Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Confronting Shen Sang Ruo

The lead shopkeeper cried with a runny nose and tears, pleading: “We are all small business owners. Immortal Maiden, please be kind and pay back the spirit stones you owe.”

“This time Fifth Junior Sister really went too far,” Luo Chu said with a pained, disappointed look. He even showed Wen Xuan and the others the IOUs, which were in Shen Sang Ruo’s handwriting. He had copied it perfectly so no one would see a flaw.

“The IOUs and losses add up to a total of 1245 high-grade spirit stones and 250 middle-grade spirit stones,” he announced.

“Heavens, how could the debt be so large,” Luo Chu gasped, covering his mouth in fake shock.

Bai Mu Mu looked at Luo Chu’s acting and thought he was as dumb as a pig. In the past, this trick always worked for him. But this time was different. It could not be Shen Sang Ruo.

The number alone shocked Wen Xuan and the others. As Master Ling Xiao’s personal disciples, the sect only gave them 15 high-grade spirit stones per month. Shen Sang Ruo, as the daughter of Sect Master Shen, did receive a subsidy from Shen Dao Chen, so she was not short on spirit stones. But she would not spend like this.

“Either Shen Sang Ruo returns the spirit stones, or we will report this to the sect and have the sect punish her!” someone shouted.

The Flying Cloud Sect had clear rules: you could not bully others, and you could not steal or cheat. If found, you would be punished. Since so many people were involved this time, and the amount was huge, the crowd grew louder.

“That is right! Even a great sect cannot bully people like this!”

“And to think she is the daughter of Sect Master Shen. What a fake!”

“You are her senior brothers and junior sister. If she will not pay, then you pay!”

Some people started to insult Shen Sang Ruo. The vile words made Wen Xuan frown, but he held back his anger and said to the crowd: “Everyone, please be quiet.”

Luo Chu was good at reading faces. Seeing Wen Xuan like this, he felt sure that Second Senior Brother believed him and was angry with Shen Sang Ruo. He could not let this blow up. The best way was to make them split the debt, then scold Shen Sang Ruo in private and give her a small punishment.

He opened his mouth to push things that way, but Wen Xuan spoke first: “You all said Fifth Junior Sister did these things two months ago, correct?”

Everyone nodded.

“Then it is impossible that Fifth Junior Sister did it.”

“What? The IOUs say it clearly.”

“You are her senior brother. Do you want to cover for her?”

Things were not going the way he imagined. Luo Chu panicked. Had Second Senior Brother changed his temper? In the past, when he heard this kind of thing, Wen Xuan was always the first to scold Shen Sang Ruo.

“Yes, Second Senior Brother, what are you saying? The proof is solid. It was Fifth Junior Sister,” he insisted. “And Fifth Junior Sister has a bad record. She has done many similar things before, you…”

Wen Xuan’s gaze turned sharp. Luo Chu clamped his mouth shut. That look made cold sweat run down his back. Had Second Senior Brother seen through him? That should not be possible. Thankfully, Wen Xuan soon looked away.

“Everyone, calm down,” Wen Xuan said. “Three months ago, Fifth Junior Sister was badly injured and fell into a coma. She has been recovering since then. The Sect Master and our Master can both testify. So what you say cannot be her doing.”

Lu Shi Qing gave a cold laugh and added: “Shen Sang Ruo may act poorly at times, but she is not that reckless. Are you trying to smear her?”

Hearing Wen Xuan, Luo Chu felt as if thunder struck him. He finally understood why they would not believe even with ‘proof’ in front of them. [I am finished. Totally finished. Why did she have to get injured three months ago?]

Feng He Yun asked calmly: “When that ‘Shen Sang Ruo’ gave you the IOUs, did you see the person’s face?”

“This…” People thought hard.

“It is true we did not see the face. The person wore black with a mask and said they were Shen Sang Ruo,” one admitted.

“They also showed us a Flying Cloud Sect disciple token,” another added.

“If there is no other thing that can prove Fifth Senior Sister’s identity, then this was a misunderstanding,” Bai Mu Mu said, as if casually. “I told you Fifth Senior Sister is not that kind of person.”

With her hint, someone remembered: “Right, that person also showed me a jade pendant for Master Ling Xiao’s personal disciples. I drew it. Look, is it like this?”

He took out a sheet of paper. On it was the exact jade pendant for Master Ling Xiao’s personal disciples.

“Right, right, we saw that too,” others agreed.

So many had seen it. The person was indeed a disciple of Master Ling Xiao. That left only one person who ran wild outside the sect all the time: Luo Chu. From the start, he had acted strange and often steered the talk.

Wen Xuan and the others turned their eyes to Luo Chu.

“W-why are you all looking at me? It was not me,” Luo Chu said, flustered but refusing to admit anything.

Bai Mu Mu knew that when Luo Chu pretended to be “Shen Sang Ruo,” he would take out the direct disciple token to prove it. Luo Chu had often snuck her down the mountain, and every mess he made, Shen Sang Ruo took the blame.

Luo Chu looked at Bai Mu Mu. She gave him a look in return. Even in his panic, he understood what she meant.

“You do not believe me, right? Then let us go find Shen Sang Ruo and confront her face to face!” he declared.

As long as Shen Sang Ruo admitted it herself, everything would be solved. [This is in the bag. Solid.] He never even considered that Shen Sang Ruo would refuse to admit it. [If not, then our years as senior brother and junior sister are over, hmph.]

But he did not know that in the months he was gone, Shen Sang Ruo had already changed.

So they all came to her cave and saw the scene from earlier.

“Ah, Shen Sang Ruo is back!” Luo Chu’s eyes were sharp. He spotted her first and rushed over.

She looked very healthy. She could even leave her cave and walk around. She did not look like someone who had been seriously hurt. [She made this so hard for me.]

But under the eaves, one must bow. He lowered his voice before the others caught up and begged her: “Junior Sister, my good Junior Sister, help your Senior Brother. I am begging you.” He added in a hurry: “It is settled then. Senior Brother will remember your kindness forever.”