Chapter 305: I Shouldn't Have Come to This Gathering

The canteen windows were already prepared with food, but since only the Martial Body competition participants were dining, it appeared somewhat empty—considering there were Buddhist Sect disciples competing, the Military Academy had specially opened two vegetarian windows at Santisitang, which was closest to the Martial Arts Arena.

The group found a table in the corner, and the eight-person long table was just enough to seat them all.

Sitting on the left from top to bottom were Ning Qing, Chen Shu, Xiaoxiao, and Zhang Suannai, along with a white cat; they were all dressed normally.

On the right, only Yan Keling was normal.

Besides her were a delicate-looking Daoist, a round-faced, fair-skinned monk, and a cold woman wearing a black bodysuit and a Metal Mask.

Zhang Suannai felt completely uncomfortable, sensing that everyone opposite her was looking at her with strange gazes, occasionally glancing at Ning Qing, who was two seats away from her, and then back at her. Even that poser who wore a mask in the university canteen, whose face and eyes were invisible, was clearly watching her.

This feeling made her skin itch all over, as if ants were crawling on her.

Especially that poser sitting right across from her.

"So Luo Huaian is her..."

Zhang Suannai had long guessed that the poser would be in the group, but she had always assumed the poser was one of those few people who never spoke—those people were mostly geniuses from the military, likely in the same year as the group owner or even several years ahead, and they had probably already graduated and entered the military by the time this current batch of group members enrolled.

It was also possible that before she joined the group, no one spoke, so those people basically didn't have the habit of checking the group.

Maybe they had even uninstalled the Mobile Phone software.

That silly Daoist was like that before; he thought the group was boring and kept it muted, until he happened to change his Mobile Phone, logged in, and—oops—discovered there was a super-duper cute, smart beauty in it, which was when he started spamming the group.

The name "Luo Huaian" was truly too misleading.

Zhang Suannai thought this to herself, but her expression remained calm; she couldn't lose her composure.

As someone who cared a lot about face, she could accept losing face in front of Chen Shu or other silly group members, but she could not accept losing face in front of a piece of trash from the Royal Court.

"Let me introduce everyone."

Chen Shu spoke first, starting from the opposite side: "This is 'Beauty with Eight-Pack Abs', named Yan Keling; you all met her two years ago.

"This is Gate of All Wonders, Master Xuanzhen.

"This is Green Lamp and Ancient Buddha, Master Tongdeng.

"This is 'Just Call Me Luo Huaian', I don't know her real name either; I suppose this is the first time everyone is seeing her?"

Everyone glanced at that woman; in the entire group, among those who frequently spoke, she and Zhaoyeqing were the most mysterious.

"Patron Luo, nice to meet you."

Gate of All Wonders nodded in greeting first.

Luo Huaian also nodded slightly, returning the gesture. The Metal Mask fit her face perfectly; one eye was a round hole emitting white light, while the other was a long vertical slit emitting blue light. Her expression was unreadable, and the voice that came out was slightly distorted:

"Nice to meet you."

"Amitabha, Patron Luo, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you."

"Senior Sister Luo, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you."

"Brother Luo, nice to meet you."

"Thank you for the Mooncake and zongzi."

Seeing them greet her one by one, Zhang Suannai rolled her eyes, and suddenly she had a brilliant idea—

Use the conflict between the Sword Sect and the Royal Court to divert everyone's attention.

Once everyone saw them arguing and the atmosphere became tense, they naturally wouldn't be in the mood to watch the drama.

"So it was you!"

Zhang Suannai stared straight at Luo Huaian and said in a deep voice: "You poser from the Royal Court who commits crimes outside every day... what was your name again? Taking a name that sounds like a man's at first glance, were you afraid I'd recognize you?"

"You overestimate yourself." Luo Huaian's mask exuded a sense of sci-fi and the future, her voice cold, "The world does not revolve around you. I do not care whether a fool from the Sword Sect can recognize me."

"Who are you calling a fool?"

"You heard clearly enough."

"Who are you calling a fool?"

"Childish."

"Trash!" Zhang Suannai frowned, "Did you sign up for the Martial Body competition?"

"No."

"Coward!"

"I do not need this boring stage to hone myself, nor do I need it to prove myself. Besides, because I have done some things that are well-known, it is not suitable for me to show my face."

"People are dead, but your mouth is still hard."

"I admit I cannot beat you right now, but that is only because you were lucky enough to reach the Sixth Stage early. I watched your matches two years ago; at that time, I had at least an eighty percent chance of beating you." Luo Huaian's voice was cold, and she added, "Unlike you people of the Sword Sect, I am not good at lying."

"Then you're no good! I've always had a hundred percent chance of beating you! It's just that you hide well!"

"A common tone for the Sword Sect."

"Without the Sword Sect, would you even exist? Traitor!"

"Clown."

"Trash."

The little girl held Taozi in her arms, the heads of the human and the cat turning slightly, looking at Zhang Suannai one moment and Luo Huaian the next. As freeloaders, they didn't understand what was happening, but that didn't stop them from finding it interesting.

The others also remained silent, secretly watching them.

Zhang Suannai observed everyone's reactions from the corner of her eye, thinking to herself that this was enough; if she added a little more fuel to the fire and ruined the pleasant atmosphere, who would still be in the mood to watch the drama?

"Trash! How much longer until you reach the Sixth Stage?"

"Within this year."

"Fine! I'll wait for you to reach the Sixth Stage!"

"Agreed!"

"Your Royal Court's mouths are harder than swords."

"Clown."

"Who are you calling a clown?"

"Who the clown is, is plain for all to see."

"What did you say!?"

Zhang Suannai was instantly infuriated; after shifting the topic for so long, she had actually been dragged right back into it—how could she allow this?

"Bang!"

Zhang Suannai slapped the table: "Don't force me to beat you up right now!"

"Hey, hey!"

Chen Shu really couldn't hold back and spoke up to stop them.

Zhang Suannai frowned tightly.

As for Luo Huaian, the moment he shouted "Hey, hey," she subconsciously turned her head to look at him.

Only then did Chen Shu say helplessly: "You two, stop for a moment. We can fully understand the sect stances of you two, but this is a gathering of group members after all. Our primary identity right now is as group members, so everyone should prioritize harmony... don't hurt the friendly atmosphere just because the group owner isn't here."

"Tch!"

"..."

The two temporarily quieted down.

However, Luo Huaian was silent for two seconds before spitting out another sentence:

"Continue with the introductions."

By this time, the people on the right had already finished introducing themselves. The first on the left was Ning Qing, and since everyone knew this, they all looked at Chen Shu and the Ning Qing beside him.

It seemed they had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"Zhaoyeqing."

Ning Qing said faintly.

Luo Huaian took the lead and glanced at Zhang Suannai first.

Immediately, the expressions of everyone present, except for Xiaoxiao and Taozi, became strange, and they couldn't help but cast their gazes toward Zhang Suannai.

Zhang Suannai fell silent.

A deep silence.

"Heh..."

Luo Huaian continued to take the lead, laughing once; although she said nothing, everyone seemed to grasp her meaning.

Zhang Suannai clenched her hands into fists.

Fearing they would start arguing again, Chen Shu hurriedly added: "Her surname is Ning, the Ning of 'tranquility,' and her given name is Ning Qing. My given name is Chen Shu, and I grew up with her. This is her younger sister, named Ning Ji, and this cat was brought along to mooch a meal... As for this last one, Zhang Suannai, there's no need for an introduction, right?"

"Mm."

Luo Huaian gave a hum: "Zhaoyeqing's roommate."

"!!!"

Zhang Suannai clenched her fists even tighter.

At this moment, Master Xuanzhen looked at Ning Qing; he had already guessed what system of Cultivator Ning Qing belonged to, and at this time, he only sighed: "Donor Zhaoyeqing, we met here two years ago, and later I even heard Donor Grandma ask about you. At the time, I didn't know; you really hid yourself too deeply... I admire you, I truly admire you."

Ning Qing only nodded and hummed.

Everyone glanced at Zhang Suannai.

Zhang Suannai:...

Dharma Master Tongdeng pondered for two seconds and also spoke up: "Indeed, as a disciple of the Buddhist Sect, I never imagined that Zhaoyeqing was actually you. I am ashamed, truly ashamed."

Everyone glanced at Zhang Suannai.

Zhang Suannai:...

Sure enough! There isn't a single good person in this group!

At this moment, she was actually somewhat glad that the group owner was in a coma and that the silly Wuming had gone missing, otherwise there would be two more people mocking her.

Then, only hearing Luo Huaian say: "This is normal. If it were up to me to guess, no matter who I guessed Zhaoyeqing was—even if I guessed everyone in Yujing—I would never have thought that Zhaoyeqing was actually the roommate of the girlfriend that 'Qingcai Meitan Lian' loves, the one he treats as a goddess, the one in front of whom he must maintain his image and try his best to conceal things, not letting her know about the stupid things he once did in the group. Who would have thought that everything he did was always being watched by Zhaoyeqing."

Damn it, you're still helping me recall it!?

Zhang Suannai's fists creaked.

The Divine Sword inside her body was restless.

Spirit Power spilled out, and killing intent spread.

The little girl and Taozi beside her didn't understand, but thought it was very exciting. Yan Keling sat on the other side, shrinking her neck and shivering.

Zhang Suannai took two deep breaths, constantly telling herself in her heart that this was a Military Academy, she couldn't use force casually, and if she really calculated it, this was also the territory of that posturing prick, so she still had to win by wit.

Silent for two seconds, she loosened her fists and suddenly asked: "You haven't answered when I asked what your name was just now."

Hearing this, everyone looked at Luo Huaian again.

Luo Huaian stared coldly at Zhang Suannai:

"Wu Eiwei!"

"Wei?" Zhang Suannai pretended not to understand, "Is your surname Wei or is your name Wei?"

"Surname is Wu, the Wu with 'mouth' and 'sky,' Wu Eiwei."

"Pfft! What kind of shitty name is that?"

"It's alright, about the same as Zhang Suannai."

"?"

Zhang Suannai glanced at the expressions of the others and said in a low voice: "The mouths of the Royal Court's trash are indeed faster than swords."

"The Sword Sect clown's brain is truly smaller than a mouse's."

"!"

Zhang Suannai clenched her fists again, determined not to speak.

"Everyone, let's go get food," Chen Shu clicked his tongue and said, "Let's abandon the fine tradition of not talking while eating and chat while we eat."

"Fine."

Everyone stood up.

Xiaoxiao also stood up, following her brother-in-law and sister.

A few minutes later, everyone sat back down.

Zhang Suannai looked at Wu Eiwei, very curious about how she could eat while wearing a mask, but in order to minimize her presence as much as possible, she still didn't make a sound—she knew that given the personalities of this group of silly group members, they would definitely ask.

Sure enough, that Daoist spoke first.

"Benefactor Wu, how do you eat while wearing a mask?"

"..."

Wu Eiwei did not speak, but provided an answer.

She didn't move at all, yet the sci-fi metal mask on her face seemed to come alive, flowing like mercury; subsequently, a small section underneath disappeared, revealing the area below her nose—one could only tell that her skin was very fair, her chin was pointed and delicate, and she had a very beautiful M-shaped lip.

Zhang Suannai couldn't help it: "Do you wear a mask when you eat at home too?"

"None of your business."

"Do you wear it when you shower too?"

"..."

"Do you wear it when you sleep too?"

"..."

"What is the use of this mask?"

"..."

"Are you too ugly to be seen in public?"

"..."

"I'm talking to you!"

"Angry?"

Wu Eiwei scooped up a spoonful of fried rice, paused in mid-air, turned her head to look at her for a few seconds, and then looked at Ning Qing beside her: "Do you also get angry when Zhaoyeqing treats you like this usually?"

"!"

Zhang Suannai closed her mouth again.

Several people at the table were holding back laughter, their expressions deeply wounding her.

Before long, she heard Master Xuanzhen beside them ask: "Has Benefactor Wu gone to see the group leader?"

"I went, yesterday."

"Why did Cao Ci attack him?"

"Origin."

"So that's how it is..."

Master Xuanzhen sighed.

Yan Keling finally found an opportunity to interject: "How is the group leader's situation now?"

Before Master Xuanzhen, who was at Yuan'an Temple, could answer, and before Wu Eiwei, who had just seen the group leader, could answer, Dharma Master Tongdeng chanted a Buddhist name: "Amitabha, the day of the group leader's awakening is not far off."

"How so?" Master Xuanzhen asked.

"When it is time to know, one will naturally know."

"Then how long is 'not far off'?"

"Not too long."

"About when will he wake up?"

"When he wakes, he wakes."

"..."

Several group members showed speechless expressions.

Only Ning Qing, Chen Shu, and Zhang Suannai felt very resistant to this, while Xiaoxiao raised her head, expressionlessly eyeing Dharma Master Tongdeng.

Then, the few of them chatted while eating, from the group leader to Cao Ci, to the situation in Puluo, and then to the Martial Body assembly; the atmosphere gradually became harmonious, and Zhang Suannai also gradually relaxed, starting to happily eat fish balls and fried chicken legs.

But just at this moment, that silly Daoist suddenly blurted out: "By the way, Benefactor Granny, when did you find out that Zhaoyeqing is your roommate?"

"Cough!"

Zhang Suannai was almost choked.

After finally catching her breath, when she raised her head, she saw that everyone except Ning Qing and Chen Shu was staring at her, their eyes flashing with strange light, including even Xiaoxiao and Taozi.

"Shut up! You idiot!"

"..."

Master Xuanzhen slowly turned his head and exchanged a look with Dharma Master Tongdeng.

So Dharma Master Tongdeng shook his head, pretending to stand up for her: "Benefactor Qingcai and Benefactor Zhaoyeqing are quite dishonest, keeping it from Benefactor Granny all this time."

"The group leader knew too," Yan Keling said in a low voice, "but he was always watching the fun from the sidelines."

Wu Eiwei, while looking down and pushing the rice grains in her plate with a spoon, said: "What I'm more curious about is her expression and psychological state when she found out Zhaoyeqing was her roommate, and how Zhaoyeqing felt watching her act foolishly every day for the past two years."

"!!!"

Zhang Suannai really wanted to draw her Sword and hack her.

No! It's to hack them!

If she had known, she shouldn't have come to this gathering!

Just as she was feeling indignant, she heard her roommate's voice from the other end of the table, clear and indifferent: "Although it is indeed a bit stupid, it is actually quite cute and quite interesting."

"?"

Zhang Suannai was stunned for a moment and hurriedly picked at her ear—

Did I hear that right?

Qingqing specifically spoke up for me?

And praised me as cute? Praised me as interesting?

In that instant, Zhang Suannai was incredibly moved.

Coming to this gathering was indeed the right choice.