Chapter 0460: Burning Bridges

While Jing Taixu was being taken for a ride by the Astral Sage College's One Star Hall wind resonance user, Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e were enjoying some private time together, leaning on the balcony and looking out at the streets.

And then Li Luo noticed a familiar head in the crowd.

Yu Lang.

Seeing him with Jiang Qing'e, the green-haired trickster waved urgently but discreetly to him.

Li Luo was a little hesitant, but he went over anyway. "Weren't you asked to go out and get information? Why have you snuck back?"

"Oh, I got some eye-popping, jaw-dropping information, alright." Yu Lang hesitated. "But for you, it might be a bit teeth-grinding and knuckle-clenching too."

He handed the unedited version to Li Luo.

Li Luo looked at it, and his expression turned dead-serious. He had always been good at holding his composure, but there was clear anger in his eyes now.

Rumors and fake news were to be expected, but Jiang Qing'e was a line that should not be crossed with him, especially when it involved their engagement.

"Do we show it to Senior Jiang?" Yu Lang asked.

"Nothing much to hide," Li Luo said, handing it over to Jiang Qing'e.

Her golden eyes skimmed the paper. She took the news calmly enough, although her eyes lingered on it strangely.

"Fake news is abound in this time and place. No need to care too much," Li Luo said.

"This... is not completely fake news," Jiang Qing'e said. "The Holy Sun Dynasty's Jing family. They indeed came to us with a marriage proposal before, but Master ignored them completely. The proposal might have a shred of truth in it, but the malice in this is definitely real."

"Wait- a real proposal?! Why didn't I know about it?" Li Luo exclaimed.

"Well, it wasn't much. It was many years ago, and it was dismissed quickly. I doubt anyone remembers it at all. In fact," Jiang Qing'e said thoughtfully, flicking the paper with one finger. "Perhaps the only person who remembers it is the proposer himself."

"Jing Taixu," Li Luo confirmed.

Jiang Qing'e nodded. "Even I took a while to recall it. It has to be him."

"What's his goal here? Offending us out of nowhere?" This was basically a declaration of war, and they couldn't see the reason.

Was Jing Taixu mad?

Or was he just insanely strong as a quasi ninth-grade?

"Maybe an idiot?" Jiang Qing'e offered casually.

"Senior Jiang, don't be angry! I've already punished that lout for you!" Yu Lang cackled like a madman.

"Oh?"

Yu Lang fished out his modified copy. "I managed to snag every last piece of this, and now the Yu Lang version is being circulated instead."

Jiang Qing'e stared at it, and her eyes widened. She fought a smile.

Li Luo peered over her shoulder, and his own eyes widened as well.

"Yu Lang, you're a genius. I've truly underestimated you in the past," Li Luo said admiringly.

Yu Lang's addition had leached the sting out of the first piece of news. It was no longer the main dish, but merely an appetizer to provide context to his addition. Jing Taixu was getting a taste of the medicine that he had been so eager to dish out.

Li Luo patted Yu Lang on the back. "Thanks, man."

The original rumor would have made Li Luo a very angry man. He was protective of Jiang Qing'e's reputation.

But Yu Lang's twist had completely derailed the slander, and turned it back on the instigator.

He was grateful to have such a friend around him.

Yu Lang grinned. "Senior Jiang is our ace. How could I let them turn the Astral Sage College's Ace of Hearts into the Ace of Spades?

"Protecting the school's reputation is the duty of all good students," he said piously.

Jiang Qing'e smiled warmly at him. "Thank you."

Yu Lang felt a little bashful to be thanked by her. Although she was not the cold and aloof kind, her talent put her in a different league, and it was still difficult to feel friendly with her.

Such raw sincerity out of her was a rare sight, and it would unarm even a practiced rogue like Yu Lang.

A student rushed up to them. "Senior Jiang, there's someone at the tower asking to meet you. He says he's Jing Taixu from the Enlightened Sage College."

Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e shared hostile looks.

Jing Taixu had come in person?

"Should we see them?" Li Luo asked Jiang Qing'e.

He wanted to see what this guy was made of.

Jiang Qing'e nodded silently, but there was a subtle tension in her features that expressed her hostility.

They went to the entrance and stepped out to see two people standing by a tree nearby.

Jing Taixu and Lu Jinci.

They walked over to Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e.

Jing Taixu's eyes were locked on Jiang Qing'e. He had thought he was ready, but her beauty and presence were still overwhelming.

There were many playboys in this world, but Jing Taixu was a practiced master... a playman. And even he had never seen a woman of this caliber before.

No wonder his old man had swallowed his pride and sent out a marriage arrangement. He had thought that his father was weak back then, but now he understood.

Li Luo's eyes were locked on Jing Taixu.

He immediately disliked him.

"Jing... Squi-shy?" he said with a smile.[1]

Jing Taixu stiffened. "It's Jing Taixu. So it was you guys who modified the information."

Li Luo nodded. "Well-written, wasn't it?"

"You might not want to hear it, but it’s the truth. Such a thing indeed happened before," Jing Taixu said.

"Of course it's happened before. House Luolan has had crates upon crates of such proposals over the years. Don't worry too much about it, sir." Li Luo laughed lightly.

Jing Taixu looked at this youth, who might even be more handsome than he was. He frowned. "And you are...?"

"Li Luo of the Astral Sage College. Son of Li Taixuan... Oh, and Jiang Qing'e’s fiancé." He reached out and took Jiang Qing'e's hand in his.

"Which is why your rumors made me very angry, my Enlightened Sage College friend."

Jiang Qing'e smiled widely and interlocked her fingers with Li Luo's tightly.

"Fiancé?" Jing Taixu was blown away by this development. Jiang Qing'e looked happy as well.

"Young Lord Li Luo, you are a lucky man. A childhood sweetheart? Blessed indeed." Jing Taixu sighed.

"Senior Jiang, I did not know of this. No wonder what I did was received extremely poorly. I merely wanted to meet you once, after hearing Father speak glowing praise of you in the past. If I have besmirched your reputation in any way, I sincerely apologize."

Jiang Qing'e looked at him coolly. "When you hear the buzzing of a housefly in your ear, you don't lean in to interpret apologies in its resonance.

"You smash it to pulp instead."

Jing Taixu shrank back a little. He sensed killing intent in Jiang Qing'e's voice.

Lu Jinci took a half-step forward, his own eyes tight on Jiang Qing'e.

Although they were banned from fighting, Jiang Qing'e's anger was apparent. They didn't know what she was capable of.

"Jing Squishy, ah, I mean, Jing Taixu," Li Luo interjected. "I’ll see you in the hall-level competition."

Jing Taixu smiled at Li Luo. How could he not understand the challenge that Li Luo was issuing?

"Friend Li Luo, I'm looking forward to it."

Jing Taixu and Lu Jinci walked away.

"Well, looks like we accomplished what we came for," Lu Jinci said softly once they were a safe distance away.

He could feel that they had riled Jiang Qing'e up.

Jing Taixu nodded.

"I felt like I just poked a tigress in the face," Lu Jinci said with a shudder.

Jing Taixu did not respond.

"Hey, what're you thinking about?" Lu Jinci asked.

"I think I fancy her," Jing Taixu said with a sigh.

Lu Jinci rolled his eyes. "You've fancied like a dozen people already in your first year."

"This one's different," Jing Taixu said defensively.

"Hey, she's already engaged. You've also made an enemy out of Li Luo, you know." Jing Taixu just smiled.

"I envy Li Luo's luck, but I don't fear his strength. It’s not his fault, it's just that there's no one in all of the East Divine Continent's One Star Hall that I fear." He smiled widely.

Lu Jinci had no objection. A boast was not a boast if one had the ability to back up the words.

Over on the other side, Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e watched the pair leave.

"Li Luo," Jiang Qing'e suddenly said.

"Hmm?"

"A task for you. Eliminate him in the One Star Hall competition."

"Oh? Any rewards?" Li Luo asked eagerly.

She smiled and lifted up their interlocked hands and gave it a playful shake.

"Sorry, you've already redeemed it beforehand."

1. TN: It was a wordplay joke that was impossible to translate. I tried my best. ☜