“Who the hell are you? How dare you touch me!?” The youth squirmed at the pain in his bottom and was held up by the other youth.
The heavens forbid! The penniless unkempt youth who was wearing clothes all covered with patches had dared crawl out of his hole and thrown him heavily to the ground without a word of warning!? It was lucky he was still conscious.
The unkempt youth paid no heed to the youth screaming his head off and said to Jun Wu Xie: “Right, I’m Qiao Chu, and you?”
Jun Wu Xie stared at the overly enthused Qiao Chu and paused before softly replying: “Jun Xie.”
Left out to dry on his own, the screaming youth became furious as he saw that Jun Wu Xie and Qiao Chu totally ignored him. He took a step wanting to stomp up to them to give them a piece of his mind when Qiao Chu suddenly turned and waved his fist at him.
“Weaklings like you, I can handle more than ten.” Qiao Chu threatened menacingly.
The youth grabbed at the throbbing pain in his bottom from Qiao Chu’s earlier attack, and stopped in his tracks, but he continued on his rant.
Jun Wu Xie was irritated by the noise and there were only two minutes before the time was up, and she did not want to waste her time on idiots like those.
Jun Wu Xie took a step forward and shoved the herb in her hand into the face of the ranting youth, and said curtly:
“Scram.”
The surprised youth brushed off the mud on his face and was about to continue on his tirade when his eyes fell upon the herb that had fallen to the ground. His eyes widened and he bent eagerly to pick it up in glee. He had thought that there was no chance of getting his hands on the herb from the petite youth now that the obnoxious unkempt youth appeared. Who would have thought the little brat would suddenly surrender the herb to him in fright?
“At least you know your place! Let’s go!” It was enough that he got the herb, despite the throbbing pain that persisted in his bottom. He was happily discussing how he should split the herb with the other youth.
Qiao Chu stood in his spot, dumbstruck, as he witnessed what Jun Wu Xie was doing.
“Are….. are you mad?”
……..
Volume 3
Chapter 258: “Qiao Chu (2)”
Jun Wu Xie ignored Qiao Chu’s stunned reaction, and turned to pick out an even bigger piece of herb from the tangled mess and walked on to complete the task.
Qiao Chu stood rooted in place till Jun Wu Xie had walked a distance away before he recovered from shock and ran to catch up.
“I can see that the task is nothing to you, but you shouldn’t allow them to take advantage of you like that.” Qiao Chu had no doubts of Jun Wu Xie’s capabilities, but he was feeling sore at the fact that those scoundrels would get away with it.
Meeting Jun Wu Xie here was a huge pleasant surprise for Qiao Chu.
The first time, when he had returned from the Ghost City and brought back the Eastern Pearl, he had told his comrades everything about the events that had happened in the Ghost City, and was soundly teased and scolded for being an idiot. Those rascals had made him go back to the Ghost City to wait and see if the delicate youth with extraordinary elixir making skills would appear again. Qiao Chu had been forced to lie in wait there for a whole month, before giving up after seeing no sign of him.
Who would have known? His months’ of hard searching had been futile and a moment’s chance meeting had delivered the youth right up to him right here at the Qing Yun Clan!
Qiao Chu was determined. This time, he would stick to Jun Wu Xie like glue shamelessly, and would not let the little genius slip from his fingers again!
As the self proclaimed protector of the petite Jun Wu Xie, when the bullies had taken advantage of Jun Wu Xie, Qiao Chu had felt as though he had been bullied instead. If he did not have urgent matters to attend to in the Qing Yun Clan’s peaks, he would have dragged the two bullies into the bushes and given them a good thrashing!
Jun Wu Xie was intent on finishing the task at hand and while Qiao Chu carried on grumbling incessantly, Jun Wu Xie took a deep breath and turned to face Qiao Chu.
Qian Chu paused, and blinked his eyes.
“Things that belong to me, are never easily taken away.” Jun Wu Xie turned and handed over the herb to the Qing Yun Clan disciple. After his inspection, Jun Wu Xie was allowed to proceed, and Qiao Chu rushed up to hand over his own herb, still wondering on what Jun Wu Xie had meant by those words.
While Qiao Chu was still feeling confused, he suddenly heard a series of curses from afar. He looked up and saw the two bullies who had snatched the herb from Jun Wu Xie arguing with the disciple of the Qing Yun Clan who had inspected their herbs.
Held in the hand of one of the bullies, was no longer the same herb that Jun Wu Xie threw at them. It was obviously just dried up weeds. What puzzled him was, he noticed a darkening of the skin on the youth’s hand, a sure sign of poison!
He thought back on Jun Wu Xie’s earlier statement and Qiao Chu turned away from them covering his mouth as he grinned wickedly.
That kid must have planned this from the start, and had not intended to give in to the two bullies. Throwing the herb in their faces and watch them pick it up in glee, not knowing they were messing with a devil, and the results were devastating for them.
At which point in time did Jun Wu Xie smear the poison on the herb? That was something Qiao Chu could figure out and had him stumped.
When did she do it? Seems like only Jun Wu Xie herself would know.
Her spiritual powers might have increased in an extremely short period of time, but a orange leveled spirit was not that significant in the world. She did not come to the Qing Yun Clan to sightsee, but with an ambition to obliterate the mightiest clan throughout the lands. She had to prepare for any situations, and they must be lethal.
Jun Wu Xie was wearing a nondescript bangle, hidden below her sleeves, and nobody would notice it.
Hidden within that seemingly common bangle, were seven different types of poison. It needed only a slight twist, and it could kill a person in a moment.
Volume 3
Chapter 259: “Twelve Peaks (1)”
The Qing Yun Clan conducted three initial tests for their recruitment. Besides the first one, where Jun Wu Xie met the two bullies, she breezed through the next two tests easily.
These three tests alone, whittled the number of applicants going up the mountain from tens of thousands, to mere hundreds.
The crowded and squeezy thoroughfare felt much more spacious now.
What was surprising was that the seemingly slipshod Qiao Chu managed to pass all the tests as well, and was now grinning as he followed behind Jun Wu Xie, as he continued chattering all the way.
Those who passed the tests will stand a chance to study under the Qing Yun Clan’s banner. The hundreds of applicants left had reached the summit and they could see the resplendent Qing Yun Clan’s main temple before them. The applicants there were feeling awed, yet inspired with the sight.
If they were accepted into the Qing Yun Clan, their lives would drastically change!
The Qing Yun Clan disciple who lead the applicants to the summit raised his hand, to signal the noisy and excited crowd to be silent.
A tall figure was heavily escorted out from the Qing Yun Clan’s main temple as he stepped out slowly. It was a stately middle aged man, looking no more than being in his early thirties, but for those who knew, the man was already in his forties, and he was the man at the top of the Qing Yun Clan, Qing Yue.
Following behind Qin Yue, were ten men of varied ages. Some of them had full heads of white hair, and some were just in the prime of their lives. But every single one of them, carried with them an extraordinary air, and were finely dressed, as they trailed behind Qin Yue.
Qiao Chu stood beside Jun Wu Xie, as he stared upon the entrance of the various wielders of power in the Qing Yun Clan, and could not help himself but whisper into Jun Wu Xie’s ear: “The man in the front is the Sovereign of the Qin
g Yun Clan, Qin Yue. And the men behind him are the Elders of the eleven peaks….. Hmm….. It’s rather strange though. Eleven elders but only ten of them are here? Where is Jiang Chen Qing of the Ash Cloud Peak?”
Where was Jiang Chen Qing?
Smashed to a pulp by the ring spirit of the lad standing right beside you.
Jun Wu Xie swept her eyes over Qin Yue and the men behind him. Bai Yun Xian had described the appearance of the Sovereign of the Qing Yun Clan and of the various Elders to her and she had paid special attention to Mu Chen of the Cloud Treading Peak and Ke Cang Ju of the Hidden Cloud Peak.
Mu Chen was the youngest among the Elders of the eleven peaks, and was easily recognizable. Jun Wu Xie could spot him almost immediately as he stood at the outermost spot among the Elders. Mu Chen possessed a set of good looking features. He was handsome and did not show an ounce of frivolity. He was dressed in a light blue brocaded robe as he stood quietly at the end of the row. There was no conversation between the Elders, but she could faintly feel that Mu Chen did not get along well with the other Elders.
Just like it was with Mu Chen, Ke Cang Ju was distanced from the other Elders, but what was different was that Ke Cang Ju looked hideous. He was not tall, and what was most distinctive was his curved hunchback. He was dressed in a dark purple long robe and looked extremely sinister, as if he had just crawled out from an old grave. According to Bai Yun Xian, Ke Cang Ju did not enjoy good relations with people in the Qing Yun Clan. Beside his dealings with the Sovereign, Qin Yue, he did not pay heed to any of the other Elders.
He had a gloomy personality and avoided contact with other Elders, and his appearance did not exactly encourage contact.
But, in actual fact, Ke Cang Ju was the Elder he valued most among the eleven Elders, even more than Jiang Chen Qing who was always with Qin Yue, did not enjoy the privileges given to Ke Cang Ju.
Qin Yue allocated the best resources of the Qing Yun Clan to Ke Cang Ju, and had left orders that no one was to trespass into the Hidden Cloud Peak, not even the other Elders.
Volume 3
Chapter 260: “Twelve Peaks (2)”
With the appearance of the Sovereign and the Elders, the youths were bursting with excitement as they stood ramrod straight and tried to stretch to stand as tall as their small still developing bodies would allow them, trying their best to impress the Sovereign and Elders by showing how “gallant” and “imposing” they are.
Unknown to the hundreds of youths who had made it through the three tests, the actual test was just about to begin. How many of them will remain in the Qing Yun Clan was not known yet.
Qin Yue stood before the mass of pumped up youths, his chin lifted, as he surveyed them as he would a batch of materials. He nodded at a disciple standing at the side and the disciple stepped forward to announce the criteria for the final assessment to the crowd.
“To be qualified to join the Qing Yun Clan, you must possess extraordinary abilities. The Qing Yun Clan does not just accept anybody. You might have passed the initial three tests, but that does not mean you are one of us yet. Your performance in the upcoming test will be the deciding factor on whether you are fit to join the Qing Yun Clan…..”
To be specific, for this last test, there was no criteria. The Qing Yun Clan just needed the hundreds of youths to showcase their best display of medical skills before the Sovereign and the various Elders.
It could be treatment, ability to concoct elixirs and medicines. As long as it was outstanding, they would win acceptance into the Qing Yun Clan.
Jun Wu Xie lowered her eyes, this seemingly simple test was in fact to make it easier for the Elders to select suitable candidates.
The Elders of the eleven peaks were specialised in different fields of medicine, and their selection were usually based on candidates whose strengths aligned with theirs.
Mu Chen was specialised in the nurturing and development of veins and arteries, while Ke Cang Ju portrayed his expertise as the planting and cultivation of medicinal herbs.
Jun Wu Xie decided on entering Mu Chen’s Cloud Treading Peak, and would naturally display her expertise on veins and arteries.
“Hey, have you decided on which peak you want to go to?” Qiao Chu noticed that Jun Wu Xie had been silent and bumped his elbow against Jun Wu Xie’s.
Jun Wu Xie glanced at him, frowning slightly.
The youths around them heard Qiao Chu and they were shocked. They proceeded to stare at Jun Wu Xie and Qiao Chu from head to toe and saw that Jun Wu Xie was dressed in common clothes but Qiao Chu who was standing next to her could only be described as wretched. Qiao Chu could have been considered not bad looking but his worn out and patched clothes which had been washed thin made him look like a beggar on the street.
They all thought the two of them were shameless to even think they could choose the peak they liked when they were dressed so shabbily!
Qiao Chu finally noticed the disparaging glares directed at them. He narrowed his eyes and shook his fist at the few skinny youths who stood around them but that only won him more lowly muttered curses thrown in their direction.
“Brute!”
Qiao Chu could not be bothered with them and continued to badger Jun Wu Xie on her choice. Jun Wu Xie was slightly bothered by his persistence and finally muttered, almost in a whisper: “Cloud Treading Peak.”
“Cloud Treading Peak? Why do you want to go to the Cloud Treading Peak?” Qiao Chu was stunned. The Cloud Treading Peak was the smallest among the twelve peaks and had the weakest reputation. Even its Elder was only twenty over years old, how capable could he be? “Hey, let’s not go to Cloud Treading Peak, how about we go to the Hidden Cloud Peak? At Hidden Cloud Peak, we will only need to grow flowers and plants and be a gardener. Doesn’t it sound relaxing? Even as a new disciple, there won’t be much for us to do.”
And the criteria to enter is extremely low! This last statement, Qiao Chu chose to keep to himself.
“Not me.” Jun Wu Xie said coldly.
Hidden Cloud Peak relaxing? Only those who had died under mysterious and unexplained circumstances would find it relaxing.
Volume 3
Chapter 261: “Twelve Peaks (3)”
When the final test started, most of the youths gave it everything they had, wishing they could show off everything they’ve learnt all their lives to the Qing Yun Clan’s Sovereign and Elders. Some recited from medical classics, some pointed out the various acupressure points on paintings of the human body they had brought along, and some presented elixirs that they had supposedly concocted themselves…..
There were all kinds of presentations, made in many varied ways. Very soon, it became just like a fish market.
Jun Wu Xie had not rushed to react from the start, and only watched quietly as the youths turned the final assessment into a circus as they tried their hardest to present themselves in the best light possible.
Qin Yue and the others frowned, and as the situation got more and more rowdy, the frowns on their faces grew deeper and deeper.
“What a fracus! Do not get me involved in things like this ever again. If there are any that catches your eye, bring them back with you, and get the rest off the mountain.” Qin Yue could not stand to see anymore of the childish behaviours and the absence of talents among them, and stormed off in a huff.
Qin Yue was usually absent from the monthly recruitment on the fifteenth of each month, and came infrequently just to watch. And every time that he came, he had always stormed off like he did today.
Mu Chen watched with cold eyes as Qin Yue left, a sneer at the corners of his mouth.
Qin Yue was as diplomatic as he always was. The good ones among the applicants had already been spotted by Qin Yue before they even entered the mountain and secretly brought within the Qing Yun Clan. He would not have any interest in these ‘leftover’ applicants here,and was rushing back to see and assess his new recruits.
The show he put up today here, was for the benefit of the Elders.
&nbs
p; Mu Chen turned his eyes back to the front and looked at the applicants with neither pity nor compassion.
It was not their fault that the youths were blinded by their enthusiasm and exuberance, but it became their fault if they were blinded by it and did not use their brains, showing the lack of intelligence. These youths are just anxious to show off, without knowing what the Qing Yun Clan was looking for.
Just as Mu Chen was losing interest as well, he noticed something interesting.
A tiny petite figure was standing in the midst of the crowd, observing everyone around him with a cold stare, looking as if he wanted nothing to do with this crowd. The chill emanating from those eyes, did not seem fitting on someone of such a tender age.
For no apparent reason, Mu Chen found his interest stoked. Maybe it was the cold personality, or it might be the eyes, but they all just made Mu Chen feel, that that petite youth was different from the others.
As if the youth had felt his gaze, the youth raised his head and looked Mu Chen straight into his eyes and weaved his way out of the crowd in the direction towards Mu Chen.
Mu Chen watched the petite youth as he approached from far, but otherwise made no other move.
Several Qing Yun Clan disciples saw Jun Wu Xie walk out from the crowd and continued to approach closer to the Elders. They immediately stepped up and moved to stop the youth from getting any closer.
“The assessment has not ended, and you are not allowed to move freely within the Qing Yun Clan.” A lad looking to be in his early twenties frowned and looked at the petite Jun Wu Xie. ‘This youth was rather bold to dare approach the Elders!’
This had happened many times before, but it was usually resolved when the Qing Yun Clan disciples threw a word of warning, and the offender had always backed off.
But Jun Wu Xie had no intention of backing off. When she was stopped, she stood her ground and raised her head.
Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss Volume 3 Page 15
