"Outrageous! I always knew that so-called 'Worthy One' was no good, and now it's proven! He dares to take this opportunity to extort High Immortal Qingqing? He must have a death wish!"
"He's nothing but a penniless 'Worthy One' who managed to forge a broken immortal weapon by sheer dumb luck and caught High Immortal Qingqing's eye. Not only is that fellow ungrateful, but he even dares to use it to extort her—utterly unforgivable!"
"What 'Worthy One'! Look at his frivolous demeanor—clearly a lowlife hoodlum from the mortal world with no experience of the wider realms!"
One after another, the crowd angrily denounced Gu Qingfeng, this fellow they saw as having stumbled upon incredible luck, their tones thick with jealousy and resentment.
At this moment, Shangguan Dong stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute. "Young Master Bai Ze, I have something to say, though I'm unsure if I should speak."
"Immortal Shangguan, no need for formalities."
Bai Ze stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gesturing politely. "Speak freely!"
"I'm afraid everyone here is unaware, but that so-called 'Worthy One' once spoke words that offended Immortal Lixin! No—what he said wasn't merely offensive; it was an invasion, a humiliation of Immortal Lixin, and his language was extremely... vulgar!"
"What?! Such a thing happened?" Bai Ze demanded. "What did he say? How did he humiliate my Aunt-Master Lixin?"
"This..." Shangguan Dong seemed hesitant, even fearful.
"Shangguan Dong, tell me word for word!"
"When Immortal Lixin first emerged from the Xuantian vessel, I was on the deck and heard that 'Worthy One' comment on her. He said... he said... 'This little miss Lixin isn't bad. She's got the curves where they should be—chest and backside—and a rather bewitching figure. Peach-blossom eyes, cherry lips, and a face that's quite... seductive. She barely qualifies as a rare beauty...'"
"Audacious!" Bai Ze erupted in fury.
Not only Bai Ze, but everyone else who heard Shangguan Dong's words was utterly shocked. Immortal Lixin was a senior of Eternal Life Pavilion, a fairy from the Ancient Era. Across the entire Great Desolate, probably no one would dare use such vulgar language to describe her.
"Did that 'Worthy One' truly say such things?"
"He absolutely did. I, Shangguan Dong, swear on my honor. If I speak even half a falsehood, may lightning strike me dead! And that's not all... the Worthy One also said..."
Bai Ze glared furiously at Shangguan Dong. "What else did he say?!"
"He also asked that old Taoist named Huode if he fancied Immortal Lixin. If he did, that 'Worthy One' said he'd step in to make an introduction. If that didn't work... he said... he told the old Taoist to just... take her by force!"
"Outrageous!"
In his rage, Bai Ze slammed his palm down, shattering the table before him to splinters. His face turned ashen with fury, and a flicker of killing intent flashed in his eyes. "To dare invade and humiliate my Aunt-Master Lixin like this... I will make sure he dies without a grave to bury him in!"
With that, Bai Ze turned to charge back and settle accounts with Gu Qingfeng. But as he moved, Leng Jue beside him reached out to stop him. "Brother Bai Ze, calm yourself. If you charge over now to demand justice, I'm afraid it would be... inappropriate."
"Why?!"
"Let's set aside for now the question of who that self-proclaimed 'Great Lord' Worthy One really is, or what his background might be. Let's also set aside how he offended Immortal Lixin. There's one point you must acknowledge, however unwillingly: that old Taoist truly did save Qiao'er's life. And the Lingyu Sword of High Immortal Qingqing... it's almost certainly truly forged by that Worthy One."
Leng Jue held Bai Ze back, frowning deeply as he spoke in a grave tone. "Although High Immortal Qingqing found the Lingyu Sword as a broken blade, reforged it, and nurtured it for centuries—meaning the sword has long since had no connection to that Worthy One—the fact remains: he is the sword's former master. And he has the right to demand its return."
"Brother Leng, what do you mean by this?!" Bai Ze seemed so agitated he had lost his reason, shouting, "Why are you speaking for that damned Worthy One?"
"Brother Bai, don't be hasty. Hear me out. High Immortal Qingqing is not only a disciple of your Eternal Life Pavilion but also the direct disciple of Emperor Fusheng, and a Heaven-appointed Peerless High Immortal renowned throughout the Great Desolate. If that Worthy One demands the return of the Lingyu Sword and High Immortal Qingqing refuses, word gets out. It wouldn't just damage High Immortal Qingqing's reputation; the reputations of Emperor Fusheng and even Eternal Life Pavilion itself would be affected."
"Immortal Lixin invited that Worthy One aboard the Xuantian vessel, laid out a table of delicacies, entertained him with three precious Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits, and even allowed him to set his own conditions in exchange for the Lingyu Sword. This way, outsiders can't say anything, and Eternal Life Pavilion's reputation remains intact. After all, Immortal Lixin has gone above and beyond to show gratitude. Three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits, plus allowing the Worthy One to set any condition—that fully demonstrates the sincerity of both Immortal Lixin and High Immortal Qingqing. When this matter spreads in the future, others will only say that Worthy One was ungrateful and used the opportunity to extort High Immortal Qingqing."
Pausing, Leng Jue noticed Bai Ze's emotions gradually calming before continuing. "If you charge over now and take action to teach that Worthy One a lesson, I guarantee Immortal Lixin will stop you. Even if she knows he used vulgar words to offend her, she won't let you attack him."
After Leng Jue finished, Mo Baiyu also stepped forward. "Indeed. What Young Master Leng Jue says makes perfect sense. If Young Master Bai Ze charges over now to teach that Worthy One a lesson, all of Immortal Lixin's efforts will be wasted. That whole table of delicacies, those three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits—all for nothing. After all, Young Master Bai Ze can't just obliterate that Worthy One in front of so many people. Killing him would only make things worse. And if you merely 'teach him a lesson,' what if he later uses that as an excuse, running around shouting that Eternal Life Pavilion tried to silence him to steal the Lingyu Sword? That would be a mess impossible to clean up..."
As the saying goes, those involved are blinded, while bystanders see clearly. After hearing Leng Jue and Mo Baiyu's analysis, the impulsive Bai Ze gradually cooled down. Thinking it over carefully, he knew their words held merit.
"So we just let it go?"
Bai Ze turned and walked to another table, picking up a cup of wine and draining it in one gulp. "I, Bai Ze, cannot swallow this anger! Our Eternal Life Pavilion will not allow some insignificant 'Worthy One' to run wild like this!"
"Let it go? Of course we won't just let it go. At the very least, I, Mo Baiyu, will not allow anyone to offend High Immortal Qingqing!"
Fu Ying, Yun Zhou, Mu Feng, and the other High Immortals, along with Shangguan Dong and the other Immortals, all stepped forward declaring they would go through fire and water to protect High Immortal Qingqing's honor. They swore that even if it were a Human Dao Decree-bearing Worthy One, or a Human Dao Destiny Human Lord, even a Human King or a Human Emperor, they would spare no cost to cut him down!