**Chapter 222: The Su Sisters**
Since then, Su Xiaoxiao seemed to have changed a bit.
It was as if she had undergone a complete metamorphosis, becoming more ambitious and cheerful, throwing herself into her studies and daily life with gusto, no longer wallowing in self-pity.
The once shy and introverted girl had quietly tucked that side of herself away.
It seemed she had finally found a path, and she had the drive to keep moving forward.
In the blink of an eye, a month of hard training and studying brought about the moment of truth—the academy’s regular assessment had arrived right on schedule.
Inside the academy, all disciples were geared up and ready to go, their faces reflecting a mix of nervousness and excitement.
As the assessment officially began, every disciple showcased an unprecedented level of excellence, their hard work and sweat shining through at that moment.
Finally, the exhilarating news came in: every single disciple had passed the assessment without exception!
Wang Hao, the educator, expressed his surprise and astonishment. While he might have known some underlying secrets, he still wore his joyful and sincere smile, offering every disciple his heartfelt congratulations.
“In my many years at the Xuantian Sect, this is the first time I’ve seen everyone pass the assessment.”
“Congratulations, you are all exceptional disciples, and I am proud of you.”
“I will petition the sect for rewards, and I hope you all maintain this momentum, striving for everyone to become Inner Gate Disciple!”
With everyone passing, an unprecedented event occurred, and the higher-ups of the sect showed their generosity without hesitation, deciding to reward each successful student with a thousand spirit stones!
And as a representative, Yun Zhonghe received a whopping ten thousand spirit stones!
Despite still being embroiled in a brawl and having offended seniors, Master Qin was still willing to reward Yun Zhonghe, risking it all.
As he said, one thing at a time. Yun Zhonghe had promoted camaraderie among students, which was commendable and deserving of a reward. As for the brawling and offending accusations, the Law Enforcement Hall would conduct a “fair” and “rigorous” investigation, and once the truth came to light, they would handle it according to rules, showing no favoritism and not wrongly accusing anyone.
The sect even publicly praised the camaraderie and mutual assistance among the new disciples, stating that these were the virtues a cultivator should uphold.
The road of cultivation is long and grueling; the spirit of unity and helping one another is far more important than individual gains and losses. Only with a heart full of love can one travel farther and steadier on this path.
With this dual reward of material and spiritual support, the sense of unity in the academy grew stronger, and no one thought the Master was being biased. Instead, countless new disciples praised the Master for his open-mindedness.
After all, anyone who could sit in the Master’s seat had to be a clever person who knew how to create momentum.
A thousand spirit stones were quite a fortune for the new disciples.
That’s enough for loads of Foundation Establishment Pills!
However, as Su Xiaoxiao held the warm and freshly awarded spirit stones, her thoughts did not revolve around her own cultivation growth.
The first person who entered her mind was Yun Zhonghe.
She had never given anything to him before.
“He has been so good to me; shouldn’t I do something to express my gratitude?”
Su Xiaoxiao pondered thoughtfully, a gentle yet slightly guilty expression blooming on her face.
“What would Brother Yun like?”
Realizing how limited her understanding of Yun Zhonghe was, she felt even more guilty, not even knowing his preferences.
“Maybe Sister Zhongyu knows, and… I could also ask Sister Jixue.”
Su Xiaoxiao decided to find a time to ask them about Yun Zhonghe’s likes to pick an appropriate gift.
(Sob, Mu Jixue.jpg)
Speaking of which, it had been quite a while since she interacted with her two sisters. Since each got busy with their cultivation, the three of them had indeed lost touch. She wondered how they were doing.
Thinking this, Su Xiaoxiao made a bold decision to use her communication jade pendant to invite them for a reunion.
In the past, she would never have done this; it was like asking her to k*ll a dragon!
But this time, she mustered up the courage, despite feeling tense and conflicted inside. Ultimately, she bravely infused her spiritual energy into the communication jade and sent a spirit message to her two sisters.
Before long, both of the long-absent main characters responded affirmatively.
Su Xiaoxiao was overjoyed, as if she had invisible hamster ears bouncing happily on her head.
……
In contrast to Su Xiaoxiao’s blossoming smile and the sense of normalcy returning to her life, Meng Yao’s mindset twisted further, as if darkness was gradually swallowing him whole.
He hated that, and the resentment burned in him like a wild fire, unstoppable.
The names Yun Zhonghe and Su Xiaoxiao had become an eternal pain in his heart, for they were the ones who had made him endure unprecedented humiliation, reducing him to the laughingstock of the entire Xuantian Sect.
This humiliation was almost destroying the last shred of his rationality.
“If I don’t take revenge, I swear I won’t be human!”
Meng Yao repeated this in his mind countless times, the hatred coiling around his heart like a venomous snake, robbing him of sleep and appetite.
He wanted to trample Yun Zhonghe beneath his feet, to see the once proud face now filled with fear; he wanted to torment Su Xiaoxiao till she was unrecognizable, making her pay for her previous disdain!
Now was fantasy time!
However, just as he was caught up in the most intense and satisfying of fantasies, an abrupt knock on the door ruthlessly shattered his dream, dragging him back to the cold, hard reality.
“Who is it?!” Meng Yao’s voice was laced with annoyance and wariness.
Feeling like a wounded beast hiding in his lair, he had been avoiding contact with the outside world, scared of being hurt even a little. So this unexpected visitor made him uneasy.
Today, someone suddenly dared to visit; Meng Yao couldn’t help but be on guard.
But the visitor outside clearly didn’t give him much time to think. With a “creak,” the door was rudely pushed open, and three sharply dressed yet cold-faced men strode in.
“Who are you?!”
Meng Yao shouted in terror, trying to stand up, but it was already too late.
The three men moved swiftly and powerfully, almost in the blink of an eye, pinning him firmly to the floor, his head pressed hard against the cold ground.
“What do you want?! This is the Xuantian Sect… you, you…”
Meng Yao struggled desperately, but it was futile. The strength of these three men far surpassed his own; he was like a tiny chick caught by an eagle, unable to fight back.
At that moment, a petite yet upright figure strolled into the room, her steps imbued with a calmness and confidence that belied her age.
She stood before the three men restraining Meng Yao, looking down at the pitiful sight of Meng Yao, her bright eyes flickering with complex emotions.
“Su… Xiaoxiao?!” Meng Yao’s voice turned high-pitched with fear, but he quickly shook his head, denying his judgment.
No, the person in front of him bore an almost identical visage to Su Xiaoxiao, but her figure was entirely different, like a shrunken version of her.
Flat-chested and short-legged…
“Ah!”
“It seems you were thinking something rather rude, weren’t you~”
The girl, resembling Su Xiaoxiao, stomped her high-heeled shoe on Meng Yao’s face, her smile highlighting her mockery.
Meng Yao’s eyes widened in horror, locking onto her with sheer terror.
“Su… Xinghe?!”
“Oh? You recognize me?” Little Su Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow with a cold snort, “That makes things easier. You know why I’m here, right?”
Su Xinghe, the next head of the Su family from Wang Gu City!
The name Su Xinghe was not unfamiliar in the cultivation realm. She was the hope of the Su family from Wang Gu City, a girl with astounding talent and intelligence.
Though the Su family in Wang Gu City and the Su family in Suzhou City stemmed from the same lineage in ancient times, they had gradually split into two distinctly different families over time.
However, after the head of the Su family in Suzhou City mysteriously died, the Wang Gu City branch began to stir; they used various means to gradually infiltrate and absorb the Su family in Suzhou City, rapidly expanding their power, becoming one of the prominent aristocratic families in the cultivation world today.
But this process was rife with controversy and underhanded tactics.
To smooth the merging, the Wang Gu City branch had taken their best second daughter, claiming she would be the heir, thus completing the unification of the two families.
Meanwhile, the eldest daughter left in Suzhou City, forever plagued by misfortune, became a pawn forgotten in this power game, receiving only meager resources each month, left to fend for herself in the currents of fate.
These two bl**d-related sisters had walked increasingly different paths, twisted by the hands of destiny and disparities in status.
Their life trajectories were like two parallel lines that could never intersect again.
Since Su Xinghe was taken by the Su family in Wang Gu City, she had completely lost contact with Su Xiaoxiao.
As the years went by, Su Xinghe rose steadily in the Wang Gu city branch, enjoying abundant resources and superior cultivation conditions, gradually maturing into a powerful cultivator.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoxiao struggled persistently in Suzhou City, every step she took was fraught with difficulty as she faced not only bottlenecks in her cultivation but also the coldness and discrimination from society.
Su Xinghe and Su Xiaoxiao had become estranged for a long time; since Su Xinghe left, she had never inquired about Su Xiaoxiao’s situation, and the two sisters had not seen each other since.
Su Xinghe was now an Inner Gate Disciple in the Xuantian Sect, while Su Xiaoxiao had just entered the Outer Gate; their paths wouldn’t cross and would never cross again.
Even in the original story, Su Xinghe never truly appeared; she was merely mentioned occasionally by Su Xiaoxiao as a relative who once existed in her life, a distant shadow.
That was all.
However, this time, fate’s gears had quietly shifted, and Su Xinghe had personally come knocking.
Su Xiaoxiao was already recognized as the abandoned child of the Su family in Suzhou City; for years, she had endured countless bullying and disdain, yet she had never seen her family stand up for her.
Thus, Meng Yao was greatly surprised by Su Xinghe’s sudden visit.
He didn’t understand why the lofty little princess of the Su family would suddenly take an interest in Su Xiaoxiao.
But Meng Yao dared not say much. To the Meng family, the Su family in Wang Gu City was a towering giant, and the Meng family was like ants in comparison.
Meng Yao didn’t think he had angered this legendary Su family princess in any way.
“Miss Su, please let me explain; there must be some misunderstanding.”
Meng Yao’s voice trembled slightly as he tried to defend himself, but the lack of conviction in his tone was evident.
“A misunderstanding? You say it’s a misunderstanding? Those who have insulted the Su family, even that waste, are not someone from the Meng family who can casually offend!”
Su Xinghe reprimanded, her face darkening alarmingly, her eyes flashing with cold light!
Though she didn’t give an order, the three big men understood. Their eyes sharpened, and their fists began to rain down on Meng Yao’s face like a hailstorm.
“Ah! Ahhhh! Don’t hit my face!!!”
Meng Yao felt like he was about to be sick.
Why did these guys always have to hit his handsome face? It was about to become a complete mess!
