All eyes locked onto Su Yan and Yang Kai, who leaned against her for support. The weight of countless envious and jealous gazes thickened the air, creating a tense atmosphere.
"Someone once said it right," Yang Kai mused, amusement flickering in his eyes. "A beautiful woman is a curse for a man without background or strength."
Among the gathered disciples, shock and disbelief rippled like a silent storm. No one had ever seen Su Yan display such closeness to a man. Even the most outstanding Core Disciples had never earned her attention, let alone her touch.
Su Yan cultivated the Ice Heart Secret Art, her heart frozen in detachment for years. When speaking to men, she was distant, cold—untouchable. Yet now, this untouchable goddess was holding onto a mere Initial Element Third Stage disciple. Her jade-like hands rested against his waist, and an unusual shade of red tinged her usually icy face, only enhancing her ethereal beauty.
In that moment, the men of High heaven felt their hearts shatter. The celestial figure they had long worshipped now seemed within reach—but only to him.
Yang Kai, the man they despised, stood right there, basking in her warmth. He breathed in her fragrance, felt the softness of her hands—privileges beyond their wildest dreams.
A sharp wave of killing intent surged through the crowd.
Yang Kai's lips curled into a smirk. Ah, murderous intent? He chuckled inwardly, finding the situation quite entertaining. As Su Yan strode forward, he followed, an unconcerned grin tugging at his lips.
Then, someone stepped in their way.
Xie Hong Chen.
His eyes burned with jealousy and frustration, though he masked it behind a composed expression.
Su Yan halted, her head tilting upward ever so slightly. Her cold gaze bore into him like a blade.
"Move aside," she commanded. Her voice was like ice—emotionless, absolute.
Xie Hong Chen let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "Junior Sister, please don't make things difficult for me. I am simply fulfilling my duty as a Senior Brother."
"Here comes another cliché," Yang Kai thought, his expression betraying his boredom.
Xie Hong Chen was High heaven's number two disciple, a man of considerable standing. And yet, right now, he resembled nothing more than an abandoned dog.
"I said move," Su Yan repeated, irritation lacing her words. She had no patience for him.
Xie Hong Chen sighed. "Junior Sister, I can't allow these people to leave. They've broken sect rules."
Yang Kai stepped forward, his sneer sharp. "Oh? And what sect rule did we break, Senior Brother?"
Xie Hong Chen's gaze darkened. "Inciting a gang fight, attempting to kill a fellow disciple, and disrespecting the Disciplinary Hall. Any one of these offenses would warrant expulsion from High heaven
Su Yan scoffed. "A gang fight? With whom? If there was a brawl, there must have been an opponent. So why is it that your Disciplinary Hall only restrained one side? Where are the other culprits?"
Xie Hong Chen hesitated, his expression stiffening. The "other culprits" were, of course, Wei Zhuan's lackeys. They had never intended to detain them.
Su Yan pressed on. "Attempted murder? Where is the body?"
Xie Hong Chen forced out a strained smile. "Ah, well… an attempt was made, but fortunately, our Disciplinary Hall stopped it in time. No actual harm was done."
Su Yan's cold eyes sharpened. "Disciples of the Main Sect resolve their disputes through combat. Life and death in these duels are their own responsibilities. If we were to follow your logic, every sparring match would be an attempted murder case. Should the Disciplinary Hall imprison every single disciple, then?"
Xie Hong Chen's smile turned rigid. "Junior Sister, must you be so harsh with your words?"
His expression darkened further as he spoke in a low voice, "Junior Sister, I've always cherished your sincerity toward me. So why are you making things so difficult for me now?"
Yang Kai let out a laugh. Xie Hong Chen's pitiful face was too amusing.
Xie Hong Chen's body trembled as he turned his gaze back to Su Yan, his eyes filled with grief and frustration. But there was no way out. With nowhere to direct his anger, he turned his burning resentment toward Yang Kai.
"You're still laughing?" Xie Hong Chen growled, his fury barely restrained.
Yang Kai, utterly unfazed, met his glare with a relaxed smile. An idea formed in his mind—one that would drive the final nail into the coffin of Xie Hong Chen's pride.
Slowly, deliberately, Yang Kai took Su Yan's soft, jade-like hand—the one resting on his waist—and brought it into his own palm. He gently patted it, his touch lingering as he turned to face her.
His voice softened, dripping with affection.
"I don't want to trouble my Senior Sister," he said sweetly, locking eyes with her. "But she's simply so worried about me. She was so passionate about saving me… how could I refuse her kindness?"
Su Yan's expression flickered, her pale skin taking on an even deeper shade of red.
Yang Kai's smirk widened. "Isn't that right, MY dear Senior Sister?"
He winked.
Xie Hong Chen's face turned ashen.
Li Yun Tian and the other onlookers stood frozen, their jaws practically hitting the ground. A strange, broken creaking sound escaped their throats, but no words followed.
Silence.
Then, the weight of humiliation crashed down on Xie Hong Chen like a landslide.
The hundred or so Disciplinary Hall Disciples felt as if their hearts had been torn apart. Each of them stood in stunned silence, unable to process the scene unfolding before them.
Xie Hong Chen's face twitched as he turned his desperate gaze toward Su Yan, dreading the answer he feared. His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms.
Then, Su Yan turned.
She had lived for so many years, yet never had a man dared to take advantage of her like this. A cold fury burned within her chest.
"I know you're only doing this to provoke him," she thought, her icy expression betraying a hint of irritation. "Fine, I'll play along. But don't think you'll get away unscathed."
A chill ran down Yang Kai's spine as he caught her unspoken intent. His confident smirk faltered for a moment.
Suppressing her urge to send him flying, Su Yan instead gave a faint nod and replied, her voice calm but laced with hidden menace, "Of course, I was worried about my junior brother and came to save him."
As she spoke, she discreetly channeled a stream of energy into Yang Kai's meridians.
Pain exploded through his body.
Yang Kai let out a muffled groan as two thin streams of blood trickled from his nostrils.
"Women… this is too much. I'm already injured—show some mercy!" He quickly circulated his Qi to suppress the pain, forcing himself to maintain composure.
Su Yan, seemingly oblivious to his suffering, retrieved a silk cloth and, with unexpected gentleness, wiped away the blood from his face.
"Why did you start bleeding, my junior brother?" she asked softly, her tone filled with feigned concern. "Does it hurt?"
A cold shiver ran through Yang Kai's heart.
"I can do it myself! I can do it myself!"
Her touch, her tender expression—it was all an act, but it was terrifyingly convincing.
Yang Kai clenched his jaw. Wait for the future, he thought, I'll teach you how to behave properly, you vicious woman.
Watching their exchange, Xie Hong Chen's jealousy erupted like a volcano. His face contorted with rage, and his voice trembled with disbelief.
"You… you guys—!"
He had refused to believe Su Yan's words before, but now, seeing this scene—watching her wipe another man's blood with such tenderness—he couldn't help but question everything.
Had he ever seen Su Yan act so gently toward any man?
Had he ever seen her allow a man to hold her hand—without resistance, without reluctance?
No. Never.
Yet here she was, standing beside Yang Kai, looking as if she belonged there.
Xie Hong Chen's voice was filled with both pain and resentment as he spat, "Junior Sister, you were born a genius! How could you possibly take a fancy to such trash?"
The moment the words left his mouth, two sharp glares locked onto him.
"Who are you calling trash?"
Both Yang Kai and Su Yan spoke at the same time, their voices cold and in perfect sync.
Yang Kai's expression twitched. Woman, you're getting too into the role. We're not even an official couple yet!
Xie Hong Chen stood frozen, utterly stunned by their synchronized outburst. His eyes, filled with pain, locked onto Su Yan. His voice, thick with disbelief, trembled as he spoke.
"How is he not trash? He's merely a Trial Disciple, and his cultivation is only at the Initial Element Third Stage. Junior Sister, what could you possibly see in someone like him?"
Su Yan met his gaze with an unreadable expression before responding coldly, "Our affairs are none of your concern!"
She was an exceptional actress, taking full advantage of the situation to rid herself of Xie Hong Chen's persistent nagging—something she had endured for far too long. And so, she deliberately chose her words to sound even more intimate.
"Senior Brother, have you ever heard of 'love at first sight'?" Yang Kai chimed in, smirking as he twisted the dagger deeper into Xie Hong Chen's wounded pride.
"You shut up!" Xie Hong Chen's face darkened, his anger finally boiling over. His voice thundered as he snapped, "I'm speaking with my Junior Sister. What gives you the right to interrupt?"
Yang Kai's eyes narrowed slightly before he burst into laughter, an amused glint flashing across his gaze.
Xie Hong Chen sneered. "Trash is trash!"
He had long since dismissed Yang Kai from his mind. His voice brimmed with scorn as he continued, "When I was your age, I had already reached the Qi Transforming Stage, while you're still lingering in the Initial Element Third Stage. And now? I'm at the peak of the Separation and Reunion Boundary. There's a gap of two entire realms between us! How could you ever compare to me?"
"Senior Brother, love knows no boundary," Yang Kai said, his expression annoyingly sincere as he continued playing along.
Xie Hong Chen's expression twisted with rage.
Su Yan, however, had finally reached her limit. She cast a sharp glance at Yang Kai before turning back to Xie Hong Chen with cold finality. "I have no desire to waste more time with you. Move aside. Under the care of your Disciplinary Hall, he has suffered no small amount. I need to take him back and tend to his injuries."
Xie Hong Chen clenched his fists. His face was an ugly mix of anger and heartbreak.
"No one will leave here today!" His voice rang out with chilling resolve. His body trembled slightly, his emotions raw as he issued the order. "Disciplinary Hall Disciples, listen well! If anyone tries to escape, attack to kill! And if Senior Sister Su attempts to break through—do not be lenient!"
Love, hate, obsession—it was all laid bare in his desperate command.
The surrounding hundred or so Disciplinary Hall Disciples hesitated for a brief moment before rushing forward, once again surrounding Su Yan and her group.
A dangerous light flickered in Su Yan's crystal-clear eyes. "You're determined to do this?" Her voice was low, ice-cold, and laced with an unspoken warning.
Xie Hong Chen let out a bitter laugh. "Junior Sister… I know I am not your opponent. But if you truly want to pass today, you will have to do so over my dead body!"
He had backed himself into a corner, hoping his determination and helplessness would shake Su Yan's resolve.
But the only thing that wavered was her patience.
Su Yan's chest heaved slightly with suppressed fury, her delicate frame taut with restrained power.
Yang Kai, watching from the side, chuckled inwardly. This idiot really doesn't know when to give up.