Chapter 253: Sect Elder Tong Has Finally Arrived!

Translator: Minotauruz

Yue Linglong had never expected Jun Xiaomo to be able to slip out from right under her nose at this point in time. She had earlier sent her whiplash straight to Jun Xiaomo’s face with the hope of disfiguring her. However, an intense blue light had burst out from nowhere, obstructing her view and causing her to miss. Not only that, the blue light had even provided Jun Xiaomo with the prime opportunity to shake off her restraints and make her escape.

“What are you guys waiting for?! Chase after her! Bunch of useless idiots – you can’t even hold down a person who’s on the brink of death!” Yue Linglong barked anxiously. Her fiery glare of indignation burgeoned, as though she were ready to consume her bodyguards within the very next moment.

Where was Yue Linglong’s dignified, royal disposition now? At this point in time, she was no better than an enraged lioness that was ventilating its frustration on anything in sight.

The bodyguards had never expected Jun Xiaomo to be able to make her escape either. At Yue Linglong’s orders, all of them instantly gave chase and rushed after Jun Xiaomo.

As Jun Xiaomo ran, she swiftly retrieved and consumed another recovery pill from her Interspatial Ring. Under the confluence of the three recovery pills she had taken so far, she gradually began to feel better, and the muddle-headedness accompanying the pain and blood loss from her injuries also dwindled substantially.

When it came to escaping from pursuers after her life, Jun Xiaomo was practically second to none. After all, she had spent several hundred years escaping in her previous life. Even if there was just a tiny shred of opportunity to make her escape, Jun Xiaomo would clutch tightly onto that thread of hope and forge herself a path for survival.

Princess Linglong had initially thought that Jun Xiaomo would be caving and begin to beg her for mercy. Yet in the blink of an eye, she had suddenly become no less than a slippery eel, darting about furiously and becoming as elusive a target as any. Princess Linglong’s bodyguards rushed here and there and spared no efforts, yet they still found themselves at a complete loss in capturing Jun Xiaomo.

“Garbage! All of you are garbage!” Princess Linglong was so maddened that she stamped her feet on the ground.

Zou Zilong had been watching everything pan out from the side as though the matter hardly concerned him at all. If one were unaware of how the incident transpired to begin with, nobody would be able to tell that he was in fact the main culprit who triggered the entire incident. His gaze landed on the unruly and headstrong Princess Linglong, and a trace of disgust flickered across the depths of his heart. Then, when he turned his attention to Jun Xiaomo, a faint sense of passion and lust crept up from the depths of his heart. However, he very quickly suppressed it and kept it under reins.

Jun Xiaomo was covered with scars and traces of the earlier whiplashes that had torn her clothes and rent her flesh. Even though Jun Xiaomo was in an incredibly sorry state at this moment, the endurance and unrelenting gaze in the depths of her eyes only served to fuel Zou Zilong’s sadistic tendencies. If not for the fact that the present circumstances were rather unique and special, he might well have rushed forward and begun to tear and rip Jun Xiaomo’s clothes off her body right now.

Zou Zilong firmly believed that it would be incredibly satisfying making love to a lady with such an intense pair of eyes.

However, Zou Zilong knew what he should do and what he should not do. Princess Linglong was evidently furious right now, and he knew that there was no need for him to offend the Stoneknife Peak’s greatest backer just for a woman that he had not and most probably would never be able to devour.

It was not as though he had never seen a beautiful lady before – losing Jun Xiaomo would never be considered a great loss to him.

Despite all the ponderances of his heart, Zou Zilong maintained a cool and placid expression on his face. He looked as though he could hardly care less about Jun Xiaomo’s predicament, and this pleased and placated the earlier infuriated Princess Linglong – See? Brother Zou had hardly any concern and affection for that woman. It must have been Jun Xiaomo who had attempted to seduce him to begin with.

If Jun Xiaomo could hear the thoughts of Princess Linglong’s heart right now, she would most certainly mock at her for being even more ignorant and naïve that she was in her previous life.

Jun Xiaomo ran out of the pavilion as Princess Linglong’s bodyguards gave chase. At the same time, she took the opportunity to alert Tong Ruizhen of her emergency and request his assistance. Unfortunately, she found herself at the end of her road within moments after that.

It couldn’t be helped. The damage to her body caused by the Bonebreaker was far too severe. Even though Jun Xiaomo had stuffed herself with several recovery pills, there was no way her body would recover so quickly in such a short time. Furthermore, there were signs that she was on the brink of breaking through the bottleneck of the sixth level of Qi Mastery into the seventh level of Qi Mastery. Under the confluence of these factors, the fact that she could hold out for such a long time was already an amazing feat.

Just then, one of Princess Linglong’s bodyguards finally managed to land yet another strike on Jun Xiaomo’s body. A nauseating stench of blood surged within her body and gushed up through her throat, erupting into a fountain of blood that sprayed from her mouth. Jun Xiaomo clutched at her chest and collapsed onto the ground, and Princess Linglong’s bodyguards immediately surrounded her once more.

“Enough! Stay your hands!” A domineering voice called out from a distance away. This voice was imbued with its owner’s oppressive aura, and it immediately caused Princess Linglong’s bodyguards to pause in their actions. Jun Xiaomo struggled to lift her head, and she discovered that several people were running over towards her on a small path in the distance. Apart from Zhuang Lenghui, there were some others whom she did not recognize. That said, she could tell from the garments they wore that their stature within the Sect must not be too low.

“Just what in the world is going on here?” The domineering voice queried.

The owner of this voice was a middle-aged man with speckles of white hair. His sharp gaze swept across Jun Xiaomo, towards the bodyguards who were beside Jun Xiaomo, and then finally ended on the little pavilion overlooking the lotus pond some distance away.

Even though she very much wanted to take Jun Xiaomo’s life with unending lashes of her Bonebreaker whip, Princess Linglong no longer dared to act out of line now that others had arrived on the scene.

After adjusting her own clothes, Princess Linglong slowly walked over to where Jun Xiaomo was. As soon as she saw who it was who had arrived on scene, a faint smile crept up Princess Linglong’s lips. The haughtiness in her eyes remained just as thick and dense as before, and she lifted her chin as she glared back down at Jun Xiaomo and accounted for her actions, “Third Elder, this highness believed that this Zephyr Sect disciple had conducted herself out of line, so I had on behalf of the Sect taught her a lesson. It shouldn’t be considered too much, right?”

The Third Elder was slightly taken aback, and the fierce glint and oppressiveness of his eyes subsided substantially.

It was part of the Zephyr Sect regulations that their disciples were not allowed to hurt each other. After all, unity and harmony were incredibly important to a Sect’s growth and development. At the very least, they would have to maintain some measure of cordiality and harmony on the surface.

If any other disciple had boldly treated a new Sect disciple in such a harsh manner, he would most certainly be sent to the Penal Hall instantly. But Yue Linglong was different. Her primary identity was that of a princess; and being a Zephyr Sect disciple was only her secondary identity. There was nobody present right now who had the authority or the gall to send her straight into the Penal Hall.

Furthermore, the Third Elder was one of the Sect Elders supporting the Stoneknife Peak’s faction, pushing for its Peakmaster, Wei Xingping to be made the next Sect Leader of the Zephyr Sect. The Greenwich Kingdom’s support in this regard was paramount, and the Third Elder naturally knew that he ought not jeopardize their odds of victory.

Princess Linglong appreciated the fact that she held the key to the present delicate balance as well. Thus, when she saw that the person who had arrived was none other than the Third Elder, she was filled with confidence.

As for Zhuang Lenghui, Yue Linglong could hardly care less about her. After all, the Third Elder’s stature was the highest among all who were present, and the decision maker of all that was present would naturally be him.

“Since this disciple had offended this princess highness, then feel free to do as you deem fit, princess.” The Third Elder declared sternly with some measure of gravitas, but his words only made Jun Xiaomo utterly disappointed with the Zephyr Sect. Jun Xiaomo stared back at the Third Elder in shock, but she was only returned with a completely expressionless face – not a single ripple of emotion could be seen in his eyes.

Jun Xiaomo finally realized that even though everyone here appeared to be upright and virtuous, they were no different from the other sects she had encountered in her previous life which had professed to be upstanding and sanctimonious, yet who would cast aside all measure of virtue and principles for any measure of profit or benefits to themselves.

She clenched her fists tightly. At this moment, she truly regretted coming to the Zephyr Sect. She was not afraid of death; rather, she was only afraid that her death would bring amount immense grief and pain to her family and loved ones.

Princess Linglong smiled in delight. She brandished her Bonebreaker whip once more as she drew closer to Jun Xiaomo one step at a time.

This time, she would make sure that Jun Xiaomo would be thoroughly disfigured before slowly tormenting her to death!

Just then, one of the disciples beside the Third Elder leaned closer and whispered something into the Third Elder’s ears, causing the Third Elder to furrow his brows, “Sect Elder Tong’s disciple?”

The disciple beside the Third Elder nodded his head. The Third Elder thought aloud, “Since that’s Sect Elder Tong’s disciple, then we’ve got to reassess the situation.”

“Hold on, princess highness. I’m afraid that you can’t touch this disciple.” The Third Elder raised his hand, gesturing for Princess Linglong to stay her hand. By now, Princess Linglong had already raised her whip and was already poised to strike.

Princess Linglong was naturally displeased that she had to stop, and she coldly remarked, “Third Elder, what do you mean by this? Can’t this highness deal with a measly, misbehaving disciple of the Sect?”

“Princess highness, she’s Sect Elder Tong’s new disciple, so I’m afraid...” The Third Elder observed Princess Linglong’s expressions keenly as he paused to pick his words.

The authority and gravitas that the Third Elder had originally possessed was now completely gone. It was as though he were sincerely and carefully entreating Princess Linglong right now in order to appease her.

“This highness doesn’t give a damn! So what if she’s Sect Elder Tong’s newest disciple? Are you saying that Tong Ruizhen is more important than the princess of an entire kingdom?!” Princess Linglong screamed in rage as she lashed out against the floor with her whip. A crevice immediately formed on the ground where the whip had landed.

One could only imagine the kind of damage this whiplash would have caused to Jun Xiaomo had it landed on her body! Several people who were standing around couldn’t help but turn their attention towards the wounds on Jun Xiaomo’s body that were so deep that even her bones could be seen.

Even though they all pitied the wounded lady who had become the princess’s latest target, they still chose self-preservation over interjecting.

Jun Xiaomo looked coldly as this pathetic scene played out before her very eyes. As Yue Linglong drew closer towards her, Jun Xiaomo began to laugh. Suppressing the pain emanating from her wounds, Jun Xiaomo laughed hysterically, “Hahahahahaha...So this is the so-called Greater Sect, where even a Sect Elder has to obsequiously listen to the orders of a princess of a small kingdom. Hahahahaha...”

“Shut your trap! You’re not allowed to mock the Greenwich Kingdom! The Greenwich Kingdom is small?! Hmph! Do you believe me when I say that any single one of the little dogs following beside this highness would be able to crush you with hardly any efforts?!” Princess Linglong glared straight at Jun Xiaomo with a macabre look in her eyes as she bellowed.

Some distance away, her bodyguards discreetly clenched their fists tightly, before loosening them in the very next moment.

At the same time, the maidservant standing behind her also lowered her head, and a trace of indignation and hatred flashed across her eyes – Isn’t that the truth? The princess had always treated them no more than as a little dog.

No, in fact, the princess had treated them worse than a dog. The princess’s pet, Snowie, lived a life that was a hundred – even a thousand times – better than the rest of her servants. Apart from attending to the princess’s every whims and fancies, her servants even had to act as her punching bag. From time to time, the princess would pick a servant and lash at them with her whip as and when she felt like it. Those who were lucky would barely live to tell their tale; while those who were less fortunate would succumb to their injuries and perish for no reason whatsoever.

This was why her maidservant, Xiao-Er, had chosen to betray her master. She did not want to continue living in fear like this any longer. As soon as she had saved enough money, she planned to leave the palace and leave this part of her life behind her.

Xiao-Er lifted her head and glanced at the others who had just arrived on scene – in particular, she looked straight at Zhuang Lenghui.

Zhuang Lenghui coincidentally swept her gaze across towards Xiao-Er, before turning her attention back towards the commotion between Jun Xiaomo and Yue Linglong. A faint, discreet smile crept up the corner of her lips. It was an incredibly cold and frigid smile.

Princess Linglong’s maidservant lowered her head once more and bit down on her lower lips. A bright gleam flashed across her eyes.

That idiot Princess Linglong must be unaware that several of her servants have already been bought over by Zhuang Lenghui, including me. Xiao-Er mocked Princess Linglong in her heart. She was filled with disdain for Princess Linglong.

On the other hand, Xiao-Er’s true master, Zhuang Lenghui, watched on with delight as her schemes came to fruition. She was particularly pleased with the fact that both of her enemies, Jun Xiaomo and Yue Linglong, were now inextricably embroiled in the dispute arising from the trap that she had set.

Everything was going according to her plans. She had bribed Xiao-Er, and Xiao-Er had in turn heeded her instructions and reported Jun Xiaomo’s “seduction” to Princess Linglong.

Her plan was indeed to spark a war among Yue Linglong, Zou Zilong and Jun Xiaomo, so that she could sit idly by the side and reap the benefits of their tension.

Most importantly, Zhuang Lenghui couldn’t stand the fact that Jun Xiaomo had earned Tong Ruizhen’s favour and become his disciple. She wanted Jun Xiaomo to taste some measure of hardship, and she would undoubtedly be delighted if she could even kill Jun Xiaomo with a borrowed knife.

As things looked right now, her plan was indeed incredibly effective.

See? Aren’t Jun Xiaomo and Yue Linglong embroiled in this mess right now? Zhuang Lenghui curled her lips into a macabre smile as she thought to herself in delight.

At this moment, Zhuang Lenghui was waiting with bated breath for their dispute to escalate to its climax; the Third Elder trembled nervously; and Zou Zilong continued to watch idly as the main perpetrator, Princess Linglong poised herself to deliver a deathblow to Jun Xiaomo. All of a sudden, an infuriated voice filled with gusto bellowed across the sky, causing everyone to cock their heads towards the owner of the voice in surprise –

“Stop right there! Who dares to hurt my disciple?!!!”

As the incensed bellow sent tremors across the surroundings, a massive Heavenly Crane flapped its wings and descended amidst the onlookers as it threw its head back and cried, as though echoing its own master.

Tong Ruizhen had finally arrived.