A Consequence of Opposing the Heroine’s Halo (GL) - Chapter 20

Bai Tong carried Liu Sanye, flying back to the small courtyard with her internal qi. Panicked, she placed Liu Sanye on the bed and began rummaging everywhere for a healing scroll. She searched through almost everything in her storage bag, but not a single item was related to healing. She deeply regretted not learning a healing spell or two earlier.

Left with no other choice in her frantic state, Bai Tong resorted to the simplest method: fetching water from the cold pond to apply wet compresses to Liu Sanye’s burning forehead to lower her temperature. She piled all the blankets onto Liu Sanye, tucking the corners in tightly.

Bai Tong leaned in close, her face near Liu Sanye’s, and asked, “Do you feel any better?”

Liu Sanye gave a dazed, muddled “yes.”

Bai Tong knew this wasn’t a long-term solution. After much deliberation, she sent a message to Xun Qiu, but for some reason, Xun Qiu seemed to be intentionally ignoring the connection. Bai Tong paced back and forth, frowning as she considered who else she could turn to for help.

Just then, a teenage girl with two long braids led a group of people and barged into their courtyard. This girl was Guan Rong.

Guan Rong looked at Bai Tong with an arrogant air, tapping a dark red whip rhythmically against her palm. “I really didn’t expect you to be so lucky. To fall off such a high cliff and still come back alive.”

From the moment Guan Rong entered, Bai Tong’s nerves had been taut. She said coldly, “What are you doing here!”

“Nothing much.” Guan Rong took a slow turn around the room, saying with clear disdain, “Tsk, this really is a pauper’s den. There’s nothing here; I don’t know how you manage to live in it.”

Bai Tong didn’t get angry, though her voice remained stiff and hard: “Since you don’t like it, then Young Mistress Guan should please see herself out.”

Guan Rong raised an eyebrow. “I come and go as I please. Is it any of your business?” As she spoke, Guan Rong made a move with her whip as if to strike Bai Tong’s face to humiliate her. In the past, she might have succeeded, but the current Bai Tong was no longer the Qi-Refining early-stage “trash” she once was. Bai Tong reached out and grabbed Guan Rong’s wrist; her grey-white eyes looked like a lifeless object, sending a chill down one’s spine.

Guan Rong was momentarily stunned. She jerked her wrist back and retreated several steps. Seeing this, her “flower-protecting envoy” Ma Shi quickly stepped forward and delivered a vicious slap to Bai Tong’s face.

Ma Shi was a cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refining; the force of this palm strike was enough to shatter a boulder. Blood trickled from the corner of Bai Tong’s mouth, and the ground beneath her feet sank significantly from the impact. Despite this, she did not retreat a single step.

Liu Sanye, whose brain felt like its wires had been fried by the fever, finally noticed the disturbance. She struggled to open her eyes and saw many people standing in the room. Panic rose in her heart. “Bai Tong, is something wrong?”

Bai Tong softened her tone as she replied, “It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.” Then, she turned back to Guan Rong. “Since you have business with me, why don’t we step outside?”

Guan Rong shook her wrist. Her peripheral vision caught Liu Sanye on the bed, and as if discovering a new continent, she laughed loudly. “It’s nothing major. Speaking here is perfectly fine.”

Bai Tong clenched her fists tightly. “What do you actually want!”

Guan Rong replied, “Nothing much. I just came to warn you: regarding yesterday’s matter, you’d better not tell Elder Xun. Otherwise…” Guan Rong lashed her whip, splitting the tea table in the room squarely in two. “This table will be your fate.”

Bai Tong was the type to respond to kindness but never to force; this threat was completely useless against her. She didn’t even blink.

Guan Rong naturally knew Bai Tong’s personality—that no amount of discipline would make her obedient. This annoyed her greatly. Coincidentally, having just discovered Bai Tong’s weakness, she walked straight toward Liu Sanye.

Knowing what she intended to do, Bai Tong immediately stepped forward to block her. “Fine. I won’t tell Elder Xun about this. Now, can you leave?”

Guan Rong had never seen Bai Tong yield before and burst into a happy laugh. “Glad you know what’s good for you.”

But now that she finally knew Bai Tong’s weakness, how could she let her go so easily? “There is one more thing.”

Guan Rong pulled a small red book from her waist with “Challenge” written in gold-inlaid borders. “This is a challenge issued to you by Ma Shi. It’s for the arena during the Outer Sect Grand Competition next month. Accept it.”

Every year, the outer sect held an arena competition. During this time, outer sect disciples could issue challenges to any peer. The person challenged could choose to accept or refuse; however, once accepted, the sect elders would not interfere much even if someone was killed or crippled.

Bai Tong, at the middle stage of Qi Refining, fighting Ma Shi at the late stage was nothing short of seeking death.

Guan Rong knew that as long as Bai Tong wasn’t stupid, she wouldn’t accept. Thus, she pulled a bottle containing yellow pills from her storage bracelet. “You know what this is, right?”

Bai Tong stared fixedly at the bottle. “Yuan-Nourishing Pills.”

Guan Rong smiled. “Correct. These are Yuan-Nourishing Pills. They settle the five viscera, eliminate a hundred illnesses, supplement deficiencies, and stabilize the primordial qi. They are the spiritual medicine every mortal dreams of—literally priceless.”

Guan Rong stared at the bottle in her hand. “That friend of yours looks quite weak. It’s just a small illness now, but it wouldn’t be good if her brain got fried by the fever.”

Bai Tong understood her intent. Without changing her expression, she replied, “Fine. I accept the challenge.”

Guan Rong laughed loudly as she tossed both the Yuan-Nourishing Pills and the challenge book into Bai Tong’s arms. “Straightforward! Then, I’ll see you on the arena at the Grand Competition.”

“I won’t see you out!”

Having achieved her goal, Guan Rong flicked her whip and signaled her group to leave. They arrived like a storm and left just as arrogantly.

On the way back, Ma Shi asked Guan Rong, “Rongrong, why not just kill her directly? Why go through all these hoops to do it on the arena?”

Guan Rong snorted coldly. “You think Bai Tong can just be killed whenever we want? Would Xun Qiu let us off? Besides…” Guan Rong gritted her teeth. “That girl made me lose face in front of everyone. I want her to taste the feeling of being mocked by everyone on that arena!”

Back then, when Bai Tong was praised by Xun Qiu, Guan Rong had indignantly tried to challenge her. In the end, Bai Tong had simply ignored her and walked away! Who was Guan Rong? She was the pearl of the Guan family in Cloud City; she had never suffered such humiliation in her life.

Because of that incident, Guan Rong utterly hated Bai Tong. Thinking of this, she turned and spoke harshly to Ma Shi: “Also, it’s one thing for you to take it upon yourself to bully her in private, but you had the balls to try and kill someone in the Hegui Sect? You think this is Cloud City where I can still protect you?”

Ma Shi quickly bowed his head to admit his mistake. “I’m sorry, Rongrong. Yesterday was a slip of my hand.”

Guan Rong, furious, lashed her whip across Ma Shi’s body. “How many times have I told you—don’t call me Rongrong!”

Ma Shi immediately knelt. “I’m sorry, Miss!”

Guan Rong held her whip and leaned down to pat Ma Shi’s head, her anger turning into a smile. “That’s a good boy.” She then straightened up, crossed her arms, and instructed: “Remember, during next month’s competition, just toy with her a bit. Don’t actually kill her.”

Ma Shi nodded repeatedly, appearing submissive on the surface, but his eyes were full of murderous intent. Since this Bai Tong had made his Rongrong so angry, he was definitely going to kill her!