Although the Xuanmen sect does not screen the family background of its disciples, those who have the resources to raise children are either from Xuanmen families or are wealthy.
Among those disciples, very few were truly from impoverished backgrounds.
This leads to some people having an inflated sense of self-importance and looking down on those of humble origins.
There's nothing we can do about it. Discrimination exists in any group, and it can't be eliminated simply by the strict rules of Taoism.
Fortunately, this phenomenon is not widespread, and most disciples are normal.
Su Changqing said, "Now you can see that Master Ruan is a descendant of the Bai family, a noble family with a distinguished status, not some peasant woman's bastard."
"What? Who said such a thing? Are they trying to offend the Bai family?" Bai Lingzhi, who came out afterward, looked sharply at Cheng Jingru upon hearing this.
Cheng Jingru was momentarily overwhelmed, "...It wasn't me who said it."
Su Changqing: "I know it wasn't you who said it, it was your relatives who complained. If the disciples hear it too often, they'll easily spread rumors."
Bai Lingzhi retorted angrily, "What kind of people are your relatives? How can they be so rude?"
Cheng Jingru's face turned pale, then red, then ashamed. "...I understand. I will explain it to my relatives."
Bai Lingzhi said sternly, "You had better clarify things and not let me hear any rumors, otherwise I'll ask your master how he taught his disciple. Your master is my aunt's junior, and he has to call my aunt 'Shishu' (a respectful term for a senior disciple). How dare you speak ill of your elders?"
Since entering the Xuanmen sect, Cheng Jingru has been pampered because of his high talent, and this is the first time he has been so severely reprimanded.
Unfortunately, she was just a junior sister in the Xuanmen sect, and all these people were of a higher generation than her.
Even Shen Boyuan looked at her with some surprise, "Jingru, you need to restrain your family and relatives."
The Xuanmen has always placed great importance on seniority. He hadn't emphasized these things before because he thought Cheng Jingru was steady enough, but now it seems he still needs to give him a good talking-to.
Cheng Jingru dared not offer any explanation, and could only bite her lower lip and whisper, "I know I was wrong, Sect Leader Bai."
As she left, she couldn't help but look back at Mingzhuo.
Mingzhuo seemed to sense something and looked up at her without flinching.
Cheng Jingru abruptly looked away, wondering if Ming Zhuo had said something that prompted Su Changqing and Bai Lingzhi to rush to suppress her.
Even though his own relatives were Mingzhuo's elders...
She hadn't expected that Ming Zhuo would use a curse on Cheng Jiangkai and then go on to punish a group of ordinary people as well.
How narrow-minded they are!
——
"You mean, Zhuozhuo's status in the Xuanmen is higher than yours?"
Cheng Jiangkai still couldn't believe that his daughter had been suppressed by Ming Zhuo once again.
Cheng Jingru lowered her eyes slightly: "Aunt Ruan is from the Bai family, a prominent family in the Xuanmen sect. Her seniority is high enough to be on par with my master."
Cheng Jiangkai couldn't help but mutter, "How could that be? Isn't she a country girl?"
In his mind, no matter how successful Mingzhuo, Ruan Mingying, and Ruan Mingxuan were, they could not change the fact that they came from humble backgrounds.
Putting everything else aside, Ruan Mulan alone was an illiterate village girl.
Eighteen years ago, when he saw Ruan Mulan's information, he looked down on her with pity and thought that by adopting Mingzhuo, he had given such a woman from a wretched background a bright future, and she should be grateful to the point of tears.
As it turns out, it was his and Liu Manling's strictness, along with the influence of their scholarly family background, that raised Mingzhuo to be so outstanding.
Recently, he had considered going to Ruan Mulan to seek justice.
He found out where Ruan Mulan went to work every day and went to stake out the place.
I didn't expect that there would be access control on the first floor of that building, and you had to swipe your card to get in.
He waited for two days, but he couldn't even touch Ruan Mulan's face.
As for going to the front desk, they simply won't let him up without an appointment.
Cheng Jiangkai was highly respected by the Xuanmen people because of Cheng Jingru, but he never expected to run into a wall with ordinary people.
He found it amusing and told his relatives about his experience.
He said that this uncultured person really has no substance; managing such a large company, yet so narrow-minded and short-sighted.
Intentionally having the receptionist make things difficult for him, acting like a nouveau riche, becoming arrogant after gaining power, will only bring trouble upon himself in the end.
They don't even consider why Xu Shanglou respects Master Qinglian so much, or why those top tycoons frequently burn incense and worship Buddha.
Such a complacent person has little good fortune; how can they possibly hold onto such wealth and status?
Furthermore, Cheng Jingru is at the height of his power in the Xuanmen sect, while Ming Zhuo has faded into obscurity. Doesn't Cheng Jingru want to give Ming Zhuo a helping hand?
He never expected that his words would be slapped in the face so quickly, not even two days after they were spoken!
"Could there be some mistake? Didn't that aunt from the Bai family pass away? How can we verify her identity?" Cheng Jiangkai couldn't help but ask.
Cheng Jingru took a deep breath, feeling a headache: "...Dad, Old Bai can predict the future. He can tell whether it's true or not."
Cheng Jiangkai finally shut his mouth, completely giving up.
He was somewhat dazed. Why was this happening? Ruan Mulan had suddenly transformed into a descendant of a powerful Xuanmen family, making her someone he couldn't afford to offend even more...
Liu Manling coldly replied, "So what if they are descendants of a prestigious Xuanmen family? There are plenty of people from famous families whose cultivation is inferior to our Jingru's."
She turned to look at her daughter, "Jingru, you must cultivate diligently, rise above others, and stand at the highest position in the Xuanmen, understand?"
Cheng Jingru: "...Understood."
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