Chapter 316

Ye Batian, the senior disciple, kept nagging without cease.

Nangong Liluo's eyes remained wandering and unfocused.

Ma Xiaohua coughed, then continued: "Master, you were used this time. The dao companion of Bai Shibo of Five Goats Peak deliberately got you drunk to set a trap while you were unconscious."

Then a group of elders secretly stirred up public opinion to drive out the junior brother.

"You think I don't know?" Nangong Liluo sprang to life, spitting spittle far away, "My master just couldn't resist drinking her Laughing Immortal Brew; who would have thought it would knock me out for ten days?"

After waking up, I gave that couple a sound thrashing—if Bai Sizhen hadn't gone to the Wasteland Abyss and Lan Wuyan hadn't gone to check out the pleasure house, I would have beaten them both!

"But your face is injured!" Ma Xiaohua said weakly.

Nangong Liluo jumped up and flicked his forehead: "That was just me being careless, getting scratched by that slut Su; otherwise, they'd never stand a chance against me, not even a door!"

Ye Batian said: "Master, you're also angry—if it weren't for the critical moment when the sect leader's elder brother valued talent, ordering the junior brother to be placed first on the earth ranking, suppressing those disciples from various peaks who opposed him, and sending a signal to those peak masters and elders, things would have been difficult!"

Nangong Liluo lowered her voice: "You think I'd owe that old fogey sect leader a favor? Impossible—he wouldn't value talent; if he did, he wouldn't have let Heng Xian run off for four years without care. He thinks this time Heng Xian gained face for him at the Jianhai Guji, so he's sending a courtesy; later he'll ask Heng Xian for a Fate Opportunity to stock the Sutra Pavilion, and also to have something to say."

Otherwise, how could he acknowledge Heng Xian? Among the top hundred disciples on the Heaven Ranking, all are extraordinary talents, more than twenty of them come from his Thousand Peaks Peak, and he's proud of it.

I heard that Su Qingcheng that lass returned from the Wasteland a few days ago—this girl is both fiery and domineering; back then she was first on the Earth Ranking, possessing the true form of the Demon Blade, her fame resounded!

Ye Batian's eyes lit up: "You mean Senior Sister Su Qingcheng, thirteenth on the Heaven Ranking?"

Nangong Liluo nodded: "Exactly! That one from the Chu Kingdom royal family."

Ye Batian said with admiration: "They say this senior sister is not only fiery but also gorgeous, with terrifyingly high talent!"

Nangong Liluo pursed her lips: "Just so-so."

The ever-silent Heng Xian curiously asked: "Where have those Heaven Ranking senior brothers and sisters been cultivating all this time?"

Ye Batian said: "All kinds! Some reside permanently in the sect, like Senior Brother Qianmen Xu and others; some are stationed year-round in various major secret realms; a small portion wander the mortal world, serving as officials in various empires. The rest, like Senior Sister Su Qingcheng, follow the ancient ancestors into the Wasteland Abyss to seal demon tribes and cultivate."

Heng Xian exclaimed: "That would mean leaving the Dongyu cultivation world, wouldn't it?"

Ye Batian said: "Yes, crossing the Xiyu cultivation realm is far, but only a dozen or so are qualified to serve the ancient ancestors."

"Enough of that useless talk." Nangong Liluo suddenly looked at Heng Xian with enthusiasm: "How does it feel being the Earth Ranking number one these days, my dear disciple?"

Heng Xian thought: "To be honest, upon reflection, it's a bit secretly satisfying."

Nangong Liluo laughed: "Of course, since we're not immortals, we naturally seek fame, rank, and profit! Too bad many don't accept you—challenge letters pile up, and every day a crowd waits below the peak."

"Like it or not, I'm the Earth Ranking number one—it's not like I put myself there!" Heng Xian took a sip of tea.

Nangong Liluo blinked: "How about this—you give me a hundred thousand mid-grade spirit crystals, and I'll take care of them for you!"

Heng Xian shook his head: "No!"

Nangong Liluo sighed: "Fifty thousand is also doable; as the master of this peak, I can only throw away my dignity!"

Heng Xian still shook his head: "No!"

"Ten thousand! Deal!" Nangong Liluo patted his shoulder.

Heng Xian simply stopped speaking.

Nangong Liluo stared for a moment, then lay back down, eyes wandering: "I've raised a bunch of white-eyed wolves, little brats—life holds no hope!"

The three senior and junior siblings exchanged a glance: "Master, please rest well!"

Together they rose and left the room.

Ma Xiaohua took out a stack of challenge letters from her bosom: "Speaking of which, with so many challenges, each one arrogantly worded—Junior Brother, have you thought about giving them a lesson?"

Heng Xian said: "Carrying a dharma weapon to the battle platform, spouting nonsense, then getting beaten one by one? I'm past that age!"

Saying that, he went straight back to his own small courtyard.

Ma Xiaohua opened her mouth: "This guy is clearly only twenty, and he hasn't even grown a beard!"

Ye Batian shook his head: "Just toss the challenge letters; I also think it's pointless."

"Okay." Ma Xiaohua stretched, then casually tossed the challenge letters to the three behind her, Nanxian: "Go make cards out of them and play by smashing them!"

Liuli widened her eyes: "Second Uncle, we're past that age!"

Ma Xiaohua also widened her eyes: "You dare talk back—tomorrow you and Su Kun will use the challenge letters to make cards, smash them to temper your minds, and keep doing it until they stop challenging and it ends!"

Liuli and Su Kun exchanged a glance, then quickly put on bitter faces and clasped their fists: "Yes!"

……

Challenge letters snowed down upon the sect's Earth Ranking experts, all sent to Bitter Willow Peak, yet they received no reply!

But this not only failed to deter them, it actually strengthened their resolve to challenge!

Heng Xian dared not accept the challenge—there must be catnip!

Even Zhao Wuming and Zhang Yu'er, who opposed Heng Xian's return to the sect and were in seclusion, came out and followed suit by sending challenge letters.

For over ten days straight, they still got not even a hint of a response from Heng Xian.

The group of Earth Ranking disciples grew even more arrogant, their challenge letters becoming sharper each time.

Later they simply began competing over who had been refused the most times:

"I concede, everyone—Earth Ranking number one Heng Xian has refused my nineteen challenges; perhaps he also knows my strength!"

"Sorry, he's refused me twenty-six times!"

"Sorry, everyone, he's refused me a total of thirty-seven times; I suspect he lacks the guts to face me on the battle platform!"

"Can I say he's refused me forty-one times? Heh, that's about it!"

……

"I'm growing to hate these Earth Ranking guys—never-ending, can't finish smashing them!"

"Exactly! Junior Uncle is too lazy to fight them on the challenge platform, yet he thinks Junior Uncle fears them, so everyone keeps sending challenge letters with all their might!"

"Smack!"

"I win!"

Su Kun and Liuli squatted before the gate of Bitter Willow Palace, each holding a stack of square cards, smashing them back and forth intermittently, as if returning to childhood.

Just then, a blue-robed outer sect disciple cautiously stood at the foot of the peak and paid respects: "I am a disciple of the Collection Hall; I have come to ask Senior Uncle Heng Xian to fetch the letters!"

Liuli looked over and said: "You won't send them over?"

That blue-robed outer sect disciple cautiously replied: "The elders of the Discipline Hall stipulated last month that any letters or items coming from outside the sect must be retrieved by me personally, to avoid unnecessary trouble!"

Liuli was about to reprimand, when Heng Xian walked over from a distance: "How many letters?"

The blue-robed disciple bowed and said: "Two!"

Heng Xian waved his hand: "Let's go!"

(End of chapter)