Chapter 64

Chapter 64: The Secret to Gaining Favorability
Su Ming sobbed, his eyes swollen like walnuts, as he said: “Fourth Senior Brother, among the five senior brothers, I think you have the best chance. Can you think of a way to bring Yu Xiao Zhao back? I… I do not want her to leave.”

He had only wanted Yu Zhao to be punished, not driven away.

No matter how stupid or bad she was, she was still Yu Xiao Zhao, his Junior Sister.

The seven people of Lone Moon Peak; if any one of them was missing, they would not be complete.

Cui Jue thought for a moment and said: “The one who tied the bell should be the one to untie it. I will go find Junior Sister. If she goes to persuade Master, Master might show mercy.”

“Good! Good! Let us do that!” Su Ming was overjoyed.

Cui Jue was about to get up and leave, but he turned back to look at him and asked: “You are not going?”

Su Ming buried his head into the wine jar, speaking in a muffled voice: “You go.”

Right now he did not want to see Ye Cong Xin.

Whenever he saw her, he would think of every scene of Yu Zhao arguing with Master.

That was a past he could not wait to forget.

…

Ye Cong Xin was very happy when she saw Cui Jue come to visit.

“Fourth Senior Brother, you have come out of seclusion,” she said.

Cui Jue gave a faint smile and, as usual, took out a bottle of pills and gave it to her.

Ye Cong Xin accepted it with delight and quickly invited Cui Jue to sit down.

After Cui Jue sat, she went to get the tea set, busying herself with brewing tea for him, running around with great enthusiasm.

Cui Jue quietly watched her going back and forth, his gaze deep.

He could not see the slightest bit of worry for Yu Zhao on Ye Cong Xin. It was as if Yu Zhao being driven out of the sect was just a small matter, not even worth mentioning.

This realization made Cui Jue feel a little uncomfortable.

But he did not say anything. He took a sip of the tea Ye Cong Xin had brewed, and even smiled lightly as he praised it a few times.

Ye Cong Xin smiled shyly and said: “Fourth Senior Brother, you flatter me. It is just a little rough skill, not worth putting on display.”

Cui Jue put down the teacup and said: “Junior Sister, I actually came to see you today because of one more thing.”

The smile on Ye Cong Xin’s face faded a little, but soon returned to normal as she said: “Fourth Senior Brother must have come for Sixth Senior Sister, right?”

“Yes,” Cui Jue said directly, without avoiding the topic.

Ye Cong Xin looked at him seriously and stubbornly asked: “Fourth Senior Brother, do you also think Sixth Senior Sister was driven out of Lone Moon Peak because of me?”

Cui Jue shook his head.

In his eyes, the real problem was that Yu Zhao had handled it too rashly this time.

It had been just a small matter at first, but in the end it blew up into something like this. No one had expected that.

Ye Cong Xin let out a long breath of relief.

She had truly been worried that Cui Jue had come to blame her.

Right now, every bit of favorability was very important to her. She absolutely could not let Cui Jue’s favorability toward her be affected again.

Her eyes grew misty, and her voice choked as she said: “It is enough that Senior Brother does not blame me. Third Senior Brother and the others all say I harmed Sixth Senior Sister. But how would they know how sad I feel inside?”

Cui Jue hesitated for a moment, then still reached out and patted her head as he said: “The senior brothers are not really blaming you. They are just too guilty.”

“I know. I also feel very guilty.” Ye Cong Xin wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes as if trying to be strong, then said: “Fourth Senior Brother, just tell me what you need me to do.”

The last bit of doubt in Cui Jue’s heart faded away, and he said solemnly: “Junior Sister, I hope you can plead for Little Zhao in front of Master. Master has always doted on you. If you speak up, there may still be room to turn things around.”

“All right,” Ye Cong Xin agreed very crisply.

She paused, then added: “Senior Brother, I am not trying to put it off. It is just that Master must still be angry right now. Let me wait a few days before going to beg Master for mercy. Is that all right?”

“Of course,” Cui Jue said, delighted.

With Junior Sister persuaded, half the matter was already settled.

“All right then, Fourth Senior Brother, just wait for my good news,” Ye Cong Xin said with a gentle smile as she saw Cui Jue out.

She turned around and let out a cold snort.

[Lone Moon Peak’s people really are naive. They believe whatever I say. They want to wait for me to plead? Fine, let them wait. If Yu Zhao can come back, I will count that as my loss. I will never let anyone ruin my plans again.]

“System, help me check Cui Jue’s favorability.”

[Ding, Cui Jue’s current favorability is 75 points.]

[It actually went up by five points.]

Excitement flashed in Ye Cong Xin’s eyes.

She suddenly understood how she should gain Cui Jue and the others’ favorability.

So it only took a few words to do it.

It really was… simple.

Ye Cong Xin curled her lips in a scornful smile.

…

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Jin Yue had gone out to run an errand for Sect Master Ji Yuan, and on the way back she was stopped on the road.

The one who stopped her was a very unfamiliar female disciple. None of her features were flawed, but together they formed a very plain face, one that would be forgotten as soon as you looked away.

“You are…” Zhou Jin Yue felt a little embarrassed.

There were very few disciples of Five Elements Dao Sect that she did not recognize.

“Senior Sister Zhou, it is me,” the unfamiliar young woman said, but her voice was very familiar.

Zhou Jin Yue’s eyes lit up: “Junior Sister Yu.”

Yu Zhao smiled and nodded.

Zhou Jin Yue circled around Yu Zhao, looking her up and down. Her figure was still the same familiar one; only her face was different.

She released her divine sense, examining her inch by inch, and only then did she notice a faint ripple of spirit power covering Yu Zhao’s face.

With a look full of admiration, she said: “Junior Sister Yu, your illusion art has become even more exquisite.”

Even she had almost been fooled.

Yu Zhao gave a bitter smile and said: “I had no choice but to use it.”

When Yu Zhao first went down the mountain, she had not thought about hiding her face. But before long, some disciples recognized her, and all kinds of probing gazes landed on her, which was annoyingly hard to bear.

In order to avoid being disturbed, she could only change to another face.

Zhou Jin Yue understood her difficulties and did not ask further. She invited Yu Zhao to go to Main Peak as a guest.

Yu Zhao refused.

“Senior Sister Zhou, I came today to say goodbye. I am planning to go out for a while. I do not know when I will be back, but I should make it back before the Cultivation World Grand Tournament.”

The winner of the Cultivation World Grand Tournament could obtain one chance to go up to Floating Island.

Floating Island was located in the Endless Sea and opened once every hundred years. Only one hundred people could enter each time.

It was said that the spiritual energy inside Floating Island was so dense it almost took on solid form. There were countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and even the inheritances of ancient grand adepts buried within.

For a long time, the opening of Floating Island meant a bloody storm that swept across the entire cultivation world.

Later, countless cultivators died in the Endless Sea as they fought to seize spots, and talent in the cultivation world declined badly.

So several super sects joined together and decided to hold a grand tournament. The winners of the tournament would receive the right to enter Floating Island. That was how the Cultivation World Grand Tournament came to be.

At first, only young disciples from the major sects were allowed to participate. Later, after many cultivators protested, an individual competition was added. Any cultivator who met the age requirement could join.

In her past life, Yu Zhao’s cultivation level had been too low, so she did not even dare to covet this chance.

But this time, she wanted to give it a try.

“You are leaving?” Zhou Jin Yue was shocked at first, then nodded in agreement and said: “It is good to go out and travel. Staying here will only add to your troubles.”

The way Fang Cheng Lang had left that day did not look like he had let everything go.

Zhou Jin Yue also worried that Yu Zhao would be entangled again by the people of Lone Moon Peak. It would be better for her to go train in different places. At least she could broaden her horizons.