Chapter 3807 — The Blind Fool
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
She did not know Shangguan Lan'er at all, and there was no personal grudge between them whatsoever; the remark had been born purely of a moment's pique and jealousy.
Before Shangguan Lan'er appeared, she had been the only woman present, and a good-looking one at that, so she had been the moon around which all the stars revolved—even Young Master Xu, Xu Lingchong, whose backing ran deep, had favored her considerably.
But the moment Shangguan Lan'er showed up, everyone cast her aside like a worn-out shoe and paid her no further mind. The drop was simply too steep, and she could not help but voice a jab.
Hearing this, Shangguan Lan'er merely glanced at her with cool indifference, gave a little sniff, and without another word went straight into the private guest chamber nearby.
The little Curly Bear cub in her arms, however, spent a good while barking "woo-woo" at the woman from afar in open defiance. Do not forget—small as the creature was, still in its infancy, the Curly Bear was by nature a high-order spirit beast, sharp of wit from birth; it understood perfectly well what the woman had said.
Seeing Shangguan Lan'er walk into the guest chamber as though she could not be bothered with her, the woman froze, then flew into a shamefaced rage. But before she could open her mouth again, Xu Lingchong's face had already turned utterly black.
"Who brought this woman here?" Xu Lingchong did not so much as glance at her expression, sweeping his cold gaze over the crowd of young masters around him.
Apart from Shangguan Lan'er, his background was the deepest of anyone present, and now that he had spoken, the other young masters had no choice but to fall in line.
"Young Master Xu, it was I," one of them said, weakly raising his hand.
The woman was a relative of some low-ranking elder of Chongtian Pavilion. She had been raised in her hometown all this time, and because her cultivation was decent, she had recently been brought to the Pavilion—only to have this happen on her very first outing. She did not know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth; when a person insists on digging her own grave, no one can stop her.
"Take her back. Tell her family what happened today. Let them decide what to do with her. And as for the rest of you—anyone who dares show her a kind face from now on, you will answer for the consequences yourselves," Xu Lingchong said coldly.
To be honest, the woman was quite a beauty, and at first sight Young Master Xu had been rather taken with her. But set beside Miss Shangguan, she was not worth a fart. Xu Lingchong trampled on her without the slightest hesitation.
As his words fell, Xu Lingchong turned and followed into the guest chamber, leaving outside a crowd of young masters glancing at one another, and a woman whose face had gone deathly pale as she realized disaster was about to descend upon her.
"Little junior sister Lan'er, that blind fool of a woman outside—your senior brother has already taught her a lesson for you. Here, have some of this spirit tea, just imported from the Middle Island, to calm your temper," Xu Lingchong said, all fawning smiles as he plied her with attentions.
This spirit tea was the work of a tea master from the Middle Island. A single sip could clear the mind and settle the spirit, and it was of great benefit to cultivation besides, refining the true qi within the body to greater purity. Every ounce sold for at least a hundred spirit jade.
Shangguan Lan'er took it, but before she could so much as wet her lips, the little Curly Bear cub snatched it away, downing it in one gulp as though it were plain water—and then, for good measure, held the cup up toward Xu Lingchong, signaling for a refill.
Xu Lingchong's eyelid twitched violently. But for Shangguan Lan'er's sake, he could only grit his teeth and pour the cub another full cup, his heart bleeding all the while. What did they call squandering heaven's gifts? This, right here, was the genuine article!