Cheating in the trial, then playing the thief who cried thief.
Father and daughter were shameless in exactly the same way!
[But it was also this compass that made Yue Liuqin lose the rice while trying to steal the chicken.]
[For points, she led a group to the territory of fourth-rank Startled Owl Birds. Unexpectedly, the birds were in their breeding season, their tempers vicious and their aggression more than a hundred times greater than usual. Surrounded and attacked by several Startled Owl Birds, Yue Liuqin was severely injured.]
[Her Heaven Spirit Root was ruined.]
[This time, no one took the blame for her, and no one offered her their heart's blood. From then on, Yue Liuqin became a cripple.]
[Yue Tingxi, however, obtained a mysterious fortuitous opportunity in the secret realm and underwent a complete transformation. His fortunes turned overnight, and in less than a hundred years, he formed his Golden Core, becoming a rising genius of the Flowing Cloud Sect.]
[Peak Master Yue regretted it until his guts turned green. Unfortunately, he had already severed ties with his son, and it was too late to acknowledge him again.]
After Qiaoqiao sorted through the causes and consequences in her dream, the way she looked at Yue Tingxi changed.
She rubbed her chin and sized him up. "Young man, turns out you've got a bright future, just like me!"
Yue Tingxi: ?
"Hahaha!" Yue Liuqin burst out laughing at that. "Don't tell me you're hoping to take first place?"
Qiaoqiao said, "How did you know?"
Yue Liuqin clutched her stomach and doubled over with laughter. She certainly dared to dream!
Qiaoqiao recalled this young lady's fate in her dream: her Spirit Root ruined, lying in bed crying and wailing with no one sparing her a thought, as miserable as could be.
Tsk.
The thought of how miserable she would be made having her points stolen feel less infuriating.
She said sincerely, "While you can still move, have something nice to eat."
Yue Liuqin: ?
Had she really gone mad?
"Oh, right." Qiaoqiao looked at her and added meaningfully, "Watch out for cliffs."
Yue Liuqin rolled her eyes. "What nonsense."
She had wanted to enjoy the sight of Qiaoqiao fuming after having her points stolen. Instead, Qiaoqiao was watching her with relish, as though some terrible misfortune awaited her, and she immediately lost interest.
The young lady strode away. Xuan Sheng had not even managed to get a single line in and was thoroughly dissatisfied. He shot the two of them a vicious glare before leaving.
Ning Shuang asked, "May I ask what mistake this disciple committed for Peak Master Yue to drive him out of the family, disregarding even the bond between father and son?"
Yue Su snorted. "This boy's vile nature is beyond reform. He nearly caused his elder sister to die at a Demon Beast's hands. Allowing him to live was already an act of mercy on my part."
His gaze at Yue Tingxi held undisguised disdain.
How could he, Yue Su, have a child with mixed Spirit Roots? It was nothing short of a stain on his name!
Fortunately, he had long since driven the little good-for-nothing out of the family. Otherwise, with the little good-for-nothing failing even a minor sect trial six times, he, as the father, could never bear that humiliation!
Only somewhere like Ethereal Peak would tolerate a good-for-nothing who had failed the trial ten times.
At that thought, he turned toward the people of Ethereal Peak, about to mock them, only to find them all watching him with strange, eager eyes, like zha beasts eyeing melons. An inexplicable chill ran through him.
Was there something wrong with these people?
His daughter, with her supreme-grade Heaven Spirit Root, was exceptionally gifted and would surely achieve greatness. With her worthless aptitude, what right did Qiaoqiao have to piggyback on his daughter's name?
Not to mention, he had given that Law Treasure to his daughter...
"Liuqin will certainly take first place in this trial." He grew smug again. "As for your Ethereal Peak-if I remember correctly, this will be the first time a personal disciple has been expelled from the sect for failing the trial, won't it?"
"A mighty Immortal Venerable will soon become the sect's laughingstock." Yue Su glanced at Bai Fu, his tone snide. "I really do feel a little sorry for you, Immortal Venerable Wanghan."
Pfft.
Before the Immortal Venerable could speak, Xiao Tingyu could not hold back a laugh behind him.
Yue Su's face darkened. "What are you laughing at?!"
Xiao Tingyu immediately ducked behind Ning Shuang, but whenever she thought of how everything Peak Master Yue said would turn into a boomerang and stab him, she could not help wanting to laugh.
Bai Fu gave Yue Su a cold look. "Peak Master Yue, some things are best not said too soon."
"Hmph." Peak Master Yue straightened up. "Still so stubborn, Immortal Venerable. Hasn't the outcome long since been decided?"
Pfft.
This time, it was Wen Zhi who laughed.
Yue Su: ?!
Would you people ever stop?!
Chapter 15: A plea for help
Inside the secret realm, the Howling Wind Beast was dead. Qiaoqiao cut the demonic vine on the ground, which had accidentally tied itself into knots, into sections and put them into her Storage Bag.
Yue Tingxi stood dejectedly to one side, the white ends of his hair hanging softly beside his neck, making him look even more like a rabbit.
"Let's go."
Yue Tingxi clenched his hands tightly inside his sleeves. "You don't mind..."
"That you're Yue Liuqin's younger brother, and I'm still teaming up with you?" Qiaoqiao said. "She's her, and you're you. What does it matter?"
Yue Tingxi: ...
They had indeed already severed ties, but...
While he hesitated, Qiaoqiao had already walked far ahead. He pressed his lips together and silently followed.
Although Yue Liuqin had just stolen her points, Qiaoqiao seemed delighted, even humming a little tune.
Yue Tingxi could not help asking, "Are you in a good mood right now?"
The corners of Qiaoqiao's lips lifted. "Yep."
The thought that terrible misfortune would soon befall Yue Liuqin put her in a very cheerful mood.
The two searched for spirit herbs along the way, but everywhere they went afterward, all the grass had been cut down. Footprints lay scattered about, as though someone had gone ahead of them and destroyed the nearby spirit herbs in advance.
As night fell, Qiaoqiao picked up a Moonlight Peak disciple's waist token from a patch of weeds.
"It was the people from Moonlight Peak."
"I think I saw a few figures just now..."
To stop her from passing the trial, Yue Liuqin had actually ordered Moonlight Peak disciples to get ahead of her and harvest the spirit herbs!
After an entire day, apart from the few dozen points at the very beginning, the two had gained nothing.
Yue Tingxi said quietly, "I'm sorry for dragging you down."