Today, Lin Yue was at the sect's cafeteria. She had previously assumed that cultivators did not need food, but it seemed that assumption was completely wrong.
Here, the sound of bowls clashing mixed with the rhythmic tapping of chopsticks, as if forming a strange harmony.
The place resembled an inn, but on a much larger scale, spacious enough to accommodate many disciples. Even so, it did not lose its classical atmosphere.
Golden koi fish swam around the girl, their round eyes reflecting a hint of unease. Or more precisely, fear.
The fish could smell the scent of fried fish.
And that made it nervous, thinking Lin Yue had certain intentions.
In a hurry, it followed her closely, as if trying to make her change her mind.
"You're not here because you want to eat fish, right?"
Lin Yue could indeed smell fried fish mixed with a certain spiritual energy.
She had already grown tired of seafood because of the previous 'octopus' incident. It had been edible, but its texture made her hesitate to ever eat it again.
Fish, however, was different. Its flesh was tender, carrying both a savory aroma and spiritual essence.
"I think that's a good idea. It's been a long time since I ate fish, especially one rich in spiritual energy." Her gaze flicked toward the floating fish.
If the golden koi could raise its scales, they would have stood on end. She wasn't planning to fry me, right?
"Don't you think I'm not suitable to be cooked?"
"Huh?" Lin Yue paused before understanding. "You? A small fish without spiritual energy. Are you even worth eating?"
Those words made the fish want to wipe away the tears at the corner of its round eyes, if it had hands. It did not know whether it should feel offended or relieved.
Eventually, amid the crowd, Lin Yue managed to order her food. She also ordered the standard tea served here.
Surprisingly, the service was fast, and soon she was enjoying her meal while sitting calmly at a table near the corner.
The place was noisy, filled with overlapping voices, but it did not bother Lin Yue.
In fact, it allowed her to gather information.
And sure enough, a group of disciples at the neighboring table began talking.
"Lately, the cafeteria has been more crowded. There must be a reason."
"In a few days, new disciples will enter the sect after the examination. Senior disciples are also returning from external missions," another replied.
"No wonder I've seen some 'prospective disciples' dressed differently walking around here," one of them added, glancing at a nearby table.
Lin Yue nearly choked on her tea when she noticed the glance. She was not a "prospective" disciple. Even if she was new, she had already been acknowledged, if only unofficially.
Other tables buzzed with their own conversations. This time, a familiar name came up.
"Did you hear? Senior Mo Yuchen has returned from an external mission. I heard he brought back a Snow-Eyed Eagle chick, extremely rare!"
"Really? Incredible. As expected of someone with pure potential, rank five."
The others nodded in agreement.
"It's a pity our potential is so limited."
"You should be grateful you weren't born with Locked Potential. That kind of potential is terrible and consumes enormous resources."
Lin Yue listened carefully, feeling a slight tightness in her chest. At first she was confused, but gradually she began to understand what they meant by "potential."
It was like talent, something that determined whether one was a genius or not.
From what she gathered, there were also Adaptive Potential and Paradox Potential, said to be extremely rare and almost unheard of in the present era.
If not for relics and evidence left behind by powerful cultivators, people might have believed these talents were nothing more than legends.
"Senior Mo Yuchen is clearly a rare talent here. No wonder the sect master personally took him in."
Lin Yue paused mid-pour. Mo Yuchen was the sect master's direct disciple? That was a red flag. Extremely dangerous.
On the other hand, whispers about Lin Yue herself surfaced. They were unimportant, yet she could not help but hear them.
"I heard that besides the new disciples, there's also a guest disciple in the sect."
That was clearly referring to Lin Yue.
"I've seen her."
"I once delivered a message from the second elder to her…" The disciple glanced around before lowering his voice. "I saw her leaving the room of the young man she brought, looking completely disheveled."
"Whoa… there must be something going on."
Lin Yue was startled. She hadn't expected that incident to become gossip. Could people not refrain from talking about others' private matters? Especially when they were so easily misunderstood.
"You know, I heard she has ties to the black market."
"No wonder she seems rough and impolite."
Lin Yue fell silent, sensing that something was wrong.
She had thought people would comment on her potential or cultivation. Yet no one mentioned it at all.
Unlike Mo Yuchen, who was praised endlessly, she was merely a guest disciple. No one would bother discussing her talent, would they?
This was a world that valued not only strength, but also conduct and reputation.
She gathered several useful pieces of information and felt somewhat satisfied. However, being misunderstood like this was not pleasant. She could not refute such baseless accusations right now.
Lin Yue lifted the teapot to pour herself another cup for the last time, only to suddenly realize something.
The golden koi fish was inside the teapot.
It swam happily in the tea, causing Lin Yue's expression to darken with irritation. Disgust was clear in her eyes.
Had she been drinking fish-infused tea this whole time?
Feeling her cold gaze, the fish froze, like a thief caught red-handed. Panic set in.
"L-listen to my explanation–"
Before it could finish, the teapot was lifted and shaken violently. Lin Yue, already annoyed, had no intention of listening.
The fish and the tea were poured straight into a ditch, causing the fragrant aroma of tea mixed with a fishy smell to spread everywhere.
The koi had never felt so miserable as it lay abandoned in the ditch after Lin Yue left.
She was very serious about her words.
And the fish regretted everything.
...…
On the other hand, Lin Yue had no intention of dwelling on the annoying golden koi. She focused on the information she had gathered earlier.
What caught her attention most was the topic of potential.
Her knowledge was still extremely limited, and it clearly forced her to investigate further.
She remembered that the sect would soon accept new disciples. Perhaps this would be her opportunity.
She planned to join the sect's formal learning sessions.
Just because she was unofficial did not mean she would be left completely in the dark.