Chapter 42

Chapter 42: From Now On, We Have No Ties

“I have the Water Spirit Pill!”

Xiao Yang stared silently at Jiang Ting.

“Then give it to me! Father has promised that as long as I can break through to the Heavenly Martial Realm, he’ll let me compete in the Gengzi Grand Competition,” Jiang Ting said anxiously.

“Why should I give it to you?” Xiao Yang replied coldly.

“Senior Brother, you…” Jiang Ting looked at Xiao Yang in disbelief.

“Didn’t you ask someone to concoct this pill for me? Why can’t you just give it to me?” Jiang Ting’s face turned red with anger.

“I asked someone to refine it, and I went through a lot of trouble to find the spiritual herbs and paid a hefty price to get a pill master to prepare it for you, so what?” Xiao Yang said in an icy tone, devoid of any emotion.

“What do you mean, so what? Since you refined the pill for me, just give it to me! Hurry up and give me the elixir!” Jiang Ting had no time to argue with Xiao Yang, stamping her foot anxiously.

“I don’t feel like giving it to you right now,” Xiao Yang refused to pamper her any longer.

“You…”

Jiang Ting was furious, tears glistening in her eyes.

In the past, whenever she got mad, Senior Brother would go to great lengths to cheer her up.

What’s happened to him now? Jiang Ting was confused.

“If you want the Water Spirit Pill, go back and ask your dear junior brother to help you refine it,” Xiao Yang said as he busied himself with his drink, ignoring Jiang Ting.

“Senior Brother… Are you… jealous?” Jiang Ting suddenly realized.

“Senior Brother, don’t misunderstand! I have nothing going on with junior brother; I just feel sorry for him, so I took care of him a bit. We only have a normal sibling relationship!” Jiang Ting quickly explained.

“Pfft! You’re willing to defy your father for Qin Fei, and now you’re coming to me all submissive while asking for a pill because of him? You think I’m stupid?” Xiao Yang was genuinely furious.

At this moment, Lin Wangchuan and Song Qiang stood by, shocked at this unfolding drama.

Senior Brother was actually arguing with Junior Sister!

And they were fighting over Qin Fei!

In fact, Xiao Yang and Jiang Ting had quarreled many times over Qin Fei in the past few years.

But each time, it ended with Xiao Yang yielding.

What shocked Lin Wangchuan and Song Qiang was that this time, Senior Brother wasn’t giving in to Junior Sister.

Junior Sister was on the verge of tears.

Yet Xiao Yang remained adamant, showing no signs of backing down or coaxing Jiang Ting like he usually did.

Even Lin Wangchuan, who seemed carefree, was startled.

“How do you know?” Jiang Ting asked, surprised by Xiao Yang’s response.

“Leave now, or I’ll throw you out,” Xiao Yang said, tired of the whole conversation.

“Senior Brother, can’t you let go of our childhood bond and our sect camaraderie, and just not be so heartless?” Jiang Ting gritted her teeth.

“Jiang Ting, how dare you call me heartless?” Xiao Yang was furious.

“Alright, you won’t give me the pill, huh?” Jiang Ting said as she yanked a jade pendant from her neck, clutching it tightly.

“You…” Xiao Yang was taken aback.

“I’ll ask you one last time. Will you give me the pill?” Jiang Ting glared at Xiao Yang with teary eyes.

“Jiang Ting, you…” Xiao Yang growled, staring hard at the jade pendant in her hand.

“Do you even realize what this jade pendant means to me?” Xiao Yang clenched his fists, shaking with rage.

“How could I not know?” Jiang Ting sneered. “You’re forcing my hand.”

“If you don’t give me the pill, I’ll crush this jade pendant!” Jiang Ting threatened loudly.

To get Xiao Yang’s Water Spirit Pill, she was willing to go all out.

She felt bad inside, thinking, Senior Brother, I’m sorry, but I can’t just watch as junior brother becomes useless. Forgive me this time; I’ll make it up to you later.

However, she didn’t realize there wouldn’t be a later for them.

“You…”

At that moment, Xiao Yang’s eyes reddened.

That jade pendant was his grandfather’s relic!

It was his grandfather who went against all odds to send him to the Qingyang Sword Sect, shaping the genius he was today, the Sect Holy Son.

He was frail and sickly as a child.

Being born into a mediocre cultivating family, one can imagine what that meant.

The cultivation world is a cruel and merciless arena where the weak are preyed upon by the strong.

Xiao Yang had been bullied by his peers in the family since he was little, with no support from the elders, who ignored him.

Especially his parents, who wouldn’t even help him when he was bullied or humiliated; they simply turned a blind eye.

Only his grandfather stepped in.

Only his grandfather cared, protected him, and sent him to the Qingyang Sword Sect.

Only his grandfather believed he would achieve greatness.

When the news spread back to the Xiao clan that he had been recognized as the True Sun Holy Body and taken as the Sect Master’s greatest disciple, his grandfather, who had quit drinking, downed three bowls of the strongest liquor.

When he was honored as the Sect Holy Son, he barely had time to share the joy with his grandfather, who had already passed on.

He never got to say goodbye one last time.

That was the biggest regret of his life.

Before his grandfather passed, he left him a coiled dragon jade pendant, meant for the one he loved.

His grandfather never got the chance to see him married.

This jade pendant was a precious memento given to him by his grandfather, which he had passed on to Junior Sister Jiang Ting.

And now, Jiang Ting was using his grandfather’s pendant to threaten him.

She knew perfectly well it was the pendant his grandfather intended for her.

She knew how much it meant to him.

How dare she.

How could she dare to use the pendant to threaten him?

How dare she!

Xiao Yang clenched his fists so hard, his nails digging into his flesh without him even realizing it.

He almost couldn’t hold back the urge to slap Jiang Ting across the face.

“Give me the pill, and I’ll return your pendant!” Jiang Ting’s cold voice pierced through Xiao Yang’s mind.

“Fine, I’ll give it to you!”

Xiao Yang’s intense gaze was fixed on Jiang Ting as he reached into his robe and pulled out two bottles of Water Spirit Pills, handing them over to her.

Jiang Ting’s heart leaped with joy as she saw the bottles in Xiao Yang’s hand.

But when she noticed how furious Xiao Yang was, a hint of sadness crept into her heart.

She knew she shouldn’t have treated Senior Brother this way.

But she couldn’t not save junior brother.

First, save junior brother, then worry about the rest.

With that thought, Jiang Ting snatched the bottles from Xiao Yang’s hands and carefully tucked them away.

With these two pills, she now had a chance to break into the Heavenly Martial Realm and aim for the top ten in the competition tomorrow to qualify for the Gengzi Grand Competition.

“Pendant!” Xiao Yang growled.

Jiang Ting hesitated for a moment before handing the pendant back to Xiao Yang.

He took the pendant back, staring at it in a daze, feeling the weight lift from his shoulders.

“Senior Brother, I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you later!” Jiang Ting said as she turned and walked away without looking back.

“…”

Lin Wangchuan and Song Qiang stood frozen, utterly baffled by the scene.

What just happened?

Lin Wangchuan scratched his head, wondering if all women were like this.

Was Junior Sister also that fierce?

“The master said women are like tigers, but I think this woman is even fiercer than a tiger!” Lin Wangchuan patted his chest with lingering fear.

Jiang Ting’s threatening demeanor was genuinely scary.

Song Qiang was also speechless.

He never expected Senior Brother would get into such a spat with Junior Sister.

They were once the envy of all, a pair of childhood friends with an incredible bond.

Everyone thought they would end up together; who would have guessed they would turn out like this?

What a fickle turn of events!

While Song Qiang was pondering, Xiao Yang was still staring blankly at the pendant in his hand.

This coiled dragon pendant wasn’t a rare item, nor was it supernatural essence.

It was simply carved from purple jade.

The carving was skillfully done, with the coiled dragon looking lifelike.

Xiao Yang gazed at the pendant, thinking, Jiang Ting, for this, you’ve really gone too far.

This pendant was his last connection to his grandfather.

Jiang Ting was indeed too cruel.

Junior Sister, from now on, we have no ties.

After all, he and Jiang Ting had a bond that went way back, one that would be difficult to cut off despite any dislike.

In his past life, he couldn’t let her go and kept clinging on, trying to recover their relationship.

In the end, he met his demise at the hands of Qin Fei.

Now, while he felt angry, he also experienced a strange sense of relief.

“Senior Brother, are you okay?”

Seeing Xiao Yang lost in thought, Song Qiang couldn’t help but ask worriedly.

“Holy Son Brother, that Junior Sister is really too detestable. I’m not playing with her anymore,” Lin Wangchuan exclaimed in indignation.

“I’m just fine. Come on, let’s drink!”

Xiao Yang chuckled as he carefully put away the pendant, then grabbed the wine jar and tilted it back in one go.

“Ha ha, Holy Son Brother, let’s drink until we drop!”

Lin Wangchuan laughed heartily, also lifting the jar to drink deeply.

Little White, perched on Lin Wangchuan’s shoulder, happily screeched, vying for some wine.

Song Qiang observed Xiao Yang, still feeling worried as he figured Senior Brother was just putting on a brave face.

This time, Junior Sister had hurt him too deeply.

But what he never imagined was that Xiao Yang was genuinely happy now.

He could finally sever all ties with his past self.

From now on, he would be the new Xiao Yang, reborn.

For someone at Xiao Yang’s realm, getting drunk is no easy feat.

But, intoxication doesn’t always come from the wine.

That night, Xiao Yang actually got drunk.

Lin Wangchuan got drunk, too.

Only Song Qiang didn’t.

Because tomorrow they still had to compete in the sect grand competition.

…

A night without incident.

The next morning, Song Qiang woke up Xiao Yang and Lin Wangchuan.

*Ding!*

The bell at the top of Qingyang Mountain rang, breaking the tranquility over the mountain.

Countless disciples of Qingyang Mountain emerged from their cultivation sites to gather atop the mountain.

The sect grand competition was about to continue.

Today, they would select the top ten finalists and determine who would represent them in the Gengzi Grand Competition.

Everyone knew the procedure for the sect grand competition.

Strength reigns supreme.

However, when Xiao Yang saw Jiang Ting standing on the Sword Comparison Platform again, his pupils constricted in disbelief.

“How is this possible…”

Xiao Yang stared incredulously at Jiang Ting on the platform.

It had only been one night.

Jiang Ting had actually broken through to the Heavenly Martial Realm?

How is that possible?

Even with the aid of the Water Spirit Pill, she couldn’t have possibly broken through to the Heavenly Martial Realm in such a short time.

What on earth happened last night?

He got drunk, and he was in the Saint Son’s Residence.

The Saint Son’s Residence was protected by an array, which prevented sensing the changes in the spiritual energy of the outside world.

At this moment, Jiang Ting stood quietly on the Sword Comparison Platform, her entire being resonating with a vast Water Spirit Sword Qi, cloaked in a shimmering blue sword light.

A powerful Heavenly Martial aura radiated from her.

Everyone around was utterly shocked.