Chapter 132: Challenge!
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"I should be asking you what you mean!" Sikong Du stood in front of Yun Che, furrowing his brows as he stared at Murong Yi, yielding not an inch. "Murong Yi, this is an important place for new disciple assessments, not somewhere for you to shout and hurt people as you please!"
"Hurt people as I please?" Murong Yi let out an arrogant, cold laugh. "And what if I do want to hurt him? Look!" He pointed at Murong Ye, speaking with rage. "The injury on my cousin's face was caused by that Yun Che behind you! He injured my cousin first, and you expect me to stand by and do nothing? Get out of the way now, and stop meddling in matters that don't concern you! Otherwise, don't blame me for turning hostile!"
"Turning hostile?" Sikong Du let out a hearty laugh. "I'm not afraid of you turning hostile one bit. I've decided to meddle in this matter! If your bones are itching for a beating, then go ahead and make a move!"
"You!" Murong Yi flew into a wild rage, clenching his fists, but forced himself not to strike immediately. He knew well that he was no match for Sikong Du. He ranked seventy-third on the Heavenly Xuan List, while Sikong Du ranked thirty-ninth. However, he was not entirely afraid of Sikong Du either, because although Sikong Du's talent was extraordinary, his background was quite ordinary—his father was merely a minor elder in a branch Mystic Palace of New Moon City, while his own father was the mightily renowned Northern Pacifying General of Cang Feng.
"Sikong Du, we've always kept to ourselves. Are you dead set on tearing apart our relationship this time?"
"What you, Murong Yi, want to do is none of my business. But the person behind me—his grandfather is my lifesaver. Within this Cangfeng Mystic Palace, no matter who wants to cause him trouble, they'll have to get past me first!" Sikong Du declared solemnly.
The surroundings immediately buzzed with discussion... So that's why Sikong Du had personally helped Yun Che out earlier and was now standing so resolutely in front of him. It turned out they had such a connection.
Having just entered the Mystic Palace and already having an Inner Palace disciple as a backer, the new disciples couldn't help but feel both envy and jealousy towards Yun Che.
"Hmph, a fine 'lifesaver' you have! Then what about my cousin's injury? Is my cousin, Murong Yi, supposed to be beaten for nothing?" Murong Yi said angrily.
"Since it's a grudge between your cousin and Yun Che, let them settle it themselves. Since your cousin was the one injured, let your cousin take revenge himself. Since we are all disciples of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace, can he not even muster that much backbone, and needs an Inner Palace disciple like you to come and cause trouble for a new disciple?" Sikong Du said with a sarcastic tone. With just a few sentences, he turned everyone's attention to Murong Ye, whose face was met with looks of contempt and disdain... Sikong Du was right; not taking revenge oneself and instead clinging to someone else's coattails was truly despicable.
Murong Ye's face flushed bright red, and his hatred for Yun Che intensified to the extreme.
With Sikong Du standing in front of Yun Che, Murong Yi found himself in a difficult position. If he forced the issue, he was no match for Sikong Du. If he just let it go... with so many disciples watching, where would his dignity as an Inner Palace disciple be? He stepped forward and said stubbornly, "Fine then, Sikong Du, I'll give you that much face and won't lay a hand on Yun Che! But the matter of Yun Che injuring my cousin cannot be let go so easily, or else how would I, Murong Yi, have any face left! Have Yun Che apologize and admit his fault to my cousin Murong Ye right here, and slap himself ten times. Then I'll drop this matter. If you still can't see reason after that... Hmph, from now on in the Inner Palace, it's either you or me!"
Sikong Du frowned deeply. He, too, was in a dilemma. Although he could defeat Murong Yi, Murong Yi's powerful background was something no one in the Cangfeng Mystic Palace dared to underestimate. Completely offending him would bring nothing but harm to both himself and Yun Che. But if he agreed to have Yun Che apologize to Murong Ye and slap himself in public... that was a humiliation no normal man could ever accept.
Just then, a hand landed on his shoulder. Yun Che stepped forward from behind him and stood by his side, saying with a relaxed smile, "Brother Sikong, thank you for your kindness. But since this trouble is of my own making, it's best that I resolve it myself."
Before Sikong Du could respond, Yun Che faced the grim Murong Yi without a trace of fear. "Murong Yi, your cousin Murong Ye was indeed beaten by me. It's only natural for you to stand up for him. But with my Brother Sikong here, at least for now, you won't get your way. If you truly want to teach me a lesson yourself, I can give you a chance."
"You? Give me a chance? Hahahaha..." Murong Yi laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke, his laughter filled with extreme contempt. "Who do you think you are?"
Yun Che was not the least bit angered. He lowered his brows, squinted his eyes, and said calmly, "Do you have the guts to give me three months?"
"Murong Yi, three months from now, I will actively challenge you. If I lose then, whether you want me to apologize to Murong Ye or beat me to a pulp, I will not refuse, and no one, including Brother Sikong, will stop you!"
As soon as Yun Che said this, the expressions of everyone around him became incredibly vivid.
"What? Did he say? Challenge Murong Yi in three months? Am I hearing things?"
"You heard right! Has Yun Che gone mad? It's impressive that he defeated Feng Yue, but what kind of figure is Murong Yi? He's on the Heavenly Xuan List, with profound strength at the ninth level of the True Xuan Realm! Yun Che is only at the tenth level of the Xuan Entry Realm, a full major realm lower. How can he possibly challenge that!"
"Yun Che, after defeating Feng Yue, has he gotten so cocky that he thinks he's invincible? Not even one of him, but a hundred of him wouldn't stand a chance against Murong Yi! This is sheer overestimation of his abilities, asking for death."
"I bet this is just Yun Che's delaying tactic. Think about it: any sane person would never propose such a duel. Yun Che clearly saw Murong Yi coming for him and said this to resolve the immediate problem. He'll break the deadlock for now, then privately go apologize to Murong Yi or just run away. That's the most perfect explanation."
Hearing Yun Che's words, Sikong Du frowned sharply and hissed, "Yun Che! What are you saying? Have you lost your mind? Murong Yi is on the Heavenly Xuan List! Forget challenging him, you don't even qualify to cross hands with him! Are you pushing yourself to death?"
But Yun Che turned a deaf ear and continued to Murong Yi, "Murong Yi, do you dare or not? Of course, if you're afraid that three months from now I'll beat you to a pulp and knock your teeth out, you're perfectly welcome to refuse. In this world, the ones best at staying alive are the turtles who pull their heads in, aren't they?"
Murong Ye, standing below, twitched his face, barely restraining himself from laughing out loud. Inside, he was overjoyed... This Yun Che was indeed a reckless fool who didn't know his place! He was arrogantly boundless back at New Moon Mystic Palace, and here at Cangfeng Mystic Palace, he's still this arrogant, even showing off in front of his cousin Murong Yi! He won't even know how he died!
Murong Yi didn't laugh, because he thought this kid named Yun Che was a complete idiot. He had seen many idiots, but one this idiotic—this was the first time in his life.
"Kid, are you serious?" Murong Yi rubbed his chin and looked at Yun Che like he was watching a clown. He had confirmed several times that Yun Che's profound strength was indeed at the tenth level of the Xuan Entry Realm. Among new disciples, this was undoubtedly outstanding. But in his eyes, it was just a slightly bigger grasshopper that he could crush with two fingers.
And this grasshopper was actually actively challenging him! Shouting about what would happen if he lost, even using "turtle" to provoke him into accepting, as if afraid he wouldn't agree.
"Of course I'm serious," Yun Che said with a grin. "But you haven't answered yet... Do you dare, or don't you?"
"Hahahaha!" Murong Yi finally burst into arrogant laughter, his laughter dripping with contempt. "Challenge me? It's not about whether I dare, but whether you're worthy! Clearly, with your mere Xuan Entry Realm, you're not worthy! However, since you have the audacity to injure my cousin, fine. Three months from now, I'll spare a minute or two to play with you. Cultivation in the Inner Palace is boring, and every now and then, it's not bad to have a flea or grasshopper to toy with for some fun."
"But don't forget what you said: if you lose, you'll let me do as I please and not let any outsider interfere! Everyone here heard it clearly, didn't they? Sikong Du, I think you heard it very clearly too, right?" Murong Yi turned his gaze to Sikong Du and said with a sneer.
Sikong Du's expression shifted several times. He said to Yun Che in a low voice, "Yun Che! Do you know what you're doing? You can still take back your words now, barely! If this is your delaying tactic, there's no need for it. As long as I'm still in this Mystic Palace, I won't let Murong Yi harm you."
But Yun Che just shook his head with a smile and said loudly, "Good, since you've accepted, you can't back out now! Three months from now, right here, we'll settle it once and for all! Everyone here is a witness!"
"Hehehe, I can be a witness as well."
A gentle voice came from outside the crowd. The sound wasn't loud, but it had a magical quality that overpowered the clamor and reached everyone's ears with crystal clarity.
The crowd parted, and two middle-aged men, one in a purple robe and the other in a blue robe, walked in side by side. One was Qin Wuyou, and the other had black hair and a black beard, a slender figure, and a simple, elegant blue robe. His face wore a gentle smile, and his gaze was as calm as windless, still water. Just standing there casually, he naturally exuded an aura of ethereal grace and immortal bearing, making anyone who looked at him feel an uncontrollable sense of awe.
"Vice... Vice Palace Master Qin! Mentor Qin!"
As soon as these two middle-aged men appeared, the scene became restless. One was the Middle Palace mentor Qin Wuyou, and the blue-robed man was none other than the Vice Palace Master of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace... Qin Wushang!
Sikong Du and Murong Yi simultaneously retracted all their auras and called out respectfully, "Vice Palace Master Qin, Mentor Qin."
"Heavenly Xuan Realm!" When Yun Che's gaze fell on Qin Wushang, Mo Li's voice rang out in his mind, sending a great shock through his heart.
Qin Wushang was Qin Wuyou's elder brother, twelve years older than Qin Wuyou. But his talent in profound cultivation far exceeded his brother's. At the age of fifty, he had stepped into the Heavenly Xuan Realm, reaching a supreme level that countless profound practitioners dared not even dream of, greatly extending his lifespan. Hence, he looked much younger than Qin Wuyou.
The whereabouts of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace's Palace Master were erratic; he almost never inquired about palace affairs. Some disciples had been in the palace for three or four years without ever seeing his face. Most of the palace's major and minor matters fell upon Vice Palace Master Qin Wushang, who held the highest authority in speech and decision-making when the Palace Master was absent.
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