ASER - Chapter 149
Chapter 149: A Night of Spring Breeze
You might say, those people from the northern and southern coastal regions, who quickly cowered and became timid after being thrashed—was it because they lacked backbone?
No, it was because they realized A'Diao's combat strength had reached their current ceiling; they simply couldn't overcome her. That's why they quickly admitted defeat to ensure their safety.
But Baili Xianyun and her group were different. They had strength, aptitude, and formidable backgrounds, with room for their future potential to grow. They never considered conceding to A'Diao. Even now, after being messed with twice, almost stripped bare, they remained arrogant to the core. Nangong Zhuolie even roared, "It's over, very good! Chen Adiao, you'd better pray these trashy barnacles can last a bit longer, or you're dead!!!"
Such a declaration of fury was quite intimidating. At the very least, Lian Tingbi and others from the northern coast felt some apprehension, subconsciously wanting to make a swift retreat. But they weren't fools; they knew the scrolls they had eagerly bought with money had essentially come from the pockets of Nangong Zhuolie and his group.
Most importantly... they had fought in Zone 13.
That meant they had offended them to the point of no return. If they had already offended one side and still tried to play it safe by not offending either, that would be rather contemptible, and they would end up being hammered by both.
So, Lian Tingbi and his group were also cunning. They wanted to observe A'Diao's reaction, to see if she was still as dominant, and if another fight broke out, whether she had some trump card. Otherwise, why would she be so arrogant as to provoke and offend so many family factions?
The Baili and Nangong families alone were formidable enough, not to mention Hu Zhegu.
This wasn't a normal competition tactic at all; it was completely... lacking in basic decency.
They observed, and indeed, they observed something.
A'Diao paused for a moment, glanced at them, and tentatively asked, "Then should I kneel and beg for mercy?"
Huh?
Baili Xianyun and the others didn't react in time.
A'Diao: "I was just saying it casually, did you actually believe me?"
Then she turned around, stepped onto her flight device, and flew off.
Flew... away.
Only then did everyone realize the barnacles were still there, and their attack range had expanded.
Lian Tingbi and his group were also surrounded.
What the hell?
And these barnacles began to... have explosive diarrhea.
Damn it!!!
At this moment, a voice came from the sky: "The exam is over. All examinees, leave the premises. If you do not leave within ten minutes, you will bear the consequences!"
Everyone: "!!!"
Wait, Chen Adiao, come back, come back!
Ah~~~~!
Chen Adiao, I will never rest until I avenge this grievance against you!
In the audience stands, the spectators, who had spent the whole day passing time by eating various snacks while watching the competition, had thought they could finally calm their surging emotions tonight, have a good sleep in their hotel, then have some fun and wait for the next, even more exciting exam. The result was truly unexpected.
Lushan Academy's AI was truly sentient, it even enlarged the screen.
Two thousand people were stunned as they were... 'shat on' by the remaining thirty million plus barnacles...
"..."
Bleargh!!!
In Zone 13, Xu Ye shuttled back and forth between several zones to get scrolls. She encountered some opponents along the way, but since she had the means to escape A'Diao's curse, she naturally had ways to deal with people far stronger than herself. She generally avoided escalating into intense battles, retreating if she predicted a tough fight.
However, she had fought two late-stage Transcendent Realm cultivators and won, seizing many scrolls from their hands.
Her score was solid, generally not taking any shortcuts, but those who paid attention to her noticed her timing was excellent.
Qu Lianzhou and his group went around causing trouble, coveting the huge profits from plunder, but for someone like Xu Ye, who disliked being tied to others, such things didn't suit her. Besides, she was also avoiding A'Diao.
After all, she had known since childhood how cunning this person was.
Such a young child, she never lost at chess, but she always lost to Chen Xun.
Why?
Because even at such a young age, she understood the rules of a traditional family like the Chens—girls couldn't be more outstanding than boys, at least not in front of Chen Ran or some outsiders.
But Chen Xun was very smart and had known this for a long time. He initially didn't want to play, but then realized there were no other activities he could do with his younger sister, so the two of them competed to see who could lose, and each game ended in a mess.
Xu Ye thought at the time, their family really shouldn't have been like this. Why did it have to be this way?
Yes, why bother.
Now, there was no need to hold grudges against Chen Ran, but the past could not be retrieved, and past wishes could not be fulfilled.
The exam ended, the barriers disappeared. As Xu Ye flew up, she saw Song Ling flying out from Zone 9. They made eye contact; Song Ling nodded slightly, polite and reserved. Xu Ye also responded faintly, and then they each flew out of the examination area.
Both of their thoughts and emotions were quite refined, and the way they flew out exuded different styles of beauty. But at the same time, they both saw the scene displayed on the giant public screen in the square.
Not just the two of them, basically most of the examinees, even those in the top ten or top twenty...
All saw this scene.
Mental Power... a small wave was generated.
Because their minds were too resolute, it was only a small wave. But inexplicably opening a loophole for some prodigies was a bit strange.
A'Diao: "Huh?"
But Song Ling and Xu Ye, with complex feelings, hadn't even flown to their families when they saw a certain perpetrator exit the examination area and head straight for...
"Brother Ritian, help! Heavens, someone wants to kill me!"
A'Diao shouted while running and making a call.
"Ask my Brother Xiao? Oh, okay, okay."
Then she nimbly vaulted over the railing, her movements more practiced than a flower-picking thief with twenty years of experience, and directly hid behind Xiao Mieluo and Xiao Jin, especially behind Xiao Jin.
"Brother Xiao, Sister Xiao, Brother Ritian asked you to protect me."
Xiao Jin: "?"
You... have the nerve to ask a cripple like me to protect you?
And I'm being used as a human shield. What kind of look are your second sister and best friend giving me?
Thinking I'm not worthy?
Xiao Mieluo: "..."
Six eyes met.
A'Diao sent a private message: "I know you've seen through my identity. After all, you gave me the ancient stele."
They sent Mental Power too frequently; these two seemed to have come specifically to see her.
It was clear they had seen through her identity.
Xiao Jin replied privately: "So you think we're in the same boat?"
A'Diao misheard and instinctively paused: "What bed?"
She was just trying to cling to a powerful backer and freeload off a team's influence. How did it escalate to sharing a bed? Was the price that high?
That would cost extra.
Xiao Jin: "?"
Very good, Zhao Chen A'Ri Diao Tian, you are truly something.
As expected of someone who has flirted with Princess Yongjia, flirting with me is nothing to you.
Xiao Jin had a good temper and said to Xiao Mieluo with a smile, "Big Brother, protect us."
Xiao Mieluo looked at the two drama queens, one big and one small, utterly speechless. Nevertheless, he turned to look at Baili Xianyun and her group, who looked disheveled after fighting their way out of Zone 11.
Baili Xianyun and her group were furious now, holding in immense anger, their killing intent fierce. They didn't care about Xiao Mieluo and looked ready to charge and see if he was an iron plate.
The situation between the two sides was clear and attracted a lot of attention. Jiang Zhou and the other principals summoned their weapons without a word.
Suddenly.
"A'Yun."
A gentle and amiable voice was heard. Baili Xianyun immediately stopped, somewhat unwillingly.
But an elegant young man in a white robe with silver embroidered patterns was very polite. He raised his hand and bowed to Xiao Mieluo and Xiao Jin, "Greetings, Senior Xiao, Senior Sister Xiao."
So, Xiao Mieluo and Xiao Jin had also studied at Kyoto Academy before.
Xiao Mieluo knew who this person was. The other party was impeccably polite. People in high positions couldn't be bothered to argue with a little girl, especially since Lushan Academy personnel had come out.
Xiao Mieluo nodded slightly, and the situation was considered resolved. No matter how unwilling Baili Xianyun was, she understood the meaning behind the gazes of the Lushan Academy teachers.
Everyone immediately ceased hostilities, but their glares could have devoured A'Diao.
"Look how you've scared this ordinary little girl, making her use a disabled person as a human shield." Xiao Jin reached out and gently pinched A'Diao's face, pulling at her cheek.
"Little sister, don't be afraid. If they attack, just push me out."
A'Diao: Damn it! You drama queen who can hang with late-stage Glimmer Realm cultivators and come out unscathed, what are you pretending for!
"Auntie, I wouldn't do that. I'd probably faint from fright on the spot."
"..."
From 'sister' to 'auntie' in an instant.
The two exchanged cold smiles, but to others, it looked like a scene full of tender affection. Xiao Du even thought he had gained a younger sister.
Please no. Having such a brutal older brother and an insidious second sister was already overwhelming. Adding a two-in-one deep-sea clam spirit little sister...
Xiao Du suddenly felt his vision go dark.
Oh, it really did go dark for a moment because the light of the ranking list flickered.
It had updated, finalizing the overall rankings and group rankings.
How could the 20,000 examinees still care about the grudges and feuds in the examination hall? Everyone was focused on it.
Actually, they somewhat knew their rankings before, but seeing it truly finalized, they still felt a sense of... it's finally over.
At this time, the Lushan Academy personnel also made an announcement.
"In this assessment, those with 500 points or more will remain. The rest are eliminated."
By this calculation, 20,000 people became 13,000.
Compared to the preliminary exam where numbers were halved, this result was actually much better.
But... it was also quite terrifying, because it meant the world of knowledge systems within Tang Song Nation was super competitive.
Among the three kingdoms, Tang Song had always emphasized science and education.
And the difference between the first place's 20,000 points and the last place's 500 was worlds apart.
"And the ranking rewards will be distributed according to tiers: first place, second place, third place, 4th-10th, 11th-30th, 31st-100th, and so on. They will be sent out sequentially. In one hour, after all examinees have returned to their residences, you will receive them."
This was the main point!
Wasn't all this desperate effort for this?
"The difference in rankings is huge. Given Lushan Academy's generosity, the higher the rank, the more terrifying the benefits will likely be."
"But it's finally over. This trip was not in vain."
Everyone was discussing, also mentioning the prodigies they had witnessed today. Among them, the name Chen Adiao was mentioned frequently.
Is it over?
While everyone else was feeling heavy-hearted or relieved, A'Diao casually bid farewell to her family.
She was very casual, and Madam Xu and the others didn't mind her casualness.
Xie Yuqing: "Alright, my Diaodiao, go home tonight and sleep early. Don't stay up late. You're amazing!"
A'Diao was very unaccustomed to this and replied, "Why are your eyes swollen?"
Xie Yuqing: "The sweet melon Madam gave me to eat actually tasted like onions. But she didn't know about it either. Plus, although my eyes are swollen, I haven't become ugly, so I've forgiven her. Adiao, you mustn't blame her either, okay?"
First Madam Xu Zhaoyin, who had spent 6 out of 12 hours a day comforting the peerless beauty of a concubine who cried incessantly with various 'ying ying ying' sounds while not forgetting to consume all sorts of beauty and health supplements: "?"
Xu Ye: "..."
Although she had seen it since childhood, every time she witnessed this scene, she found it breathtaking.
Honestly, with Mistress Xie's personality, if not for her appearance, she wouldn't have survived a single episode in a grand household before being beaten to death with a rod by the First Madam or the Old Madam.
In a way, this mother and daughter pair truly shared the same bloodline.
Under the watchful eyes of the Chen family, A'Diao, Xu Ye, and the others returned to their group, preparing to go back to Heaven on Earth.
But along the way... their 'salted fish' zone received enormous attention. Even those imperial kinsmen looked at them with burning gazes.
However, due to their status and position, they temporarily disdained to approach them.
This Chen Adiao was too despicable, completely lacking the air of a strong cultivator, yet her skill in controlling the barnacle swarm was truly suspicious and enticing.
It seemed some behind-the-scenes methods would be needed.
But this still made the people from the ten southern and northern prefectures very uneasy. Those from the north wanted to stay far away from A'Diao, but thinking of how terrifying she was, plus the experience of being covered in countless barnacle droppings... they didn't dare. So they silently huddled with the southern group—no, wait, with the Danzhou people.
The Danzhou people: "???"
No, don't! Get away from us, you stink! Don't come near me!
Teacher Green Pepper was also numb. When they came out, everything was fine. When they returned, more than half of the 998 people were covered in excrement.
Suddenly, someone called out to A'Diao, who was about to follow Teacher Green Pepper.
"Upstairs Downstairs?"
A'Diao didn't turn her head.
"Chen Adiao."
Only then did A'Diao turn back, responding with elegant and gentle obedience, "Oh, this young master, you are?"
The person before her was dressed in green robes, with an elegant and eye-catching demeanor.
"I am Qu Hanchuan."
Qu Hanchuan turned and gestured, making Qu Lianzhou and Qu Lianjing behind him step forward and apologize to A'Diao.
"My two younger brothers were insensible and offended Miss Chen. It's truly embarrassing."
Treating his own bloodline so harshly and insidiously, not treating them as human.
Yet, he could be so polite to outsiders. They were all women, so why the difference?
Could it be that it wasn't about favoring men over women, but specifically targeting the Qu Jiangnan sisters?
A'Diao, with tens of thousands of schemes in her heart, how could she not understand? She sneered internally: Oh, so you think I can be used? Someone like me, who can be easily obtained through a little coaxing, is deemed usable. But Qu Jiangnan, that one can't be fooled, hence the forceful suppression.
Cursing MMP in her heart, A'Diao, with a smile on her face, said: "Ah, my dealings with the two Young Master Qus were purely normal economic transactions. How can you say it was an offense?"
Qu Hanchuan smiled: "That's for the best. You are also our little aunt's disciple, truly outstanding. I didn't expect Upstairs Downstairs to be you. However, this ID is indeed... rather impolite. You should go back and change it."
"After all, we are all on the same side. We hope for the best for each other."
A'Diao: "Okay, okay."
Qu Hanchuan was satisfied and left with an elegant demeanor.
What they did after turning around, how annoyed, unwilling, or scheming they were, no one knew.
Anyway, the 900-plus people from Tiger Skin Green Suburbs all saw A'Diao roll her eyes massively the moment she turned around. After finishing, she glanced over the crowd and said faintly, "What, are you going to run back and tattle to Qu Lianzhou even if I just roll my eyes?"
From XXX +188888!
From...
After tricking out a few names, the teleportation array activated. Upon returning to Heaven on Earth, in the square of the Tiger Skin Green Suburbs zone, A'Diao directly called out these people's names, "You're only useful for spreading false information for me, that's your only value. Do you really think you're something special?"
"However, perhaps you really are."
A tap of the elemental staff.
Bang, bang, bang, a pile of piggies landed on the ground.
"Next time you try any tricks, I'll slaughter you!"
A group of people still covered in excrement looked at the piggies on the ground, trembling.
Too terrifying! How could there be such a terrifying person in this world!
Teacher Green Pepper: "..."
She suddenly understood why the zone she led was called the 'salted fish zone.'
Because there was an abyssal pit named Chen Adiao here, and these salted fish would never be able to turn over.
Ten minutes later, basically everyone had returned to their residences and was waiting for rewards.
She was probably third. The rankings were different, and it was already a hot topic online, ranking in the top ten.
Someone doxxed her, and soon a post about her social media feed was pushed to the top of the trending list, even surpassing the number one post, "The Seventh Prince is so handsome and awesome, I want to marry him and have his babies."
The content of the post was like this.
A screenshot of a pig farm from her social media feed, with the caption: "I got first place, but what's there to be proud of? After all, what they lost was their scores, while I... lost their love for me~~~"
This post went viral, and soon Yin Canghe and others also found out.
Originally, they felt they were lucky compared to Baili Xianyun and her group, and had almost forgotten about the incident.
As people, one should look forward.
But then... their families shared the post with them.
Damn it! Blood pressure rising!
Back then, they dared to go online and curse Yin Canghe, but they didn't dare to curse A'Diao.
This person's private messages were quiet.
The pigs in the pig farm were more obedient than anything.
It was just that the Mental Power list was a bit lively. A'Diao sighed softly.
"Suddenly, I feel a little sorry for them."
"Little Toilet, tell me, isn't this lacking in basic decency?"
Toilet: "No, it's that they're lacking calcium."
A'Diao was satisfied, then picked up her wristwatch and started operating it.
Suddenly, they saw the name on the leaderboard change.
The third place had changed their name.
Qu Hanchuan was communicating with his elders, saying he had already intimidated Chen Adiao.
"This person knows her place. She probably knows her wings aren't fully fledged yet and doesn't dare to be aggressive, so she was submissive and agreeable."
As he was speaking, he saw the name on the ranking.
First place, Dantai Sheng.
Second place, Mo Yuwo.
Third place, A Night of Spring Breeze, Plum Blossoms Twice. (Wings aren't hard yet, but I'm third. Still, what's the use? So many wives ran away.)
Wings aren't hard yet, and she's third?
Qu Hanchuan: "???"
Plum Blossoms Twice to deliver heads?
Baili Xianyun: "..."
A Night of Spring Breeze, covered in excrement?
The two thousand people: "!!!"
Such a long ID, such poisonous implications.
Chen Adiao, you've really done it!
The area of effect for this group attack was too wide; all the Mental Power hit its mark. And this time, her influence finally sublimated. The arrogant prodigies refused to bow their heads, but their mentality had slightly crumbled.
From Mu Hunya +1888888!
From Nie Yuanyuan +1333333!
From Xia Sanlu +1666666!
From Dantai Yu +1444444!
From... Hu Zhegu, Che Jingyan, Nangong Liehe, Qu Lianzhou, Liu Shiqi, Wen Shaoyao, Guang Yunlou, Yan Fengbai ++++
Oh ho, this is the true 'A Night of Spring Breeze, Plum Blossoms Twice' ahhh!
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