Shangguan Qi lowered his head, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. With Xu Yuehuai absent, Qingtao Valley had lost a major key player. Zhan Qi had been keeping an eye on the situation, and when he saw the low spirits in their team due to Xu Yuehuai's absence, he smiled and said, "It seems your senior sister doesn't really want to go to the first level. She looks down on such a good opportunity."
"Let me tell you, stop talking nonsense. Do you think we'll fall for it? Stop daydreaming! Besides, what does it matter to you whether our senior sister comes or not? Even without her, we'll still beat you until you beg for mercy during the competition!" Surprisingly, it wasn't Shangguan Xi or Nangong Yu who spoke, but Shi Mu, who seemed the most timid and had the lowest cultivation level.
Even Shangguan Xi looked at him with a hint of admiration in his eyes, somewhat impressed that Shi Mu could say such things despite his fear. Although Zhan Qi couldn't tell, those sitting next to Shi Mu could see that his body was trembling slightly, a clear sign of unease.
Looking at the unfamiliar face, Zhan Qi wondered where he had seen this person before. He pointed at Shi Mu and said, "I think I remember you. You're the disciple who latched onto your senior sister's coattails, right? You're just an ordinary inner disciple, yet you're able to follow so many powerful people around you. It seems you're quite extraordinary here."
Zhan Qi's words were blatant slander. Shi Mulin could tolerate others talking about him, but he couldn't stand it when others talked about Xu Yuehuai, especially such blasphemous things. He stood up, looked at Zhan Qi, and said with burning anger in his eyes, "Watch your mouth! Senior Sister is kind and righteous. She took me in out of pity, but in your mouth, it's turned into this kind of filthy relationship! It's an insult to civilization!"
The others sitting next to Shi Mu couldn't stand it either. This concerned Xu Yuehuai's innocence. When Zhan Qi spoke, he relied on the fact that only Shi Mu was there, so even if he said black was white, it didn't matter. With Xu Yuehuai not around, spreading rumors was much easier. "Hey Zhan! I advise you to watch your mouth. Our senior sister isn't someone you can just make up stories about here!"
"If you want to die, I can grant your wish, so you won't go around provoking others and seeking death." Fu Ziyi sat casually to the side, a hint of disdain on his face. When Zhan Qi met the eyes of this man, he could feel the killing intent projected from his eyes. He still didn't know what kind of being he had offended.
Zhan Qi chuckled twice, then tried to smooth things over, "Why are you all so agitated? I only heard about this secondhand, and I thought it was interesting, so I thought I'd share a few words with you. If you don't like it, just tell me directly. Why make the atmosphere between us so tense?"
They were seated a few seats apart, and had to shout to speak, so those around them naturally heard Zhan Qi's accusations about Xu Yuehuai and Shi Mu's affair. Now, he was claiming it was all hearsay, making it impossible for anyone to hold him accountable.
The group exchanged glances and discussed the matter. Baili Xiuwen remained silent, listening intently to how these people were slandering Xu Yuehuai. Surprisingly, a few actually believed Zhan Qi's lies. "I knew Xu Yuehuai was no simpleton. From what I've seen of her, I knew she was cunning. Seeing her today, it's clear she was right. To collude with her own disciple to do such a thing is utterly immoral and disgraceful!"
"Who says otherwise? Why would she take in someone with such weak cultivation? Is she really so kind-hearted? There are so many weak and pitiful people in this world, and she doesn't take them all indiscriminately. Why is she so special to Shi Mu? Nobody would believe there's nothing wrong with this." These people weren't from Qingtao Valley, so they didn't know what kind of life Shi Mu had led before, or when Shi Mu had come to the sect leader's mountain.
After listening for a while, Baili Xiuwen felt that these people were utterly absurd. "In my opinion, you are the most absurd people here. You uttered slanderous words without batting an eye, without any evidence, and made a conclusion based entirely on your guesses. It would not be surprising if such an overbearing thing happened to people like you."
Bai Lixiuwen's words were a veiled insult to them.
Some people understood and were immediately speechless. They dared not confront Baili Xiuwen, as no one knew the extent of Baili Xiuwen's cultivation to this day.
Seeing that Baili Xiuwen was also speaking up for him, and that the situation was getting more and more serious, Zhan Qi wanted to see this happen. However, while spouting these nonsense, he also wanted to maintain his proper role. "Alright everyone, just consider this as me talking nonsense for a moment. Don't take it to heart, and don't continue talking about it. Otherwise, it would be a sin to cause unpleasantness among the brothers."
Whether he was truly guilty or just putting on an act, everyone knew the truth, but no one dared to call him out on it.
"How come I didn't know about this? People who spread rumors will be sent to the eighteenth level of hell after they die." A clear, cold voice came from afar. A woman in a green robe with a flowing hem and long hair swayed in the breeze, making her look beautiful.
Shangguan Xi, Nangong Yu, and the others were so happy that they stood up immediately. Everyone thought she hadn't been able to get in, but unexpectedly, Xu Yuehuai suddenly appeared there. "Senior Sister! You're finally back!"
Zhan Qi's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, "Isn't this Miss Xu? I didn't see you come in just now. Did I see things?"
Zhan Qi was certain that he hadn't seen Xu Yuehuai enter before the gate closed. Her entry at this point could only be due to the organizers letting her in. "Is there a rule in this competition that allows latecomers to enter? I didn't know that."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. Everyone wanted to get a chance to go to the ruins and wanted fairness and justice. Xu Yuehuai was late, but now he was here. Anyone with eyes could see what the problem was, and everyone whispered among themselves.
"Well, I couldn't find the front door and came in through the back. I wandered around for ages before coming out, so I was delayed for a bit. I didn't realize that my little delay had caused some misunderstandings." Xu Yuehuai spoke casually, showing no sign of being wronged or angry. She was completely open and honest.
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