Chapter 501: Lesson
"Now that Su Li has returned to the martial world, he has completely changed from his former drunken self. Although he still keeps his distance from others, at least he's shed that unpleasant scowl! If he returns to his former self completely over time, do you think I can still hold on to the position of Sect Leader!?" Hai Dongqing said viciously, her tone filled with anxiety and resentment.
Ling'er was no fool. After hearing Hai Dongqing's explanation, she immediately understood the stakes. Her gaze grew dark as she looked forward again, but when she lifted her head, she was stunned.
Zhao Dong is gone?
Ling'er hurriedly searched around but then heard a faint voice from behind her.
"Are you looking for me?"
SWISH!
Ling'er's expression changed dramatically as she whipped around to see Zhao Dong standing right behind her.
"What... what do you want!?" Ling'er's face went pale.
At that same moment, the attention of the surrounding crowd was drawn over.
Zhao Dong held up his wine glass with a faint smile. "Senior Sister Ling'er seems to have a short memory. Have you forgotten the grievances between us in the dungeon?"
Ling'er's face turned even paler. She instinctively stepped back. "You... don't mess around! This is the Qingyun Sect, and I am a disciple of the Qingyun Sect!"
Zhao Dong's eyes gradually turned icy. "Senior Sister Ling'er, you seem to have forgotten how you tormented me in the dungeon, but I certainly haven't."
As he spoke, Zhao Dong slowly approached her. The air grew thick with tension.
At that moment, Dongfang Shi quickly came up to them and demanded, "Ling'er! You are not one of the sect's law enforcers. Why did you go to the dungeon and torture Zhao Dong!?"
Given the previous events, Dongfang Shi no longer had any doubts about Zhao Dong. Therefore, he didn't question the truth of the matter and immediately interrogated Ling'er.
Ling'er's eyes darted about in a panic. She gritted her teeth and said, "Yes! I did torture him, but wasn't I just trying to help the sect find the Enlightenment Stone? The previous events were all a misunderstanding. Now that it's cleared up, what more do you want?"
What a way to turn the tables! Her words made it seem as though Zhao Dong was being unreasonable.
Zhao Dong slowly stood up. "The grudge between us should be resolved by the two of us. Since you've disliked me for so long, let's settle this with a duel."
Ling'er's face became frantic, her legs trembling with fear. A duel!? If even Hai Dongqing was no match for Zhao Dong, how could she possibly defeat him? Wouldn't a duel be suicide?
Dongfang Shi frowned. "What Ling'er did was indeed wrong, but her crime doesn't warrant death. Young friend Zhao, isn't this improper?"
Zhao Dong shook his head. "Elder Dongfang, rest assured. If I wanted to kill her, I wouldn't have confronted her in broad daylight. I just want to teach her a lesson and vent my anger."
Hearing this, Dongfang Shi heaved a sigh of relief. Zhao Dong's request was not unreasonable, so how could he refuse? Ling'er had made a mistake, and it was only natural for her to be punished.
Thus, Dongfang Shi said grimly, "Ling'er, why haven't you agreed to the duel?"
Although Zhao Dong said he wouldn't kill her, Ling'er was still too frightened to make a sound. At that moment, Hai Dongqing pulled her aside and whispered, "Don't be afraid. Although Zhao Dong is formidable, he's arrogant and won't take you seriously. Aren't you skilled with hidden weapons? Use them to kill him during the duel. He'll be caught off guard!"
Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Ling'er's eyes.
That's right! I can use my hidden weapons!
With this thought, Ling'er's fear vanished. She strode boldly in front of Zhao Dong and scoffed, "Fine! A duel it is! I'd like to see what you're really made of!"
Zhao Dong's eyes narrowed slightly. She agreed so readily? Could this be a trick? The concern was fleeting, however. In the face of absolute power, what did her trickery matter?
"Hold on!"
At this moment, the Third Elder suddenly stepped forward. "Why don't we just forget about this duel? Ling'er's mistake is indeed hateful, but swords have no eyes. If someone were to be killed, how would we resolve the situation?"
"Third Elder!" Zhao Dong's gaze was firm. "This matter is a weight on my heart. If you stop me, I will never find peace!"
"This..." The Third Elder's face fell.
Dongfang Shi gave a bitter smile. "Just let them fight. Some matters are better resolved sooner rather than later. It's troublesome to keep it bottled up."
The implication of Dongfang Shi's words was clear. With the dispute happening under their watchful eyes, it was at least controllable. But if they didn't let Zhao Dong settle this now, he might seek Ling'er out in private. If a death occurred then, the situation would be even harder to manage.
Seeing this, the Third Elder said no more and retreated to the side with a bitter smile.
Zhao Dong bowed. "Thank you for allowing this, Third Elder!"
Afterward, Zhao Dong and Ling'er walked to the main path outside the plaza. The surrounding crowd immediately moved in to spectate.
The area fell silent; no one spoke. Truthfully, none of them had any confidence in Ling'er. Hai Dongqing couldn't even defeat Zhao Dong, so how could Ling'er possibly be his opponent?
Zhao Dong stood with his hands behind his back, staring at Ling'er's venomous glare. "Aren't you going to make your move?"
"Hmph!" Ling'er snorted coldly and thrust her longsword forward fiercely.
Facing Ling'er's sharp strike, Zhao Dong didn't even bother to move. With a flick of his right hand, a fiery red blur instantly flew out from behind him. It moved with incredible speed, circling Ling'er once before returning to his hand.
Ling'er felt a sudden chill. Looking down, she saw her clothes burst apart, leaving only her white undergarments exposed to the air.
"AH!!!"
Shocked, Ling'er dropped her sword and frantically tried to cover herself.
At this sight, the male disciples' eyes widened, while the female disciples frowned deeply. How could Zhao Dong use such a despicable tactic?
"Zhao Dong! You've gone too far!" Hai Dongqing roared with rage. This was her Daoist partner! For Zhao Dong to treat Ling'er this way was a direct slap to her face.
Zhao Dong sneered. "Compared to what she did to me, this is nothing. Or perhaps I should tell everyone how she tortured me in the dungeon?"
"No! Don't say it!" Ling'er shrieked in a panic.
At her outburst, the expressions of the onlookers changed. The men felt a perverse thrill, while the women glared at Ling'er with venomous eyes. Though they couldn't imagine the details, the fact that Zhao Dong would resort to this suggested Ling'er must have done something truly unacceptable to the average person.
Dongfang Shi and the others gave a bitter smile and turned to leave. Clearly, they believed Zhao Dong's so-called punishment was simply to humiliate Ling'er in public, which was indeed his intention.
But just as everyone let their guard down, Ling'er suddenly tore the pin from her hair bun and hurled it with all her might. The purple hairpin blended into the night, streaking forward like a black bolt of lightning!
Its speed was astonishing and its power formidable. The intense killing intent was felt clearly even by those standing on the sidelines.