He continued. "While they weren't guarded against you before, it didn't matter. But now, you swiped the floor with their faces. And the fact that we have to collect more subordinates from home because an unknown disciple raised the bar of the compet.i.tion is humiliating."

He cut another piece of meat and chewed while speaking. Not caring for manners.

"They can afford to lose against peers, but you're not a peer, you're a poor, cutthroat cultivator, from a backwater corner. And you just proved yourself able to beat them, they all can only reach one conclusion; to gather and put the nuisance down."

He threw her three-letter envelopes "This is three different invitation for a talk, and their common words are 'The event of today.' That event is you."

Zhi Rui was visibly unmoved. Her cold eyes hovered on him, without flinching. "I expected that. I incited it. It just happened earlier than I thought." She said.

He looked at her and tilted his head, he then laughed out loud and spoke with mocking disbelief. " It can't be, but I have to ask. Did you really think you can take us on? Is it because of your subordinates? we can just contact out clans once, for them to send batches and batches of subordinates in the same level. It's admirable to have that kind of strength for someone like you, but for people like us, level fourth is as common as gra.s.s. You cannot beat us, not even if we were separated. We- "

As he spoke Zhi Ru turned around to leave.

He scoffed. "If I knew you were so high in flights of fancy, I wouldn't have wasted good meat on you."

Zhi Rui turned back and smiled with venom at him.

"The only reason I came today, is because I thought you had a plan, but it turns out, you're just a coward who ran away from peer pressure. It's a good choice to avoid looking at your more successful brothers. At least here, people will look at you as if you were the bigger fish."

Her words pierced his core. He squinted his eyes. "That rule of not killing each other only applies to us, you're n.o.body. You might be protected while alive. But once you die. n.o.body will care enough to take aggressive measures. given the chance, anyone of us will kill you. This is the last chance I'm giving you. Become my wife, at least until I leave here, rule this land with me."

His voice softened by the end, But Zhi Rui's eyes only grew thicker with mockery.

"You wasted my time today. And for that, I'll make you pay dearly."

Zhi Rui left without another word. The doors closed with a bang behind her.

Chao Cheng smirked. "How is it, old man? What do you think?"

The Dao Protector sighed at Chao Cheng. "You're acting all smug, but she saw right through you. She wasn't annoyed by your act, she was annoyed because you chose to test and beat around the bush, even if you had a chance to woo her, you lost it. Woman hat indecisive men."

"Oh." Chao Cheng said and thought of their talk from beginning to end. He smiled, "Well at least I got what I wanted. for her to acquire that bit of information about me, she'd had to know someone way higher in the ladder. No one here that have the authority to know about me would give it to her. Besides, despise isn't indifference old man." Chao Cheng chukled.

The old man slowly nodded. And once again, was impressed by his Young master's ability to ignore bad points. And be oblivious to his actions.

He sighed and cut the meat in front of him.

-----

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Zhi Rui and her followers were walking in silence when a sudden wind blew their way. The scholar, Bain Bengwan, and His mesmerizing Dao protector were blocking the way.

Zhi Rui's cold eyes, that was already annoyed by her waste of time looked at him with not even fake politeness. Seeing the indifference on her, Bain Bengwan smiled with mirth.

He covered his mouth with a Hand-Fan, making his smiling eyes the focus.

"If I knew I only had to beat you up to get you in my bed I would've done it." He said.

Zh Rui smiled at the sad sight. A playboy who flaunts being refined scholar, a sociopath, a case of deeply ingrained inferiority complex. He called for her once, she rejected it with disdain, but accepted another man's invite right after. That must've hurt his small pride. So he came to vent.

Seeing the smile on her face, made the irrational anger inside of him flare-up, his mirth thickened.

"Wh.o.r.e, should I beat you up then? Is that the rules to get between your legs?"

His mouth was covered by the fan, and disciples around couldn't see or hear what he was saying. But the image was still amiable.

Zhi Rui wanted to hug him and pat his head, but on the other hand, she couldn't help but be amused by him. And since he was an enemy, Zhi Rui decided to appease her desire for amus.e.m.e.nt.

She sighed. and spoke with a guilty filled tone. "I'm sorry little brother Bain Bangwan, I refused your invite because of a headache, but elder brother Chao cheng is such a wild and strong man, it just didn't feel right to refuse his invitation. I'm really sorry. How about this, when you host a party I definitely will appear. is that okay with you small Bengwan?

Her tone was laced with pity as if she was soothing a child and making a pinky promise.

"W-WhWhat?" He didn't move but the blood was already going to his eyes.

Zhun Xuying and Ren Zu giggled while Zhi Rui continued with eyes full of pity "I know I must've hurt your pride, but a big man like you has to withstand these kinds of thing, even more so for people like you, who are inferior to others. Too thin, Too pale, Has to pay for s.e.x, I mean, when was the last time, you pleasured a woman genuinely? When was the last time someone lay on the bed with you purely for pleasure and not benefits?"

Each word torn a hole in his already wounded pride, His blood calmed with each word, his face went emotionless by the middle of her mocking, and his breathing went quiet as she finished her last phrase.

Zhi Ri found it odd, But feeling the storm inside of him She giggled.

His Dao protector sighed with annoyance. She knew he'd make trouble.

Zhi Rui blinked. Bain Bengnwan acted. Like lightning, he bolted to Zhi Rui, before her eyes could fully close, he was already one step in front of her. Thunder and lightning bounced around him as he moved, the world around him had slowed down. He smirked and raised his palm with condensed lightning.

He shoved it down at her forehead. A sudden overcame his sense mid-action. His mind went astray with panic. The woman in front of him wasn't Zhi Rui, But Zhun Xuying. She came swinging her sword down, he inferred with just one glance, he'd lost his arm if he didn't back off. But he couldn't. His momentum was too strong. Despair overcame him.

Suddenly another person stepped in between, She held back his momentum with one hand and held the sword with the other.

Zhi Rui observed the beautiful woman looking at her. "I understand, that a subordinate should protect her master, but, to try and cut off the arm of my Young master, she's quite the daring one, maybe I should punish her? I doubt anyone would take your side if I did." The woman spoke with a sticky, unpleasant voice.

Smiling gently, Zhi Rui nodded. "Go ahead."

The woman frowned. Zhi Rui was too composed in front of a level sixth cultivator's threat.

Then she noticed, the other woman wasn't beside Zhi Rui anymore. A chill crawled up on her stomach. She turned around with absurd speed, but it was too late.

Dark wings kept Ren Zu hovering on the air right above Bain Bengawan. Her red nails were as long as an incense stick the thump's nails were on his temples, while the other eight nails were on his neck. Each time her wings flapped the nails scratched his skin and blood flowed out.

His lips were trembling, his eyes were filled with water. He looked at his Dao protector with fear "I-I'm feeling numb." His whole body was trembling fiercely.

'How the h.e.l.l I missed her!? What kind of technique is she using!?' the Dao protector thought.

"Girl you better stay your hand, you can't deal with the aftermath of his death," She said to Ren Zu.

Ren Zu sank her nails two centimeters deeper into his skin, making him squeal in fear, her eyes were on Zhi Rui, if she commanded, that man was as good as dead.

The Dao protector eyes went cold but she was feeling genuine dread inside, should this girl go crazy then her favor would be broken and she would provoke another family unnecessarily.

"n.o.body will win anything if the worst happen tonight." She looked with cold eyes at Zhi Rui and said.

Zhi Rui nodded in understanding. The woman sighed with relief inwardly.

"Give me your storage pouch then." Zhi Rui said.

The woman froze.