Chapter 25
Why could Qiao Wan guess that Mu Xiaoxiao wanted to win over Ma Huaizhen? Because the story "Immortal Ascending Road" could totally be considered as a record of Mu Xiaoxiao's conquests.
The female lead, Mu Xiaoxiao, with her innocence and healing, conquered one after another, from Kunshan to the demon realm. Basically, any famous figure in the cultivation world had some interest in Mu Xiaoxiao.
This was the basic setup for a thrilling story.
Qiao Wan didn't think there was anything wrong when she read the story, but now that she encountered it herself, and the target of conquest was the people around her, she found it quite strange.
Qiao Wan scratched her head.
She didn't know whether to congratulate Ma Huaizhen or to pity him.
Qiao Wan didn't actually know much about Ma Huaizhen. To him, she was a sword that could still be used, albeit a bit dull, but still handy. Even if Mu Xiaoxiao asked her what Ma Huaizhen liked and disliked, Qiao Wan herself couldn't figure it out.
Even if she knew, it seemed impolite to tell others about Ma Huaizhen's personal matters.
Qiao Wan was a bit conflicted.
But she didn't want to have a bad relationship with Mu Xiaoxiao, so she tried to recall harmless little things and told her what she knew, which could easily be found out about Kunshan.
"Is that all?" Mu Xiaoxiao pouted, seeming a bit skeptical.
"That's all," Qiao Wan said. "I really don't know much about Hall Master Ma."
She really only knew this much.
As they kept talking, they soon arrived at the bottom of Changhong Cliff. At this time, many disciples had already gathered there.
As soon as they saw Mu Xiaoxiao and Qiao Wan, they all fell silent for a few seconds, their gaze sweeping across their faces, ultimately resting on Qiao Wan.
Yesterday's post "Shocking! Qiao Wan and a naked disciple from Qingyang meet in the middle of the night!" had become a sensation in Kunshan. From the elders to the outer disciples, almost everyone knew that there was a female disciple named Qiao who had done something scandalous with a male disciple from Qingyang in the middle of the night.
That Qingyang disciple had even fallen from the sky, completely naked!
Facing the intense gazes of the crowd, Qiao Wan felt embarrassed and realized what it meant to be a popular figure in the Kunshan Sect. Mu Xiaoxiao had fainted yesterday and had no idea what had happened. Now, seeing everyone's attention on Qiao Wan, she was taken aback. Even though she was standing next to Qiao Wan, all eyes were on her.
...
A mix of disappointment, dissatisfaction, and grievances surged through her mind.
Her worst fear seemed to have come true.
Qiao Wan had truly replaced her.
Mu Xiaoxiao's face turned pale, and her tongue felt bitter and numb.
Soon, she took a deep breath and put on a smile before taking the initiative to approach.
To the surprise of the disciples at Changhong Cliff, Mu Xiaoxiao, who seemed innocent and adorable, tilted her head and spoke slowly with a lingering smile, sounding like a slow-moving snail.
After a while, the female disciples relaxed.
They were curious about Mu Xiaoxiao and felt more courageous to strike up a conversation with her, now that she was closer.
As for Qiao Wan, she spent her days immersed in cultivation and had very few friends to talk to.
Her master only asked her to take care of Mu Xiaoxiao and didn't expect anything bad to happen when she interacted with people.
Qiao Wan scratched her head, found a quiet spot, and sat down, closing her eyes to continue her cultivation.
She checked her spiritual power again.
Qiao Wan: "What a mistake!! I forgot about the bag of White Dragon Scales!"
The feeling of immense power rushing through her dantian and into the sea from yesterday still lingered in her memory, bringing tears to her eyes.
While Qiao Wan was meditating, Mu Xiaoxiao was conversing with the female disciples.
"I just arrived and noticed all of you younger martial sisters staring at Martial Sister Qiao Wan," Mu Xiaoxiao blushed and whispered, "Did something happen?"
The female disciples hesitated to speak, considering Mu Xiaoxiao's relationship with Martial Sister Qiao Wan.
But after a while of chatting, they relaxed.
Seeing Qiao Wan and Mu Xiaoxiao sitting apart, the female disciples realized that their relationship might not be as close as they thought.
One of the female cultivators lowered her voice and said, "Elder Martial Sister Mu, you may not know, but it's because of what happened yesterday."
"What happened yesterday? I have no idea. Did you see the jade scroll? Show it to me."
Confused, Mu Xiaoxiao opened the jade scroll and instantly fixated her gaze on the bold ink words.
"Shock! Qiao Wan meeting a Qingyang disciple, both naked, in the middle of the night!"
Seeing the "Souvenir Image" inside, Mu Xiaoxiao gasped and her face turned red. Her hands trembled, and the jade scroll fell to the ground with a clatter.
She... she never expected Qiao Wan to be involved in such scandalous activities in the middle of the night. No wonder when she rushed to Yuqing Peak, she saw a unfamiliar male disciple by Qiao Wan's side.
So it was him...
Mu Xiaoxiao stared blankly.
The female disciples next to her looked at the girl's pretty profile and thought about the rumors about "Mu Xiaoxiao, Pei Chunzheng, and Qiao Wan" written on the jade slip. Now that the people involved were sitting in front of them, their curiosity grew even stronger.
I wonder if Mu Xiaoxiao knows about what happened between Pei Chunzheng and Qiao Wan.
I heard that before Mu Xiaoxiao, she and Pei Chunzheng were already in a close relationship, and it was because of Mu Xiaoxiao that Qiao Wan was able to join Zhou Yan's sect. But now the situation between Qiao Wan and Pei Chunzheng is unclear.
The situation between Qiao Wan and Pei Chunzheng couldn't be clearer according to the jade slip.
[Qiao Wan must have taken the initiative to seduce Pei Chunzheng.]
[What about Pei Chunzheng? Weren't he and Mu Xiaoxiao a perfect match?]
[Well, it's probably because of Qiao Wan's face. Qiao Wan and Mu Xiaoxiao look so much alike, you all know that. But no matter how much they look alike, having that face alone is useless. It wasn't long before Pei Chunzheng and Qiao Wan broke up.]
[Does Pei Chunzheng actually have feelings for Qiao Wan? That's a big joke. You latecomer disciples didn't see how Qiao Wan was chasing after Pei Chunzheng, and he never treated her well. If I were Qiao Wan, I would have lost face a long time ago.]
When it comes to relationships between men and women, what everyone hates most are those shameless people who get involved in them, like mistresses, concubines, and third parties. They have always been the most detested.
It's even more unforgivable considering that Mu Xiaoxiao is her benefactor. What Qiao Wan did is completely ungrateful.
One of the female disciples felt that it was too much the more she thought about it.
Then she looked at Mu Xiaoxiao, who tilted her head and looked innocent and clueless.
It's even more heart-wrenching!
Mu Xiaoxiao probably doesn't know about this. In any case, she should not be kept in the dark about something related to her both emotionally and logically.
"Elder Martial Sister Mu, do you know about what happened between Pei Senior Brother and Martial Sister Qiao?" one of the female disciples asked tentatively.
Pei Chunzheng?
Thinking about the boy's cold expression, Mu Xiaoxiao's heart skipped a beat.
What happened between him and Qiao Wan?
The female disciple handed the jade slip to Mu Xiaoxiao and watched her reaction closely.
It's not a lot of words; she will be able to read it quickly.
Seeing the girl looking at the jade slip in her hand with a dazed expression, a few female disciples sympathized with her even more.
"Pei Chunzheng and Martial Sister Qiao Wan?" Mu Xiaoxiao tightened her grip on the jade slip, her voice trembling slightly.
The girl's eyes turned slightly red, with a teary look, like a lost kitten.
They wished they could bring all the treasures and pile them in front of her, to make her smile through her tears.
Unexpectedly, Mu Xiaoxiao was about to cry. Immediately, the others came over to comfort her.
"Elder Martial Sister, don't think too much. Those people are always spreading rumors, and these rumors can't be trusted."
The cultivators had sharp senses and could hear bits and pieces of gossip. Although they pretended not to hear and went about their own business, their minds were not necessarily quiet.
One of the younger martial brothers in blue robes looked serious as he held a jade slip, but he was actually having a lot of fun.
"Qiao Wan and Mu Xiaoxiao are having a class under Changhong Cliff today!" The news quickly spread from one person to another.
"Grab a chair!"
"Grab a flying sword!"
"Grab a gourd!"
In this world, only gossip is not to be missed!
And at the center of the gossip, Qiao Wan was still meditating.
Today, the senior brother Wen Hui arrived a bit late.
After circulating their spiritual energy for two cycles, Qiao Wan opened her eyes and didn't see Wen Hui. Instead, she saw an unexpected figure appearing under Changhong Cliff.
Xiao Boyang.
Xiao Boyang had a higher cultivation and came from a prestigious background, being a true second-generation cultivator.
In theory, he shouldn't be interested in a small class like this, taught by an elder martial sister.
Qiao Wan quietly sized up Xiao Boyang and noticed that he seemed to have dressed up for today's occasion.
He wore a jade crown and a white robe, with embroidered bamboo patterns on the sleeve cuffs, giving him a somewhat refined and elegant appearance. However, his face looked young, and he seemed unable to fully carry off this outfit.
His expression was a bit strange. Although he sat quietly at the foot of the cliff, looking like a noble and cold aristocratic young man, his eyes couldn't help but wander.
As his eyes moved, they coincidentally met Qiao Wan's.
Xiao Boyang frowned when he saw her.
He had also seen the rumors written on the jade slip.
What's going on with Qiao Wan?
Although Xiao Boyang didn't like Qiao Wan, he couldn't believe she would do such a thing.
Moreover, he clearly saw her flying with a white snake yesterday, so where did this Qingyang male disciple come from?
Qiao Wan glanced at Mu Xiaoxiao, then at Xiao Boyang, and revealed an expression of sudden realization, giving them face: (⊙o⊙)
Xiao Boyang: ...
He said he didn't come for Mu Xiaoxiao today. Could Qiao Wan believe him?
Xiao Boyang's mouth twitched, and he instinctively looked up at Changhong Cliff.
The cliff was really high.
The sky was truly blue.
Qiao Wan was really annoying, so annoying.
He shouldn't have come to Changhong Cliff out of curiosity for himself!
Qiao Wan watched as Xiao Boyang's mouth twitched and he turned his head, no longer looking at her. She felt a slight sense of regret, but practicing cultivation was still the most important thing.
She resolutely seized every opportunity for cultivation!
Wait, something's not right.
After inspecting the cliff for a while, Xiao Boyang finally realized something was off. What was he afraid of Qiao Wan for?
He was just making a fool of himself!
Angrily, Xiao Boyang turned his head and glared at Qiao Wan, trying to regain some dignity.
But when he glanced over, she had already turned her head, closed her eyes, and continued cultivating her qi.
He punched the cotton, gritting his teeth. Could he hit her?
At this moment, Mu Xiaoxiao seemed to notice something and glanced over here.
Xiao Boyang's face unconsciously turned red and quickly closed his eyes, looking cold and unapproachable.
Possibly realizing the interaction between Qiao Wan, Xiao Boyang, and Mu Xiaoxiao, a female disciple frowned disapprovingly.
Yesterday, everyone knew about her and the disciple from Qingyang, and this morning she was flirting with Xiao Boyang.
Why is Qiao Wan so shameless!
One of the female disciples suddenly stood up and walked to Qiao Wan's side, smiling. "Elder Martial Sister Mu is still here, why is Martial Sister Qiao sitting alone? Why not come sit with us?"
Qiao Wan shook her head. "I'm not good at talking."
While thinking "I don't believe you," the female disciple forcefully pulled Qiao Wan over.
"Come on, Elder Martial Sister Mu is here, Martial Sister Qiao, you can't just sit alone."
Qiao Wan was dragged over, raising her head to meet the various gazes from her fellow disciples.
Qiao Wan: ...
Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes turned slightly red and her gaze towards Qiao Wan became complicated. The young girl rubbed her eyes and showed a trembling smile. "Martial Sister Qiao Wan, you're here."
Qiao Wan nodded and sat down.
The contrast between her aloof appearance and the timid smile on the young girl's face made everyone frown.
Female Disciple A: Martial Sister Qiao, did you see the jade slip from yesterday...
Female Disciple B looked a bit embarrassed. "Elder Martial Sister, are the things written on that jade slip true?"
Qiao Wan: ...
But before Qiao Wan could answer, Martial Brother Wen Hui, who was supposed to teach the class, finally arrived. The female disciples could only regretfully leave.
"Sorry, sorry," the elegant and gentle young man hurriedly arrived, a bit of sweat on his forehead, and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for being late today. You've all waited long enough."
Martial Brother Wen Hui had a handsome and approachable appearance, coupled with his high cultivation level. Although he couldn't compare to Yuqing Spiritual Master from Kunshan, he was still a rising star.
Truly a good man that one should always have around.
The female disciples blushed and said it was alright.
"Brother Wen, you're not late. We didn't wait long."
"Yes, Brother Wen, you're always so busy. Being able to come and teach us is already something we're grateful for."
Wen Hui smiled, showing his teeth. "Thank you, younger martial sisters, for not minding."
At this moment, everyone noticed that there were a few more people behind him.
"Brother Wen, who are they?"
Wen Hui turned his head and smiled apologetically again. "It's my fault for almost forgetting."
"These few are taoist friends from Qingyang Academy and Great Compassion Cliff. They have come to listen to today's lecture at Changhong Cliff."
Behind him stood three young men dressed as scholars and a tall bald monk wearing a Buddhist prayer beads necklace.
The tall monk who came from Great Compassion Cliff clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist mantra, smiling. "I am called Ciji."
Qiao Wan glanced behind Ciji and froze.
Is that Gan Nan?
The three disciples from Qingyang, one of them is Gan Nan , and the other is Duan Chenghua whom Qiao Wan met yesterday.
Gan Nan obediently followed behind Wen Hui , dressed neatly. His white hair was tied back with a green hairband. He slightly pursed his lips and had a shy smile, looking handsome and a bit shy. He resembled a young and inexperienced person.
The youth looked up and unintentionally glanced at Qiao Wan .
Qiao Wan blinked her eyes and successfully saw a mix of shocked, joyful, and awkward emotions in the youth's eyes.
Thinking about the relationship between him and his granddaughter, Gan Nan shrugged his shoulders with a resigned look on his face.
After going back yesterday, he thought about it for most of the night and concluded that Qiao Wan was intentionally teasing him.
They performed a ceremony to become siblings. Gan Nan softly called out: "Little... little sister."
There were too many unfamiliar people around, and to be honest, Gan Nan felt a bit uncomfortable. But when he saw Qiao Wan , he couldn't help but feel relieved.
Meanwhile, Ciji had just finished introducing himself.
The other person was said to be the new disciple of Venerable One Miaofa.
Venerable One Miaofa was famous in the cultivation world for being a beautiful woman in the Buddhist sect. After reaching the pinnacle of beauty, even her beauty became sharp.
On the "Ranking of Female Demons Who Most Want to Experience the Spring Breeze with Her," Venerable One Miaofa firmly held the top position.
Unfortunately, her personality and cultivation were as fierce and brutal as her appearance.
It was said that there was once a fearless female demon who secretly sneaked into Venerable One Miaofa's cave, wanting to join her in blissful enlightenment. However, Venerable One Miaofa dealt with her.
In the truest sense, she was punished on the spot, reaching the blissful paradise with a single palm strike, turning into ashes.
Unexpectedly, the new disciple of Venerable One Miaofa turned out to be so fierce-looking. The disciples below Changhong Cliff were all greatly disappointed.
After Ciji , it was Gan Nan and the others' turn.
After introducing themselves, Martial Brother Wen Hui let them disperse and get familiar with the disciples from Kunshan under Changhong Cliff.
Being able to see Qiao Wan , Gan Nan was still very happy. Without much thought, he walked towards Qiao Wan's direction with a foolish expression, saying, "Qiao... little sister."
Qiao Wan gestured with her eyes: "Don't come over."
Although they had performed the ceremony, there was no understanding between the two of them.
The youth's eyes were bright, and his footsteps didn't stop.
Oh no.
Qiao Wan thought expressionlessly.
He walked directly towards her, and the other disciples below Changhong Cliff all looked over.
"How did those Qingyang disciples come over?" a female disciple whispered, "Did he just glance at Elder Martial Sister Mu?"
"Did he come because of Elder Martial Sister Mu?"
Mu Xiaoxiao looked up and coincidentally met the youth's gaze.
Did he come towards her?
But she didn't know him.
However, there were indeed male taoist friends who had come to make friends with her even though they had never met before.
When the youth approached, the young girl instinctively took a step back, feeling a bit timid.
Unexpectedly, the youth stopped in front of Qiao Wan .
Gan Nan smiled happily, "I didn't expect to see you here today!"
Qiao Wan made an exasperated gesture with her eyes: Didn't I tell you not to come over?
Gan Nan was puzzled and blinked his eyes, "What's wrong?"
Qiao Wan sighed.
She didn't care about her already bad reputation in Kunshan, but she was afraid that it would affect Gan Nan.
But Qiao Wan was actually quite happy to see Gan Nan. She decided to forget about all the messy things and smiled.
The female disciples behind Qiao Wan looked at each other in surprise.
They weren't here to find Mu Xiaoxiao, they were here to find Qiao Wan?!
Mu Xiaoxiao was startled, took a step forward, her toes tapping under her skirt.
The younger martial brother in blue lowered his head and quickly played with the jade slip in his hand: "That Qingyang disciple is here too!"
After looking at it a few more times and thinking about the rumors on the jade slip, Xiao Boyang frowned.
"Could this be the Qingyang disciple mentioned on the jade slip?!"
"He does look a bit like the one on the 'Souvenir Image'!"
The disciples under Changhong Cliff, who had been exchanging glances throughout the interaction, expressed their disdain: ...Damn, that's definitely it.
Boldly flirting like that, it's just shameless!
Because it was nighttime, the faces on the "Souvenir Image" were blurry, and they could only see a naked man. Now that they could clearly see the young man's face, the other female disciples were shocked and their faces felt a bit sore.
They had originally thought that someone who would do such things must look ugly, but they were surprised to find that his face was quite good-looking.
He seemed quite handsome and refined, they didn't expect him to be this kind of person.
Even if his face looks good, so what? Anyone who would do this kind of thing in the middle of the night is probably just a good-looking shell.
"It seems like this group of Qingyang Academy disciples haven't been with our sect for long, right? In just a few days, they're already getting involved with them. I don't think those Qingyang Academy disciples are decent people either."
"But they're just fake gentlemen who speak a lot about Confucianism. If they were true gentlemen, could they do something like this?"
After listening to Gan Nan's introduction earlier, one of the female disciples asked curiously, "Taoist friend, is your surname Gan? Are you from the Fengluan City Gan Family?"
Gan Nan quickly shook his head, "I am not from Fengluan."
The female disciple seemed slightly surprised, "Then, are you from the Qingzhang Gan Family?"
Gan Nan looked embarrassed, "I am not born into the Qingzhang Gan Family either."
The female disciple looked slightly disdainful, "Are you from the Jinding Gan Family then?"
On the jade slip:
"Indeed, those who are interested in Qiao Wan are probably not from a prestigious family."
"This disciple from Qingyang Academy is probably just a spoiled child from a small family. If it was one of the three big families like the Xiao Family, how could they raise such a person?"
"No..." Gan Nan blushed and said, "Actually, my surname is not Gan."
"I... I am surnamed Ao."
The female disciple hesitated, "Ao? Which Ao family are you from?"
Gan Nan replied, "I am from the Xuanhu Water Dragon Clan of Yangxu Mountain."
Ao Family?!!
Is he from the Ao Family they were thinking of?!
In an instant, not only the disciples under Changhong Cliff were stunned, but also the onlookers who were watching the jade slip in real time were shocked.
"That Dragon Clan Ao Family?!"
"That Qingyang disciple is from the royal family of the Dragon Clan?!"
"Blessing and boundless heavenly respect, is this a trick?!"
The young man in front, who appears gentle and calm, is actually a royal member of the dragon clan?
The female disciple was stunned, and her face seemed to hurt a little.
But then, a wave of doubt rose in her heart.
Is this person really from the dragon clan? It's unknown whether he is intentionally exaggerating his identity.
A few disciples whispered to each other: "It seems like he is indeed from the dragon clan. Look at the dragon scales at the corner of his eyes and the dragon horn on his head..."
Mu Xiaoxiao, with lifted eyelashes, looked at Gan Nan in surprise.
Seeing the handsome and beautiful youth, her eyelashes couldn't help trembling slightly, and she pressed her lips tightly.
This... this disciple from Qingyang, could he really be a member of the dragon clan?
And Qiao Wan, Martial Sister Qiao... could she...
"If he really is of the Ao clan, how could he set his sights on Qiao Wan?"
"Maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusions. If he truly is a royal member of the Ao clan, he might just be fooling around, playing and then discarding as he pleases."
"If he truly values Qiao Wan, how could he have done such a thing yesterday? It's obvious he didn't consider Qiao Wan's feelings and is even worse than a disciple from the Meizong sect."
"I think it's probably Qiao Wan who's pestering him, just like she did with Pei Chunzheng before."
"Speaking of dragon scales, why does Qiao Wan have them on her face too?"
Everyone looked up and indeed saw a pure white dragon scale pattern at the corner of Qiao Wan's eye.
Holy cow!
One of the more knowledgeable disciples widened their eyes, "Is this... the legendary Dragon Scale Covenant?"
The anger of touching the dragon's reverse scale.
If he isn't mistaken, this is the marriage covenant of the dragon clan's royalty.
This... seems like it's not just a casual fling...
...
Holy cow!!
The disciples below Changhong Cliff, including Xiao Boyang, all had twisted expressions.
This is a marriage covenant?!!
Qiao Wan has entered into a marriage covenant with this member of the dragon clan?!
