Chapter 83
A sudden chill crawled up Gu Qinghong's spine.
It felt as though some unseen beast had fixed its gaze on him from the darkness.
Suppressing the inexplicable unease, he quickly turned to Xiao Siwen.
"Sisi, let's go. Didn't I promise I'd take you to see the Rainbow Bridge last time?"
Xiao Siwen immediately lowered her head shyly.
"Mhm."
Meanwhile, Lou Yuqing had only just settled in to enjoy the latest melon about Gu Qinghong and Xiao Siwen when she noticed something strange.
The surroundings had gone completely silent.
[Why is everyone standing so still?]
Si Nidie's heart nearly jumped into her throat.
She hurriedly looked at her brother.
"Brother, think of something!"
Si Nanren's scalp tingled.
Using voice transmission, he replied hurriedly, "I'm trying!"
The two weren't the only ones panicking.
Quite a few people nearby were equally anxious.
If Lou Yuqing became suspicious, they would lose their best source of juicy gossip.
Fortunately, at that critical moment, someone stepped forward.
"Gu Qinghong, I challenge you!"
Shen Lijun's voice rang out loudly as he strode forward and blocked Gu Qinghong's path.
Gu Qinghong froze.
Then he narrowed his eyes and sized Shen Lijun up.
He knew this person held hostility toward him.
What he hadn't expected was for the man to openly challenge him in front of everyone.
Was it intentional?
Or merely a coincidence?
The Seven Sects Competition would begin tomorrow.
If he got injured today, he wouldn't be able to compete at his best.
In the worst-case scenario, he might not be able to participate at all.
Gu Qinghong had absolutely no desire to accept this challenge.
Who knew who had sent Shen Lijun?
If there was some hidden scheme behind this, regret would come too late.
In his opinion, the wisest choice was to refuse outright.
But under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he could only suppress his irritation and force a polite smile.
"Since Senior Brother has honored me with an invitation, I truly shouldn't refuse."
He paused apologetically.
"However, Sisi and I already made plans. I promised to accompany her to Qishan to enjoy the scenery. I'm afraid I'll have to decline this time. Perhaps we can spar another day."
Shen Lijun looked thoroughly unimpressed.
"Forget another day."
His gaze locked onto Gu Qinghong, sharp and unyielding.
"I'll ask you one thing."
A faint sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Do you know Shao Qiuyan?"
Before Gu Qinghong could answer, Shen Lijun took a step forward.
"If you do, then I absolutely have to fight you today."
The surrounding disciples exchanged glances. Anyone could hear the hostility hidden beneath his calm tone.
"As for tomorrow's Seven Sects Competition..." Shen Lijun lifted his chin slightly. "Don't worry. I won't cripple you."
His eyes swept over Gu Qinghong from head to toe.
"We'll stop when appropriate."
Then he gave a short, humorless laugh.
"I simply want to see just how capable Qiuyan's so-called close associate really is."
The crowd's eyes immediately lit up.
Another love triangle?
Now this was interesting.
The moment Gu Qinghong heard the name Shao Qiuyan, his expression changed dramatically.
How had this become related to her?
Taking a deep breath, Gu Qinghong forced himself to remain composed.
"I haven't had the chance to ask for Senior Brother's name."
"Shen."
The answer came immediately. The man's gaze remained fixed on him, unwavering.
Then he slowly added, "Shen Lijun."
Every syllable was pronounced with deliberate clarity.
Gu Qinghong's pupils contracted.
His heart sank.
So it really was him.
Since he had already investigated Shao Qiuyan's background, he naturally knew about the persistent admirer who had pursued her for years.
Instantly, everything clicked into place.
Shen Lijun must have learned that Senior Sister Shao had grown close to him.
Unable to swallow his jealousy, he had come looking for trouble.
If Xiao Siwen weren't standing beside him, Gu Qinghong wouldn't have minded admitting he knew Shao Qiuyan.
After all, she had given him pills before. If he denied knowing her, the lie could easily be exposed.
Should the matter reach Shao Qiuyan's ears, the favorable impression he had carefully cultivated would instantly crumble.
His shortcut to gaining benefits would disappear as well.
Unfortunately—Xiao Siwen was standing right there.
And she had heard everything.
Women's instincts toward potential rivals were always terrifyingly sharp.
Xiao Siwen frowned immediately. "Who is Shao Qiuyan?"
Her eyes locked onto him. "How come I've never heard you mention her? And why were you hiding it from me?"
The crowd instantly perked up.
Oh? Things were getting good.
Without missing a beat, Shen Lijun added fuel to the fire.
"Exactly."
He folded his arms leisurely.
"If there's really nothing between you and Qiuyan, why hide it from your partner? Unless..."
His lips curled into a sneer. "You're trying to climb higher."
Gu Qinghong nearly cursed out loud.
Damn it.
He turned and saw Xiao Siwen's face darkening. Her beautiful features twisted with anger.
"Gu Qinghong."
Her voice sharpened.
"Answer me. Are you secretly entertaining the kind of thoughts he's talking about?"
The crowd grew even more excited.
If Gu Qinghong handled this poorly, the story would spread through the entire sect before sunset.
His reputation would be finished.
Taking a deep breath, he silently cursed Shen Lijun several more times.
His first priority was calming Xiao Siwen. Everything else could wait.
"Sisi."
He looked hurt.
"Would you rather believe an outsider than let me explain?"
His expression was completely righteous.
"I can swear to you that Senior Sister Shao and I are innocent. There is absolutely no romantic relationship between us."
Seeing his confident demeanor, Xiao Siwen's anger eased slightly.
"Really?"
Gu Qinghong had barely opened his mouth when Shen Lijun spoke again.
"Qiuyan may not have those intentions."
His tone remained calm.
"But you might."
He folded his arms. "As the saying goes, there are always those who want the best of both worlds—already eating from one bowl while still coveting what's in another."
The crowd collectively admired the technique.
A master.
An absolute master at stirring up trouble.
Xiao Siwen's temper reignited instantly.
"Gu Qinghong!"
She shot him a furious glare.
"Stop changing the subject!"
Her chest rose and fell sharply as the resentment she had barely suppressed surged back to the surface.
"I told you before—you weren't allowed to get close to random female disciples."
The more she spoke, the angrier she became.
"Now you've entered the inner sect and gotten stronger. Have you already forgotten everything you promised me?"
"It's not like that."
Gu Qinghong nearly exploded from frustration.
"Sisi, listen to me."
At that moment, he wished he could sew Shen Lijun's mouth shut forever.
Unfortunately, now wasn't the time.
Suppressing his irritation, he turned back to Xiao Siwen and explained patiently, "I've only known Senior Sister Shao for a few days. The reason I never mentioned her was because we've both been focused on cultivation lately."
He paused briefly before adding, "I was planning to tell you while we were out today."
His expression grew more earnest.
"So don't let outsiders drive a wedge between us."
As he spoke, his gaze swept coldly toward Shen Lijun.
"After all, some people can't stand seeing others happy because they themselves can't get what they want."
Shen Lijun's eyes widened.
He was just about to retort—when Lou Yuqing's inner voice drifted through the air.
[No way.]
[No way, no way.]
[Nobody actually believes Gu Qinghong's nonsense, right?]
Everyone silently shook their heads.
Nope.
Not a chance.
Some of the more soft-hearted disciples felt guilty for a few seconds.
After all, Gu Qinghong's explanation sounded fairly reasonable.
Without evidence, they couldn't simply condemn him.
Si Nanren wasn't surprised.
There were always dissenting voices before the truth emerged.
Turning his head, he noticed Si Nidie staring so intently that her eyes seemed ready to pop out.
She looked thoroughly invested.
Ever since hearing about the mysterious couple her junior sister had encountered at Qishan, she had desperately wanted the full story.
At long last, her wish was coming true.
The moment Shen Lijun heard Lou Yuqing's thoughts, he immediately straightened his back.
His confidence returned at once.
Junior Sister Lou was on my side!
What puzzled him was that Gu Qinghong seemed completely unaware of the disaster approaching.
He continued swearing his innocence.
And under his relentless persuasion, Xiao Siwen's determination gradually began to waver.
At that moment, Lou Yuqing's voice sounded again.
[She's hopelessly lovestruck.]
[He's treating her like a stepping stone, while she treats him like a lifelong partner.]
[Meanwhile, all she really wants is to help him rise before quietly stepping aside and pursuing her own path.]
The crowd fell silent.
Then came the next blow.
[Gu Qinghong is the classic phoenix man—a poor boy who clawed his way up from nothing, only to become obsessed with status, benefits, and using other people as stepping stones.]
[He used his partner's resources and influence to break through to Foundation Establishment.]
[And once she's no longer useful? He'll immediately search for a bigger and better target.]
Shen Lijun's heart skipped a beat.
An ominous feeling suddenly rose within him.
[And that unfortunate next target—is Shao Qiuyan.]
Everyone inhaled sharply.
There it was.
The real bombshell.
[To be fair, Gu Qinghong is quite skilled when it comes to charming women.]
[After discovering he resembled Shao Qiuyan's white moonlight, he deliberately began studying swordsmanship.]
[Unlike Shen Lijun, who gave up halfway through, Gu Qinghong persisted.]
[His swordsmanship talent wasn't impressive, but he endured for six full years.]
[Eventually, he won Shao Qiuyan's favor through sheer persistence.]
Shen Lijun nearly ground his teeth into powder.
Damn it.
These phoenix men were terrifying.
They even knew how to launch sneak attacks from behind.
Back then, he had only practiced swordsmanship for two years before giving up.
Had he known Qiuyan would pay attention to that sort of thing, he would have trained for ten years if necessary.
Unfortunately—regret came too late.
Of course, deep down, Shen Lijun knew persistence wasn't the whole reason.
More important was that face.
That face which resembled the man in Shao Qiuyan's heart.
Nearby, Si Nidie's lips twitched.
She stared at Gu Qinghong with speechless disbelief.
With that kind of determination, he could have succeeded at almost anything.
Why insist on taking the crooked path?
It was genuinely eye-opening.
Of course, she also knew some people simply loved shortcuts too much.
Lou Yuqing's thoughts dripped with mockery.
[After succeeding once with Xiao Siwen, Gu Qinghong lost all interest in relying on himself.]
[After all, relying on a woman is easier than relying on your own efforts.]
[Xiao Siwen's father is an outer-sect elder.]
[Shao Qiuyan's master is a Nascent Soul cultivator.]
[And what about Gu Qinghong himself? He's basically a nobody.]
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
The way they looked at Gu Qinghong gradually filled with contempt.
If he genuinely loved Xiao Siwen, they wouldn't have been so disgusted.
But this wasn't love.
He was merely wrapping exploitation in the packaging of affection.
That was revolting.
Even more infuriating was Xiao Siwen herself.
She had clearly been suspicious at first. Yet after a few sweet words, she was already being persuaded again.
Who else would Gu Qinghong lie to if not someone like her?
Watching from nearby, Shi Xiuxiu felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy.
The similarities were impossible to ignore.
Both of them had been deceived by scheming men.
Both had lost money and affection in the process.
She desperately wanted to expose Gu Qinghong's true nature to Xiao Siwen.
Unfortunately, she had no evidence.
Men like this excelled at pretending to be devoted.
Had Qi Luofeng not handed her that poisoned sachet, she might have continued deceiving herself as well.
If only Xiao Siwen could hear these thoughts. Everything would become so much easier.
The moment the idea surfaced—Shi Xiuxiu froze.
As though struck by lightning.
Wait. Why couldn't Xiao Siwen hear them?
As she stood there in stunned silence, Lou Yuqing continued.
[Gu Qinghong is honestly incredible.
He's been deceiving both sides at once.]
[To Xiao Siwen, he said Shao Qiuyan was merely a senior sister who occasionally instructed him in swordsmanship.]
[He conveniently forgot to mention all the cultivation resources Shao Qiuyan gave him for free.]
[As a result, Xiao Siwen remained perfectly polite toward Shao Qiuyan.]
[Meanwhile, when facing Shao Qiuyan, Gu Qinghong repeatedly emphasized how much he and his wife respected her.]
[The implication being that he already had a devoted partner and would never misunderstand her kindness.]
[Shao Qiuyan only wanted a substitute onto whom she could dump resources. She had no interest in turning that substitute into a husband.]
[Because of that, she was extremely satisfied with Gu Qinghong's careful avoidance of suspicion.]
[And so this relationship continued smoothly for a very long time.]
The crowd felt their hearts ache.
Monster.
The man was a complete monster.
The amount he had gained from this arrangement was absurd.
Shen Lijun looked as though the sky had collapsed.
Qiuyan... what were you thinking?
Gu Qinghong was clearly pretending.
How could you not see through him?
Or... had you seen through it all along and simply chosen not to care?
Did that man truly leave such a deep mark on your heart?
According to the original timeline, he should have died during the land reclamation mission.
If he were still alive—he definitely wouldn't have allowed Qiuyan to suffer like this.
The more Shen Lijun thought about it, the more miserable he became.
Then—the story reached its turning point.
[Until one day—someone informed Xiao Siwen that Gu Qinghong and Shao Qiuyan were having an affair.]
[And from that moment onward... everything spiraled completely out of control.]