Turmoil Within the Sect: Chapter 25, The Friend Behind Me

"What's going on? Has he figured it out?" the tall, thin man whispered, his voice laced with nervousness.

"Impossible!" Luo Shuyao curled her lip, stating with conviction, "With his cultivation level, and us standing this far away, unless he has the nose of a hound, there's no way."

Despite her words, a seed of doubt sprouted in her mind.

They waited for the duration of a full pot of tea, yet Chu Xing remained motionless. He stood with his back to them, seemingly absorbed in the forest scenery, even pausing to stretch his arms.

The tall, thin man couldn't hold back any longer. He hissed, "Young Miss, could he… could he really just be out here for a stroll?"

"Shut up!" Luo Shuyao’s face darkened.

Not only had a nobody ruined her plans, but she had been left standing here for so long that she felt like a complete fool.

Just as her patience evaporated and she prepared to rush out, Chu Xing slowly turned around.

There was no surprise or panic on his face. Instead, a playful, intrigued smile rested on his lips, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

"Following me for so long, you three—aren't your feet sore?"

His eyes were clear and bright, devoid of any panic from being tracked. It was clear he had known all along, and his expression was one of mocking amusement.

Chu Xing found it laughable. This group had botched their act, yet they were impatient enough to follow him. Did they really think he was such an easy target?

He had turned into this dense forest specifically to see what game this arrogant young girl was trying to play.

The look of smugness on Luo Shuyao's face froze instantly, then a deep crimson blush surged up, spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

She had been played!

No longer hiding, she stomped out from behind the tree, doing her best to strike a pose of righteous indignation.

"You! When did you find out!"

Chu Xing looked her up and down, a gaze that made Luo Shuyao feel so unsettled that she instinctively took a half-step back.

"Ever since your little double act fell apart, and you were so angry you started stamping your feet in place."

Luo Shuyao’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, a mix of the embarrassment of being exposed and the humiliation of being treated like a spectacle.

"Tell me, why are you sneaking around after me?" Chu Xing asked. "Did your conscience finally get the better of you? Did you realize your actions earlier were wrong and decide to treat me to a meal as an apology?"

"Dream on!" Stung by his goading, Luo Shuyao immediately forgot her earlier self-consciousness and puffed out her chest. "You ruined my plans, and you still dare to spout such sarcasm! I’m here today to teach you a lesson, to let you know the consequences of meddling in other people's business!"

The burly man behind her stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Kid, if you're smart, you'll kneel and kowtow to our Young Miss right now. You might just save yourself some pain!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xing didn't show the slightest fear; instead, the smile at the corner of his lips deepened.

Seeing Chu Xing’s unbothered demeanor made Luo Shuyao even more furious.

"You still dare to laugh?" She glared at him, her cheeks puffed out.

Dressed in a jade-green dress that highlighted her porcelain skin, she was clearly a natural beauty, despite being only sixteen or seventeen. In this moment, however, her behavior lacked any real intimidation, carrying instead a touch of endearing, childish stubbornness.

"I am at the Qi Gathering Realm," she said, enunciating every word to sound more imposing, deliberately releasing a flicker of her internal energy. "You are merely at the seventh stage of Body Tempering. Do you believe I could crush you with a single hand?"

"Then feel free to try."

Chu Xing let his gaze roam over her without restraint, finally resting on her chest, which was heaving with anger. He offered a wicked smirk.

"But before you make a move, you should think carefully."

His eyes swept past Luo Shuyao to the two burly men behind her, his tone dripping with irreverent teasing.

"This place is an isolated wilderness. A young lady like you, bringing two grown men to corner me... if things get rough and clothes get disheveled, it wouldn't look very good for your reputation if word got out."

Luo Shuyao’s cheeks flushed a vibrant red—this time, from pure shame.

As a distinguished lady of the Luo family, she had never heard such shameless, vulgar talk in her life!

"You... you are shameless! A hooligan!" Her voice trembled with rage, and she instinctively moved to channel her energy.

"Tell me, miss," Chu Xing said unhurriedly, causing the tension to shift slightly, "have you forgotten something?"

Luo Shuyao blinked, confused. "What?"

"Your grand entrance certainly had a lot of flair," Chu Xing said, his smile fading slightly as he looked past her toward the deepest shadows of the woods. "But that friend of yours in the back—after watching the show for so long, isn't it time to step into the light?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the anger on Luo Shuyao's face solidified, and she whipped her head around.

Her two subordinates also turned pale, immediately assuming defensive stances and scanning their surroundings nervously.

The forest was deathly silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"Playing tricks!" Luo Shuyao arched her brows, assuming Chu Xing was bluffing to distract them.

But just then, a sound of frivolous clapping echoed from deep within the woods.

*Clap, clap, clap.*

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

The newcomer was a young man of about twenty, dressed in a flamboyant brocade robe. He twirled a jade-boned folding fan in his hand. His face was layered with thin, pale powder, his eyes were sunken and dark, and his gait was unsteady—clearly a man hollowed out by indulgence and vice.

His narrow eyes landed on Luo Shuyao, revealing an undisguised, greedy possessiveness.

"Junior Sister Shuyao, it's been a long time. Your Senior Brother here has missed you dearly."

Upon seeing him, Luo Shuyao’s face turned whiter than snow, her expressive eyes instantly filled with undisguised disgust and wariness.

"Lu Mingchuan! Why are you here!"

"Why am I here?" Lu Mingchuan folded his fan and pointed it at Chu Xing from a distance, smiling with a lascivious glint in his eyes.

"Naturally, I followed you, Junior Sister. I wanted to see what urgent matter you had, but who would have thought... your tastes are so unique, Junior Sister. You enjoy secret trysts with other men in such a desolate wilderness."

He paused, his eyes turning venomous. He stepped closer to Luo Shuyao, lowering his voice until only they could hear him, his tone filled with twisted hatred.

"A year ago, I merely touched a female disciple who didn't know her place, and your father—that self-righteous old dog—dared to punish me by forcing me to face the wall at the Cliff of Contemplation in front of everyone!"

"Today, I want to see where that old man puts his face when he finds out his precious daughter was caught red-handed, having a secret affair with some wild man!"

"What nonsense are you spewing!" Luo Shuyao trembled with rage, instinctively backing away.

The two subordinates behind her stood like guards before an impending disaster, shielding her firmly. They knew better than anyone that this Lu Mingchuan in front of them was a complete and utter madman!