Chapter 239: The Pusher of the Era (Part Eight)

There were too many people outside the No. 1 Qihuang Hall; it was impossible to squeeze in.

Hua Changxi thought she would surely have other chances to attend Mu Qingying's lectures in the future, and just as she was hesitating whether to leave, a group of young cultivators led by Meng Qingyao arrived.

"Make way!"

"Make way!"

Outside the impenetrably crowded No. 1 Qihuang Hall, the throng saw the newcomers and immediately pressed aside to the left and right, clearing a path down the middle.

Once the path was cleared, Meng Qingyao and her party walked leisurely toward the No. 1 Qihuang Hall.

"Hall Master Hua!"

Dongfang Hao was a meticulous and cautious man who paid close attention to his surroundings, and he soon noticed Hua Changxi standing amidst the crowd.

At his call, Meng Qingyao and the others walking ahead halted and all turned to look at Hua Changxi.

Seeing Hua Changxi, Meng Qingyao immediately smiled and invited, "Hall Master Hua has come as well; let us enter the hall together."

Hua Changxi looked at her, then glanced at the crowds pressing in on both sides, and smiled as she declined, "No, I am not accustomed to this."

Hearing her refusal, Meng Qingyao's expression stiffened, while Dongfang Hao's eyes flickered.

Not accustomed?

Dongfang Hao glanced around, confusion on his face; what was Hua Changxi not accustomed to?

"Hmph."

Seeing Hua Changxi treat his sister's kindness with such disdain and show so little face, Meng Yuchuan immediately sneered, "Hall Master Hua really puts on quite an air."

"First you slighted Elder Xia, and today you slight the Master of the Spirit Realm Pavilion; do you not know the meaning of the word 'rules'?"

Hua Changxi sized up Meng Yuchuan: "Who are you?"

Meng Yuchuan was nearly driven to break his composure by Hua Changxi's casual question; after all, he was the brother of the Spirit Realm Pavilion's Master, and during this period had helped his sister manage the only two high-grade secret realms, becoming acquainted with every noble in the capital, yet he never expected to be so thoroughly ignored by Hua Changxi.

"Hua Changxi, listen well: my name is Meng Yuchuan, and I am the brother of the Spirit Realm Pavilion's Master."

Hua Changxi glanced at Meng Qingyao and asked again with a smile, "What Spirit Realm Pavilion? How is it I have never heard of it?"

She admitted that being excluded and isolated by the Spirit Realm Pavilion had made her angry; since the Spirit Realm Pavilion had held a meeting without inviting her, she would simply refuse to acknowledge the Spirit Realm Pavilion's existence.

Indeed, the moment she spoke these words, everyone immediately turned to stare at her repeatedly.

Seeing Hua Changxi foolishly expose her own shortcomings, Meng Yuchuan bluntly stated, "Hall Master Hua puts on such a great air and is unwilling to cooperate energetically with the various secret realm masters, so the Spirit Realm Pavilion did not invite you to its first meeting."

"Hall Master Hua, surely you are not angry over this?"

Hua Changxi smiled at Meng Yuchuan, but her peripheral vision watched Meng Qingyao, and she did not respond immediately.

To Meng Yuchuan, this reaction meant Hua Changxi was merely pretending to be strong, so he continued with a smile, "If Hall Master Hua wishes to join the Spirit Realm Pavilion, she need only obtain the Master's consent."

"Once the Master permits it, you will be able to attend the next meeting, and you will no longer be ignorant of what the Spirit Realm Pavilion even is."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi finally laughed aloud: "Meng Yuchuan, is it? I think your brain is not quite working; since I do not know the Spirit Realm Pavilion and did not attend your so-called meeting, how could I possibly acknowledge any Master of the Spirit Realm Pavilion?"

Meng Qingyao was the Meng family's pride, and Meng Yuchuan could restrain himself when he was ignored, but seeing Meng Qingyao ignored, he could no longer hold back.

"Hua Changxi, do not go too far."

Seeing Meng Yuchuan jumping with rage, Hua Changxi felt greatly pleased: "How have I gone too far? Since I have not joined the Spirit Realm Pavilion, is it not normal that I do not recognize the Master you elected?"

Meng Yuchuan had truly never encountered someone who spoke with such disregard for consequences; he was so angry he did not know how to retort: "You... the Spirit Realm Pavilion has the top-tier support of Elder Xia and Elder Gu; how dare you not recognize it?"

The smile on Hua Changxi's face deepened: "I simply do not recognize it; what can you do about it?"

Seeing her brother's emotions completely controlled by Hua Changxi, Meng Qingyao had to step forward: "Hall Master Hua, the Spirit Realm Pavilion is located on Ninth Street; whether you recognize it or not, it remains there!"

Having spoken, she turned to look at Meng Yuchuan.

"Brother, Daoist Mu is about to begin the lecture; let us hurry into the hall."

Saying this, she turned to look at Hua Changxi again.

"Since Hall Master Hua is not accustomed to traveling with us, please feel free to do as you wish."

Watching Meng Qingyao stride away without giving her a chance to counterattack, Hua Changxi felt somewhat stifled.

This Meng Qingyao was far superior to her brother; with just a few words, she had made Hua Changxi appear to be the one making unreasonable trouble.

"Why are you still standing there?"

Gu Xing, accompanied by Sun Po, had also arrived at the No. 1 Hall; seeing Hua Changxi standing motionless and worried she might leave in a huff, he could only offer a reminder.

Sun Po also kept casting meaningful glances at Hua Changxi: "Changxi, hurry and follow."

Seeing that Gu Xing had actually come to attend the lecture, Hua Changxi was somewhat surprised; after hesitating for a moment, she still led Physician Xu and the other eight into the No. 1 Hall.

As she stepped through the hall's gate, Hua Changxi paused and looked back at those who could only remain outside.

After entering the No. 1 Hall, Gu Xing was directly guided to a seat at the very front, but Hua Changxi did not follow him up, remaining standing at the courtyard entrance.

Today marked the first public lecture by the Qihuang Hall Masters; unlike the previous hall masters chosen by power and influence, the current hall masters had each received either a wooden token or access to the Divine Wood Secret Realm.

It could be said that they were all individuals recognized by the Dan Sheng Hall!

To gain the recognition of the Dan Sheng Hall, one must certainly possess extraordinary skills in medical arts and the Dao of pills; it was precisely because of this belief that so many people had come to listen.

However, the Qihuang Hall was only so large and could not hold too many people; those able to enter the hall today to attend the lecture all had powerful connections and backgrounds.

Among them were many whose ambitions lay not at all in the Dao of pills or medical arts; they had come to gauge the strength of the various hall masters.

There were imperial relatives like Prince Shou, and noble high officials like the Duke of Xin.

Seeing the best seats occupied by a group of laymen, Hua Changxi immediately felt that today's lecture was not worth listening to.

"Hall Master Hua!"

Huo Yunxiao spotted Hua Changxi and quickly walked over: "I have saved a seat for you; come, let us go inside and sit."

Hua Changxi glanced at the crowd of nobles seated within the hall and remained standing: "No need."

The dispute between Hua Changxi and the Meng siblings outside the hall just moments ago had been watched closely by everyone inside; seeing Hua Changxi once again keeping others at a distance, Huo Yunxiao also began to feel somewhat irritated.

To be honest, if Hua Changxi could not produce supreme-grade pills and did not control a high-grade secret realm, he would truly be unwilling to associate with someone like her too much.

She is far too difficult to serve!

Hua Changxi noticed a flash of irritation in Huo Yunxiao's eyes: "You are a cultivator; cultivators cultivate the heart. Oppressing yourself too much is detrimental to your cultivation."

Huo Yunxiao's expression stiffened, showing a mix of awkwardness and surprise.

He felt awkward because his thoughts had been seen through by Hua Changxi; he was surprised because was Hua Changxi actually offering him guidance?

Huo Yunxiao remained silent for a moment before returning to his grinning demeanor: "If Proprietor Hua could be kinder to me and less resistant, I would not feel oppressed."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "But if that were the case, the one feeling oppressed would be me."

Huo Yunxiao: "......"

Seeing his unwillingness to accept this, Hua Changxi smiled: "You delusionally attempt to influence me with your will; even if you feel oppressed, it is self-inflicted."

"I am protecting myself, yet in the eyes of people like you, this has become my fault."

"Fellow Daoist Huo, do you think we are cut from the same cloth?"