Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Rumors in the Flying Cloud Sect

After they did so many things that wronged her, how could he still dare face Shen Sang Ruo? [He could not forgive himself, and he had no courage left to stand before her.]

He felt he owed Shen Sang Ruo and did not dare seek her out. He also feared that if he saw her again, her eyes would still be as cold as ice. His mind was already growing unfocused day by day, and he could not bear another blow like that. So he chose to avoid it and tried to numb himself.

Feng He Yun stared at Wen Xuan with angry disappointment, saying, “Weren’t you always the one with the best ideas? Why can’t you even say a word now?”

Wen Xuan still said nothing.

Feng He Yun snorted, then turned to Bai Mu Mu and asked, “Junior Sister, you support me on this, right?”

Bai Mu Mu agreed at once, answering, “Of course I support Senior Brother,” then added with a troubled look, “But if we do that, the Master might be displeased.”

She lowered her voice and said, “Last time, the Master already forbade the senior brothers from looking for Senior Sister Shen. This time things are even more serious. If we rush to find her, the Master will only get angrier. If we anger him and he refuses to let Senior Sister Shen come back, wouldn’t that do more harm than good?”

Feng He Yun felt she made sense and admitted, “I didn’t think it through. But we can’t just do nothing. Junior Sister, do you have a better idea?”

Bai Mu Mu said, “In less than three months it will be the Young Sect Master trials. Then we won’t need to look for Senior Sister Shen at all. She will return to the sect on her own.”

She smiled and continued, “When that time comes, we can settle things with Senior Sister Shen and mend the conflict. That way we won’t offend the Master, and we can still win Senior Sister Shen back. Isn’t that the best of both worlds?”

Feng He Yun brightened and praised her, “Junior Sister is truly sharp and clever. Let’s do as you say.”

Bai Mu Mu only laughed coldly in her heart. [Only someone slow like Feng He Yun would think this is a good plan. Anyone with a bit of sense knows that when someone is angry, you should coax them back on the spot. Three months later? Even three days later, she might forget who you are. If you do not coax her, someone else will. By the time you realize it, you will not even know where to cry.]

With the matter of Shen Sang Ruo “settled,” Feng He Yun’s attention swung back to Bai Mu Mu as he asked, “About the Young Sect Master trials… what about you, Junior Sister?”

He frowned and said, “There’s less than three months left. If we set aside the days I needed to recover, you don’t have much time to train. Shen Sang Ruo is already Late Golden Core. You are only Early Golden Core.”

Even they could not match Shen Sang Ruo’s pace of improvement. Who could imagine that she had once lost all her cultivation?

He did not say his last thought out loud: [How can you beat her?]

Bai Mu Mu smiled lightly and answered, “No matter what, I will give it my all.” Her soft gaze held a quiet firmness.

She added, “The Young Sect Master trials do not only test strength. There are two other parts. I am not worse than Senior Sister Shen in those.”

There would be a sect-wide ballot, where everyone in the Flying Cloud Sect voted and the higher count won. There would also be a test of sect affairs, which judged a candidate’s ability to manage the sect. The one who performed better would win. Whoever took two of the three parts would become the Young Sect Master.

In Feng He Yun’s eyes, Bai Mu Mu was like a tough little white flower. Though her path had been rough, she never bowed to fate and kept climbing upward. [Someone like Bai Mu Mu could move anyone with her spirit and gentleness. If she becomes Young Sect Master, it will be a story people tell across the Cultivation World.]

Feng He Yun and Wen Xuan came down from the main peak and heard many disciples talking along the way.

One disciple said in a low voice, “A big thing happened in our sect. Did you hear?”

Another replied, “You mean the matter on Thunder-Scale Peak?”

“That’s right, the one where Master Ling Xiao expelled Shen Sang Ruo from his tutelage.”

Some disciples were shocked and asked, “Really? What happened? Why would she be expelled for no reason? Isn’t she Sect Master Shen’s daughter?”

“Even if she did something wrong, surely Master Ling Xiao would show mercy for Sect Master Shen’s sake, right?”

Being expelled from one’s master was a great shame.

Another said, “It’s absolutely true. Master Ling Xiao released the news himself. Her name was crossed out on Thunder-Scale Peak’s disciple roster.”

Plenty of others felt it was expected and added, “Someone like Shen Sang Ruo was bound to be expelled sooner or later.”

“She isn’t Sect Master Shen’s birth daughter. She was never that important. Anyone with eyes can see Sect Master Shen favors Junior Sister Bai.”

“Master Ling Xiao is the number one cultivator in the Cultivation World and the face of our Flying Cloud Sect. He can’t have a ‘stain’ like Shen Sang Ruo under his seat.”

Another lowered his voice and said, “I heard Shen Sang Ruo is very jealous. She only allows others to pay attention to her and forbids them from paying attention to anyone else. Who knows how much Junior Sister Bai suffered in her hands?”

“Now that she’s been expelled, doesn’t that prove it?”

“Maybe her jealousy drove her to do something unforgivable to Junior Sister Bai. That’s why even Sect Master Shen agreed to drive her off Thunder-Scale Peak.”

“Good. One less troublemaker on the peak.”

Hearing this, Feng He Yun was so angry his lungs nearly burst. [Expelled? She clearly was not…] He could not finish the thought, but he knew she had not been driven out like that. Shen Sang Ruo had done some wrong things, yes, but she was not as filthy as they made her sound. He would not let them slander her.

He strode up to the group of disciples and shouted, “Since when did the Flying Cloud Sect allow people to make wild, slanderous remarks about others?”

Even those from Thunder-Scale Peak had not said anything like this. Who were these people to talk nonsense?

The disciples saw they were facing people from Thunder-Scale Peak, and the contempt on their faces faded a lot. But they did not feel guilty. After all, everyone knew that Thunder-Scale Peak’s people did not like Shen Sang Ruo either.

One tried to explain, “Senior Brother Feng, Senior Brother Wen, we were only—”

Wen Xuan, angry as well, cut him off, saying, “You seem very free. I will report to Elder Li and have him increase your training.”

These disciples were under Elder Li, who was famous in the Flying Cloud Sect for a fierce temper. As Master Ling Xiao’s disciple, Wen Xuan’s words carried weight. Hearing this, the disciples did not dare make a sound.

Feng He Yun’s eyes were sharp and cold as he added, “If I hear you discuss Shen Sang Ruo like this again, it will not end so easily. It has been a while since I put out a challenge notice to spar.” As Master Ling Xiao’s Chief Disciple, his presence was overwhelming.

The disciples nodded quickly and hurried off, confused why these two seemed to have changed their attitude and were now protecting Shen Sang Ruo.

Once they were gone, the strength that had been holding Feng He Yun up sagged all at once, and his face showed deep worry.

The two of them turned and went to see Master Ling Xiao. They wanted to ask why he had released the news so fast when things were not yet settled. Even if he had to announce it, he should have stated clearly that she was not expelled. Now Shen Sang Ruo was being judged by rumors for nothing.

But they never even saw Master Ling Xiao’s face. They were turned away at the door, with only one sentence thrown after them: “It was her own request.”