Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Do you dare compete with me?

As soon as Shen Yue said it, not only did the few from Emotionless Peak freeze, even the disciples nearby stared in shock.

Back on Ling Xu Peak, Li Shuang kept to herself. Except for disciples of Ling Xu Peak, she hardly spoke with anyone else.

Those few disciples from Ling Xu Peak often spread gossip about her.

They said she was jealous of Ye Zhao Zhao.

They said she liked to grab credit.

They said she tried to control everything up and down the peak.

They said she was cold as ice, not as gentle and kind as Ye Zhao Zhao.

They said she was selfish and never thought about others.

In short, in the mouths of those few from Ling Xu Peak, Li Shuang was a hateful female villain.

But if Li Shuang was really that awful, how could Shen Yue’s words make sense that “the Frost Blossom every month is given to Ye Zhao Zhao”? If the First Senior Sister was truly selfish and cold, how could one of her own monthly resources be treated as belonging to Ye Zhao Zhao by default?

That was not selfish. That sounded like getting taken advantage of.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Ye Zhao Zhao felt a little flustered.

On Ling Xu Peak, everyone had gotten used to treating Li Shuang’s things as their own, and Li Shuang never spoke up about it. This made Shen Yue feel nothing was wrong.

Ye Zhao Zhao did not think it was wrong either.

But she was a bit more worldly than Shen Yue. She knew if this kept going, it would hurt her reputation.

She hurried to say: “No, it isn’t like that. I was just speaking carelessly. First Senior Sister gave it to me on her own.”

Looking at Li Shuang with teary eyes, Ye Zhao Zhao said: “First Senior Sister, please help explain it for me. Otherwise I really cannot make this clear.”

She knew Li Shuang’s nature.

Li Shuang lost her father at birth, and when she was still young, she also lost her mother. Later, she wandered alone until by chance she came to the Sword Sect to take the entry test.

On her way to the Sword Sect, Immortal Ling Xu saw her traveling all by herself, felt pity, and brought her to the mountain gate.

Later, Li Shuang was tested to have an exceptional Ice Spiritual Root. The whole sect fought to recruit her, but once Immortal Ling Xu spoke, she chose Ling Xu Peak without hesitation, and she took on the duty of managing Ling Xu Peak and teaching her Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters with no complaints.

People like Li Shuang had suffered too much when they were young. So if anyone showed her even a little kindness, she would repay it a hundredfold.

Ye Zhao Zhao believed that for the sake of Ling Xu Peak’s reputation, Li Shuang would cover for her again, just like countless times before.

Li Shuang looked calmly at Ye Zhao Zhao and said in a quiet voice: “To be honest, in the twenty years since I joined the sect, only during the first few years did the resources pass through my hands. In the years after that, I did not even know what resources the sect gave me. It seems you all know better than I do. Also, Ye Zhao Zhao, stop calling me First Senior Sister. I do not want to hear it.”

Her tone was mild. She made no accusation and laid no blame. She only stated a fact.

Everyone was stunned.

Something did not add up. Those people from Ling Xu Peak always made Li Shuang sound like a tyrant who covered the sky with one hand.

What kind of tyrant could not even keep her own cultivation resources?

The people from Ling Xu Peak suddenly seemed poisonous.

For a moment, many gazes turned toward Shen Yue and Ye Zhao Zhao with even stranger looks.

Ye Zhao Zhao’s face shifted.

Li Shuang!

She could have just nodded along and let it pass. Why did she say that?

Ye Zhao Zhao glanced at her System panel. She had been calling Li Shuang “First Senior Sister” on purpose to stir her emotions and trigger memories of life on Ling Xu Peak, hoping to harvest negative emotion.

But Li Shuang’s negative emotion was still 0. Clearly, this title no longer affected her.

She bit her lip. Li Shuang was calm, but [if my own negative emotion could be turned into numbers, it would be off the charts now.]

With red-rimmed eyes, Ye Zhao Zhao looked pitifully at Shen Yue and said: “Second Senior Brother, let’s go. What happened on the snowy mountain that day, we never blamed Senior Sister Li for it, but Senior Sister Li still holds a grudge against us. Now that she said this, we cannot clear our name.”

She looked like someone with nowhere to pour her grievances.

Shen Yue was the type to flare up at once. Gritting his teeth, he stared coldly at Li Shuang and said: “Li Shuang! Stop playing the victim. I admit I used your resources. But weren’t you willing? People outside say my sword skills only reached this level because of your help. Weren’t those claims spread by you? I took a few sword stones, and suddenly all my achievements became your credit. You wanted fame and I wanted sword stones. That was the result you wanted! So what are you trying to do now?”

His eyes were full of spite.

He was a natural genius on the Way of the Sword. With or without Li Shuang, he was still a sword genius.

At first, he was grateful for her guidance.

But later, all of his results were labeled as due to her tutoring.

Only then did he see the First Senior Sister’s real intention.

She craved name and status, so she used this kind of trick that belittled her peers to secure her position.

Someone that scheming could never compare with his Junior Sister.

Li Shuang said evenly: “Everyone knows I am either on missions or staying on Ling Xu Peak. Where would I get the connections to spread those words? Shen Yue, I will say it one last time. I did not spread them.”

As for the help she gave Shen Yue, she now counted it as food tossed to a dog.

But she would not admit to something she had never done.

“If it was not you, who else could it be? Those rumors built your name as Li Shuang while making me look like someone who only relies on Senior Sister!” Shen Yue let out a cold laugh and said: “If you had not fallen behind in cultivation for ten years, fewer people would believe I needed you!”

Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes flashed as she said softly: “Actually, Second Senior Brother, you were always a sword genius. If we speak of pure talent on the Way of the Sword, Senior Sister Li is far inferior to you.”

Her voice was full of admiration.

Shen Yue straightened his back without thinking. Staring sharply at Li Shuang, he said: “You always tell me my sword forms are wrong and wrong, putting on the airs of a First Senior Sister in front of me. Li Shuang, you are not a disciple of Ling Xu Peak anymore, and now you slander the sect in front of so many people. Today I challenge you formally. I will prove my sword has never been weaker than yours!”

Looking straight at her, Shen Yue said: “No cultivation, only sword skills. Do you dare compete with me!”

He did not feel her words helped him at all.

He was a genius. Why would he need her pointers?

Today, in front of everyone, he would clear his name.

[Note: Chapters 12 and 13 had small edits. If something feels off, you can reread those two chapters.]