Chapter 116: How Can We Even Play This?

Yan Shu looked at the two of them, a trace of pity appearing on her face.

Out of curiosity, she asked, "Where is your master?"

One of them swallowed hard and said, "We have quite a few masters. We are not sure which one you are referring to, Martial Aunt Yan?"

"Quite a few masters?"

"Yes, for alchemy, weapon refinement, talismans, swordplay, cultivation methods..." They counted them off one by one, and there were actually nearly ten of them.

Yan Shu curled her lips in secret. It really was the teaching model of a diploma mill.

Yan Shu waved them off. "Alright, you may leave. In the future, do not believe every rumor you hear. Mind your words, lest you invite disaster upon yourselves!"

"Yes, yes, yes. We will surely remember your teachings, Martial Aunt Yan. Thank you."

Wobbling unsteadily, the two rode their swords away. Wen Changhe summoned a flying vessel and addressed the crowd, "Let us return to Brahma City first."

The crowd boarded the flying vessel. Yan Shu stood obediently beside her senior brothers, waiting for their interrogation. Yet, apart from Liu Zhiqing casting a brief glance her way, the other three treated her as if she were invisible.

Yan Shu felt extremely anxious, as if she had returned to her childhood, waiting for the director's scolding at the orphanage after doing something wrong.

She pouted. They had been perfectly fine earlier, standing up for her. Why did they turn a cold shoulder the moment the outsiders left?

While Yan Shu was anxious, there was someone on the vessel even more anxious than her—Qiu Shuoran.

He was so nervous that he did not know where to put his hands and feet. The crippled Sun Changfeng had also been brought onto the vessel, but Qiu Shuoran did not cast a single glance at the ruined man.

Had it not been for that crippled fool's self-righteousness and confident assurances, he would have proceeded slowly and cautiously instead of being in this position, entirely clueless about what punishment awaited him.

Being expelled from the sect would be a light punishment. What he feared most was having his cultivation base destroyed!

His older sister was the crown princess of the Yun State royal family, wed to Crown Prince Dongfang Shang. The old emperor's health was failing, and the crown prince's ascension to the throne was only a matter of a year or two. Even if he were expelled from the sect, his family's influence could easily secure him a place in another sect to continue his cultivation.

Even if he did not join a sect, becoming a rogue cultivator with his family's resources meant he could still hire top experts to guide him.

After all, Sun Changfeng was merely a Nascent Soul cultivator. If not for his status as a member of the Xuantian Sect, how could someone of Sun Changfeng's cultivation level ever be worthy of being his master?

With these thoughts, Qiu Shuoran made up his mind.

No matter what, even if he had to play the subservient fool for now, he had to preserve his cultivation!

He looked at Xiao Jihan, who was resting with his eyes closed nearby. After hesitating for a long time, he walked over. "Martial Uncle Xiao."

Xiao Jihan did not respond, nor did he even open his eyes.

Xiao Jihan's attitude filled Qiu Shuoran with secret resentment, but he had no choice but to endure it for now.

Qiu Shuoran grit his teeth, swallowing his humiliation and hatred. He spoke again in a low voice, "Martial Uncle Xiao, I know I wronged you in the past, and I don't dare beg for your forgiveness. However, the only reason I did those things was because I was instigated by Sun Changfeng..."

Hearing this, Xiao Jihan opened his eyes.

His gaze was so frigid that it startled Qiu Shuoran, cutting his words short.

Xiao Jihan said nothing. He merely spared him a couple of glances, let out a cold sneer, and closed them again.

Qiu Shuoran grit his teeth once more. "I know you hold a deep prejudice against me, Martial Uncle Xiao, and that this is all my own doing. But please believe me, I truly realize my mistakes now, and I will never repeat them!"

He went on and on, claiming he was innocent, that he had been deceived and blinded by Sun Changfeng, and that this incident had made him deeply realize his errors, promising never to do it again.

At the very end, he delivered his key point: "After this ordeal, I have come to see things clearly. I will never be a match for you, Martial Uncle Xiao. I only hope you can forgive me this once."

Qiu Shuoran cupped his fists, bowed his waist, and made a deep, respectful salutation to Xiao Jihan.

Yet, despite saying so much and lowering himself to such an extent, Xiao Jihan showed no reaction from beginning to end, save for those two brief glances earlier.

He did not even lift his eyelids again.

Quite a few disciples of the Xuantian Sect on the flying vessel looked over. Qiu Shuoran remained bent in his salute, but Xiao Jihan did not spare him even a glance!

Qiu Shuoran felt he had never been so humiliated or rendered so utterly pathetic in his entire life.

After a moment, he straightened up, finding a way to save face as he said to Xiao Jihan, "I have expressed the apologies I needed to. I will not disturb your rest any longer, Martial Uncle Xiao."

Having said that, he turned and walked back to where he had been standing.

Only then did Xiao Jihan open his eyes. Yet, he did not look at Qiu Shuoran, who had spent so long whispering hypocritical apologies in a subservient manner.

He was looking at Yan Shu.

Ever since her four senior brothers had appeared, her attention was clearly no longer on him.

Her eyes, which used to follow him no matter the time, had not spared him a single glance after the matter was resolved.

Nor had she ever looked at him with such respectful admiration and excitement.

Xiao Jihan pursed his lips, feeling a strange, unprecedented irritation rising in his chest.

The speed of the flying vessel depended on the cultivation of the one controlling it. Since it was currently steered by Wen Changhe, it was naturally much faster. In the time it took Qiu Shuoran to mutter his excuses, they had already arrived outside Brahma City.

After disembarking, Bing Shien ordered the stewards of the Disciplinary Hall to watch over Sun Changfeng and Qiu Shuoran, waiting outside the city, while the rest of the group walked inside.

Along the way, Yan Shu cautiously tried to strike up a conversation several times, but not a single person paid her any mind.

Unable to watch any longer, Liu Zhiqing sent her a voice transmission: "Eldest Senior Brother sent us a transmission telling us to ignore you. Don't reply; your cultivation is too low, and Eldest Senior Brother will hear it."

Yan Shu: ...

They walked in silence all the way until they entered the inn. Only then did Wen Youhe turn his gaze to Yan Shu and say, "Bring your disciple and follow me."

Yan Shu lowered her head, murmured an assent, and turned her gaze toward Xiao Jihan.

[Favorability: 28 (Initial Acquaintance)]

Yan Shu's eyes widened. What on earth did a drop of 4 favorability points mean?!

She had defended him so fiercely earlier, practically wearing her protectiveness on her sleeve, yet instead of gaining favorability, it had actually dropped?!

Male lead, is your brain wired backward?!

Yan Shu was utterly baffled. Back when his favorability was in the negatives, although it dropped at the slightest provocation, she at least knew why it dropped and how to raise it back up.

But now that it had reached positive numbers—especially after breaking past the 40 mark—she felt the entire dynamic had changed.

First, the favorability dropped for no apparent reason, and then her previously foolproof flattery no longer worked. She had completely lost her bearings.

Flip the table!

How was she supposed to play this game?!

"Junior Sister!"

Shi Wanqing's voice snapped Yan Shu back to reality. She looked up to see Wen Youhe standing on the steps, staring down at her with a cold face.

She quickly lowered her head and hurried to follow him.

Wen Youhe withdrew his gaze from Yan Shu and cast a cold, sharp look at Xiao Jihan.