“So it was him…”
The crowd suddenly realized the truth, as if waking from a dream, and could only feel that reality itself was absurd and farcical.
If this was true, then the entire Yuqing Sect, from top to bottom, was nothing but a troupe of clowns — and of the highest purity at that.
Driving out the only disciple in the whole world capable of setting up the Heaven-summoning formations, forcing him to cripple his own cultivation on top of it, stacking the hatred to the very brim — even a pig-brained idiot wouldn’t have made such a move!
Ying Shaoxuan of the Taiqing Sect was also present.
He couldn’t help beating his chest and stamping his feet, glaring at Mo Liusu with a face full of fury.
If he hadn’t been swayed by this woman’s honeyed words, Zhou Tong would have long since been a man of the Taiqing Sect — how could they have let the Hehuan Sect pick up such a bargain!
“Since you can repair them, what are you still sitting there for?
Get over there and fix the formations at once!”
Jiang Yuyao and Ge Hongqiu were the first to react, leaping to their feet and pointing at Zhou Tong’s nose as they gave the order.
Zhou Tong, however, remained utterly unmoved, chatting and exchanging glances with the Little Vixen as he pleased.
This, needless to say, was pouring oil on the fire, and the two women flew into a rage.
“Didn’t you hear me talking to you?!
If anything happens to Junior Brother, your worthless life won’t be enough to pay for it!”
Jiang Yuyao roared, her face contorted with fury, and flipped over the low table in front of Zhou Tong, sending the fine wine and delicacies scattering across the ground.
No one nearby stepped forward to intervene; they all watched the farce with relish.
Today the Yuqing Sect had truly lost face.
Even a street ruffian knew that when you beg someone, you should have the attitude of a beggar.
That Fairy Mo, famed for her purity, grace, and decorum — yet her disciples were this overbearing and vulgar.
Truly an eye-opener!
“Are you begging me?”
Zhou Tong said without changing expression, calmly gazing at the two women before him.
That single airy remark made them furious all over again.
“Beg you?
Who do you think you are?
Don’t flatter yourself — we’re granting you a chance to atone for your sins!”
“Exactly right.
You traitor destroyed the sect’s most precious treasure.
Not executing you is already a tremendous mercy — a debt you can never repay even in death.
Now you must repair the formations for Junior Brother!”
At this bizarre line of reasoning, Zhou Tong’s smile only deepened.
“And what if I refuse?
What can you do about it?”
“You deserve to die!
Today you’ll fix them whether you like it or not — otherwise, don’t even think about leaving here alive!”
The two of them were nearly bursting with fury, about to summon the experts around them to strike.
“Zhou Tong, that’s enough.
Keep putting on airs like this and you’ll only disgust people.”
She looked at Zhou Tong, her expression still icy.
“All you want is to return to the sect, isn’t that so?
Turning a bit of trivial skill into a ladder for endless demands is an ugly look.
Fine — for Junior Brother’s sake, I’ll grant your wish.
Go save Junior Brother at once.
If you succeed, I’ll put in a good word with Master; whether it works out is entirely up to her!”
At these words, the crowd felt as though struck by a thunderbolt, utterly rattled.
For the first time, they realized the Yuqing Sect could be this shameless.
A talent like Zhou Tong — even if he were completely crippled and could never cultivate again — would still have countless sects breaking heads to win him over, on the strength of his ability to inscribe formations of the Way of Heaven alone.
The Yuqing Sect, by contrast, still had a sliver of old affinity with him, yet instead of trying to make amends, they treated Zhou Tong like a draft animal.
Listen to the rubbish that woman talked.
Even if Zhou Tong lent a hand to save them from disaster, his return would still depend on their whims — wouldn’t that make Zhou Tong a beggar on his knees?
A nose drawn on a sheet of paper — now there’s an outsized face for you!
“In my eyes, you lot aren’t worth a single fart!”
Zhou Tong rose to his feet, his expression sharp as he faced them down.
“Aaaah…
save me, please save me, Master!
It hurts so much — I’m dying!”
Tang Qi’s voice rang out from the platform, even more agonized than before, making Chen Ling’er’s expression flicker.
“Don’t make me hate you.
If anything happens to Junior Brother, you can’t bear the responsibility.
Come with me now!”
With that, she was about to use force, reaching a hand for Zhou Tong’s shoulder.
“Do you take me for a corpse?”
The Little Vixen flared up at once and struck out boldly, clashing with Chen Ling’er.
Palm wind swept out like crashing thunder, and to everyone’s shock, Chen Ling’er was completely overpowered, sent flying backward.
“How is this possible?!”
Her face was a mask of shock; she couldn’t accept this outcome.
The two of them had been evenly matched before — even if there was a gap, it had been no more than a hair’s breadth.
Why was the difference so enormous now?!
The Little Vixen was a little surprised too, but then, as if something had dawned on her, she broke into a delighted smile.
These past days she had been sparring with Zhou Tong, and he had lectured her on the Dao and resolved her doubts, advancing her comprehension of the Hehuan Heavenly Art by more than a single notch.
By now, she could easily overwhelm Chen Ling’er!
“Enough!”
Mo Liusu’s cold shout suddenly rang out, followed by a heavy oppressive aura bearing down from above, landing precisely on Zhou Tong and the Little Vixen.
“Go save him!”
Mo Liusu looked down at Zhou Tong and gave the order, just as she had in the old days. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“In what capacity are you speaking to me?”
Zhou Tong looked up at her with a mocking smile, his bearing neither servile nor overbearing.
He didn’t look like the one being suppressed; rather, he seemed to be scrutinizing Mo Liusu, as if to tear apart the lofty mask she wore.
“I speak to you with the authority of the strong!”
Mo Liusu’s expression shifted several times, and her words sent a chill down everyone’s spine.
Everyone knew this woman was about to show her true face.
In the world of cultivation, might reigned supreme — so long as your power was great enough, you could dispose of the weak however you pleased.
Such was the law of heaven.
But Zhou Tong only smiled even more brightly.
The woman was at the end of her rope.
“Do you think you can stand alone above all others?”
Zhou Tong sneered.
“Controlling you is more than enough!”
“Don’t be so sure!”
Zhou Tong was fearless.
The moment the words left his mouth, someone stepped into the fray.
“Mo Liusu, you are, after all, the one in charge of the Yuqing Sect.
Pressuring a young man in such a base manner — do you feel no shame?”
The speaker was none other than Ying Shaoxuan, whom Zhou Tong had met once before.
Zhou Tong held him in high regard and had predicted that this man would leap out to help him out of the bind.
The reason was simple: this man was a true gentleman who could read the times.
He couldn’t abide underhanded behavior, and he could see Zhou Tong’s worth — so when better than now to do a favor that cost him nothing?
“This is a matter for the Yuqing Sect.
Senior Ying would do well not to meddle.”
Mo Liusu’s expression shifted slightly — this man’s intervention had put her in an awkward dilemma.
“You’re wrong again — Zhou Tong stopped being a disciple of the Yuqing Sect long ago!”
Ying Shaoxuan delivered the follow-up blow without mercy, dead set on embarrassing her.
Facing this man, Mo Liusu had no standing to put on a show of toughness.
“Fine, fine, fine.
Since Senior insists on protecting this wretch, I’ll take a step back.”
Her chest heaving, she stared hard at Zhou Tong.
“All you want is some benefit, isn’t that so?
State your terms!”
“Wouldn’t this have been simpler from the start?”
Zhou Tong swept his gaze around, then pointed at Chen Ling’er, Ge Hongqiu, and Jiang Yuyao.
“You, you, and you — kneel down and beg me.
And on top of that, I want the Yuqing Sect’s Seven-Star Verdant-Blood Lotus!”