Chapter 171: Do You Think I’m Beautiful?
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Master Chong Yang’s expression turned stern. If Ji Han Zhou hadn’t been the son of the Nine Flowers Sword Sovereign, he would have certainly given him a harsh reprimand. The tournament hadn’t even started yet, and here was Ji Han Zhou, praising others while belittling their own sect’s strength. Such behavior was a severe blow to a sword cultivator’s pride.
The other elders exchanged uneasy glances, but the Nine Flowers Sword Sovereign seemed curious. “What makes you say that?”
“During my recent training outside, I met a senior sister from the Five Elements Sect. Despite being only in the early stages of the Golden Core, she easily defeated her peers. No one could stand against her,” Ji Han Zhou explained, his words catching the attention of everyone present.
They had watched Ji Han Zhou grow up and knew him to be someone with discerning judgment. He rarely gave high praise, so his words carried weight.
“A female disciple from the Five Elements Sect? Could it be Zhou Jin Yue, the sect leader’s head disciple?” one of the elders asked. The Five Elements Sect was known for its talent, with Zhou Jin Yue and Fang Cheng Lang being its most famous disciples. Naturally, they thought of Zhou Jin Yue first.
Ji Han Zhou shook his head. “No, her name is Yu Zhao.”
“Yu Zhao?” The elders frowned; the name didn’t ring any bells.
After a moment of thought, Master Chong Yang spoke up, “Master Qing Yan had a disciple named Yu Zhao, but she was abandoned.”
Ji Han Zhou looked surprised. “I only know that Senior Sister Yu Zhao is an inner disciple of the Five Elements Sect and the most talented person I’ve ever met. With her around, the Five Elements Sect will not lose.”
Master Chong Yang and the other elders were skeptical. If Yu Zhao were truly as extraordinary as Ji Han Zhou claimed, why would Master Qing Yan abandon her and demote her to an inner disciple? They chalked it up to Ji Han Zhou’s inexperience and tendency to exaggerate.
However, the Nine Flowers Sword Sovereign took his son’s words seriously. If Yu Zhao had earned such high praise from Ji Han Zhou, she must possess remarkable qualities. Lately, Ji Han Zhou had been especially diligent, likely influenced by her. The Nine Flowers Sword Sovereign’s eyes gleamed with anticipation, eager to meet this extraordinary Yu Zhao who had left such an impression on his son.
In Yan Yi City.
Yu Zhao and Silent walked down the bustling streets, their unusual pairing of a young woman and a monk in white robes drawing plenty of attention. Yet, neither seemed the least bit bothered.
“Ha! Look at that! A monk walking with a woman in broad daylight. No shame at all!” A loud, mocking voice broke the curiosity and surprise of the passersby, replacing it with malice.
Silent paused mid-step, silently pulling out a wooden fish—a Buddhist percussion instrument. He tapped it lightly with a mallet.
Thud.
He let out a long breath, his lips curving into a faint, serene smile as he silently recited a mantra in his heart. Don’t get angry. Don’t get angry. Anger only brings sickness, and no one can bear it for you.
Yu Zhao glanced in the direction of the voice. In the window of a teahouse’s second floor sat three cultivators, all looking down at her and Silent with hostile grins. Coincidentally, she recognized them.
The only woman among them, Yao Ji, was extraordinarily beautiful and full of arrogance. She was in the late stages of the Golden Core and had placed second in the individual competition during the last life. The man to her right, Tang Rui, had a youthful face but a venomous heart. He, too, was as powerful as Yao Ji, and in the previous life, half of the cultivators in the individual competition had died at his hands. The last man, known as “Ten Thousand Slashes,” was a thin, middle-aged cultivator. Although he hadn’t made it into the top ten of the individual competition, his eerie and unpredictable curse techniques had earned him a notorious reputation.
Yu Zhao had expected to see them at the upcoming tournament, but she hadn’t anticipated meeting them so soon.
“Little monk! What are you doing out here with a woman instead of chanting scriptures in your temple? You’re breaking your vow of chastity—Buddha won’t be happy!” Tang Rui teased when Silent didn’t respond.
The crowd nearby couldn’t hold back their laughter, some even bursting into loud chuckles.
“You don’t understand,” Slashes chimed in with a sleazy grin. “Monks are still men, and men have needs. Little monk, you’re lucky to have such company.” As he spoke, he exaggeratedly waggled his eyebrows, sparking another round of laughter.
A vein pulsed on Silent’s smooth, shiny forehead.
Thud!
The crisp sound of the wooden fish rang out, silencing the crowd’s laughter. Silent closed his eyes, willing himself to stay calm. Patience. I must have patience. I am a monk. I do not argue with fools.
“Little monk, you’ve taken vows, so don’t speak boastfully. Answer me one question, and if you get it right, I’ll let you two go,” Yao Ji said, waving her feathered fan gently, her voice sweet like honey.
Several cultivators blushed, entranced by her charm. But when Silent opened his eyes to meet hers, there wasn’t a hint of desire in his clear gaze.
Yao Ji smiled slightly. “My question is…”
Yu Zhao sighed inwardly. Silent’s nickname is about to be exposed.
“…Do you think I’m beautiful?”
As soon as Yao Ji finished speaking, the crowd erupted in shouts.
“Beautiful!”
“Yao Ji is the most beautiful woman ever!”
“Yao Ji is unmatched in the world!”
Amid the chorus of flattery, the sharp sound of the wooden fish rang out again, this time three times in quick succession.
Thud, thud, thud.
The infamous “Sharp-Tongued Monk” had arrived.
“Beautiful? Beautiful? All you do is wave that silly fan around, showing off. Why don’t you try reading a book to improve your inner beauty instead of just caring about your looks?”
“And you, bug-eyed mantis! Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re ugly! You have those nasty green eyes like a turtle, and you think everyone is as dirty as you!”
“And you, chubby! Don’t look away; I’m talking to you! You look human, but you can’t even speak like one! Did you forget to wash your mouth after eating trash yesterday? Come here, let me teach you a lesson!”
Silent’s tongue-lashing left everyone dumbfounded. Was this really a monk? He sounded more like a ruffian from the streets!
“You bald donkey! How dare you insult me? Do you want to die?” Tang Rui slammed the table and shot to his feet, his round, pale face twisted with fury.
Yao Ji and Slashes didn’t stand up, but their faces darkened as they glared at Silent, practically wishing to tear him apart with their eyes.
Silent finally felt the anger drain from his body, leaving him calm and content. But then he remembered his status as a monk. Sighing, he clasped his hands together and bowed to the crowd. “I have once again committed the sin of foul speech. My heart feels guilty. I beg for forgiveness.”
The corner of everyone’s eyes twitched at his words. Perhaps if Silent wasn’t still clutching the thick wooden mallet in his hand, his apology might have been a bit more convincing.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Yu Zhao, who had only heard of Silent’s infamous verbal battles, was witnessing it for the first time. She couldn’t help but be amazed. No wonder his nickname was so widely known in the cultivation world. The contrast between his calm exterior and sharp tongue was truly something to behold. She could only imagine how the monks back at the Harmony Temple would feel when they heard about this incident.
Far away, at the Harmony Temple.
Master Jie Chen, a kindly-looking monk, suddenly felt a heavy twitch in his left eyelid. His hand, which was turning a string of prayer beads, froze.
“Junior Brother?” His senior, Master Jie Tan, looked at him with concern.
“I just had a very bad feeling,” Master Jie Chen said hesitantly, causing his senior brother to stop turning his prayer beads.