"What nonsense are you spouting, that's not what I meant," Liu Xi equivocated, his origins were humble but his talent had earned him a recommendation to the Inner Court of Xuanji Academy from a local Xuanwu Academy.
When he first learned that Shalman was the young lady of the Sha Family, he was overjoyed and pursued her earnestly, only to find out later that she was merely a concubine's daughter.
Yet he still harbored some hope, and because of Shalman's outstanding appearance, he dragged on maintaining a relationship with her, until this year, when Shaluo appeared.
In the woods, there was a sudden rustling of branches followed by footsteps.
"Shalman, you shameless slut, how dare you seduce a student of the Inner Court?" Three or four female students of the Inner Court came out, the leader with a face full of malice, "Really, like mother, like daughter, despicable people only know how to engage in contemptible deeds with men."
Upon seeing Shaluo and those few Inner Court students, Shalman became alert. She glanced at Liu Xi, who hesitated and then stood among those few Inner Court students.
"Shaluo, don't insult my mother," Shalman's hand hesitated, not sure whether to use the Short Whistle to summon the Flash Snake.
After Shaluo spoke, she sneered, and a bottle appeared in her hand as she shook it: "Shalman, do you know what's inside this? Let me tell you, it's the Snake Repellent Powder from Yongchun Hall, specifically meant to deal with filthy vermin like snakes."
"You!" Shalman guessed what was in the bottle and screamed as if she had seen a ghost.
Before Shalman could escape, the Inner Court students who came with Shaluo grabbed her and pinned her firmly to the ground.
They were more advanced in cultivation than Shalman, and also outnumbered her. Shalman couldn't resist.
Shaluo stepped forward and poured all the white powder from the bottle onto Shalman's face.
"No. Liu Xi, save me," Shalman trembled all over, and when she saw Liu Xi avoiding her gaze, despair filled her eyes.
The powder was sprinkled on Shalman's face, which underwent a transformation.
Scales-like protrusions rapidly grew, starting from her face down to her neck, extending to her hands and feet; Shalman lay on the ground like a lizard, her whole body covered with a thick layer of hard scales.
Witnessing Shalman's ghastly transformation, Liu Xi was also startled.
"Liu Xi, look clearly, this is her true face, an ugly and despicable breed. What are you still hesitating about? Team up with me," Shaluo laughed triumphantly, and those Inner Court students
"Ah," amidst Shalman's piercing screams, a ghostly whistle sound emerged like a wail.
The Thunder Snake soared up like a moving hill.
Seeing the Thunder Snake, those few Inner Court students were terrified out of their wits, and Shalman transformed into a vengeful goddess, her eyes cold, her face covered in scales filled only with hatred, "Kill her!!" Yue Jinghua, too, was in shock witnessing all this.
Liu Xi fled terrified out of the fern forest, alerted by the noise Qiu Chuzi blocked Shalman.
"Don't stop me, I need to avenge my mother and myself," Shalman's throat emitted intermittent bizarre sounds.
"Shalman, do you want to give the Inner Court a chance to come knocking?" Qiu Chuzi glared at the few Inner Court students scared stiff on the ground, "Get lost, don't sneakily target the Cultivation Hall, if you have the guts, come openly to the Outer Court and find me."
Those few Inner Court students took the opportunity to escape.
Exhausted in spirit and body, Shalman collapsed, fainting.
As the fern forest returned to peace, Qiu Chuzi turned around, glanced at the place where Yue Jinghua was hiding: "Have you watched enough of the show?"
Perceiving his dissatisfaction, Yue Jinghua had no choice but to touch her nose and come out.
"Why didn't you help her? Just now, her last hope of survival was destroyed by those people," Qiu Chuzi is naturally unrestrained but values righteousness the most, and he won't tolerate anyone bullying his students, nor the indifferent style of Yue Jinghua seeing danger and not helping, being from the same Outer Court.
"Help? Director, have you forgotten I am also a student of the Outer Court," Yue Jinghua shrugged, her words subtly reminding the director that she is also deemed useless.
"Hmph, girl, don't play coy with me, don't think my eyes have gone bad. What is that thing twined around your little finger? That's a deadly weapon, just a swipe at someone's neck, and those worthless Inner Court students could have been decapitated. Shalman hid her abilities to give her lover Liu Xi a surprise, so what's your excuse for hiding your abilities?" Qiu Chuzi's capabilities are far greater than Yue Jinghua and Shalman could imagine.