi arrived, Yuchen was reclining in a rocking chair, basking in the sun, looking utterly relaxed. Seeing her approach, he gestured to a stool nearby. "Come, sit."

Gu Mingxi bowed respectfully before taking her seat. "Master, what brings you to call for your disciple today?"

Yuchen half-closed his eyes, his tone light and breezy. "Can’t I summon you just because I want to?"

There it was again—her master was teasing her once more. Her master was perfect in every way, except for his occasional childish streak; he loved to tease her, and since she couldn't argue back, she could only play along.

Ignoring his remark, Gu Mingxi asked, "Is this about the Sect Grand Competition, Master?"

Seeing his disciple ignore his banter, Yuchen silently grumbled to himself: *My disciple is growing up; she isn't as cute as she used to be. Back then, my teasing would always get such interesting reactions, but now she doesn't even bite.*

Since Gu Mingxi had brought up the competition, Yuchen followed her lead. "My disciple, what kind of placement are you aiming for in the Grand Competition?"

Gu Mingxi tested the waters. "The top ten?"

Yuchen opened his eyes and turned to look at her. "Hmm? What was that, my disciple?"

Gu Mingxi quickly corrected herself. "The top three?"

Seeing Yuchen still staring at her in silence, she changed her answer once more. "First place!"

Yuchen sat upright and praised her, "Good! That is worthy of being my disciple—if you are going to compete, you must aim for the top!"

Seeing Yuchen like this, Gu Mingxi realized that she would have to go all out in this competition. She had to secure first place, or her master would be dissatisfied. She had originally intended to hold back some of her strength, aiming only for the top three to keep her true capabilities hidden, but she hadn't expected her master to force her hand.

Gu Mingxi smiled and said, "Very well, Master. I will certainly take first place in the Qi Refining stage of the Grand Competition."

"There are still two days left; I shall return to prepare."

"Good, go and prepare."

...

Yuchen watched Gu Mingxi’s retreating back with a sense of helplessness. Why was his disciple so fond of hiding her light under a bushel?

It was nothing like him. In his youth, he had been a celebrated genius. Gu Mingxi’s talent was no less than his—perhaps even greater—yet she seemed indifferent to fame and appeared to have no desire for recognition.

She was not only a Dharma cultivator but also a sword cultivator—a dual-path prodigy. Such talent could not be hidden forever. A true sword cultivator required the courage to forge ahead, the spirit to shatter any obstacle with a single strike. A sword cultivator could never retreat; once they did, their sword heart would be compromised.

Of course, this didn't mean one should foolishly expose every trump card. It meant one had to demonstrate their strength, to make outsiders understand their prowess and fear them enough to stay away.

There was an old saying that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. But then again, if one spent their life playing the pig to eat the tiger, how long would it be before they forgot whether they were truly a tiger or a pig? If one played the part of the pig for too long, they might just transform into one.

Yuchen could not allow Gu Mingxi to harbor such a mindset. What if she were a genius? What if she stood in the eye of the storm and became a target for others? In this world, if you weren't targeted by others, you could hardly call yourself a genius.

Look at Lin Yuan, the eldest disciple of the Xuantian Sword Sect leader. He was a genius whose name resonated across the entire Qingyun Continent; everyone knew he possessed an innate sword bone. His reputation as a genius had grown for over a decade, and despite the many assassination attempts he had faced, he hadn't faltered—instead, those trials had only made him stronger.

In short, the heart must never harbor the desire to hide its light!

Back in her room, Gu Mingxi carefully recalled Yuchen’s expression and realized that her master’s intentions went far beyond simply wanting her to win first place. It seemed he was unwilling for her to conceal her strength. Was he trying to force her to cement her reputation as a genius and forbid her from hiding her true potential?

Gu Mingxi had originally intended to aim for the top ten or top three, preserving her strength so that others wouldn't see through her—in other words, she had wanted to act like the protagonists in those cultivation novels, playing the pig to eat the tiger. But since her master opposed it, that path was clearly no longer an option.

Her master wouldn't lead her astray, and he must have his reasons.

*Hiding one's light... playing the pig to eat the tiger...*

*Could it be that Master is afraid that if I keep holding onto this mentality, I will eventually lose my edge and truly become the pig I am pretending to be?*

The Qingyun Continent where Gu Mingxi lived was a real world of cultivation, not a novel. Suddenly, she thought of the Great Cultivation Competition that would be held over a decade later. After that event, participants would be evaluated based on their performance for inclusion on the Qingyun List and the Dragon-Tiger List. Those who topped these lists would receive the blessings of Heaven’s fortune. The Qingyun List recorded the geniuses of the Nascent Soul stage, while the Dragon-Tiger List recorded the geniuses of the Golden Core stage.

If she insisted on hiding her strength now, would she have to do the same during the Great Competition? If she did, she would undoubtedly miss out on the top spot and lose the blessing of Heaven’s fortune—a price far too heavy to pay. And if she didn't hide her strength then, what was the point of hiding it now?

As for the idea that "the tallest tree in the forest catches the wind"? She didn't believe in such things. She would stand at the center of the storm, firmly and unyieldingly, and see who could dare to pull her down.

Reclining in his chair with his eyes closed, Yuchen suddenly felt a subtle change in his disciple’s aura. It had become sharp and driven—the nascent form of a true sword cultivator.

Yuchen opened his eyes and looked toward the direction of Gu Mingxi’s quarters, smiling with satisfaction. His disciple was brilliant; he had only needed to drop a hint, and she had understood everything.