Chapter 273 - 253: Not Worth It
A gust of night wind blew past, lifting Qianqian’s skirts and tousling her hair.
On her left was the senior sister who usually took good care of her. On her right was a junior sister who had always found her an eyesore.
One spoke earnestly, promising benefits, appealing to emotion, trying to persuade her to sell out a friend.
The other pressed aggressively, attempting to intimidate her and force her into submission.
How did it turn out like this?
Qianqian’s face was as pale as thin paper, a chill surging over her body in waves. Her thoughts seemed to drift away, and she suddenly thought of Senior Brother Chen.
Yes, ever since the news of Senior Brother Chen’s accident spread, everything had already changed.
The earnest gaze in the eyes of the sect elders was gone.
The attitude of her senior and junior sisters within the sect had grown cold.
Even the senior sister who had once been closest to her had become distant...
The former affection of the elders for her, the eagerness with which her fellow disciples courted her favor, were like bubbles bursting into nothing.
Qianqian let out a bleak smile. Looking at the ugly faces of the senior sisters before her, then at the two ferocious disciples of the White Feather Sect, as if they would devour her alive.
These people are not worth it.
With a clang, she drew her sword from its scabbard.
The few female disciples of the Xiaoshui Sect instinctively stepped back two paces, somewhat wary.
"Junior sister, what are you doing? Don’t bring ruin upon yourself."
"Huo Qianqian, do you still want to raise your hand against your own sect?"
Qianqian did not look at them. She raised her head to gaze at the desolate silver moon in the sky, then drew the longsword in her hand across her own neck. "Senior brother, I’m coming to join you..."
"No, she’s going to kill herself."
"Don’t let her die yet. First force the whereabouts of that traitor out of her, then talk."
The several people present wanted to stop her, but how could they make it in time?
She was on the verge of perishing like a shattered jade beauty.
Suddenly, with a ding, the longsword in Qianqian’s hand snapped from the guard. She only felt a sudden emptiness in her hand, and this slash merely cut open the surface of her skin.
This sudden change was unexpected, leaving everyone greatly startled.
No one was more shocked than Qianqian. She had already steeled herself for certain death; then the longsword in her hand suddenly broke. She froze there, blankly staring at the hilt that was all that remained, unable to recover her wits for a long while.
All they heard was a faint sigh. "To die for this kind of sect is not worth it."
"Who’s there?"
The junior sister of the Xiaoshui Sword Sect turned her head, looking around for the speaker, and barked harshly, "The Xiaoshui Sect is here to purge our own ranks. Who dares meddle in our affairs?"
"Who gave you the guts to speak to this seat like that?"
All they heard were two crisp slaps.
She took two heavy blows to the face, her head spinning as she fell to the ground, only then realizing what had happened, and burst into tears with a wail.
When had she ever suffered such humiliation?
Everyone present felt their hearts quail with fear. With so many eyes fixed on her, among all those present, not a single one had seen how she had been slapped.
They finally realized that this was a powerhouse whose strength was unfathomable.
The senior sister of the Xiaoshui Sect braced herself, bowed with cupped hands, and said, "Junior Lu Minzhi, disciple of the Xiaoshui Sect. Just now my junior sister’s words were crude and disrespectful. Thank you, senior, for your restraint. May I ask for senior’s esteemed name?"
That voice said indifferently, "You are not worthy to know this seat’s name. A sect’s disciple encounters trouble, yet you, as her fellow sect members, not only refuse to help her, but join hands with outsiders to bully and coerce your own. In this seat’s view, such a sect has no need to exist."
At these words, the faces of all the Xiaoshui Sect disciples present turned deathly pale.
"Senior—"
Lu Minzhi wanted to speak further, but suddenly discovered that she could no longer utter a word. Not only her body, even the True Qi within her was bound by an invisible force.
Terror flashed in her eyes.
This senior actually possessed such means; his strength was simply unfathomable.
She had actually brought such a terrifying enemy down upon her sect.
"That little girl surnamed Huo, you would rather die than sell out a friend. Such character is indeed rare and commendable."
Qianqian hastily bowed. "I dare not accept such praise from senior. To tell the truth, this junior truly does not know Junior Brother Li’s whereabouts. I know full well there is no chance of survival for me today; I simply did not wish to endure further humiliation, that is all."
Li Jinchuan had once trained in the Huo Sect in martial arts. Though it had been less than a year, there was still a bond between them. The two had always addressed each other as senior sister and junior brother.
The voice said, "If you did know his whereabouts, would you sell him out?"
Qianqian started; she had never expected that mysterious senior to ask such a question. After a few breaths, she shook her head. "This junior does not know."
"Hahaha... You are frank to a delightful degree. Hmph!"
Suddenly, that senior snorted coldly, and one of the White Feather Sect disciples pitched forward and crashed headlong to the ground.
It turned out that this man, seeing that the situation was unfavorable, had, while that mysterious expert was chatting with Qianqian, quietly slipped a hand into his sleeve, attempting to send out a signal to summon his fellow sect members.
Yet he had still been discovered.
The other White Feather Sect disciple was so frightened his soul nearly flew away, and he shouted loudly, "It has nothing to do with me..."
"Shut up. When I am speaking, I dislike being disturbed by others."
"Little girl, today I’ll stick my neck out for you just this once. These fellow disciples of yours are so loathsome in appearance—do you want me to kill them to vent your anger?"
Lu Minzhi and the others were so frightened they were about to cry. They looked at Qianqian with terrified, pleading eyes, but were unable to speak. Otherwise, they would probably have dropped to their knees to beg for mercy.
Qianqian sighed and said, "Many thanks for senior’s kindness, but though they have been heartless toward me, I cannot be ungrateful toward them. After all, we are fellow disciples; this junior truly cannot bear to see them die because of me."
"Have you thought this through? My promise is only valid at this moment. If you regret this later, don’t come crying about it."
Qianqian said, "I earnestly beg senior to spare them."
"You heard her. Now get lost."
That mysterious voice sounded again. Lu Minzhi and the others suddenly found they could move. It was like they had received a royal pardon; how would they dare linger? They turned and ran.
Only Lu Minzhi looked at Qianqian with an extremely complex expression, wanting to speak but stopping herself. In the end, she said nothing and turned to leave.
Qianqian watched their departing backs, a wave of bleak sorrow washing over her. She knew that the fellow-disciple bond of these past years was likely severed for good. At the same time, there was also a faint sense of relief in her heart.
"And these two?"
She said, "They too were merely carrying out their sect’s mission. Their crime is not enough to warrant death—let them go."
"You heard her. Scram."
That White Feather Sect disciple’s face showed gratitude. He cupped his hands toward Qianqian in salute, then picked up his unconscious fellow disciple and left as well.
Once all unrelated people had left, a black-clad figure appeared in front of Qianqian—it was Chen Ming. At this moment, he still wore the appearance of Yuan Ziyi.
"Many thanks for senior’s life-saving grace. In my next life, this little woman will certainly go through fire and water to repay you."
Qianqian tried to kneel, but he stopped her.
Chen Ming asked, "Enough, there’s no need for excessive ceremony. Little girl, what are your plans from now on?"
She said, "This junior wishes to return to Qingfeng City—that is where I grew up."
"Naive. Do you think they’ll let you off that easily? The people of White Feather Sect will chase you all the way to Qingfeng City and capture you, and they won’t stop until they find the so-called traitor they’re looking for."
Qianqian felt somewhat at a loss.
Now she had essentially severed ties with Xiaoshui Sect; her grandfather was dead, Senior Brother Chen was gone as well. Other than Qingfeng City, where else could she go?
For a moment, she only felt that though the world was vast, there was no place in it where she belonged.
Chen Ming said, "I’ll be staying in Jiangzhou for a while longer. These next few days, you can just follow me."
Qianqian hesitated and said, "Would that not trouble senior too much?"
"It’s just a pity I have too many enemies and can’t take you as a disciple," Chen Ming said. "Remember this: if you want to gain a foothold in this world, you can only rely on yourself. If you had strength like mine, where in this world could you not go?"
Qianqian gave a bitter smile, thinking to herself that she could not possibly compare with this senior.
Though this senior looked very young, once one reached Third Grade, it was very difficult to tell age from appearance.
Those few Third Grade teachers in Xiaoshui Sect all had techniques to preserve their looks; they appeared to be only in their twenties or thirties, but in reality some were already forty or fifty.
Just as she was about to speak, Chen Ming had already wrapped an arm around her shoulders and soared into the air, continuing on their way.
This was a speed she had never experienced before. She didn’t dare speak again, for fear of distracting the senior.
...
Before long, Evergreen Hall was already before them.
Chen Ming arrived at the gate of the small courtyard he had once lived in and transmitted his voice, saying, "Miss Yu, visiting so late at night—please don’t take offense."
At the side, Qianqian was very surprised to see the senior come to this courtyard. She knew Senior Brother Chen had once lived here.
And when she heard him call, "Miss Yu," she immediately knew who he was looking for. Her feelings were somewhat complicated.
Ever since Senior Brother Chen disappeared, this Miss Yu had moved openly into the Chen Family, in the capacity of Senior Brother Chen’s fiancée. She had even gone to the Chen Family ancestral hall, and her name had been written into the Chen Family genealogy.
Such actions could truly be called shocking and unconventional, and naturally drew a great deal of criticism.
But that Miss Yu simply didn’t care and continued to do as she pleased. She frequently traveled between Jiangzhou City and Qingfeng City, comporting herself as the mistress of the Chen Family.
In just a few months, within Qingfeng City, the Chen Family’s reputation had already become the most prominent among the clans, for after all, this Miss Yu was a genuine Third Grade expert—and so young at that.
Qianqian had never imagined that this senior would actually know this Miss Yu, and would come looking for her in the dead of night.
What exactly was the relationship between these two?
As she was thinking this, the door creaked open. A beautiful maid came out to greet them. "My mistress invites the two young ladies into the residence for a chat. Please follow this servant inside."
Qianqian knew this maid. Though she was merely a maid and even younger than Qianqian, she already possessed Fifth Grade cultivation, far stronger than Qianqian.
Thinking of this, Qianqian couldn’t help feeling somewhat ashamed and inferior.
She said softly, "Senior, I won’t go in. I’ll wait outside."
Chen Ming ignored her words and brought her in with him.
Qianqian, unable to help herself, followed behind him. Before long, in the rear courtyard, she saw that veiled woman.
Even with her face veiled, it was impossible to conceal her peerless grace.
Every time one saw this Miss Yu, one couldn’t help but sigh in wonder. How could there be such an extraordinarily radiant woman in this world, as though all the spiritual essence of heaven and earth had been gathered in her alone—words were inadequate to describe her.
Yu Haitang’s gaze passed over Yuan Ziyi and fell upon Qianqian. In those clear, tranquil eyes, a hint of surprise appeared. "Sect Leader Yuan actually knows her?"