Chapter 148: The First-Ranked Who Was Wheeled

I actually forgot to take this off before seeing Master... Dugu Qingli was a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, no matter what her inner drama was, her face basically had no expression, making it easy to lie: "This was cut off when I was fighting with the Pei family girl just now, kept as a trophy."

"Is her hair like this?" Ye Tinglan was suspicious.

After being wrapped around her finger for so long, she couldn't tell if it was curly or not, and it just didn't look like the black and shiny luster of Pei Chuyun's hair; it was very dim.

Fortunately, Ye Tinglan didn't take it seriously, just saying: "To keep a trophy after defeating an opponent, when did you become so vulgar?"

Dugu Qingli was serious: "It's not that I want to keep a trophy, it's that after having this, I remembered that Qingli has learned few curse methods, which is a bit biased. I want to learn some curse methods from Master, like those that can take effect through hair."

"This kind of curse method is not what our sect is good at." Ye Tinglan gently stroked the hair and suddenly pulled it.

Dugu Qingli was shocked: "Master, what did you do?"

"Oh, nothing, just pulling this hair, as if pulling it while it was still on the body, considered a small lesson to the Pei family girl, daring to offend my Qingli..."

Dugu Qingli: "..."

It seems nothing happened, just like pulling his hair, teaching him a lesson.

Let him play with the Joy Sect demoness!

Far away in the cave dwelling, Lu Xingzhou was leaning on the bed reading, suddenly twitched, and curled up clutching his little boat.

Ye Tinglan was teaching her disciple: "This belongs to a kind of body-substitution technique, I can teach you, like this, like that..."

Dugu Qingli learned very seriously, wanting to play with pulling his hair remotely when Lu Xingzhou bullied her in the future.

"Well, leave one for Master too. This Pei family girl is a bit strange. I'll keep a lock of her hair, maybe it will be useful for investigation in the future." Ye Tinglan kept one.

Dugu Qingli wanted to speak but stopped.

"What?"

"No, nothing." Dugu Qingli bowed: "Then Master, please rest, disciple retires."

"Wait, how many days are you staying in the capital this time?"

"Originally only to verify with the first-ranked rising star. Now that the sparring is over, I intended to leave tomorrow."

"Intended? Then what is the plan now?"

"There are many characters in the capital. Disciple intends to challenge some old-school powerhouses who are not on the Rising Star Ranking but are stuck at the third-grade threshold."

Ye Tinglan thought for a while: "It's useless. With your status, most people will be afraid of the rat and sell some face to me, so it's hard to have the effect of life-and-death training. How about this, the Alchemy Academy will organize a trial in a few days, and the place chosen will be the first layer of the Demon Suppression Domain. You will enter as a protector."

Dugu Qingli was stunned: "Demon Suppression Domain, can these alchemy students enter? Isn't it too dangerous?"

"There will be people protecting them, aren't you one of them? It just happens to fit your cultivation training. Maybe the opportunity to break through to the third grade is right here."

Dugu Qingli bowed with her sword: "Yes."

"At that time, pay more attention to Lu Xingzhou. This person has many storms on him. For others, it is an ordinary trial, but for him, there might be other changes. Oh, no need to explain, you and him are already familiar."

"...... es."

From beginning to end, Ye Tinglan never doubted that her disciple could have any relationship with Lu Xingzhou other than the battle friendship in Xiazhou.

…………

Early the next morning, Pei Chuyun stepped into the Imperial Academy with a stack of manuscripts.

As soon as she entered the door, she was blocked by Qi Tuizhi: "Miss Pei..."

Pei Chuyun's mood was not good after the wheelchair stroll and illicit affair were broken by the white hair yesterday, and she was lectured by her brother all the way back. Her face sank immediately: "Young Master Qi, blocking the road in public is not the behavior of a gentleman."

Qi Tuizhi hurriedly said: "Miss Pei misunderstood. I heard that when Miss Pei was strolling in the Imperial Academy last night, she was approached by Dugu Qingli for a challenge?"

"It can't be called a challenge. She is second and I am third; there is no reason for the high to challenge the low. It was just sparring."

Although she said so, her face was so sour that anyone could see she was very unhappy.

Qi Tuizhi had a bottom in his heart, so he lowered his voice and said: "Since the young lady also doesn't like Dugu Qingli, why don't we cooperate?"

Pei Chuyun looked at him strangely, thinking that you are cooperating for such a ranking challenge. You can't beat them up together, right? Even if you win, no one will recognize you. You wouldn't dare to kill them either. Killing a National Preceptor's disciple in the capital, how many lives do you have?

Is it just to vent your anger?

Oh no... Pei Chuyun suddenly reacted. This guy is using this "common hatred" psychology to form a unified front, and in the final analysis, it's just to get close to her.

Thinking of this, Pei Chuyun couldn't help but laugh and cry: "To cooperate with me, you must first see if you are qualified."

Qi Tuizhi was stunned: "What does Miss Pei mean..."

"My meaning is, don't you think you can't even beat me?" Pei Chuyun handed the manuscripts in her hand to a passerby: "Help me hold this, thank you."

Qi Tuizhi took a step back: "Miss Pei, you..."

Pei Chuyun gathered her hair elegantly: "Third-ranked rising star Pei Chuyun, challenges first-ranked rising star Young Master Qi Tuizhi. Please give me your advice, Young Master."

Qi Tuizhi: "..."

Gu Yicheng's so-called "Pei Chuyun probably doesn't have much strength" was still in his ears, and the next morning, the beauty was already standing in front of him with a smile, publicly challenging him.

This was the entrance of the Imperial Academy, with people coming and going. At this time, the crowd was in an uproar, directly surrounding them three layers deep, all eating melons.

Honestly, being defeated by Dugu Qingli in one move, although shameful, the crowd's acceptance was quite high. After all, she is a Holy Land direct descendant and a National Preceptor's disciple. No matter how strong she is, it is within people's acceptance.

But this Pei family lady who was just found, really has no battle record at all. Her reputation outside is even that of a talented woman!

Qi Tuizhi was even less willing to accept that he couldn't even beat his sweetheart. At this time, his spirit was also provoked, and he said indifferently: "Honestly, I don't want to make a move against Miss Pei... It feels like offending a beauty. But now it seems that if I don't show a hand, it is the beauty who looks down on me."

Pei Chuyun smiled slightly and hooked a slender finger: "Come."

The charm revealed under the dignity made the onlookers dazzled, and Qi Tuizhi's heart trembled: "Then Miss Pei, be careful."

Pei Chuyun didn't say a word, turned her jade palm, and slapped it out.

Seeing Pei Chuyun not using a weapon, Qi Tuizhi didn't draw his sword either, and slapped back with his empty hand.

In his heart, there was still a hint of heart-thumping intention. Does this palm-to-palm count as touching her little hand?

But before the thought turned, Pei Chuyun's palm changed, and others only saw her fingers like flowers blooming, beautiful and hazy.

A low sigh came from the side: "The Pei family's family-transmitted grappling hand, I have seen Pei Yu use it... I didn't expect it to be so beautiful when used by Miss Pei, completely different from Pei Yu's dashing style."

Qi Tuizhi's intention to palm-to-palm was too strong, so much so that he seemed reluctant to deal with the change of moves and continued to push forward a little.

How can one play like this in a master's duel? In this split second of delay, Pei Chuyun's fingers had already brushed his tiger's mouth.

Qi Tuizhi's tiger's mouth went numb, and only then did he wake up. His first-ranked rising star was definitely not bought. He immediately withdrew his hand, his left palm cut horizontally, trying to cut off the continuation of Pei Chuyun's offensive.

A flower appeared before his eyes, Pei Chuyun was like a fairy, and she had already arrived at the side.

Jade palm cut back, straight to the neck.

"So beautiful... watching her fight is like enjoying it."

Others felt it was enjoyment, but Qi Tuizhi didn't.

He even felt the killing intent.

This Miss Pei definitely didn't look as elegant and calm as she appeared. Her Jianghu experience "before being found" was unknown to anyone, and it was very likely that she had experienced life and death! And the Pei family grappling hand was personally understood and played by her, not dead learning moves, which contained subtle changes from other families, making Qi Tuizhi, who used the Pei family grappling hand to fight, very uncomfortable.

Judging from the time she was found, she hadn't practiced Pei family martial arts for long. To have this kind of understanding and subtle changes, this strength was definitely not just the fourth-grade lower stage reflected on the surface. It was very likely that she was hiding fourth-grade upper stage cultivation and hadn't used her real skills at all!

Qi Tuizhi's body rotated, fighting and retreating, and passed a few moves with Pei Chuyun, but his right tiger's mouth was always numb and unresolved, his strength dropped greatly, and he couldn't withstand Pei Chuyun's continuous offensive like water, and the more he fought, the more powerless he became.

"Bang," his back hit the pillar at the entrance of the Imperial Academy.

Pei Chuyun pointed her fingers like a sword and poked at his throat, her beautiful eyes cold and full of killing intent.

The air was silent.

A moment later, it exploded.

Although it wasn't a one-move defeat like Dugu Qingli yesterday, it was still a dozen or twenty moves. But the strength Pei Chuyun showed was fourth-grade lower stage, and he, Qi Tuizhi, was fourth-grade upper stage!

This was a cross-level challenge!

Pei Chuyun's killing intent converged, she stepped back gracefully, and bowed: "Young Master Qi, you let me win."

Qi Tuizhi's face was blue and white, and he really wanted to say that if there was no lewd intention at the beginning, if he fought seriously, he wouldn't have lost...

But no matter how he said this, it was sophistry. He opened his mouth and couldn't say it in the end. Moreover, he highly suspected that Pei Chuyun was hiding fourth-grade upper stage strength and hadn't used her real skills at all. If they really fought, he would still lose.

He had to say in a low voice: "Miss Pei is proficient in both literature and martial arts. My previous questioning of your third-ranked rising star position was our prejudice and ignorance."

Pei Chuyun smiled slightly: "So, I will find Dugu Qingli's place myself, Young Master Qi is not qualified. Everyone, please make way, Chuyun is late for class..."

The crowd parted, watching Pei Chuyun enter the gate in a daze.

At this moment, how many people regarded her as a goddess in their hearts was another matter. What flashed through everyone's minds repeatedly was: what's wrong with this year's Rising Star Ranking, how was the first place ranked, being turned around and challenged by the second and third within two days.

Originally, the first-ranked rising star was very valuable, always regarded as the first person among young people, and no one remembered the second and third. Everyone only cared about the champion.

Now that it's been messed up like this, the value of the first-ranked rising star is gone, and this position has no force in the future.

"Editor-in-Chief Sheng is a young girl, she really has no vision and can't rank a good list."

Someone spoke up for Sheng Yuanyao: "How can this blame Editor-in-Chief Sheng? These second and third places haven't been heard of in previous years, and it was Editor-in-Chief Sheng who insisted on ranking them up? Why don't you praise Editor-in-Chief Sheng for her vision?"

"But this first..."

"This first is filling the position. If you want to blame, blame the person who ranked the list before for ranking him second."

"Who ranked the list before? The above didn't review it, it's just making up the numbers..."

"I don't know who the original editor-in-chief was, but the one who made the final decision was Head Sheng, right."

The discussion stopped.

After a long while, someone said weakly: "Don't you think it's not that Qi Tuizhi is weak, but that these two who parachuted in are too strong? I saw that sword of Dugu Qingli in the restaurant yesterday, and I knew I couldn't take it; I also knew I couldn't take this set of flowing grappling hands of Miss Pei today."

Everyone was silent.

That's right, it's not that others are weak, it's that these two are too strong.

Qi Tuizhi's sadness is that he is on the same list as them, and he wants to soak them without self-knowledge.

This year's Alchemy Rising Star Ranking actually has such people. I heard that until now, Daoist Xuanqing can't accept his failure. Is Daoist Xuanqing really weak? He is already very strong... Unfortunately, he met Lu Xingzhou and his disciple who don't talk about reason.

"Lu Xingzhou!" The teacher on the stage angrily patted the table: "If you have a stomachache, go out! If you keep bowing in front of me with a constipated face, is it because you think I've taught you everything!"

"I..." Lu Xingzhou didn't know whether he was clutching his lower abdomen or somewhere else: "May I ask if Lady Ye has an office? I want to find Lady Ye..."