Chapter 114

Chapter 114: Scapegoat Yu Ruan Ruan (2)

Disciples from every sect were itching to be the first to issue a challenge, because the first would always draw the most attention.

Someone whispered from the corridor: “Next door? Then it should be this room.” The group quickly set their sights on Rong Shu’s quarters and began knocking in a hurry: “Bang, bang, bang.”

Inside, Rong Shu heard the urgent raps. Puzzled, she walked over and opened the door, only to see a mass of disciples from various sects crowding the threshold, all glaring at her like tigers watching their prey.

She swept them with a glance and asked calmly: “Can I help you?”

The moment they sensed that Rong Shu’s cultivation was only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, disappointment washed over their faces.

A few muttered under their breath: “How is it a Qi Refining cultivator?” “We must have the wrong person.” “Maybe it is the room next to the next door.”

The male disciple who had knocked the loudest scratched his head and apologized with an awkward smile: “Oh, sorry, we came to the wrong person.” Several others chimed in one after another: “No problem, junior sister, rest well.” “Yes, yes.”

Before Rong Shu could make sense of what was happening, the entire crowd surged away from her door and hustled over to knock on the next room, which belonged to Yu Ruan Ruan.

Watching this, Rong Shu stood there a little stunned. [What are they going to Yu Ruan Ruan for? With that formation, it looks almost like they are out for blood.]

Moments later, the reason became clear.

Yu Ruan Ruan opened her door after their knocks. She was just as baffled to see a whole crowd gathered outside. But when they noticed she wore a Heaven’s Evolution Sect personal disciple’s robes, and sensed the cultivation fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, their eyes lit up.

“This time we cannot be wrong.” “We have found the right person.”

Afraid someone else would seize the honor of being first, they shouted over one another:

A young man pushed forward and declared: “I challenge you.”

Another raised his voice: “Me as well, I came first.”

A woman cupped her fists and said with formal courtesy: “Fellow Daoist, please grant me your guidance.”

[What in the world is this?] Yu Ruan Ruan was completely at a loss. [Why are they all coming to me, and why are they challenging me?]

Noticing that every one of them was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Yu Ruan Ruan did not panic. She narrowed her eyes slightly and asked: “Who are you, and what exactly do you want?”

One man stepped out and spoke politely: “Junior sister, I am an inner sect disciple of the Giant Spirit Sect. I have long admired your name and have come to seek instruction.” Others hurried to introduce themselves: “I am from the Immaculate Sect.” “We are all here to challenge you.”

Worried that Yu Ruan Ruan might try the same trick Cheng Bu Fan had used to dodge a fight, they egged her on with a practiced rhythm, tossing out barbs one by one: “It is only a friendly spar. Junior sister, you are not afraid of a simple exchange, are you?” “A personal disciple of Heaven’s Evolution Sect cannot possibly be so timid, right?” “If so, you might as well hurry back to Heaven’s Evolution Sect. Why did you even come to Cloud Link City?”

Yu Ruan Ruan still did not understand why they had targeted her, but their contempt and belittling stoked her temper at once. She had come to build herself a good reputation, not to be smeared with disgrace.

She lifted her chin and said crisply: “You want to spar, do you? Fine.”

As she turned the situation over in her mind, she noted that their cultivation was about the same as hers. With her Heavenly Spiritual Root aptitude, she outclassed them by a significant margin. One-on-one, she was certain she could win. The grand tournament had not officially started yet; before it did, she could use these people to make a name for herself in advance.

The more Yu Ruan Ruan thought about it, the more it seemed like a heaven-sent opportunity.

On the other side, Rong Shu watched as Yu Ruan Ruan and the crowd headed toward the dueling arena. Realizing what was going on, she quietly turned and went to find Cheng Bu Fan, only to discover his door already open; he was leaning against the frame, watching the commotion with evident interest.

Rong Shu said in a low voice: “Those people originally came to challenge you, did they not?”

She still remembered how, on the great ship, several disciples of the Sky Piercing Sect had wanted to challenge Cheng Bu Fan, only for him to wriggle out of it. Now that they had arrived in Cloud Link City, he obviously could not keep dodging. Somehow, though, he had come up with a trick to redirect the fire elsewhere.

Cheng Bu Fan chuckled: “I merely hinted that the personal disciple I defeated before lives next door. If they jumped to the conclusion that this disciple is your kind senior sister, what can I do? Their imagination is none of my concern. I am completely in the dark.”

Rong Shu could only feel speechless and amused. [Poor Senior Sister Yu. She does not even know she has been schemed against.]

With that, she also understood why they had knocked on her door first, then immediately run off. At the moment, the cultivation she was showing was only the fourth layer of Qi Refining. In a normal person’s mind, Cheng Bu Fan would never be so shameless as to seek out a personal disciple weaker than himself for a match, then parade his victory around as if it were perfectly natural.

In reality, Cheng Bu Fan was exactly that sort of person. Because the visiting disciples did not know the inside story, the moment they saw Rong Shu’s low cultivation they decided she could not be the “defeated personal disciple,” and promptly set their sights on Yu Ruan Ruan next door.

Curious, Rong Shu asked: “You are not afraid it will be exposed?”

Cheng Bu Fan only shrugged: “What is there to be afraid of? I did not say anything wrong. They are the ones who misunderstood.”

[All right, that really is impossible to refute,] Rong Shu thought. Then, with a sigh in her heart, she added another private note: [Senior Sister Yu has had to bear too much. She really is a good person.]

Catching the look in Rong Shu’s eyes, Cheng Bu Fan rubbed his nose and said with feigned innocence: “I thought you had come to question me for diverting the disaster eastward and nearly dragging you into it.”

Rong Shu gave him a peculiar look. [Hardly. Has Cheng Bu Fan forgotten that I am the mastermind backstage? What is there for me to be implicated in?]

She said instead, blinking her bright eyes: “I know you are not foolish. You will not tear the truth open so easily. After all, are you not trying to make a name for yourself? If the visiting disciples learn this is all a ruse too soon, would that not render all earlier efforts a waste?”

“Ha, exactly.” Cheng Bu Fan’s smile turned sly: “It just so happens your senior sister lives in the room next to next door, and she is also a personal disciple. Given how warm and sociable she is, I doubt she will mind.”

Rong Shu could not help but smile.

“Come on, let us find Fu Gui and play cards,” Cheng Bu Fan said, perfectly unbothered by how he had just thrown Yu Ruan Ruan under the cart and still brimming with enthusiasm.

“All right,” Rong Shu nodded. Although those disciples had left, if Yu Ruan Ruan sensed something amiss and exposed the truth, they might well come back.

Cheng Bu Fan closed his door and left with Rong Shu: “Since we seldom get to travel this far and the tournament has not started these few days, let us go have some fun first.”

After walking a while, he had to stop to get his bearings. He had come to the last Grand Sect Tournament as well, though not as a competitor. As the Peak Master’s son, it had been easy for Cheng Xiao Feng to pave the way and bring him along to broaden his horizons. It had been so long, though, that Cheng Bu Fan had forgotten the layout of the place.

Rong Shu followed him but could not help saying: “Senior Brother Cheng, are you sure you want to get beaten black and blue on the arena? We are already in Cloud Link City.” In her mind, even if he could not cram cultivation at the last minute, he could at least gather information and learn about his opponent a few days in advance.

Cheng Bu Fan rolled his eyes: “How could that be? Just wait and watch.”

“Very well, I will wait.”

“…”