"Chen Hao?" At the Xiao Clan's newspaper office, a seemingly amiable old man suddenly asked with a cold expression when he saw a young man in coarse hemp clothes appear in front of him.
Chen Hao was slightly stunned. Did he offend this old man in any way? He hurriedly and carefully said, "Yes, uncle."
"Have you ever been to school?" The old man asked suddenly.
"No … no." Hearing the old man's question, Chen Hao's small face suddenly turned red and said nervously.
School was a right that only rich people's children had. For Chen Hao, it could only be an extravagant hope.
"Take it, this is yours, this is also yours." The old man looked at Chen Hao with disdain and directly threw a package to Chen Hao. Then he threw out a thick book and said, "Ji Yuan, take him to the dormitory!"
Chen Hao recognized that book. When Buttface first entered school, he used the same book. Chen Hao took the package and picked up the book. He still stood in the same place and looked at the old man in front of him nervously.
"Why are you still in a daze? Don't disturb the other disciples' registration! "The old man said impatiently.
"Uncle … don't you … also have a sword and a key?" Chen Hao didn't arrive early and was in the middle of the line. When the other disciples were registering, he also saw that the items they received were a package, a sword, and a key to the dormitory. However, the old man gave him an extra book, but seemed to have forgotten the sword and the key. This made Chen Hao slightly puzzled.
"Sword? You are not qualified. As a disciple of the Xiao Family, you must have both civil and military skills. You haven't even been to school, how can you comprehend the mnemonic formula? Next! " The old man looked at Chen Hao with disdain as he spoke. Then, he waved his hand and began to process the next report.
"Thank you, uncle." The naive Chen Hao did not doubt him in the slightest. Instead, he felt that what the old man said was very reasonable. After bowing and expressing his thanks, he followed the Xiao Clan disciple who did not seem to have a good expression inside.
After walking for the time it took to brew a cup of tea, under the guidance of the Xiao Clan disciple, Chen Hao arrived in front of a large courtyard with the word "Xiang" written in front of the door. Inside the large courtyard were numerous exquisite huts. Each hut was independent, different in size, and different in number. The huts were surrounded by a bamboo fence with a small door. There were close to a hundred such huts in the courtyard. Chen Hao looked at them one by one and found a pattern. The bigger the number, the smaller the house. However, even the smallest house was much bigger than the slum where Chen Hao and his family lived.
"Is this my dormitory? It's so big … "Chen Hao was secretly surprised. He originally thought that the newly recruited disciples of the Xiao Family would live in a room with several people. He did not expect that it was actually a single house. Moreover, it was very exquisite and looked very comfortable.
However, the Xiao Clan disciple who was leading the way did not seem to have any intention of stopping. He continued to lead Chen Hao into the depths of the large courtyard without stopping. Chen Hao did not understand, but it was not appropriate for him to ask. He just foolishly followed along. After a few more turns, a row of huts appeared in front of Chen Hao's eyes. Compared to the huts he saw previously, these huts were clearly much smaller. Moreover, they looked very dilapidated and bare. There was no bamboo fence. The hut at the side was even more exaggerated. There were holes in the wall and the roof seemed to be extremely tattered.
Just as Chen Hao was feeling puzzled, the Xiao Clan disciple had already led him to the front of the row of huts. He suddenly turned around and said to Chen Hao, "Kid, the most dilapidated hut at the side is your dormitory!"
Chen Hao was stunned, but he was a simple person. Although he didn't understand and was puzzled, he still didn't say anything. He bowed to that Xiao Clan disciple and said "thank you." That Xiao Clan disciple coldly snorted, turned around, and left.
"Hmph, pauper. You will suffer in the future for offending Senior Brother Ji Han. Going from first to last is just the beginning …" After the Xiao Clan disciple turned around and left, he spoke very softly, as if he was talking to himself. It clearly floated into Chen Hao's ears.
At that moment, Chen Hao's delicate face was first stunned, puzzled, and confused. Then, it revealed an intense anger!
The disciple did not expect Chen Hao to hear him because his voice was indeed very soft. However, he did not know that Chen Hao had been different from ordinary people since he was young. His hearing was several times better than an ordinary person's, and his vision was even more astonishing. He could clearly see a mosquito's leg from ten meters away in the dark!
"Xiao Jihan … Who is he?" Chen Hao suppressed the anger in his heart and walked towards the dilapidated hut.
It was no wonder he did not have a key. The door of such a hut was already dilapidated, so how could he have a key?
However, he did not know why he had offended Xiao Jihan the moment he entered the Xiao Clan. He did not know this person at all!
"Eh?" Just as Chen Hao was about to enter the hut, a girl about the same age as Chen Hao walked out of the hut next door. She seemed to know Chen Hao and was rather surprised.
"I know you. Strange … Why are you staying here? This should be the place where the last place is staying! You seem to be the first to pass the Xiao Clan's test, right? " The girl looked very smart. Her eyes were large and filled with confusion. She did not seem to understand why Chen Hao was arranged to stay here.
"Last place?"
"Yes, don't you know? The people who live here are the last few places in the test. The better the result, the better the house. Did you see those numbers when you came in? They are all arranged according to the result of the test. I … I barely passed the test … I thought I was the last place … I never expected … But that shouldn't be the case. You should be the first, right? Strange, very strange … Oh, my name is Li Xiaoling … Oh, no, I should be called Xiao Xiangling now. What's your name? " The girl spoke a lot. The girl knew Chen Hao, but she only knew that he wore coarse linen clothes. As for his name, she did not know.
Through the girl's words, Chen Hao understood one thing. The better the result, the better the house.
Since he was arranged to stay here, it meant that he was the last in the test. However, he was clearly the first to pass the test, so why was he the last?
A name flashed across Chen Hao's mind. Xiao Jihan!
However, Chen Hao was confused by the girl's words. He vaguely guessed that after entering the Xiao Clan, he would have to change his name.
"My name is Chen Hao!"
"Chen Hao? Xiao Xianghao. It doesn't sound as good as Chen Hao … "
"Do we have to change our names? I don't know much about the Xiao Clan's rules, "Chen Hao said.
"Hehe … There's nothing I don't know about the Xiao Clan's rules. Let me tell you! " The girl's face was filled with a smug smile. She looked very cute and said, "After becoming a disciple of the Xiao Clan, you will be given the surname Xiao. The Xiao Clan's disciples are also divided into inner and outer sect disciples. For us, we are outer sect disciples. This started twenty-four years ago. "
"Other than changing their surname to Xiao, the outer court disciples also have a name generation. 'Throughout the ages, Eternal Prosperity' is the name generation of the outer court disciples from the first generation to the eighth generation disciples. We are the eighth generation disciples, so our name 'Xiao Xiang' is fixed. My original name was Li Xiaoling, so I am called Xiao Xiangling! If you don't like it, there's nothing you can do about it. This is the Xiao Clan's rule, unless … "Chen Xiangling said with a smile.
"Unless what?"
"Unless you become a guest elder of the Xiao Clan, then you can regain your original name." When the girl said the word 'guest elder', her eyes were filled with longing and respect.
"Guest elder? What's that? "Chen Hao asked in confusion.
Xiao Xiangling was speechless. It seemed that this guy really did not know anything about the Xiao Clan. Fortunately, one of her favorite things was to answer other people's questions. She patiently explained, "The Xiao Clan's guest elder is an existence second only to the Xiao Clan's Patriarch. Only a peak expert who has reached rank nine Martial Monarch can become a Xiao Clan's guest elder. At that time, you won't be restricted by the Xiao Clan and can regain your original name.
"However … that's too difficult. I only need to become an inner sect disciple. Inner sect disciples can't change their surname, but they can change their name as they wish. There's no need to follow the name generation of the outer sect. Do you understand? "
"I understand."
Xiao Clan's guest elder? No matter how difficult it is, I, Chen Hao, will become a Xiao Clan's guest elder and regain my original name!
"Do you have any other questions? I, Lil Ling 'er, know everything … hehe! "Xiao Xiangling was very pleased with herself. She liked this feeling very much.
Seeing Lil Ling 'er's seemingly all-knowing face, Chen Hao asked the question in his heart, "Do you know Xiao Jihan?"
"Xiao Jihan?" Lil Ling 'er was slightly surprised, a trace of envy flashed in her eyes as she said, "Of course I know him. He's the number one expert of the Xiao Clan's seventh generation outer sect disciples. After the seventh generation, he's the most promising genius to become an inner sect disciple. However, I only know of him and have never seen him in person. Do you know him? "
"I don't know him!" Looking at the envious expression on Lil Ling 'er's face, Chen Hao's suppressed anger suddenly rose again. He clenched his fist tightly and said coldly. After saying that, he ignored Lil Ling 'er's surprise and walked directly to the dilapidated house.
… …
Pushing open the broken door that could be kicked open with a single kick, Chen Hao walked into his own dormitory. Fortunately, the room was relatively clean. Although there were many holes in the walls and a few small "skylights" on the roof, compared to the slums he used to live in, the ventilation and lighting were much better. It was simply "four sides ventilated, five sides lit", and it wasn't as humid as before!
There was a simple wooden bed with a folded bedding. In the corner of the room, there were some simple daily necessities, but there was nothing else.
Simply laying out the bedding, Chen Hao filled the water tank with a few buckets of water from the spring pool a hundred meters away from the dormitory. Taking off his only set of coarse linen clothes, he neatly folded them and placed them at the corner of the bed. Wiping his body, he changed into a set of clothes provided by the Xiao Clan. From the inside to the outside, it was milky white and the texture was soft. Wearing it felt very comfortable. On the left chest, there was a black "Xiao" word embroidered, and under the word was a number, "99"!
He was the last, which meant that there were a total of 99 Xiao Clan disciples recruited this year!
Clothes make the man, just like a horse makes the saddle, Chen Hao immediately looked a lot more spirited after changing into this set of clothes. He no longer looked like a poor boy. He, who was originally delicate and full of spirituality, looked even more handsome.
One after another, all the Xiao Clan disciples who came to report finally arrived in the evening. The new members who were arranged to stay in the run-down house near Chen Hao also arrived one after another. However, what Chen Hao did not expect was that in the ten run-down houses, other than himself, there were only girls. He was the only man here …
And he was the last!
Why was he the first to pass the test, but the last?
During the Xiao Clan's preliminary selection, there was no mention of whether he had attended school or not. Why was it that when he became a Xiao Clan disciple, it was mentioned?
Xiao Jihan!
Everything was because of that inexplicable Xiao Jihan!
…
"All new members, listen up. In fifteen minutes, gather at the Xiao Clan's Martial Arts Practice Field. No one is allowed to be late! All new members, listen up. In fifteen minutes, gather at the Xiao Clan's Martial Arts Practice Field. No one is allowed to be late … "
Just as Lil Ling Er and the other eight girls were chattering non-stop, Chen Hao was alone in the house reading a book that he could not recognize other than the numbers. Suddenly, a dignified voice entered everyone's ears. The voice was not loud, but it sounded as if it was right next to them.
Chen Hao hurried out of the house and followed Lil Ling Er and the others.
"Chen Hao … What happened to you just now?" Lil Ling Er couldn't help but ask after seeing Chen Hao.
"Nothing. I'm sorry … Let's go! "Chen Hao changed the topic.
…
Martial Arts Practice Field, on the high platform. Dressed in black, Xiao Guan was still standing with his hands behind his back. His sharp eyes looked at the new members that were arriving one after another. He was quite satisfied because the overall standard of this year's batch of disciples was higher than any previous batch. Moreover, there were a few outstanding youths, especially the one in the coarse linen robe called Chen Hao.
His gaze swept through the crowd as if looking for someone, but no one appeared. When he saw number one appear, he frowned slightly. What's going on?
Number one should be the boy in the coarse linen robe, could it be … he didn't come to report?
A trace of doubt arose in Xiao Guan's heart as he turned to look at the old man sitting behind him.
This old man was the one in charge of receiving the new disciples, the sixth elder of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Bo. His position was second only to the Xiao Clan's guest elder, but his position was more important than the Xiao Clan's guest elder.
This was because being a guest elder meant freedom. For the Xiao Clan, being a guest elder was only a formality and a moral constraint. If they were happy, they could do it. If they were unhappy, they could just leave. Whereas the elders were true members of the Xiao Clan.
Who was more important and who was less important, it was obvious at first glance.
Even Xiao Guan, the head instructor of the Xiao Clan's outer disciples, was one rank lower than him.
Xiao Guan turned around and asked, "Sixth Elder, what's wrong with first place?"
(First Update, 4000 words long chapter. [I hope that my friends will come and support Dark Mountain. I don't need a single cent, it's completely free. But your favorites, recommendations, and clicks will determine how far our Proud Heaven can go … It's very important to Dark Mountain, so please … Once you're done reading it, remember to add it to your favorites and recommend it.
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