Chapter 4599 — Lan'er to the Rescue

Under Shangguan Lan'er's watchful gaze, Ma Dangfeng could only stand aside and seethe. When Lu Bianren had been in his grasp, he'd still had a chance to silence him quietly and be done with it—but now, that was plainly impossible. Damn it, the coward had slipped through his fingers after all!

With everyone looking on, Lu Bianren gasped hoarsely for a good long while with no thought for dignity, and only then managed to steady his breathing. He slowly climbed to his feet, straightened his somewhat rumpled robes, and bowed deeply to Shangguan Lan'er. "Many thanks for saving my life, Miss Shangguan. I shall never forget this kindness so long as I have teeth in my head."

"It was nothing, no need to take it to heart. But do tell me what happened just now—did this thing really say my grandfather has no eye for talent?" Shangguan Lan'er smiled faintly. Though she kept close company with Wei Zhao, she had never once had dealings with this Lu Bianren; she'd only caught distant glimpses of him a few times. That she happened to be on hand today was his good fortune—otherwise his chances of living through the day would truly have been anyone's guess.

At her words, Lu Bianren glanced at Ma Dangfeng, his face still savage, then at the Azure Cloud Pavilion disciples all around, heads bowed, not daring to make a sound. His heart sank with utter disillusionment. Every disciple in this sect was that same cowering sort, without even the backbone of an ordinary man. That the Azure Cloud Pavilion had sunk to such an awkward pass—who else was there to blame?

"I'll warn you now—watch your tongue, or I'll have a nice long heart-to-heart with you." Ma Dangfeng threatened from the side, his tone sinister and insinuating. He meant every word; if Lu Bianren truly dared to accuse him, he wouldn't mind adding another life to his tally tonight.

Faced with a threat so utterly undisguised, Lu Bianren merely met his eyes with a calm expression, showing not the slightest intention of backing down. Slowly he said, "In answer to Miss Shangguan: yes."

"You!!!" Ma Dangfeng was so furious he nearly struck out again. He'd seen plenty of weaklings with no real strength, but one who didn't fear death the way Lu Bianren did—this was the first he'd ever met.

"Good. Very good. In all my years, this is the first time I've heard anyone say my grandfather has no eye for talent. You've opened my eyes, I'll grant you that—and this is something the old man really ought to hear for himself." This time she was truly angry. She gave a cold sniff and fixed her eyes on Ma Dangfeng. "Speak up. What's your name?"

"N-no, it wasn't like that—Miss Shangguan, please let me explain. This creature is nursing a grudge and spewing lies. Pavilion Master Shangguan has always been the man I respect most; how could I ever speak ill of him behind his back? My heart is pure and true, as plain as sun and moon to see. Miss Shangguan, you mustn't let a petty man pull the wool over your eyes!" Ma Dangfeng hastily put on the look of a man grievously wronged.

"His name is Ma Dangfeng," Lu Bianren said mildly from the side.

"Ma Dangfeng?" Shangguan Lan'er thought hard but couldn't place the name at all. Ever since Wei Zhao left, she rarely went out to amuse herself; mostly she heard scraps of news from Shangguan Tianxia. This so-called top rookie king, Ma Dangfeng—she truly had never heard of him.

Ma Dangfeng had meant to keep defending himself, but when he saw that blank, bewildered look on Shangguan Lan'er's face, his self-esteem took a heavy blow on the spot. It was one thing for Shangguan Tianxia to pay no heed to this top rookie king, but now even Shangguan Lan'er wore the contemptuous expression of one hearing a nobody's name—this was going too far. This was beyond all bearing!

The greatest blow one can deal the self-important is neither belittlement nor insult. It is being ignored!

Once a nobody without a name, Ma Dangfeng had sworn from the day he soared to become a Nascent Soul cultivator that he would make everyone know his name—and this grandfather and granddaughter pair, Shangguan Tianxia and Shangguan Lan'er, had unknowingly shattered his heart to pieces...

"That's right, I am Ma Dangfeng. If Miss Shangguan is not too utterly ill-informed, she should know that the Azure Cloud Pavilion has recently produced a top rookie king of the Nascent Soul stage." Ma Dangfeng changed his tune at once, shedding his earlier fawning flattery of Shangguan Lan'er and turning brash and overbearing.

"Never heard of you." Shangguan Lan'er looked him over carefully and finally told him the truth.

Ma Dangfeng's mouth twitched again, and he forced down his rage. "Fine. Then Miss Shangguan has heard of me now, hasn't she? I may as well tell you straight—those words about Pavilion Master Shangguan having no eye for talent were indeed mine. And I'll do more than say it: I'll prove it, and let you all see plainly just who the true top genius is—me, or that shit-stain Wei Zhao!"

"You want to compare yourself with Junior Brother Lin?" Shangguan Lan'er couldn't help but show an incredulous expression. In her mind, Wei Zhao was utterly invincible among the Threefold Pavilion disciples—Shangguan Tianxia's own stance back then was proof enough. She hadn't expected to run into a sore loser today. No wonder the creature dared claim her grandfather had no eye for talent!

"How do you mean to prove it?" Lu Bianren, however, had seized on the crux of the matter. Ma Dangfeng's sudden declaration showed he must be after something.

"Simple. You all think I'm no match for that shit-stain Wei Zhao, don't you? Fine. I'll take on a trial mission to the South Island and beat him into a cripple with my own hands, then drag him back. We'll see what you have to say then!" With that, Ma Dangfeng gave a cold snort and strode off in a swagger.

He was making the best of a bad situation. Since Xu Lingchong had assigned him the task, he would have to go to the South Island and find Wei Zhao in any case; but to run errands for no good reason would invite contempt, and might even rouse suspicion in certain quarters. Now that this awkward predicament had fallen into his lap, declaring his intent before everyone served two purposes at once.

Not only did his trip to the South Island acquire a proper justification, he could account to Shangguan Tianxia as well. At least until the outcome of his duel with Wei Zhao was known, the Pavilion Master of Soaring Heaven Pavilion could hardly censure him—to do so would be to betray a guilty conscience and confirm the charge of having no eye for talent. And once he had successfully crippled Wei Zhao, Shangguan Tianxia would have even less hold over him. The response was nothing short of perfect.

Were it not for all the eyes upon him, Ma Dangfeng would have applauded his own quick wits. This was fucking brilliant!

Watching Ma Dangfeng's arrogant figure recede into the distance, Shangguan Lan'er stuck out her tongue in disdain. Lu Bianren, though, wore a worried frown. If Wei Zhao truly ran into this creature, his prospects would be grim indeed—the man was a Nascent Soul cultivator, after all! (To be continued...)