The arrival of Nine Silences Hall was of considerable importance, given that their disciples usually ended up slapping faces whenever they came over. The academy expressed that they handle this matter with utmost care.
Shi Sheng really did calm down for awhile, but she didn’t remain completely still.
Hobo Uncle charged over to pick a fight with Zhong Shiyi as soon as he heard the announcement—though naturally, he was once again soundly beaten .
“Yaoguang, I’ve failed you!” Hobo Uncle wore a crestfallen expression, as if she had just been sentenced to death.
‘Uh, I guess it does look like a death sentence to them…’
Nine Provinces Academy couldn’t measure up to Nine Silences Hall in terms of strength. Even if you were on your own turf, you’d still have to suck it up if you couldn’t beat the other party.
“Just get Qin Langyue to accompany me and I’m fine with it.”
‘What’s with the crying?’
Every teacher had a vote. As for those who were unlucky enough to be chosen by said teachers…haha, too bad, make your peace with death!
The remaining contestants were decided via a mass vote by the students. Got selected? Well you only had your unpopularity to blame.
“But…” Hobo Uncle spoke with a tentative expression, “I already used my vote.”
Shi Sheng, “…” ‘This idiot!’
Even without Hobo Uncle’s vote though, Qin Langyue was still chosen to become part of the ‘death row’ by everyone’s votes.
……
The day Nine Silences Hall arrived, the entire academy was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere.
Well, it was inevitable; they were about to get their faces slapped after all.
Shi Sheng didn’t get front row seats to enjoy the unfolding drama…because she was too busy killing people.
Who was it, you might ask?
‘Dunno who sent them, but since they made an effort ito deliver themselves to me, it’d be a waste if I didn’t help myself, no?’
Shi Sheng attacked in a frenzy, relishing in the moment. Once her blade tasted blood, it started emitting a sinister red hue, causing red flashes as it sliced through the air.
After Shi Sheng finished off the last foe, she kicked him aside. His eyes were wide open, as if to express his disbelief at having been killed in this manner.
Shi Sheng examined her sword before squatting down and wiping it clean. The blood colour faded away, and the sword regained its unassuming appearance once more.
Since the would-be assassins numbered a mere two, it was an easy feat for Shi Sheng to dispose of the bodies. Dragging one in each hand, she navigated her way deep into the woods.
The grounds of Nine Provinces Academy were very expansive; even this simple stretch of woods was large enough for one to get lost in.
After disposing the bodies somewhere deep within the woods, Shi Sheng dusted off her hands before turning to leave.
However, she suddenly came face-to-face with a pair of gleaming, pitch-black eyes the moment she turned. The owner of those eyes was practically plastered against her back.
He was fully clothed in red, so he cut a distinct figure amongst the trees.
‘WTF! He didn’t make a sound, and he doesn’t even show any signs of life… is he a ghost?’
Shi Sheng swung her sword at him reflexively, but he simply floated to the side. That wasn’t an exaggeration, he floated. And rather swiftly at that.
His red clothes rustled gently in the air.
[Hidden Quest: To Accompany In Remaining Years.]
Shi Sheng quickly changed the trajectory of her sword so that it hit a tree at the side instead.
Creeak—
The tree collapsed, startling the birds in the canopy into flight.
[Mission Target: Bu Jingyun. The meaning is in the name.]
Shi Sheng didn’t react, not even a slight curse inwardly. This made System curious, so it blurted before it had time to reconsider:
[Host, are you not going to curse?]
“Don’t feel like cursing today,” Shi Sheng kept her sword as her gaze turned to the red figure not far from her. He was currently floating above the two corpses she’d tossed aside.
She observed as he lifted his hand, a cloud of white fog floated from both corpses and swiftly melded into his palms.
Shi Sheng, “…”
‘So not only is he a lunatic, he’s a lunatic who’s practising a demonic art! What happened to ‘zealous recluse’?! Why is he here of all places?!
…I have to take care of this nutjob?’
By the time Bu Jingyun withdrew his hand, the two corpses on the ground had turned to dust, leaving behind only two sets of clothes.
He turned to gaze at Shi Sheng.
With Bu Jingyun’s stunning features and red attire from head to toe, anyone would mistake him for a beauty if they didn’t scrutinize properly.
“What do you want…” Shi Sheng retreated a step. ‘Why is he looking at me like food?’
Shi Sheng tightened her grip on her sword. ‘If this fucker dares to attack me, I’ll fuckin’ cut him up!’
“Hallmaster? Hallmaster’s over here!” Several figures appeared from somewhere and converged onto Bu Jingyun.
“Hallmaster, why’re you going around eating random stuff again?”
“Hallmaster, hurry and spit it out!”
Shi Sheng watched in utter confusion as they hurriedly held Bu Jingyun down and forced the two clouds of mist from his palms.
‘Such insubordination warrants a beheading or two!’
But Bu Jingyun didn’t produce a reaction, simply allowing them to straighten out his clothes.
“Seize her. Bring her back,” Bu Jingyun suddenly pointed at Shi Sheng. The people looked towards her at once and revealed gazes full of pity as two of them closed in on her.
“Lady, it’s your fortune to have caught the Hallmaster’s interest. Don’t worry, we’ll compensate your family members.”
Shi Sheng, “…”
‘Don’t really want this ‘fortune,’ thank you very much!’
Shi Sheng hacked them with her sword. ‘Seize me?! Seize your head ah! Think I’m a little white mouse you can just catch?!’
Shi Sheng’s attacks were all lethal; she didn’t hold back at all. Adding to the fact that her attacks were generally from tricky angles, the two were defeated before they could even decipher her moves. When there was a difference in strength, it became a contest of speed.
Shi Sheng stared darkly at Bu Jingyun before suddenly charging towards the people next to him, causing the rest of the disciples to cry out in alarm, “Protect the Hallmaster!”
Their numerical advantage was a bit overwhelming, causing Shi Sheng to have some trouble keeping up. So she took out some of purple lightning balls from her stash, lured her opponents further away, and hurled them in succession at their feet.
Bang!
Bang!
The ground shook violently, causing a flock of birds to escape into the sky. Shi Sheng took this opportunity to stealthily make her way to Bu Jingyun, neutralize his bodyguard, and drag him onto her sword before flying out of the woods.
Bu Jingyun tried to resist, but was soon suppressed by Shi Sheng, “Don’t move if you’re injured. Careful, else I’ll kill you.”
She’d noticed that Bu Jingyun tried to resist those people earlier, but seemed powerless to do so. Since he could still float, his cultivation must still be present, meaning the only possibility left was that he suffered an injury.
Bu Jingyun glared at her angrily, “Do you know who I1 am?”
“Like I give a shit who you are. I’m kidnapping you back to be my man2, so be good, else I’ll kill you!” Shi Sheng patted Bu Jingyun’s face. “Gotta feed you some medicine later so you don’t just run off.”
‘Yeah! That’s a great idea! I knew I liked these kinds of lawless worlds!’
[……] System felt like crying in the washroom.
Bu Jingyun had never been this humiliated ever since he’d become famous! ‘This woman says she wants me to be her man, but she threatens to kill me all the time! And she’s treating me this roughly…
Guards! I wanna kill her!’