It was indeed Tang Bufan.
As for the maiden, she was indeed his assigned maidservant from the Heavens Ridge Villa and her name was Rushuang.
When Lu Qingyun saw Tang Bufan, he was actually very glad and he was grinning broadly. He was just the person to save him from an extremely awkward situation!
Qin Keqin on the other hand was silently cursing, "Screw this person here." It was because this Tang Bufan had just interrupted her most romantic moment.
Tang Bufan had thought that Lu Qingyun would not be pleased to see him but why did he had that welcoming look that was on his face right now?
But nevertheless, he was not about to spare him today. So he said with great sarcasm as he looked at Qin Keqin and saw that she was wearing a jade pendant around her belt, "I've thought who is here so it is my Senior Brother Lu Qingyun here. The person that is with you must be your companion maidservant. But why is she all cover up? Is she not good looking or she is infected with some sickness?"
Even the pretty maiden that was with Tang Bufan was giggling too as she added, "Is she prettier than me?"
Just as Lu Qingyun was about to say that this 'maidservant' that was with him was actually their acting sect leader, Qin Keqin had chuckled softly. "Senior brother and sister, Lie Xingyuan pays my respect to you."
Qin Keqin had remembered that Lu Qingyun's companion maidservant was called Lie Xingyuan.
But it seemed that Tang Bufan had already known that Lie Xingyuan was Lu Qingyun's attendant, so he merely nodded. Lie Xingyuan was just a lowly ordinary protégé so he did not put her into heart.
He was aiming for Lu Qingyun anyway so he smiled coldly, "Senior brother, although you have the Golden Flame Roc, this doesn't seem to change the fact that you are just a lowly first realm cultivator. I wonder if your new master is blind or not? Maybe she is just an ugly hag that is lusting only after you."
When Qin Keqin had stepped into the examination hall that day, she was wearing a curtain veil that covered herself from top to her waist and she was also wearing a veil too. So it was difficult for anyone who did not know her to know what she had looked like.
There was a subtle twitch that was on Qin Keqin's forehead as her eyes turned momentarily murderous…
Lu Qingyun was upset and he was about to rebuke him when Qin Keqin caught hold of his arm and shook her head.
When he saw that Qin Keqin was not upset, he began to calm down slowly.
Tang Bufan was smirking coldly, "Although you are technically our senior brother but your situation is actually quite precautious."
Lu Qingyun said curiously, "Oh?"
Tang Bufan smiled as he explained gleefully, "You are not from one of the six martial halls and therefore you are not entitled to any of the cultivation resources. You must know that the acting sect leader doesn't have any real authority in the Heavens Ridge Villa and she only visit only once every now and then. Now that you are her core disciple, do you think that she can afford to spare any resources for you? I have heard that the resources to cultivate to the golden supremacy level require a goldmine. A reclusive master like your master certainly won't be able to afford the best resources for herself or for you. The Heaven Ridge Villa is but a small cultivation sect when you compare it to the other powerful cultivation holy lands in the Nine Celestial Fraternity. That is why she can't afford to stay in the Heavens Ridge Villa and has to go off to find her lucky occurences. Who knows that maybe she is even a secret mistress or a concubine of some powerful cultivators around. Or even multiple. Hahahaha..."
Then he began to smile cockily, "But I am different. I have a rich and influential background. With the might of my family resources, my cultivation foundation is given a great boost. Or else why do you think that I am a third realm expert at such a young age? Haha."
The pretty maiden looked up to Tang Bufan with a cute smile, "Senior brother Bufan, you are so impressive."
Tang Bufan laughed as he moved his hand to caress the back of the pretty maiden.
Lu Qingyun knew that he was right.
However he had never wished to become a high level cultivator or to make use of his new cultivation mistress' resources so he smiled, "I am content just to become my master's disciple. It is all that I am wishing for."
Tang Bufan smirked coldly, "Is your ambition so low? I will give you a better option right now. Come join my camp and worship me like your master. Should I become a dragon in the future, you will surely benefit from my greatness."
He had looked down on a lowly cultivator like Lu Qingyun but because he is the acknowledged acting sect leader's disciple, this is something that he has to be wary of and has a contingency against. If he could bring Lu Qingyun into his camp then nothing would stop his lofty ambition.
He smiled coldly at Lu Qingyun, "How about it? I can even let you have the use of some of my personal resources for your cultivation. Do you think that I am a good enough junior brother to you?"
Although he was arrogant but the offers that he had placed in front of Lu Qingyun was a huge temptation to any cultivators.
But against Lu Qingyun who had no ambition to seriously cultivate, it was just a humiliating offer. A scholar may be butchered but not humiliated.
Therefore Lu Qingyun merely said politely, "I am afraid that I must decline your kind offer. Since I am my master's disciple, I should only use her resources and not the others. Therefore, goodbye…"
Tang Bufan had a twitch on his face as he cursed silently, "I will remember this…"
Then he had displayed his half-step mystic precious sword in front of Lu Qingyun as he smiled coolly, "It is a pity that you have to reject my offer. Without a powerful precious sword in your hand, you won't be a strong cultivator like me."
He had purposely flashed his half-step mystic precious sword in front of Lu Qingyun to show off his wealth.
Qin Keqin suddenly chuckled softly, "Senior brother, may I play with your precious sword?"
Lu Qingyun simply handed his sword from his spatial bag over to her without questioning, "Oh?"
Qin Keqin had suddenly unsheathed the sword from its scabbard and immediately a bright beaming flash of light burst forth as a beautiful heaven-step precious sword appeared in her hand.
Tang Bufan and the pretty maiden were both startled, almost rendered speechless. This was a heaven-step precious sword. How did this poor cultivator get his hand on such a valuable and expensive precious sword?
The fingers that were on Tang Bufan was trembling lightly as he touched his sword scabbard. His own sword was only a half-step mystic precious sword and that was already extremely difficult to obtain. Plus it had cost him alot too. Or rather it had cost his Tang Clan alot just to obtain this half-step mystic precious sword for him which was superior to a mortal-step precious sword.
From the look of it, the heaven-step precious sword that was in Lu Qingyun's hand was worth at least 100 high grade spirit stones! Or an equivalent of 10 000 medium spirit stones or 1mil low grade spirit stones.
It may even cost more if it is a superior-grade or a high grade heaven-step precious sword.
This represented a considerable amount of wealth that even the Tang Clan would hesitate to spend for Tang Bufan.
Tang Bufan was extremely proud of his half-step mystic precious sword that cost 1 high grade spirit stone. 1 high grade stone was equivalent to 10 000 low grade spirit stones. And 100 low grade spirit stones was worth an equivalent of 1 million silvers.
At the gatherings, he would always like to show off his 1million silver half-step mystic precious sword.
The monetary worth between a half-step mystic precious sword and a heaven-step precious sword was like the heavens and the earth.
Qin Keqin chuckled softly as she sheathed the heaven-step precious sword back into the scabbard, "Um. Senior Brother, your precious sword is just so and so only. Let's go."
Lu Qingyun nodded and he called out after her, "Where are we going next?"
Qin Keqin chuckled, "Make a guess. Somewhere fun maybe?"
And they were quickly gone.
When they had left, Tang Bufan was still startled on the spot with his companion maidservant and he had an ugly countenance, "What does this maidservant knows about the different grades of precious swords?! Maybe his heaven-step precious sword is just a low grade one." He had almost spurt blood when she had casually said, "So and so only."
All of a sudden Tang Bufan noticed that his maidservant Rushuang had turned ashen.
So he asked, "What's wrong, Rushuang? Are you unwell?"
Rushuang turned to him and said with trembling lips, "She…isn't Lie Xingyuan. Lie Xingyuan doesn't walk as gracefully as her and…"
Tang Bufan asked, "And what?"
Rushuang smiled weakly at him, "Are you really a third realm expert or are you blind? Did you not see how swift she has unsheathed and sheathed back the sword?"
Tang Bufan laughed it off, "That doesn't mean anything. Maybe she has lots of practice with unsheathing and sheathing of the sword. Also, you may not know Lie Xingyuan that well too."
Rushuang suddenly said to him with a bitter smile, "Tomorrow I will be tendering my resignation as your maidservant to the elders."
Tang Bufan was startled, "Are you upset? What for?"
Rushuang smiled coldly, "Yes but I am only upset with myself for following a dense fool like you."
Tang Bufan cursed loudly, "You wench. You dare to call me a fool? Do you know who I am?"
Rushuang smiled bitterly, "Soon, you will be a dead fool. Did you still not recognize who she is? The way she walks and turns around is like the acting sect leader."
Women usually pay more attention to such small details.
All of a sudden Tang Bufan had turned ashen…
He had suddenly remembered where he had seen the pendant that was worn around her belt was from.
He had just insulted a fifth realm cultivator several times over…
If she was indeed the the Acting Sect Leader Celestial Qin Keqin, she did not even need to compete with his Tang Clan for resources. She could simply cripple his cultivation core anytime she wishes. In the eyes of a fifth realm expert, even a third realm expert was considered extremely lowly. The disparity between a third realm expert and fifth realm expert was like heavens and the earth, with a huge impasse.
He could only pray now this Acting Sect Leader Qin Keqin was a merciful lady.
Unfortunately for him, Qin Keqin had already marked him and she would be like a malevolent star; it was because Qin Keqin was the infamous Devil Goddess and she was a villainess too. In fact, she was also the greatest villainess in the entire Nine Celestial Fraternity.