Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Junior Brother Bai, is this your new sidekick? I thought you have always been a lone ranger?” a female student asked.
They were in the place where elite students gathered. Usually, when the elderly came, they were someone’s sidekick.
Bai Shanliang laughed bitterly. “Senior Sister Huang, that’s an overstatement. It’s more likely that I am his sidekick.”
Those who hadn’t seen Su Yu before began scrutinizing him in surprise.
“Where does he come from? How come Bai Shanliang praised him like that?”
Senior Sister Huang was stunned too. “Junior Brother Bai, dare I ask, who is this?”
Bai Shanliang was pondering as to how he should introduce Su Yu to them in order to help him make a good first impression. But before he could open his mouth, voices of discord arose.
“He is nothing remarkable, just someone who knows some Mu words and relies upon women to feed him. Senior brothers and sisters, this person isn’t worth your time to get to know,” the dark-skinned youth said.
Everyone looked at him at the same time. Bai Shanliang’s face darkened. He turned his head to look at the dark-skinned youth and clearly said, “Junior Brother Liu, you can eat whatever you like, but not think you can say whatever you like. Do you think that you don’t have to pay the price for simply slandering someone? Is that why you are talking nonsense?”
So the dark-skinned youth has the surname Liu… Su Yu had taken note of it.
Junior Brother Liu scoffed. He wasn’t afraid of Bai Shanliang. “Talking nonsense? If so, are you going to say that the rumor about the Supreme Zhongyao was spread by me too?”
Many of the students of the inner sanctum didn’t quite understand what was going on and started asking the insiders. They came to learn that this person had overpowered the first beauty of the outside sanctum, Bing Wuxin, on the first day, and had subsequently won Xuelian’s heart.
They were in disbelief and felt jealous at the same time. Their impression of Su Yu instantly became negative. Despite everything they would hear later about Su Yu’s significant contributions to the faction, the first impression had been built. It would slightly improve, but the barrier still existed.
Bai Shanliang asked, “Senior Brother Liu, don’t tell me you have no idea that the so-called ‘Supreme’ is merely a joke?”
Senior Brother Liu sneered. “A joke? Is there anyone among you people of the Demon Mountain that’s normal?”
His words not only infuriated Bai Shanliang but Bing Wuxin and Gongsun Wuxie as well.
“Say that again!” Bing Wuxin’s eyes suddenly turned cold.
Gonsun Wuxie narrowed her eyes, an icy chill emanating from them.
Despite their reaction, Senior Brother Liu was fearless and continued to mock. “This is the inner sanctum, people of the Demon Mountain shouldn’t even think of misbehaving here.”
As he saw Bai Shanliang and the others getting furious, Su Yu, who was had been placid up until now, finally stepped forward. “Don’t act this way because of me,” he said to them. “His mouth belongs to him, and it’s his privilege to say whatever he wants, but we have the privilege to ignore him too. There is no need for a meaningless argument with him.”
The purpose of the gathering was to unite the people of the faction, in preparation for their participation in the Fengyun Great Competition. Su Yu didn’t want Bai Shanliang and the others to rush into conflicts with the people of the inner sanctum because of him.
Senior Brother taunted him. “Meaningless argument? If one of them had said this, it would’ve carried some weight. But you? Are you a match for me?” He seemed to have been given information about Su Yu by Tianyu, and this was why he was being so confrontational.
Su Yu only shrugged in return, and replied nonchalantly, “As long as you’re happy.” As he finished talking, he stepped back and, closing his eyes for respite, pretended that Liu was just air.
In Senior Brother Liu’s eyes, his behavior did not appease his anger but annoyed him even more.
In contrast to himself, Su Yu’s relaxed and carefree manner made him seem like an enraged monkey, jumping up and down in front of a calm, composed expert.
“Why the pretense? This is a place for the elites of the faction, and we are the geniuses taking part in the selection for the Glittering Jewel Wonderland. Do you think you are even qualified?” Liu asked coldly.
Su Yu did not even open his eyes. He replied calmly, “More qualified than you are, I suppose.”
Senior Brother Liu was about to speak when the surrounding air froze and a massively strong pressure gradually appeared. People turned to look at the entrance of the main hall. Two willowy, charming figures had arrived. They floated through the air as everyone watched them. One of them was clad in a long ink-black gown and had an elegant figure and a serene expression. She had a face of absolute beauty, which was rare in this world.
When she saw the woman, Bing Wuxin’s eyes turned fierce as she clutched tightly at her sword hilt.
The expressions of others were a mixture of fearful respect and awe.
“Bing Wuqing?” Su Yu glanced at her and then immediately shifted his gaze to the person beside her. It was a woman clad in a short blouse. Her figure was indeed feminine, especially the fullness on her chest which gave away her gender. Apart from that, the short blouse she wore, the slick short hair she kept and her rough facial features made her no different from a male. She gave the contradictory impression of being both a male and yet a female, at the same time.
Su Yu realized that this woman must be the second-ranking expert of the Red Blood Palace, Tianyu. In terms of cultivation, she was a ninth-grade Almighty who had surpassed almost all of the faction elders. She was below only Palace Master Mo. Such an ability was adequate for constructing an influence that was no weaker than that of any of the sixteen great factions.
Tianyu followed closely behind Bing Wuqing, her eyes filled with affection as she gazed at the indifferent Bing Wuqing. Her strange behavior seemed normal to the students of the inner sanctum.
“Has there been a conflict?” Bing Wuqing came forward with a smile on her face, as gentle as water.
People exchanged glances and cast their eyes over Su Yu and Senior Brother Liu, who were standing at the center of the crowd. Bing Wuqing followed their gazes, and her gorgeous eyes shone as she saw Su Yu. With a blithe gait, she walked toward them graciously. All of a sudden, tantalizing fragrance spread through the crowd.
Bing Wuqing stood thirty feet from Su Yu, and they were so close that they could feel each other’s breath. Such a distance between a man and a woman implied a clear husband-and-wife or lovers’ relationship, otherwise, they would be suspected of having developed romantic feelings.
“Junior Brother, do you need my help?” Bing Wuqing’s breath was fresh like flowers.
Their intimate interaction made them seem like a couple in the eyes of outsiders.
All of a sudden, Su Yu felt several hostile looks cast on him. He was very calm as he faced the beautiful woman whom many were insanely jealous of. He didn’t think Bing Wuqing was any prettier than Bing Wuxin. It was only because Bing Wuqing had more superior capabilities, which added some glamor to her.
“No need,” Su Yu’s tone was detached.
Bing Wuqing had a soft smile on her face. “Great then.”
Once she had finished talking, she came to Su Yu’s side soundlessly, closing the distance between them. She also happened to block Bing Wuxin on the outside. From afar, it seemed that she had taken Bing Wuxin’s position.
Bing Wuxin’s fingers that were holding the sword’s hilt dug into the flesh of her palm, as her eyes were filled with ice-cold chills. Her murderous intention was flickering.
Bing Wuqing’s subtle behavior had displeased Su Yu. He moved his feet stealthily and stepped closer to Gongsun Wuxie. Bing Wuqing followed, making her intention even more obvious.
The inner sanctum students had finally noticed something unusual. They cast stunned, appraising looks at them, and quickly communicated through telepathy.
“What’s happening? Junior Sister Bing and Su Yuxian, is she…”
“Stop the nonsense. How noble is Junior Sister Bing, and how proud is she?”
“But then what’s going on now, am I blind…”
A commotion broke out among the crowd. People were stunned by Bing Wuqing’s obvious behavior. Su Yu frowned. Was Bing Wuqing doing this on purpose, to make him stand against everyone else? Firstly, it would provoke Bing Wuxin. Secondly, it would place him in an opposite position to everyone else. After entering the Glittering Jewel Wonderland, no one would curry favor with Su Yu, so she could exploit Su Yu’s power to her own advantage. It was like killing two birds with one stone. Evidently, this woman one full of schemes up her sleeve.
All of a sudden, Su Yu’s heart went cold as if a cold steel needle was piercing through his heart. It was a warning, making Su Yu raise his guard and immediately turn to look. It was Tianyu! She was standing outside the crowd, staring coldly at him. Her bright eyes were full of murderous intentions which she made no effort to hide. Her lips twitched, and the message arrived in Su Yu’s ears through telepathy.
“I’ve already sent someone to warn you not to get close Bing Wuqing!! You should regret that you did not heed my warning!”
He had been threatened a few times already. Even if Su Yu was merely a sculpture made of mud, he had his temper. He replied without a trace of politeness, “Anytime, I’m ready for it.” It was terrible enough if a man was jealous of him, but now a woman was as well. How strange!
Tianyu did not speak again, the murderous intentions in her eyes intensified.
Bing Wuqing turned to look and laughed softly with pursed lips. “Want me to talk to her personally?”
“About what?” Su Yu questioned coldly.
Bing Wuqing smiled gracefully. “To advise her against seeking her own death of course.”
Su Yu stared at Bing Wuqing and laughed coldly in disdain. “Isn’t this what you want to see happening?” He was certain that Bing Wuqing’s intention was to keep him isolated from the rest.
She did not speak, but only smiled, as if acquiescing to his remark.
Buzz…buzz…buzz…
All of a sudden, the space vibrated. A space seam appeared on the air above the seat of honor in the main hall. A cold beauty stepped out leisurely, clad in all-black clothing.
“Greeting Palace Master Mo!” The people in the main hall immediately greeted her with reverence.
Mo Tianxuan replied detachedly, “All rise. Now that all of you are here, you can start comparing the amounts of merit points and come up with the top fifty.”
Some students were hesitant. “Palace Master Mo, a number of senior brothers and sisters with four million full merit points are on their way here…”
Mo Tianxuan cut them off before they could finish. “No need to wait, they have been eliminated! They have been so careless about such an important matter as the Glittering Jewel Wonderland. Even if they get to enter, they won’t be able to survive for many days before meeting their own death.”
Upon hearing that, people felt their hearts shudder brutally. She was being so strict, but that matched Mo Tianxuan’s personality.
“The faction can only recommend fifty individuals for the Glittering Jewel Wonderland, not including the eight great factions under jurisdiction. Hence, those ranked out of the top fifty positions have basically lost their qualifications,” Mo Tianxuan explained.
She went on, “Before officially beginning comparing merit points, those with less than four million merit points, leave the main hall now.” Four million merit points was a threshold, one used to gauge loyalty.
Only students who had remained in the faction for a prolonged period of time, from a few years to a few dozens of years, could possibly collect four million merit points. The measure would prevent ineligible ones from trying to blend in stealthily.
All of a sudden, a large number of inner sanctum students showed signs of anxiety, and one after another, left the main hall. They would only stand a chance if there were fewer than fifty people left.
In an instant, there were only fifty to sixty individuals left in the once crammed main hall. These people were all students who had collected four million merit points. All of them were top-notch excellent individuals of the faction. After all, only the outstanding students could accomplish various tasks with perfection, in turn collecting such an enormous amount of merit points.
Mo Tianxuan’s glance swept across the crowd. All of a sudden, she was startled as she spotted a familiar figure among them. “Why haven’t you left yet?” Mo Tianxuan stared at Su Yu, with animosity on her face.
Su Yu was slightly stunned. “Why should I?” he asked in return.
