Chapter 235: Everyone Has Their Preferences
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Ye Cong Xin found herself shut out by Master Qing Yan once again. Frustrated, she returned to her room and vented her anger at the system.
“System, Master has clearly regained consciousness. Why won’t he see me?”
If not for the potion she exchanged with her luck value, Master Qing Yan would still be in a coma. How could he treat his savior this way?
Ding! It is recommended that the host shift focus to those closer to you!
“You think I don’t want to?”
Ye Cong Xin sat down, fuming.
Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue now treated her like an enemy. Forget draining their luck value; even their goodwill toward her was nearly depleted.
Among her senior brothers, Lan Zi Yu had the highest goodwill toward her at 85 points. However, no matter how she tried to improve their relationship, it wouldn’t budge, as if it had reached its peak.
As for Su Ming and Quan Ye, one was elusive, and the other was too dense to approach.
With the Golden Core stage within reach but insufficient luck value to support her breakthrough, Ye Cong Xin grew increasingly irritable.
Ding! Friendly reminder: Lan Zi Yu’s luck value is currently trending downward. Please increase goodwill quickly to obtain more luck value.
“What? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Ye Cong Xin panicked further.
The incident with Li Jing Rang had already been a harsh lesson. She had no intention of repeating her mistakes.
She needed to act quickly to raise Lan Zi Yu’s goodwill.
Her eyes gleamed with determination.
To make a man develop the utmost goodwill toward a woman, aside from familial or platonic bonds, there was only one possibility left.
Lan Zi Yu…
Your luck value is mine.
…
Unbeknownst to Ye Cong Xin, while she was deliberating in her room, the main peak was abuzz with discussions about her.
“Master, do you suspect that Ye Cong Xin saved Master Qing Yan?” Zhou Jin Yue had just finished handling a mountain of mundane affairs. Though she looked weary, her expression grew serious as she listened to Sect Master Ji Yuan’s words, her fingers instinctively tapping the armrest.
“It’s not suspicion—it’s certainty.”
Though Master Qing Yan had awakened days after Ye Cong Xin’s departure, Sect Master Ji Yuan was convinced she was involved. After all, a person suffering from a severe illness couldn’t recover for no reason.
Moreover, Yu Zhao had accurately predicted Master Qing Yan’s recovery beforehand, which spoke volumes.
“So, you mean…”
“Logically, the sect should reward Ye Cong Xin for saving Master Qing Yan. But since she hasn’t mentioned it, we’ll pretend to know nothing for now. Just keep an eye on her in private.”
Zhou Jin Yue understood.
Her master was suspicious of Ye Cong Xin.
“Master, I’ve actually been monitoring Ye Cong Xin and have noticed something peculiar.”
“Go on.”
“Ye Cong Xin seems exceptionally popular. From elders to disciples in the Five Elements Dao Sect, everyone praises her. Even Master Qing Yan, who is usually aloof, made an exception to take her as his last disciple. When she’s away from the sect, she still attracts followers like Li Jing Rang.”
Zhou Jin Yue voiced the doubts she had been harboring.
Sect Master Ji Yuan fell into deep thought.
Before Zhou Jin Yue brought it up, he hadn’t considered it odd. In his mind, Ye Cong Xin had grown up in the sect, had a pleasant personality, and it was only natural for her to be well-liked.
But everyone has their preferences.
Some like lively personalities, while others prefer quiet, steady types. Zhou Jin Yue, for example, was flawless in his eyes, yet not universally praised within the sect.
Why, then, was Ye Cong Xin so universally admired, to the extent that people shared her joys and despised her enemies? Even Yu Zhao, who had a conflict with her, became a pariah under everyone’s disdain.
Was it mere coincidence? Or something more?
Sect Master Ji Yuan mulled over his thoughts, his face pale with concern. “From today onwards, you no longer need to pay attention to Ye Cong Xin.”
Zhou Jin Yue nodded respectfully, unbothered by the apparent dismissal. She understood what this meant—Ye Cong Xin had formally caught the Master’s eye.
Her own secrets would soon be impossible to hide.
…
“Perching Mountain City.”
Yu Zhao’s heart stirred as she heard Si Tu Xuan utter the name of the city. Despite never visiting it in her past life, the name felt strangely familiar as if she had encountered it somewhere before. She was too preoccupied to dwell on the feeling, however, as Yao Wu Ji urged her to enter the city.
The Nine Abyss Secret Realm was located in the far northern reaches of the Northern Region. Perching Mountain City lay at the border between the Central and Northern Regions. Passing through this city marked the true entrance into the Northern Region.
After several days of uninterrupted travel, Yu Zhao and her companions decided to rest for the night in Perching Mountain City. Upon entering the gates, they located an inn and secured three superior rooms. Feeling the need to unwind, they began to casually explore the city streets.
Before long, their stroll was interrupted by a commotion ahead.
“I’ve already told you—starting today, this shop belongs to the Yang family. If you dare to cause trouble again, you’ll all be thrown out of Perching Mountain City!”
“This shop has always been Chen family property! Your Yang family is going too far!”
“Chen family? Your family’s patriarch is dead! There’s no place for the Chen family in this city anymore. You’re nothing but stray dogs! Get lost and stop interfering with my business!”
The bustling crowd blocked Yu Zhao’s view, but not her divine sense. With little effort, she scanned the scene unfolding ahead and raised an eyebrow in understanding.
No wonder the name “Perching Mountain City” felt familiar. It wasn’t her past life she was recalling—it was her present life.
Chen Tian Dong stood at the shop’s entrance, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the middle-aged man representing the Yang family. Gritting his teeth, he restrained himself from launching into an impulsive attack.
The man from the Yang family was merely a steward sent to claim the shop. Killing him would only provoke a fiercer retaliation from the Yang family.
“Are you all deaf or blind? Didn’t you hear what I said? Get out of here now! If our family head arrives and finds you here, you won’t even have the chance to leave!” the steward sneered.
The words stung, yet Chen Tian Dong had no choice but to endure them. Ever since the Chen family patriarch failed in his attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage and tragically perished, the family had been plagued with misfortune. Their trade routes were seized, their members injured, and their properties continually dwindled.
In a desperate attempt to reclaim their assets, the Chen family’s sole remaining Golden Core cultivator had confronted the Yang family head but was grievously injured in the process. He was carried back to the family estate only to breathe his last moments later.
With their final pillar of support gone, the Chen family’s remaining properties had been snatched away one after another. The shop now under contention was their last asset. Losing it meant the total collapse of their family’s centuries-old foundation in Perching Mountain City.
Even so, Chen Tian Dong, a man who had earned his keep through hard-won battles, knew when to retreat for the sake of survival. Despite his burning anger, he made the hard decision. “We’re leaving.”
“Big Brother!” “Captain Tian Dong!” “Leader!”
The others behind him, all members of the Chen family, refused to move.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold. Let’s retreat for now and recover our strength. We can rebuild and reclaim what’s ours in the future.”
Reluctantly, the family members exchanged glances. Their feet felt like they were rooted to the ground.
“Are you all defying my orders now? Move!” Chen Tian Dong commanded, his tone stern.
“You think you can just leave after stepping into Yang family territory?” The steward sneered maliciously. “Stop them!”