Chapter 294 - Cold Reception
Chapter 294: Cold Reception
Yi Tong thought that Jiang Shuxuan would be shocked, but Jiang Shuxuan merely nodded his head without any visible change in his expression, and waved his hand lightly to dismiss him.
After Yi Tong left, Jiang Shuxuan pulled out his phone. The corner of his mouth quirked up slightly, and a message came in from Gu Xiqiao while he was staring at his phone—[Brother Jiang, the great elder says they want to hold a celebration feast for me.]
Jiang Shuxuan replied to her immediately—[What did you say to that?]
Her reply was equally fast—[I told him that I’m very busy, and don’t have the time. Is it rude for me to do that?]
Jiang Shuxuan could practically see the dazed and shocked look on the great elder’s face when she replied to him with those words—[It’s fine, they just have too much time on their hands.]
***
Outside the door, Yi Bing was looking at Yi Tong, who looked like he was still trying to snap out of his dazed state. “Yi Tong, what did you say just now?”
“I said, Miss Gu has broken through the 80th floor.” Yi Tong’s tone was solemn, though there was a slight hitch in his voice when he spoke.
“The 80th floor, I see.” Yi Tiao echoed from the side, and he placed his hand on the door, about to knock when he doubled back. “Wait, come again? How many floors?”
“80 floors.” Yi Tong repeated patiently.
Yi Tiao’s hands trembled, nearly dropping the documents in his hands. “She’s only nineteen years old, and she’s already reached the 80th floor. This genius isn’t that far off from the big boss, right?”
Being subordinates of Jiang Shuxuan, they were clearly aware of the man’s strength. When he was young he’d already become famous and his strength was comparable to those placed in the top ten of the Heaven and Earth Ranking List.
Talents in the ancient martial arts world that could reach the 70th floor before the age of twenty were already rare enough, let alone the 80th floor. Gu Xiqiao was still young, and with her talents, it wouldn’t be impossible to break through the 100th floor in this lifetime!
If she really did break through the 100th floor… Yi Tong and the rest looked at each other, seeing the shock in each other’s eyes.
After being silent for a while, Yi Tiao suddenly recalled something serious. “By the way, didn’t we say we were going to meet the Peace Squad the last time? I’ve already found out where they are.”
“Where?” Yi Tong’s eyes lit up. Gu Xiqiao was just too far away from him now, but he was still fairly interested in the Peace Squad.
Especially after he found out that this group of people had flattened the bunch of elder’s ego, that made him all the more interested in getting to know these people. They were a breath of fresh air compared to the stifling ancient martial arts world!
Yi Tiao smiled mysteriously after hearing Yi Tong’s words. “They’re in the ancient martial arts world.”
“What?” Yi Bing narrowed his eyes. “Could it be… That Peace Manor?”
“That’s right.” Yi Tiao nodded his head. “It’s them alright!”
“No way, that’s in the fifth ring. There isn’t a single lick of spiritual energy in that area, why would they choose such a location?” Yi Tong was puzzled. He thought that the elders would arrange a more suitable place for them, at least a location with more chi and energy in the area. Even if it weren’t in the center, they would at least be located in the second ring, but they were in the fifth ring?!
The fifth ring was a place where even the outer disciples weren’t willing to live in.
***
On the other side, Gu Xiqiao had left the Trial Tower.
However, the crowd around the tower had yet to disperse. Several of the Jiang family elders were holding onto each other for support.
A green-robed figure slowly walked towards them, and although his pace was slow, the distance he covered in a single step was great. He appeared in front of these few people in just a few steps, his voice urgent as he asked, “Who was it that was just in the Trial Tower?”
“Master Dubhe, it was Miss Gu.” The great elder raised his hand and answered.
“It was her?” Dubhe furrowed his brows. He had felt a familiar energy just now, but Gu Xiqiao was an outsider, it couldn’t have been her. “Apart from her, who else?”
“Master Dubhe, Miss Jiang Tong is also in the Trial Tower,” The seventh elder answered.
“Jiang Tong?” A member of the Jiang family, it shouldn’t be wrong. Dubhe disappeared after getting the answer he needed.
The elders looked at one another again, but ultimately shrugged off Dubhe’s strange actions. The second elder asked, “Did Miss Gu say not to prepare any celebratory banquet just now?”
“Yes.” The great elder responded. “To achieve such a great milestone at a young age, she should be training at every available time she has.”
The other elders sigh. “Miss Gu is really hardworking.”
***
The ‘very hardworking Miss Gu’ was currently watching TV as she was texting Jiang Shuxuan with Jiji by her side. “I pity those elders, they even talk about how hard you’re training.”
Jiji was disgusted when it said that, this girl was obviously eating fruits while watching leisurely, wasn’t that being a bit too relaxed!
Gu Xiqiao was annoyed at what Jiji said. “Don’t I work hard?”
Jiji thought about how Gu Xiqiao trained day and night in the virtual arena, and it stopped talking. She did indeed work very hard, and there were not many people who could compare to how hard she worked. In other words, Gu Xiqiao could no longer be labeled as ‘hard work’, but rather, terrifying!
To have increased one’s mental power by tenfold in such a short time, it was not something that anyone could do, and it required unimaginable perseverance and discipline.
If this wasn’t considered to be hardworking, then what was?
“Hardworking…” Jiji wasn’t able to deny this fact, and it nodded. “By the way, Beauty Qiao, I seem to see that Dubhe asking about Jiang Tong.”
“He doesn’t sense you?” Gu Xiqiao raised her head after hearing that, curiosity in her eyes.
Jiji flashed her a triumph smile. “Of course not, I’m the Great Master System.”
“Oh.” Gu Xiqiao turned back to watch the TV.
Jiji: “…” Where were praises of a job well done? It didn’t know how to continue on like this.
Gu Xiqiao finished up the fruits, and then later went on to have her meal. Shu Chen had originally planned on bringing Gu Xiqiao around the ancient martial arts world, but unexpectedly, Dubhe came knocking on the door in the afternoon. Gu Xiqiao was calmed when she faced Dubhe now.
Dubhe glanced at Gu Xiqiao, pausing in his steps. He didn’t expect to feel the increase in her mental power just after a day of not seeing her.
‘This person is really just terrifying,’ Dubhe thought to himself. He turned his gaze away from her, not lingering long.
Such a talent was only a curse to ordinary people, and not a blessing.
“Aunt Shu, I’m going out to look for Big Brother Yin.” Gu Xiqiao informed Shu Chen, and left the house after hearing an affirmative answer from the older woman.
Shu Chen had also heard about Dubhe’s identity from the elders, so she was respectful of him.
“Madam Jiang, I’m here today to inquire about Jiang Tong.” Dubhe got straight to the point.
“Jiang Tong?” Shu Chen raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Her family is the only branch family of the Jiangs, but other than that, I don’t really know much about them. Master Dubhe, you can ask her father directly for more information.”
Dubhe shook his head. “I only want to know her birth year and month.”
Shu Chen nodded her head, calling the butler over to search for the information. “Master Dubhe, please wait a while.”
Not long after, the butler brought a small notebook over to Dubhe, and he sat down in the chair to flip through it.
While he was doing that, the butler spoke a few words into Shu Chen’s ears. Looking up to find that Dubhe was still engrossed in the book, she stood and went out, where the great elder of the Jiang family was waiting for her. He handed a box over to her. “Madam, please pass this on to Miss Gu on our behalf.”
Shu Chen took the box in her hands, and nodded her head at the old man. “Thank you, great elder.”
The great elder waved his hand dismissively, turning around to leave, before catching sight of Dubhe, who was in the room. Thinking for a while, he leaned closer to Shu Chen and spoke a few words into her ears, before turning again to leave.
Shu Chen’s face sank after hearing the words he spoke.
She stood rooted to the spot, and when she walked back into the living room, there was only coldness in her eyes. Whatever respect and admiration she had for Dubhe had vanished.
Although Dubhe had not been privy to their conversation, the surroundings were obviously in his palm, and he naturally knew what the great elder had said to Shu Chen, and why her attitude suddenly changed. Fortunately, he had already confirmed what he needed, and he stood. “Madam Jiang, I’ll drop by again next time.”
Shu Chen’s face was still stiff, and she tilted her head slightly. Her behavior even scared the butler to death!
Luckily, Dubhe didn’t care much for it. He paused at the door, speaking without turning, “It was I who forbade Gu Xiqiao from participating in the ranking tournament. Madam Jiang, I have to say, if Miss Gu goes on growing like this, it will be a calamity.”
Shu Chen was angry at Dubhe’s words in the beginning, but then she started laughing.
“Master Dubhe, we are well aware of how our Qiao Qiao is as a person.” Shu Chen’s eyes were on Dubhe, cold as ice and hard as steel. She was not intimidated by Dubhe’s aura at all. “You said that she would bring calamity to the world, and by telling me this, are you telling us to kill her outright?”
Don’t be deceived by Shu Chen’s usually graceful and dainty appearance, she could be extremely imposing when she was angered. The pressure that hung in the air was not any less heavy than what Jiang Shuxuan exuded.
“The things that are happening in the ancient martial arts world are obviously the evils that were left by your people. Making our Jiang family atone for it is fine, forget about it, but now even forcing my daughter-in-law to? She’s only nineteen years old! Don’t you feel any guilt, placing the entire burden on her? Master Dubhe, if the ancient martial arts world will be destroyed, then it’s best if it happens quickly, don’t blame it on my daughter-in-law!” Shu Chen exclaimed, her anger already reaching the boiling point.
She had wondered why Qiao Qiao had left immediately after seeing Dubhe, so there was actually something like this that had happened.
Calling her the source of all the disasters?
How daring and presumptuous of him!
Judging by the way he spoke, he had already told Gu Xiqiao all of this. Her heart ached when she thought about it, the child hadn’t said anything when she returned. It was no wonder she had seemed even more gloomy than usual, and had stayed silent the entire night. There were such heavy thoughts hidden in her heart.
No matter how great and powerful Gu Xiqiao was, she was still just a nineteen-year-old girl.
An abandoned child at birth, and finding an unreliable birth father after that, and now worse, to say that she was the harbinger of doom, the source of all disasters?!
Last time, she hadn’t been by her side, and she couldn’t protect her. But now, Gu Xiqiao was by her side, so how could Shu Chen allow anyone else to bully her family.
Thinking about the things that Gu Xiqiao had done for the ancient martial arts world, as well as how many lives had been saved because of her, even her own life had been saved once by her. Now there’s someone who’s saying that she’s a calamity, no one would be able to accept it when they heard it!
It was better if the ancient martial arts world was destroyed, the sooner the better, so that they wouldn’t rely on her daughter-in-law all the time!
“Butler, close the doors!” Shu Chen instructed Butler Jiang.
The butler was worried about Shu Chen’s words, but after he heard everything, he was also angry. He slammed the door with a loud bang.
“Goodbye, Master Dubhe!”
Dubhe, who was a person to be revered and worshiped, was once again met with a cold reception.
He had thought that though Jiang Shuxuan couldn’t be reasoned with when it came to Gu Xiqiao, Shu Chen would have different thoughts.
But he didn’t expect that even Shu Chen would be the same. If the ancient martial arts world would be destroyed, then it’s best if it happened quickly? She had said such a thing?
Dubhe didn’t feel good about himself, and there was also some doubt in his heart. He wondered, why was it that these people who were supposed to be extraordinarily calm people, changed to be like this after meeting Gu Xiqiao?
He stood in the spot for a while, then turned to look for Jiang Shuxuan. Right now, the matter about Jiang Tong was the most important thing.
***
“You said… Jiang Tong is the turning point?” Jiang Shuxuan raised an eyebrow at Dubhe’s words.
Dubhe was sitting in a chair in the room, looking at the man. “That’s right, I felt Master’s energy from her. She should be the turning point that Master had talked about, and her horoscopes are in line with my calculations.”
“Hm.” Jiang Shuxuan just nodded his head, not saying anything more, a calm look on his face.
“She’s the future of the ancient martial arts world, and will need to have more protection,” Dubhe observed Jiang Shuxuan, who still had an indifferent and calm expression. He frowned at that. “We need to find the turning point on her.”
“Do as you will.” Jiang Shuxuan closed the book in his hand. “I don’t have time for you. I need to accompany her to the qualifying matches tomorrow, I don’t have the time.”
Having said that, Jiang Shuxuan stood, taking his phone from the table before leaving the room.