The members of the Su Family were unbearably embarrassed. They had wanted to show their sincerity in front of Gu Yun and express their gratitude. Yet the troublemaker turned out to be one of their own! This was beyond awkward.
For the first time, Su Ruhai grew angry. He couldn’t help but scold, “Wan’er, what nonsense are you making, daring to cause trouble for Young Master Gu? How bold of you!”
The others of the Su Family also chimed in with reproach.
“That’s right, Wan’er, how could you be so unruly?”
“Wan’er, Young Master Gu is perfectly fine, why are you the one picking a fight with him?”
Su Wan’er was immediately overwhelmed with grievance. Though her family was weak, they had never been the sort to flatter or cling to others. Why was everyone siding with Gu Yun? She said angrily, “What’s wrong with you all? These past few days, no matter what I do, it’s always considered wrong! And you, Old Ancestor, weren’t you the one who taught me since childhood to uphold justice and punish evil? Now that I wish to do exactly that, why are you blaming me instead?”
Seeing his granddaughter so aggrieved, Su Ruhai softened slightly. He asked, “Punish evil and uphold justice? What do you mean by that?”
Su Wan’er snorted, pointing at Gu Yun. “Him! Gu Yun! He allows his subordinates to behave arrogantly in the outer sect, even ordering them to find women for his amusement. A junior sister named Chen Qingling was persecuted by him. Is this not evil?”
The Su Family members froze. Their admiration for Gu Yun was based on the belief that he was a man of upright conduct. If he were truly as domineering and cruel as Wan’er claimed, then no matter how many cultivation resources he had, they wouldn’t want to associate with him.
Su Ruhai frowned slightly, turned to Gu Yun, and said solemnly, “Young Master Gu, I do not believe you are that kind of person. There must be some misunderstanding. However, I still boldly ask you to explain this matter to Wan’er. It is not only important to her but also to our Su Family.” He cupped his hands humbly.
His action made Han Ying sneer. In her eyes, even if Gu Yun really had done such a thing, he had no need to explain himself to a small family like the Su Family. She said coldly, “You’re courting death!” Read this novel at novelping . com for the best experience.
But Gu Yun stopped her. To him, the Su Family was admirable. When weak, they had principles and bottom lines, never cowering. When strong, they still remained composed, never bullying others.
Gu Yun smiled faintly and turned to Chen Qingling. She instantly understood, looking at Su Wan’er and the others. “You’ve misunderstood the Holy Son. The things that young lady just claimed never happened. And as for the Chen Qingling she mentioned, I am willingly following the Holy Son. No one forced me.”
Su Wan’er snorted disdainfully. “You’re by Gu Yun’s side, of course you’d cover for him! Willingly? Did you even ask Junior Sister Chen Qingling herself?”
Chen Qingling chuckled softly and looked at her with amusement. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Chen Qingling.”
Those words stunned Su Wan’er and the Su Family alike. The very person in question was right here! She herself hadn’t said a word of complaint, so why was Su Wan’er trying to seek justice on her behalf?
Su Ruhai immediately realized that someone must have been deliberately sowing discord. He quickly bowed apologetically. “Holy Son, our Su Family has been offensive. Please punish us as you see fit. But this child Wan’er must have been used by someone. I beg you not to blame her.”
Su Wan’er herself was dumbfounded. What? This delicate-looking young woman was Chen Qingling? Seeing her sincerity and calmness, it didn’t look like she was being forced to say these words. Had she truly misunderstood Gu Yun? She asked hesitantly, “But… Ye Bufan said you were forced. Why would he lie to me?”
At the mention of Ye Bufan, Chen Qingling’s expression immediately hardened. “That man is nothing but a liar and scum. He always uses flowery words to deceive unsuspecting girls. I myself nearly fell for his tricks once. As for why he lied to you… Wan’er, so you are the girl whom the Holy Son has been pursuing all this time! I understand now. Ye Bufan must be trying to drive a wedge between you and the Holy Son, then seize the chance to go after you himself!” This story is hosted at novelping.com.
Su Wan’er was completely stunned. How could this be? Why was it like this? Ye Bufan was one of her few friends, someone she trusted deeply. How could he be that kind of person?
Gu Yun also frowned in thought. He had done everything he could to avoid clashing with Ye Bufan, yet somehow they still ended up as enemies. Was this truly the destiny between a villain and a protagonist? It seemed he needed to raise his strength even faster. Otherwise, would he really end up being humiliated by Ye Bufan one day? Even if Ye Bufan’s current cultivation wasn’t high, Gu Yun dared not be careless—after all, Ye Bufan had a powerful master behind him.
With these thoughts flashing in his mind, Gu Yun returned to the present and smiled at the Su Family. “Since the misunderstanding has been cleared, let’s leave it at that. Old Master Su, let’s proceed with what we came here for.”
Su Ruhai was stunned. With Gu Yun’s exalted status, he had just been wrongfully accused, yet not only did he not blame the Su Family or Wan’er, he wasn’t even angry. Such broad-mindedness was truly rare. The Su Family’s admiration for Gu Yun deepened further.
Su Ruhai laughed and said at once, “Good, good, good! Young Master Gu, please, let us enter the Xiaoyao Pavilion.”
Gu Yun nodded and followed them inside.
Su Wan’er stood frozen in disbelief. When had Gu Yun become so close to her family? She was about to ask her father, but Su Lie spoke first with a stern tone. “Wan’er, you are far too reckless. How could you act so rashly? You let yourself be swayed by slander so easily? Thankfully, Gu Yun is magnanimous and didn’t hold it against you. Otherwise, you would have shamed the entire Su Family. Hmph, just like your mother—big chest, no brains!”
Su Wan’er, aggrieved and bewildered, looked at her father. “Father, even if I was wrong, isn’t calling me ‘big chest, no brains’ a bit too much?”
Su Lie froze, realizing his words were inappropriate. His old face flushed red, and he snapped in embarrassment, “You’ve made me so angry I lost my senses! Enough, later at the banquet, you’ll apologize properly to Gu Yun.”
At last, Su Wan’er realized something was off. Tonight, the Su Family had invited Gu Yun to dinner? What was going on? And why was her family treating him so well? Suddenly, she thought of something and asked instinctively, “Father, was it Gu Yun who came to our house this afternoon? What exactly did he say and do?”