Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Cheng Bu Fan: The clown was me all along?

Just then, Cheng Bu Fan noticed the cloth pouch in Rong Shu’s hands and asked with interest: “Rong Shu, what are you carrying?”

“Oh, the Little Hamster I picked up yesterday. It looked pretty cute, so I decided to keep it,” Rong Shu explained. Both hands supported the pouch, and though several layers of soft cloth were padded beneath, she could clearly feel the tiny bundle’s softness and warmth within.

“A hamster? Let me have a look?” Cheng Bu Fan leaned closer, and as she loosened the pouch’s mouth she warned him, not entirely at ease: “Careful, he seems a bit fierce. Most importantly, he’s still sleeping.”

“Please, it’s just a little hamster,” Cheng Bu Fan scoffed, sure a hamster could not possibly do anything to him.

Inside the pouch, Little Hamster slept in a daze, only vaguely hearing people talking. [So noisy.] Then the pouch’s flap was lifted by a hand and cold air poured in, making Little Hamster shiver on reflex.

“Only this small?” a man’s voice said in a tone of dislike.

“Hamsters are this small, which is exactly what makes them cute,” Rong Shu answered.

Cheng Bu Fan reached in to poke around and suddenly went, “Huh? Why is one paw lame? You didn’t get tricked, did you? Bought a defective one?”

Before Rong Shu could explain, the hand tugging the pouch got scratched. Cheng Bu Fan jerked back with a yelp: “Whoa, the thing scratches!”

Rong Shu looked down and saw Little Hamster glaring daggers at Cheng Bu Fan, its cheeks puffed with anger as if accusing her, then it wiggled its rump and retreated to the very bottom of the pouch as if to say: [You’re the lame one!]

Rong Shu checked Cheng Bu Fan’s hand; the skin was unbroken, though he was baring his teeth at the sting, so she could not help laughing: “I told you, he’s fierce. And his hind leg is only injured, not lame.”

“Tsk,” Cheng Bu Fan clicked his tongue and said: “Why not get rid of it? What use can a hamster this small have? It doesn’t look like an ordinary hamster either. You’re not planning to form a contract, are you?”

Rong Shu shook her head: “Not for now.”

Hearing that, Cheng Bu Fan relaxed, assuming she had no intention to contract it: “Good. Don’t waste your contract quota on something this weak.” Every cultivator’s time and energy were limited, and one could not raise contract beasts without limit, so each contract had to be chosen with care.

Rong Shu did not argue. She could hardly say she had already contracted a divine beast White Tiger and did not want to take a second contract at Qi Refining Stage.

After walking a while, they ran into Fu Yong Kang, and the three went together to the competition grounds. When they arrived, they happened to hear the sect master of Giant Spirit Sect speaking on the main platform: “Elite disciples of all sects, today is the day we test the fruits of your years of cultivation…” After the formalities, the real contest began.

As a competitor, Cheng Bu Fan was called to draw lots. When the referee elder called his name, he waved to Rong Shu and Fu Yong Kang and said: “They’re calling me. I’m heading up,” and they answered: “Good luck.”

His first opponent was a disciple from a third?rate sect. Both were early Foundation Establishment, which was easy to handle, and as expected Cheng Bu Fan won with ease. After his match, when Cheng Xiao Feng suddenly summoned him away, Rong Shu did not think too much of it and went with Fu Yong Kang to look for other bouts to watch.

“…Father, why’d you pull me over all of a sudden?” Cheng Bu Fan had just won a fight and was planning to show off to Rong Shu and Fu Yong Kang, only to be hauled away by Cheng Xiao Feng, which left him a bit sullen. Cheng Xiao Feng, however, wore an unusually serious expression. He lifted a hand and raised a sound?dampening barrier. Seeing this, Cheng Bu Fan felt something was off.

Cheng Xiao Feng spoke with unusual gravity: “What I’m about to say stays secret. You must not tell anyone, not even that Rong Shu.” Cheng Bu Fan froze. He rarely saw his father like this, and whenever he did, it always meant something big had happened.

“Some time ago, I led a team to wipe out a demonic cultivator stronghold. I hoped to find a roster naming the spies planted in the major sects, but unfortunately we did not. Now that the sect grand tournament is underway, those hidden moles may make a move to sabotage it, perhaps even to damage the righteous sects’ strength. You’re a competitor this time, so you’ll likely be one of their focal targets. You must be extremely careful.”

Cheng Bu Fan rubbed his nose and said something shocking: “Then I’ll just withdraw midway. That works, right? They won’t target me then.”

“Bullshit,” Cheng Xiao Feng snapped, stunned for a moment by what he had just heard. He glared at his son and ground out: “If you dare withdraw, your old man will break your legs.” He was a peak master, and if his own brat of a son kept quitting, where would he put his face? Besides—

Cheng Xiao Feng snorted coldly and crushed his son’s little fantasy: “Even if you withdraw, it’s easy to target you as the peak master’s son. Better to make things bigger.”

All at once, Cheng Bu Fan seemed to realize something. His eyes went wide as he blurted: “Wait, don’t tell me you mean to use me as bait?”

Cheng Xiao Feng coughed lightly and said: “In any case, your skin is thick and your flesh is tough. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.” After all, he had only this one son. He could not remold him in the furnace, so he would protect him as much as he could.

Cheng Bu Fan’s head buzzed: “Is this a spur?of?the?moment idea, or did you plan it back at the sect?” Cheng Xiao Feng had not answered yet, but his shifty eyes said it all, and Cheng Bu Fan thought: [Damn!]

So all that stuff about letting him keep making a splash in the tournament was just a pretext, huh, and he actually believed it.