Black-hearted bestie

How was this possible!

He couldn't have spent a hundred years raising his sworn enemy's son!!

Elder Chen's eyes bulged. He abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out completely.

"Father!"

Chen Wanqian hurriedly cried out, took out a spirit pill, and fed it into his father's mouth, only to see white foam spill from his lips. He looked as though he was about to die.

"Father, pull yourself together!"

Qiaoqiao shook her head at the sight. [Oh dear, Elder Chen really is so fragile. How did he just faint?]

[He raised his sworn enemy's son into such a sorry specimen. He should be happy!]

Elder Ning: Pfft.

Qiaoqiao, you're vicious.

Shen Ji and Xiao Tingyu had the same thought: they wouldn't dare offend their little junior sister lightly from now on.

Beside them, the sect master of the Flowing Cloud Sect watched Qiaoqiao and thoughtfully stroked her chin. This little girl has something to her.

Several days later, word came from the Sect Affairs Hall that Elder Chen had gravely violated sect rules. He had been stripped of his position as elder, had his cultivation crippled, and been thrown into the forbidden prison for life.

Supposedly, when the Law Enforcement Hall's people took him away, Elder Chen had been utterly deranged, repeatedly muttering, "How could my son be your son?" For a time, the phrase became a catchphrase throughout the Flowing Cloud Sect. Elder Chen had lost both his face and everything beneath it.

The Spirit Stones he had amassed were also confiscated into the sect treasury. The sect master of the Flowing Cloud Sect took out a large portion and distributed them among the disciples of the ten peaks to compensate for Elder Chen's years of deductions. Ethereal Peak had suffered particularly heavy deductions and received an especially large compensation. Each disciple received several thousand Spirit Stones, and joy filled the entire peak.

As for his son, Chen Wanqian, his abuse of True Person Lin's disciple all those years ago was verified. Under the sect rules against disciples seriously injuring others in private fights, he was sentenced to a hundred lashes of the disciplinary whip, had his cultivation crippled, and was expelled from the sect.

As the person chiefly responsible for exposing Elder Chen's true colors, Qiaoqiao also received a separate reward of thirty thousand Spirit Stones from the sect master.

Taking the box of Spirit Stones from Elder Ning, Qiaoqiao smiled until her eyes curved. I'm rich! I can treat A Xue to a feast!

She was counting her Spirit Stones when Elder Ning asked, "Qiaoqiao, did you know Elder Chen has already been confined in the forbidden prison?"

Qiaoqiao nodded. Of course she knew. Wasn't she counting her Spirit Stones right now?

"Elder Chen was originally responsible for next month's secret realm trial. After what happened to him, another administrative elder took over. That elder reviewed the records and discovered that you have six absences and four failures."

"Before this, the Flowing Cloud Sect had never had a Qi Refining disciple fail to pass ten trials in total." Elder Ning's tone grew dangerous.

The secret realm trial took place once a year. According to the rules, all inner disciples below Foundation Establishment had to participate.

Qiaoqiao stopped counting her Spirit Stones and slowly raised her head.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Elder Ning stressed her words. "So, Qiaoqiao, you cannot miss this trial again. If you fail to pass this time, you'll be expelled from the sect!"

Qiaoqiao was stunned.

[How could this be?]

[The mighty Flowing Cloud Sect can't even make room for a tiny salted fish like me?]

Elder Ning: ...

How can you even say that? There isn't a bigger salted fish than you in the entire sect!

Chapter 9: Black-hearted bestie

The secret realm trial Elder Ning spoke of was the annual trial the sect arranged for Qi Refining disciples. As one of the cultivation world's four great immortal sects, the Flowing Cloud Sect still had plenty of disciples across its ten inner peaks, despite showing signs of decline in recent years.

The sect stipulated that all inner disciples at Qi Refining had to participate in the sect trial. It was essentially a minor examination.

Disciples who could enter the inner sect all had decent aptitude. Advancing from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment could only be considered a small hurdle on the path of cultivation, one ordinary disciples cleared in two or three years. As for Qiaoqiao, in previous years' trials, she had either secretly skipped the examination or fallen asleep right there at the examination site. She had now accumulated ten failures to pass.

With this year's trial about to begin, the newly appointed administrative elder discovered Qiaoqiao, the fish that had slipped through the net. Their Flowing Cloud Sect actually had an inner disciple who had failed ten trials and had not reached Foundation Establishment in ten years!

And this disciple was actually Immortal Venerable Wanghan's personal disciple!

Because her presence was so faint, Qiaoqiao had been failing in secret all along, and had finally shocked everyone.

The elder was stunned. After discussing it with several other elders, she felt that even as Immortal Venerable Wanghan's disciple, Qiaoqiao was far too unambitious. They unanimously decided that if Qiaoqiao still failed to pass this trial, she would be expelled from the inner sect and demoted to an outer disciple.

Not calling for her outright expulsion from the sect was already a concession to Immortal Venerable Wanghan.

[What do I do? I don't want to leave Ethereal Peak!]

[My senior brother and senior sister are still waiting for me to save them. What will they do without me?]

Elder Ning: ...

Rather than worrying about them, you should worry more about yourself.

Still, Qiaoqiao's strong sense of belonging to Ethereal Peak really did surprise her.

In Qiaoqiao's mind, the food here was delicious, no one kept her in check, and she could sleep until she woke naturally every day. It was simply a salted fish's paradise. She never wanted to leave for the rest of her life!

Now, she had even more reason not to leave. She was carrying out the Heavenly Dao's mission!

Seeing her fret, Elder Ning could not help softening and offered a suggestion. "Go see your master. He presumably has arrangements for the trial."

Qiaoqiao's eyes lit up. That's right, Master can definitely help me!

"Thank you, Elder Ning!"

Watching the little girl leave, Elder Ning suddenly felt a little envious of Immortal Venerable Wanghan. When would she be able to take in such a sweet, adorable disciple?

Qiaoqiao reached the white plum grove and faintly heard voices.

"Why did you come out of seclusion early this time?"

"No reason."

"Tsk, as cold as ever, Bai Fu." Sect Master Mu's voice was light and languid.

"You have no idea. When Elder Yan learned that your little disciple had failed to pass ten trials, she was so furious that she wanted to expel her from the sect on the spot. It was only thanks to me talking her down that she agreed to give Qiaoqiao another chance."

"...Thank you."

"You actually know how to say thank you?" Mu Liuyun was astonished. "How rare!"

Bai Fu said, "You should leave."