Chapter 204: Kunshan Elective Courses
Lu Cixian didn't stay long in Yuqing Hall. He took the cloth with a smile, as if he hadn't noticed the change in Zhou Yan and Lu Pihan's expressions.
"I have brought you here. Let us part ways today and meet again tomorrow."
Qiao Wan immediately said, "I will see you off."
The young boy took a step forward with his long legs and walked out of Yuqing Hall.
As Qiao Wan and Lu Cixian walked away, the long corridor fell into silence once again. The lamps on the wall glowed softly, casting blurry shadows that intermingled with the peaceful sound of rain outside the hall, creating a warm atmosphere.
This atmosphere made Mu Xiaoxiao feel slightly uneasy in her heart. She said, "Master... Elder Martial Brother..."
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yan spoke again, but this time he asked her to leave first. He said, "Xiaoxiao, go and rest."
Mu Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, feeling a bit hesitant, but she also sensed that something was off in the atmosphere. So, she obediently nodded and walked away with her cloud shoes.
Thus, only Zhou Yan and Lu Pihan were left in the palace.
Zhou Yan asked, "Is that Lu Cixian? What do you think?"
Lu Pihan didn't hold back and calmly assessed, "This person has a stubborn and untamable personality, but doesn't appear to be so by nature."
Zhou Yan frowned, "Are you saying he's just putting on a show?"
Lu Pihan replied coldly, "I don't think so."
"Putting on a show" is not a good term. Instead of that, Lu Pihan would prefer to say that Lu Cixian is cunning and deeply scheming.
He was young and had high cultivation. It was natural for a talented young cultivator like him to have some pride. However, Lu Cixian did not seem to be naturally arrogant, but rather intentional. Although he acted a bit aloof, he was not lacking in manners when interacting with others, and it was hard to find any flaws in his etiquette.
"He may be young, but he is very careful in his actions." Lu Pihan cleared his throat and continued, "This person is cunning and seems to hold some unknown grudge against Kunshan."
Zhou Yan asked, "Is he on good terms with Qiao Wan?"
"I don't think so," Lu Pihan's gaze turned colder. "If he truly cared about Qiao Wan, he wouldn't direct all his hostility towards her in front of everyone."
It didn't seem like protection or love, but rather like using her as a shield.
While Lu Pihan and Zhou Yan were discussing, Xiao Huan had just returned to his room to rest.
Just as he took off his raincoat, he glanced at the figure sitting under the light in the room. Xiao Sui's face was gloomy, as if he had been scolded by someone.
Xiao Huan immediately smiled and casually hung his raincoat on the rack. "What's wrong? Why do you look so upset? Did someone bully you?"
Xiao Sui's face remained gloomy. "Brother, Qiao Wan..."
"Qiao Wan bullied you?" Xiao Huan was surprised. "She doesn't seem like someone who would bully you."
What could he say?
Xiao Huan's heart sank slightly. He felt a bit downcast.
He couldn't exactly say that he went to bother Qiao Wan, only to be shamefully chased back, could he?
Xiao Huan carefully observed his younger brother's expression and confirmed it at last.
His own younger brother had been treated unfairly outside and came to him for support.
"It's a pity, Little Sui, you were a step too late."
Knowing Xiao Sui's trouble-making abilities, Xiao Huan could only smile wryly. "It's a pity, Little Sui, you were a step too late."
Xiao Sui was puzzled and immediately asked, "What do you mean?"
"Lu Cixian is here."
Xiao Huan smiled slightly and sat down next to Xiao Sui, gently rubbing his little brother's dark head.
"From the look on your face, it seems like you still don't know."
The expression of frustration on Xiao Sui's face became even more pronounced. "Big brother!"
Xiao Huan laughed, "Oh dear, I almost forgot. Little Sui has grown up, he's not a child anymore. I apologize for being rude, big brother."
Xiao Sui silently smoothed the hair on his head, not really angry despite his annoyance.
After all, he was his own big brother.
Well, kind of like a half-sibling.
Although they weren't born from the same mother, Xiao Sui had great trust in his big brother. Since childhood, Xiao Huan had been good to him. When Xiao Sui was young and foolish, he thought Xiao Huan was fake and pretended to be nice because of their father's favoritism. He always tried to expose Xiao Huan's fake mask, but instead of getting angry, Xiao Huan continued to treat him kindly as always.
Every time he made a mistake, his older brother would cover for him with their father, even willing to take the blame himself. Over time, Xiao Sui successfully won over Xiao Huan, and from then on, he looked up to his older brother.
Lu Cixian?
Xiao Sui hesitated, carefully chewing on those three words. "Is this from Buping College?"
Although he had a hot temper and was a bit clueless, he wasn't stupid. He came to Kunshan this time to make a good impression at the gathering of fellow cultivators, so he had already gathered information about the popular candidates in advance.
Lu Cixian came to Kunshan? How did he get involved with Qiao Wan?
After listening to Xiao Huan's retelling, Xiao Sui's heart skipped a beat and his face turned slightly green.
Xiao Huan tidied up his slightly damp, jet-black hair and smiled at his younger brother's colorful expression. "With Lu Cixian's arrival, he has certainly stirred up the storms in Kunshan."
"He... How is he?" Xiao Sui hesitated to ask, "Is he easy to deal with?"
"Little Sui, you're much smarter than him."
Xiao Sui's face turned even greener.
Xiao Huan, who always seemed carefree and flirtatious, suddenly became more serious. He casually gave a comment similar to Lu Pihan's: "Lu Cixian is cunning. You should avoid provoking him, Little Sui."
"This sword chase not only intimidates the person behind it, but also those who have thoughts about Wen Si Xing Zhu Sword in the shadows. It also showcases the power of Buping College, a small school. After today, those who looked down on Buping College might have a change of heart."
However, today's events did help him establish some information.
These small sects, when interacting with others, emphasize the importance of being wise and low-key. Since Lu Cixian is being so open about it, it means he is confident and ambitious. He wants to take this opportunity to establish Buping College's reputation and make it stand out among all the other sects in the future.
Someone with ambition and skills like him, his younger brother can't handle him.
"But Qiao Wan..." Xiao Sui is still not giving up.
He has lost face to Qiao Wan, the young man's face darkens, he must at least get it back.
"Qiao Wan?" Xiao Huan asks with a smile, "How do you plan to deal with her?"
Xiao Sui is shocked for a moment and says in disbelief, "Big brother, didn't you say that Lu Cixian and Qiao Wan...?"
"You've been bullied, but as your big brother, how can I just watch you being bullied?" Xiao Huan sighed helplessly, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Although Lu Cixian has a close relationship with both you and Qiao Wan, I'm not asking you to confront Qiao Wan head-on, Little Sui. Don't you understand this reasoning?"
"Moreover," Xiao Huan chuckled, "he doesn't seem to value Qiao Wan that much. If he truly cared for her, he wouldn't use her as a target."
A graceful smile adorned Xiao Huan's lips as he continued, "If I were to deal with Qiao Wan, I would ruin her reputation, undermine her foundations, sow discord among her loved ones, and snatch away her friends."
Xiao Sui gazed at Xiao Huan's fair and flawless skin, silent.
His own big brother was truly cunning, with a dark heart hidden beneath his fair exterior. It was truly terrifying.
"Please enlighten me, big brother," Xiao Sui said.
Xiao Huan spoke gently, "Qiao Wan holds the position of the empress of the demon realm, haven't you forgotten, Little Sui?"
But when Qiao Wan jumped off Taixu Peak and severed ties with the demon realm, everyone saw it. Xiao Sui frowned, "Besides, after she returned to Kunshan, she had to deal with the spiritual master blocking her path and Lu Pihan and Ma Huaizhen chasing after her. I'm worried that this might harm her foundation."
Xiao Huan said, "The spiritual master used to have an agreement with my Xiao family, so you don't have to worry about him. As for severing ties, we don't know if it's real or fake." Xiao Huan smiled, "Even if it's real, can't you come up with a way to make it seem fake?"
Meanwhile, Qiao Wan had no idea about the impending storms. However, she was walking around pretending to be Lu Cixian, and she guessed that many people were secretly speculating about her.
But Qiao Wan remained calm. No matter how much people speculated, they couldn't figure out that she was a bit crazy.
The challenge she faced now was that she had been in Kunshan for many days and it was time for her to attend classes.
In a place called Kunshan, the way they teach this big class is a bit similar to the elective courses in modern universities. Qiao Wan has fallen behind in her schoolwork and now it's a "new semester," so she has to choose her classes again.
This time, she is taking a public class, and the classroom is located on Zhenwu Peak, which is spacious enough.
Early in the morning, Qiao Wan entered the "classroom" expressionlessly. Taking advantage of the few people, she quickly took a seat, ignoring the strange glances that were sporadically floating in her direction. She furrowed her brow and fell into deep thought.
It's necessary to bring up the matter of getting the sword manual with the seniors, but how to win over Zhou Yan is a difficult problem.
The approach of acting soft and relying on others, like Mu Xiaoxiao, clearly won't work anymore. There is also a suspicion of imitating others without success.
What would Li, the senior, do?
As she pondered, a shadow suddenly cast over her head.
Qiao Wan looked up.
Qiao Wan, with her beautiful eyes and lovely face, held a distinctive high ponytail. In her hand, she held a local specialty called "bread" that she learned from a disciple of the Bat Spirit at the Kunshan cafeteria.
With a bread in one hand and a textbook in the other, Qiao Wan embodied the typical student vibe. She only needed to carry a baseball bag on her shoulder to complete the look.
"Here you go," Pei Chunzheng lowered his eyes and slapped the bread in his hand right in front of Qiao Wan.
Before Qiao Wan could react, several figures sat down around her.
Up ahead, there was Qi Feidao, who looked a bit sloppy. He had a bread in his mouth, wore grass shoes, and was dragging Fang Lingqing with him. He plopped down on his seat with a sense of curiosity in his eyes.
Behind, Xiu Quan smiled and waved, saying, "Hey, girl. Good morning!"
Following behind him was Jia Yin, who seemed out of place with his attire that resembled that of a leader of the Black Dao. There were large intricate patterns on the cuffs of his robe, or rather, the robe of a silver dragon.
Qiao Wan's face momentarily revealed confusion as she exclaimed, "Why is everyone here?! Something doesn't seem right!"
