Chapter 6: Who Is the Unlucky One

"Damn it, this hellish weather is going to kill me," Chen Xu muttered, crouching under a large tree a few paces from the dining hall.

His once fair complexion was flushed deep red from the heat. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, clinging uncomfortably to his chest and back. The veins on his rolled-up arms bulged, his lips were parched and cracked, and the beads of sweat that dripped onto the ground evaporated within seconds.

He had been staking out this spot for nearly four hours, yet there was still no sign of Ji Ning.

The heat that had been making him lightheaded gradually curdled into a simmering rage, clogging his chest, waiting for a chance to erupt.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Chen Xu’s gaze suddenly sharpened as he locked onto a figure not far away. The corners of his mouth curled upward.

"Finally, the unlucky bastard shows up."

He watched the figure walk away, muttering to himself as he rose to follow.

The "unlucky bastard" in Chen Xu’s eyes was, of course, Ji Ning. He was busy indulging in his own clever plans, completely unaware that he had already been exposed.

It was hardly surprising that Ji Ning had seen through him instantly. The moment she stepped out of the gate, a burning, impossible-to-ignore gaze had been pinned to her back. She had cast a hurried glance in that direction and saw him crouching behind the tree, looking utterly disheveled and making no attempt to hide. Was he afraid she wouldn't notice him?

The people Ye Yueqing found were just as foolish as she was.

Having been in the sect for over a year, Ji Ning had some impression of this senior brother who was tracking her. Back when she used to work with others, she would often listen to gossip to pass the time, and this Senior Brother Chen was a frequent topic.

He had been in the sect for three or four years, yet he lacked both talent and work ethic. He spent his days idling about, sucking up to those in power, and had committed many misdeeds in exchange for contribution points.

Now that they had crossed paths, if he had any malicious intent, Ji Ning would certainly not hold back.

She led him all the way to the Medicine Valley without the stalker making a move. It seemed he wasn't a hired thug for Ye Yueqing, but had other schemes in mind.

Thinking of this, Ji Ning deliberately slowed her pace. As patches of spirit fields came into view, a guess formed in her mind. He was likely trying to track down the location of her assigned spirit fields.

Cultivation in the Medicine Valley was tied to the monthly spirit stones and contribution points of the steward, Uncle Wang. To prevent malicious sabotage, every field was protected by a barrier, and Uncle Wang would never disclose their specific locations. Thus, Ye Yueqing had no choice but to hire someone to track her.

She and her little lackeys were too well-known to Ji Ning; they would be too easy to spot.

The barriers around the spirit fields were set by Foundation Establishment cultivators. Qi Refining disciples didn't possess the power to break them, but given that Ye Yueqing had a genius sister, one still had to be cautious.

Ji Ning channeled her spiritual sense, observing Senior Brother Chen, who was skulking behind a tree a few meters away, with perfect clarity.

Third level of Qi Refining—enough for a warm-up.

Ji Ning curled her lips and quickened her pace. The Medicine Valley was vast, filled with dense spirit fields, and once the barriers were up, they were even harder to distinguish.

Therefore, Ye Yueqing had given Chen Xu a recording stone. Ever since he entered the Medicine Valley, it had been recording their route and the surrounding environment. The recording would stop once Ji Ning used her disciple token to open the barrier.

After putting away the recording stone, Chen Xu prepared to rush forward and teach her a lesson. But in the mere second he looked down, Ji Ning had vanished from the spirit field.

He widened his eyes, searching. He had only taken two steps forward when he was kicked to the ground from behind. A sack was suddenly dropped over his head, plunging him into total darkness.

Chen Xu instinctively tried to use his spiritual power to retaliate, but the attacker’s power was superior. A crushing spiritual pressure hit him instantly, delaying his reaction by two seconds.

While suppressing him with her spiritual energy, Ji Ning channeled earth-attribute power into her hand and swiftly smashed Chen Xu’s arm.

Then followed a one-sided beating. Chen Xu lay on the ground, his whole body wracked with pain, unable to fight back.

Knowing that this senior brother took great pride in his looks and often used his appearance to deceive newly joined disciples, Ji Ning was far from gentle with his face. She delivered over a dozen heavy kicks through the sack before she was satisfied.

"Hah," a breath of pent-up frustration escaped her. Ji Ning felt refreshed in body and mind.

Just before he lost consciousness, the sack over his head was whipped away. Ji Ning crouched before him, silhouetted against the golden glow of the setting sun.

The girl’s eyes were curved in a harmless, innocent smile, but her hand, which was gripping his hair, pulled with a vicious force that made his scalp ache.

"Senior Brother Chen, why is it you?" Ji Ning said, feigning surprise. She blinked and added, "I saw someone skulking behind the tree and was terrified, so I acted in self-defense. You won't blame me, will you?"

"You, you..." His throat was filled with blood, and he was in too much pain to even utter a coherent sentence.

"Sigh, this is the first time I've encountered such a thing. How about I send a message to Uncle Wang? He is a fair man and surely won't wrong you, Senior Brother."

Hearing that she intended to summon the steward, Chen Xu panicked and managed to choke out two words: "No... need."

Ji Ning stared at him, smiling but saying nothing, a gaze that made Chen Xu’s skin crawl.

With a guilty conscience, he naturally dared not ask for the steward. If the recording stone were discovered, the punishment would be far more severe—he could even be expelled from the sect.

This was the classic case of "swallowing bitter herbs"—suffering in silence! Chen Xu could only accept his bad luck.

Ji Ning’s eyes darted as she continued, "This is my fault. You are so severely injured, Senior Brother, and I feel terrible about it. I will take you back now."

"But I know you care about your reputation, Senior Brother. The road is long, and if others see you like this, they will surely mock you behind your back. How about this? I’ll cover your face so no one will see."

A second ago, Chen Xu had thought Ji Ning might have a shred of conscience, but now his heart trembled in total despair.

The sack was pulled over his head again. Ji Ning found a rope, tied one end to Chen Xu’s feet, and held the other in her hand.

To ensure the sack wouldn't fall off on the way, Ji Ning tied it securely with the rope and even thoughtfully left a small hole for him to breathe.

Everything ready, Ji Ning channeled her spiritual energy and began dragging the unconscious Senior Brother Chen along the road.

Everywhere they passed, they turned heads. Whether human or dog, everyone stared. When asked, Ji Ning would act deeply remorseful and briefly explain the "cause and effect."

Word spread like wildfire. By the time Ji Ning delivered Chen Xu to his residence, the rumors were flying everywhere.

The story evolved from "Senior Brother Chen accidentally entered the Medicine Valley and Junior Sister Ji injured him by mistake" to "Senior Brother Chen intentionally broke into the Medicine Valley to cause harm, was defeated by Junior Sister Ji, and was severely beaten."

Ji Ning sighed helplessly, "Rumors are truly lethal! Senior Brother Chen, you brought this on yourself."

His fellow disciples who shared his quarters were shocked to see the scene. Who would have thought that Senior Brother Chen, who had always been the one to bully others, would end up beaten into a pig's head with both arms broken?

If Senior Brother Chen was a petty demon, then Junior Sister Ji was a reincarnated scourge.

The others nervously bid Ji Ning farewell. When they carried Chen Xu into the room, two of them even mustered the courage to kick him a couple of times. No reason, really—they had all been bullied by him before.

Ji Ning returned to the Medicine Valley feeling lighthearted, but the Spirit Cloud Peak was in an uproar.

"Junior Sister Ji’s behavior is far too arrogant."

"What do you know? The herbs grown in the Medicine Valley must be handed over to the sect in proportion once mature. If Senior Brother Chen had been caught by the steward with malicious intent, it would have been much worse for him!"

"Putting that aside, seeing him beaten like that makes me feel vindicated. I only regret I wasn't the one who did it."

...

Opinions varied, with both praise and criticism. The news spread rapidly, and soon it reached the ears of the steward at the Service Hall and Ye Yueqing.