Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Unlucky Seven
Smack!

A crisp slapping sound rang across the meadow.

Everyone fell silent.

Zhang Jun shook his slightly numb hand and clicked his tongue in disgust.

[His skin was really thick.]

It was only when burning pain came from his face that the man realized he had not managed to slap someone else, but had been slapped instead.

Anger, shame, and resentment flashed through his eyes one after another, and finally turned into a deep fear.

In the cultivation world, people without brains did not live long.

Zhang Jun’s slap had landed later yet arrived first. The difference in cultivation level between the two was obvious to the naked eye.

If Zhang Jun had been a bit more ruthless, the man’s head would already be on the ground and he would be dead beyond doubt.

And whenever it reached this point, the one who cleaned up the mess would appear.

“Kui Zi, hurry up and apologize to the three seniors!”

Among the man’s companions, a man with a slightly feminine look stepped out and shouted harshly.

The man called Kui Zi immediately covered his swollen cheek and said in a low, submissive voice: “I am sorry, I shouldn’t have been so blind, looking down on you and disturbing the seniors. I deserve to die.”

Zhang Jun was speechless.

The other party’s attitude in admitting fault was good. If he kept pressing the matter just because he was in the right, it would seem lacking in grace.

But if he let them go just like that, he felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.

He waved his hand in annoyance: “Get lost. Don’t let me see you again.”

“Yes, yes.”

The man hunched his back and carefully returned to his companions. The group bowed respectfully, then hurriedly ran off.

While Zhang Jun was dealing with them, Zhou Jin Yue and Yu Zhao watched the whole time without intervening. After the people left, Zhou Jin Yue patted Zhang Jun’s shoulder and said: “Well done.”

Disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect would never bully others just because they had power, and would not be weak and afraid of trouble either.

Since the other side had already lowered their heads, the matter could end here. If they had refused to back down and kept pestering them, Zhou Jin Yue would not have gone easy on them.

Zhang Jun chuckled.

Then Zhou Jin Yue turned to Yu Zhao and said: “Junior Sister Yu, if you run into this kind of situation, you must not back down. People like this only bully the weak and fear the strong. If you don’t cut them off quickly and beat them into submission, they will cling to you like a stubborn plaster and disgust you.”

Zhou Jin Yue had also experienced similar things before and knew all too well that if a person was too kind, others would bully them; if a horse was too tame, people would ride it.

This was Yu Zhao’s first time going out to temper herself and her experience was lacking, so she could not help but give a few more pointers.

“Senior Sister Zhou, I understand.”

How could Yu Zhao not know Zhou Jin Yue’s good intentions.

In her opinion, Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun had still been a bit too merciful.

The bloody, baleful aura on that group just now was extremely heavy. They were definitely doing the business of killing people and robbing them, each with countless wronged spirits under their hands.

Scum who so wantonly harmed other people’s lives really should be sent to hell.

Zhou Jin Yue still did not know that the junior sister beside her, who looked obedient and cute, was actually thinking about how to bury people under the grass as fertilizer.

She stood where she was and used the unique communication method of the Five Elements Dao Sect to talk with the disciples scattered around, confirming that they were all safe. Only then did she lead Yu Zhao and Zhang Jun to continue searching for traces of the Seven-colored Deer.

On the other side, the seven people who had clashed with Zhou Jin Yue’s group were discussing them.

Kui Zi spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and said angrily: “Those three must be disciples from a big sect out on training. They look young, but their strength is deep. This time it’s just my bad luck.”

The others chimed in noisily, and their words could not help but carry a sour tone.

People like them were considered the lowest of the low in the cultivation world. With no sect or family clan to rely on, they could only huddle together for warmth and barely keep a foothold.

The effeminate man snorted coldly: “News of the Seven-colored Deer has spread all over the cultivation world. Even the big sects can’t resist coming to take a share. They’re really not leaving us any way to live.”

At his words, the others all showed anger on their faces as well.

The effeminate man’s gaze swept over everyone’s faces. “There must be quite a few sect disciples like them who have come to Dragon Roar Valley. If we run into any who are alone later, we will…”

As he spoke, he drew a hand across his throat.

The others nodded without hesitation, flames of fanaticism burning in their eyes.

The effeminate man let out a gloomy laugh.

The seven of them perked up. In order to avoid meeting those three young sect disciples again, they chose a different direction to walk in.

As a result, they had not walked for long before they ran head-on into three young cultivators again.

The familiar setup made the seven fall silent at once.

“Second Senior Brother.”

Looking at the seven fierce-looking men opposite them, Ye Cong Xin fearfully hid behind Lan Zi Yu, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of his robe.

“Don’t be afraid, junior sister.”

Lan Zi Yu comforted her gently, then released the full pressure of a Golden Core cultivator without holding back.

The seven people opposite them felt their hearts shudder and almost fell to their knees.

“A Golden Core cultivator?”

Such a young Golden Core cultivator was without a doubt a disciple from a big sect.

[Why do we keep running into them!]

“Three seniors, we mean no harm. We will leave right now, right now!”

The seven of them hunched their shoulders and backs as they retreated, wishing they could shove their heads into their pants.

Seeing that Fang Cheng Lang’s group of three did not intend to stop them, they retreated even faster.

One of them was so nervous that he even fell, then scrambled back up and continued backing away.

In just a few breaths, they had disappeared from Ye Cong Xin’s sight.

Ye Cong Xin’s gaze flickered and her heartbeat sped up slightly.

The other side’s panic and embarrassment greatly satisfied her vanity.

She could not help but imagine: if Lan Zi Yu’s spiritual root talent belonged to her, how glorious she would be right now.

Borrowing a tiger’s might could never compare to being the tiger herself.

[Favorability!]

She needed Lan Zi Yu’s favorability to draw in fortune!

“Second Senior Brother, you are amazing,” she said, looking up at Lan Zi Yu in worship, as if starlight were shining in her eyes.

Lan Zi Yu felt a little embarrassed, yet also a bit proud. “They were just a few low-level rogue cultivators, not worth mentioning.”

Ye Cong Xin showed a look of disagreement and proceeded to praise Lan Zi Yu to the skies. Lan Zi Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, thoroughly enjoying it.

Watching the two of them talking loudly as if no one else were there, Fang Cheng Lang felt a deep fatigue and helplessness rise in his heart.

Lan Zi Yu had gone out many times on his own to complete sect missions and could be considered experienced. But whenever he was with Ye Cong Xin, he threw his caution straight beyond the Nine Heavens.

They had come to Dragon Roar Valley to search for the Seven-colored Deer, but judging from the two’s current state, the deer would be scared away by their voices long before they ever saw it.

Besides the Seven-colored Deer, there were many unknown demonic beasts and cultivators with ill intentions in the valley. A single moment of carelessness could easily lead to serious consequences.

As the deputy leader and also their senior brother, Fang Cheng Lang would definitely bear the main responsibility.

He reminded them: “There are many people here and many eyes on us. Lower your voices when you talk.”

Ye Cong Xin immediately covered her mouth and whispered: “Okay, First Senior Brother.”

But Lan Zi Yu did not agree. “First Senior Brother, with the cultivation level you and I have, we can basically do whatever we want in Dragon Roar Valley. You are being way too careful.”

Fang Cheng Lang looked at him in disbelief, as if he could not believe these words had come out of his mouth.

Lan Zi Yu frowned. “First Senior Brother, have you forgotten what Master told us before we left? Our mission is not to search for the Seven-colored Deer; it is to protect our Junior Sister. As long as Junior Sister can return to the sect safely, our mission is a success. You don’t need to care so much about the Seven-colored Deer. Even without us, there is still Zhou Jin Yue and the others.”