Faced with Feng Jiao's shocking words, Zhang San broke out in a cold sweat.

He was lustful, but he certainly wasn't stupid.

Zhang San had always looked down on those fools who blindly provoked the protagonists, tired of living, courting death in every possible way, and willingly serving as stepping stones.

If one couldn't even control their own emotions, how could they cultivate? How could they survive in the Red King Palace???

"Shut... shut up!"

"Stop talking! Senior Brother Chu Chen is a Pro-disciple! He is the Palace Master's beloved disciple! He is the number one person in our Red King Palace!"

"Silence! Keep your voice down!!"

Zhang San was nearly scared out of his wits by Feng Jiao. He scrambled up from the ground, grabbed her arm, and frantically signaled her to shut her mouth.

After all, the Spirit Herb Hall was crowded with loose lips. If word reached Chu Chen's ears, the consequences would be unimaginable...

"Hmph, you might be afraid of that wretch, but I'm not!"

Unexpectedly, Feng Jiao shook off Zhang San's hand. With her head held high, she shouted at Yu Youwei's retreating figure:

"A lowly servant dares to force us formal disciples to kneel? Outrageous!"

"You wretch, stop right there!!"

Yu Youwei stiffened. Not wanting to cause trouble, she quickened her pace, hoping to leave this place as soon as possible.

"Hmph, courting death!"

Seeing this, Feng Jiao flung out the flying sword in her hand.

Bang!!

Driven by her Essence Condensation Realm cultivation, the flying sword struck Yu Youwei, sending her crashing to the ground in a single blow.

Feng Jiao showed no intention of holding back. Against the might of the Essence Condensation Realm, that single strike was enough to make blood trickle from the corner of Yu Youwei's mouth.

Just as Yu Youwei struggled to get up, Feng Jiao flashed forward, appearing right in front of her.

"Hmph, let me see what this wretch looks like!"

Swish!

Giving Yu Youwei no chance to resist, Feng Jiao raised her hand and snatched the veil from her face.

The hideous scar that ran across her nose and cheek was instantly revealed to everyone.

Uproar-

The scene erupted into chaos as the surrounding disciples pointed at Yu Youwei.

"Heavens, such a massive scar! She's hideous!"

"Exactly, just looking at her makes me sick."

"No wonder she wears a veil when she goes out. She's completely disfigured. How disgusting."

"Right? If you're disfigured, why not find a hole to hide in? Why come out and ruin everyone's appetite?"

...

Amidst the barrage of insults, Yu Youwei's eyes instantly turned red.

She covered her face with one hand while trying to snatch the veil back from Feng Jiao with the other. But how could a mere mortal be a match for an Essence Condensation Realm cultivator?

Feng Jiao, however, seemed intent on deliberately toying with her. She shifted the veil up, down, left, and right, dangling it just out of reach so Yu Youwei could never grab it.

"Heavens, how dare Feng Jiao be so bold?"

"This maidservant is ugly, but... but she is still Senior Brother Chu Chen's person. How dare she?"

"Feng Jiao has always been shrewd and calculating. As soon as she entered our Red King Palace, she latched onto Senior Brother Zhang San. Why is she acting so recklessly today?"

"Is... isn't she afraid that Senior Brother Chu Chen will blame her and kill her to vent his anger?"

...

The watching disciples were both amused and amazed, finding Feng Jiao's actions today far too abnormal.

"What do you know? That woman Feng Jiao is incredibly scheming. Her actions today may seem impulsive, but they were planned long ago."

"How so? Please enlighten us, Senior Brother."

"Hmph, don't forget how Feng Jiao climbed the great tree that is Zhang San. Now that she has broken through to the Essence Condensation Realm, compared to Zhang San, Senior Brother Chu Chen is a true towering tree of heaven!"

"That woman Feng Jiao has the figure and the looks. More importantly, she's uninhibited and incredibly seductive. She knows exactly how to handle men. What man wouldn't want to claim her for himself?"

"Her actions today serve a dual purpose. At worst, she's standing up for Senior Brother Zhang San. At best... she's attracting Senior Brother Chu Chen's attention, hoping to climb into his bed~"

"If Yu Youwei hadn't been disfigured, Feng Jiao's chances would only be fifty percent, even as a cultivator. But since Yu Youwei is an ugly, disfigured freak, I have to say, Feng Jiao has gambled correctly again."

"In the future, we'll probably have to call her Senior Sister Feng. In this Red King Palace, she'll be beneath one person and above ten thousand."

...

"No way? Feng Jiao is gambling with her life!"

"We cultivators inherently defy the heavens. As they say, wealth is found in danger. Feng Jiao saw through this long ago."

"But what if..."

"There is no 'what if.' If you were Senior Brother Chu Chen, would you choose a lowly, disfigured maidservant, or a female cultivator with High Grade looks and a figure who truly understands men?"

"...I'd choose Feng Jiao. I heard her skills in bed are quite something, hehe~"

The disciples discussed among themselves, many having seen through Feng Jiao's true intentions.

"I thought the beauty serving Senior Brother Chu Chen would be something special, but it turns out to be an ugly freak like you!"

"Since you're disfigured, how do you have the face to stay by Senior Brother Chu Chen's side? If I were you, I'd find a tree and hang myself."

"It's not your fault you're disfigured, but coming out to scare people is definitely your mistake."

...

After a round of taunts, Feng Jiao seemed to grow tired of the game.

With a pulse of spiritual power from her hand, and amidst Yu Youwei's terrified gaze, the veil instantly turned to ash.

Yu Youwei staggered, tears streaming down her face.

To her, this veil was not just a piece of cloth; it was her last shred of shattered self-esteem...

As the veil turned to ash, Yu Youwei's heart plummeted into the abyss.

Just then, a black-clothed youth parted the crowd and walked slowly forward, one hand resting behind his back and the other holding a sword.

The black-clothed youth was handsome and elegant. His striking face showed neither joy nor sorrow, as if he were entirely detached from the mortal world.

Every move he made exuded an extraordinary air of nobility.

"Do you think appearance really matters that much?"

The black-clothed youth looked at Feng Jiao, who had been toying with Yu Youwei, and spoke calmly.

Strangely enough, although this black-clothed youth was only at the tenth level of the Qi Gathering Realm-not even reaching the Essence Condensation Realm-he was dazzlingly eye-catching among the crowd of Essence Condensation, Sea Cleaving Realm, and even Heaven Opening Realm disciples in the Spirit Herb Hall.

Like a crane standing among a flock of chickens, he was transcendent and aloof.

"Wha... what?!"

Feng Jiao was stunned. She stared at the black-clothed youth approaching her, unable to react for a long moment.

When she realized that the youth before her was only at the tenth level of the Qi Gathering Realm-far weaker than herself-Feng Jiao let out a sneer.

"Nonsense! Of course appearance matters! Everyone loves beauty!"

"Am I wrong? Am I incorrect?"

Feng Jiao's tone was incredibly hostile. After all, for someone like her, bullying the weak and fawning over the powerful was ingrained in her very bones.

Since the black-clothed youth was weaker than her, what else was there to say?

Just put him in his place directly!!

But as soon as the words left her mouth, Feng Jiao regretted them.

Feng Jiao wasn't stupid; on the contrary, she was extremely intelligent and calculating.

The black-clothed youth before her had a very unfamiliar face. It was Feng Jiao's first time seeing him, meaning he must have arrived at the Red King Palace not long ago.

Add to that his tenth-level Qi Gathering Realm cultivation, and the fact that he appeared right when she was bullying Yu Youwei...

Feng Jiao's heart pounded. In an instant, she guessed the identity of the black-clothed youth before her.

Her attitude immediately did a complete one-eighty. Not only did her gaze toward the black-clothed youth become seductive, but her voice also instantly turned alluring and bewitching:

"Of course~ Saying appearance is important is only for ordinary people like us. For a lofty figure like Senior Brother Chu Chen, appearance is important, but character is even more so. After all..."

Before Feng Jiao could finish her sentence, the black-clothed youth raised his hand to stop her, forcefully interrupting:

"I think you're absolutely right. Everyone loves beauty, and appearance is indeed very important to a person."

These words caught Feng Jiao completely off guard.

Glancing at Yu Youwei beside her, who had already become a sobbing mess, Feng Jiao was overjoyed inside. She had fully confirmed the black-clothed youth's identity.

But what did Senior Brother Chu Chen mean by saying this? Wasn't he here to stand up for Yu Youwei?

Or...

Had Senior Brother Chu Chen, after seeing her looks and charm, fallen for her?

Between Yu Youwei and her, Feng Jiao, he had already made his choice!

It must be so!

Ha, men~

"So I'll give you two choices!"

Chu Chen ignored the ecstatic Feng Jiao and continued speaking:

"One, slash your own face. Two, die right now!"

Uproar-

As soon as these words were spoken, Feng Jiao, who had been ecstatic a moment ago, froze in place with terror, her face losing all color.

Some of the watching disciples wanted to step forward and accuse Chu Chen of speaking arrogantly, but they were firmly held back by the slightly more perceptive ones beside them.

The entire Spirit Herb Hall fell silent.

An eerie, terrifying silence.

"Senior Brother Chu Chen, this... this is a misunderstanding."

Feng Jiao was so scared that her body trembled. She swallowed hard. None of this was going as she had imagined.

As soon as Chu Chen appeared, he didn't give her any chance to flaunt her charms or seduce him. He directly pronounced a death sentence.

"Senior Brother Chu Chen, let me explain, I..."

"Forget it!!"

Before Feng Jiao could finish her sentence, Chu Chen interrupted her with a perfectly calm expression.

Seeing this, Feng Jiao was overjoyed, thinking she had escaped disaster.

"Since you don't want to choose, I'll choose for you."

But Chu Chen's next words made her feel as if she had been plunged into an ice cellar, teetering on the brink of an abyss:

"Then I'll slash your face first, and then send you to die!"

Swish!

As soon as the words were spoken, Chu Chen's body vanished.

When he reappeared, a cold, gleaming long sword materialized right before Feng Jiao.

Aimed at that picturesque, nation-captivating face...

It slashed horizontally downwards!!

...

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