Chapter 195: Deceiving Emotions
Li Pan casually threw away the black chess piece in his hand. "You realized it faster than I imagined, saving me a lot of effort."
"In that case, let's pack up and go to Kunshan in a few days," he said.
Qiao Wan was surprised. "So soon?"
Li Pan's voice was firm. "Enough."
Before the words even fell, a figure dressed in bright red floated down outside the window. Wang Ruyi applauded upside down. "Well done!"
Without even looking, Li Pan calmly picked up a black chess piece and hit Wang Ruyi right on the forehead.
Wang Ruyi, holding her forehead, complained in a sweet voice, "Li Shishu, you're really not considerate at all."
"Jiaojiao, can you take me with you back to Kunshan this time?" Wang Ruyi adjusted her hair and sat up straight seriously.
Since leaving Jiuyue Mountain, Wang Ruyi had been following Lu Cixian to Buping College and temporarily stayed there.
Li Pan smiled and said, "What can you do by following?"
"You don't understand, Li Shishu," Wang Ruyi said seriously, "Chu taoist friend once told me."
"The best way to deal with a b***h is to be even more b***hy than her."
By the way, since they soaked in a hot spring together, Wang Ruyi and Chu Tongzheng have formed a magical friendship and kept in touch till now.
Li Pan remained silent.
The ignorant and straightforward man, Li Pan's eyebrows twitched slightly. This was indeed a very straightforward and violent strategy.
"Take me with you," Jiaojiao blinked her eyes and said softly, with a teasing tone, "Brother Cixian?"
The young boy's cold face turned slightly red.
"......"
Li Pan, an ignorant and straightforward man, felt his eyebrows twitch and cleared his throat with a serious expression.
"Now that you're leaving, there's something else I need to tell you."
Qiao Wan immediately stood up and bowed, "Please speak, senior."
"For your own sake, you must not conflict with Zhou Yan now," said Li Pan calmly. "Zhou Yan is your master, you must know his personality well. He is indecisive, so if you want to deal with him, the key is to attack his emotions."
"I need you to pretend to make peace with him and help me find something."
*
The 120th floor.
Getting closer.
Breathing heavily, Qiao Wan leaned her sword against a tree and took out the jade pendant from her pocket. Her fingers, stained with blood, trembled as she clicked on the "forum" of Kunshan and took a quick glance.
The Xiaos have acted faster than she had imagined.
Although I've never experienced the world of online public opinion, I understand the power of rumors and how small things can be blown out of proportion. Without any guidance, I quickly learned how to manipulate the opinions and comments. It started at three o'clock in the afternoon when the public opinion began to lean heavily towards a certain direction, clearly influenced by someone.
Even though Taoist Friend Mu is causing trouble, it's an undeniable fact that Qiao Wan wanted to harm her fellow martial sister. Taoist Friend Mu's friends were concerned about her safety, and it's understandable for people to worry about each other.
Similar discussions were held in an attempt to reconcile and shift the focus in a different direction. But in the end, they managed to divert the attention to whether or not Qiao Wan would be able to reach 220 within three days.
I've never experienced the harsh realities of online disputes, but White Dragon held the jade tablet with tears in their eyes.
What should we do about this? QaQ
However, the discussions eventually shifted due to someone's guidance, directing the attention towards "whether or not Qiao Wan can successfully reach 220 within three days."
"Never mind that, Qiao Wan went to climb the tower just to climb it, right? Can she make it to the 220th level?"
"Although inner disciples rarely go to the White Tower, but from the 200th level onward, it's the territory of the inner disciples. These elder martial sisters and senior martial brothers are not easy to deal with. Each level is as difficult as reaching the heavens."
"220 levels? I estimate that Qiao Wan will have to turn back around the 180th level."
Hmm...
After pondering for a while, Qiao Wan temporarily decided not to act rashly and decided to go to the cafeteria for a meal first.
Although she has quite a following, Qiao Wan scratched her head, but she hasn't reached the level of being the talk of Kunshan yet. In any case, she'll let the public opinion ferment for a while.
In the White Tower, whether it's tormenting others or being tormented, after a whole day of fighting, she knows that her physical strength and mental state have reached their limits. She quickly re-bandaged her wounds, called Jun Caiwei and Gan Nan, and hurried to the cafeteria.
But as soon as they arrived at the cafeteria, they bumped into Qi Feidao and Fang Lingqing.
"Hey, isn't that...?" Holding a plate of food, Fang Lingqing paused for a moment, instinctively stopping in his tracks.
Qi Feidao : "Isn't what?"
Fang Lingqing : "Isn't that... Qiao Wan ?"
Qi Feidao also stopped, glancing in the direction Fang Lingqing pointed.
The girl had already walked far away, her head shiny and clean, with a few splatters of blood on her face that hadn't been wiped away yet. She was wearing a pink dress and had a fierce look on her face.
The man wore straw shoes and smirked.
Well, this empress of the demon realm certainly has some personality.
...
Qiao Wan , who was unaware of what was happening, was happily playing with her food. Xiao Huan , who had learned the skill of "critiquing" on his own, was lounging on a couch and smiled as he asked, "Did you handle everything?"
Jun Caiwei didn't eat, he only drank. He tilted his head back and took a sip of his drink. The man's eyes narrowed slightly as he pointed to a scroll on the table. "Be careful, I think the Xiao family might make a move in this area."
Qiao Wan, with no expression on her face, ate a bowl of rice and chewed slowly before making a gesture.
In the face of absolute strength, all conspiracies and tricks are just paper tigers.
Only two days left, and now she had to focus all her energy on how to reach level 220.
Even though level 220 was difficult, could Meng Canglang, Xie Xingzhi, and Bai Shanhu be ruthless opponents? The strength of these three individuals could surpass level 220 and they had already surpassed the ceiling of the White Tower, having fought against the Demon Emperor without any fear!
Setting down her bowl, she picked up the sword on the table and hurriedly left.
Gan Nan looked worried and said, "Is my little sister okay? I can't help but feel a bit anxious."
Jun Caiwei waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, she'll be fine."
Mei Yuanbai was the daughter of Su Buhuo.
Jun Caiwei sneered inwardly, what else is there to worry about?
For the next two days, Qiao Wan had flames burning behind her, rushing day and night on her fast horse, and with a powerful momentum, she continuously crushed her opponents without losing a single game.
"Oh wow! Taoist friends, Qiao Wan has won 20 times in a row!"
"Now it's 30 wins in a row!"
"40 wins in a row!"
Inspired by this intense fighting spirit, Gan Nan hesitated for a moment, then rolled up his sleeves and joined the arduous struggle of climbing the tower.
The people of Kunshan were eagerly waiting, craning their necks, wondering when Qiao Wan would fall down from the white tower. In stark contrast, Mu Xiaoxiao, her fellow elder martial sister, had stopped at layer sixty and couldn't make any further progress.
In a quiet room, Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong smiled as he looked at the sword immortal sitting next to him. "Do you think Qiao Wan can reach the 220th layer?"
Zhou Yan lowered his head. "Wan'er is my disciple, and she has already done her best to reach the 200th layer. Going any further, there are elites from the spiritual master disciples, such as Gong Yuanfan, the disciples under Elder Xuantong, and Wen Xiaowei from the disciples under Elder Miaoxing. They will be waiting. Wan'er is young and inexperienced."
Qiao Wan herself...
Yuqing Spiritual Master frowned, his face showing little expression.
Compared to Xiaoxiao, she was a bit too extreme.
"According to Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong," he grinned, "you might not reach the level of 220. But who knows? You're a youth full of passion and determination. If you give it your all, you might just reach it."
After taking a sip of tea, Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong extended an invitation, "Would you like to come with me to the White Tower?"
Zhou Yan remained silent for a moment, then stood up and replied, "Sure."
To be honest, he didn't believe Qiao Wan could reach the level of 220.
Many people gathered at Bikuang Island for this crucial match. The disciples from Kunshan who had nothing else to do came together, eagerly waiting for the outcome of the match.
Apart from Zhou Yan, Mu Xiaoxiao was also among the people who came.
As soon as she saw Zhou Yan, the girl bowed respectfully and softly called out, "Master."
Upon seeing Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong by Zhou Yan's side, she greeted him, saying, "Spiritual master."
Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong smiled kindly and said, "Xiaoxiao, it's been a few days since we last saw each other, and you've become even more beautiful. How is your cultivation going? Have you encountered any difficulties?"
Mu Xiaoxiao shook her head.
Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong nodded and said, "Your younger martial sister is already in her forties and has already reached the foundational stage. You should learn from her more. Xiaoxiao, you should also strive harder."
The old man teased, "And also, after next year, you'll be 55 years old. You're already a grown woman, so why do you still act like a little girl and cling to your master?"
Mu Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, realizing that Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong was referring to her focusing too much on her appearance.
Feeling a bit uneasy, she instinctively looked towards Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan stared straight ahead and didn't look over. He simply raised his hand slightly and said, "Xiaoxiao, come here."
Mu Xiaoxiao nervously walked over, her skirt gracefully brushing against the ground, resembling a blooming peach blossom.
"Master, Martial Sister Qiao Wan...she..."
Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong smiled and glanced, "Why? Worried about your younger martial sister?"
"I'm just worried about Martial Sister Qiao Wan's safety." Mu Xiaoxiao paused, then nervously muttered, "If she wins, it'll be fine. But if she loses..."
Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong stroked his beard, smiled knowingly, and winked. "Don't worry, just watch and see how your younger martial sister performs."
Qiao Wan, whether she can reach 220 is still unknown.
Sensing movement behind him, Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong didn't turn his head and smiled, "Hall Master Ma, you're here too."
A deep, masculine voice answered, "Greetings, Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong."
After sitting down, Ma Huaizhen's gaze fell on the arena.
In this match, Qiao Wan's opponent coincidentally happened to be Wen Hui.
The young senior brother smiled warmly and greeted, "Taoist Friend Qiao, we meet again."
Looking at the young girl in front of him, Wen Hui couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.
When Qiao Wan first saw Ciji at Changhong Cliff, she never expected that after a few months of training, she would now be standing in front of him with a radiant smile, having achieved her goal.
The girl had a fit and agile figure, with clear bright eyes. There was not an ounce of excess fat on her body. It was evident that she was a skilled warrior, ready to unleash her power.
Jun Caiwei stood below the platform, watching intently. He thought to himself, "This battle is Brother Niu's true comeback in Kunshan. He must win convincingly and turn the tables."
Gan Nan couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
Wen Hui took the initiative, calmly saying, "I apologize in advance."
He struck first!
Qiao Wan fearlessly faced him head-on!
Despite Wen Hui's gentle appearance, he wielded a mighty sword. His strikes were steady and powerful, descending upon Qiao Wan with precision.
And as for Qiao Wan, she fought barehanded.
Barehanded?
The disciples of Kunshan were all taken aback.
Before facing Wen Hui, Qiao Wan already knew that her clumsy sword against Wen Hui's sharp knife would lead to a tragic ending. So this time, she decided to use her hands.
Qiao Wan's mind started spinning rapidly. In the previous battle at the Three Teachings Law Meeting with Xie Xingzhi, she established a comparison. One Xie Xingzhi is worth three Wen Hui.
Conservatively estimating, assuming one Xie Xingzhi equals three Wen Hui. If she can push Xie Xingzhi back half a zhang with one palm, then she can push Wen Hui back 15 zhang, which is about 4,995 meters.
Hmm, that should be enough.
Wen Hui's big knife was extremely sharp, but the young girl took a step back and unexpectedly used her bare hands to meet the blade!
Boom!
A muffled sound.
Surprisingly, there was no harm done. Qiao Wan's flesh palms effortlessly pushed aside the sharp blade. She twisted her wrist and firmly clenched the back of the knife in her hand.
As soon as they crossed paths, Wen Hui realized it was not good.
Qiao Wan, with her graceful movements and unique martial arts skills, seemed unstoppable. No matter how hard Wen Hui tried to attack, Qiao Wan's sword seemed embedded in the ground, making it impossible to pull back or strike further. It appeared as if she had reached a stalemate.
Could it be that Qiao Wan was holding back her true strength? This daring speculation left Wen Hui astonished and slightly distracted.
From the first level to the 220th level, Qiao Wan had been fighting relentlessly for three days straight. The physical and mental toll required for such intense battles was unimaginable for ordinary people. Could she really maintain her strength to face him in this high-stakes fight?
Was Qiao Wan cheating somehow? The thought crossed the minds of the Kunshan disciples as well. After all, they were all cultivators and understood the possibilities.
Qiao Wan... seemed invincible, as if she possessed an unbreakable spirit.
It was clear that even though she was a individual cultivator who had trained her body to the extreme, the girl still had a physical body. But she managed to reach the 220th level with her determination, causing Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong to be amazed.
"Spiritual master, you have a good disciple," said Zhou Yan in surprise.
He had never imagined that Qiao Wan could reach the 220th level. But now, the girl on the martial stage was evenly matched with Wen Hui, a cultivator in the Golden Core stage.
The onlookers below the stage were speechless.
Was this still Qiao Wan?
Was this still the useless Qiao Wan who had taken the back door?
Compared to her messy and narrowly won battle at Changhong Cliff, the girl's movements now were much more agile and composed.
The two on the stage had become two intertwined shadows.
Ignoring the occasional strange looks from the surroundings, Mu Xiaoxiao tightly gripped her skirt and looked at Qiao Wan with complex emotions.
At this point, she didn't know what exactly she felt about Qiao Wan.
The girl panicked and tried to figure it out.
She admired her, longed to become her, and also felt jealous of her, secretly despising her.
At the moment when Wen Hui was caught off guard, Qiao Wan took a few steps forward.
Although the girl had a slender figure, these few steps felt as heavy as a mountain collapsing, making Wen Hui break into a cold sweat and forced to retreat.
In that instant, Qiao Wan made another move! She slapped the back of the sword with her hand!
Clang!
The force flowed along the back of the sword, into the handle, and reached the skin.
Wen Hui suddenly felt numbness throughout his body. A powerful force, accompanied by a hint of lightning, overwhelmed him, leaving him unable to move. His hand grew weak, and the large sword he was holding fell to the ground.
Qiao Wan quickly seized the opportunity, turned around, and attacked with her sword!
Swift Kill!
The sound of the blade cutting through the air echoed!
The wide sword pressed against the handsome face of the young man, deeply embedding itself into the wooden pillar behind the arena.
The entire White Tower fell into a sudden silence for a second, and then erupted into chaos a moment later because the game hadn't even lasted for fifteen minutes.
"How about that?" on the stands, Spiritual Master Xuan Zhong adjusted his posture to a more comfortable position and smiled at Mu Xiaoxiao.
"Are you still worried about the safety of your younger martial sister?"
In an instant, Mu Xiaoxiao turned pale.
However, there was no joy of victory as everyone had imagined. Despite winning, Qiao Wan was still thinking about something else in her heart.
She sheathed her sword and looked up at the man in white standing on the platform, lost in thought. Her gaze met Zhou Yan's cold eyes, causing her to hesitate and waver slightly.
Could it be... that she really had to follow what Senior Li said and pretend to reconcile with Zhou Yan, deceiving his feelings?
