Chapter 1536 - 1431: Gathering
"Thank you, Senior Brother Su, for thinking so highly of me!" Qin Hao was still quite polite towards Su Lingfeng, "It’s just that this is my first mission, and I want to undertake it with my old partners from the Outer Courtyard."
In fact, it had been many days since he last saw those old friends from the Outer Courtyard, and Qin Hao somewhat missed them.
"Alright. Then I won’t force you." Su Lingfeng appeared quite gentlemanly, smiling helplessly.
...
...
Huashan Main Peak, inside a luxurious palace.
Lei Xiuzhu sat on the main seat carved from white jade, anger on her face: "Hmph! Wang Yufei, you kept saying that Qin Hao is a scoundrel without any talent. But what just happened?"
Wang Yufei stood below the platform, head lowered, looking like a child who had done something wrong from a distance.
But if you got closer and saw her expression, you’d notice a slight annoyance hidden in her cold demeanor.
"I... I don’t know either..." Wang Yufei, rarely, showed a helpless emotion.
"Don’t know?" Lei Xiuzhu left her seat, walking over slowly.
Because Wang Yufei had her head down, she could see the back of her head.
"Are you jealous of that Qin Hao?"
Lei Xiuzhu’s words made Wang Yufei shudder.
She spoke with excitement in her voice: "Me, jealous of him? What is there to be jealous of?"
"Hmph!" Lei Xiuzhu snorted discontentedly: "I’ve investigated your background, you and Qin Hao come from the same place. However, due to the Wasted Body, he was expelled from the Inner Sect by Elder Chu, while you grew up in the Inner Sect..."
At this point, she paused, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness: "You initially thought you would surpass Qin Hao, a difference as vast as clouds and mud. Yet, in less than a month, he’s returned to the Inner Sect, also causing a stir with that dead girl Ji Yue’Er. Aren’t you feeling very unbalanced inside?"
"No, I’m not!"
Wang Yufei shook her head fiercely, shouting.
However, this action undoubtedly betrayed her guilty conscience at this moment.
"Indeed." Lei Xiuzhu became more certain. She sneered coldly: "As my Sword Attendant, at the gathering earlier, you overstepped repeatedly, speaking without my permission. Moreover, the mere fact that you withheld information shows your disrespect towards me. If you were an outsider, I would definitely punish you. But, for Elder Chu’s sake, I’ll spare you the physical pain for now. However, you’ve already committed a mistake, and you are no longer fit to work under me!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Yufei’s heart tightened inexplicably.
This Lei Xiuzhu actually intends to dismiss me?
Rage surged within her chest. Outside, Wang Yufei was a distinguished lady, always in the spotlight.
But now, she’s just someone else’s Sword Attendant servant, and even getting dismissed? How could she tolerate this?
With her anger swelling, Wang Yufei raised her head, her exceptionally beautiful face twisted: "You cannot dismiss me!"
"Cannot?" Lei Xiuzhu laughed, with a distinct trace of fury: "Do you want me to kill you?"
With these words, thunderbolts appeared around her.
The rage in Wang Yufei’s chest transformed into terror.
Her spoiled temperament had made her overlook an important fact.
As the Sect Leader’s daughter and a genius comparable to Ji Yue’Er, how could Lei Xiuzhu not have some tricks up her sleeve?
With just one round, Wang Yufei was completely oppressed in terms of aura.
"Hmph!" Seeing the other party cowed, Lei Xiuzhu snorted: "Now, get out of here! I don’t want to see you again. Also, explain yourself to Elder Chu!"
Hearing this, Wang Yufei left the palace with an indescribable grievance and melancholy.
"Qin Hao!"
Outside the palace, Wang Yufei looked up at the sky, her face twisted, "You damned troublesome thing!"
...
...
The Luoshan Lake gathering was merely a small meeting hosted by Hu Boyong.
Yet, because talented men and beautiful women were gathered, this meeting’s impact far exceeded anyone’s expectations.
First, Su Lingfeng, Hu Boyong, and Lei Xiuzhu were all geniuses of the Bright Monument.
The gathering of these three was already highly noteworthy.
Secondly, the infamously Wasted Body Qin Hao was present.
The effect of him ringing the Seventh Bell hadn’t completely faded, and now appearing once again under everyone’s noses naturally drew a wave of attention.
Those who attended the event returned to the mountain gate, tirelessly boasting about what they had seen and heard.
In such circumstances, Qin Hao’s name spread rapidly.
"That day, the swordsmanship Qin Hao displayed is still etched in my mind. I am certain he is a Sword Dao genius!"
This was what a male disciple who attended the event said to his fellow disciples.
"Qin Hao’s zither skill left me astonished! If possible, I would love to learn more from him!"
The zither beauty named Wu Fangfang returned to the mountain, becoming Qin Hao’s number one fan, constantly narrating Qin Hao’s "great" deeds to her sisters.
With the spread by many, it was hard for Qin Hao’s name not to reach everyone’s ears.
Thus, in recent days, the central topic of discussion within the Stone Sect was almost entirely dominated by "Qin Hao."
More importantly, Qin Hao’s influence wasn’t just because of that Luoshan Lake gathering.
What caused an even bigger stir was his feat of slaying Shan Mubing and forcing Wu Zilan in the life-and-death situation outside the Martial Ancestor’s Secret Chamber.
"Have you heard? A fierce person emerged recently?"
"Of course, I heard! Isn’t it that fierce Qin Hao? I heard he was already formidable in the Outer Courtyard, and in the Inner Sect, he sparked a series of sensational events!"
"Damn, I’ve been in the sect for five years, still struggling at the bottom, and there he goes, known by everyone in just two months! It really drives people mad with envy!"
Practically every day, the disciples’ conversations over meals or tea revolved around Qin Hao.
This situation occurred in every mountain, every courtyard.
Due to the overwhelming enthusiasm Qin Hao had stirred up, some more rebellious disciples began to get restless.
Not everyone admired Qin Hao; in the Inner Sect, where geniuses were widespread, people always had their own temperaments.
Many began to speak out, including several well-known figures within the Inner Sect.
"Who does Qin Hao think he is? Less than two months into the sect, just relying on connections to have killed someone! In essence, just another second-generation relying on his background!"
"Exactly! If he has the skills for a solo fight, I would beat him until his teeth were all over the floor!"
In the Inner Sect, where many aspired to fame, with Qin Hao currently in the spotlight, linking oneself with "Qin Hao" was seen as a promising way to gain recognition.
Hence, many disciples racked their brains trying to deal with Qin Hao, hoping to use this opportunity to promote their own name.
Those with such petty thoughts were mostly unknown individuals, though there were exceptions.
On this day, the Bright Monument’s strongman Zhan Wuji declared in the deep mountains: "Qin Hao, always Qin Hao—I find the name very irritating. Henceforth, if anyone dares mention this name in front of me again, don’t blame me for being impolite!"
These words unmistakably declared war on Qin Hao.