Lu Guichen cast a cold and stern gaze toward Yuan Shu. His expression was gloomy, and a trace of anger lurked in the depths of his eyes.
An overwhelming aura descended upon them, causing everyone's expressions to turn solemn.
The great hall instantly fell so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
No one dared to easily make a sound at this moment and break the silence.
"First Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Brother, what are you doing? Master naturally has his own considerations for doing this. By pressuring Master like this, you will only break his heart!"
Seeing that things were going awry, Su Lingxi hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over.
She knew that Lu Guichen loathed the useless Yuan Shu, but he still favored these core disciples.
Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, Lu Guichen glanced at her, and the coldness on his face softened a fraction.
However, Shen Qi and Shu Linyuan, who were kneeling below, exchanged a glance but did not rise.
"Master, we beg you, please do not drive Junior Sister Yuan away!"
The two pleaded in unison with anxious expressions. Even Zhai Shuo, who was behind them, followed suit and bowed.
Lu Guichen's newly softened expression darkened once more, and his voice turned icy.
"Are you all trying to coerce your Master?"
The crowd exchanged dismayed looks, their gazes shifting between the three in the hall and Lu Guichen, before finally landing on Yuan Shu at the back of the crowd.
Who could have imagined that the several core disciples of Qingyun Peak would simultaneously plead for this unfavored, useless Yuan Shu?
Furthermore, it seemed as though if Lu Guichen insisted on driving her away, they would absolutely refuse to get up.
"This disciple would not dare!"
Although they said they wouldn't dare, their bodies didn't move an inch.
If Yuan Shu was truly driven down the mountain, they wouldn't know what to do.
No matter what, they absolutely could not let Yuan Shu be expelled from the mountain!
Su Lingxi frowned at the few people in front of her, truly not expecting things to develop to this point.
Even after Lu Guichen said that, Shen Qi and Shu Linyuan still maintained this attitude?
Was this Yuan Shu really so great that she was worth them contradicting their Master?
But now was not the time to dwell on this.
Su Lingxi's gaze shifted and landed on Yuan Shu in the crowd. "Ahem, Senior Sister Yuan, the senior brothers are defying Master for your sake. You should at least say something."
Everyone's eyes immediately fell on Yuan Shu.
Defying?
That was a very serious word to use!
They had merely spoken a few words, yet in Su Lingxi's mouth, it had become defiance?
And she, Yuan Shu, was the source of this defiance. What a massive accusation to pin on her!
Yuan Shu raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. She let out two mocking chuckles. "Little Junior Sister? What do you want me to say at a time like this?"
"Do you want me, the person who was personally expelled from Qingyun Peak by Peak Master Lu, to speak up and persuade the senior brothers that I am leaving the mountain voluntarily?"
"Or perhaps you want me to kneel down and beg you, to beg Peak Master Lu to keep this useless senior sister that you all see me as?"
"The one being driven down the mountain is me, not you. From now on, you can still enjoy the care and affection of the senior brothers and Master."
"Meanwhile, I have to leave the Luoxian Sect, return to the mortal world, and may never be able to join another cultivation sect again!"
"Su Lingxi, don't you think your words are a bit too vicious?"
Su Lingxi's expression shifted slightly. She hadn't expected Yuan Shu to so calmly lay bare her intentions one by one.
The crowd looked at each other in dismay, glancing between Su Lingxi and Yuan Shu.
"Although Yuan Shu is a bit useless, Senior Sister Su's actions are indeed a bit excessive. Yuan Shu is about to be driven away, what else could she possibly say?"
"The other senior brothers are all pleading for Yuan Shu, yet Su Lingxi says nothing and was just gloating on the sidelines. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to stand it either!"
"Exactly. Come to think of it, Yuan Shu hasn't really done anything wrong; her talent is just a bit lacking."
"I actually feel a bit sorry for her. Senior Sister Su has such a cold heart..."
"..."
People always sympathize with the weak, especially since Yuan Shu was a weakling whose aptitude was even worse than theirs.
In the past, they were jealous that she had used money to obtain a status higher than theirs. But now, once that status was lost, people would sympathize with her plight.
"I... I didn't mean that! That's not what I meant!" Su Lingxi retorted, her face pale.
"If you didn't mean that, then what do you want me to say?" Yuan Shu pressed.
"If I say I don't want to leave, will Little Junior Sister convince Master not to drive me away?"
Su Lingxi was forced back two steps by Yuan Shu's questioning, her small face completely white.
Of course she couldn't wait for Yuan Shu to be driven down the mountain. Why would she ever plead for her?
The people she wanted to build good relationships with did not include Yuan Shu!
This Yuan Shu, who had stolen the attention of Shu Linyuan and Shen Qi in just a few short months—she hated her!
Yuan Shu's words directly roasted Su Lingxi over an open fire.
If she didn't plead for Yuan Shu, she would be seen as heartless and unjust. If she did plead, it would be like stabbing her own heart, making her feel a hundred times worse!
"Enough!"
Just as Su Lingxi gritted her teeth, trying to force herself to speak up and plead for Yuan Shu, Lu Guichen spoke.
"This matter is a decision I have made after careful consideration. No matter who pleads, it cannot be changed."
"In a few days, it will be the Sect Grand Competition. For the sake of our past bonds, I will allow you to stay until the competition."
"Once the competition ends, you will leave Qingyun Peak. Otherwise, don't blame me for personally throwing you down the mountain!"
"Master!"
"Master..."
Shen Qi and the others still wanted to say something, but Lu Guichen had already flicked his sleeve and left the great hall.
Leaving with him was the core disciple token hanging at Yuan Shu's waist.
Once the disciple token was confiscated, the matter was set in stone.
It could not be changed no matter what!
For a moment, pairs of sympathetic and pitiful gazes looked toward Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu pursed her lips and looked up ahead, just in time to catch Su Lingxi flashing her a smile.
As their eyes met, Yuan Shu suddenly understood.
The reason Lu Guichen allowed her to stay at Qingyun Peak until the Sect Grand Competition was likely because of her bet with Su Lingxi.
After all, if she were driven down the mountain right now, there would be no one to compete with Su Lingxi, and more importantly, no one to give Su Lingxi ten million spirit stones, right?
She, the designated sucker, had to exert her last bit of residual value even at the very end!
However, who was the real sucker here?
Yuan Shu's gaze landed on the spirit sword behind Su Lingxi, a flash of amusement passing through her eyes.
She remembered it was recorded in the book that within Su Lingxi's spirit sword, there seemed to be a special wisp of a spirit beast's divine soul.
If nurtured properly, its power would be immense!
Su Lingxi wanted her ten million spirit stones. Perfect, she also wanted Su Lingxi's spirit sword!
The corners of Yuan Shu's lips curled up. She retracted her gaze and turned to leave the great hall.
By the time Shen Qi, Shu Linyuan, and the others chased her out of the hall, Yuan Shu was nowhere to be seen outside the door.
"Shu Shu!"
"Junior Sister Yuan!"
Zhai Shuo stepped out of the hall a step behind. Watching Shen Qi and Shu Linyuan heading down the path to look for her, his brow furrowed slightly.
He could sense that Lu Guichen disliked Yuan Shu, just as much as he disliked him!
This kind of feeling... Yuan Shu must be finding it very hard to bear, right?
Zhai Shuo's heart tightened slightly as he turned and walked toward the adjacent small grove.
He had just seen that Yuan Shu seemed to have left in this direction.
...
