Chapter 277: Self-Directing, Self-Acting ‘Hero Saves the Beauty’ Show; Who Do You Think You Are?
As the words sounded, purple mist surged forth like a vast galaxy.
Everyone bore witness as a purple palm manifested, a heaven-lifting hand that covered all, pressing down with the terrifying rules of the Sacred Realm, like a deity’s might.
It suddenly struck forth, looking to crush all in its path!
Secret methods, supernatural powers, hidden treasures… under this single palm strike, they were reduced to dust and dissipated in an instant, unable to resist a breath of its Qi.
A terrifying sight!
Puff!
“Not good…”
“It’s Ziyang Tianjun, why is he here?”
The expressions of Song Fan and the others suddenly changed, unable to believe the events that had just transpired.
Suffering a direct hit from the palm, Song Fan spurted out a mouthful of blood, flying backwards, knocking down numerous buildings along the way.
His expression changed drastically, slowly twisting into the epitome of dread, as if he had encountered some sort of monstrous existence.
Both voice and body trembled uncontrollably.
The next moment, the giant palm continued to fall, causing them to scream and vomit blood again, leaving them utterly humiliated.
The aftermath of this collision was a brutal explosion that disintegrated many ancient trees, splitting the earth and forming a web of cracks throughout the entire region.
Mountains crumbled and grand structures fell to ruin.
This scene left the wayward Gu Xian’er immensely stunned. But she didn’t feel any sympathy for Song Fan and the others, not caring a bit about what happened to them.
“If I hadn’t just happened to be passing by, then I’m afraid I would’ve never borne witness to such a scene. Senior disciples bullying a junior…”
“You have blatantly disregarded the rules of the True Immortal Academy, embarrassing our disciples, and spitting on the image of this sacred place.”
Alongside the words was an intense fluctuation that shook the surrounding space.
The man dressed in purple flowing robes emerged from thin air, divine Qi entwining with his every step.
Tall and handsome, with a regal third eye between his brows, adding to his oppressive demeanour.
It was none other than Ziyang Tianjun!
At this moment, his gaze alone chilled them to their core. He frowned, staring at Song Fan and the others who were coughing up blood, and spoke coldly, “There should not be a second time.”
“The identity of a True Immortal Academy disciple is not for you to bully the weak with.”
“W-we don’t dare, don’t dare. We don’t dare anymore…”
“Please Ziyang Tianjun, please spare our lives!”
“Ziyang Tianjun, please forgive us. We were misguided, and we dare not bully others, never dare to bully the weak again…”
Song Fan and the others were ashamed and quickly begged him.
At this moment, their prior strength and arrogance were no more, and the expression on their faces was more akin to a deer caught in the jaws of a massive tiger.
For the man in front of them was no ordinary person, but a frightening existence which stood at the top.
“Good to know.”
Ziyang Tianjun nodded, as if he was satisfied with this, before turning around and yelling coldly, “Are you not going to hurry up and apologize to this junior sister?!”
He looked over towards Gu Xian’er.
“Is this junior sister alright?” The regal man asked with a natural expression, a senior’s concern for a junior seemingly written all over his face.
“I’m fine.”
Gu Xian’er shook her head, her expression relaxing as she glanced at the purple-robed man in front of her, still harbouring some doubts in her mind.
Ziyang Tianjun?
This name was somewhat familiar.
She seemed to have heard of it before she arrived at the True Immortal Academy.
A very powerful Ancient Freak, and one of the Academy’s ranked existences at that.
“Having said that, I don’t need your help in this matter. I will be fine on my own.”
Gu Xian’er responded. Today was a strange day, in an almost inexplicable manner at that.
Ziyang Tianjun seemed a little taken aback when he heard this.
However, in his heart, he had long expected such a response. That proud temperament of hers…
It was the same as always.
Then, the man smiled slightly, “Then it would appear that my intervention was unnecessary. Seeing junior sister’s confidence, I am certain that you must have had some countermeasure prepared.”
“This one is named Ziyang, the heir of the Purple Palace, known as Ziyang Tianjun. Might I know how I should address this junior sister? With such strength, you must surely be someone of note.”
He’d asked her so casually that none would ever suspect anything out of place.
Hearing this, Gu Xian’er was slightly taken aback, a hint of confusion in her eyes, as she restrained herself.
It was there again, that odd, inexplicable feeling.
One shouldn’t hit a person who smiled, let alone one that aided her. It wasn’t so strange for a man to rush to a lady’s rescue when the lady in question is being harassed by idiots like these.
However, it was simply too perfect.
Noticing her lack of a response, Ziyang Tianjun refrained from pushing further, an indifferent and calm smile still plastered on his face.
He turned back to Song Fan and the others, who trembled as they knelt on the ground, and spoke lightly:
“It seems I have instead helped the perpetrators today. I’m afraid you would’ve had more fun had I not decided to pass by. The strength of this Junior Sister is not something the likes of you lot can challenge…”
“Fools who do not know life from death.”
Song Fan and the others shivered once more, before speaking in unison.
“Many thanks for your grace, Ziyang Tianjun! We will never dare do so again!”
They had been scared completely out of their wits.
Hearing Ziyang Tianjun’s words, Gu Xian’er was taken aback again, her brows furrowing even tighter.
Did Ziyang Tianjun have such a temperament? What was his purpose in doing this?
She never expected this Ancient Freak to spout something so unrealistic, let alone be this optimistic about her circumstances. Was he trying to calm her by faking it?
Or had he seen through her tricks?
Before this, the only rumours about Ziyang Tianjun that Gu Xian’er knew was that he was seemingly the number one character in the Upper World, capable of overwhelming all the talents in the realm, wielding a strength unmatched by any within his generation.
But the two had never met face to face before.
Thus, although she felt that Ziyang Tianjun’s ‘passing by’ was a little too coincidental, Gu Xian’er thought it best to not think too deeply about the matter.
An Ancient Freak specifically waiting for her to appear here?
In the first place, was she even important enough to warrant such treatment?
“Don’t rush an apology. And your apology shouldn’t be directed at me either.”
Ziyang Tianjun snorted again, very dissatisfied.
When Song Fan and the others heard Ziyang Tianjun’s words, their faces turned ghostly pale, and they hurriedly apologized to Gu Xian’er. They wanted to leave as soon as possible.
She frowned but soon dropped the matter.
She wasn’t the type to bite and refuse to let go. The offending party had been grievously injured, they’d apologized, and they’d paid their dues.
Overall, she could hardly find a way to extort more from them.
“Then I will conclude this matter here. You lot should leave, lest you become eyesores…”
Seeing this, Ziyang Tianjun nodded in satisfaction and waved for Song Fan and the others to scram.
The heroic path arranged today, although old-fashioned…
Would work well enough for the first meeting between him and Gu Xian’er in this life.
He was quite satisfied with it.
Only in this way would he appear both reasonable and natural, making a good impression.
Moreover, only a few people knew that Song Fan was actually his follower, so he was confident that this little ‘charade’ of theirs would not be discovered by Gu Xian’er.
Song Fan and the others breathed a sigh of relief as they heard that.
But just as they were about to leave—
“Halt.”
A faint voice crackled throughout the void, echoing all around them.
And between the emptiness of space, a ripple of fluctuating Qi ignited in a wave, revealing a white-robed man with an indifferent expression, stepping through in an instant.
“I don’t believe this Gu has given you his leave just yet.”
Gu Changge’s imposing figure appeared on the horizon.
His voice, as always, didn’t shift much… however, those present would sense an ominous undertone.
Like the calm before the storm.
The scholarly man didn’t even spare a glance for Gu Xian’er. She looked at him with surprise, as her beautiful eyes glittered with shock. In contrast, his own were staring down at Song Fan and the others kneeling below.
His own eyes reflected only the darkness of the abyss.
Wang Zhongyong at the mountain gate had actually notified him the moment Gu Xian’er arrived.
Gu Changge was just too lazy to go on a fetch quest… but considering this girl’s personality, if he didn’t go, she would probably do something drastic to provoke him into going.
When he finally went, he ended up seeing this instead.
Ziyang Tianjun… must’ve grown tired of living.
Self-directing and self-acting in a classic scene of a daring hero rescuing the damsel in distress. Seeing that this hot-blooded idiot cousin of his didn’t react just yet probably meant that she hadn’t pieced it together already.
Those old monsters were simply teaching a donut.
[PR/N: WHAT ARE YOU?! AN IDIOT SANDWICH-]
Even he was starting to get a little annoyed.
Gu Changge wanted to knock open her skull and see exactly what was growing inside. Brain or grass?
However, this did lead to an interesting discovery: Ziyang Tianjun. He had never paid the Heir of the Purple Palace any attention before, but now that he observed him personally, Gu Changge was able to discern an oddity within him.
He was a man of great luck, even possessing the faint feeling akin to that of a Favoured Son of Heaven.
“Gu Changge…”
At the same time, Ziyang Tianjun’s expression changed slightly. In his gut, he felt that something had gone wrong, as if things had suddenly spiralled beyond his control.
But on the surface, he only seemed a little surprised, not expecting Gu Changge’s arrival here.
“Young Master Changge, why have you come here?”
He asked blatantly, as if he didn’t understand the relationship between Gu Xian’er and Gu Changge.
“Gu Changge…”
The surprised expression on Gu Xian’er’s face lasted for merely a moment more, before returning to a chilling glare, as she snorted coldly, “What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be coming to pick me up?”
Nevertheless, Gu Changge continued to ignore the tsundere, his unblinking gaze not moving an inch from Song Fan and the rest, an eerie smile crawling onto his indifferent features.
As for the fools subjected to this deathly stare?
The moment Gu Changge appeared, their faces had turned white and lost all blood.
If their expressions of fear from earlier were fake, then their expressions now were true, genuine fear.
Their very souls shuddered at this development.
Under Gu Changge’s watchful eye, they felt as though their spirits had frozen over, held in a vice grip by an unrelenting terror. A puny ant in front of a god.
The fear that Gu Changge brought upon them had easily surpassed their fear of any other individual! They subconsciously wished that they could gaze in Ziyang Tianjun’s direction, but they didn’t dare to do that either.
Such an action would be tantamount to exposing Ziyang Tianjun’s entire plan.
And the consequences would be equally dire.
Abruptly, Gu Changge spoke again, asking them in a light tone, “Do you recognize this Gu?”
His distinct lack of any visible emotion terrified the living hell out of Song Fan and the others.
“Recognize… we recognize…”
They felt their scalps go numb as they replied, their skulls about to be lifted off by the sheer amount of chills storming about, their whole bodies cold and clammy, fearful to the extreme.
In the whole of the True Immortal Academy, who wouldn’t know Gu Changge?
“Good to know.”
Gu Changge nodded, his tone still casual as ever, “Do you recognize her, then?”
He pointed to Gu Xian’er, the latter of which continued to stare at him.
And the expressions of Song Fan and the others dropped faster than a boulder off a cliff. It was sheer hopelessness now, no longer just fear.
“N-now we recognize…”
They decided to bite the bullet anyway.
“Hm. Well, it’s not too late to recognize her now.”
Gu Changge continued, walking over to pat Song Fan on the shoulder “However, this Gu remembers quite clearly what I have once said before.”
“No one in this world can bully Gu Xian’er except me.”
“So…” The scholarly man smiled, “How do you all want to die today?”
His stone-cold voice showed no chance for negotiation.
Upon hearing his words, Song Fan and the others became dead silent, as their souls became fully immersed in despair.
The death in Gu Changge’s mouth, was no mere joke.
For a moment, everyone trembled with mortal dread, their sentences fumbled and incomplete. They almost cried and pissed themselves on the spot!
“Young Master Changge, please spare me! Before this, we didn’t even know she was your sister!”
“Yes! Young Master Changge, spare our lives! We won’t dare anymore, please spare our lives! This is all a grave misunderstanding!”
“If we knew, even if you gave us ten thousand tiger guts, we would never dare to do this…”
Panicking, Song Fan pleaded helplessly, slamming his head into the ground as he kowtowed.
“Gu Changge, you are too much! What do you mean only you can bully me…”
Gu Xian’er was so dissatisfied with his actions that she almost hit him herself.
But she also knew that this was Gu Changge venting her anger for her, for encountering this kind of thing the moment she first entered the Mountain Gate.
She was still holding back a sense of gloom after their so-called apology.
Of course, the death that Gu Changge mentioned was a bit too radical in her opinion. After all, such a crime wasn’t enough to warrant death.
Alas, such was Gu Changge’s temperament, leaving her as moved as she was helpless.
Of course, it’s not like most people would object to Gu Changge’s ‘concern.’
“Young Master Changge, isn’t this punishment too much? Although they spoke harshly, they didn’t cause any harm to Miss Xian’er. A true gentleman should not punish those who did not know. This was before they realized Miss Xian’er was your sister, so will you not be lenient?”
At this time, Ziyang Tianjun had no choice but to speak, frowning as he tried to persuade him.
Gu Changge’s ruthless personality made him a little helpless.
That man was truly a demon… one that would kill people at every turn.
He never expected that things would develop to this point.
As soon as Gu Changge appeared, he immediately broke all his plans, dashing all his expectations.
However, Ziyang Tianjun still felt that Gu Changge would give him some face.
After all, they are both Rankers, and he has already pleaded for their mercy.
“The punishment is too harsh?”
When Gu Changge heard this laughable sentiment, he just raised his eyebrows slightly.
“I, for one, think that letting them die so easily like this… is rather cheap karmic retribution. Xian’er, though dull, is not a person just anyone can plot against and survive.”
“If you dare to plot against her, you will have to pay the due price.”
“In my opinion, the sum of them is not as good as one hair of this stupid girl.”
“The people in my family, let alone my own sister… do you really think that I would let any random cat or dog bully her?”
Gu Xian’er was stunned, eyeing Gu Changge with suspicion. She’d suffered under some plot? Could it be that all of this was directed and acted by Ziyang Tianjun himself?
For what reason?
But soon, she realized Gu Changge’s next sentence, and felt her head buzz, burning blank again.
Her complexion reddened visibly.
‘Ugh. This snake! Why did he say such a thing all of a sudden?’
‘What ‘no one can compare to a single hair of hers’? Gross!’
Gu Changge had levelled up on her list of annoyances.
“Young Master Changge, won’t you kindly spare me some face? I assure you, they will surely give Miss Xian’er a satisfactory apology for today’s incident. We’re all disciples of True Immortal Academy in the end… there is no need to go so far—”
Seeing Gu Xian’er’s expression, Ziyang Tianjun’s face was a little gloomy for a moment, but he quickly recovered, smiling awkwardly as he tried to placate the rampaging demon.
Unfortunately, Gu Changge was never one to relent.
“For your face? Hmph, who do you think you are?”
Before Ziyang Tianjun even finished speaking, Gu Changge interrupted loudly, snubbing him before he could get another word out.
Gu Changge’s expression was as indifferent as ever, without any disturbance.
“If I give you face, would you dare receive it?”
Buzz!
Hearing this, the place suddenly fell into a pinprick silence, where no one dared even breathe.
Song Fan and the others’ astonishment had grown to such extremes that they were forcibly shaken from their terror.
But as soon as Gu Changge finished speaking, he made a sudden move, decisive and powerful.
Accompanied by multi-coloured divine light, a palm came down from the air, surging with immortal energy, as if a world-destroying grinding disc had descended, just like Ziyang Tianjun’s move earlier.
The monstrous Qi made people’s skin explode, and their souls shatter.
“Gu Changge, you…!”
Ziyang Tianjun’s expression turned extremely gloomy, his fists clenching tightly.
Such wanton disrespect! He didn’t think that Gu Changge would disregard him entirely!
Moreover, he went even further, moving to strike down his followers right in front of him!
Ziyang Tianjun was on the verge of exploding.
Yet he continued to endure…
“Ziyang Tianjun save me…”
“We don’t want to die!”
Facing this giant palm that covers the sky, Song Fan and others were desperate to the extreme, their souls were about to burst, wishing to resist in any way they could.
Nonetheless, they were suppressed by his aura and couldn’t even move.
“No! All of this was arranged by Ziyang Tianjun! It has nothing to do with us!”
Seeing that Ziyang Tianjun didn’t make a move, their last strand of sanity snapped alongside a fading hope. They at least wanted to tell the truth with their last breath.
“You! What are you talking about?!”
“I was kind enough to save you mongrels…!”
Ziyang Tianjun’s expression also changed slightly, before morphing into indifference, “How dare you pour dirty water on me at this time.”
Pfft!
However, Gu Changge didn’t give Song Fan and the others a chance to talk too much, knowing that Ziyang Tianjun had already disregarded their life and death. There was no way he’d admit anything.
When the palm finally fell, Song Fan and the others collapsed and exploded into blood mist.
Crimson red rain drifted away, their bodies and spirits wiped out together, blown in the wind.
The area had become quiet as a mouse.
