Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Rong Shu, Master of Balancing Cups

Yu Ruan Ruan called out with a tone of honeyed warmth: “Junior Sister Rong, so this is where you were. You had us searching high and low.”

Rong Shu turned her head and saw Yu Ruan Ruan approaching like the moon surrounded by a halo of stars, bringing along Feng Lin, Qin Yuan, and a man Rong Shu had never met.

Rong Shu glanced at the unfamiliar man and guessed: [That must be the second senior brother I have yet to meet, Huo Yi Han.]

Rong Shu answered with calm courtesy: “Senior Sister Yu.”

Yu Ruan Ruan kept her flawless sweet smile and said in an intimate voice: “Junior Sister Rong, master has called us over. He has important instructions.”

Rong Shu nodded: “Alright.”

Suddenly, Yu Ruan Ruan’s gaze shifted to Cheng Bu Fan: “This must be the Senior Brother Cheng you mentioned before, Junior Sister Rong.”

Rong Shu said evenly: “Yes.”

Yu Ruan Ruan added a note of sincere gratitude to her tone: “Then let me thank Senior Brother Cheng on my junior sister’s behalf. If not for the Seven Illusion Azure Lotus you gifted her, Junior Sister Rong would not have broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining so quickly. Otherwise, who knows how long she would have had to wait. You really did her a great favor.”

Cheng Bu Fan gave Yu Ruan Ruan a curious look, then said bluntly: “I gave it to Rong Shu. Why are you thanking me? I did not give it to you.”

Yu Ruan Ruan’s smile froze.

She forced a little laugh and tried to smooth it over: “Hehe, well, Rong Shu is my junior sister. As her senior sister, of course I—”

Cheng Bu Fan nodded as if enlightened, then said with feigned geniality: “Oh, if you insist on thanking me, do it at market price and pay me in Spirit Stones.”

Off to the side, Fu Yong Kang chimed in with a grin: “A single Seven Illusion Azure Lotus is pricey. At least fifty thousand Spirit Stones.”

Rong Shu lowered her eyes and gave the smallest nod. [Right.]

She remembered selling one on the black market for the handsome price of seventy thousand Spirit Stones.

Yu Ruan Ruan: “…”

Seeing Yu Ruan Ruan’s stiff expression, Cheng Bu Fan raised a brow and pressed: “What, you do not have the stones? Or you just do not want to? Then spit it out.”

“I…” Yu Ruan Ruan bit her lip. She wanted to retort, but for the moment could not find a way to continue the conversation. [How can this Cheng Bu Fan be so obnoxious. No wonder he is called the little tyrant of the Outer Sect.]

Feng Lin, unable to watch any longer, cut in coldly: “What is that attitude supposed to mean? Ruan Ruan shows a little concern for Rong Shu and somehow that is wrong?”

“Tch,” said Cheng Bu Fan without even deigning to look at Feng Lin. He shifted his gaze aside with open disdain, making Feng Lin’s face tighten with anger.

Cheng Bu Fan turned back to Rong Shu and spoke as if nothing had happened: “Rong Shu, go early and come back early.”

“Yes, we will wait for you to return, then go play cards,” said Fu Yong Kang cheerfully.

Rong Shu nodded: “Alright.”

Yu Ruan Ruan, teeth lightly clenched, interrupted the trio’s chat once more: “Junior Sister Rong, you have not met Second Senior Brother yet. This is our Second Senior Brother, Huo Yi Han.”

Hearing this, Rong Shu looked at the calm-faced Huo Yi Han and offered a greeting: “I greet Second Senior Brother.”

Huo Yi Han inclined his head slightly, his face showing neither joy nor anger, like the surface of a deep pool—placid above, with unknown currents hidden below.

When Rong Shu arrived before Jun Xiu Ran, he issued instructions to each of them in turn.

When it came to Rong Shu, Jun Xiu Ran’s expression was cool as he said: “Once you reach Cloud Link City, do not wander aimlessly. Your cultivation is shallow. During the sect grand competition, many cultivators will pour into Cloud Link City. Do not stir up trouble.”

Rong Shu answered promptly: “Yes.”

Yu Ruan Ruan inserted herself smoothly: “After we enter the city, if Junior Sister Rong needs anything, she can come to me or to our three senior brothers at any time. Since Junior Sister Rong’s cultivation is the lowest, it is only right that we look after her a bit more.”

At that, a trace of scorn and disdain flitted across Feng Lin’s face, but he held his tongue.

“I will remember that,” said Rong Shu solemnly.

[If there is nothing urgent, I will not trouble Senior Sister Yu and the others. Got it. I totally get it.]

Jun Xiu Ran gave only a few more words of caution before letting Rong Shu go.

Yu Ruan Ruan and the other three were kept back. As competitors, they required more detailed instructions than Rong Shu.

After leaving Jun Xiu Ran, Rong Shu went to find Cheng Bu Fan and Fu Yong Kang, and discovered the two had already sat down to play cards.

Cheng Bu Fan waved her over: “Rong Shu, over here.”

“What did your master want you for?” asked Fu Yong Kang curiously.

Rong Shu kept the explanation simple: “Just a reminder to be careful in Cloud Link City and not to cause trouble.”

“What trouble is there to cause? We two are not competitors anyway. We are just here to stroll around and cheer people on,” said Fu Yong Kang, shuffling a deck of homemade playing cards with nimble fingers, perfectly at ease.

Half a month ago, Fu Yong Kang and Cheng Bu Fan had come to find Rong Shu at the same time. Since the two strangers did not know each other, they fixed their eyes on Rong Shu with the same naked question: Which one are you going to play with?

For fairness, Rong Shu adopted the attitude of a Master of Balancing Cups and treated them equally, even “unveiling” a three-player card game for the three of them.

“We are all good friends. Why pick a favorite?” she had said. “Isn’t a party of three perfectly fine?”

After several days of playing, Cheng Bu Fan and Fu Yong Kang, who had been strangers, gradually grew familiar and became good bros.

Best of all, the game was great fun, though it needed exactly three people to be lively.

Rong Shu had played it a few times in her previous life and did not find it as novel as the other two. Fortunately, the rules were simple, and despite the time that had passed, Rong Shu still remembered them.

Once Fu Yong Kang finished shuffling, he began to deal.

Cheng Bu Fan immediately snatched the role of Landlord.

A little later, Fu Yong Kang whooped in triumph: “Haha, rocket! I win!”

“Woohoo!”

As farmers, Rong Shu and Fu Yong Kang high-fived each other.

The Landlord, Cheng Bu Fan, wore a tragic look while the other two stuck slips of paper all over his devastatingly handsome face as a penalty.

When they were done, Cheng Bu Fan fumed and rolled up his sleeves: “Again, again. I refuse to believe I cannot win.”

“Come on, then. If you lose, you shuffle.”

“…”

After the Heaven’s Evolution Sect’s giant ship had sailed smoothly for most of the day, another giant ship suddenly appeared ahead.

Cheng Xiao Feng was at the helm. He took one look and noticed the insignia on that ship: Sky Piercing Sect.

In the Southern Wastes, there were four great sects. Heaven’s Evolution Sect and Sky Piercing Sect were both among them.

Heaven’s Evolution Sect, however, held the title of the number one sect.

As a peer among the four, Sky Piercing Sect was naturally not convinced.

In this grand sect competition, Sky Piercing Sect would be one of Heaven’s Evolution Sect’s strongest challengers.