Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Pauper
At that moment, Lu Sangjiu suddenly felt a pang of envy for Xie Ningyuan.
That mask of his was a real treasure. One wrap, and it could reduce his presence to practically nothing.
’If only I had a treasure like that right now,’ she thought, ’I wouldn’t have been caught red-handed, would I?’
Looking at Li Yijiang’s dark expression, Lu Sangjiu put on a smile and greeted him as if nothing was wrong.
"Well, well, if it isn’t Li Dao You. What a coincidence. You’re here for a meal too?"
Li Yijiang sneered. "Cut the act. What’s the matter? No one around to back you up this time?"
Lu Sangjiu blinked. "How do you know they didn’t just step out for a moment? Maybe they’ll be back soon?"
"I’ve been watching you for a while. I knew you looked familiar. You’re clearly alone, so stop trying to bluff me!"
Lu Sangjiu sighed internally. ’Looks like I can’t bluff my way out of this after all.’
This man was clearly harboring ill intentions. Since playing dumb wasn’t working, she decided to drop the act.
"So? What are you going to do? Kill me in public?"
Li Yijiang narrowed his eyes. "I know you’re from the Seven Emotions Sect. Killing you might be troublesome, but as for teaching you a lesson... I doubt your sect would intervene in a squabble between juniors, would they?"
With an arrogant flourish, he slammed his hand on Lu Sangjiu’s table, about to utter a few more threats. To his surprise, the table shattered with a CRASH!
Li Yijiang froze, his mind going blank. The rest of his words were stuck in his throat.
But Lu Sangjiu leaped to her feet and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Help! Someone’s trying to wreck the Moon Viewing Tower!"
While Li Yijiang was still stunned, several Cultivators appeared out of nowhere and surrounded him.
Lu Sangjiu immediately identified the one in charge and ducked behind him, on the verge of tears. "Sob, sob... Senior, you have to help me! I was just minding my own business and eating my meal, and this man suddenly smashed my table for no reason!"
Hearing Lu Sangjiu’s accusation, Li Yijiang finally snapped out of it, his face flushing red with anxiety. "Nonsense! I barely used any force when I hit it! Who knows why the table broke?"
Lu Sangjiu shot back immediately, "So you admit you’re the one who hit the table? You hit it, yet you’re trying to deny it. And by saying you barely used any force, are you implying that the Moon Viewing Tower uses poor quality materials and shoddy craftsmanship for its tables?"
Her pointed question caused the leader’s expression to darken further.
Li Yijiang grew even more frantic. "Of course that’s not what I meant! You... You’re clearly framing me!"
He wasn’t a complete idiot. He knew a restaurant as large as the Moon Viewing Tower must have a powerful expert protecting it.
That’s why he never planned to start a big fight inside. He just wanted to give Lu Sangjiu a show of force, then find an opportunity for proper revenge after she left.
But he never imagined that one arrogant slap on the table—just to look tough—would actually break it.
He was too stunned to process it before, but now, seeing Lu Sangjiu’s pitiful act, he had a sudden realization. She must have tampered with the table to make it break!
Hearing Li Yijiang’s accusation, Lu Sangjiu put on a look of utter grievance and turned to the other patrons.
"Everyone here just saw what happened. I was minding my own business, eating my food, and doing nothing. This man suddenly came over to pick a fight, said he was going to teach me a lesson, and then smashed my table."
"And now he’s turning around and blaming me. This is the greatest injustice!"
"If any of you would be willing to testify to what you saw, I, Lu Sangjiu of the Seven Emotions Sect, would be eternally grateful!"
The crowd hadn’t wanted to get involved, but that changed when they heard Lu Sangjiu announce her identity.
The Seven Emotions Sect was one of the Four Great Sects. Who wouldn’t want to curry some favor?
Besides, the young lady wasn’t lying. It was an easy favor to grant, so everyone was more than willing.
And so, the patrons all nodded one after another, confirming Lu Sangjiu’s story.
Isolated and helpless, Li Yijiang frantically looked at the two friends who had come with him. "Say something! Help me explain!"
The two had been trying to make themselves invisible in the corner. Caught off guard by being called out, they looked embarrassed as all eyes turned to them.
"Er... well, Li Dao You, we may be friends, but we can’t just lie through our teeth. You did... you know?"
Whether the two of them truly believed Li Yijiang was at fault or simply didn’t want to get involved, their words became the last straw.
The Cultivator standing beside Lu Sangjiu stared coldly at Li Yijiang. "Do you have anything else to say?"
Of course, this question was a mere formality. Without even waiting for a reply, he continued, "You have two choices. One, you pay up and leave quietly. Two, we beat you up, and then you pay up and leave. Which will it be?"
Li Yijiang: "..."
He had never been so wronged in his entire life!
His eyes turned red with rage. "Lu Sangjiu... I’ll kill you!"
With that, he drew his sword and charged at Lu Sangjiu.
Completely unfazed, Lu Sangjiu simply ducked behind the Cultivator.
The Cultivator said coldly, "It seems you’ve chosen the latter..."
Then, he struck out with his palm. Li Yijiang, completely powerless to resist, was sent sprawling to the floor.
He... he was a Nascent Soul Stage master!
Of course, the master had held back. Otherwise, that single palm strike would have been more than enough to kill Li Yijiang.
After knocking him down, someone immediately stepped forward, took Li Yijiang’s storage bag, and presented it to the Nascent Soul Stage master.
He effortlessly erased Li Yijiang’s Divine Sense from it, opened the storage bag, took out a portion of the Spirit Stones inside, and then tossed the bag back onto Li Yijiang’s body.
He didn’t forget to add a cold, humiliating remark, "Poor bastard."
With that, he took out ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones and handed them to Lu Sangjiu. "This is double the cost of your meal as compensation, young friend. Someone will be along shortly to serve you a fresh one."
"Ah, thank you, Senior!"
Lu Sangjiu quickly expressed her thanks. She hadn’t expected to find such a principled establishment in Muxian Town.
’Then again,’ she thought, ’they’re so principled because they were just fleecing Li Yijiang. Why wouldn’t they be?’
As for Li Yijiang, after being fleeced and humiliated, all he got was a cold order: "Throw him out. He is never to set foot in the Moon Viewing Tower again."
At that moment, even Lu Sangjiu felt like shedding a tear of sympathy for him... It was just too pathetic.
But her sympathy for the miserable Li Yijiang quickly vanished. As she watched him being dragged out, she spotted Zhou Yun, who had come up to the second floor at some point to watch the commotion.
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
’This doesn’t feel good...’
Sure enough, noticing Lu Sangjiu’s gaze, Zhou Yun shot her a merciless sneer. "You certainly have a knack for stirring up trouble. What’s wrong? Is your senior sister, the Sect Leader’s illegitimate daughter, not by your side today?"
"Have you really sunk so low that you have to play the victim and beg others for protection?"
