Lu Shaoqing unhesitatingly rejected Xia Yu's request.
He said, "Senior Sister Xia Yu, you overestimate me."
"My strength is weak, and if I go with you, I'll only be a burden. You should find someone else more capable."
Xia Yu was taken aback, not expecting Lu Shaoqing to refuse so bluntly. It had been a long time since she had experienced rejection. With her status and beauty, rarely did anyone, whether man or woman, directly turn down her requests.
Lu Shaoqing was the first.
No wonder Sister Xiao had warned her that he was difficult to deal with.
Bian Rourou, who already had a bad impression of Lu Shaoqing, sneered upon hearing his refusal, "Are you scared?"
Lu Shaoqing didn't deny it and nodded, "Yes, I'm afraid."
"Exploring a secret realm is dangerous, and I'm not brave enough to go."
Bian Rourou was stunned. The rest of her words stuck in her throat.
She hadn't expected him to so readily admit his fear. Most men, even ordinary ones, cared about their pride. They would rather die than admit to being afraid. Yet, here Lu Shaoqing was, calmly admitting it without any concern.
Bian Rourou ground her teeth in frustration, glaring at him.
"Are you even a man?"
Lu Shaoqing smirked, "Of course I am. Would you like to test it?"
"Scoundrel!"
His cheeky remark left Bian Rourou fuming, stomping her feet, ready to draw her sword.
The other women present blushed slightly, and Xiao Yi lowered her head, stepping a few paces away from Lu Shaoqing. It was hard to live with the shame of having such a second senior brother.
Vexed, Master Shao Cheng reprimanded, "Quit your nonsense! Senior Sister Xia Yu came to ask for your help. Is it so hard to lend a hand?"
Lu Shaoqing shrugged, "Master, if you want to help, you should go instead."
"As for me, I won't go. It's too troublesome."
Although Xia Yu was known as the most beautiful woman in Qizhou, Lu Shaoqing saw her only as trouble. The kind of trouble that followed wherever she went.
Not to mention the potential dangers of helping her explore the secret realm—just being by her side would invite endless problems, including the envy and attacks from other men.
Xia Yu explained, "Master Shao Cheng is a Nascent Soul expert. The secret realm cannot withstand such a strong presence, so only you can help me, Junior Brother Lu."
Lu Shaoqing replied, "Senior Sister Xia Yu, there's no need to flatter me. If you need help, just ask, and countless people will rush to your side. You don't need to trouble me. I hate trouble."
Lu Shaoqing thought to himself, "If you weren't such a beauty, I wouldn't even waste time talking to you."
He then shot a glance at Ji Yan, warning him, "This mess you've caused, you better handle it."
Ji Yan rolled his eyes, keeping his cool demeanor, "She's here for you. It has nothing to do with me."
Infuriated, Lu Shaoqing said, "If you don't handle this, don't blame me if I take it out on you."
Ji Yan chuckled coldly, "Want to fight? I'm Nascent Soul."
Lu Shaoqing ground his teeth. "Fine, why don't you lower yourself to my level, and we'll see who wins?"
Xia Yu, Fang Xiao, and Bian Rourou exchanged glances, realizing that Lu Shaoqing's strength was not to be underestimated. If he could challenge Ji Yan at the same level, it spoke volumes about his capabilities.
This only made Xia Yu more determined. She said, "Junior Brother Lu, please help me. I trust no one else."
Lu Shaoqing raised an eyebrow and looked at Ji Yan. "How many good things did you say about me to make Senior Sister Xia Yu trust me so much?"
"Didn't you tell her I'm despicable, shameless, and greedy?"
Everyone was speechless.
It wasn't unusual to hear someone boast about being righteous or powerful, but to call oneself despicable and shameless with such confidence?
Xiao Yi hid her face in embarrassment. Even if it was true, hearing it from her second senior brother's mouth made it feel so bizarre.
Xia Yu was left speechless for a long while before she finally said, "It seems Junior Brother Lu truly doesn't want to help me?"
Lu Shaoqing, ever honest, nodded, "That's right, I don't want to."
Fang Xiao tried to persuade him, "Master Lu, if you agree to help, Sister Xia Yu will make sure you're well rewarded."
"Spirit stones?" Lu Shaoqing's eyes flashed with interest.
Xia Yu nodded, "As many as you want. Besides, there are heavenly treasures in the secret realm. Whatever you find is yours. I won't compete for them."
As the chief disciple of Shuangyue Valley, Xia Yu had no shortage of spirit stones.
Lu Shaoqing hesitated. He couldn't help it—he was broke.
But looking at Xia Yu's breathtaking beauty, he steeled himself and refused once more. A woman like her was a magnet for trouble. It was better to stay low-key and earn spirit stones slowly.
In the end, he shook his head, "No thanks. Not even for all the spirit stones."
Fang Xiao was stunned. She hadn't expected Lu Shaoqing to refuse again. She gave him another long, thoughtful look.
This man truly was something else—able to resist such temptation.
Even Xia Yu hadn't anticipated that after all this, Lu Shaoqing would still refuse. His repeated rejection stirred a rare sense of defiance in her heart.
She glanced at Ji Yan and said, "Senior Brother Ji Yan, as his elder brother, could you help persuade him?"
Ji Yan shrugged, "It's simple if you want him to go."
"Simple?" Xia Yu thought. She had spent so much time persuading him with no success. Could Ji Yan really have a solution?
With a mischievous smile, Ji Yan said, "With your strength, just beat him up. That'll make him obedient."
Xia Yu and the others were dumbfounded.
Lu Shaoqing cursed, "Whose side are you on?"
"What kind of senior brother treats his junior like this?"
"You've got to be sick!"