However, among the thousands of people present, who didn't know that Fu Chao and that Law Enforcement Hall steward surnamed Zhong were in cahoots?
Their show of unfamiliarity now was nothing but a smokescreen.
They were treating everyone else like a fool.
"Kid! Keep up the good work! I'll be waiting for your good news!"
Fu Chao gave Li Yunjing a meaningful look and sent him another voice transmission.
Only after saying that did the young master turn and stroll away.
"Alas! Trouble's come knocking! Why did I even come out for a simple meal today?"
Li Yunjing's face remained calm, but inside he let out a wail.
"Brother Li! Brother Li! My Lord Li! You're good friends with a True Disciple?"
Li Yunjing coldly watched Fu Chao disappear into the distance, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
Suddenly, an ear-splitting shout rang out beside him, making him frown.
"Brother Ma, what are you doing? You're standing right next to me, and you're still shouting!"
Li Yunjing was speechless. What was he getting so worked up about?
Someone had set him up, and now he'd become Wei Henian's must-kill target.
If this kid wanted to keep getting by in the Divine Firmament Dao Sect, he would certainly strike back.
Fu Chao had a powerful background and plenty of strength. He wouldn't be easy to deal with.
And that old Daoist surnamed Zhong was, in any case, a Law Enforcement Hall steward who'd spent his whole life in the sect. He wasn't someone who could be easily shaken.
Now Fu Chao had shoved a menial disciple like him into the eye of the storm.
Wei Henian was already seething and looking for someone to kill as a warning.
Hadn't he just walked straight into the line of fire?
I'm about to be a dead man, and Ma Xingyuan, you're already mourning me in advance?
"Heh heh! I never knew you had such connections! So why are you still feeding horses? Ask Senior Brother Fu to get you another job!"
Ma Xingyuan's face was wreathed in flattery.
At a time like this, he had to cling to Li Yunjing's leg.
Some of the other menial and outer disciples hadn't left yet. They all looked at Li Yunjing curiously, eager to hear why someone with such a powerful backer would go to Qiongze Peak to feed horses.
There were plenty of menial disciples here, and before long they'd pieced together the backgrounds of Li Yunjing and Ma Xingyuan through bits and pieces of gossip.
Then, someone who loved a bit of excitement even revealed that Li Yunjing had entered the sect alongside the Yu Family's Eldest Young Lady, True Disciple Yu Yunyi.
The news caused a fresh uproar!
Could this menial disciple be a member of a great family with a taste for suffering, coming to the Menial Hall to see how ordinary people lived?
Why else would he leave behind a life of luxury to come feed horses?
"Ahem!"
Seeing how curious everyone was, Li Yunjing spoke up.
He couldn't let them keep guessing wildly. Who knew what sort of nonsense would start spreading next?
For all he knew, it could bring him even greater trouble.
"What's the point of getting by in the sect on the strength of your family background? I'll make my own way! Through hard work, I'll rise step by step from a menial disciple to an outer disciple, then an Inner Disciple, and finally a True Disciple!"
Li Yunjing solemnly spouted nonsense.
"I see! Young Master Li! Brother Li! Lord Li! Sure enough, you're no ordinary young master or young lady from an aristocratic clan!"
Ma Xingyuan suddenly understood and immediately began showering him with flattery.
He'd never imagined that after taking a liking to Li Yunjing and becoming friends with him, he'd actually struck gold.
This was a truly unconventional young master from a great family!
Naturally, Ma Xingyuan wanted to follow someone like that.
He was just an ordinary Rogue Cultivator with nothing to his name. At the Divine Firmament Dao Sect, he'd probably be lucky to rise through the ranks and become an Inner Disciple.
As for whether he could reach Foundation Establishment, Ma Xingyuan had little confidence.
Now Li Yunjing was his hope, the sun in his heart!
Only by clinging to Li Yunjing's leg might he go farther along his Dao Path.
The look Ma Xingyuan gave Li Yunjing changed completely. His fervent expression was almost too much for Li Yunjing to bear.
Was this kid really so quick to curry favor?
Seeing Ma Xingyuan laying on the flattery, the others caught on too and hurried over to greet Li Yunjing.
They called him Senior Brother Li and Young Master Li at every turn, their warmth impossible to describe.
Each of them acted as if they'd always been close to him.
Young master Fu Chao had already displayed the superiority complex of a young lord from a great family to perfection.
Since Li Yunjing could spend time with young masters and young ladies from great families like Fu Chao and Yu Yunyi, he must be cut from the same cloth.
This low-profile young master naturally became the target of their attempts to curry favor.
In an instant, Li Yunjing was surrounded by people, all of them fawning over him.
He could hardly take it.
They were far too enthusiastic!
He couldn't even tell who was talking to him!
"Make way! Move aside!"
Just then, several outer disciples from Elegant Fragrance Garden parted the crowd and personally escorted Li Yunjing into a private room.
Ma Xingyuan naturally followed close behind, paying no heed to the fierce looks the outer disciples shot his way.
At a time like this, no one was going to separate him from Young Master Li!
"Young Master Li! Please, have a seat! We recently managed to get our hands on a jar of Ten Mile Fragrance spirit wine at Elegant Fragrance Garden. We'd like to offer it to you and ask you to give it a taste."
One of the outer disciples spoke ingratiatingly.
Another outer disciple hurried outside and soon returned carrying a jar of aged wine.
The jar was still tightly sealed, yet a rich, mellow fragrance wafted from it.
Li Yunjing and Ma Xingyuan's eyes lit up.
Ma Xingyuan was especially astonished. "Ten Mile Fragrance! A jar of this spirit wine costs ten Spirit Stones!"
Li Yunjing hadn't thought much of it at first, but those words made him take notice too.
"Heh heh! This junior brother is quite right! Ten Mile Fragrance is the finest spirit wine we can get our hands on."
One of the outer disciples immediately gave Ma Xingyuan an approving look.
This fat fellow wasn't so annoying after all!
"Mm! It'll do. If I hadn't been living such a hard life on Qiongze Peak lately, this sort of spirit wine wouldn't even be fit for me to rinse my mouth with!"
Li Yunjing spoke calmly, his expression unchanged.
Inside, however, he was delighted.
A spirit wine worth ten Spirit Stones contained a great deal of spiritual energy. For Li Yunjing, it was already a rare treasure.
He hadn't expected Fu Chao's schemes to bring him no misfortune, but instead a little good fortune.
Li Yunjing was now beset by schemes from all sides and surrounded by danger. He no longer cared about the trouble that might come from having his identity exposed.
He'd play the young master for now. The most important thing was to use his status to get himself some benefits.
Hearing this, the outer disciples all gasped.
Just look!
Now that was the bearing of a rich young master!
They wouldn't even dare drink a whole jar of fine wine like this, while Young Master Li didn't think it was worth drinking!
That was the difference!
It made them respect and revere Li Yunjing even more.
When you compared people, some were bound to look worthless; when you compared goods, some were bound to be thrown away. They and Young Master Li weren't even on the same level!
Before you continue