Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Lin Dao must be playing hard to get!

At this very moment, if Lin Dao were not holding back because [Yu Ruan Ruan might be the chosen one], he would have liked to drive a sword straight through to wake her up.

What kind of baseless confidence was this, to make Yu Ruan Ruan fall into such an absurd illusion? Or what had he done to make Yu Ruan Ruan think he liked her?

Lin Dao’s brows knitted tight.

[Wasn’t the original Lin Dao supposed to be the taciturn type? Why are there so many hassles now?]

Lin Dao swept a cold gaze toward Yu Ruan Ruan: “Yu Ruan Ruan, I already made it clear in Tranquil Harmony Town; if your brain is sick, then hurry up and get it treated.”

Yu Ruan Ruan’s expression stiffened, a flicker of anger rising in her chest. She had already swallowed her pride to be frank with him, so why would he refuse to appreciate it? [Could it be that because I rejected him before, his macho pride is acting up, and now he is playing hard to get?]

Lin Dao’s voice was like ice, each word a knife: “I do not know where you heard these groundless rumors, and I have no idea how you decided that someone who has never even looked you in the eye would harbor any designs on you.”

He could not bring himself to say the word like; to speak it felt sullied.

At last, looking at Yu Ruan Ruan’s face turning ugly, Lin Dao felt a trace of satisfaction as he lazily added: “Yu Ruan Ruan, not everyone’s eyes are blind.”

Yu Ruan Ruan stamped her foot, cheeks burning with shame and anger: “Lin Dao, aren’t you going a bit too far? Even if you’re furious, you don’t need to use words like that to humiliate a youngster.”

Had there been onlookers, they would likely have found it unbearable to see Yu Ruan Ruan, delicate as a little white flower, so aggrieved and would have turned to scold Lin Dao instead.

“Heh.” Lin Dao let out a cold laugh. “Too far?”

“Isn’t the one going too far you, Yu Ruan Ruan?” he said, voice still like frost. “When you were secretly badmouthing Rong Shu, did it not occur to you that your behavior was excessive and shameless?”

Yu Ruan Ruan’s face went a shade paler as she bit her lip: “What… what are you talking about?”

Watching her still putting on airs, Lin Dao felt not only disgust but also deep disappointment. This was the so?called chosen one? Could Yu Ruan Ruan, as Master claimed, really influence the fixed course of fate and change the destined death awaiting Zi An and the others?

His expression grew even colder: “That fool Qin Yuan may have been fooled by you and failed to see that you were fanning the flames, but not everyone will be taken in.”

“You had better stay away from Rong Shu, otherwise…”

[Master never said I am forbidden to cut down the so?called chosen one outright.]

All at once, Yu Ruan Ruan’s heart thudded wildly. [I actually have the feeling that Lin Dao truly has no interest in me… and even harbors a baffling killing intent.]

Hearing Lin Dao speak up for Rong Shu left her more puzzled and sullen. [How is that possible? How could anyone sincerely care about that now utterly ordinary, unremarkable Rong Shu, and not choose me, the current prodigy?]

“Senior brother, Senior Sister Yu, what are you doing?” A voice rang out from not far away.

They turned to see Rong Shu arriving on a Red Crowned Cinnabar Crane.

After landing, Rong Shu walked over and asked with a smile: “Senior brother, Senior Sister Yu, what were you talking about?”

Yu Ruan Ruan smiled at Rong Shu: “It wasn’t anything much, I was just—”

The instant Lin Dao heard Yu Ruan Ruan’s tone, he sensed this idiot was about to spout more nonsense. His face chilled as he cut her off: “Scram.”

Yu Ruan Ruan choked back her words and could only say, “Then… then I will come talk with junior sister another day,” before turning to leave.

Having been humiliated again and again, Yu Ruan Ruan began to hate Lin Dao. He was merely a man doomed to die, yet he dared to repeatedly ignore her and bark at her. [Serves him right if he dies an ugly death later.]

Originally, Yu Ruan Ruan had thought that if Lin Dao knew his place, she would not necessarily refuse to tip him off when his life?and?death calamity approached. [But now… heh.]

[You think you can protect Rong Shu? When your calamity comes, maybe even Rong Shu will be dragged down by you.]

[No… the calamity is too far off. Rong Shu will not live to see that day.]

After Yu Ruan Ruan left, Rong Shu sidled up to Lin Dao, glanced at his expression, and asked: “Senior brother, what were you two talking about just now?”

Lin Dao steadied himself and sighed: “Nothing.”

He did not want Rong Shu to know these messy things. The young lady was still young; she only needed to focus on cultivation.

“Oh, oh.” Since Lin Dao would not say more, Rong Shu did not press.

Lin Dao changed the topic and asked: “What brings you over?”

“The matches are over,” Rong Shu answered. “I watched all day and really learned a lot.”

“Is that so? Tell me about it when we get back,” he said.

“Sure, I was planning to,” she replied.

…

The next morning, Rong Shu arrived at the forbidden valley. As always, there was no sign of the madman.

Unbeknownst to her, the moment she stepped into the valley, a gaze from the depths swept over her, measuring her from head to toe. Only after confirming that nothing was wrong with her and that she could still bounce about did that gaze withdraw.

As usual, Rong Shu cooked breakfast, then went to practice her saber. Yet when she reached the rock wall scored with blade marks, she noticed a tiny discrepancy.

She blinked. “Huh?”

The saber methods etched throughout the valley… had changed in style. They seemed steadier, more enduring, no longer a matter of wild, sweeping offense that thought only of cutting down the enemy while neglecting one’s own defense.

When she had learned these saber methods before, she had indeed memorized them, but during practical use in the secret realm they had never really fit her. At times, when a move was one that wounded the enemy a thousand while harming oneself eight hundred, she would instinctively alter it into a more conservative, cautious approach, which diminished the technique’s power.

Now, however, the newly carved saber forms had optimized and adjusted the originals, matching her style perfectly. They preserved the techniques’ power while also emphasizing self?protection.

Rong Shu scratched her head, wanting to find someone to ask. But she still could not find where the madman was. Since he was deliberately avoiding her, there was no way she could corner him.

“I wonder if I can ask Senior Brother to come by this afternoon and inquire. He should have met… um, Master yesterday, right?” she muttered, thinking she was speaking very softly.

Yet the person watching her from the dark trembled slightly when he heard those two words, then fell into deep thought.