After bidding farewell to Jiang Xuesheng—who was less a person, spoke less like a person, and acted less like a person—Shu Fu stowed away her substantial meeting gift. Shedding a sympathetic tear for her senior brother, she then activated the teleportation array and arrived at the legendary "Scripture Lecture Hall."
The so-called Scripture Lecture Hall was actually a complex of buildings located on the edge of the Jiuhua Sect's mountain range. Vast in area and equipped with lecture halls, it resembled a retro-styled university. In their spare time, Jiuhua Sect cultivators would ascend the platforms here to discourse on the Dao, offering some benefit to rogue cultivators who lacked a path to follow. During the enrollment exams, this place became the waiting area for thousands of examinees, bustling with noise and excitement.
However, today the Scripture Lecture Hall was somewhat unsettled.
The moment Shu Fu landed, she saw... well, she saw Bai Tian getting beaten up.
The young man delivering the beating was also familiar to her—an average face dotted with small freckles. It was none other than "Young Master Fang," the one who had been rude and obnoxious in the Hidden Wood Forest, whom she had tossed into a pond.
Young Master Fang was truly a minor character. In the original story, he wasn't even worthy of being a villainous male supporting character; at best, he was cannon fodder. If Shu Fu hadn't personally thrashed him, she wouldn't have remembered him at all.
This plot was quite eco-friendly, actually recycling cannon fodder she had already crushed once and sending him right before her eyes again, perhaps so she could scatter his ashes to the wind.
Besides Young Master Fang, several other youths were encircling Bai Tian with hostile glares.
Shu Fu's glance swept over them, recognizing one who had once angrily denounced Liu Ruyi as "neither man nor woman, all affectations." Another was a die-hard fan of Qi Xinlei who had once spouted nonsense like "Mortals' lives are cheap, killing one is no big deal," earning a sword pommel to the front teeth from Shu Fu. His teeth were still chipped, letting out a slight whistling sound when he spoke.
Truly, a gathering of scum, each with their own unique brand of vileness.
They all shared one common trait: they had each tasted the iron fist of Shu Fu's socialist justice.
Now, they were all in high spirits, with no trace of their former wretchedness, as if they had advanced to become Divine Transformation Patriarchs overnight, capable of leveling a mountain peak with a wave of their hand.
As Shu Fu entered, she saw "Young Master Fang" punch Bai Tian to the ground, followed by a kick, while cursing, "You Bai scum, what do you think you are? How dare you compete with my sister for a spot!"
Shu Fu: "..."
How had "Young Master Bai" been demoted to "you Bai scum" in just a few days? And who was this "sister" of his?
Baffled, Shu Fu turned to the nearby onlookers for answers. A few youths, caught up in the excitement, eagerly explained to her in a jumble of voices:
"Hey, you know what's going on? There's a Miss Fang at the Scripture Lecture Hall, talented, beautiful, and from a prominent family. They say she has connections with a certain elder of the Jiuhua Sect. Here, she gets the best room and sits in the center seat of the first row. Everyone has to yield to her."
"That Fang Han, Young Master Fang, seems to be a distant relative of hers. He calls her 'sister' and runs errands for her all day long. Calling him a 'clan brother' is generous; he's more like a personal attendant."
"This fellow Bai, who knows where he came from? He didn't bring a single attendant, yet he's decked out in gold and silver, wearing expensive magical artifacts, dressed to stand out. He's new here, doesn't know the rules of the Lecture Hall, and just went and sat right in the first row..."
"And then he got beaten up for it?"
Shu Fu stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
All this over a seat?
Even pre-exam study halls weren't this brutal.
"Exactly," one youth clicked his tongue. "Brother Bai seems to know Fang Han and considered him a friend. He tried to reason with him about first-come-first-served. See? He barely got two words out..."
Another youth sighed. "To please his 'sister,' Fang Han spares no effort. In my opinion, he'd even beat his own father if he had to."
A young girl added indignantly, "Brother Bai is so handsome, what a pity... Oh! Why is he hitting his face?!"
Now Shu Fu understood.
Young Master Fang, Fang Han, came from an insignificant family himself, a bottom-tier presence in Qingcheng, forced to bow and scrape before the Bai family, playing the lick-spittle to the naive young master.
However, the Fang family was likely a declined branch of some major clan. Though not wealthy themselves, they had a distant, usually unattainable, rich relative. This relative had a precious, esteemed young lady who happened to be at the Scripture Lecture Hall at the same time as him.
Fang Han latched onto this new "sister" as his golden thigh, immediately kicking Bai Tian to the curb.
This Young Master Fang was a ruthless character, switching allegiances without a second thought, instantly turning hostile, and even biting the hand that once fed him—a veritable champion among sycophants.
Given his eagerness to be everyone's little brother, one could also call him the littlest of brothers.
"Get out of my way!"
The littlest brother knocked Bai Tian down with a punch, kicked him twice for good measure, and still felt unsatisfied as he recalled the humiliating days of fawning over Young Master Bai.
"What's with that look? Do you think this is still Qingcheng, that you're still the Bai family's eldest young master, and everyone must bow and scrape to you?"
Fang Han, full of resentment and with vivid expressions, perfectly acted out the part of the "oppressed serf singing songs of liberation." "I'm telling you, the Jiuhua Sect is no place for you to throw your weight around! Within the sect, all families, big or small, are equal! I will never take orders from you again!"
His words were cleverly crafted, sketching an image of a local bully who abused his power and tyrannized the countryside in just a few sentences, making others wary of Bai Tian, even gloating and cheering, calling it "serves him right."
Shu Fu secretly glanced around. It was just Bai Tian's bad luck; none of his close friends had arrived yet, leaving him surrounded by this rotten bunch.
Fang Han and his crew had long held a grudge against him. Now, seizing the opportunity, they naturally wanted to trample him into the mud, while also crafting a tragic persona of the long-oppressed for themselves, climbing up by stepping on the naive young master's spine.
As for the naive young master himself, having inexplicably received a beating, he wasn't angry. Instead, he earnestly reflected, "I apologize, Young Master Fang. In the past, relying on my parents' favor, I was arrogant and overbearing. I offended you all on many occasions, for which I am truly ashamed. I have now sincerely reformed and promise never to repeat such behavior."
"Hmph, that's more like it," Fang Han snorted smugly.
But then Bai Tian's tone shifted, "However, since everyone is equal in the Jiuhua Sect, why is it that others can sit here, but I cannot?"
Fang Han: "..."
Shu Fu: "..."
Fang Han: "Beat him up!"
Oh dear. Doomed.
In the past, when Bai Tian was still a haughty young lord, Shu Fu might not have intervened in a fight among a bunch of spoiled youths.
But although Bai Tian was simple, his heart wasn't bad. He knew how to reflect on his own actions, clearly showing potential for growth. Everyone has a soft spot for talent; she couldn't just stand by and watch him get snuffed out.
Furthermore, the Bai couple were sensible people who had spoken up for her before. Returning the favor by looking after their son was only right.
Thinking this, Shu Fu pushed through the crowd and stepped forward. With her left hand, she untied the Lonesome Light Sword hanging at her waist, tossed it up, caught it, and gripped it in her hand, scabbard and all.
That Young Master Fang truly deserved the saying, "A man is a Zhongshan wolf; once he gains power, he runs wild." His despicable behavior came one act after another—not only did he kick Bai Tian, he even tried to step over him, making him suffer the humiliation of being crawled under.
Bai Tian: "Wait, you—"
Shu Fu: "..."
This move was just too OOC, truly unbearable to watch.
Shu Fu didn't want to suffer the assault on her eyes. She flipped her long sword, lowered the tip, and drew an arc along the ground, just right under Fang Han's calf as he stepped forward. With a deft twist of her wrist, she skillfully redirected the force, pulling his leg gently to the side.
"Who is it?!"
Fang Han hadn't expected someone to interfere with a sword. Caught off guard, his legs slid apart in different directions. With a "thud," he did a full split right on the spot.
In that moment, Shu Fu was certain she heard the sound of eggs cracking.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Hmm, not bad.
The secret family technique of Yaoguang Peak, the move "Chicken Flies, Eggs Scatter"—she had pretty much mastered it now.
Amidst Fang Han's tumultuous screams, Shu Fu naturally couldn't stay hidden. She instantly became the focus of all eyes.
She remained neither haughty nor humble, composed and calmly handling the situation, gracefully saluting with her sword: "Young Master Bai, Young Master Fang, long time no see. Meeting an old friend in a distant land, why don't we all sit down and talk?"
"You—" Fang Han, pale with pain, struggled to squeeze out words through gritted teeth. "Open your eyes wide and look at me! Do I look like I can sit down?!"
"Hmm, indeed you don't. Already half-shattered; one more tug and they'd be completely gone." Shu Fu nodded understandingly. "How about... you just speak while lying down?"
She didn't waste more words on Fang Han. Stepping forward directly, she planted a foot on the back of his neck, then bent down to pull Bai Tian up from the ground, giving his clothes a few rough pats.
"Young Master Bai, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Thank you, fellow cultivator."
Bai Tian hadn't expected to reunite with her under such circumstances and felt rather awkward all over. "It's all my fault for being too arrogant in the past, making everyone unhappy. It's rare for me to go out alone for some training, yet I still ended up troubling a fellow cultivator to stand up for me."
Shu Fu: "Nonsense. I just found him unpleasant to look at. Besides, compared to him, I'd say you weren't arrogant at all. This is nothing, really."
"Fellow cultivator, I—" Filled with admiration and gratitude, Bai Tian gazed at her with shining eyes. He was just about to speak when a woman's voice came from behind:
"Everyone, what is going on here?"
The voice was clear and pleasant, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
Fang Han, who had been sweating profusely just a moment before, perked up as if hearing celestial music. He sprang up as if injected with chicken blood, letting out a crow-like cheer:
"Sister! Wanqing, sister!"
Sister?
So this is your new sugar daddy... err, protector?
Shu Fu, having already made up his mind, calmly and confidently turned around, sword in hand.
And then—
In the very next instant, she came face-to-face with a fair-skinned, handsome face with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes—it was the original male lead, Qi Yuxuan.
Qi Yuxuan: "..."
Shu Fu: "..."
Damn it! Why is it you again, you idiot?!
This time, Qi Yuxuan wasn't alone. Beside him was a beauty with bright eyes, white teeth, a slender waist, and beautiful hair, dressed in a light purple gauze dress, resembling a graceful wisp of misty rosy clouds.
The beauty lightly furrowed her delicate brows, like the legendary beauty Xizi holding her heart—a sight that evoked pity.
She spoke softly, "Yuxuan, you know this fellow cultivator? Could it be... she is Jiang...?"
Qi Yuxuan's face darkened. He immediately took two steps back to put distance between them, as if Shu Fu had some highly contagious disease.
Without even glancing at Shu Fu, he took the beauty's delicate hand and said tenderly, "Wanqing, rest assured. My relationship with Jiang Ruoshui was always lukewarm, and the engagement has long been broken off. There is no connection left. In this life, I only wish to become cultivation partners with you alone."
Before Shu Fu could even react, Qi Yuxuan shot her another cold glare. His usually gentle voice held a sharp edge: "Miss Jiang, since we have already severed all ties, why must you persist in entangling with me? Please let me go, and fulfill my relationship with Wanqing, so that we may never meet again from now on."
Shu Fu: I wish I could!
Who the hell could have guessed that Young Master Fang's "sister" was the beloved white moonlight in your idiot heart?!
What is this?
What is this?!
In that instant, a myriad of thoughts galloped through Shu Fu's mind like a herd of alpacas, ultimately leading to enlightenment and a true rebirth.
She attained enlightenment.
If the mountain doesn't turn, the water will; if the road doesn't turn, people will. The idiots destined for you will eventually cross your path.
She was doomed, with no escape, and could only hang them up and beat them. Everyone, remember to bookmark the website or keep the website in mind. The website is free, no anti-theft, no anti-theft. Report errors in chapters, seek books, find books, and chat about books with fellow readers.
