Elder Liu, with her two disciples, stormed aggressively to the Back Mountain of Huiyuan Gate.
If looks could kill, the flowers and trees along the way would have long withered.
Su He and Li Miao followed behind their master, heads bowed, like two quails about to be executed.
Upon reaching the entrance of the detached courtyard, Elder Liu didn't even knock. With a flick of her sleeve, the two heavy mahogany doors opened with a “boom,” stirring up a cloud of dust.
“Where is Elder Ren?”
This sharp cry, imbued with profound spiritual power, shook the leaves off the trees in the courtyard. The spiritual crane, which had just been coaxed down, shivered again in fright and flapped its wings, flying away without a trace.
Ren Wencai heard the commotion, but instead of getting angry, he slowly stood up, dusted off his hands, and put on that characteristic, cheerful smile that made one want to punch him.
“Oh, isn't this Junior Sister Liu? What brings you here? A rare guest, indeed!”
He feigned a welcoming gesture, his gaze sweeping over the two pale-faced, shifty-eyed female disciples behind Elder Liu. His heart immediately became as clear as a mirror.
It seemed that young Enchuan hadn't been wrong; the complaint had come right to his doorstep.
Elder Liu snorted, not falling for his act at all:
“Stop with the pleasantries! Ren Wencai, you teach good disciples!”
“Ah, Junior Sister, what do you mean by that?”
Ren Wencai feigned surprise, his eyes wide:
“All my disciples are well-behaved and sensible. How could they have angered Junior Sister?”
“Well-behaved and sensible?”
Elder Liu was so angry she laughed, pointing at Su He and Li Miao behind her:
“See for yourself! What state are these two girls in after being beaten by your disciples? One has a neck injury, and the other has internal injuries! Is this what you call well-behaved?!”
Ren Wencai followed her finger, clicked his tongue twice, and looked utterly heartbroken:
“Oh dear, who did this? So lacking in tenderness and care? They really deserve a beating!”
“Stop pretending!”
Elder Liu stepped forward, aggressively:
“If you don't give me an explanation today, I'll tear down this dilapidated courtyard of yours! Hand over that disciple of yours named Jiang Lu, and that accomplice named Gu Chengming!”
“Jiang Lu?”
Ren Wencai was momentarily stunned.
He had originally thought the other party was here to trouble Gu Chengming, but from the sound of it, the main aggressor had become Jiang Lu?
He was also a shrewd person. His eyes darted around, sweeping over Su He and Li Miao. Seeing their guilty expressions, almost shrinking into the ground, he instantly understood.
So... they didn't dare admit they were beaten by Gu Chengming, and threw the blame on Jiang Lu?
Ren Wencai suppressed his laughter, but his face showed a solemn expression of “so that's it”:
“You're saying, Jiang Lu was the one who acted?”
“Nonsense!”
Elder Liu angrily said, “If it weren't for that Jiang Lu relying on his First Realm, Seventh Level cultivation, and ganging up to launch a sneak attack, how could my two disciples have suffered such a great loss? Two grown men bullying two weak women, do they have no shame?!”
“Cough cough...”
Ren Wencai coughed twice, hiding the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
What a 'ganging up to launch a sneak attack,' what a 'First Realm, Seventh Level.'
This Junior Sister Liu was probably completely fooled by these two disciples.
But he didn't expose them. Instead, he followed Elder Liu's lead:
“Since that's the case, we certainly need to get to the bottom of this. Someone, go call Jiang Lu and Gu Chengming!”
.................................................................................
A moment later.
Gu Chengming and Jiang Lu were brought to the detached courtyard.
As soon as Jiang Lu entered, he saw Elder Liu's face, as black as the bottom of a pot, and his two senior sisters who had clearly made false accusations. His legs began to tremble.
“Disciples... greet Elder Ren, greet Elder Liu.”
The two bowed.
Elder Liu didn't even look at Gu Chengming; her phoenix eyes were fixed on Jiang Lu, her gaze as if she wanted to devour him alive:
“Was it you? Relying on your profound cultivation to sneak attack my disciples?”
Jiang Lu: “Huh?”
He looked up, bewildered, at Elder Liu, then at Su He, and pointed at his own nose:
“Me? Sneak attack?”
“Still trying to argue!”
Gu Chengming thought, 'Junior Brother Jiang, you're really unlucky.'
Sticking to his earlier promise not to implicate the other party, he stepped forward, blocking Jiang Lu, and interrupted the elder.
Gu Chengming's expression was calm. He cupped his hands in a salute to Elder Liu, his tone sincere:
“Elder Liu, this matter has nothing to do with Junior Brother Jiang.”
“The situation was urgent at the time; it was my doing alone. Junior Brother Jiang was merely observing from the side and did not make a move.”
The scene was quiet for a moment.
Elder Liu was stunned, then, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, she laughed in anger:
“You?”
A First Realm, Fourth Level? Defeating a Fifth Level and a Sixth Level?
How can everyone from Huiyuan Gate be so dishonest? The old ones feign ignorance, and the young ones spout nonsense!
“Junior Sister, calm down, calm down.”
Ren Wencai, who had been watching the show, finally spoke.
He walked forward with a smile, acting as a mediator in the middle:
“Since both sides have different accounts, this matter is difficult to resolve. Our Wenjian Sect believes in convincing people with reason, but of course, sometimes we also believe in convincing people with strength.”
“I think it's better this way.”
Ren Wencai revealed his true intentions:
“Since Junior Sister believes my disciple was bullying others, then let's have a spar right here.”
“Let this Gu Chengming spar again with your two esteemed disciples.”
“If he loses, then he was indeed speaking nonsense, and Jiang Lu's sneak attack will be confirmed. How to deal with it, we will defer to your judgment.”
“But if he wins...”
“Then it proves that this young man indeed has the ability, and the previous misunderstanding will be resolved. How about it?”
Elder Liu sneered inwardly upon hearing this.
Good for you, Ren Wencai, you were waiting for me here, weren't you?
Trying to use this method to exonerate Jiang Lu? Do you really think my two disciples are made of mud?
Last time they were ambushed, but this time, face-to-face and prepared, how could they possibly lose to a First Realm, Fourth Level good-for-nothing?
This was simply a handle delivered right to her doorstep!
“Good!”
Elder Liu readily agreed.
Su He and Li Miao exchanged glances, both seeing despair in each other's eyes.
But it had come to this; they were riding a tiger and couldn't get off.
Su He gritted her teeth, comforting herself: Last time was because she was completely unprepared, and that guy shouting “rogue cultivator” had rattled her mind, allowing him to get close and launch a sneak attack successfully.
This time was different.
This time was a direct spar. I'm prepared, I have a distance advantage, and I'm a Fifth Level fighting a fourth level!
As long as I keep my distance and blast him with spells, how could I possibly lose?!
“Disciple... obeys!” Su He bravely stepped forward.
............................................................
Two breaths later.
Looking at the two figures piled together, unconscious.
The wind blew through the courtyard, rustling a few fallen leaves.
The scene was incredibly awkward, utterly silent.
Ren Wencai's shoulders trembled; he was finding it truly difficult to hold back.
And Elder Liu, looking at her two disciples lying on the ground, then at Gu Chengming, who stood with his sword sheathed, his face serene.
Her head was buzzing.
Rate on N.U.
