Rong Zhuofan stroked his beard and said casually, “Old Xiao, don’t be angry. They’re all kids, and kids love having fun. Just let them play for a while. This thing looks pretty fresh to me.”
“Master Xiao, anyway, even if you tell them to stop, they won’t listen. You might as well just let them do what they want.” Bai Li Xuanqing’s words really hit home.
Xiao Hongyu’s face turned dark as he glared at Feng Qingran several times.
If she were a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, he would definitely send her to the Cliff of Reflection!
Just then, the always quiet Grand Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect had deep, dark eyes that flickered with a crimson glow.
The Grand Elder said seriously, “Sect Leader, the Lingyun Sect has never been willing to follow the rules of the Sect Alliance. According to the regulations, you have the right to abolish the Lingyun Sect and absorb its disciples into the Heavenly Sword Sect.”
As soon as the Grand Elder said this, everyone in the room turned their heads sharply, staring at the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect with burning eyes.
Xiao Hongyu’s eyes showed a trace of disbelief as he looked at his own Grand Elder. It seemed that since returning from Bear Tiger Ridge, the Grand Elder had changed quite a bit.
Hahaha! —
“Xiao Hongyu, you really have trained your Grand Elder well. How about considering his suggestion?” Xiao Qingfeng’s dark eyes sparkled with excitement.
If the Lingyun Sect were gone, wouldn’t Ye Wentian’s disciples all become theirs?
Rong Zhuofan glanced at Xiao Qingfeng, who was smirking slyly, and said sarcastically, “Xiao Qingfeng, it’s broad daylight. You should dream less.”
Xiao Hongyu felt a throbbing pain in his forehead. What a bunch of people who just loved to watch the drama unfold.
“Grand Elder, the Lingyun Sect hasn’t done anything wrong. Don’t ever say things like that again,” Xiao Hongyu said sternly.
Xiao Hongyu was relieved that Ye Wentian wasn’t there. Otherwise, given that guy’s personality, this matter definitely wouldn’t have ended lightly.
Xiao Hongyu returned to his seat and waved at Xiao Qingfeng. “Sect Leader Xiao, you announced the rules for the first match, so I’ll leave this matter to you to handle.”
“Come on, Old Xiao! Dealing with the Lingyun Sect has to be your job. Xiao Qingfeng is getting old, his eyesight is failing—how could he possibly manage it well?” Rong Zhuofan said mockingly.
After saying this, Rong Zhuofan glanced at the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect a few times. The old Grand Elder would never have said something so thoughtless before.
But today, the Grand Elder seemed a bit off. He kept staring at Feng Qingran and her group. Who knew what he was plotting?
“Rong Zhuofan, what do you mean by that? I’m only a bit over seven thousand years old. How is that old?” Xiao Qingfeng was fuming with anger.
He still had nearly three thousand years to live—how was that old?
“I’m only a bit over five thousand years old, and I wouldn’t dare call myself young. You’re two thousand years older than me, and you still think you’re not old?” Rong Zhuofan said confidently.
Xiao Hongyu felt his headache again. Over the years, Rong Zhuofan and Xiao Qingfeng would argue every time they met, never giving it a rest!
They were both old enough to know better. Couldn’t they act a bit more dignified in front of the younger generation?
While the argument was heating up over there, Feng Qingran’s group was completely unaffected.
“I win! Self-draw! Hurry up and pay up the spirit stones!” Bai Li Wenyue’s voice was cheerful and proud. This really wasn’t that hard!
He had won the very first round!
Feng Qingran and the other two generously handed over the spirit stones.
Feng Qingran’s almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she pushed her tiles over, mixing them in with the others. “Sixth Senior Brother, you’re amazing. I bow to your skill!”
Qin Hanyan’s beautiful eyes were cold as frost, with a flicker of confusion. It seemed like Little Junior Sister’s hand could have won too?
Why did she let Bai Li Wenyue take the win?
Dugu Jianyi raised his sword-like brows, his sharp eyes hiding a keen edge. He still hadn’t fully grasped the rules yet!
Dugu Jianyi felt that mahjong was even more complicated than his sword manual. He decided to play a few more rounds before saying anything.
Bai Li Wenyue took the spirit stones from the three of them, beaming. Although he didn’t lack these spirit stones, this was the first time he had earned spirit stones with his own skill, and it gave him a real sense of accomplishment.
“Little Junior Sister, the expressions of the sect leaders don’t look too good. Is it really okay for us to play like this?” Qin Hanyan was always cautious and had long noticed the commotion coming from Xiao Hongyu and the others.
Feng Qingran’s almond-shaped eyes were bright and full of life. “Third Senior Sister, don’t worry. Sharpening the axe doesn’t delay the chopping of wood. Playing like this is also helping us observe the situation on the Heavenly Ladder. They have no reason to be angry.”
“Observing the situation? What can you observe by playing like this?” Bai Li Wenyue asked in confusion.
As Feng Qingran casually arranged the mahjong tiles, she pointed toward the Heavenly Ladder. “Sixth Senior Brother, haven’t you noticed? Those who can’t get past the twentieth step—do they disappear?”
“Also, the twentieth, fiftieth, and hundredth steps are dividing lines. Many people get stuck there. Beyond that, we can’t see for now.”
“Also, during the climb, some people stay on a certain step for an unusually long time, which means they might be facing other trials while climbing the Heavenly Ladder.”
…
Feng Qingran listed example after example.
Bai Li Wenyue listened, utterly stunned.
He turned his head to look at Dugu Jianyi and Qin Hanyan, only to see them nodding seriously with thoughtful expressions. He was even more speechless.
So it turned out that he was the only one completely focused on playing mahjong?
“Little Junior Sister, didn’t we agree to give up on this intense competition once we left the sect? You can’t do this to me!” Bai Li Wenyue’s brows furrowed with a hint of sadness.
