Chapter 38
Chapter 38: The Showdown
The flying ship traveled for three days before reaching the Qi Shan Secret Realm.
In those three days, An Ru Xu’s injuries recovered to nearly ninety percent. The moment his feet touched the ground, he let out a hard breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
The secret realm had not yet opened, but the entrance area was already crowded. Sect banners, robes of different colors, weapons strapped openly at hips and backs—people packed together in restless waves.
Jiang Li Sheng scanned the crowd and didn’t see anyone from Qing Xu Sect. They probably hadn’t arrived yet.
As for the other sects, she recognized almost no one. Even during the Ten-Year Grand Competition, when sects sparred and exchanged skills, no one had ever wanted to spar with her. Her reputation as useless had long since become a joke everyone knew.
In the Feng Yun Rankings, there were three thousand names. She hadn’t even scraped into the tail end.
Without her Master, she wouldn’t be worth speaking to.
The mortal world had its own jianghu. The sect world had one too. There were ranks in both, and in the sect world, Jiang Li Sheng sat at the very bottom. Even having a powerful Master couldn’t buy her popularity.
While she stood ignored, Zhao Ke Xin and Zhu Wen Yin were greeted warmly. They quickly found familiar faces and fell into conversation.
An Ru Xu, too, spotted someone he knew—a male disciple from Tai Yi Sect.
The man’s face lit up. “Senior Brother An!”
“Junior Brother Chen,” An Ru Xu replied, genuinely happy to see him.
After a few words, Chen lowered his voice, brimming with curiosity. “Senior Brother An, I heard you ate a Yuan Hu. They punished you hard. I thought you wouldn’t be able to leave the mountain this time—yet here you are at the secret realm.”
An Ru Xu waved a hand, half sigh and half groan. “I got assigned to the Discipline Hall for a year. But the Qi Shan Secret Realm opens only once every hundred years. The Discipline Hall has new disciples training this year, so I can join them as part of the trial team.” His mouth twisted. “After we return, I still have to go back and finish my year.”
Then he spilled it, like a dam breaking. “You don’t understand. The Discipline Hall is not a place for humans. I’ve only been there a little over a month and I’ve already been injured several times. The Instructor knocks me flat nearly every day, and I can’t even afford enough healing pills.”
Chen stared at him in disbelief. “But you look fine. Is it really that bad?”
“It’s that bad,” An Ru Xu muttered.
Chen laughed, then slapped his shoulder with admiration. “Still—eating a Yuan Hu? I was shocked when I heard. You’re bold.”
An Ru Xu coughed. “I was just greedy.”
“Well?” Chen leaned in. “Was it good?”
“Not really,” An Ru Xu admitted.
Chen’s eyes widened. “Not good, and you still ate it? That Yuan Hu was brought back from Shi Hu Mountain—thousands of miles away—by an elder of your Kun Lun Sect. You just ate it.” He shook his head, both impressed and horrified. “Kun Lun Sect is strict. Getting punished that hard makes sense.”
As Chen spoke, his gaze flicked to the quiet girl waiting beside An Ru Xu. “And this is…?”
“This is Jiang Li Sheng,” An Ru Xu said. “Junior Sister Jiang.”
“And I’m Chen Liu An,” Chen said with a friendly grin. “Junior Brother Chen.”
He studied Jiang Li Sheng’s face, frowning slightly. “That name sounds familiar.”
Jiang Li Sheng felt awkward. “I’m from Qing Xu Sect. I’m currently studying at Kun Lun Sect.”
Chen Liu An’s eyes lit. “Ah—Qing Xu Sect’s Junior Sister Jiang. I heard something about you recently. They said you caused another huge mess, but no one seemed to know the details.”
“My Master sealed the news,” Jiang Li Sheng said, rubbing her nose. “So it’s not easy to dig up.”
Chen Liu An didn’t press. Instead, he looked more intrigued. “I’ve heard Senior Brother Ye mention you. I’ve wanted to meet you, but you never leave Qing Xu Sect when there’s a trial. Today I finally get to see you.”
Jiang Li Sheng blinked. “Senior Brother Ye… you mean…?”
“Ye Xing Ci,” Chen Liu An said.
Jiang Li Sheng’s ears went warm with embarrassment. “Did he say I was too stupid to even last one move?”
“No,” Chen Liu An said quickly. “He said the opposite. He said you shouldn’t have fallen in one move. He didn’t understand what happened, and he brought you up a couple of times.”
Jiang Li Sheng smiled, dimples appearing. “I was outmatched. Senior Brother Ye is too strong. I couldn’t withstand his swordsmanship.”
Chen Liu An was looking at her smile when his attention snapped to the sky. “Qing Xu Sect is here.”
Jiang Li Sheng turned.
A flying ship descended and settled. A large group poured out, led by three Peak Masters, followed by disciples at Foundation Establishment Stage and below.
She recognized every face.
From childhood to now, she had caused trouble after trouble in Qing Xu Sect, and nearly everyone had suffered because of it at least once. On the day she was sent away, she had heard cheering loud enough to shake the courtyards.
Jiang Li Sheng walked over, wearing her best, most innocent smile. “Martial Uncle Li. Martial Uncle Wang. Martial Uncle Chu.” She spread her hands like a harmless child. “Did you miss me?”
Li Shu Ming of Sky-Cloud Peak. Wang Yu Qing of Dan Ling Peak. Chu Li Qing of Medicine Peak.
All three stared at her without warmth.
Chu Li Qing’s gaze was the worst—sharp enough to cut. Tens of thousands of mu of spiritual plants had been destroyed, half the fields ruined. Even now, he still wanted her expelled. That day he had nearly coughed blood in rage. If the Sect Master hadn’t sent her away first, Chu Li Qing would have forced the issue even if it meant dying to do it.
He had once been refined, almost gentle. Now his face went storm-dark, eyes blazing. “You little bastard,” he snapped. “You still have the nerve to show your face?”
Jiang Li Sheng flinched, her smile cracking. “Martial Uncle Chu, please don’t be angry. There was more to it—those fields…”
“Senior Sister Jiang,” a crisp female voice cut in, stepping from the group. “You destroyed the spiritual plants. I saw it with my own eyes. Senior Brother Cheng Qian from Zhao Yang Peak saw it too. You can’t deny it.”
Ji Fu Ling.
Jiang Li Sheng’s mouth turned into a cold smile.
Back then, Ji Fu Ling had been secretly meeting Cheng Qian behind his fiancée’s back. Jiang Li Sheng had caught them. Afraid she would expose them, the two of them framed her—destroyed the fields and shoved the blame onto her until she couldn’t defend herself.
That day, Ji Fu Ling could still say she was sorry.
Now she stood with her chin lifted, acting as if the matter were settled forever.
Jiang Li Sheng laughed, sharp with anger. “Junior Sister Ji. My Master rushed to send me away before I could argue, and you took that as proof the case was closed?” She took a step forward. “Fine. Then let’s stand right here. Martial Uncle Chu can use Soul-Search Technique on both of us. We’ll see whether I destroyed Medicine Peak’s fields—or whether you and Senior Brother Cheng framed a fellow disciple.”
Ji Fu Ling’s face went paper-white.
Jiang Li Sheng snorted. “Shameless.”
Ji Fu Ling’s lips trembled. “You’re lying. I didn’t. It was you.”
“We’ll know with Soul-Search Technique,” Jiang Li Sheng said flatly. “You think there’s no evidence without an Image-Recording Stone? You, me, and Senior Brother Cheng are the evidence.” Her eyes narrowed. “What are you, a child? Did you really think you could ruin me and I’d be forced to swallow it?”
She let the words fly, each one a slap. “Brazen and shameless. Stupid and proud of it. A thief and a whore. Disgusting.” Her voice rose, cutting through the crowd. “Framing a fellow disciple and screaming innocence like you’re the victim—thief crying thief. People like you don’t deserve to stay in Qing Xu Sect.”