ASER - Chapter 182
Chapter 182: Despicable!
After A'Diao finished eating some of the delicious food stored in his refrigerator, she turned around, holding a plate, and came to deal with him.
"Do you think it's more cost-effective to buy a house or rent one?"
The man: "?"
A'Diao: "I think renting is more suitable for you. Renting is cheap, you know. For just ten thousand Skeletal Remains a day, you can live in such a fine house."
The man finally understood, his face turning ashen. "Even though you won, you only have the right to use it for one month. After a month, it's still mine!"
A'Diao: "Then I'll just do it again in a month."
The man: "!"
He sneered, "Then let's talk about it in a month. By then, I won't give you another chance to sneak atta—"
Snap! A'Diao flicked her fingertip.
All of the man's clothes ripped open.
As he said "atta—", he was hanging stark naked under the beam.
The atmosphere in the room instantly became... quiet.
He was stunned for three seconds, then, overwhelmed with shame and anger, he was about to roar.
A'Diao: "Go ahead and shout. If you shout your lungs out, someone will surely come to save you. But in this state... I've recorded it. If it happens to get posted somewhere, don't blame me. By the way, I'm not very skilled with this mental imprint technique. When I cancel it, I might injure your mental body. You'd need a few months to recover to your peak condition."
A threat, this was a threat!
The man nearly fainted, looking at A'Diao in disbelief. "You are the Chief, yet you act so..."
A'Diao reached out, took out a pair of scissors, and placed them on the table.
"Say that again?"
"..."
After finishing the pastry and washing her hands, A'Diao said lightly, "For this month, the house is mine. You can come and go as usual. I'll rent it to you for ten thousand Skeletal Remains a day. Otherwise, I'll 'accidentally' have the video stolen by a hacker, and the hacker will 'accidentally' post it... I hear the eight of you are known as some Upper Kun Class. That reputation isn't very resounding, is it? You're probably more famous in the outer Demon Spirit Nest regions—what was it, the Eight Gate Apostles?"
"Or perhaps I should buy an ad slot over there?"
Social death or renting the house, you choose.
The thought of being pointed at and whispered about whenever he entered or exited the Demon Spirit Nest regions made the man's vision darken. He gritted his teeth internally but also realized he couldn't afford to be confrontational with her. So, he quickly softened his tone, "Your Excellency Chief, I don't understand why you're targeting me. There's no enmity between us."
A'Diao glanced at him. "What are you talking about? You don't have a place to live, so I'm renting you a room. I'm also worried that if this gets out, you'll lose face—after all, losing to me isn't exactly glorious. I'm helping you. But we're an unmarried man and woman. If I rent you a room without charging money, what if people misunderstand? Don't I care about my reputation?"
As she said this, she poked the man's lower abdomen with the tip of the scissors.
The man: "!!!"
Toilet: "..."
Are you a devil?
Did he agree in the end?
He agreed.
A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm... After being let down, he still couldn't mobilize the energy in his body. Moreover, with the mental imprint in place, his every action would be monitored. He could only be obedient.
"Can you cook noodles?"
"No."
"You can't even cook noodles? Then give me three thousand Skeletal Remains, and I'll go buy them myself."
"..."
The man's head was buzzing. In the end, he still went into the kitchen to cook noodles for her. And they had to be delicious, otherwise she'd extort more money from him later. But he also saw A'Diao go to the backyard.
Indeed, her target was the backyard.
Extorting money was secondary.
The man lowered his eyes, a glint flashing in them. He had thought about telling the others about this, but after looking at his wristband for a moment, he eventually gave up.
In that moment, he suddenly understood—Chen A'Diao wasn't afraid of him telling others at all. It wasn't just because she had leverage over him, but because if he chose a mutually destructive path with her, although the others might escape the crisis, his losses would be irreparable. The house was already lost, his compromising photos would be leaked, and his mental body would be damaged, requiring months to recover.
At that time, would his brothers empathize with him, keep him among the eight, and wait for him to recover?
No, they wouldn't. From the very beginning, the core purpose of this team's formation was cultivation. Once someone's strength fell behind, they would need to find a new, suitable member to join, like Rong Xi, or Jiang Da and the others.
So...
The man averted his gaze from his wristband. After cooking a bowl of noodles, he brought it in. Watching A'Diao eat noodles while comprehending the Dao Tablet that originally belonged to him, his heart bled.
What he didn't know was that while A'Diao was comprehending here, another of her avatars was in a private room in the Library Pavilion, flipping through a large number of books, reading and working on drafts simultaneously.
The drafts contained calculations related to a certain system. Faintly visible on the white paper were two round beads and meridian pathways, even including acupoints... There were also various energy calculation formulas and practice drills for formations.
Toilet knew she was up to something, something concerning herself.
A'Diao's days became very busy after that.
Cang Wu always saw her comprehending the Langya Jade Wall during the day, then running off at night, only to return the next morning with dark circles under her eyes.
He hadn't said anything at first, but as days went by... with his extraordinary sense of smell, he detected other fragrances on her whenever she returned.
It was the incense from other people's houses.
And it had to be men, because these were incenses commonly used by men.
Lowering his eyes, Cang Wu suddenly started mixing coffee with milk and other things today, handing it to A'Diao who was in a hurry to leave.
"Huh? Milk tea made for me?"
Cang Wu glanced at her. "My sister likes to drink this."
A'Diao raised an eyebrow. "Our sister is coming?"
Such quick ladder-climbing...
Cang Wu: "Perhaps. The time isn't set yet. You want to see her? Why are you so excited?"
Nonsense! She's the Empress! On one hand, she controls so many mines, and on the other, she's the Empress. Such a thick thigh to hug is coming, how could I not be happy?
A'Diao tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth, holding the milk tea and drinking. "If you're happy, I'm happy."
He probably added too much sugar, that's why she was being so sweet.
And so hypocritical and pretentious.
But she ran off again.
Watching her silhouette disappear into the night, Cang Wu propped his chin, lost in thought—her comprehension speed had been increasing rapidly these days. Had she gone to work on other Dao Tablets?
Such days continued for another half a month.
On this day, Cang Wu was not around. He had gone to the Seventh Heaven to see the Mountain Head to discuss some matters.
During this time, what he didn't know was that A'Diao's mental threads had already reached the third stage of fusion, becoming 2500 mental threads, and her meridians likewise.
This made her comprehension progress actually much faster than he realized. In fact, what she was currently doing was...
With Cang Wu absent, the optimal dragon-phoenix cultivation environment was gone. But he didn't see A'Diao sitting alone before the Langya Jade Wall. Instead, she was seen skillfully manipulating two masses of Yin-Yang power, integrating them into her body. However, she didn't stop at her physical form; she attempted to drive the Yin-Yang masses separately into her two spiritual cores.
The pain made her instantly vomit blood.
The meridians throughout her body also convulsed, more than half of them snapping.
But she still managed to drive them in. Amidst the constantly rupturing meridians, she continuously repaired them, continuously maintaining the operation of the two spiritual cores.
As a result, her entire body was occupied by immense Yin-Yang power, but it was unstable, even showing signs of collapse. However, the spirituality was too strong, too terrifying. Previously, the Mountain Head had repeatedly warned them not to attract the attention of the Langya Jade Wall's spirituality during cultivation. This time, A'Diao seemed to have been careless—she still had some mental threads connected to the Langya Jade Wall.
Her changes were too drastic, quickly attracting the attention of a wisp of golden spirituality from within the Langya Jade Wall. It floated in front of the Langya Jade Wall to observe. After seeing what A'Diao was doing, it seemed to ripple slightly—as if... mocking?
Mocking this human for being so audacious, for being insatiably greedy even after mastering Yin-Yang power, actually thinking of transforming both spiritual cores into fixed Yin-Yang elixirs. Truly...
But how did this human have two spiritual cores?
As it was feeling suspicious, it suddenly sensed something, but it was too late. Over 2000 mental threads lying dormant on the surface of the Langya Jade Wall instantly pierced in.
Previously, if a large number of mental threads entered, it would attract the attention of the Langya spirituality. So, even though A'Diao had fused her mental threads several times, she had actually controlled the quantity. As long as they clung to the Langya Jade Wall without entering, it was fine.
But what was the use of clinging and lying dormant on the surface?
There was.
Stealing spirituality.
But the moment that wisp of Langya spirituality was surrounded and entangled by all of A'Diao's mental threads, the entirety of the other Langya spirits hiding within the Langya Jade Wall instantly understood her intention.
Stealing spirituality!
Damn it, how dare she!
Courting death!!!
Within the vast Langya Jade Wall, all the Langya spirits, like chaotic meteor trails traversing space, instantly pursued and merged, becoming a complete entity, intending to swallow its own wisp of spirituality and all of A'Diao's mental threads in one gulp.
It was the spirit of a Dao Tablet created by the Founder, how proud and powerful it was! How could it allow a mere Chief to abduct its spirituality...
But A'Diao's calculations were too profound. For nearly a month, her mental threads had been constantly entering and exiting the Langya Jade Wall, having long since calculated their numbers and movement speed.
So... Faster, faster, faster!
By the time the Langya spirit was about to swallow, A'Diao's mental threads had already forcibly abducted a wisp of Langya spirituality out of the Langya Jade Wall.
No!!
The Langya spirit was terrified, but it could only be terrified, because A'Diao had discovered another secret—it itself could not leave the Langya Jade Wall.
The wisp of spirituality abducted by the mental threads immediately weakened considerably after leaving the Langya Jade Wall, and its struggles lessened, but it still conveyed its thoughts to A'Diao.
"What do you want to do?!! Devour me to achieve your Yin-Yang spiritual cores? You're dreaming! You can't handle something of my level; it will cause both sides to collapse! Calm down!"
"Calm down quickly!"
It was anxious, it was anxious, it was truly anxious...
But A'Diao, ever so shrewd and decisive, ignored it completely and directly drew it into her body.
All her painstaking efforts during this period weren't solely to speed up her comprehension of the Langya Jade Wall.
Comprehending it was a necessary process for every Chief.
To be like others, like other Chiefs?
That would be too ordinary.
A'Diao was greedy.
To her, Yin-Yang power shouldn't just be a means to increase her energy level; she wanted a higher-level advancement.
Because she had two spiritual cores.
That night, when the Mountain Head brought her to the backyard, showed her the Langya Jade Wall, and mentioned Yin-Yang, a wild idea had surfaced in A'Diao's mind.
Later, with comprehension and the enhanced knowledge from the Library Pavilion, she began to calculate the feasibility of this wild idea.
Initially, the feasibility was 10%.
And that 10% was due to her having two spiritual cores. But she had no other assets; the failure rate was extremely high, basically a 99% chance of ending up with nothing.
This wouldn't do.
So, A'Diao later, after consulting the knowledge of the first generation, discovered that ordinary spiritual cores couldn't withstand the two high-end powers of Yin and Yang, let alone use them as seeds to be nurtured within the spiritual cores. But!
It needed a higher level of spirituality.
It meant extraordinary life force.
She set her sights on the Langya spirit.
Nie Yuanyuan could control the spirituality of other creatures, which indicated that such an operation was feasible. It was just that others relied on talent, while A'Diao relied entirely on forceful seizure.
Now, she had succeeded.
After the wisp of Langya spirituality was dragged into A'Diao's body, it was directly driven into the collapsing spiritual cores.
Even as her internal cultivation system completely collapsed, she remained extremely calm and ruthless.
The moment it was driven in, her mental threads returned to their nest, protecting her sea of consciousness. As for the meridians and acupoints... taking advantage of the state of complete collapse within her body, A'Diao opened the eight fully cleared acupoints. Then, she connected these meridians according to the most basic human acupoint locations of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, forming a new, simplified energy system. And the two spiritual masses, after swallowing the super-high-grade wisp of Langya spirituality, indeed stabilized the rampage of the Yin-Yang seeds.
Because it was inherently one and coexistent with the two powers of Yin and Yang.
A'Diao's line of thought seemed cunningly unconventional and fantastical, but in reality, she was playing the game within the rules.
And at this moment, her collapsing body barely stabilized, and then she took out an array disc.
The array disc contained all the Xuan Gang she had earned during this period, but the core of this new type of array diagram she had created herself was—Reconstruction.
The Langya spirit within the Langya Jade Wall watched as this contemporary Chief, who had been courting death, turned the tide on the brink of collapse and violent death. Relying on its own wisp of Langya spirituality, she had reconstructed her body, and... her two spiritual cores were rapidly transforming.
Its original anxiety suddenly calmed.
Because it realized—this generation's Chief really had something to her.
The durians on the durian tree hung heavily, also watching A'Diao's body undergo a frenzied transformation. The suppression, the sixth layer of suppression she could feel, was rapidly diminishing... And a higher level of energy would permanently exist within her body, while her life spirituality also made a comprehensive leap across levels.
In the Seventh Heaven, the Mountain Head, who was chatting with Cang Wu, said, "My disciple is good in every way, just a bit reclusive and doesn't easily open up to people. Young Lord, as the crown prince of the Heavenly Spirit Clan, if you wish to foster friendship with our human race, you should interact more..."
Reclusive?
Chen A'Diao, reclusive? She was more likely to make others reclusive.
Cang Wu lowered his head to drink tea, a rare feeling of silent criticism in his heart, but he still planned to agree readily.
But the Mountain Head suddenly paused, glanced outside, then quickly turned back and said to Cang Wu, "As the Young Lord of the Heavenly Spirit Clan, your status is sensitive after all. Try to interact with her less on a daily basis. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if an unmarried man and woman were misunderstood, especially since your sister is the Empress."
Cang Wu: "?"
He wasn't a fool. He could sense that the Mountain Head had been paving the way for A'Diao earlier, because A'Diao lacked the Star Coin resources necessary for the Star Realm, and the imperial court would block her resources. She could only seek resources from other clans, but once exposed, she could easily be framed by the Imperial Clan... Relying solely on Lushan would also slow her progress, so he was the best channel.
He had been about to agree, as he had already reached an agreement with A'Diao, but he hadn't expected the Mountain Head to flip out and disown his previous words so quickly.
So, had something just happened? Had A'Diao made terrifying progress, which the Mountain Head sensed, and now felt he (Cang Wu) was unworthy?
Or was he afraid he would lure her away?
"A gentleman's friendship." Cang Wu said impassively.
The Mountain Head smiled in agreement, but inwardly he was exclaiming: If the Langya spirit hadn't told me, I really wouldn't have known she was so audacious. But she succeeded.
She actually succeeded.
One must know, it was true that the Founder created the Yin-Yang Dao at the Star Realm; creation is the most difficult part. But Chen A'Diao was soaring by standing on the shoulders of a giant.
She was determined to fly.
Faint light gives birth to Yin and Yang. Then, at the Star Realm, wouldn't she be able to master two types of star power simultaneously? Two stars, one Yin and one Yang.
After the Yinglong, she had added another super-powerful engine to herself.
Hahaha!
Chen A'Diao, this path you're treading is far too broad!
The Mountain Head instantly felt a sense of ease in body and mind.
What the Mountain Head didn't know was that at this very moment, A'Diao, whose body had been reconstructed due to the comprehensive enhancement, suddenly sensed a faint, fleeting thought from a hidden area within her body.
In the darkness, deep within her mental body, she seemed to see the corner of a bizarre totem.
It was the tip of the iceberg of a curse.
She saw it, but it was just a fleeting glimpse. Soon, the darkness disappeared, and she returned to the sea of consciousness where her mental body resided. But this fleeting thought still nearly caused her mental collapse.
Because it was too terrifying.
She had finally, due to her continuously advancing realm, touched upon the most hidden family curse.
This curse terrified her.
An hour later, everything ended.
A'Diao put on her clothes. With a sweep of her sleeve, all traces on the ground disappeared. But there was no joy on her face; instead, there was a hint of panic.
Damn it, what kind of demon's den did the Chen family's Old Ancestor poke to incur such a terrifying curse?
She could feel that the scale of that curse far surpassed the Yin-Yang Dao, possibly even higher than the level of the Langya spirit. Otherwise, it wouldn't have made her instinctively tremble in fear.
"This won't do. It's bound to surface sooner or later. I've never seen a curse that remains permanently hidden. The moment it manifests, I'm finished!"
"What the hell? It's been three hundred years, and it's still this terrifying. Did the Chen family's Old Ancestor provoke a Demon King?"
Previously, A'Diao had seen that both she and Xu Ye could cultivate to some extent, and had secretly, luckily guessed that this curse was most likely a debt incurred by the Chen family's Old Ancestor during the first generation. But the Old Ancestor had died, and the other party had probably died too. After three hundred years, this curse should have weakened and disappeared, but unexpectedly!
Whether it had weakened or not was unknown, but it certainly hadn't disappeared.
It was still very powerful! Once triggered...
Damn!! It's like a fishbone stuck in my throat!
A'Diao was furious, but also faintly suspicious: "Did it fluctuate just now because I advanced, or for some other reason?"
But this thought was fleeting. Her more resolute belief was—get stronger, get stronger! I must get rid of it or eliminate it before it's triggered.
Outside Lushan, in the core area of the Imperial Clan.
In the underground imperial palace, a blood pool churned.
Several Imperial Clan magnates and the nation's most elite and powerful scientists were conducting an experiment.
"That's right. Her bloodline indeed contains Chen Gui's genes. It's confirmed she is a descendant of Chen Gui, and the Chen family are indeed descendants of Chen Gui. The bloodline curse also truly exists, but this curse is very latent, impossible to capture. We can only know of its existence."
An old man with white hair, wearing a python robe, narrowed his eyes and said faintly, "I remember the Chen family used to have many descendants. I didn't expect that after three hundred years, only Chen Ran's line remains. Why didn't Chen Ran die?"
The scientist's expression was slightly subtle. "Firstly, because too much time has passed, the curse has begun to weaken. And from a genetic perspective, he is a cultivation waste, having avoided Chen Gui's core gene sequence, so he wasn't cursed. This point is similar to his youngest son."
"And due to the uncertainty of genetic inheritance, Chen Xun undoubtedly got hit. He neither avoided the Chen family's bloodline nor inherited the cultivation genes from his maternal side, so he's crippled. However, by their generation, Chen Gui's bloodline has become very, very diluted. That's why Xu Ye, due to the Xu family's bloodline being stronger, conversely inherited the Xu family's bloodline. As for Chen A'Diao, she's rather unlucky. She seems to have experienced some atavism, inheriting more of Chen Gui's bloodline, thus being more deeply cursed. She nearly died young, and her foundation was directly severed. But perhaps also because the curse clashed with her bloodline, her aptitude mutated somewhat. She inherited Chen Gui's abnormal aptitude and also gained a higher upper limit."
"Creatures that survive stronger curses often possess greater resilience, life force, and malleability. Because their inherently weak human aptitude system has been shattered, once it reorganizes, it becomes extraordinary."
The few Imperial Clan powerhouses didn't show much reaction, nor did they deny it. The human population was vast, and some deviants were bound to emerge. Deviants like Chen A'Diao with family origins were still somewhat understandable. It was those who sat under an apple tree, got hit on the head by an apple, had their souls mutate, and suddenly made a comeback from nothing that were truly... nauseating.
"She cannot be left alive. She must be killed as soon as possible."
"How to kill her? If she were outside, you and I could kill her easily. But this despicable person is hiding in Lushan."
"Those old fogeys at Lushan are not to be trifled with. It's not yet time to completely fall out with them, especially since Lie Qin and Nan Jin are restless."
An old man, calmly toying with a skull, said faintly, "No Lushan Chief in history has ever been willing to stay cooped up in Lushan. Isn't she so eager to use Qu Xia'er's hand to eliminate the Qu family precisely because she wants more freedom outside? She won't be able to endure it."
That was true. Chen A'Diao would leave Lushan sooner or later.
"If she does leave, even if we can locate and assassinate her, we probably can't do it ourselves—the Lushan Chief absolutely cannot die at the hands of the Imperial Clan. Otherwise, there will definitely be a falling out, and Lie Qin and Nan Jin will seize the opportunity..."
"Then we'll have to borrow a knife to kill someone. But this knife isn't easy to borrow. Those old dogs from the Duanmu and Cao families are more cautious than the last. Even the Baili family has gone into hiding. Using them isn't suitable."
As the few conspired, it was again that old man who suddenly said faintly, "Then let her die by the curse. Lushan won't be able to trace it, and no one else can be blamed."
The others immediately fell silent.
The scientists were surprised, exchanging glances—these old monsters knew who had cursed Chen Gui, and they had an item belonging to that person, capable of triggering the curse.
But they didn't dare ask further, because this definitely involved some terrifying secret.
"Don't act now. If it's triggered within Lushan, and if the curse's power has weakened and doesn't kill her directly, those old fogeys at Lushan will definitely be able to save her. It's not worth it."
"If we are to kill, it must be a fatal blow!"
"However, this Chen A'Diao is just a minor hidden danger. Since there's a way to eliminate her, there's no need to discuss it further. What's important now is why Lie Qin has been so aggressive recently. Has there been some change over there? Also, His Majesty is about to have his grand wedding. I see that this Daoguang Jingci has arranged for her younger brother, Young Lord Cang Wu, to be at Lushan. I'm afraid she has other motives. I always feel this woman is a bit strange."
These old fogeys of the Imperial Clan weren't without self-awareness. Ordinary noble ladies from powerful families wouldn't even want to marry into the Imperial Clan, so why did this Heavenly Spirit Clan Princess agree?
And to an old man like His Majesty, who was on the verge of death.
She must have ulterior motives.
Just like His Majesty's little schemes, these old fogeys were well aware of them and held them in utter contempt.
"Perhaps there's a secret concerning that Cang Wu. Otherwise, she wouldn't have demanded His Majesty offer the Book of the Yellow Springs as a betrothal gift for the marriage alliance."
When the Heavenly Spirit Clan was mentioned, their tone and demeanor clearly became much more solemn.
"What I've found from within the Heavenly Spirit Clan is—Cang Wu has a hidden illness and doesn't have long to live. Only the Book of the Yellow Springs can save him."
Oh? The eyes of the several old men instantly glinted darkly.
"No wonder His Majesty... so that's how it is."
If Young Lord Cang Wu doesn't have long to live, then the Heavenly Spirit Clan belongs to Daoguang Jingci. If, through her, they were to further usurp... everything of the Heavenly Spirit Clan would naturally belong to His Majesty.
Once he cultivates jointly with Daoguang Jingci, rejuvenates himself, and uses these treasures for cultivation, he will surely become powerful quickly.
An old man lowered his head and smiled slyly, "His Majesty has a grand scheme. If successful, he will surely become our supreme leader."
The expressions of the others immediately darkened considerably.
What His Majesty? To them, he was merely a descendant.
The old man toying with the skull casually crushed it.
"His Majesty has grand ambitions for hegemony; we will naturally follow."
"Matters will be handled one by one. The marriage alliance with the Heavenly Spirit Clan is indeed also beneficial to my Dantai family—Lie Qin's recent aggression is most likely related to this as well."
"First, deal with Chen A'Diao and sever Lushan's future. However, go find that old Daoist priest who saved her. I feel there's something suspicious about him; he's very likely not dead."
As these people finalized their plans, the sky became densely covered with thunderclouds, and the entire capital was engulfed in a torrential downpour.
Daoguang Jingci stood by the window. Outside, the wind and rain raged. She gazed at the swaying mountains and rivers, her eyes exceptionally clear. On a nearby table, sheets of calculation drafts rustled in the wind.
When Cang Wu returned to the Sixth Heaven and saw A'Diao again, he found she wasn't much different from before, only much more reserved.
"Tomorrow during the day, I won't be cultivating; I have to attend class. But Cang Wu, you came just for the Langya Jade Wall, so you don't need to attend classes?"
He was in the open kitchen, while A'Diao was outside, sitting on a chair and eating the pastry he had handed her. She found the taste very much to her liking and glanced at him.
"No need. I'm not very comfortable interacting with others."
A'Diao: "Is that so? So I'm not 'others'?"
Her casual remark made him pause as he was handing her the juice. He retracted it, intending to drink it himself.
"You're not human."
"..."
Insulting me on the surface, yet sending me over forty million Mental Power points?
And there was a continuous stream of Mental Power after that.
A'Diao reached out and snatched the juice. "I'll give you the first batch of talismans in a month. This glass of juice counts as a deposit."
Then she went on her way.
A'Diao had already attended Qing Zan's general studies class twice. However, Qing Zan's classes weren't a one-size-fits-all affair. After two sessions, as a Lesser Spirit King, she could see the disparity among these students at a glance. Anyway, in her eyes, the students of this Qian Kun Class were collectively divided into two types.
Chen A'Diao, and others.
After the second class, she separately taught A'Diao some more of the subsequent meridian-clearing techniques. Therefore, A'Diao's progress was faster than others, giving the effect of private tutoring, yet it wasn't quite private tutoring because she had no other interactions with A'Diao. It was merely teaching according to aptitude; otherwise, she was very aloof.
However, today was the Dao of Laws course, taught by Lesser Spirit King Bailu.
Early in the morning, after A'Diao left, Cang Wu also left. Not long after, he appeared at the entrance of the public Dao of Laws classroom in the teaching area. It was mostly full of students. He scanned the room, and the people inside were also looking at him.
The emotions on both sides were as follows.
From the Qian and Kun Classes: It's not Chen A'Diao, it's him?
Cang Wu: She didn't come?
Just then, a man slowly walked over from the side of the corridor. He was dressed in white that outshone snow, with an ordinary face but a profound and vast aura. After arriving, he glanced at Cang Wu, somewhat surprised.
"Young Lord actually came to attend my class?"
Cang Wu bowed and didn't deny it.
Song Ling and the others had been at Lushan for a month and this was their second time seeing Cang Wu. Hearing the address "Young Lord," they were immediately surprised, understanding it meant the other party's status was extraordinary, but they knew nothing else.
The man seemed to have noticed something, glancing inside. "You're here looking for Chen A'Diao, aren't you."
"Unfortunately, she didn't come. Just now on the way, I saw her sneaking off to the First Heaven... probably to buy food."
Everyone: "..."
Was this Chen A'Diao caught skipping class? Wouldn't she have offended this Lesser Spirit King expert?
However, the class still had to go on. Just a few minutes into it, the Dao of Laws teacher suddenly looked towards the First Heaven and raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like she didn't go to buy food."
"Did she go to fight?"
Five minutes ago.
In the First Heaven, Lan Yi and his group were in a tavern here, gathering intelligence from the borderlands.
The eight of them were originally one unit, but they had returned early to recuperate from injuries and to probe the Chief's capabilities. Unexpectedly, trouble had erupted on the border...
They naturally wanted to accept a mission and head to the border, but they had previously received orders from the other three not to go yet.
"They said the situation over there isn't right, it's likely dangerous, and told us not to go for the time being."
One person said, "How can we not go? Our injuries have recovered, and this Chen A'Diao is holed up in Langya Courtyard every day, definitely eager to comprehend the Langya Jade Wall. Plus, she has the novice protection period. Are we supposed to just wait for her for two months?"
"Right, we still have to go to the border, but let's consolidate the information first. We can't take risks recklessly."
"This novice protection period is really annoying."
As the few discussed in the private room, there was always a bit of unease when they spoke these words. Lan Yi vaguely felt that these brothers seemed to be hiding some secret. But before he could ask, he suddenly sensed something and looked out the window.
This tavern was next to a stretch of river. Willow branches on both banks swayed with the wind, and occasionally a small boat would pass by. The wind came, bringing an unusual wisp of aura.
Lan Yi focused on a person poling a small boat with a bamboo pole.
The small boat approached and stopped on the water surface outside their private room's window.
They were on the second floor; this person was on the water.
Dressed in white with a red inner collar, wearing a bamboo hat, with a delicate and fair face and a slender figure. When she looked up, their eyes met.
Lan Yi was stunned for a moment, but soon narrowed his eyes, got up, walked to the balcony, and looked down at A'Diao.
"Chief, you've come specially. What task do you have for me?"
"I want your house."
Ever since that day he saw this Chief give the middle finger, Lan Yi knew she was wild. He just hadn't expected her to be so impatient. It seemed she also had trump cards. He didn't dare underestimate her, so his voice was grave: "There's still a month and a half left of the novice period. If the Chief is impatient, you can issue a challenge right now. Lan Yi wouldn't dare refuse and will definitely fight you."
Then A'Diao issued him a challenge.
She really did.
Lan Yi frowned. Thinking of the fate of the Zhang and Lou families, his apprehension grew. He gripped the hilt of the saber at his waist, about to draw...
"Fourth Brother, be careful."
"Go, Fourth Brother!"
"Take her down!"
The four people behind him cheered him on.
On the stretch of river where A'Diao was, lotuses bloomed with green seedpods, a tranquil scene of azure and jade. The water was extremely clear, yet there were swimming fish.
The wind chimes on a large banyan tree not far away were stirred by the wind.
The clear, crisp sound carried from afar.
But after Lan Yi's battle intent stirred, the pressure of an upper-grade Star Realm cultivator was released. The fish were startled and immediately darted underwater. The water surface was also pressed down by the heavy pressure, creating a hazy mist, making the person on the boat seem even more like a celestial being.
All the cultivators in the tavern felt it. Lushan's First Heaven was originally a living area, with countless experts coming and going. Upon sensing the fluctuation, they immediately realized someone was about to make a move here.
Li Cangxue, who was shopping with her family in the First Heaven, naturally sensed it too. She turned her head to look and saw the... tense standoff on the river channel across the street and at the riverside tavern.
"Holy crap, a battle of experts!"
"It's finally happening! I knew the Chief and the Upper Kun Class would have a battle!"
"Hahaha, come on, come on, they're about to fight!"
"The Chief is too bold, directly challenging Lan Yi? He's an upper-grade Star Realm!!!"
"Terrifying! Who will win? If the Chief loses, Langya Courtyard will have to be given up..."
"But, the Chief seems quite good-looking, although I can't see clearly."
The white-robed person on the boat, whose face was hidden under the bamboo hat, had an elegant demeanor as if boating on a lake, which seemed completely different from that cunning and shameless Chief.
She was tranquil.
A tranquil Chief seemed more in line with the bearing and aura of a Chief.
"Is this the Chief you were talking about?" A cold voice came from a woman taller than her beside her.
"Yes."
"Quite special."
Huh? Her aunt rarely praised anyone. Li Cangxue hadn't even asked yet.
Suddenly...
Boom!!!
Lan Yi drew his saber.
The saber's edge was tyrannical and swept across.
But his back... Bang bang bang bang!!
Four powerful attacks from behind directly made Lan Yi vomit blood in a single exchange.
The cultivators in the tavern: "???"
The eager onlookers watching from all around: "!!!"
Li Cangxue: "..."
Was she blind?
Everyone truly felt they had gone blind. Damn it, they never, ever expected this!!!
Weren't those Lan Yi's brothers? The other members of the eight-man group? How could they... just launch a sneak attack from behind?
A surprise attack from behind by four mid-grade Star Realm cultivators, unguarded against—even an upper-grade Star Realm couldn't withstand that.
The heavily injured Lan Yi vomited blood, leaped out, and, stepping on his flight device, roared, "What are you doing?"
The four were on the verge of tears.
"Fourth Brother, she placed a mental imprint on us."
"She's shameless! She had already ambushed and defeated us in private... picking us off one by one."
"We didn't want to."
"Fourth Brother, quickly get out of the way!"
"Fourth Brother..."
The four shouted while frantically attacking.
Everyone: "..."
This maneuver was truly so audacious.
Absolutely audacious.
The blood Lan Yi spat from his mouth was the tears flowing in his heart.
The heavily injured Lan Yi was beaten back steadily... vomiting blood profusely.
Until he was knocked onto the river surface, water splashing everywhere... On the verge of death, just as he was about to jump up, the boat's bamboo pole suddenly appeared, pressing against his throat.
The other four also landed, half-kneeling on the water surface.
Lan Yi instantly dared not move, only struggling to lift his head to look at this woman whose long hair billowed in the wind.
"In the end, I'm just a mortal. How could I like my things being coveted by others?"
"Men can be shared, but how can a house be shared?"
"Shared like this?"
She smiled, and with one hand, instantly thrust the bamboo pole into Lan Yi's battered armored body, specifically into his throat...
Boom! She impaled him, sending him flying across the water surface, then thud! into the body of the bridge. The bamboo pole was fully embedded, and he hung suspended on the bridge wall.
Not dead.
She understood the rules, but she had also nearly crippled him.
Brutal and bloody.
Just then, the small boat, drifting elegantly with the current, reached the riverside dock. This person ascended the steps. The four terrified men followed, trembling, and suddenly knelt.
She was too terrifying.
Scheming from the very beginning.
Achieving victory without bloodshed—well, at least not her own blade's blood—and directly dismantling the internal unity of their Upper Kun Class.
At least the five of them had collapsed.
To avoid Lan Yi's future retaliation, they could only tearfully submit to her and acknowledge her as their leader.
So they knelt.
"We are willing to obey the Chief. Please, Chief, remove the imprints."
Actually, they could have turned to their ancestral experts to remove the imprints. But, how to put it, Lushan's rules were there. Internal struggles among the younger generation, if you lost or were outmaneuvered, and then went crying to your ancestors for help... then if Chen A'Diao went to ask the Mountain Head for help, how would that play out? Which old fogey could beat the Mountain Head? They might even drag their own ancestors into trouble.
So, in their struggles, seeking help from ancestors was the worst strategy. This was a long-standing rule.
Submitting to the Chief wasn't shameful. So damn many had submitted throughout history; their ancestors had even knelt to the Mountain Head.
If you can't beat them, join them!
The supreme law!
So they knelt.
A'Diao raised her hand, took off the bamboo hat, revealing her appearance. The four were momentarily stunned. This person's appearance was again...
Li Cangxue and the others were also astonished.
Her elegant fingers twirled the bamboo hat half a circle, and she suddenly smiled.
This smile was contemptuous to the extreme.
"Wouldn't it have been fine if you'd done this earlier?"
"Do you know how worthless you look right now?"
"Despicable!"
With a flick of her finger, the imprints detached from the four men's bodies. Holding the bamboo hat in her right hand, she casually tossed it. The hat spun through the air... bypassed the river stretch, and flew onto a prayer wind chime hanging under the large banyan tree.
It struck a wind chime.
The wind chime emitted a very piercing, crisp sound. The prayer characters hanging on it read as follows.
—Peace to the mountains and rivers, eternal prosperity to power and enterprise.
The wind came, and it swayed. Chen A'Diao, with her black hair tied up like a man's with a gold and jade coronet, walked along the wide bluestone path, wearing that mischievous smile of someone who enjoys tormenting others. All who saw her bowed in salute.
Her bearing was outstanding, the aura of the Chief.
Li Cangxue also bowed in salute. This was a necessary process for their generation, only it had come early, too early.
But the woman beside her did not bow, merely exchanging a glance with the approaching A'Diao.
What kind of person was this?
She looked ordinary, but her mental body was inscrutable. Another old sister from three hundred years ago?
A'Diao raised an eyebrow but said nothing, heading to a small shop beside the two women to buy food.
Li Cangxue: "..."
So her main purpose in coming to the First Heaven was still to buy food, huh.
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