Cao Youqian's Terrible Luck

"Damn!"

Chu Feng leaped excitedly from his chair, flinging the Spring and Autumn Annals from his hand.

"What fortuitous encounter did that brat Chen'er have? It's been less than half a month since he broke through to the Eighth Level of Dao Foundation. How has he already reached the Ninth Level?"

After his brief burst of wild joy, Chu Feng felt immensely glad about the choice he had made.

He had taken Xiao Chen, a heaven's chosen, as his disciple.

With a heaven's chosen like Xiao Chen around, his own cultivation could rise as well.

I wonder what changes a hundred years of cultivation will bring me?

With that thought, he murmured in his mind, System, open the status panel.

Name: Chu Feng

Cultivation: 100 years

Cultivation techniques: Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin (great perfection), Sword Intent (great perfection)

Lifespan: 22/179

Skills: zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, tea arts (all at great perfection)

Evaluation: trash with a combat power of five.

Has this system made a mistake? I have a hundred years of cultivation, yet I'm still trash with a combat power of five? Who is it looking down on?

Chu Feng dismissed the system panel, with no intention of arguing with the system.

After all, this was a tsundere system.

"If only I could talk that brat Daqian into cultivating too. Unfortunately, life hasn't beaten him down enough yet."

"Achoo!"

Cao Youqian, who had just flown out of the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, suddenly sneezed.

He rubbed his nose, a puzzled look on his face.

Though he had no talent for cultivation, he was still a Dao Foundation Realm cultivator. How had he suddenly caught a cold?

While Cao Youqian was still puzzled, several gazes had already locked onto him.

After exchanging glances, one of the watchers stayed behind, while the rest immediately spread the news that Cao Youqian had come down the mountain.

Cao Youqian did not linger at Dao-Seeking Academy. Instead, he headed straight for Dao-Seeking City.

Although there were plenty of good ingredients at Dao-Seeking Academy, he was no longer a member of the Pill Dao Institute.

Those people would not only refuse to show him any consideration, but would also make things difficult for him.

An hour later.

Cao Youqian arrived on the outskirts of Dao-Seeking City. Just as he landed, he sensed several presences land behind him.

"Who's there?"

He turned around and saw a group of disciples wearing the outer court robes of Dao-Seeking Academy, looking at him with mocking expressions.

Several of them had even been his lackeys in the past.

"Ma Bin, Zhang Kun, what's the meaning of this?"

Cao Youqian looked coldly at the group before him.

Ma Bin stepped forward with a smile. "Cao, I really can't tell whether you're genuinely stupid or just bluffing.

"Can't you tell what we're here to do, looking at the lot of us?"

Cao Youqian narrowed his eyes. "You pieces of trash think you can take me on?"

Although he was known at Dao-Seeking Academy as the Pill Dao Institute's hedonistic young master, he was still at Peak Dao Foundation.

Even if he was less experienced in actual combat than these fellows, knocking a few of their teeth out in a real fight would be no problem at all.

Ma Bin laughed outright. "Cao Youqian, oh, Cao Youqian, did you really think we couldn't beat you? We only lost to you on purpose before.

"Besides, we're not the ones you'll be fighting today. It's Junior Brother Lin."

???

A puzzled expression appeared on Cao Youqian's face.

Ma Bin said, "Junior Brother Lin, haven't you always wanted revenge on Cao Youqian? Here's your chance. Don't say we never gave you one."

As soon as he finished speaking, a stern-faced young man stepped out of the crowd.

"Lin Ping'an."

Cao Youqian's expression changed slightly when he saw who it was.

Lin Ping'an was a disciple who had placed among the top hundred in the outer court competition. If he had not encountered Tang Feng during the competition, he might have gone even further.

Even if such a disciple's cultivation was lower than his own, Cao Youqian really was no match for him in a fight.

"Looks like you still remember me."

Lin Ping'an stared at Cao Youqian as though he wanted to kill him.

"Do we have a grudge?"

Cao Youqian looked utterly puzzled.

"Looks like Senior Brother Cao really is an important man with a short memory. Surely you haven't forgotten Xia Lianxin by Sword Lake three years ago?" Ma Bin said from the side, fanning the flames.

Sure enough, when Lin Ping'an heard the name Xia Lianxin, his eyes blazed with anger.

"I really don't remember."

Cao Youqian was speechless. Back when he was at the Pill Dao Institute, he had frequently changed Dao companions.

He might have remembered a Dao companion from half a year ago, but one from three years ago? He really could not recall her.

Clang!

Lin Ping'an drew the sword at his waist. "Xia Lianxin is my fiancée. Three years ago, you used your status to take her from me.

"For these past three years, there hasn't been a moment when I didn't want to wipe away that shame and pay you back in full for the humiliation you inflicted on me that day. Now my chance has finally come."

Seeing this, Ma Bin continued to stoke the fire. "It looks like Senior Brother Cao really has forgotten. Let me remind you: she was the Dao companion you traded a Dao Foundation Pill for. Once you got tired of playing with her, you dumped her."

Cao Youqian finally remembered a little. But he had not taken that woman by force; she had come to him of her own accord.

At the time, he had seen that the junior sister looked pitiful and was considerate too, so he had given her a chance.

"Didn't she say she didn't have a Dao companion? Where did this fiancé come from?"

"Hmph!"

Lin Ping'an snorted coldly. "Nonsense! Lianxin told me long ago that you clearly forced her back then, and afterward you even tossed her a Dao Foundation Pill."

Damn!

After hunting geese all year round, he had been pecked blind by one.

As a seasoned hand among the flowers, Cao Youqian knew full well that a fickle woman had played him.

"Junior Brother Lin, listen to me. I didn't force her at all. She was the one who came to me."

"Shut up!"

Lin Ping'an roared, "Even now, you still dare to make excuses! Originally, I would have let you go if you knelt and apologized to Lianxin and me.

"But you still refuse to mend your ways. Today, I'll cripple you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he thrust his sword at Cao Youqian.

Clang!

A sword rang out.

A fierce streak of Sword Qi stabbed toward Cao Youqian's dantian with the speed of lightning, too fast for him to cover his ears.

"One-tenth Sword Intent!"

Cao Youqian was utterly stunned by that strike. He had never expected to run into such a troublesome opponent on a casual outing.

If he still had his life-saving item, he could surely have escaped this calamity.

But now he had nothing on him except spirit stones.

I'm dead!

He shut his eyes in fright.

Just as the Sword Qi was about to strike him, a flash of sword light suddenly descended from the sky.

Clang!

A crisp ring sounded, and the Sword Qi dissipated instantly.

At the same time, a cold voice came from the sky.

"How dare you attack my junior brother!"

The moment Xiao Chen's words rang out, everyone present was shocked!