Zhao Churan's gaze turned even more disappointed, and she said, "That's right. My savior had treated my wound for me. He even took off my clothes and sucked the poison out for me. He was also the one who put my clothes back on. What is Cousin trying to say?"
After knowing that this really did take place, Xia Qilin's face turned green and he said angrily with his fists tightened, "How could he be so shameless?"
To hear that the woman he loved had been seen naked and treated like that, how could he be able to tolerate this?
But Zhao Churan's gaze when looking at Xia Qilin was no longer that of disappointment, but that of disgust.
What was it like to gauge the heart of a gentleman with negative thoughts?
Xia Qilin was a perfect example of that!
Churan's savior hadn't done anything to her from the beginning to the end, yet Xia Qilin's mind was filled with all those atrocious thoughts.
It was likely because he was this kind of person!
"Everything was done out of my free will. So stop trying to make malicious speculations of my savior!" Zhao Churan wore a cold expression and returned to the manor, paying him no heed.
After Zhao Churan had walked off into the distance, Xia Xuan gave Xia Qilin a tight slap, causing him to spin on the spot.
"You fool! You've already lost her heart when you abandoned her. Yet, you still dare to be jealous instead of apologizing to her. This will just make her detest you even more!" Xia Xun had viewed Zhao Churan as his future daughter-in-law, and thus he screamed at Xia Qilin, "Why are you still not going over to pacify her?"
It was only after this that Xia Qilin was struck by comprehension.
As a frequent customer to brothels and prostitution houses in the Lone Cloud City, Xia Qilin had great skills in pacifying women.
After some effort, he managed to make Zhao Churan feel less angry.
"Cousin Churan, tomorrow is the martial pavilion's examination. Cousin Qingchen will also be taking part. How about we go and watch it?" Xia Qingchen tried to pull their relationship closer again.
Zhao Churan was under her mother's orders to come to the Northern Xia Manor to improve the relationship between them.
Therefore, it wasn't a good thing for her relationship with Xia Qilin to continue to remain stiff, so she eased up on her tone. "Why are we going to watch him?"
She didn't really care about her Cousin Qingchen.
"We're all members of the Xia Clan, so it can't be that there isn't even a single representative from the Northern Xia Manor when he is taking part in the competition, right? Others would gossip if they were to hear about this." Zhao Churan felt that what he said made sense.
Anyway, they were just going there to take a look, and there wouldn't be any losses.
"Alright." Zhao Churan agreed.
Xia Qilin heaved a sigh of relief, and a cold smile flashed past the corners of his eyes.
He couldn't be bringing Zhao Churan just to show support for Xia Qingchen. He intended to let her witness what a joke Xia Qingchen was.
"Xia Qingchen, you've injured Li Yaozong and offended the martial pavilion's tutor. Yet, you're still thinking of getting into the martial pavilion? Hmmph, stop with your daydreams!" Xia Qilin secretly muttered to himself.
The next day.
Early in the morning, Xia Yuan knocked on Xia Qingchen's door.
Xia Qingchen was already ready, and he opened the door, saying, "Father, I won't disappoint you."
Today was the day for the martial pavilion's competition.
"Don't be nervous, you've broken through to the fourth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage. You'll definitely be able to enter the martial pavilion. Just relax and you'll be able to pass." Xia Yuan consoled him but was feeling nervous himself.
This competition concerned his son's future prospects, so how could he not be nervous?
The father-and-son duo did all the necessary preparations and then arrived at the foot of a towering mountain in the middle of the city.
At the top of this mountain was Lone Cloud City's sacred land, the martial pavilion!
And at the foot of the mountain...
A wide and spacious training ground appeared before everyone.
The martial pavilion's competition was going to take place here.
"Go on. I'll cheer you on at the spectator's stand." As a family member, he could only watch the competition outside the training ground and was unable to enter.
Nodding, Xia Qingchen entered the martial pavilion.
The moment he entered, a figure flashed past in front of him, bringing along a light fragrance.
"To think that it's really you!" This person had a pair of beautiful eyes, and she looked at Xia Qingchen in surprise.
She was Zhen Nantian's granddaughter, Zhen Zhilan.
In the beginning, she didn't believe that this person who gave off the air of an expert was actually Xia Qingchen, the joke of the entire city.
However, she had no choice but to believe it now.
"Miss Zhen is waiting for me?" Xia Qingchen looked at her and asked.
Zhen Zhilan returned to her graceful and composed demeanor, smiling slightly. "Who else other than you is worthy of me specially waiting for them?"
"Oh." Xia Qingchen's reply was indifferent. He kept his hands behind his back and headed for the location of the competition.
Zhen Zhilan's beautiful brows raised slightly and she thought, "This guy isn't giving me any face at all!"
She quickly gave chase and said, "Just be at ease and participate in the competition. After the competition, I'll bring you to an exchange to relax a little."
"Not interested." Xia Qingchen didn't give it a second thought.
Rather than taking part in meaningless exchanges, he might as well spend the time on his training.
"There'll be some ancient items from over 1,000 years ago displayed at the exchange. Out of which, some are from the Godking Dustless."
En?
A slight glimmer flickered in Xia Qingchen's eyes. It had been a thousand years since he had fallen, and he had no idea that his things had scattered across the world.
And it was really surprising for one of them to appear in the small Lone Cloud City.
"Alright, I'll go," Xia Qingchen said.
Zhen Zhilan smiled. "I'll send you an invitation letter!"
Smiling, she arrived at the training ground's backstage, quietly watching the competition as an important guest.
At the backstage, some elite members of the martial pavilion were there as well.
Out of which, there was a Vice Headmaster and two Consecrators.
The Vice Headmaster took a long look at Zhen Zhilan who was quietly sitting in a corner.
The examination held three months ago had been such a great affair, yet the Shrine had only sent one Elder here.
Thus, why did they send the honorable Zhen Zhilan for this quiet repeat competition today?
Could it be that there was someone special taking part in the repeat competition?
"Consecrators, in your opinion, which members amongst the younger generation will have the chance of entering the martial pavilion in this repeat competition?" the Vice Headmaster asked.
The two Consecrators had personally taken part in the examinations three months ago and had a deeper understanding of the students.
"Liu Clan's Liu Yiyi should be a sure case," the Left Consecrator said in a sure tone. "If there are no accidents, she should be able to enter the upper court." Liu Yiyi had reached the sixth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage a long time ago.
The reason she had been eliminated in the previous examination was because she was on the verge of a breakthrough to the seventh radiance-level and thus unable to take part in it.
Therefore, she was eliminated.
In this repeat competition, she should be able to get into the martial pavilion's upper court with great ease.
"There shouldn't be any difficulty for Cheng Wei to get into the upper court either," said the other Consecrator.
Half a year ago, Cheng Wei had broken through to the sixth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage. However, he hadn't managed to come back in time and was absent from the examination.
Vice Headmaster took what they said to mind and thought, "Hmm, maybe the Shrine was interested in the two of them?"
"What about the others?" the Vice Headmaster asked.
Both Consecrators shook their head, and the Left Consecrator said, "The rest are all inferior participants who had been eliminated. Even if they could somehow pass through the examinations, they'll just be at the lowest level in the martial pavilion's lower court."
Based on the results, the martial pavilion would assign the recruits into the upper, middle, and lower courts respectively.
For example, Xia Qilin's outstanding results of being in third place would allow him to enter the upper court and make other people green with envy.
Amongst the group of people who had been eliminated, only Liu Yiyi and Cheng Wei were acceptable.
As for the others, they were basically trash that had been eliminated.
Right now, the martial pavilion was basically just picking out a few trash that was slightly more useful to be recycled.
It was also because of this that there weren't many people coming to watch the repeat competition. This place was clearly very quiet.
Eliminated people?
Zhen Zhilan recalled the scene in which Xia Qingchen had defeated her with great ease. She shook her head.
Anyone could be trash but not him.
Dong——
The bell rang, and the repeat examination was officially starting.
A middle-aged man with a cold expression had his hands clasped behind his back as he walked up to the 100 over participants.
His gaze was like lightning, sweeping out every single participant.
When it landed on Xia Qingchen, he paused slightly.
Xia Qingchen's brows raised ever so slightly. Li Weifeng?