Chapter 11

Chapter 11: What Did He Take Her For
Yu Zhao was startled, and her face darkened.

Senior Brother Zhang at once realized that something had gone wrong. He quickly opened the register, found the line with Yu Zhao’s name, and pointed it out to her.

Sure enough, there was a circle drawn under Yu Zhao’s name, which meant that the supplies had already been collected.

A cold light flashed in Yu Zhao’s eyes.

There was no need to think about it. This had to be Su Ming’s doing.

He had not been able to borrow money from her, so he had simply claimed her supplies instead!

Hearing their conversation, Zhou Jin Yue took a step forward and asked in a deep voice: “Junior Brother Zhang, the sect rules say that a disciple’s supplies must be signed for in person. Since Junior Sister Yu never came, how could her supplies have been collected by someone else? If everyone did that, would there be any rules left in the Five Elements Dao Sect?”

Zhou Jin Yue rarely got angry. Now, with her face stern, her presence was shocking.

The disciples around them instantly fell silent. They did not even dare to breathe heavily.

Senior Brother Zhang hurriedly jumped up from his chair and explained in a panic: “Senior Sister Zhou, it is not that the disciples do not follow the rules, it is, it is…”

He glanced at Yu Zhao and saw that she had no intention of speaking, so he had to brace himself and say: “It was Su Ming from Lone Moon Peak, Junior Brother Su. He said Junior Sister Yu agreed. I thought that usually Junior Sister Yu and Junior Brother Su were as close as one person, so I… I did not look into it.”

After he finished speaking, he hung his head in frustration.

In the end, it really was his negligence.

He had not expected Su Ming to be so bold, taking Yu Zhao’s supplies and not even telling her, making him lose face in front of Senior Sister Zhou.

But in his heart, he still did not think it was a big deal.

After all, Su Ming had never been able to keep his mouth shut and often bragged outside about how he had cheated spirit stones out of Yu Zhao without spending a single coin.

In his eyes, Yu Zhao’s spirit stones were Su Ming’s spirit stones anyway. This was just one more time they changed hands.

Zhou Jin Yue frowned and looked at Yu Zhao with worry. So her situation on Lone Moon Peak had already become this bad.

What Su Ming had done showed no respect at all. Clearly, he did not take her seriously.

By this time, Yu Zhao had already calmed down.

The most urgent thing was not to look into whose fault it was, but to get back the spirit stones that belonged to her.

If she moved fast, she might still find Su Ming before he spent all the spirit stones.

“Senior Sister Zhou, I have something to do, so I will go ahead. When I am free, I will come find you again.”

As Yu Zhao spoke, she walked quickly toward the exit.

Zhou Jin Yue gave the shrinking Senior Brother Zhang a glare, then hurried after her: “Junior Sister Yu, I will go with you.”

Su Ming had a careless, rash nature. She was afraid that Yu Zhao would suffer.

Yu Zhao understood her good intentions and could not refuse. After thanking her, the two of them went down the mountain together.

After their figures disappeared from everyone’s sight, the quiet Hall of Merits suddenly became noisy.

“Su Ming is getting bolder and bolder. He even dared to claim Yu Zhao’s supplies. Is he not afraid of being punished by the sect?”

“Hey, in this kind of thing, one is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit. I say Yu Zhao herself agreed to it. You cannot blame others.”

“I do not think so. Yu Zhao looked quite angry to me, like she was going to cause trouble!”

“Tsk, as if she would dare. She loves spending money on Su Ming. Whoever tries to stop her, she gets mad at them, hahaha.”

“…”

Yu Zhao did not know that what she had done today had given the disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect a new topic to gossip about.

After she and Zhou Jin Yue went down the mountain, they went straight to the market district not far outside the sect.

The market district, called Five Elements Market, was a small market built around the Five Elements Dao Sect. Its main customers were the sect’s disciples.

And Su Ming, generous and free with his spending, was the most popular and most famous customer in the Five Elements Market.

In her past life, Yu Zhao had often come to the Five Elements Market as well. Based on her understanding of Su Ming, she went straight to the largest shop in the market district, Eight Treasures Pavilion.

Before she even got close, waves of flattery drifted out from Eight Treasures Pavilion into Yu Zhao’s ears.

A dark light flashed in her eyes. She sent spirit power into her legs, and her steps sped up again.

“Young Master Su is so generous!”

“Young Master Su really lives up to being Master Qing Yan’s disciple. How impressive!”

“Congratulations to Young Master Su on obtaining such a precious treasure!”

“…”

A bad feeling rose in Yu Zhao’s heart.

[Could that wastrel Su Ming have already squandered all of her spirit stones?]

She almost started running as she rushed into Eight Treasures Pavilion.

The waiter on the first floor was startled. He thought some troublemaker had burst in from outside and quickly took a step back.

Seeing that Yu Zhao was young but dressed neatly, clearly a disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect, he let out a sigh of relief and stepped forward with a smile: “Immortal maiden, what would you like to look at?”

Yu Zhao looked around.

In the first-floor hall, several counters were set along the walls, filled with all kinds of items.

Besides the waiter, there was no one else.

She raised her head to look upstairs.

The voices were coming from the second floor.

They were on the second floor.

Yu Zhao walked toward the staircase in the corner: “I am looking for someone.”

“Immortal maiden, immortal maiden, the second floor is the honored guest area. You have to first tell me who you are here to find. Only then can I let you go up.”

The waiter smiled apologetically, trying to block Yu Zhao’s way.

Yu Zhao frowned and was just about to say Su Ming’s name when Zhou Jin Yue, who was half a step behind her, already called out loudly: “Su Ming! Get down here!”

Her voice was not loud, but it easily spread through Eight Treasures Pavilion.

The second floor suddenly fell silent, and then came a series of slightly hurried footsteps.

Yu Zhao gave up the idea of going upstairs and quietly stared at the entrance of the staircase.

Su Ming had only gone down a few steps when he saw Yu Zhao and Zhou Jin Yue standing in the first-floor hall, one in front of the other, their faces serious.

He knew at once that things had been exposed. His steps paused for a moment, then he forced himself to walk down calmly.

“Senior Sister Zhou, were you looking for me?”

Zhou Jin Yue snorted: “It is not me who is looking for you. Junior Sister Yu is.”

It was not that Zhou Jin Yue did not plan to stand up for Yu Zhao. She simply knew her limits.

Su Ming and Yu Zhao were senior brother and junior sister from the same peak. In some matters, it was not good for outsiders to interfere. It was better to let them handle it themselves.

If they really could not work it out, she could step in later. It would not be too late.

Su Ming spoke impatiently: “Yu Xiao Zhao, what is wrong with you? Whatever is between us as senior brother and junior sister, we can talk about it when we go back. Why make Senior Sister Zhou come all the way here with you? You two go back first. I will come find you later.”

Su Ming himself was not sure whether Senior Sister Zhou knew that he had taken Yu Zhao’s supplies, but his first thought was to drive the two of them away.

Just like he said, whatever they needed to say should be said behind closed doors at home. If word got out, Su Ming would lose all face!

How could Yu Zhao not hear the warning in his words?

If she turned around and went back now, getting her spirit stones back would become nothing but a joke.

And besides, it was time for Su Ming to learn a lesson.

“I am here to get my things. Give them back, and I will go back with Senior Sister Zhou at once.”

Yu Zhao stared straight at Su Ming.

Her voice was calm and steady, neither humble nor overbearing.

Zhou Jin Yue nodded in approval.

She had feared that Yu Zhao would be coaxed back by just a few words from Su Ming.

A personality that was too soft made it easier for others to control you.

Su Ming’s face turned ugly. He lowered his voice: “Yu Zhao, I will give them back to you, but not now. Do not make trouble for no reason.”

Yu Zhao let out a cold laugh.

[Making trouble for no reason?]

[She was only asking for what belonged to her. Yet in Su Ming’s eyes, that was making trouble for no reason?]

[What did he take her for? A money pouch he could call over whenever he wanted and throw aside whenever he did not?]