Chapter 925: with translation of chapter title

The Appearance Testing Stone emitted a radiant halo, like a bright moon.

Ye Qingran, bathed in the light, became even more ethereal and unworldly, not like a mortal.

"How beautiful!"

From the crowd came such an exclamation.

Even without makeup, her features were exquisite; now, in this scene, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Ninety-eight!

After a brief delay, the Appearance Testing Stone gave a score.

The newly arrived disciples were stunned; they had not witnessed Ye Qingran's first appearance test, so they assumed her score was ninety-eight, and they were greatly surprised.

However, the disciples who had arrived earlier felt the opposite.

"Could it be that Ye Qingran is about to repeat history?"

"What repeat? It's clearly history repeating itself!"

……

Upon seeing this score, Su Luo Qiu's heart clenched tightly. She worried that the earlier incident would repeat, which would not only affect her status as the top beauty but also prevent her from expelling Ye Qingran from the academy.

"Hopefully this score is your limit, you wretch!" Su Luo Qiu cursed silently.

"What right does a mere sweeping maid have to be more beautiful than this noble White Tiger Palace disciple?"

The pure light of the Appearance Testing Stone suddenly shifted; in an instant, like the sun breaking through clouds, it burst with dazzling radiance that filled everyone's vision, making them unable to stare directly.

This brilliant light lasted one second; after everyone's eyes adjusted, they saw a score appear on the Appearance Testing Stone that shocked them immensely.

One hundred!

Full marks!

"My heavens!" someone covered their mouth and whispered, shock evident on their face.

"It really is a hundred! I didn't misread it just now!"

Wan Si Zifeng, Qiu Yue Lang, and Lou Ting all flashed a look of astonishment in their eyes.

Even though they were well-traveled and knowledgeable, they had never seen the Appearance Testing Stone yield a perfect score.

"Truly a favorite of the heavens!" Wan Si Zifeng chuckled, shaking his head, but his smile soon froze.

Because…

Pa—

The Appearance Testing Stone emitted a crisp sound, like a crystal ball striking a hard marble floor, clear and despair-inducing.

Everyone's shock instantly turned to horror.

The Appearance Testing Stone shattered again!

The light vanished in an instant, leaving only faint glimmers; the Appearance Testing Stone's glass-like shards scattered across the floor, reflected in everyone's pupils.

"Yay! Mommy's awesome!" Xiao Chen and Xiao Hu leapt up excitedly, beside themselves with joy.

Ye Qingran turned her head to look at them, the corner of her mouth twitching.

"Ye Qingran, you must have used some trick!" Lou Ting's stern question boomed, snapping the stunned disciples back to their senses.

Qiu Yue Lang frowned, about to speak, when Ye Qingran snorted, "You were there just now, weren't you? Did I use a trick? The esteemed master of White Tiger Academy can't tell?"

Lou Ting detected the sarcasm in Ye Qingran's words, his brows knitting, and he snorted coldly, "Who knows what sorcery you used?"

With that sentence, he blamed Ye Qingran's use of sorcery for the Appearance Testing Stone's shattering.

"Sorcery? Does the White Tiger Palace Master have any evidence?"

Lou Ting's face remained unchanged, his tone disdainful, "An ordinary person's appearance could never cause the Appearance Testing Stone to burst; do you think you're some immortal?"

"How do you know ordinary people can't? Who do you think you are? Some immortal?" Ye Qingran scoffed, turning his own argument against him.

Lou Ting's face immediately darkened, his gaze toward Ye Qingran filled with malice.

"A lowly sweeping maid dares to speak to him like that?"

"Enough!" Wan Si Zifeng spoke up, glancing at Lou Ting, his tone light yet authoritative, "I observed Ye Qingran's appearance test just now; she used no method. Moreover, the Appearance Testing Stone is no ordinary stone—it cannot be destroyed by common sorcery."

As the master of Wanling Academy, Wan Si Zifeng naturally possessed dignity and charm; hearing him, the disciples nodded in agreement.

Lou Ting's expression grew uglier. He gave a hollow smile, "Since the master says so, then it must be." He looked at Ye Qingran and murmured, "Although you're merely a sweeping maid in the Library, entering the academy is still no easy feat; you should be grateful to the master."

Upon hearing this, the disciples exchanged glances.

What did the White Tiger Palace Master mean by that?

Is Ye Qingran able to enter the academy as a sweeping maid because of the master?

So she came in through the back door?

Wan Si Zifeng's face twitched slightly. He hadn't expected Lou Ting to say such a thing—how petty!

Ye Qingran was arranged by him to enter the academy; yet given her abilities, serving as a sweeping maid is a gross underuse—if not for his master's demand, he would have wanted Ye Qingran to become an instructor outright.

"No need for the White Tiger Palace Master to worry." How could Ye Qingran not know Lou Ting's intention?

But Lou Ting is likely to be disappointed.

First, she doesn't care what others think of this; second, the job is optional for her. In other words, if she truly wanted to stay at Wanling Academy, she wouldn't need to rely on anyone.

Only, she finds it troublesome; this arrangement suits her fine for now.

Lou Ting snorted coldly, turned and left; Su Luo Qiu glanced at Ye Qingran then hurried after him.

"Master, are you just letting Ye Qingran go like this?"

After walking away, Su Luo Qiu finally couldn't hold back, her face full of resentment.

As long as Ye Qingran lives another day, she cannot rest easy; Ye Qingran must die.

Lou Ting halted, turned to face her, "Wan Si Zifeng has already spoken up; what else can we do?"

Su Luo Qiu frowned, at a loss for words.

Immediately, Lou Ting raised their head and looked toward the direction they had come from, giving a cold smile. 'However, Wanqi Zifeng can protect her for a moment, but can he protect her for a lifetime?'

Although the Wànlíng Xuégōng appears to be led by Wanqi Zifeng, the Gōngzhǎng of the Four Great Academies are all dissatisfied, each harboring ulterior motives; as long as the Four Great Academies join forces, what does Wanqi Zifeng amount to?

'Master, what do you mean?'

'Luo Qiu, to accomplish great deeds, one must learn to endure, wait for the right moment, then strike him… so he is caught off guard!' Lou Ting's eyes flashed with a sharp gleam, extremely sinister.

Su Luo Qiu was first stunned, then immediately gave a dark, cold smile.

……

After Lou Ting left, Ye Qingran pointed at the debris all over the ground and started to shift the blame, saying, 'You said I could do it; I won't compensate!' Ye Qingran wore an expression of 'I'm broke, I have no money'.

Xiao Hu curled the corner of their mouth and spoke miserably, 'We three women have fled to a foreign land, lonely and helpless, relying on each other, enduring wind and dew, not enough to eat or wear… we have no money!'

Xiao Chen echoed, 'Our father also abandoned us, we don't know where he went; we are so pitiful! Oh, we not only have no money, we also have no stones!'