I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 84

"Look, Sect Leader!"

A subordinate muttered resentfully, "It’s not like when you were collecting 'protection fees' from us the other day..."

"How can you call it a protection fee?" Another subordinate fawned obsequiously, gazing at Xu Shulou. "That was our voluntary compensation for our boss."

The two female cultivators glanced cautiously at Xu Shulou. "C-compensation?"

"And... voluntary?"

Xu Shulou sighed wearily. "Enough. The more you explain, the worse it sounds. Let’s focus on the matter at hand."

"..."

Bai Roushuang was about to rush over and hug her senior sister when she was pushed aside by the students eager to hear the latest news from outside. Xu Shulou swiftly handed her another stick of frozen milk pudding to console her. Already accustomed to her senior sister’s random treats, Bai Roushuang took it and took a few bites.

Everyone was preoccupied with the urgent matter and crowded around the three, pressing for details. The two female cultivators immediately launched into a vivid retelling of everything they’d heard at the foot of the mountain, omitting only the part about Xu Shulou’s identity.

While they told their story, Xu Shulou took the opportunity to check on the injured. Seeing that their conditions had stabilized—especially the female cultivator rescued from the shadow creature, whose breathing was even and no longer in mortal danger—she relaxed slightly and bent down to channel a stream of spiritual energy into her.

By the time she finished, the cave was already buzzing with commotion. Her second junior brother, Song Ping, who had once met the Xuanji Sect members alongside Xu Shulou, shook his head with a sigh.

As she stood up, someone asked, "Is it true? I’ve always heard that the Divine Maiden Wutong is innocent and pure-hearted. How could she be like this?" freeweɓnøvel.com

Bai Roushuang, standing at the edge of the crowd, spoke up quietly, "Some people, after being exalted for too long, grow accustomed to treating others as less than human. I’m not surprised."

"Nor am I particularly surprised," came another voice.

Everyone turned toward the source, surprised to see who had spoken. "Teacher Li! You’re awake?"

"Just now," Teacher Li coughed a few times, and someone immediately handed him water. After taking a sip, he continued, "I woke up when someone stepped on my fingers while you were all crowding around. I happened to hear about the Divine Maiden Wutong."

"..."

"Has the siege outside the mountain been lifted? How long was I unconscious?" Teacher Li struggled to sit up. "Wait, I need to check on the small secret realm—there are still students trapped inside!"

Xu Shulou, standing near the injured, steadied him. "Be careful, Teacher."

"Don’t worry, Teacher. Number One Twenty-One has already rescued most of them," the others chimed in, eagerly recounting everything that had happened in the secret realm.

Teacher Li was stunned, then overjoyed. "Good, good!"

He turned to Xu Shulou, his expression complicated, and bowed slightly. "Thank you."

Xu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍Shulou sidestepped the gesture. "No need for formalities, Teacher."

Teacher Li waved his hand. "You could have escaped alone, yet you chose to save your fellow students in the midst of danger. You deserve my gratitude."

"I only did what I could. No need for courtesy, Teacher."

Hearing that the siege outside had been lifted, the group left their hiding place in high spirits, accompanying Teacher Li to the secret realm to check for any remaining students. To their surprise, they found one poor soul who, upon being rescued, clung to Teacher Li and burst into tears. Teacher Li could only pat his back stiffly.

With the crisis resolved, the topic of the Divine Maiden Wutong resurfaced. "Teacher Li, why did you say earlier that you weren’t surprised?"

Teacher Li shook his head, unwilling to elaborate. "I’ll tend to the injured. You must all be exhausted—go rest."

But the students shook their heads in unison. They weren’t tired. They were curious now.

"..."

One person declared indignantly, "This is truly outrageous! If we don’t find out whether it’s true or not, I won’t be able to sleep tonight!"

Given the long lifespans of cultivators, these students were still young, most still brimming with passion.

Another immediately agreed, "Exactly! Are we just going to accept being dragged into this without understanding why?"

"Finding out the truth is simple," someone suggested. "Why don’t we follow the Xuanji Sect members to Qingcheng and see for ourselves?"

"Right!" Another slapped their thigh. "They were planning to take us hostage anyway. Now we’re volunteering—same difference!"

Teacher Li felt a headache coming on. "Wait—"

"Teacher Li, you’re injured. Rest up," someone replied. "We’ll be back soon."

"No—" How had this been decided so quickly? Teacher Li hurriedly tried to stop them. "You’re really going?"

"Of course! Why miss out on the excitement?"

Teacher Li rubbed his forehead. "Then I'll go with you."

The students cheered.

Teacher Li chuckled helplessly. "A bunch of mischievous monkeys..." Having lived for so long, his mindset had grown weary with age, but now, mingling with the students, he inexplicably felt a youthful energy return.

Among the students, there were a few who preferred not to join the commotion. Teacher Li entrusted these dozen or so to stay behind and tend to the injured, while he led the remaining hundred students in a grand procession.

The group set off to meet up with the Xuanji Sect. Chu Fu was greatly astonished, and upon hearing their purpose, tears welled in his eyes as he apologized for his earlier recklessness.

The students, however, had little patience for apologies and urged him impatiently to hurry to the Qingcheng Sect and demand justice.

The group swiftly flew toward Qingcheng, moving so fast that even the Xuanji Sect disciples struggled to keep up.

———

At the Qingcheng Sect, most of the guests who had come to celebrate the wedding of Immortal Venerable Jiuyou and Divine Maiden Wutong had yet to leave, as the banquet was set to last three days and nights.

When they saw the massive group of over a hundred people approaching, they assumed they were also here to offer congratulations. However, the teachers and students of the Xuancang Academy recognized them and asked in surprise, "Why have you all come here?"

Teacher Li lowered his voice to explain. Meanwhile, a Qingcheng Sect reception disciple stepped forward. "Are you all here for the wedding banquet? This way, please."

Chu Fu shook his head coldly. "No!"

Seeing that he seemed too agitated to continue, one of Xu Shulou’s underlings spoke up. "We're here for revenge! Tell Feng Jiuyou and Qi Wutong to come out and face us!"

The crowd fell silent. The underling stood with his hands on his hips, looking around, only to find everyone staring at him—even his own leader, Xu Shulou, gazing at him in astonishment.

He immediately shrank back. "Don’t just stand there silent—I’m getting nervous."

Another underling muttered, "I didn’t know you were this brave..."

His legs began to tremble. "I... isn’t this how revenge plays out in the stories?"

Xu Shulou gripped his shoulder. "Why are you shaking? You’re not wrong. We are here for revenge. Qi Wutong, in collusion with your sect’s Feng Jiuyou, stole life-saving spirit herbs and caused two deaths. We demand an explanation from the Qingcheng Sect!"

Her voice, amplified with spiritual energy, carried across the banquet hall, reaching nearly every guest in attendance.

Chu Fu, swept up in the moment, abandoned his prepared speech and shouted, "Chu Fu of the Xuanji Sect requests an audience with the Qingcheng Sect’s leader!"

The wedding banquet was enormous, with over a thousand guests present. Reactions varied—some gasped in shock, others froze in disbelief, while a few brightened with excitement and grabbed a handful of melon seeds.

Some spotted their own disciples or juniors among the troublemaking students and frantically signaled for them to step back. But the Xuancang Academy students were too engrossed in the spectacle to notice, much to their elders’ dismay.

Feng Jiuyou and Qi Wutong had been making rounds toasting guests when they heard the commotion. Qi Wutong trembled with rage, her wine cup shattering on the ground as she stormed forward. Recognizing Chu Fu, she spat, "You deliberately chose our wedding day to cause trouble? How vile can you people be?"

The Xuancang Academy students immediately began whispering among themselves. "This is my first time seeing the famed Divine Maiden Wutong—she’s not as beautiful as the rumors claimed."

"Probably because her face is twisted with anger," someone quipped. "Who looks good when they’re this furious?"

"..." Qi Wutong seemed to shake even harder.

Xu Shulou studied her. Objectively, Divine Maiden Wutong was quite lovely—her round face and large eyes gave her an innocent, endearing appearance. But now, consumed by fury, her features twisted into something almost monstrous.

Feng Jiuyou strode forward, his expression dark as he pulled Qi Wutong into his arms. "Don’t waste your anger on these worthless people. Let me handle this."

Qi Wutong, now facing him, shed her ferocity and dissolved into tears. She lowered her head delicately, her eyes reddening as she wept, her sorrow so pitiable it could move hearts.

Bai Roushuang scoffed. "Fake."

A nearby student leaned in curiously. "What’s fake? How can you tell?"

Bai Roushuang explained, "Look at how her tears fall in perfect drops, but she doesn’t dare make any expression—afraid of looking ugly. If she were truly heartbroken, would she care about that? It’s an act."

"Ah, so it’s an art form," the students murmured, their voices just loud enough for Qi Wutong to hear. Her body stiffened slightly.

Feng Jiuyou roared, "Guards! Drive these intruders out at once! Our wedding banquet has no place for uninvited guests."

Qingcheng disciples hesitantly moved to encircle the group, but a black-robed elder seated at the banquet suddenly spoke. "They’ve publicly accused you of taking lives. If you don’t clarify this now, won’t it cast suspicion on the entire Qingcheng Sect?"

Feng Jiuyou’s eyes flashed with resentment at the elder—a longtime rival—but he raised his voice defiantly. "Those spirit herbs grew freely in the wild, available to anyone. I already compensated with double the spirit stones—my conscience is clear! Even if you demand more, you’ll get nothing!"

"..." His arrogance erased any lingering doubts among the students, who now fully sided with Chu Fu.

Xu Shulou could see it—Feng Jiuyou truly believed his actions were justified.

"Does that explanation satisfy you?" Feng Jiuyou sneered. "Now get out! If you disrupt my wedding further, don’t blame me for what happens next!"

"Can double the spirit stones buy back my niece and brother’s lives?" Chu Fu clenched his fists. "I won’t argue with you. I demand to speak with your sect leader!"

Qi Wutong dabbed at her tears, her expression sorrowful as she faced Chu Fu. "I know you’re grieving, but today is our wedding. Name your price in spirit stones, and I’ll pay it. Just... let us be."

"Wutong, I won’t allow you to yield to these people," Feng Jiuyou snapped, pulling her back. He glared at the crowd. "The Qingcheng Sect leader doesn’t meet with just anyone! Guards—remove them!"

A quick-witted student tugged at Chu Fu’s sleeve. "Say we’re all your hostages—force them to call the sect leader."

"Right! We don’t mind playing captives!"

Chu Fu’s mouth tasted bitter, but there was no turning back now. Just as he opened his mouth to speak—

A deafening crash shook the earth.

Everyone turned in alarm to see a grand hall in the distance collapsing. Intricately carved walls and glazed tiles crumbled in an instant, sending debris flying in all directions.

It was a spectacular sight—like a golden mountain and jade palace toppling in ruin—and for a moment, the crowd could only stare in awe.

Then Feng Jiuyou’s enraged scream shattered the silence. "WHO DARES?!" His voice was so shrill it snapped everyone back to reality.

This grand hall was Feng Jiuyou's domain within the Qingcheng Sect. The Feng Clan had a penchant for extravagance, and this hall had taken a century to construct into its current resplendent state. Seeing it now reduced to ruins, Feng Jiuyou felt both heartache and fury, wishing he could drag out the culprit and hack them into eight pieces.

Yet the culprit needed no dragging. At that moment, they emerged leisurely from the wreckage, stepping over broken walls and debris, their figure materializing through the swirling dust. With a carefree flick of their folding fan, they even offered the onlookers a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry," they said. "I checked—no one was inside."

This person was none other than Xu Shulou, who had mysteriously vanished from the crowd earlier. No one knew what she had done, but the collapse of the hall had been spectacular enough to startle the entire Qingcheng Sect. Disciples from other peaks were already rushing over, their figures darting through the sky like swift dots in the distance.

Xu Shulou gazed upward, her eyes pinpointing one particular figure among the flying specks. She pointed and announced cheerfully, "Look, it’s the Sect Leader!"