Chapter 531: "Planting the Dove in a Magpie's Nest (2)"
They had been fearful that the food for his meals would clash with the properties of the medicines and had specially arranged for Fan Qi's trusted aide Gong Cheng Lei to take personal charge of it. From preparation to delivery, Gong Cheng Lei completed the whole process alone, and no one else would have a hand in it.
Gong Cheng Lei was a man whom Fan Qi saved when he was out on one of his trips. They were both just youths then and Fan Qi was still a disciple under his Master's tutelage. Since then, Gong Cheng Lei had followed Fan Qi. Over the decades, Gong Cheng Lei had shown himself to be unwavering loyal and had never exhibited a single sign of betrayal.
Fan Jin was most willing to begin to doubt the Uncle who had watched him grow up.
"It might not be him, if someone really wanted to, even the seasonings used can be suspect." Jun Wu Xie said.
Fan Jin considered all the possibilities but could not come up with anyone else.
Jun Wu Xie continued to stare at Fan Jin, her eyes sparkling clear.
She had a person in mind that she suspected to be the culprit and Fan Jin should be able to identify this person as well, but he seemed still to be lost.
Emotions always has a way of clouding a person's judgement.
Jun Wu Xie sipped at her tea, thinking whether she should reveal her suspicion to the blockhead in front of her.
"Big Brother." Fan Zhuo suddenly opened his mouth to say.
"What is it?"
"Over this period, has Father been dining together with Uncle Ning?" Fan Zhuo asked Fan Jin curiously.
Fan Jin nodded and replied easily: "Uncle Ning has not changed his habit of dining with Father all these years. Father has always said that they had been doing that since they had been fellow disciples under their Master. It must be said that the relationship between them is rather close, and Father is always thinking of drawing the two families closer by....."
As he went on further exhorting on their close relations, Fan Jin suddenly stopped and clamped his mouth shut. His eyes widened and he turned to stare at Fan Zhuo, flabbergasted.
Jun Wu Xie lowered her eyes then, and the corners of her mouth curled up.
It seemed that Fan Zhuo was a little bit more intelligent than his brother.
"I..... I forgot I have something I needed to do. You guys carry on!" Fan Jin suddenly stood up. Fan Zhuo's words had struck him like a lightning bolt, and cleared up the fog that had so badly clouded his mind.
He had always thought of the culprit as someone who held grudges against the Fan Family. But he suddenly realised that that might not be the case.
In the Battle Spirits Forest, when Ning Xin had tried to kill him, it had planted a seed of uneasiness in him. And Fan Zhuo's words had suddenly caused that seed to sprout.
There were not many people who were allowed access into Fan Qi's living quarters. And even less people were able to go into the his personal kitchen. Besides Gong Cheng Lei and Fan Jin, the only other possibility was the person who ate with Fan Qi. Only Ning Rui could possibly have done it!
Since Ning Xin had attempted to get him killed, would Ning Rui be doing it to Fan Zhuo?
Fan Jin did not dare carry on further with that line of thought. He needed to go find Gong Cheng Lei and clarify a few things in detail, to gather a few more clues before he could be sure!
Fan Jin left the bamboo grove in a big hurry, his face ominously darkened. There wasn't a moment more to lose!
For Ning Xin's attempt on his life, he had been willing to forget it and scrub the slate clean. But if the father and daughter pair had their sights on doing the same thing to Fan Zhuo, he would never let them off!
As he stared after Fan Jin's sudden and hurried departure, a slight tinge of a bitter smile appeared on Fan Zhuo's face as he lowered his head to continue to eat the medicinal cuisine in his bowl.
"Since you have known it all this time, why did you wait until now to say it?" Jun Wu Xie put Lord Meh Meh and the little black cat on the table, her chin rested in her palm, staring at the completely unaffected Fan Zhuo.
Chapter 532: "Planting the Dove in a Magpie's Nest (3)"
Fan Zhuo's hand that was holding his spoon froze, and his frail body straightened. He did not lift up his head, but remained silent for a while before he said, his voice sounding a little choked up: "What can I do even if I said it to them? Without proof, my father and brother would never believe it. And if word reached that person's ears, it would only result in that person becoming more anxious to get rid of me. Wouldn't it be better if I keep myself alive a little longer and await a miracle to happen?"
Fan Zhuo's tone of voice was not as carefree as he usually sounded. The repressed and choked up voice made one sad just to hear it.
"Fan Qi trusts that person so much?" Jun Wu Xie asked, an eyebrow raised.
"That person saved his life once, and my father had always put that person's interest before his own ever since. I knew from long ago that someone was trying to get rid of me, but I did not know where it was coming from. There were no signs, and no proof. Father would not believe it just based on my words alone." Fan Zhuo finally raised his head. His handsome features did not show his usual gentle smile. In its place, was a chilly countenance, his eyes cold and sharp, with a glint like light on cold hard blades.
If he was not confident of defeating his enemy in one stroke, he would not make his move, to not alert his enemy whereby he might be quickly silenced.
"Why then, are you making your move now?" Jun Wu Xie asked.
Fan Zhuo stared at Jun Xie, as his dark countenance suddenly brightened to burst into a gentle and brilliant smile.
"Because I have Little Xie here."
Jun Wu Xie blinked.
"From the moment Little Xie came into contact with my brother, you have been used as a pawn to smear and damage my brother's reputation. With your character, you would never allow the culprits to get away with it. I knew you would retaliate one day, and the day you make your move, will also be the day that I would be freed." Fan Zhuo's smile was shining brilliantly. The appearance of Jun Wu Xie had allowed him to see a glimmer of hope, hope that one day, he would no longer need to live by hiding.
"You are more intelligent than your brother." Jun Wu Xie stared at Fan Zhuo. She did not believe that Fan Zhuo would just await his death all this while. He must have something up his sleeve. But his plan must have needed a long time to prepare for and her appearance had just brought everything forward.
"My brother is too kind and a little naive. He always tried to see the good in people. If he does not witness it for himself, he would never believe it, and just brush it off as a misunderstanding." Fan Zhuo shrugged his shoulders. His brother's character, he only knew it too well.
"If Ning Xin knows that you stand a chance to fully recover, perhaps she might no longer seek your death." Jun Wu Xie said calmly.
What the Ning father and daughter seeked, they would be able to receive from Fan Zhuo.
Fan Zhuo's smile did not change a single bit.
"And if, I am not the real heir?"
Jun Wu Xie was shocked.
Fan Zhuo stood up, pushing the medicinal cuisine that had turned cold away from him.
"If my real identity was a case of planting the dove in the magpie's nest, and Fan Jin is actually from the Fan Family's bloodline, would they still think the same?"
Jun Wu Xie's eyebrow raised up high. She was hearing some interesting news.
Fan Zhuo's eyes were still on Jun Wu Xie, and the smile in his eyes were deepening.
"Father and Big Brother are both very good people. Without them, I would no longer exist in this world. Planting the dove in the magpie's nest was solely in return for a favour they received. After the matter with the Ning Family is fully resolved, this privileged identity of being the legitimate son of the Headmaster's must naturally be returned."
Hence, that fact that he would put up with everything in silence, was in consideration for the feelings of the Fan father and son, in repayment for their selfless act of benevolence.
Jun Wu Xie tilted her head and stared at Fan Zhuo. It would seem that before Fan Zhuo met her, he had already given up all hope of surviving through it. He must have known his body would not be able to drag on much longer and was trying his best to come up with ways to let the Fan father and son detect the malicious intentions of the Ning father and daughter.
Using his own limited lifespan in repayment for bringing him up.
This youth, was rather interesting.
Chapter 533: "Seeking Torment, In a Pair (1)"
Fan Jin found Gong Cheng Lei very quickly, and the answers he got from him, left him in a state of shock.
He gathered that Ning Rui had been helping Fan Qi to source out tonics suitable for recuperation for many years and Ning Rui had frequently visited Fan Qi's personal kitchen. When he thought back to Jun Wu Xie's guess, Fan Jin had to seriously consider that possibility no matter how much he hated to.
Ning Xin had masterminded an attempt on his life, and her father could very possibly be the very culprit to have drugged Fan Zhuo's meals to kill him.
Fan Jin was greatly shocked and heavily devastated. He could not make himself imagine that the two people he had trusted so much all this time and treated almost like family members would deliberately plot to kill him and Fan Zhuo.
With a numbed and heavy heart, Fan Jin brought and shared his findings with Jun Xie and Fan Zhuo before he left with heavy steps.
He needed time, to digest all that he had found out today.
"The shock must have hit my brother quite hard this time." Fan Zhuo sighed and lamented as he saw the downcast figure of his brother as he walked away into the distance.
Jun Wu Xie was sitting off one end of the bamboo bench in the yard of the bamboo grove and Lord Meh Meh was happily chomping up the fresh green grass around her feet.
"A time will always come, when you have to wake up from your dream." Jun Wu Xie said, cradling the little black cat in her arms.
Fan Jin's character had always been like this. He tended to beautify everything around him. And because of that, he was always brimming with enthusiasm and even when all the rumours about Jun Xie had dragged his name into the mud, he had not cared a whittle and still fiercely defended Jun Xie.
That character trait was both good to have, and bad to possess.
In days of peace, people like that would be greatly revered, but when faced in situations when one was surrounded by danger, they were most easily killed.
"What should my brother do from here on? My father's character is exactly the same as his. Unless he is convinced himself of the suspicions, even if my brother and I tell it to him, he would not suspect his own fellow disciple." Fan Zhuo found a spot under the shade to sit down, feeling rather helpless on how to handle the Fan father and son. If not for their overly trusting nature, they would have discovered the Ning father and daughter's scheme much earlier.
"We wait and see." Jun Wu Xie did not intend to interfere much.
It did not matter to her how the Fan father and son reacted, she decided as long as she knew what she needed to do, that was enough.
Fan Zhuo smiled, and as he stared at the hot noon sun, his heart warmed.
When Ning Xin appeared once again at the little bamboo grove, the smile was still on Fan Zhuo's face, as his smiling eyes fell on the figure of a youth standing behind Ning Xin.
"Big Brother Zhuo. This is Yin Yan from the Spirit Healer faculty. He was roommates with Little Xie previously and he sort of misses Little Xie after having not seen him for such a long period and so I brought him along with me. Hope we are not imposing on you much." Ning Xin exclaimed, smiling extra sweetly. After being snubbed the last time, she had needed two days to recover before she was able to make herself come here once again.
This time, she had brought along Yin Yan, and she was very clear what she wanted to achieve here today.
Fan Zhuo smiled good naturedly but Yin Yan's face took on a rather dark expression as his eyes stared piercingly at Fan Zhuo, the enmity in them obvious.
Ning Xin betrothal to Fan Zhuo had happened quite some time ago and word of it had leaked into the Zephyr Academy. But as Ning Xin had very rarely interacted with Fan Zhuo, the matter of the betrothal had slowly faded and almost forgotten. Yin Yan had admired Ning Xin for a long time now and had been earnestly hoping to win the beauty's heart. But now, he had actually been brought all the way here to see Fan Zhuo, which tore at his heart mercilessly, and he really could not find it within himself to smile at the person before him.
His eyes surveyed Fan Zhuo up and down, and a mocking laugh sounded in his heart.
So what is he is the son of the Headmaster? He is still a piece of useless trash that already has a foot in Death's door. A guy who is about to die anytime, cannot be worthy of Ning Xin in anyway!
He completely disregarded Fan Zhuo in his heart, and his face did not show much respect either. His disdain showed outwardly undisguised, and he deemed Fan Zhuo to be beneath his notice.
Chapter 534: "Seeking Torment, In a Pair (2)"
Fan Zhuo was just as cordial as he always was, as if he was totally oblivious to Yin Yan's uncivil behavior and he courteously invited the two of them in for tea.
Ning Xin sat for a while but when she saw no sign of Jun Xie, she began to grow anxious and said: "Why isn't Little Xie here?"
Fan Zhuo replied easily: "I think he should be in his room."
"Little Xie seems to like peace and quiet. Little Yan stayed together with Little Xie for a period before, he must have missed Little Xie after so long." Ning Xin said smilingly as she looked at Yin Yan. Yin Yan's expression froze, he was extremely reluctant, but when he remembered Ning Xin's earlier orders, he had no choice but to mutter noncommittally:
"Mmm."
He had never lived under the same roof with Jun Xie before. The first night that Jun Xie was admitted into the academy, Yin Yan had not gone back to the dorms. And when he got back, Jun Xie had already moved out.
It could be said besides the first time they met, Yin Yan had never seen Jun Xie in the dormitory again.
Fan Zhuo only laughed and did not say anything in reply.
Ning Xin tried all ways and means in various attempts to make Fan Zhuo invite Jun Xie over but Fan Zhuo didn't seem the get the hint and only smiled at her and spoke about everything else except for Jun Xie.
Ning Xin was getting more and more anxious but she did not dare make her intentions too clear and abrupt.
It was even more infuriating for Yin Yan. He was forced to witness Ning Xin defer gently to Fan Zhuo and spoke in a soft demure voice, in an intimate manner, which shattered Yin Yan's heart to pieces.
It was only after many hours that Jun Wu Xie finally appeared, and Ning Xin and Yin Yan felt a sudden wave of relief wash over them.
"Little Xie." Once Ning Xin saw Jun Xie, she immediately put on her best smile and discreetly prodded Yin Yan on his arm. Yin Yan's expression was rather stony when he saw Jun Xie. His mind was suddenly filled with the scene that he witnessed in the Battle Spirits Forest that day and his mouth felt to have been sealed tight, his lips turning purple.
Jun Wu Xie glanced once at Ning Xin very briefly and proceeded to walk over to a chair on one side to take a seat. Lord Meh Meh's hooves tapped on the ground as it followed obediently behind her and when it saw Ning Xin and Yin Yan, its tiny body suddenly stopped.
It remembered that youth, it had disturbed its rest just the other day.
"Meh!"
[Feedtress! Bad people here!]
Yin Yan's face darkened as he looked at the tiny sheep staring angrily at him, and a twitch started to tug at a corner of his mouth. "So this is the Spirit Beast that Little Xie brought back from the Battle Spirits Forest? It's..... rather cute."
As he could not find himself liking Jun Xie a single bit, Yin Yan grabbed at any topic at hand to attempt to strike up a conversation.
"Little Meh, come." Jun Wu Xie did not even bother to look at Yin Yan and waved at Lord Meh Meh. Lord Meh Meh's hooves tapped on the ground once again and stopped beside Jun Wu Xie's feet. Jun Wu Xie reached down and carried the tiny sheep into her arms and the sheep continued to stare angrily at Yin Yan.
[Bad egg! Eat you up!]
"Ahem, Little Xie, when do you intend to come back to the dormitories?" Yin Yan was sitting on pins as he had been rather badly shocked by the scene in the Battle Spirits Forest. He no longer dared to act rashly before Jun Xie now.
Jun Wu Xie lifted her eyes and watched Yin Yan squirm under her stare but he was still trying to appear enthusiastic. After a while, Jun Wu Xie finally said:
"Who are you?"
Yin Yan stony expression turned green upon hearing Jun Xie's words.
Ning Xin was suddenly taken aback. She had not expected Jun Xie not to know Yin Yan.
How was that possible!?
Hadn't Jun Xie been snubbing her because of Yin Yan all this while? Why was Jun Xie looking like he did not know Yin Yan at all?
"Little Xie, don't you recognize Yin Yan? He shared the same room with you in the dormitories before you know?" Ning Xin prompted gently with a smile, as she carefully observed Jun Xie's reaction.
Chapter 535: "Seeking Torment, In a Pair (3)"
"Little Xie, don't you remember Yin Yan? The two of you had lived under the same roof before." Ning Xin said with an uncomfortable laugh, carefully observing Jun Xie's reaction.
"No." Jun Wu Xie replied, without even lifting her head.
Yin Yan felt his a burning sensation forming on his cheeks. Ning Xin had just been telling Fan Zhuo how close he was to Jun Xie and in just the next moment, Jun Xie was saying he did not even know him. The slap that came with that snub immediately crushed the courage that Yin Yan had worked so hard to summon up to come here.
At that moment, Yin Yan and Ning Xin wished the floor would just swallow them up. They had been so sure that Jun Xie's hostility towards them had been because of Yin Yan but from the way things were looking, that was not the case at all.
And Yin Yan had been trying so hard to convince himself that he must realise and submit himself to the circumstances and bow down to Jun Xie for the moment.
However, he had not expected himself to be so far beneath Jun Xie's notice and was a person he did not even remember.
Silence suddenly pervaded the bamboo hut. Yin Yan's head hung low in humiliation and the smile on Ning Xin's face was frozen as the two of them squirmed under the deafening silence.
Fan Zhuo was sitting on the side and he did not seem to have noticed the predicament the two visitors were in as he asked in perplexed consternation: "You don't recognise him? That couldn't be, Ning Xin was telling me that you and Yin Yan enjoy a rather close relationship and he came all the way here to see you as he missed you terribly. Little Xie, you must really think hard, and do not dismiss it so trivially."
Fan Zhuo's voice was gentle, his expression concerned and caring.
However, both Ning Xin and Yin Yan would rather he not say anything at that moment!
If Fan Zhuo had not said all that, Jun Xie would not have known about their intentions. But since Fan Zhuo had said it, Jun Xie would naturally realise that the two of them had shamelessly come trying to establish a relationship with him and failed miserably, getting themselves badly snubbed.
At that moment, all traces of her smile disappeared from Ning Xin's face. She saw that Jun Xie was staring at her with a gaze that made her feel extremely uncomfortable and under that gaze, she felt as if her pretenses were being peeled off layer by layer, making her feel rather unsettled.
The seat under her grew uncomfortable and all the words she had prepared so carefully died within her. Jun Xie's single cold "No" had thrown all her plans into disarray.
She didn't know how to carry on with the act.
To make things worse, Fan Zhuo had brought the matter up which had made Ning Xin greatly humiliated.
This time, Ning Xin could not stay seated there a moment longer. Her back stiffened and she suddenly stood up, her face a pale mask as she hurriedly bade farewell and took her leave, hastening her way out. She did not even bother to say anything about seeing them again this time.
Yin Yan followed quickly behind her without a word running out of the bamboo hut as if chased by a ferocious beast.
Only after the two had left, Fan Zhuo suddenly broke out into laughter, unable to hold himself back anymore.
"Ning Xin must be getting anxious. She doesn't seem to be able to hold back anymore. I would have thought that she would be struggling a little while more but she seems to have reached her limit today." Fan Zhuo swirled the tea in his teacup, as his smile began to reach his eyes.
As they had grown up together from a young age, he naturally knew Ning Xin's character only too well. She might seem gentle and adorable on the outside, but on the inside she possessed a very high sense of self esteem, and was extremely self absorbed. Jun Xie's repeated and unrestrained slaps to her face must really have driven Ning Xin almost to madness.
Jun Wu Xie raised an eyebrow. She did not feel that she had said anything harsh.
"Since they came to us asking for torment, shouldn't I grant them their wish?"
She had not even made her move and Ning Xin had been so eager to come to their door asking to be tormented, why should she refuse them?
Fan Zhuo laughed lightly, and rested his chin in his palm, as he stared at Jun Xie with his head tilted.
"I am getting really curious what really happened in the Battle Spirits Forest that it can make such a conceited and self centred person to discard her pride and come try win you over. I could sense the extremely strong hatred she had for you but she suppressed and hid her rage as she put on an amicable smile in front of you. I am guessing there is something she needs from you?"
Chapter 536: "Seeking Torment, In a Pair (4)"
Jun Wu Xie stared at Fan Zhuo and she had to admit that Fan Zhuo had a brain that was much more intelligent than his blockhead of a brother's. He had not needed any prompting to be able to see and understand the whole situation clearly.
"But she isn't that dense either, after having been snubbed so unceremoniously two times in a row by you, I'm sure she would have understood by now that she would not be getting what she is seeking from you." Fan Zhuo said as if talking to himself, but having gotten used to Jun Xie's usual silence, he wasn't feeling too bothered about it.
"She might just be a little intelligent, but do not forget that she still has a old and crafty father. If they are not able to gain what they seek from the target, they will plot to get rid of it altogether. Please be a bit more careful of everything around you."
"I know." Jun Wu Xie nodded slightly. She wasn't fearful that Ning Rui would make his move, but she was afraid that he would hold back and that would make it a lot less fun.
"My body has been feeling much better recently and if Little Xie doesn't have too much on his hands to do in the academy, would you accompany me out on a short trip?" Fan Zhuo asked, pushing the other issues away from his mind.
"Where?"
"Auction house."
Jun Wu Xie raised an eyebrow. She had intended to make a trip to the auction house. When they had been in the Battle Spirits Forest, she had amassed quite a load of spirit stones with Qiao Chu and the others and had been looking for an opportunity to go to the auction house to sell them, but had not found a chance to do it. Fan Zhuo's suggestion had suddenly reminded her about it.
"I have something I need to buy, would you accompany me? You should know, with my body in this condition, my father and brother would not readily allow me to go out alone. And if we allow them to arrange for escorts, they will surely be overprotective and make it meaningless for me by having a whole bunch of people to watch my every move. But if you are with me, Father and my brother would be a lot less worried." Fan Zhuo gave Jun Xie an extremely gentle smile. Over this period, after seeing that he had shown great improvements in his recuperation, Fan Qi had been more left more assured or he would have arranged for another person to come look after Fan Zhuo after Ah Jing was driven away.
Because Fan Zhuo's health had dramatically improved, Fan Qi had begun to trust in Jun Xie's skills in Medicine a little and even though the two of them had never met, Fan Qi was full of praise for Jun Xie.
"For your trip, having me alone with you might not be adequate." Jun Wu Xie did not immediately give Fan Zhuo a straight answer. Although the Fan father and son believed that Jun Xie could completely heal Fan Zhuo, they still would be allow him to bring Fan Zhuo out galavanting alone.
It might be easy to convince Fan Jin as he had witnessed Jun Wu Xie's powers in the Battle Spirits Forest and might not be too worried, but Fan Qi would surely be a lot harder to convince.
Just as Fan Zhuo was thinking that Jun Xie was about to reject him, Jun Wu Xie suddenly said: "I have a few companions. If we invite them along, it should then be alright."
The smile on Fan Zhuo's face widened.
"Little Xie has companions here? If they are willing, it would naturally be for the best."
Fan Zhuo was feeling a tad bit curious what kind of people the companions that Jun Xie was talking about were. Over this period where they had interacted with each other here in the bamboo grove, he knew Jun Xie had a very cold personality and seldom initiated contact with anyone. Jun Xie would only speak a little more to the two Fan brothers within the whole Zephyr Academy and for anyone else who might have tried, they would have ended up in a situation not too different from Ning Xin and Yin Yan.
"They will be willing." Jun Wu Xie replied calmly.
If her memory served her correctly, Qiao Chu was the one who had pestered her to go to the auction house to net them some gold and this would seem like the perfect opportunity.
Fan Zhuo was discussing with Jun Wu Xie on their plan to go to the auction house here while on the other side, Ning Xin's face was thunderously dark as she hurried out of the little bamboo grove and Yin Yan who was following obediently behind her was so frightened by the look on Ning Xin's face that he did not dare utter a single sound.
When they reached a place where there was nobody around, Ning Xin could contain her rage no longer!
"That arrogant scoundrel! If he did not have those purple spirit exponents behind him, he would be nothing before me!"
Chapter 537: "Seeking Torment, In a Pair (5)"
"That arrogant scoundrel! If he did not have those purple spirit exponents behind him, he would be nothing before me!"
Ning Xin was on the verge of exploding in rage, if she had not seen with her own eyes that had the support of those purple spirit leveled exponents, she would never condescended herself to come try to win the favour of such a nobody like Jun Xie. And what infuriated her further was that Jun Xie was not only not showing humble gratitude, but was not even reciprocating the generous gesture. She had not once, but twice rebuffed her, totally embarrassing and humiliating her. It had left the highly arrogant Ning Xin, visibly trembling with rage.
Yin Yan was surprised to see it and he hurried forward to appease her. "Senior Ning, you need not be bothered by such an imbecile who doesn't know what's good for him. I see him as a weirdo and he acts peculiarly, making people extremely uncomfortable around him. Since he doesn't know a good thing when he sees it, Senior Ning shouldn't go look him up anymore."
To be honest, Yin Yan was afraid of Jun Xie. Whenever he thought back to the scene in the Battle Spirits Forest, he would still shiver in fright.
If Ning Xin had not asked, he would never want to associate himself with Jun Xie ever again.
Now that Jun Xie had embarrassed Ning Xin repeatedly, Yin Yan jumped at the chance to attempt to kill any other intentions Ning Xin might still be holding against Jun Xie and distance himself from the cold and callous Jun Xie.
Ning Xin clenched her jaw. "You think I like doing it? It was all for my father! If we leave Jun Xie alone, he would only be further entrenched in his support for Fan Jin. And at this moment, the slander against me within the academy is still increasing! If it is allowed to go on, Fan Jin would not have to lift a finger and everyone will begin to despise me and forget everything about him in the past. His reputation will once again rise to become the Senior Fan that everyone respects and adores! All the efforts that we have put in will have been in vain!"
The hatred in her heart made her wish she could crush Jun Xie's bones and scatter his ashes but she knew she had no choice but to swallow all the humiliation thrown upon her.
If not for those purple spirit exponents, she wouldn't have to bother herself with such trash, like Jun Xie.
Yin Yan gulped. When Fan Jin's name was brought up, the hatred that had been forgotten with his fear suddenly rushed back up to the surface.
Ning Xin drew in a deep breath, trying to diffuse the malice showing on her face.
"If he chose to reject the olive branch offered to him, he must be prepared to suffer my wrath. Since Jun Xie does not know what's good for him, I will soon make him realise how advantageous it would be for him to have me, Ning Xin, as a friend! At that time, he will finally know the right choice to make when choosing friends."
Winning Jun Xie over was a mission that she must complete. No matter how much Ning Xin hated him, she had no choice but to put up with it. And after she has established a link with the purple spirit exponents through Jun Xie, she did not believe, with her respected identity and intelligent mind, she would not be able to win the exponents over.
If Jun Xie, with his unlikable personality was able to win the support of that group of exponents, she would naturally be able to do better!
"Senior Ning, what do you plan to do?" Yin Yan asked cautiously.
Ning Xin gave him a cold laugh. "Recently, because of Lu Wei Jie and his band, the Zephyr Academy was caught up in another storm, making everyone forget about Jun Xie's misdeeds. People are always so forgetful, and it is time someone reminded all the disciples of Jun Xie's various past misdeeds. If I am not wrong, Li Zi Mu had lost his life in the Battle Spirits Forest in the recent Spirit Hunt, and the senior that had accompanied him had said that before Li Zi Mu died, he had defected to Fan Jin's team. You tell me, Fan Jin had been able to protect Jun Xie and even those disciples from the branch division so well, why had Li Zi Mu been the only one to lose his life? I fear that Jun Xie had acted on his hatred and it had resulted in such a tragedy..... Don't you think so? Hahaha....."
Ning Xin shared her scheme with her hand over her mouth, and she broke out into malicious laughter as her eyes narrowed, shining in sinister conspiracy.
"When he is overwhelmed and crushed down by the mountain of curses and insults, that will be the time I reach out my hand, offering to save him from the inescapable predicament. Won't he be eternally grateful to me then?"
Jun Xie, since you have so bluntly snubbed me, do not blame me for the harsh treatment then!
Chapter 538: "Chan Lin Town (1)"
Fan Zhuo seeked Fan Jin out and told him that he would be going out on a trip with Jun Xie. Fan Jin had remained silent a moment and after his moment of hesitation, Jun Xie said something that freed Fan Jin of all his worries.
For the trip, it won't only be Fan Zhuo and Jun Xie, but they would also be accompanied by Qiao Chu and his gang.
Having seen for himself the astounding powers of Qiao Chu and his companions, Fan Jin was undoubtedly assured of their protection. But the branch division was still a distance away from the main division and it would pose a bit of difficulty for Jun Xie to pass the word to Qiao Chu and the others. The task had inevitably fallen onto Fan Jin to carry it out.
As the son of the Headmaster, it would be easy for him to go to the branch division and request for a few disciples from them.
That task was done that very afternoon and he even arranged for horse drawn carriages for them, reminding them to be careful on their trip.
The nearest auction house from the Zephyr Academy was a half day's journey away. Coinciding with the end of the month, after the disciples of the Zephyr Academy had survived through the exhausting trials in the Battle Spirits Forest, they were rewarded with five days off. During that period, some of the disciples might choose to recuperate and recover themselves by staying in the academy while others would choose to gather in groups, making their way to the towns close to the Zephyr Academy for some rest and relaxation.
The most prosperous town, bustling with activity, in the vicinity of the Zephyr Academy was Chan Lin Town.
Chan Lin had been a small little town, relatively unknown. And it was due to its proximity to the Zephyr Academy that it had gradually grown and expanded, making the once small town fabulously prosperous. The fees for the Zephyr Academy were exorbitant and all their disciples were from rich and powerful families. The merchants had accurately eyed this business opportunity and flocked to Chan Lin Town, causing the once inconspicuous small town, to forcibly expand into the most busy and flourishing place to be in that area.
On their days off at the end of every month, the disciples of the Zephyr Academy from both the main and branch divisions would clamber onto horse drawn carriages and make their way towards Chan Lin Town. The disciples would wilfully squander their riches there, releasing the pent up tensions within, accumulated in the past month.
The Zephyr Academy's main and branch divisions were not sharing the same campus and Qiao Chu and his gang could only join up with Jun Wu Xie after arriving in Chan Lin Town.
As the carriage trundled along, Fan Zhuo was looking outside the window with sparkling eyes at the passing scenery. His eyes soaked up the sight of every passing tree and every blade of grass, bringing about a glow to his slightly pale face.
After being ill for such a long time, he could not remember the last time he had stepped out of the little bamboo grove, or how long it had been since he had come out from the Zephyr Academy. The vegetation and architecture that lined the road might all have been uninteresting and dull, but to Fan Zhuo's eyes, they made for a wondrous sight.
He was able to see in the near future, he would be able to peel off his heavy cloak of ill health and enjoy the amazing sights the wondrous world had to offer, traversing the seas and crossing over the mountains.
As his longing for the exciting future he saw in his mind grew, Fan Zhuo could not help but to turn around and stare at Jun Xie.
Jun Wu Xie wasn't interested in the scenery and when she saw Fan Zhuo turn to her, she unconsciously picked up the little black cat from her lap and threw it right into Fan Zhuo's face!
"Meow!!"
What was that for! ? Would it still be alright if it had fallen out of the window! ?
Having the cat shoved right onto his face, Fan Zhuo was shocked. He hurriedly moved to carry the soft furry cat, cradling it in his arms, and soon a rosy tinge rose into his cheeks as his fingers caressed the soft fluffy touch of the cat's fur.
The little black cat gave up on struggling and stretched itself out while its eyes looked mournfully at Lord Meh Meh who had snuggled itself deep into Jun Wu Xie's embrace.
Ever since the dumb sheep had appeared, its standing in its mistress' eyes had fallen lower every single day.
[Life has no more "meow"ning!]
Chapter 539: "Chan Lin Town (2)"
"We'll be reaching Chan Lin Town in a little bit. Does Little Xie have anything you would like to buy there?" Fan Zhuo asked, with his cheeks in a slight blush as he gingerly carried the little black cat in his arms. He did not dare move too much and used only his fingertips to lightly smooth out the little black cat's fur.
"I'll take a look around first." Jun Wu Xie replied, rubbing Lord Meh Meh's full bodied wool, as her eyes narrowed in satisfaction.
She did not have much she would like to buy, but a heap of things she would like to sell.
Besides the pile of spirit stones that they had gathered from the Battle Spirits Forest, Jun Wu Xie had in hand a batch of her elixirs. They were refined while she was with the Qing Yun Clan, when she had nothing much to do, and they accumulated to quite a haul.
On this trip to the auction house, she intended to see whether she could find a suitable sort of pill furnace or something suitable for her elixir refinement. It was to give her something to busy herself with while she was idling in the Zephyr Academy. Ever since Yan Bu Gui had given her the cosmos sack, she had not had to worry that she would have too much stock of elixirs and could not store or carry them with her.
Fan Jin might be a little to compassionate, but he was nevertheless meticulous when making his arrangements for them. He had not only arranged horse carriages for Fan Zhuo and Jun Wu Xie, he had even arranged everything to the last detail for Qiao Chu and the others. From ample space for them on the carriages to their reservations for lodgings in Chan Lin Town, nothing was missed out. Once they reached Chan Lin Town, Jun Wu Xie would not have to worry about locating the rest of the group to gather them altogether.
The well planned arrangements had allowed the two people who had a weakness for cute and fluffy animals, to travel free of worries, and indulge themselves by cradling and stroking one cute fluffy creature each in the carriage, the expression on their faces filled with blissful content.
The carriages rumbled along, and finally reached Chan Lin Town.
They were just in time for lunch, and the streets were filled with people. Many of them were youths dressed in the uniforms of the Zephyr Academy, lugging big and small bags on their backs, tirelessly weaving through the crowd, making their way to reach all the corners of Chan Lin Town.
The one thing that the disciples of the Zephyr Academy did not lack was, money!
The coachman sent his two passengers to come right before the doors of the inn that Fan Jin had arranged for them and drove the carriage away to rest somewhere else after dropping his passengers off.
This was the first time Fan Zhuo was seeing such bustle of people going about their own activities and business. The hawkers on both sides of the street were shouting out their wares and though it was midday, the overhanging lanterns lent a festive ambience to the scene and as he watched the crowds of people bustle by, Fan Zhuo's eyes sparkled in awe.
The two of them were dressed in casual clothes and when compared to the youths dressed in the Zephyr Academy's uniform traversing the streets, they were seen to be less conspicuous.
After he had his fill of the sights, Fan Zhuo finally raised his foot to enter the inn with Jun Xie.
But before he could even digest all the different things he had just seen, a shout coming from inside the inn almost tore the roof off!
"What a joke! First come first served, don't you know that! ? We already reserved the room in advance, why should it be given to you?" A familiar voice hollered within the inn and Jun Wu Xie who was walking in beside Fan Zhuo raised her eyes slightly.
Within the main hall on the ground level, several youths were split on two sides, engaged in an argument.
One of the group of youths were dressed in the uniforms of the Zephyr Academy and they stood with their chins lifted high, their stance incorrigibly arrogant.
On the other side, were three guys and one girl. They were rather young and a handsome youth among them currently had one foot planted on a stool, adamantly blocking the way up the stairs to the second floor.
The other guests within the main hall were all watching with anticipation at the sparks flying through the air. The owner and assistant were watching on worriedly. They wanted to go forward to say something but they did not dare to make any rash move.
A youth from among those wearing the Zephyr Academy's uniform stepped forward and laughed jeeringly at the youths blocking their way.
"Good dogs do not obstruct the way of people. First come first served is just nonsense. The inn is a place of business, and they would naturally let the room to whoever is able to pay. If you think that is unfair, you can jolly well outbid us. If you cannot, then go do your barking someplace else!"
Chapter 540: "Chan Lin Town (3)"
"About that I would like to ask, the room has already been reserved, is it reasonable for someone to just pay more and be able to lay claim and assume priority over its use?" The youth blocking the stairway scoffed.
"It's not up to you to say whether that is reasonable. But who in the world would reject more money? If there is more money to be made, the innkeeper would be stupid not to accept it." The youth from the Zephyr Academy said.
Seeing that the two groups of youths were about to engage into a brawl, Jun Wu Xie suddenly walked over to them.
"Reservations, can be changed?" Jun Wu Xie asked of the stunned innkeeper.
The innkeeper stared blankly at her for a moment and he shook his head.
"Our humble establishment never did have such a rule. But these few days happen to be the rest days for the Zephyr Academy's disciples and many of them have come to the town, causing a room crunch everywhere, resulting in....." The innkeeper was at a loss. His inn was considered one of the most popular inns in Chan Lin Town and even though their prices were high, the disciples from the Zephyr Academy never had a lack of money to splurge and hence, this inn had become the most popular inn among the disciples of the Zephyr Academy.
But the inn had limited rooms and just a few days ago, someone had come in had made a reservation for several of their rooms. The innkeeper had already accepted the money in payment for those rooms and had not expected such a tricky situation to occur.
Several other disciples from the Zephyr Academy had suddenly come in and saw that there were several rooms still vacant upstairs and had insisted on taking them by paying more money. At that same moment, the guests who had made the reservations came in and when the two parties met, the situation turned out to become like this.
The innkeeper was having a major headache and did not know what to do. He was reluctant to offend the disciples from the Zephyr Academy and neither did he want to contravene the rules set in the inn.
Jun Wu Xie listened to the innkeeper's explanation without a word and then turned to walk up towards the arrogant youths from the Zephyr Academy.
The tiny figure suddenly flashed into a brilliant yellow streak of light and before the youths even realised what was happening, they were suddenly swept up within a powerful force and with a whirlwind of screams, the youths found themselves involuntarily thrown out the door of the inn's wide doors!
The whole inn fell into absolute silence. All eyes were fixed on the small tiny figure who had suddenly thrown out such a forceful attack.
The youths outside were thrown into complete disarray and they saw stars under the midday sky. It wasn't for a long while before they recovered themselves adequately to shout back: "Who are you! ? You dare to lay your hands on us! You must be tired of living!"
They shook their heads to clear the dizziness from their heads. Their eyes fell on the tiny figure standing at the doors of the inn. The eyes on that face with its delicate features stared coldly at them, and fell on every single one of them in turn.
"Didn't all of you hear what the innkeeper said?" Jun Wu Xie said, her chilly gaze beginning to turn frosty.
"Jun..... Jun Xie....." One of the youths among them stammered, recognising the infamous character among the disciples of the Zephyr Academy. He had found himself suddenly frozen, when his eyes saw the tiny figure before his eyes.
Whereas the youths in the other group that had been caught in the confrontation had paused when they saw the tiny figure, and broke out in smiles a moment after.
"Little Xie! You're here at last!" Qiao Chu put his foot back down and walked up with his face beaming.
Jun Wu Xie glanced at him a brief moment and turned back to face the disciples dressed in the Zephyr Academy's uniform. She lifted a tiny hand and rested it upon a marble pillar by the main doors of the inn.
A loud crack split through the air and the cold hard stone beneath her hand crumbled into dust under the power of her concentrated spiritual power in her palm.
The youths outside the inn shivered at the sight.
"Scram." Jun Wu Xie said softly.
The youths scrambled to quickly get away from there. Jun Xie had a notorious reputation in the Zephyr Academy, and those rumours had carried with them on her great spiritual powers. All the disciples knew that she had broken through to the orange spirit level at the young age of fourteen, but they never would have dreamed it possible but they saw with their own eyes that the glow surrounding Jun Xie was brilliantly yellow!
That was the glow of a yellow leveled spirit!