Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Feng Lin’s Threat

Yu Ruan Ruan spoke in a soft, syrupy tone as her lips gently pouted: “Mhm, what a wonderful surprise.”

Feng Lin lifted a hand to smooth the crown of Yu Ruan Ruan’s hair and said with quiet pride: “Haven’t I come out now?”

Yu Ruan Ruan beamed as she offered congratulations: “I almost forgot, congratulations on advancing to mid-stage Golden Core, First Senior Brother.”

She added with playful bravado as she stuck out her tongue: “From now on, if anyone bullies Ruan Ruan, I’ll just drop First Senior Brother’s name; they’ll be scared out of their wits.”

Feng Lin said with calm certainty: “With me here, and with Master here, no one will be able to bully Ruan Ruan.”

Yu Ruan Ruan remembered something and waved someone over: “Right, First Senior Brother, you don’t know yet; Master just took in a new little junior sister named Rong Shu. Junior sister, come here.”

She made the introduction cheerfully: “This is First Senior Brother, Feng Lin.”

Rong Shu stepped forward and offered a proper greeting: “First Senior Brother.”

Feng Lin did not answer her; he only patted Yu Ruan Ruan’s head once more, then turned a cold face toward Rong Shu and said curtly: “You, come here. I have something to say to you.”

Rong Shu blinked. [This First Senior Brother I’ve never even met seems to have a problem with me? Why? I don’t think I’ve offended him, have I?]

Still, he was a fellow disciple of Heaven’s Evolution Sect, a personal disciple of her nominal Master just as she was, and they were standing on Limitless Peak. He should not dare go too far. Rather than fret blindly over his intentions, it would be better to find out now.

With that thought, Rong Shu hesitated no longer and followed Feng Lin, while Qin Yuan, standing to the side, opened his mouth, then closed it again and finally watched the two of them leave.

When there was no one else around, Rong Shu took the initiative: “First Senior Brother, what did you need from me?”

Feng Lin’s voice was wintry as he cut her off: “Don’t call me First Senior Brother.”

Rong Shu faltered. With no third party present, the undisguised disgust on Feng Lin’s face was plain to her eyes.

He carried himself with lofty chill, like ice that had congealed for a thousand years, the cold seeping into the bones as he said: “Even if Master has taken you in, I will never acknowledge you as my junior sister. From beginning to end, my junior sister is only Ruan Ruan.”

He continued, each word like a blade: “Remember this. Do not covet things or a station that do not belong to you.” As his voice fell, a bone-chilling sword aura erupted from him and locked onto Rong Shu.

The wind of that aura scraped her cheeks until they stung. And this was with Feng Lin still holding back; given the chance, she had no doubt he would simply cut her down with a single sword.

Rong Shu lowered her eyes slightly. [Why?] The place of a personal disciple was never something she could take just because she wanted it; neither was it something she could refuse just because she wanted to. [Why do I feel like a heinous sinner?]

Master, First Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother—though their attitudes toward her differed, their every move conveyed the same message: they did not like her; some even held her in repulsion and loathing.

[Enough.] Rong Shu refused to think further. [Maybe I really am not very likable, whether in my past life or in this one.] All at once, she recalled what Senior Brother Lin Dao had told her on the streets of Scarlet Sun City and clarity opened in her heart: [Maybe they are the ones who are sick. Maybe the world is wrong.] As a normal person, she ought to be generous and tolerant, and not haggle with the sick at heart.

Rong Shu spoke softly to Feng Lin: “Then I’ll go speak clearly to Immortal Venerable Ze Yu now and withdraw from Limitless Peak. Will that satisfy you, First Senior Brother?”

Feng Lin’s brows knit; he examined Rong Shu again, then gave a cold snort: “You’re not thinking of shedding tears before Master to make him soften and pity you, are you?”

“How could I?” Rong Shu blinked, feigning innocence.

She had already thought it through. If she withdrew from Limitless Peak, she would lose the status and treatment of a personal disciple and might be mocked by some of the disciples from the Outer Peaks, made a laughingstock. But being far away from idiots—just that alone would be so very nice. Besides, she could refine pills now; she could sell them and achieve Spirit Stones freedom and self-sufficiency, which would be far better than the small stipend a personal disciple received. What was more, the six-month benefit period for personal disciples was almost over; after that there would be nothing to draw, so becoming an ordinary disciple would not be much of a loss. [The sect won’t make me cough up what I already used, right?]

Feng Lin’s face remained like frost as he broke into her pleasant calculations: “Hypocrite. Master won’t agree to your quitting Limitless Peak.”

Rong Shu nearly rolled her eyes. [So you do know Immortal Venerable Ze Yu won’t agree. Then why come swaggering over to make my life miserable?]

“However,” Feng Lin shifted tone, the look in his eyes turning vicious and calculating as he stared at her, “if your cultivation suddenly gets crippled and you’re missing an arm or a leg, then never mind Master; the sect would never allow Immortal Venerable Ze Yu’s personal disciple to be a useless cripple.”

That was a naked threat. A chill pricked Rong Shu’s heart, though she reasoned that since he was saying it now, he would not act immediately. Even so, she could not relax. Now that he had revealed this idea, even if he did not lift a hand himself, he might seize on some opportunity to achieve his aim.

Satisfied with his warning, Feng Lin could not be bothered to remain with her. He tossed a final line over his shoulder: “You had better not make Ruan Ruan sad. If you do, I’ll take your life with one sword.” Then he strode off without looking back.

When he was gone, Rong Shu’s small face fell. [What even was that? A calamity from nowhere? I nearly got bitten by a mad dog.]

Back at her little courtyard on Limitless Peak, she activated the formation and locked doors and windows before she could feel the faintest thread of safety. Feng Lin’s words of threat kept echoing in her ears, again and again, like a cleaver hanging over her head that could fall at any time and neatly take her life. Feng Lin had mid-stage Golden Core cultivation and was a sword cultivator; he was very strong. She could not rely on anyone else, for the Master who ought to be her support in the sect and the senior brothers were not of one mind with her.

[If I had enough strength—stronger than Feng Lin—why would I stand there obediently and listen to that lunatic talk? Slapping him flying with one palm would be so satisfying.] But for now she had only fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivation; Golden Core was still far away. Besides raising her cultivation, she needed other ways to keep her little life safe.

“My nominal Master can’t be counted on. If Feng Lin wants to kill me, Senior Brother Qin can’t beat him; even if he could, he might not help me.” Rong Shu thought it through in circles and suddenly realized how small her social circle inside the sect was—so small that even if she died quietly, no one would notice, and no one would care.