Chapter 157 : They Always Think They’re Smart
Chapter 157: They Always Think They’re Smart
Treat him to a meal? No matter how foolish Nan Yuchen might be, he knew this meal definitely wouldn’t be simple.
He had been about to decline, but then he suddenly thought of something—this Senior Brother Zhou had been setting him up all this time, yet he himself knew almost nothing about him. Now that the man had delivered himself to his door, why not play along and take the opportunity to probe his true depth?
“Since Senior Brother is inviting me, as your junior brother I must give you face. Let’s go then.”
A nearly imperceptible trace of smugness flashed through Zhou Qingshu’s eyes. He had originally assumed this blockhead would at least make a show of declining.
After all, during the Grand Competition, which participating disciple wasn’t cautious, especially regarding food and drink? Unexpectedly, this brat was still just as simple-minded, not the slightest bit guarded.
Sure enough, just a fool who only knew how to bury his head in bitter cultivation.
What nonsense genius—wasn’t he still easily toyed with? Zhou Qingshu sneered inwardly, though his face was full of warmth.
“Good! Junior Brother Nan is indeed straightforward! Come, let’s head to Yuhua Wine House. Order whatever you like. Today we must enjoy ourselves to the fullest!”
He affectionately draped an arm over Nan Yuchen’s shoulder, not noticing that in Nan Yuchen’s other hand, a talisman paper had already been quietly burned away.
……
A short while later, the two had arrived at the wine house.
Since both were regular patrons, the Shopkeeper personally came forward to receive them and warmly guided them to an elegant window-side seat on the second floor.
“Haha, Junior Brother Nan won again today, didn’t he? This pot of ‘Clear-Heart Brew’ will be a congratulatory gift from our little establishment—a small token of goodwill.” The Shopkeeper smilingly handed over a pot of spirit wine.
“Many thanks, Senior Brother Shopkeeper.”
After taking the small pot of wine, Nan Yuchen merely opened it and gave it a cursory sniff before casually pouring a cup each for himself and Zhou Qingshu, drinking first.
Seeing his action of sniffing the wine, the Shopkeeper not only wasn’t offended, but instead felt the boy was far too lacking in tension.
As a disciple participating in the Grand Competition, he could easily have made up any excuse to refuse the wine, and no one would have said a word. Still, since the other party was giving him face, he was naturally pleased.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qingshu felt even more excited.
The brat had a bit of vigilance—but only a bit. If one truly intended to harm someone through wine, how could it possibly be detected by smell? However, he was in no hurry.
Turning to the Shopkeeper, he rattled off several dish names in succession.
“Senior Brother Zhou is too generous.” Nan Yuchen remained calm on the surface, even revealing just the right amount of “flattered surprise.”
“Ah, what are you saying, Junior Brother Nan!” Zhou Qingshu waved a hand and personally refilled his cup. “You and I share the same sect. We’ve grown a bit distant these past days—this is a perfect chance to grow close again. After all, to be born in the same era as a genius like you is the fortune of us mediocre fellows.”
If it had been before, Nan Yuchen might have thought those words were sincere praise. But now… even he could hear the faintly mocking undertone in that last sentence.
It seemed just as Senior Brother Long Tao had said—this Senior Brother Zhou had a habit of hiding barbs in his words.
Most people might not notice, but if one paid attention, it was truly obvious.
At the thought, Nan Yuchen couldn’t help but smile. He had genuinely improved in reading people and conversing with them. If Senior Brother Long Tao knew, he would probably praise him.
Soon… the dishes were served in full. The two ate and talked, occasionally mentioning interesting anecdotes within the sect, occasionally discussing the current situation of the Grand Competition.
From beginning to end, Zhou Qingshu made no suspicious moves toward the food or wine, instead repeatedly raising his cup in encouragement, even drinking first himself each time.
After they were full and satisfied, the two exited the wine house and parted ways at the street corner with cupped hands in farewell. Watching Nan Yuchen’s departing back, Zhou Qingshu let out a cold laugh before heading in the opposite direction.
After winding through streets and alleys, he arrived at a hidden, abandoned courtyard, where someone was already waiting.
“Young Master.” Zhou Qingshu bowed.
The person addressed as Young Master turned around. It was Ye Jingchen. He still carried that “I am the Child of Destiny” aura, hands clasped behind his back as he questioned like a superior.
“Is everything handled?”
“Rest assured, Young Master. I deliberately treated him to a meal. Even if they grow suspicious, they’ll surely focus their investigation on the food and drink. They’ll never think of where the real problem lies.”
“Well done. They always think they’re smart, but in truth they merely had the luck to possess some cultivation talent. If we truly compare intellect and temperament, are we inferior to them? Qingshu, just continue as you have. Once I completely ruin Nan Yuchen, you certainly won’t lack benefits.”
“Many thanks, Young Master. I’ll take my leave.”
“Mm. For now, make no moves. Just wait and enjoy the show.”
While the two were speaking, in another corner several streets away from that courtyard, True Person Mingzhu and Nan Yuchen were watching the entire conversation within the abandoned courtyard through a water-ripple-like phantom image.
“This! Senior Brother Zhou… is actually in league with that… Destiny Luck Thief?”
Although he had known Zhou Qingshu wasn’t a good person, Nan Yuchen had never expected him to be connected with that man.
Originally, it had merely seemed like petty scheming against him. But now… colluding with outsiders to harm a fellow disciple—that changed everything.
“Indeed unexpected. I thought we were only catching a small pest. Who would have thought we’d reel in a big fish as well?”
True Person Mingzhu had rushed over immediately after receiving Nan Yuchen’s notice and had been secretly monitoring Zhou Qingshu with a secret technique ever since. Even so, this gain exceeded her expectations.
What left her speechless, however, was that the disciple at her side added with admiration,
“Master, you may not know, but Senior Brother Long Tao warned me about Senior Brother Zhou back then. He even specifically told me not to fall out with him and to maintain a surface-level cordial relationship. I was unwilling at the time, but now that I think about it, he might have already anticipated that Senior Brother Zhou had a mastermind behind him. As expected of Senior Brother Long Tao! He calculated everything.”
True Person Mingzhu’s eyelid twitched slightly.
This child… whenever something involved Long Tao, he always interpreted it in the best possible light.
Sigh… but she had no mind to educate him on that now. Suppressing her helplessness, she focused and carefully examined Nan Yuchen’s entire body.
From their earlier conversation, the food and wine should not have been the issue. So where exactly was the hidden danger?
She used her Golden Core divine sense to meticulously sweep through his meridians, Dantian, and even the surface of his divine soul—yet she discovered not the slightest abnormality.
“That surnamed Zhou—besides eating and drinking with you, did he make any other small moves?”
“Absolutely not. Other than eating and drinking, we just chatted.”
“Chatted? Did you discuss any strange topics?”
“N-no. Everything was normal. The only issue was that when Senior Brother Zhou spoke, he always carried a faintly mocking tone in the details. Senior Brother Long Tao said that’s just his habit.”
True Person Mingzhu pondered for a moment. Then, with a sweep of her sleeve, she carried Nan Yuchen as an invisible breeze, silently arriving at the summit of the Main Peak.
“Master? What’s wrong? Why did we suddenly come here?” Nan Yuchen looked at the sect’s grand hall before him, puzzled.
“Those two are not fools. During the Grand Competition, if you eat with outsiders, it’s normal to seek me out afterward for inspection. Since they dared to act, the method they used is likely… of a level even I, at the Golden Core Realm, cannot detect. So… we must ask True Lord Luohong to examine you.”
“Even Master can’t detect it?! With their realm, is that… possible?”
“Of course it is. That is also something you must remember in the future. In this world, there will always be people who, by luck, obtain things far beyond their capability. If you underestimate an opponent just because their realm is low, you may suffer greatly. At critical moments, if you sense something amiss, do not care about face—seek help from the sect and your elders immediately.”
“Yes! This disciple will remember!”
Just as the two were about to enter the grand hall, an extremely eye-catching figure happened to step out from within—and even more eye-catching was that head of one-of-a-kind pink long hair.