Gangzi Has a New Plan (Seeking Follow-ups)

"So that's why it was missing; Dongzi didn't show up. No wonder Gangzi's solo performance was so awkward."

"He clearly did his homework on your issues beforehand, Dongzi, only for you to not show up and leave him hanging there."

Inside Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong, who had been busy eating melons, suddenly flipped her hand over.

Sitting on the bed, her face was filled with indignation.

She had originally thought there would be nothing to do this afternoon and that she could just stay in Spirit Hall and enjoy the gossip.

After all, the melons that Lu Mingchuan had been dropping were massive, and as someone deeply passionate about gossip, she found them impossible to resist.

That guy was badmouthing her in his heart, calling her brain-damaged, and Bibi Dong had endured it.

But in that bastard's eyes, Tang Yuehua—who was nearly eight or nine years older than her—was actually prettier than she was.

This was the one thing the beauty-conscious Bibi Dong could not tolerate.

She looked down at herself.

Her legs were long and fair, her waist was slender enough to be encircled by a hand, and her figure was curvaceous. How could anyone of the same age have a better body than hers?

She couldn't even see her own toes when she looked down; wasn't that good enough?

She was already annoyed enough by the busybodies in Spirit City constantly comparing her to Tang Yuehua, and now she was being badmouthed by that guy Lu Mingchuan in his thoughts.

No, this was a grievance she, Bibi Dong, absolutely could not swallow.

"Yu Xiaogang, is it? Waiting for me, are you? Fine, I'll let you wait. You just stand right there and don't go anywhere; this Lady is coming right now."

If she couldn't touch Lu Mingchuan, couldn't she at least deal with a dog like him?

Although Bibi Dong's anger had reached its peak, she still didn't want to lay a hand on Lu Mingchuan.

The things he revealed in his thoughts were things she could never hope to access even if she lived to be a hundred.

But Yu Xiaogang, that guy whose inner voice she could only hear when she got close, was completely different.

His mind was full of absolute garbage, and the only useful things he knew were the basics that every new Spirit Master learned in primary academy.

Comparing the two, Bibi Dong now only wanted to vent her fury on the other guy who had called her an idiot in his heart.

"Someone, come here!"

South City Bookstore.

Spirit Masters came and went in an endless stream. Every time they stood at the book stall, they wore expressions of having been swindled by a profiteer, wishing they could leave immediately.

Yet now, most of them stopped halfway.

They were captivated by the buzz-cut man giving a speech inside the bookstore and chose to linger nearby.

"Mingchuan, tell your teacher the truth."

Tang Yuehua suddenly nudged Lu Mingchuan's shoulder and asked curiously.

Tell her what?

Lu Mingchuan was baffled by her sudden remark.

"Do you know that shifty-eyed little buzz-cut?"

Damn, framing me. This is pure framing.

Lu Mingchuan shook his head blankly. "I don't know him. Why, Teacher? Do you?"

He felt as if he had discovered a major clue.

This guy might have run into Tang Hao on his way to Spirit City. The Clear Sky Sect hadn't gone into seclusion yet, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect and the Clear Sky Sect might still be collaborating.

Thinking about it this way, everything made sense.

I knew it. How could the child of the Clear Sky Sect Master not know the child of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect Master? They're just pretending not to know each other.

Are they afraid I'll leak the news of your two sects colluding?

Heh... you're overestimating my persona. Even though Qian Daoliu dragged me around to visit various sects, with my carefree, playboy personality, I don't remember a single thing about those matters.

Look at you, acting all nervous the moment I thought about saying I didn't know him.

Tang Yuehua narrowed her eyes slightly.

Her hand, gripping the wooden railing, unconsciously tightened.

Know him?

As a "useless" person, where would she find the opportunity to know disciples from other sects?

Only they knew her reputation as a failure; there was no way she would know their noble identities.

While feeling a bit regretful, Tang Yuehua grew curious about why Lu Mingchuan knew so many things.

She lowered her head at just the right moment, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she mocked herself: "I've taught you for so long, yet you still don't know if I'm acquainted with such people? We are all Spirit Masters, but no one looks up to a failure like me."

"The only point of contact I have with them is occasionally chatting with the wives of some of the more ordinary ones."

You brat, I've taught you for so long.

"Aren't you the one who knows Teacher's situation best?"

Lu Mingchuan rubbed his neck in embarrassment. Knowing was one thing, but her actions were full of flaws; anyone with a flexible mind would inevitably let their thoughts wander elsewhere.

[However, Teacher is also a pitiful woman.]

[But pitiful as she may be, I don't feel a shred of sympathy for her.]

Upon hearing Lu Mingchuan's inner voice, Tang Yuehua first felt a sting in her nose, then froze in place.

Keep talking!

Let this elder sister see if you are a kindred spirit, how could you just end it with a lack of sympathy?

Leaving her hanging like this.

It made her feel incredibly stifled; even a woman as gentle and refined as her couldn't help but want to blurt out:

Are you trying to blue-ball me, you brat?

But given Tang Yuehua's current composure and endurance, she dispelled the frustration in a moment, restoring her inner calm.

Her gaze joined Lu Mingchuan's in watching Yu Xiaogang, whose brows were furrowed with anxiety.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After traveling, Bibi Dong quickly arrived at the South Market with a group of people.

However, she chose not to deal with Yu Xiaogang first, but instead searched the streets for traces of Lu Mingchuan.

"That guy seemed to mention tea; could he be in a teahouse?"

Recalling the inner voice and analyzing the most convenient spot to watch the bookstore, Bibi Dong locked her target onto the teahouse diagonally across the street.

Sure enough, she saw two heads leaning over the wooden railing on the upper floor of the teahouse.

Seeing Lu Mingchuan and Tang Yuehua together, her heart didn't feel as vicious as it did when cursing her, which instantly made her feel that this dog of a man was biased.

Why was it that when talking about her, he started off by calling her an idiot?

Yet when he shifted to Tang Yuehua, he was praising her beauty and pitying her.

The two of them definitely had something going on.

Bibi Dong patted her heaving chest, ready to bet on it.

Don't be angry, don't be angry; her goal wasn't to cause trouble for Lu Mingchuan, but to find that other guy.

Bibi Dong arranged for her people to disperse among the passing crowds.

They slowly crept toward the bookstore.

(Another day of throwing money into the water; why are there so many bastards who only know how to swindle?)

(It's a pity that I haven't finished my plan to show off my knowledge in front of that naive Saintess of Spirit Hall today to secure a position there.)

(But it doesn't matter anymore.)

(Surrounded by so many ignorant commoners, I've already accomplished what I set out to do.)

(With these brainless fools, what comes next will be much simpler with their help.)

(The Saintess of Spirit Hall? Hmph, she still won't be able to escape the palm of my hand.)