Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty-Three: Special Fetish

Qiu Hu female cultivator's face changed, she snorted, and she did not object.

Wei Yuning's bones went soft by two taels, his smugness impossible to hide. Unfortunately, the Cloud Goose Immortal Maiden beside him shared his feeling; she never expected that the disciple she thought most highly of from the Cloud Hidden Sect would be taken in by the sect's ugliest female cultivator.

"Could this pretty boy have some peculiar fetish, liking the ugly?" Yunyan could not stop herself from thinking that.

"Next, the Azure Phoenix Sect's Qiu Hu Miss..."

"Senior Brother, please wait a moment—just now, Qiu Hu girl has already become engaged to your sect's Junior Nephew Wei Yuning, so… in my opinion, their match need not take place!" Hong Zhi had only said half when the Cloud Goose Immortal Maiden cut him off.

The joy in her words overflowed, and she didn't forget to give Hong Zhi a demonstrative glance—she still held his morning refusal against him, never expecting such a sudden change. By announcing this publicly, she also aimed to cement the fact, leaving Hong Zhi no excuse to retreat.

A beauty's demonstration has this advantage: though her action is provocative, to others it looks like coquettishness, as if Hong Zhi and she were lovers teasing each other.

Hong Zhi certainly wouldn't think that; even though his qi cultivation was profound, the sheer amount of information left him momentarily dazed.

"What's going on? What does that Wei Yuning brat want? Is he seduced by women? Or does he want to leave the Cloud Hidden Sect? No, Qiu Hu isn't the ugliest—she couldn't have been bewitched! Could it be… could this brat have a peculiar fetish for ugliness? Surely, Qiu Hu's looks are utterly ordinary even among mortal women; for a cultivator to have such appearance is nearly unheard of. Clearly, it must be this very trait that attracts the oddly inclined Wei Yuning brat. Could it be that everyone from the Fallen World is… this perverse?"

Upon thinking this, Hong Zhi felt a chill run through him, his gaze toward Wei Yuning becoming extremely complex. Yet, precisely because of these random thoughts, he also abandoned his earlier plan to control Wei Yuning.

"Azure Phoenix Sect, but you yourselves actively contacted people from the Fallen World—don't blame me; I originally refused."

Although Hong Zhi's mind had raced with many thoughts, in reality only two breaths had passed.

"Fine, I have no objection!" Hong Zhi nodded.

Having just witnessed Phoenix Dance Maiden's dreamlike "Flower Rain Body Technique," the Cloud Hidden Sect disciples were again shaken by this news, and the area below erupted in clamor.

If Qiu Hu female cultivator hadn't made the top ten of the competition, likely no Cloud Hidden Sect disciple would have noticed her; but once she entered the top ten, her appearance had already become one of the hot topics privately discussed among the disciples. Some disciples even declared they would rather die than choose a partner as "ugly" as her.

A tiny minority of disciples with mediocre talent and no hope in cultivation said cultivators should care most about aptitude and cultivation; for the sake of their descendants, they don't mind sacrificing their own happiness to find an ugly female cultivator.

As for Wei Yuning, ever since he was squeezed into the top ten competitors, the disciples have probed most of his background: a recent enrollee scholar, an odd-job disciple in a hopeless herb garden, capable of a strange lightning-chain attack, a registered disciple of Elder Taichong, who suddenly became a Foundation Establishment cultivator today. If he had never before encountered cultivation, he would be a rare genius in the sect.

Yet, a genius disciple who achieved Foundation Establishment in just one month after joining actually chose such an ugly female cultivator; the key is that this talented disciple is handsome and graceful, even having a chance to pursue the Three Phoenixes of the Azure Phoenix Sect.

"Uncle Hong Zhi, junior nephew has an idea—knowing when to speak and when not to?" Suddenly, Qing Cong leapt forward.

Although Hong Zhi found Qing Cong annoying, considering his background and being in public, he had to reply: "Junior nephew, speak if you have something to say."

Wei Yuning's eyelid twitched—what does this "second-generation" want now?

"The Azure Phoenix Sect's Qiu Hu Miss, coming from afar as a guest, deserves care; moreover, since the marriage alliance has succeeded, the match is unnecessary. However, Wei Yuning… Junior Brother has today achieved Foundation Establishment; he will certainly need to take part in the sect's external missions. Taking this opportunity, it's perfect to let the sect's disciples learn his fighting style, so future team missions won't leave them unprepared!"

"It can be considered, but we must first ask Junior Nephew Wei Yuning's opinion," Hong Zhi, the steward, said with a complex gaze toward Wei Yuning, "Wei Yuning, the decision is yours!"

"Match!"

"Match!"

"Let's match, we want to watch!"

"……"

Before Wei Yuning could answer, the crowd below erupted in clamor. Indeed, loving excitement is not only humanity's privilege on Earth, but also a favorite pastime of humans in the Spirit Beast World.

"Fine, I'll compete!" Wei Yuning could only reply that way.

"I forfeit, I won't participate in the match!" Qiu Hu female cultivator immediately said, her voice clear as a bell. If the Cloud Hidden Sect disciples had not seen her appearance, merely hearing her voice they might have mistaken her for a beauty.

"All right, next then—according to order, Junior Nephew Qing Cong should go up first to compete!" Hong Zhi pondered briefly, then spoke slowly.

"Yes, Uncle!" Qing Cong's face brimmed with eagerness to try, as if he had been waiting for this opportunity a long time.

"Ha, a disciple with physical-body Foundation Establishment coming to join this kind of match—good… I look forward to it!" A familiar voice came from the rear, the very person who had just spoken of the "Mysterious Moon Body Technique." Speaking of which, this person is also the matchmaker between Wei Yuning and Qiu Hu; if he hadn't exposed Qiu Hu's true form, he would never have half-jokingly suggested they become dao partners.

However, this guy behind him is indeed quite entertaining; though his death‑seeking ability isn't as great as Chang Fei's, he obviously has huge room for improvement.

Wei Yuning couldn't help but turn to see who it was; as if by tacit understanding, Qiu Hu also turned her head, the two stared at each other in surprise, then simultaneously smiled, a feeling called sweetness spreading between them.

Wei Yuning turned back, thinking better of it—knowing a little death‑seeker like Chang Fei is enough; no need to know more. Is he really planning to found a "Death‑Seekers Alliance"?