Chapter 14
Chapter 14: She Wondered If She Had Mistaken Him
In the end, Jiang Li Sheng said nothing. She did as An Ru Xu demanded, lifted him onto her sword, and left the classroom.
Behind them, Zhao Ke Xin’s face went green with fury. She stamped her foot. “Fox spirit.”
Zhu Wen Yin frowned, lowering her voice. “Junior Sister, don’t waste your anger. She’s only early Foundation Establishment Stage. There will be a day when she’s alone.”
Zhao Ke Xin’s eyes flashed. “She’d better wait.”
As Jiang Li Sheng flew, she could practically feel cold stares stabbing her back. She sighed. “Senior Brother An, you can’t use me as a shield. Making me this hated is bad. If those two senior sisters come after me and it turns ugly, I won’t be able to stay in Kun Lun Sect.”
An Ru Xu patted his chest and spoke with conviction. “Don’t worry. If it comes to that, I’ll testify for you. I’ll say they bullied you.”
Jiang Li Sheng muttered under her breath, “That sword that snapped on the way to class… it was Senior Sister Zhao.”
An Ru Xu heard her clearly. “I know.”
Her sword wobbled in surprise. “You did?”
“I did,” he said, voice heavy. “But we were short on time. You weren’t hurt, and if I made a scene we would’ve been late. I had to pretend I didn’t notice.”
He paused, then added, “I’ll compensate you with a sword.”
That sounded too light, even to him. He hurried to correct it. “Two swords. And I’ll talk to Junior Sister Zhao privately. I’ll make it clear I don’t like her, so she stops wasting her effort—especially on you. Attacking you like that is ridiculous.”
Jiang Li Sheng looked at him with new respect. “And Senior Sister Zhu… the way she panicked today, she probably likes you too. She’s much deeper than Senior Sister Zhao.”
An Ru Xu made an aggravated sound, like he wanted to grab his own hair. “She hasn’t attacked you, and with me it’s not obvious. I can’t say for sure. Ugh.”
He brooded for a moment, then his eyes lit with sudden inspiration. “Got it. The best thing is to let Junior Sister Zhao know Junior Sister Zhu has feelings for me too. If they start fighting each other, they won’t have time to target you—or to obsess over me.”
Jiang Li Sheng honestly admired the shameless logic. “Senior Brother An, you’re impressive.”
They talked all the way to the Medical Hall.
Inside, Hall Master Ying Zong Yu was present—and so was someone else.
A man in crimson robes lounged sideways on a long couch, posture lazy, one hand braced against a low table, one leg stretched out with careless ease. His expression carried the faint boredom of someone killing time.
He looked nothing like the snow-cold swordsman Jiang Li Sheng remembered.
For a moment she thought she’d mistaken him. She blinked several times, then the truth settled in her chest with a strange, weightless shock.
It really was Wei Qing Lan.
But Wei Qing Lan could look like that?
If she hadn’t seen him wield a sword with calm elegance and chilling grace, she might have taken him for some pampered noble young master from the mortal world, lounging through a leisurely afternoon.
An Ru Xu jumped off the sword. Jiang Li Sheng remained rooted outside the threshold, still staring.
“Junior Sister Jiang?” An Ru Xu asked. “Why aren’t you going in?”
Jiang Li Sheng made a small, uncertain sound, but no real answer came out.
An Ru Xu stepped past her and saw Wei Qing Lan. “Junior Brother Wei, you’re injured too?” The words left his mouth, and he immediately realized how wrong they sounded. He rushed to patch it. “No—that’s not what I meant. Junior Brother Wei, how could you be injured?”
Wei Qing Lan straightened slowly and looked toward the doorway, tone calm. “Senior Brother An. Junior Sister Jiang.”
He brushed his sleeve. “I am injured. I came to see Hall Master Ying for treatment.”
An Ru Xu blinked, genuinely stunned. “You’re really hurt? Who hurt you? I saw you yesterday—you were fine.”
“Just a small injury,” Wei Qing Lan said, as if it were nothing.
An Ru Xu didn’t believe him for a second. If it were small, he wouldn’t be sitting in the Medical Hall.
Ying Zong Yu snorted, perfectly willing to ruin the illusion. “Small? Half his spiritual palace is destroyed. That’s small to you?”
An Ru Xu’s scalp went cold. Who could damage Wei Qing Lan’s spiritual palace that badly?
That was no small injury.
Jiang Li Sheng studied Ying Zong Yu as well. He wore the same disciple robes as everyone else in Kun Lun Sect, but the intricate patterns at his collar and cuffs marked him as a hall master. He looked only around thirty, and his cultivation was impossible to read.
Ying Zong Yu’s gaze slid to An Ru Xu. “Why are you here?”
An Ru Xu hurried to explain. “Hall Master Ying, it’s for the Discipline Hall disciples. Instructor He used a shadow-recording mirror in class. The sword art imprinted on it was left by Junior Brother Wei—far too powerful. More than half the disciples fainted. Even the ones still awake are vomiting blood. We came to ask the Medical Hall to send help, or the new disciples might suffer losses.”
Ying Zong Yu understood immediately, his face hardening. “He Zhen Tang used that? The sword art on that shadow-recording mirror isn’t something new disciples can watch. They’ve been in the sect less than half a year. Of course they can’t endure it.”
He stood at once. “I’ll go personally.”
He strode toward the door, then paused on the threshold and turned back, eyes landing on Jiang Li Sheng. “You were there too, weren’t you? Why are you fine?”
Jiang Li Sheng answered obediently, without thinking too hard. “My talent is dull. I can’t grasp deeper mysteries. I only thought the sword was pretty.”
Ying Zong Yu burst out laughing. He chuckled twice, then looked toward Wei Qing Lan with bright amusement. “Did you hear that? Wei Qing Lan, your sword art is infused with glamour shadow, and this little miss only noticed your pretty sword. She wasn’t bewitched at all. See if you keep being arrogant.”
Then he frowned at Jiang Li Sheng, studying her properly. “Wait. You’re not a new disciple. Your cultivation is early Foundation Establishment Stage. A new disciple wouldn’t advance that fast.”
His eyes dropped to her clothing. “But you’re wearing new disciple robes. What’s going on?”
Jiang Li Sheng had no choice but to answer. “Hall Master Ying, I’m a disciple of Qing Xu Sect. I came to Kun Lun Sect to learn.”
Ying Zong Yu’s brows rose. He circled her once, as if confirming something he’d heard long ago. “So you’re Qing Xu Sect’s Jiang Li Sheng. Sect Master Yu finally decided to kick you out?”
Jiang Li Sheng’s ears warmed with embarrassment. She couldn’t deny it.
“I can’t tell whether your talent is dull,” Ying Zong Yu said, half to himself, “but if you truly aren’t affected by Wei Qing Lan’s sword art, you might be able to help repair his spiritual palace.”
He pointed at the spot beside the couch. “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll come back and study you.”
Then he vanished, moving so fast he was gone in a blink.