Chapter 51
Chapter 51: Want to Make a Name?
Rong Shu and the others all turned to look at the so-called fine fellow.
He was a handsome young man; at a glance his looks were even a bit well-behaved. He wore outer sect robes, but at his waist hung an identity token carved from Jade Spring purplewood, the sort of token carried only by the descendants of high-ranking Elders of Heaven’s Evolution Sect.
Several of the troublemakers recognized him immediately and blurted in surprise: “Cheng Bu Fan? Why are you here?”
Rong Shu, who had been wondering who the young man was, remembered him as soon as the name was spoken.
Cheng Bu Fan, nineteen years old, Qi Refining ninth layer, top-grade gold spiritual root, only son of Spirit Nurturing Peak’s Peak Master Cheng.
In the outer sect his reputation was notorious, said to be thanks to his unbridled mouth and do-as-he-pleased nature, provoking who knew how many people in the open and in secret.
Yet his father was the Peak Master of Spirit Nurturing Peak, a Nascent Soul Stage great cultivator whose strength ranked just below Immortal Venerable Ze Yu and the sect master, the third in the sect; even if others were unconvinced, they could only swallow it.
Cheng Bu Fan frowned, dug at his ear with a finger, and drawled lazily: “What are you doing calling your grandfather’s name?”
At that, a ripple flickered through Rong Shu’s gaze.
The ringleader’s face turned a shade ugly, and there was a hint of wariness in his look as he said: “Cheng Bu Fan, we have not provoked you.”
“Not provoked me? Who says?” Cheng Bu Fan snorted. “You are too noisy, buzzing and droning. You are offending your grandfather’s refined ears.”
He rolled his eyes and added with disdain: “A bunch of grown men, can you not have some shame? Bullying a little young lady, do you not feel embarrassed?”
“What bullying? We are merely engaging in normal, friendly sparring and exchange.”
Cheng Bu Fan doubled over laughing: “Hahaha… sparring? Who are you trying to fool? No, wait, there really is a whole crowd of idiots craning their necks to let you fool them.”
That final line stabbed straight at the surrounding onlookers, and several faces flushed with shame or anger.
But they could not refute him openly, or they would be admitting they were the idiots.
The troublemaker snapped, “Cheng Bu Fan, this has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh, it has nothing to do with me, but your grandfather is very free and loves to meddle. What are you going to do about it?” Cheng Bu Fan strode over, gave the group a sweeping, contemptuous once-over, and announced: “You want to schedule arena matches with Rong Shu, right? Perfect. Your grandfather also wants to exchange pointers. Line up, one by one, and go up on the arena with your grandfather.”
Their faces changed color across the board.
Among them, the highest cultivation was only Qi Refining fifth layer. If any of them had been stronger, coming to pick on Rong Shu would have looked indefensible.
“And you, Gao Zheng. You first.” Cheng Bu Fan pointed straight at the delicate-looking man, a deep disgust flickering in his eyes.
Gao Zheng’s expression twitched. Cursing his bad luck at running into this mad dog again, he hastily protested: “Cheng Bu Fan, I did not challenge Rong Shu.”
Cheng Bu Fan snorted and needled him without mercy: “Then what were you barking about just now? Anyone listening would think you and Rong Shu have a deep grudge, or that you were acting on someone’s orders to target her.”
Cheng Bu Fan could not stand these troublemakers, especially hypocrites like Gao Zheng. So even without any real friendship with Rong Shu, he stepped forward.
Whispers rustled around them as the crowd connected the dots: “No wonder Cheng Bu Fan is standing up for Rong Shu. Turns out he’s taking a shot at Gao Zheng again.”
“I did wonder when Cheng Bu Fan ever got acquainted with Rong Shu. If it is to disgust Gao Zheng, with his temperament that is not surprising.”
Rong Shu listened to the murmurs and learned from them that Cheng Bu Fan and Gao Zheng had a prior grudge, which explained why he had come to her defense.
Gao Zheng clenched his fists and still tried to justify himself: “Do not talk nonsense. I only said a few words. I was not targeting Rong Shu.”
“Tch.” Cheng Bu Fan could not be bothered with him any longer; so long as the other choked on his indignation, Cheng Bu Fan was happy.
He turned to the original group of troublemakers and curled his lip in a cold smile: “Some people, not blessed with such good fortune, turn green with envy at others and, like nagging wives, jabber on and on to belittle them.”
He himself had been the target of such gossip more than once.
Things like: “He is only lucky to have a Peak Master for a father,” “Without his status he would be nothing,” “With such an ill-starred son, he is ruining Peak Master Cheng’s name.”
At first he had bristled at these words, but later he forged a tongue as sharp as a blade, and leaning on his status, he left those jealous types choking with indignation. From then on, he let himself run free.
The troublemakers collected themselves and, unwilling to keep tangling with Cheng Bu Fan, returned to their earlier refrain: “Rong Shu is unworthy to be Immortal Venerable Ze Yu’s personal disciple. We are not wrong to say so.”
Another declared: “We are unconvinced. If Rong Shu can defeat us on the arena, we will naturally submit.”
A third concluded sententiously: “In the cultivation world, the strong are respected. If Rong Shu can show strength, we will respect her.”
Cheng Bu Fan lifted a rakish brow: “You say Rong Shu is unworthy to be a personal disciple. Do you intend to take her place as Immortal Venerable Ze Yu’s disciple? And since when does he need your consent to accept a student?”
He clicked his tongue and added mercilessly: “Tsk, tsk. I see how it is. The young lady is prettier and more pleasing to the eye. Even if she knew nothing, keeping her at one’s side would be a delight. As for your horse faces and ox snouts, so long as Immortal Venerable Ze Yu is not blind, he would never take you as disciples.”
“You…” The troublemakers were livid, but there was nothing they could do about Cheng Bu Fan.
“Senior Brother Cheng.” Rong Shu stepped closer, cupped her hands, and bowed to him as she said clearly: “Many thanks, senior brother, for speaking up for me.”
She sighed lightly, her tone pitiable yet clear enough for everyone present to hear: “I appreciate your voice on my behalf. I am grateful. Though I cannot understand why these senior brothers, each with higher cultivation, longer time in the sect, and greater attainment, insist on sparring with a new disciple who knows nothing.”
She continued without raising her voice: “This benefits me, but it delays these senior brothers’ cultivation. If there is something I do not understand, I can simply ask my master. I cannot bear for senior brothers to sacrifice themselves to fulfill another.”
Her words seemed naïve on the surface, even making excuses for the troublemakers, but anyone whose head was not full of holes, listening closely, could hear the faint sting in them.
It was like several invisible slaps, cracking across the faces of the troublemakers and leaving them burning.
“It is getting late, senior brother. I have to hurry to the next lecture. What about you?” Rong Shu asked politely.
Cheng Bu Fan glanced at her.
He had stepped out mainly to disgust Gao Zheng, but seeing Rong Shu now, he found her rather interesting.
“Naturally, I am leaving as well,” Cheng Bu Fan nodded. “People of no consequence are not worth our time.”
He tossed off a final line with careless ease: “My old man is forever hoping I will study more. I cannot afford to miss the next lecture.”
With that, Cheng Bu Fan and Rong Shu sauntered off together.
The troublemakers, having been thwarted again and again, could not stop them and could only watch her go.
After this small episode, Rong Shu used the pretext of thanking him to keep in contact with Cheng Bu Fan and deepen their acquaintance.
She had chosen to attend Elder Liu’s lecture at Spirit Gathering Peak precisely because she had learned that Cheng Bu Fan often came to Elder Liu’s classes, absent at most two out of ten.
She had not been sure at first whether he would suit the role of the final “lead actor” on her stage and had prepared other candidates.
Cheng Bu Fan, however, was her top choice and the one with the highest chance of agreeing to be the “lead.”
His status was high and his background solid, so he did not fear Feng Lin. And so long as Feng Lin was not out of his mind, he would not dare touch a Peak Master’s son.
Though sharp-tongued and sometimes vicious, Cheng Bu Fan was straightforward and true to himself, not a hypocrite. Most importantly, he sometimes acted entirely out of pattern.
Rong Shu needed to build a circle, but not with just anyone. Given her complicated situation, she did not want to implicate others, nor did she want to force herself to get along with people who did not suit her.
After a few days, Cheng Bu Fan gradually accepted her, even feeling as if they had met too late.
During this time, Rong Shu received no fewer than thirty challenges to arena bouts.
Five days later.
After one lecture ended, Rong Shu called out to Cheng Bu Fan.
“Senior Brother Cheng, I have an important matter to discuss. Could we speak in private for a moment?” she stated her purpose directly.
“All right,” Cheng Bu Fan nodded.
After they found a spot with no one else around, Rong Shu spoke first: “Senior Brother Cheng, do you want to be famous?”
She looked straight at him and asked again: “Do you want to make a name for yourself in the sect?”
Then she pressed the point with a third question: “Do you want everyone to know your name overnight and make those you cannot stand grind their teeth even harder?”
The three rapid-fire questions left Cheng Bu Fan momentarily dazed.
But each sentence hit him squarely in the heart, and he answered without thinking: “I do.”
As the son of a Heaven’s Evolution Sect Peak Master, he naturally drew attention. Although he affected a careless air, inside he wanted everyone to acknowledge him for himself, not because he was merely a Peak Master’s son.
When he came back to himself, he eyed Rong Shu suspiciously and asked: “From what you are saying… you have an idea?”
“Of course,” Rong Shu nodded.
Cheng Bu Fan did not believe it at once. He curled his lip and said: “You are Immortal Venerable Ze Yu’s personal disciple, I know, but you are only at Qi Refining first layer and weaker than me. How can you help me? Could you persuade Immortal Venerable Ze Yu to accept me as a personal disciple too?”
He had barely said it when he shook his head and refuted himself: “No way. My old man would tan my hide.”
Although Peak Master Cheng was angry at his son’s lack of diligence, he had never thought to borrow another’s hand to teach him.
If Cheng Bu Fan switched allegiances and took a master without his father’s consent, he would definitely be beaten when he returned home.
“There is no need for anything so troublesome,” Rong Shu smiled. “All I need is for you to contribute a little acting skill.”
“Acting? What do you mean?” Cheng Bu Fan asked, puzzled.
Rong Shu crooked a finger mysteriously, and he, half skeptical, leaned in to listen.
“It goes like this… then like that… and finally like this and this… do you understand?” she whispered.
Cheng Bu Fan’s eyes went wide and he blurted: “Holy crap, you are shameless.”
At first, he had thought Rong Shu was a soft persimmon who, even when bullied, would only offer a few light rebuttals.
Now he saw clearly how black-bellied this harmless-seeming girl really was.
“Shh,” Rong Shu made a gesture for silence.
Cheng Bu Fan hesitated and asked in a low voice: “Will this actually work? If the Enforcement Hall catches us, neither of us will have a good time.”
Although he often mouthed off to the heavens, the earth, and the very air, and occasionally even sassed an Elder or two, he had always skirted the edge of the sect rules. Small mischiefs were one thing, but he had never touched the sect’s bottom lines.
Seeing hesitation rather than outright refusal, Rong Shu knew she was halfway to persuading him. She pressed on: “Do not worry. Before I thought up this plan, I already read all the sect’s regulations.”
She stated with calm certainty: “On this point, the Enforcement Hall has no authority to intervene. I am asking you now, will you do it or not?”
Then she baited the hook: “Defeating a personal disciple, and not just any personal disciple but Immortal Venerable Ze Yu’s, and doing it continuously for two months… that prestige, impressive enough?”
Even Cheng Bu Fan, who prided himself on having a thick skin, felt his cheeks heat at that: “Impressive is impressive, but everyone in the sect knows you are only Qi Refining first layer.”
Rong Shu blinked and asked mildly: “People in the sect know that. What about those outside the sect? They do not know that this personal disciple has only the cultivation of a mere Qi Refining first layer.”
Her words opened a new door in Cheng Bu Fan’s mind.
“Wow, you can do that,” he exclaimed.
Rong Shu continued to entice him: “In that case, you not only get the reputation you want within the sect, it spreads beyond the sect as well.”
She added with an easy certainty: “Give it a few years. When my cultivation rises, no one will still be talking about ‘Qi Refining first layer.’”
“On the contrary, if I am fortunate enough to break through to Foundation Establishment or even Golden Core one day, and you are the one who once defeated a personal disciple at those realms, will that not be a powerful reputation? Satisfying enough?”
Just imagining it made Cheng Bu Fan feel wonderfully pleased.
He coughed and eyed her warily: “Are you sure? There is no advantage to you, is there?”
If she only wanted to dodge a period of targeted challenges, she could simply hole up at Limitless Peak. Without a posted challenge, if they could not find her, they could do nothing.
Yet Rong Shu had chosen this approach that seemed to ruin her own name, and from the look of it, she was planning more than one or two rounds.
“There is an advantage. Those people keep pestering me, so I can only resort to this,” Rong Shu said with a show of helplessness, then dangled the lure again: “So, what do you say? A personal disciple at Golden Core realm, Immortal Venerable Ze Yu’s personal disciple, once counted among your defeated opponents. That is an undeniable fact, is it not?”
She smiled and asked softly: “Tempted? Willing to act?”
Cheng Bu Fan raised his brows, the look of a man eager for a spectacle in his eyes, and nodded: “Since you do not mind damaging your reputation, then I do not mind either.”
Beyond the free windfall of a “good name,” what sealed it was the thought that if Gao Zheng had been quietly scheming against Rong Shu, something was off.
Since he and Gao Zheng did not get along, Cheng Bu Fan would help Rong Shu on principle. Just picturing Gao Zheng gnashing his teeth in private made him feel perfectly at ease.
“Then, happy cooperation,” Rong Shu said, her smile turning genuinely warm as she offered her hand.
“Good. Happy cooperation,” Cheng Bu Fan replied.