Chapter 128

Chapter 128: An Unexpected Encounter
You plant flowers with care, but they refuse to bloom; you plant willows without meaning to, and they grow into shade.

Back when Lan Zi Yu was secretly grumbling in his heart, he never imagined that before long, he would see Yu Zhao earlier than Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue.

On the tenth day of their journey.

The three of them led by Lan Zi Yu heard the whooshing sounds of a fight from far away.

Su Ming asked: “Second Senior Brother, what do we do? Should we go around?”

Lan Zi Yu thought for a moment, then said: “You and Junior Sister wait here. I will go ahead and take a look.”

“Alright, Second Senior Brother, be careful.”

Lan Zi Yu nodded to the two of them, then flew toward the direction where the fluctuations of Spirit Power were strongest.

He was not someone who liked to meddle, but when traveling outside, you always ran into many sudden events. If he met someone in trouble, he would not be stingy with his help, as long as the person was not an evildoer.

Farther ahead, he heard the song of a sword.

The sound was clear and bright, like a phoenix crying in the ninth heaven.

Lan Zi Yu’s eyes lit up. He instantly felt goodwill toward the person using the sword, and his flying speed increased.

Just as he was about to reach the center of the battle, his Divine Sense caught a familiar aura, and his steps paused.

[How could she be here?]

On the other side.

Yu Zhao stood calmly on the outskirts, watching Ji Han Zhou fight.

This was not the first time she had seen Ji Han Zhou use his sword.

But every single time, she could not help thinking in her heart that he truly had a natural sword bone. His sword and he were one, as if it had grown out of his body and moved like his own arm.

On top of that, every time he used his sword, his swordplay became more perfect than the time before. Just when you thought he had already reached his limit, he would immediately give you a new surprise.

Ji Han Zhou’s opponent this time was also a Sword Cultivator, and a Mid Golden Core Stage Sword Cultivator at that.

With Ji Han Zhou’s current Cultivation Level, he still could not fight evenly with the other man. So Yu Zhao used Illusion Art to scramble the man’s memories, making him mistakenly believe that Ji Han Zhou’s Cultivation Level was still at Late Foundation Establishment.

By Yu Zhao’s estimate, in about the time it took one stick of incense to burn, the two of them would be able to decide the victor. Unfortunately, an uninvited guest arrived at that moment.

She looked toward the northeast, her brows drawing together slightly.

Even though Lan Zi Yu had already prepared himself in his heart, he still felt his mind quake in disbelief when he saw Yu Zhao.

Yu Zhao had actually reached Core Formation!

A Golden Core cultivator under the age of twenty was rare even in the Five Elements Dao Sect, where geniuses were everywhere.

Lan Zi Yu remembered that he had formed his Golden Core at the age of twenty-one. Back then, many elders and fellow disciples had praised him as a Heaven’s Chosen.

Yet compared with Yu Zhao now, he looked especially lacking.

But hadn’t Yu Zhao always been dull and unmotivated in talent? How could she have grown so fast!

Lan Zi Yu’s eyes were full of shock and doubt.

Yu Zhao understood Lan Zi Yu very well. With one look at his expression, she could guess most of what he was thinking. The corners of her lips curved slightly.

She was no longer who she had been, yet Lan Zi Yu’s thoughts were still standing in place.

She felt rather bored and withdrew her gaze.

One stick of incense later, the Golden Core cultivator’s sword pierced Ji Han Zhou’s arm, but Ji Han Zhou’s sword went straight through the man’s forehead.

Sword light flashed.

A murky liquid splattered.

Bang!

Holding his bloodless sword, Ji Han Zhou did not feel the pain in his arm at all. He turned his head and gave Yu Zhao an incomparably bright smile: “I won!”

Ji Han Zhou was handsome, with sharp phoenix eyes and a natural carefree, unrestrained air. When he smiled like this, it eased the arrogance off him and added an extra touch of sunny youthfulness.

Yu Zhao was used to it and felt nothing strange, but Lan Zi Yu suddenly felt uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was a sense between men, but he clearly felt that this man’s thoughts were not pure. The brief goodwill he had felt vanished, and his gaze turned thorny.

Ji Han Zhou also keenly sensed a hostile gaze on him. He turned to look. The corners of his raised mouth instantly flattened into a straight line, and a layer of cold frost seemed to fall over his face.

Their eyes met, and neither was willing to look away first.

“Junior Brother Ji, let’s go.”

Yu Zhao used Spirit Power to pick up the Golden Core Sword Cultivator’s Storage Pouch and said to Ji Han Zhou in a calm voice.

“Alright.”

Ji Han Zhou replied and walked toward Yu Zhao without the slightest hesitation, treating Lan Zi Yu like air.

When Lan Zi Yu saw the two of them say they were leaving and then just leave, his face turned livid with rage: “Yu Zhao, you see your Senior Brother and don’t even know how to greet him. Did you feed all your manners to the dogs?”

Ji Han Zhou snapped his head around, murderous intent bursting from his eyes: “Watch your mouth!”

“I’m talking to her. What does it have to do with you? Get lost!”

Lan Zi Yu’s gaze darkened. He took a step forward, and the pressure of a Golden Core cultivator surged toward Ji Han Zhou like a tidal wave.

“Lan Zi Yu, this is not the Five Elements Dao Sect, and it is even less a place for you to throw your weight around.”

Yu Zhao flicked her finger and shattered Lan Zi Yu’s oppressive aura. She looked straight at him, her eyes without the slightest ripple, only fathomless depth.

The corners of Ji Han Zhou’s lips curled up in pride.

Senior Sister Yu had chosen him over this strange man. Didn’t that mean he still had a place in Senior Sister Yu’s heart?

Ji Han Zhou was delighted.

Lan Zi Yu was about to explode!

He could not believe that Yu Zhao would actually provoke him for the sake of some wild man.

“Yu Zhao! I am your Senior Brother!”

“No, you are not.” Yu Zhao smiled faintly. “Do you need me to remind you again, Lan Zi Yu? I am no longer part of Lone Moon Peak. I hope that when you see me outside in the future, you will act as if you do not know me. We will not disturb each other.”

This was not the first time Yu Zhao had said something like this.

But Lan Zi Yu had never taken her words seriously.

This time was the same.

“Yu Zhao! How long are you going to keep making a fuss? Do you know that because of your unreasonable behavior, all of Lone Moon Peak is in chaos? Can’t you learn to be sensible like Junior Sister?”

Yu Zhao shook her head.

[Talking to a cow about music.]

She lowered her voice and said to Ji Han Zhou: “Let’s go.”

“You’re not allowed to leave!” A fierce light flashed through Lan Zi Yu’s eyes, his voice cold as ice. “Yu Zhao, if you don’t make things clear today, don’t even think about leaving!”

Ji Han Zhou was furious and wanted to say something, but Yu Zhao pressed down on his arm.

He exchanged a look with her and understood that she wanted to settle this herself, so he fell silent.

The silent understanding between them stabbed at Lan Zi Yu’s eyes.

Flames of anger slammed around in his chest. He wanted to roar and vent, but it was as if a wad of cotton was stuck in his throat, making it impossible to spit out or swallow back, and making him feel even worse.

At this moment, Yu Zhao raised eyes that held not a trace of warmth: “Lan Zi Yu, if I beat you, will you stop bothering me from now on?”

Lan Zi Yu thought he was hearing things.

What did Yu Zhao say?

She actually thought that she could win?

Even if she had become a Golden Core cultivator, she was still worlds beneath him. And she wanted to defeat him?

[Daydreaming.]

“Yes!” Lan Zi Yu almost ground the word out between his teeth. “If you win, I will act as if I never knew you. But if you lose, not only must you kowtow to us and admit you were wrong, you must promise never again to act willfully and recklessly. You also have to get along with Junior Sister and not make things difficult for her!”

“Fine, I agree.”