Chapter 399 - 148: When the Tide Recedes, Who’s Swimming Naked?
’Does Master have this much confidence in Yang Jing? Believing that a newcomer who just ascended to the Inner Sect could get a good ranking in his very first Cyan Qilin Battle?’
Si Jiawen secretly shook her head, unable to understand.
Admittedly, Yang Jing did possess some strength; otherwise, he couldn’t have swept aside the exotic beasts and passed the Dragon Gate’s martial trial.
But he had only been in the Inner Sect for a short time, and his accumulation of martial knowledge was still too shallow.
If he were to participate in the Cyan Qilin Battle after cultivating the *Mountain-Breaking Seal* to a profound level and was on the verge of breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm, he might have been able to contend for a good rank.
But participating this early was simply too risky.
With Yang Jing’s current strength, he would most likely be eliminated in under two rounds; he was purely there to gain some combat experience.
However, getting injured in the Cyan Qilin Battle was all too common. One moment of carelessness could even affect his future cultivation progress. In Si Jiawen’s opinion, the potential reward was not worth the risk.
...
「At the base of Lingxi Peak.」
In the living quarters of the Outer Sect disciples, the bluestone ground of the Ninth Courtyard was still damp with traces of morning dew.
By the stone bench in the courtyard, Zhao Hongxiang, Su Qingyue, and Cai He Kang sat facing each other. The atmosphere was heavy and somewhat oppressive.
In the past, Su Qingyue had always hovered around Zhao Hongxiang, serving him tea and water, fussing over his well-being, and doing everything in her power to curry favor with him.
But now, it was as if an invisible sheet of ice separated them.
Zhao Hongxiang wore a stiff expression, leaning against the stone table without a word, his gaze fixed on the moss on the courtyard wall.
Su Qingyue, meanwhile, kept her eyes lowered and showed no intention of initiating a conversation.
After Yang Jing ascended to the Inner Sect, Su Qingyue had sought Zhao Hongxiang’s counsel. From her perspective, the entire point of fawning over Zhao Hongxiang was to gain a patron, but to her surprise, he had simply dismissed her.
After that, an unspoken and indescribable rift had formed between them.
Cai He Kang, caught between them, was on pins and needles.
He glanced at Zhao Hongxiang’s tense profile, then at Su Qingyue’s bowed head. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t think of a single word to break the silence. He could only wring his hands awkwardly, his gaze darting aimlessly around the courtyard.
Just then, the door to the middle eastern room was pushed open with a CREAK, and Liu Rou stepped out.
She wore a clean cyan robe, her hair was combed neatly, and her face held a light, cheerful smile.
At almost the same moment, the adjacent door also opened, and Lin Wenxuan walked out briskly.
Liu Rou glanced at Lin Wenxuan and smiled. "Shall we head out? If we delay any longer, I’m afraid we won’t even be able to find a spot on the outskirts of the Cyan Qilin Platform."
Lin Wenxuan nodded quickly and said, "Alright."
As he spoke, he turned to Zhao Hongxiang by the stone bench. Forcing a polite smile, he took the initiative to greet him, "Senior Brother Zhao, relaxing?"
’He was still hoping to win over Zhao Hongxiang. After all, Zhao Hongxiang’s strength, potential, and family background were all superior to his own. It would be good to build a closer relationship.’
Zhao Hongxiang finally retracted his gaze and glanced at the two of them. Frowning slightly, he asked, "What’s the big rush? Where are you two going?"
Lin Wenxuan’s smile froze for a moment, and his eyes darted about.
’Of course, he knew that the relationship between Zhao Hongxiang and Yang Jing was strained.’
’A few days ago, Yang Jing had even slapped Su Qingyue in public for being disrespectful, an incident that had caused a huge uproar among the Outer Sect disciples.’
He was afraid of displeasing Zhao Hongxiang if he brought it up, so he hesitated for a moment.
Liu Rou, however, had no such reservations.
After her initial attempt to get close to Zhao Hongxiang had failed, she’d given up on the idea of clinging to him. As long as she wasn’t asking for a favor, she lived freely, unlike the subservient Su Qingyue.
She didn’t have any deep ties with Zhao Hongxiang, Su Qingyue, or the others. So, upon hearing the question, she simply smiled and said, "Senior Brother Yang is participating in this month’s Cyan Qilin Battle, so the two of us are heading to the Main Peak to watch the excitement."
"Senior Brother Yang?" Zhao Hongxiang froze, then pressed, "What did you say? Which Senior Brother Yang?"
"Who else would it be? The one from our very own Ninth Courtyard, Senior Brother Yang Jing, who ascended to the Inner Sect just a few days ago," Liu Rou said with a raised eyebrow.
Zhao Hongxiang’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Didn’t he just ascend to the Inner Sect? How dare he participate in the Cyan Qilin Battle? That’s an arena for the top Inner Strength disciples from every peak. Is he suicidal?"
Liu Rou didn’t say any more. She just gave a faint smile and waved at them. "It’s about time. If Senior Brother Zhao and Junior Sister Su are interested, you can go join the crowd as well. The two of us will be leaving now."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Rou turned and strode straight out the gate of the Ninth Courtyard.
Seeing this, Lin Wenxuan quickly cupped his hands in a salute to Zhao Hongxiang and hurried to catch up. The sound of their footsteps quickly vanished.
The courtyard fell silent once more.
When Su Qingyue heard the two words "Yang Jing," she instinctively covered her cheek, as if the stinging pain was flaring up all over again.
That slap had not only landed on her face, but it had also caused her to lose all face in front of the Outer Sect disciples.
But strangely, amid this familiar sting, a peculiar emotion began to stir within her heart—she couldn’t tell if it was jealousy or something else.
She pressed her legs together, took a sharp breath, and abruptly stood up, walking toward the courtyard gate without a word.
"Where are you going?" Zhao Hongxiang asked, startled.
Su Qingyue stopped and glanced back at him, saying coldly, "I’m going to the Cyan Qilin Platform to watch. I want to see just how badly Yang Jing has overestimated himself. I want to see how miserably he gets beaten on that platform!"
With that, she turned without a backward glance and quickly left the courtyard, not hesitating for even a second.