Borrowed Sword

Chapter 27: Do You Want to Compete with My Background?

One of the nine Outer Gate Stewards, Niu Yuanshan, appeared in the dungeon.

Chu Huaixu’s little steward girl followed at his side, looking at the young man with a face full of worry.

After seeing the wound on the other man’s arm, her already cold expression instantly turned even more frosty.

“He’s injured!” Han Shuangjiang’s heart tightened.

Chu Huaixu let out a breath of relief when he saw Niu Yuanshan.

Before crossing over, the ridiculous players had already exposed the Organization thoroughly.

Later, many players started making jokes, reciting the Organization’s “Admonitions” by heart, calling each other “comrade” and shouting “Loyal—ty!”

Not long ago, Chu Huaixu had cheekily joked to himself: “Comrade, save me! Loyal—ty!”

But once in the dungeon, surrounded by that environment, the atmosphere suddenly tightened.

He actually felt a bit nervous.

Old Niu, don’t be late!

Thankfully, Niu Yuanshan arrived just in time.

Chu Huaixu silently swore to himself: “From now on, I joke, but I don’t joke about people.”

Old Niu, you’re awesome.

What moved him was that as soon as Niu Yuanshan approached, he immediately positioned himself in front of Chu Huaixu.

This broad‑browed, big‑eyed middle‑aged man wore a stern, just expression, yet he was actually half a head shorter than Chu Huaixu and slightly hunched.

But for some reason, he radiated a strong sense of security.

Before shielding the young man behind him, he even offered him a gentle smile.

He truly felt like a family elder.

Han Shuangjiang hurried forward, concernedly asking: “You’re injured?”

“It’s nothing, just a little graze,” Chu Huaixu replied indifferently.

An older steward named Liu Tianfeng furrowed his brows and asked, “Niu Yuanshan?”

He had never expected this man to come here.

And his tone wasn’t friendly!

This differed greatly from Liu’s impression of Niu Yuanshan.

But what could he know?

A real Dao Gate steward would slack off at work, boss subordinates around, abuse power, and act lawlessly.

A fake undercover steward would be responsible at work, diligent, act impartially, and work like an ox or horse.

Niu Yuanshan had been undercover in the Dao Gate for over three years, truly like a slave‑ox.

Absurdly, that workplace dynamic meant the more work this undercover put in, the less others did.

Honestly, without Niu Yuanshan, the Outer Gate would have collapsed!

Liu Tianfeng and he were both Outer Gate stewards and had worked together for years; they knew Old Niu’s temper.

This man was a do‑gooder.

So he never imagined that one day this ox would say such words!

“Calling me all high and mighty!” Steward Liu felt a surge of inexplicable anger.

It was strange—an old do‑gooder who’d helped you a lot suddenly yelled at you, and your first reaction was frustration.

Liu Tianfeng and Niu Yuanshan were about equal in strength, both Third Realm Great Perfection, and they’d never sparred, so they didn’t know who was stronger.

As fellow stewards, Liu Tianfeng was more senior—indeed, he was the most senior of the nine.

He looked at the uncharacteristically stern Old Niu with displeasure and said gravely, “Niu Yuanshan, are you stepping forward for him?”

A burst of internal energy swept over, the Third Realm’s pressure spreading through the dungeon, as if the air itself thickened, making it hard to breathe.

“So what if I am?” Beneath Niu’s heavy brows, his gaze slightly hardened, and spiritual energy radiated from him.

In an instant, the dungeon became tense and lethal.

Brothers Liu Chengqi and Liu Chenggong looked at each other.

The former ground his teeth in fury: he couldn’t believe that that Chu bastard still had someone to protect him.

The latter, besides his shock, couldn’t help but admire Han Shuangjiang’s beauty—truly a peerless beauty!

“Truly no wonder he favors his cousin!”

The tension had mounted so much that both stewards found themselves unable to back down.

Liu Tianfeng roared, “Niu Yuanshan! Think carefully—this brat grievously injured my son!”

“I’ve learned the full sequence of events; clearly it was Liu Chengqi who was in the wrong,” Niu Yuanshan refused to yield.

In his view, nothing was wrong with this newcomer in the Organization.

Though he didn’t know Han Shuangjiang had a Profound‑Yin body and that verifying a Spirit Embryo required a blood test, he could already see from that day just how much Li Chunsong valued that young woman.

Old Niu wasn’t stupid; he deduced that Elder Six valued this girl more than he valued the newcomer in the Organization.

Therefore, he concluded that this was undoubtedly a rare daughter of the heavens.

Indeed, she had already broken through two orifices right after joining.

Having befriended Chu Huaixu couldn’t hurt.

“I originally arranged for both their residences to be together, as a sort of hint.”

“I’m sure he’s understood,” Old Niu was inwardly comforted.

To him, although Chu Huaixu acted flamboyantly and hurt someone upon entering the sect, he must have had his reasons—at least he had established an upright persona.

With such a disposition, who knew if the Dao Gate’s higher‑ups might take an interest.

Niu Yuanshan had seen the cruel side of that fox‑faced man.

Even someone dead still got slapped several times.

In his opinion, the fact that the gentleman’s son was still alive, able to plot revenge, already showed that Chu Huaixu had restrained himself.

At this moment, as Liu Tianfeng was stared down by his beloved son and nephew, it was hard for him not to feel intimidated.

“Niu Yuanshan, even if you’re protecting him, you can only guarantee his life, but he still must be punished!”

The elder suddenly stepped forward and reached out, wanting to seize Chu Huaixu.

The broad‑browed, big‑eyed Niu Yuanshan raised his arm to block like a rock.

After a brief clash, he retreated with Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang, unwilling to reveal too many of his methods, and said:

“Steward Liu, are you sure you want to act? Before that, you didn’t ask me the reasons?”

Liu Tianfeng snorted coldly at his words: “Speak your nonsense if you can!”

Niu Yuanshan transmitted his voice to the elder, so only he could hear:

“Let me give you a reminder—Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang were personally brought up the mountain by Elder Six.”

“What!” Liu Tianfeng, whose hair was half white, trembled violently, his face turning pale.

……

……

In the Dao Gate, the Inner Gate and Outer Gate were separated by what seemed like a great chasm.

Li Chunsong, a revered Inner Gate Elder, a peerless expert of the Seventh Realm, could grind Liu Tianfeng to dust with a flick of his fingers, or strip him of his steward position with a single word.

The elder had already been extremely shocked thinking Niu Yuanshan was Chu Huaixu’s backer.

But unexpectedly, the young man’s backing was even higher than he imagined!

One of the highest figures not just in the Dao Gate, but in all of the Eastern Continent!

Liu Tianfeng had drifted in the Outer Gate for many years, the most senior of the stewards, a sly old fox among sly old foxes.

If Chu Huaixu were an extraordinary talent—a once‑in‑a‑century prodigy—his fear might actually be less.

But he happened to be a low‑grade Spirit Embryo!

“What kind of trash Spirit Embryo would be worth Elder Six personally escorting him up the mountain?”

The more it was like this, the more Liu Tianfeng felt the relationship between the two must be deep.

The worse his aptitude, the stronger his connections!

“With Niu Yuanshan’s usual mild temper, for him to take a strong stance this time—could it be that Elder Six had already instructed him to take good care of the boy?” The elder kept imagining scenarios, and the more he thought, the more wrong it all seemed.

He even began scrutinizing Chu Huaixu’s face, checking whether he resembled Elder Six…

Well, alright, he was way too handsome.

“Could he be the son of an old friend of Elder Six?”

Liu Tianfeng’s expression began to flicker with uncertainty, his heart full of doubts.

Seeing his expression, Niu Yuanshan spoke up: “Steward Liu, can I take him away now?”

How could Liu Tianfeng dare block them?

He even cupped his hands toward Niu Yuanshan and said, “Thank you, Steward Niu, for the earlier reminder.”

Old Niu was still Old Niu—a genuine good guy, he was saving me!

Niu Yuanshan nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at Chu Huaixu, as if ready to take him away.

But his gaze landed on Chu Huaixu’s arm.

“You’re injured?” he asked.

Without waiting for Chu Huaixu to answer, Niu Yuanshan turned around again to face Liu Tianfeng and the others.

The broad‑browed, big‑eyed middle‑aged man revealed a simple and honest smile.

“Now I’m afraid we can’t just walk away,” he said.

……