Chapter 246

Chapter 246: Play with Fire and Get Burned

Song Wei Yan held back a bellyful of anger, saying: “Are we really going to let Bai Mu Mu run wild like this?”

He went on, complaining that the heretic cultivators before at least showed their evil openly; when you saw them you could fight them head on. But Bai Mu Mu pretended to be a soft, weak white flower while secretly working with a Malevolent Spirit, doing things no human should do. What made them sickest was that Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao foolishly trusted her and protected her with all their might.

If Ninghua Sect were still the Ninghua Sect of old, they would not need to care about Flying Cloud Sect or Master Ling Xiao; why swallow this rage like eating a fly.

Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes flashed with a hard light as she said: “Bai Mu Mu has already dragged others into this. This time it was Linglong Pavilion. Next time it might be the whole Cultivation World.” She had not taken Bai Mu Mu very seriously at first, but since Bai Mu Mu touched the people around her, Shen Sang Ruo added a new item to her plans: take Bai Mu Mu’s life. She said coldly: “The Malevolent Spirit on her is too powerful and strange. She will become a great threat to the Cultivation World. We cannot let her do as she pleases. If we get a chance, we strike and kill her.” She believed they would surely find proof about the Malevolent Spirit on Bai Mu Mu’s corpse.

She added, reasoning through the next step: “She will not leave Flying Cloud Sect easily. Then we wait until Ninghua Sect presses down Flying Cloud Sect, and we go to Flying Cloud Sect directly.” In short, Bai Mu Mu had to be removed.

Su Xi Yu worried out loud, asking: “But she has a Malevolent Spirit. Can we really kill her? Last time in the Secret Realm, even that did not stop her from escaping.” Shen Sang Ruo gave Su Xi Yu a reassuring look and said: “She did not die last time, but she was badly hurt. She lay low for so long, which shows that Malevolent Spirit is not invincible. If once is not enough, then we kill her a few more times. We will take her life in the end.” She added that if the Malevolent Spirit were truly that strong, Bai Mu Mu would already be ruling the Cultivation World. Why else would she act pitiful in front of the people from Flying Cloud Sect to gain favor.

Speaking of it, Shen Sang Ruo lowered her voice and said: “Bai Mu Mu really cultivates the Ruthless Path. When she returned to Flying Cloud Sect, her first goal was to kill those six people to Attain the Dao by stealing their cultivation.” It was a pity that now Feng He Yun and the other three hated Bai Mu Mu to the bone, and even Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao had changed a little in their attitude. If Bai Mu Mu had not attacked Linglong Pavilion, Shen Sang Ruo would have watched slowly, waiting for those people to die in Bai Mu Mu’s hands, just to see their faces when they discovered her true nature.

When the discussion ended, a brief silence fell. Their focus turned back to Linglong Pavilion. With the Treasure-Seeking Meet coming soon, such a disaster had struck Linglong Pavilion, which proved that Bai Mu Mu knew how to mess with people’s minds. Everyone in Linglong Pavilion had poured in years of effort to reach the top rank among Auction Pavilions. In less than a day, it was all destroyed. Worse, the damaged treasures saddled them with huge Spirit Stones debts. Most sects would now avoid any ties with Linglong Pavilion. Even with a chance to enter Starfield Plain, no one could promise they would find enough treasures inside.

Li Qing Wen seemed to age decades in a moment as he said: “Since Linglong Pavilion cannot operate any longer, Fellow Daoist Sang Ruo should send the treasures to other Auction Pavilions. The chance to enter Starfield Plain counts as a gift from Linglong Pavilion to Ninghua Sect. It will not be part of our cooperation.” He believed that even if they got many treasures from Starfield Plain, Linglong Pavilion could not return to what it was. Ziwei Pavilion would surely hit them when they were down, and Linglong Pavilion would not even have the right to make a comeback. Li Qing Wen had lost all hope and clearly meant to give up Linglong Pavilion. Before Shang Guan Rong lost consciousness, he had seen this end coming and told Li Qing Wen that they should rest at last.

Shen Sang Ruo answered in a steady tone: “Bai Mu Mu holds a grudge against Linglong Pavilion because of me. Since that is so, I cannot ignore Linglong Pavilion. The Treasure-Seeking Meet might still turn around.” Letting Linglong Pavilion blame her and pushing Ninghua Sect to abandon Linglong Pavilion were exactly what Bai Mu Mu wanted. Since Li Qing Wen had not chosen that path, Ninghua Sect would not sit by. She said firmly: “Ninghua Sect will help Linglong Pavilion rebuild. For now, all of you should come live at Ninghua Sect. We will have our people handle what is here.” She had told Fang Yu before leaving Ninghua Sect to bring more people. They should arrive soon.

Li Qing Wen nodded with a bitter face. He did not have much hope, but there was no better choice. Immortal Lord Chang Li first brought Li Qing Wen back to Ninghua Sect for treatment. Shen Sang Ruo and the others stayed. After meeting up with the team Fang Yu brought, they began clearing the ruins, searching for the victims’ bodies and trying to repair whatever treasures they could. The mood was very heavy. Seeing the corpses, everyone’s hatred for Bai Mu Mu hit its peak.

Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes turned icy as she thought about the enemy hiding in the dark. [Do you think that just because you leave no handle, I have no way to deal with you?] Su Xi Yu noticed her expression and asked with relief in her voice: “Junior Sister, do you have a plan to punish Bai Mu Mu?” Shen Sang Ruo’s gaze turned deep as she said: “Bai Mu Mu forgot something. Rumors do not need hard proof.” She added calmly that Bai Mu Mu had shown this at the Sect Grand Tournament, where she had given Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao a plan that turned black into white and smeared Shen Sang Ruo with ease. Besides, the idea that Bai Mu Mu had a Malevolent Spirit had already been planted earlier. Looking at the flame dancing on her fingertip, she curled a cold smile and said: “This fire will only burn hotter. She is not up to it. She should beware of playing with fire and getting burned.”

The news that Linglong Pavilion had been slaughtered by a strange Malevolent Spirit spread fast through the Cultivation World, shocking everyone and stirring fear. Yet more and more people focused on the words Malevolent Spirit. Because of the uproar at the Sect Grand Tournament, they thought of Bai Mu Mu at once. Also, Flying Cloud Sect had targeted Linglong Pavilion because it sided with Ninghua Sect. Did that not fit too well. People across the Cultivation World felt they had found the truth. Though Shen Sang Ruo’s message never mentioned Flying Cloud Sect, the rumors soon pointed straight at Flying Cloud Sect and kept growing worse.

In the streets and teahouses, people cried out: “What? The Malevolent Spirit that slaughtered Linglong Pavilion came from Flying Cloud Sect’s Bai Mu Mu?” “What? Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao already knew Bai Mu Mu had ties to a Malevolent Spirit and protected her on purpose?” “What? Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao told Bai Mu Mu to use the Malevolent Spirit to wipe out Linglong Pavilion?” “What? Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao are mixed up with a Malevolent Spirit?” “What? Flying Cloud Sect is a nest of heretic cultivators?”

When Shen Dao Chen first heard that Linglong Pavilion had met with disaster, he mocked them, saying this was the price for standing against him. He even drank a few extra cups of tea to thank the Malevolent Spirit who had helped clean up Linglong Pavilion for him. But as the rumors turned, he realized something was very wrong, and the teacup shattered across the floor.