The matter of Chen Bowen from the academy being rejected by Su Rong did not cause much of a stir. In everyone’s eyes, Su Rong was aloof like a white swan, and turning down any man was only natural.
Of course, the duel between Sha Country and Yao Country proceeded as planned, and the whole of Yao City was abuzz with excitement over it.
Ye Chu knew nothing of any of this. He remained in Bai Xuan’s residence, spending his days studying the unique copy of Red Fiend, taking Yao Yao out with Bai Xuan, living a comfortable life. He truly felt a reluctance to leave.
“Ye Chu! Something huge has happened!” Just as Ye Chu settled into his rocking chair and opened the unique copy of Red Fiend, Liang Shan’s urgent shout rang out. He arrived panting in front of Ye Chu. To Ye Chu’s surprise, Pang Shao was right behind him.
“What huge thing? Did you two both catch the pox?” Seeing them unharmed, Ye Chu could not resist a laugh.
Liang Shan shook his head. “Come with us. You’ll understand when you see it.”
Pang Shao and Liang Shan stepped forward, one on each side, hauling Ye Chu up from the chair and dragging him outside.
“Fine. I’ll walk on my own.” Ye Chu shook off their hands. “Too close to you two, and people will think I’m scum just like you.”
“…” Liang Shan and Pang Shao, walking beside him, nearly slipped and fell at those words. “Everyone in Yao City knows perfectly well who the real scum is. We even feel that standing next to you damages our reputation.”
“That is because the world is turbid while I alone am clear. The world cannot recognise my excellence, so they can only insult me with words. It is fundamentally different from you two.” Ye Chu laughed. “But seeing you both so frantic, what exactly has happened?”
“The girl you secretly love, Su Rong, is about to be taken from you.” Liang Shan said. “You stay at home, and soon you’ll have nowhere to cry.”
“Hm?” Ye Chu smiled. “Who in Yao City would dare take her?”
As the king’s adopted daughter, who would have the leopard’s courage to try?
Liang Shan explained. “The cultivators from Sha Country proposed staking a city and Su Rong herself on this duel, and the king actually agreed.”
Pang Shao added excitedly. “I found out too. The one who thrashed me last time was a Sha Country cultivator. Those maidservants of theirs are really something. You should join and win one back.”
Hearing them, Ye Chu finally understood. He rolled his eyes. “What are you worrying about? Yao City has cultivators. Isn’t Chen Bowen supposed to be strong?”
Seeing Ye Chu about to head back, Liang Shan quickly grabbed him. “We can’t let Chen Bowen steal all the glory. You’re no weakling either. You beat Ding Kaiwei. Let them see what you’re capable of, and show off a bit for all of us who followed you back then.”
“No interest.” Ye Chu replied.
Pang Shao seized him too. “Come on. I don’t even know this Chen Bowen you’re talking about, but the cultivator who beat me was no pushover. Are you certain Yao City is guaranteed victory? Sha Country wouldn’t dare come without some real strength. Even if you don’t want to fight, just go and watch. Tsk tsk, Su Rong is your dream girl. Can you really stand by and watch her carried off?”
Pang Shao had learned from Liang Shan about Ye Chu’s secret feelings for Su Rong, and had teased him plenty over it at the time. He thought to himself that it explained why Ye Chu had saved Zhang Su’er back then. There had been that motive too.
“Besides, how can we let those Sha barbarians get their hands on such a beauty? Heh heh, which of us three isn’t far handsomer than them? Especially you. If you don’t show up at the duel ground, how will anyone know there is a man this handsome in the world?” Pang Shao knew exactly what would work on Ye Chu, even if the words made him feel sick saying them.
Ye Chu found himself in complete agreement. Who in the world could rival his own looks and charm?
“You make a good point. Very well, I’ll go with you to take a look.” At this point Ye Chu could hardly refuse anyway. The two of them were dragging him, one on each side, all the way to the city tower.
By the time Ye Chu reached the tower area, it was already a sea of people. Pang Shao used his bulky frame to push forward relentlessly until they reached the front row.
Once there, many recognised Pang Shao and voluntarily made way, allowing Ye Chu and the others to proceed smoothly right to the front.
“Ye Chu.” Just as Pang Shao pressed further, aiming for the very front, a voice called out. Ye Chu turned to see Prime Minister Su Zhengping waving him over.
Seeing Pang Shao already burrowing towards a cluster of women, Ye Chu looked at him with disdain for a moment but did not stop him. He took Liang Shan and headed towards Su Zhengping.
At Su Zhengping’s position there were plenty of familiar faces. Su Rong and Zhang Su’er went without saying, and even Chen Bowen was standing there. What surprised Ye Chu most was that his elder brothers from the Ye family in Yao City, Ye Tian and Ye Chao, were present, and even his uncle Ye Li stood beside Su Zhengping.
When Ye Li spotted Ye Chu, his brow furrowed slightly, a trace of disgust flashing in his eyes. This halted Ye Chu, who had been about to step forward and greet him. He smiled faintly at the corner of his mouth. Since the man clearly loathed him, why bother inviting rejection?
Only Ye Tian nodded in acknowledgement. His gaze was not especially warm, but at least he did not pretend Ye Chu was a stranger.
Seeing Ye Tian take the initiative to greet him, Ye Chu felt a touch of surprise, and a warm current rose in his heart. He had to admit that, although he and Ye Tian had never been close, back in the Ye family Ye Tian had always fulfilled the duties of an elder brother. Whenever he obtained something good, he would set aside portions for his two younger brothers. Though frustrated and often refusing to speak a word to Ye Chu, when it came to good things he had never shorted Ye Chu’s share.
“I truly did not expect you to come and join the excitement.” Su Zhengping smiled at Ye Chu. “What, interested in going up for a few rounds?”
Su Zhengping knew Ye Chu had reached the Intent Transformation realm and was a capable cultivator. If he could contribute for the kingdom, their chances would improve.
“I was purely dragged here to watch the spectacle. I have no interest whatsoever in fighting on stage.” Ye Chu smiled, his gaze drifting unavoidably to Su Rong. “I hear you are part of the stakes this time. Aren’t you afraid Yao Country might lose and you end up dragged off as some mountain queen?”
“Yao Country will not lose.” Su Rong declared. “Our cultivators will definitely knock them all flat.”
“Confidence is a fine thing. But I forgot to mention one detail. Before this, Pang Shao fought one of the Sha Country cultivators and lost, beaten black and blue.” Ye Chu reminded them, hoping to temper their assurance a little.
Sure enough, the faces of Su Zhengping and Ye Li shifted. Su Zhengping fixed his stare on Ye Chu. “Is this true?”
“Do you think I would have any reason to lie to you?” Ye Chu shrugged.
Su Zhengping’s expression grew grave. He did not know Pang Shao’s exact strength, but he knew it was considerable. From the information he had received, Pang Shao had once seized a mountain queen from the Thirty-Six Caves, and rumour had it he had not relied on family influence but gone with a group of young men.
To dare go there and return unscathed meant his ability could not be underestimated. Yet he had been defeated by a Sha Country cultivator. Had some true powerhouse emerged among Sha Country’s younger generation?
But according to the intelligence he had, the strongest of Sha Country’s young cultivators was merely at the fifth layer of Intent Transformation. None had reached the upper grade.
Su Zhengping collected himself and looked at Chen Bowen and Ye Tian. “You two must not underestimate the enemy. When you go up, proceed with caution.”
