What a Shame

Chaos broke loose!

The entire gathering fell into chaos!

Everyone's eyes went wide.

They stared at Lu Li, who kept hacking away like a madwoman, then at Ye Rudí, sprawled on the ground like a dead dog and drenched in blood. It all felt like a dream.

At first, Ye Rudí had managed a few howls. Now he barely made a sound.

Wait, had she really hacked him to death?

After all, Lu Li's sword was sharp, and she was putting plenty of force behind every blow!

Every single strike landed squarely!

"Stop!" Ye Jiangshan roared. He shot into the air and reached the scene, slamming his palm down toward Lu Li.

But the enormous palm strike, terrifying enough to rank among the strongest in Southern State, was knocked back by a single slap from the Grand Law Enforcer and exploded in midair!

The Grand Law Enforcer then grabbed Lu Li and retreated at speed.

Ye Jiangshan landed with a face as dark as thunder and rushed straight to Ye Rudí's side.

The sight of Ye Rudí lying there, bloodied and battered, nearly made his heart burst!

He hurried forward and examined him carefully. Then he let out a breath of relief.

He was still alive!

She had only knocked him unconscious!

Fortunately, Ye Rudí wore a golden inner armor with excellent defensive power beneath his clothes.

Without it, he would have died for certain!

Even so, cracks had appeared across the sturdy armor. A few more blows, and he would have been finished!

And though he was alive, Ye Rudí was badly injured. Even his internal organs had been damaged!

Without proper treatment, he could be left with lasting ailments!

Liu Xiu arrived then. At the sight of Ye Rudí's wretched state, she immediately began to wail.

When her wailing subsided, she fixed bloodshot eyes on Lu Li. "Miss Lu, you've... gone too far!"

Lu Li calmly tossed the Azure Sword into her Storage Ring and said lightly, "Sorry. I used a little too much strength."

Ye Jiangshan's expression turned darker than ever. "Miss Lu, I don't believe the Ye Clan has offended you?"

Lu Li said, "Weren't you the ones who asked for a sparring match?"

"You call that sparring?" Ye Jiangshan and Liu Xiu roared together.

Lu Li nodded. "Yes!"

The two clenched their fists until their knuckles cracked. Ye Jiangshan's aura was already surging out of control.

But he glanced at the Grand Law Enforcer from the corner of his eye and had no choice but to suppress it.

He could not make a move.

The Grand Law Enforcer would not allow it!

"Let's go, now!" Seeing that Ye Jiangshan might erupt at any moment, the Grand Law Enforcer urged Lu Li on with a grim face.

This was the Ye Clan's territory!

And this was their Young Master Ceremony!

If they truly lost their minds, there was no telling what they might do!

Lu Li did not hesitate. She turned and walked away, but after a few steps, she stopped and looked back at Ye Jiangshan and Liu Xiu. "Do we still need to get to know each other better?"

Ye Jiangshan's face was grim.

Liu Xiu looked vicious!

Lu Li said, "If you're still interested, I'll come back tomorrow for another sparring match... Or I could spar with him every day from now on!"

The two of them: "..."

They looked as though they had swallowed a dead child!

Lu Li turned and left, calm and unhurried.

Behind her, the gathering erupted. Every member of the Ye Family wore a face so ugly it was beyond words.

Today was supposed to be a grand celebration for the Ye Clan.

But now that celebration had become a colossal joke!

The joke would spread across Southern State and be told for a long, long time. The Ye Clan's Young Master, and even the entire Ye Clan of Southern State, would be nailed to the pillar of shame!

Whispers were already spreading through the stands. Some people even laughed aloud!

They were taking pleasure in the Ye Clan's misfortune!

Lu Li left the Ye Clan and headed straight for the Academy. On the way, she bought several large meat buns to take with her.

They were filled with beef.

She remembered that Ye Qiu liked that flavor.

Then she bought a Roast Chicken.

Soon, she entered the Academy and reached Green Moon Mountain. As she climbed to the top, Ye Qiu emerged from the thatched hut.

He looked listless and had a bit of a headache.

Brother Snake had taught him neither Alchemy nor medicine. Instead, he had made him familiarize himself with the fundamentals and learn to identify medicinal herbs.

The books had been dozens of meters high!

They were books formed from spiritual energy, so he could absorb their contents straight into his mind, much like receiving an inheritance.

But absorbing dozens of meters' worth of spiritual books still took him a great deal of time.

His head felt so stuffed it hurt!

And he had not even finished absorbing them.

There were at least another ten meters to go!

Besides, absorbing the knowledge was only the beginning. He still had to familiarize himself with it bit by bit and come to understand it... It took an enormous amount of mental effort!

Alchemy really was not easy.

Even the early preparations were this troublesome and tedious.

Sure enough, there was no easy path to making money!

"Want some?" Lu Li walked over and set the wrapped beef buns and Roast Chicken on the Stone Table.

Ye Qiu thought for a moment, then walked over to the Stone Table.

They sat down and ate.

Three buns each.

Lu Li ate only the skin and meat of the small, three-pound Roast Chicken.

Ye Qiu gnawed on the bones...

When they finished, Lu Li stood. "I'm tired. I'm going to rest for a while."

Ye Qiu gave her a puzzled look. She really did seem somewhat worn out.

Lu Li said, "Hacking people takes a lot out of you."

Ye Qiu: "???"

Hadn't you gone to the Ye Clan Young Master Ceremony?

Lu Li offered no explanation.

Ye Qiu did not ask.

They parted and returned to their own rooms.

At dusk, as if they had read each other's minds, they emerged from their rooms at the same time.

Their eyes met.

Lu Li said, "I've had an insight. I'm going to train for a while."

Ye Qiu frowned. "Another insight?"

Lu Li said, "I learned a little from hacking someone. I'm going to think it over."

Ye Qiu: "..."

Ye Qiu watched Lu Li leave, then stood on the mountaintop for a while, letting Feng clear his head. He was about to go back inside and continue studying.

Just then, a sound came from down the mountain.

Ye Qiu turned.

An old man approached.

The old man was tall.

He wore a black robe.

An air of grim menace radiated from him!

The Grand Law Enforcer!

What was he doing here?

Ye Qiu was curious.

The Grand Law Enforcer reached the mountaintop and forced a smile onto his coffin-like face. It was not a very friendly one. "Is Lu Li here?"

Ye Qiu said, "Sorry, she just went to train. You can come back in a few days."

The Grand Law Enforcer's smile immediately grew a little warmer. He sat down at the Stone Table. "That's all right. I came to see you."

Ye Qiu was curious.

The Grand Law Enforcer looked Ye Qiu up and down. "Not bad. Your body is strong, your Qi and Blood are vigorous, and the foundation of your Cultivation Level is solid. Body and Law Dual Cultivation. You have potential."

"You flatter me." Ye Qiu smiled modestly and sat opposite him. "What brings you here? You can tell me directly."

The Grand Law Enforcer would not have visited for no reason.

Besides, Ye Qiu barely knew him.

The Grand Law Enforcer was silent for a long while. Then he looked up and said, "Did you know Lu Li hacked someone again today?"

Ye Qiu nodded.

The Grand Law Enforcer said, "Do you know who she hacked?"

Ye Qiu thought for a moment. "It wasn't Ye Rudí, was it?"

The Grand Law Enforcer nodded. "It was him!"

Ye Qiu asked, "Did she hack him to death?"

The Grand Law Enforcer let out a long breath, still shaken. "Fortunately, we stopped her in time. He kept his life."

Ye Qiu also let out a long breath. "What a shame."

The Grand Law Enforcer: "..."