Chapter 10: Dog Bites Dog, Encountering a Deadbeat Man

Ye Qingning smiled faintly, seeing that Yun Mengyao had guessed it, her words full of frustration: “Just as Sister Yun guessed, the outer sect disciple uniform is the one I just received this evening. Now, I’m moving to the Meditation Courtyard.”

A thunderous sound seemed to rumble above their heads.

The Meditation Courtyard was the place where the outer sect disciples resided, and the three of them naturally knew about it.

Watching Ye Qingning leave gracefully and joyfully, they finally realized that Ye Qingning no longer walked with the breathlessness she had before.

They gritted their teeth, even more convinced that Ye Qingning was deliberately trying to provoke them.

A sickly person with an incomplete meridian, how could she become an outer sect disciple before them?

“Look at her, acting all smug! Damn it! Yun, you’re an assistant to Elder Qiu, how could a sickly person like her get ahead of us in becoming an outer sect disciple?”

Su Ruoxi, frustrated with nowhere to vent, could only sarcastically lash out.

Yun Mengyao wasn’t one to back down either, laughing mockingly: “Sister Su, you’re already at the peak of single-element spirit roots, yet you’re still no match for a useless sickly person who’s hindered in cultivation.”

“Yun Mengyao! Are you crazy?! How dare you talk to me like that! Just because you’re an assistant to Elder Qiu doesn’t mean you’re untouchable!”

“Let me tell you, I’m about to build my foundation soon. In next month’s outer sect trial assessment, I’ll not only be able to sign up, but I’ll pass for sure! At that time, I’ll be an inner sect disciple. You can stay in the outer sect, continue fawning over Elder Qiu!”

Outside the door, Ye Qingning hadn’t gone far and could already hear this dog-eat-dog drama, which was always entertaining.

Humming a little tune, she leisurely made her way to the Meditation Courtyard.

Ye Qingning finally arrived at the Meditation Courtyard, located on the outer sect’s Puxie Peak. The peak was towering and majestic, shrouded in clouds and mist. In the moonlight, it emitted a mysterious blue hue.

The mountain road meandered upward, flanked by ancient trees, dense and lush. As the night breeze passed through, the rustling of the leaves created a heavenly melody.

Puxie Peak hadn’t always been called that. It used to be called Yunlan Peak.

The name was changed to Puxie Peak after a particularly gifted outer sect disciple failed multiple trials. He had stayed in the outer sect for decades, and eventually, his heart was consumed by demons, leading him to turn to evil practices.

The name change was meant to serve as a warning to all outer sect disciples: the path of cultivation was not only about improving one’s realm, but also about cultivating the heart.

Only with a focused mind and a steadfast heart could one avoid being plagued by evil thoughts.

The name “Puxie” means to expel evil, reminding all disciples to cast aside sinister thoughts and maintain a pure heart.

The entire Puxie Peak was home to nearly a thousand scattered courtyards, each with several rooms. Each room housed two outer sect disciples, with the entire peak being able to accommodate over six thousand people.

Because there were so many disciples on Puxie Peak, the management of the Meditation Courtyard was particularly strict. As soon as Ye Qingning arrived, she encountered a patrolling outer sect disciple.

She had been worried about finding her room, but with the patrolling disciple’s guidance, she quickly arrived at a simple courtyard.

She had already learned during the distribution of the outer sect elders’ accommodations that the housing of outer sect disciples was not random. The allocation was based on cultivation level, talent, and contributions to the sect.

The closer a courtyard was to the peak, the more luxurious it was, with more complete facilities in the rooms.

Her allocated courtyard wasn’t large or luxurious, only consisting of three side rooms—east, west, and north. In total, six people shared the courtyard, which was considered decent.

The courtyard was picturesque, with a small bridge and flowing water. The light danced across the courtyard, casting a golden glow. It was such a beautiful scene that even a dog could pose for a picture here.

Just as she was about to knock on the door of the east side room, she faintly heard voices from inside.

“Qingqing, you know how it is. I just built my foundation, and my spiritual root talent and cultivation are not as good as yours. If you won’t help me, I have no chance of passing this trial.”

“You’ve participated once, and your chances of passing the assessment are far better than mine. Although there’s a rule in the sect that we can’t disclose the content of the trial, we’re not strangers.”

“As long as you help me, I’m confident I can pass. My dear, we can enter the inner sect together. If I fail and you enter alone, I won’t even have the chance to see you.”

The man’s voice was coaxing and sweet, but one could easily detect his coercive undertone.

After a moment, the woman inside hesitated before speaking: “But, but I’m not sure I can pass either.”

“Moreover, the number of people who can pass the trial is limited. Only the top fifteen candidates in terms of trial scores are chosen, and the identities of those entering the trial realm are drawn randomly, with each person having different tasks. I’ve heard that even the trial realms are different every time.”

“As for your suggestion to team up, that’s impossible. Once we enter the trial realm, our appearances will change randomly. We won’t even be able to recognize each other. There’s no chance of teaming up, and we might even become enemies.”

“Furthermore, during each trial, there are inner sect disciples who enter the trial realm to secretly observe if any disciples cheat…”

The man fell silent, clearly stunned by what the woman had said.

After a while, he seemed to want to say something but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

It wasn’t that Ye Qingning lacked the sense to know when to knock, but she did it intentionally at this moment.

Besides, she realized that the man’s voice sounded strangely familiar.

It was not only effeminate enough to make her shiver but also had a certain bubbly tone. That tone made her feel like she had heard it before, but she just couldn’t place it.

The system was sharp, not only with its eyes but also with its ears.

“Ningning, Ningning! That man’s voice sounds so familiar! I’ve got it now! It’s the top dog of Dog Lotus, Qin Changsheng! That bubbly tone is his!”

“I can’t believe I’m meeting this deadbeat man here!” the system chirped.

Upon hearing the system’s words, Ye Qingning finally remembered.

She didn’t expect to run into Ye Hanyue’s biggest fanboy here.

This person was not only Ye Hanyue’s “dog,” but he also used women to advance his position. He had risen from an outer sect disciple to an inner sect disciple and even to a genius disciple. He was now favored by an elder who wanted to take him as their personal disciple.

Though he had some strength, all his cultivation achievements were gained through women. He had been obsessed with Ye Hanyue, following her everywhere, licking up to her.

He had abandoned his fiancée early on, but he still called other women his “dear” and “treasure,” using them and discarding them as he saw fit.

Once, during a trial, he had even sacrificed his ex-fiancée, pushing her into the jaws of a beast to protect Ye Hanyue.

Thinking of this, Ye Qingning couldn’t help but want to curse this man out.

But “Qingqing” was a term of endearment between lovers, so she still needed to confirm if the woman inside was the deadbeat man’s fiancée, who had tragically died in the story.

At that moment, the door opened from the inside, and standing there was the deadbeat man.

Initially, he seemed impatient, wondering who was knocking at the door. But when he saw Ye Qingning’s appearance, Qin Changsheng froze in place, his eyes filled with surprise and admiration.

“You are…?”

Ye Qingning was fully aware of the deadbeat man’s personality, especially someone as vile-hearted as this one, but this time, she managed to restrain herself.

She pointed to the package in her hand, glancing past the deadbeat man at the woman inside. “I’m Ye Qingning, an outer sect disciple. May I ask what your name is, Sister?”

The woman sized up Ye Qingning, and seeing how beautiful she was, with her gentle and clear eyes, a feeling of goodwill suddenly arose within her. She smiled and responded, “My name is Bai Wei. This is my fiancé, Qin Changsheng. He doesn’t live here. He just came to talk to me.”

Ye Qingning nodded. She knew that even if they were fiancés, men and women were not assigned to live together.

When she heard the woman’s name—Bai Wei—it clicked. She was the fiancée who had been pushed into the mouth of a beast by this deadbeat man.

“Bai Wei, your name is as beautiful as a light breeze, calming all disturbances. You have a very poetic name.”

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with Senior Brother Qin just now. I truly admire how you have such a devoted fiancé. It’s clear he cares deeply for you, so much so that he would defy sect rules just to be with you in the inner sect.”