The Attack of the Wastrel

Xin Zhixuan was in a daze as she stared at Gu Lingzhi who still looked composed. She could feel her head start to ache gradually.  

How did it end up like this? Wasn’t Gu Lingzhi a wastrel? How could a wastrel possibly manage to make the Spirit Moulding Pill in just a month? 

Compared to the shock that she had gotten from Gu Lingzhi being able to cultivate Spirit Moulding Pills, it was harder for her to accept her bet with Gu Lingzhi.  

Although both of them had made Spirit Moulding Pills of equal quality, when Gu Lingzhi made hers, she controlled multiple furnaces at once. This fact alone made her surpass whatever Xin Zhixuan had shown in the match. Even without the formal announcement, she knew she had lost this round. 

She was extremely nervous and hoped that Gu Lingzhi would be tactful and forget their earlier bet. However, at this moment, Gu Lingzhi decided to speak up. 

“Teacher, please announce the results.” 

Was there still a need to announce the results? They made Spirit Moulding Pills of the same grade. Without even mentioning the fact that Gu Lingzhi was of a lower level and was challenging someone that was supposedly superior, her ability to simultaneously control multiple furnaces was already a victory in itself.  

“Child, you have won,” Cao Yi returned the two bottles of Spirit Moulding Pills back to Gu Lingzhi. The expression that he gave Gu Lingzhi was one of complete approval and much warmer than the expression he had given Xin Zhixuan. 

Despite possessing extraordinary talent, she was neither proud nor boastful but knew how to gather her wits to prove those that doubted her wrong. With an attitude like this, she was sure to have a bright future. 

Upon hearing her desired answer, Gu Lingzhi smiled as she thanked Cao Yi before turning to Xin Zhixuan. Xin Zhixuan’s face darkened as Gu Lingzhi claimed in a clear and determined voice, “Since I have won, shouldn’t you uphold your side of the bet?”

Xin Zhixuan’s face immediately drained of colour as she said, “Gu Lingzhi, don’t push your luck!”

“How is the winner asking for their rightful reward asking for too much? Senior, since you bet with me, you should have been prepared to accept any outcomes,” Gu Lingzhi retorted cheerfully. 

This sentence rendered Xin Zhixuan speechless. It was true that she was the one that said such harsh words and warned Gu Lingzhi not to back out when she lost, but how could she shout ‘I am worse than a wastrel’ in front of all these people? She would rather kill herself than let herself be embarrassed that way.

Seeing the awkward behavior of the two of them on stage, onlookers who did not know what was going on went to ask those that knew. When they realized what was happening, they looked at Gu Lingzhi with an expression of restrained fear. 

She had hidden her talent so that Xin Zhixuan would dig her own grave thinking that she could beat Gu Lingzhi. If Gu Lingzhi was considered a wastrel, then no one would be worthy of being called a talent.  

Hearing the mocking laughs from the audience, Xin Zhixuan became even more embarrassed. Seeing Gu Lingzhi in front of her, Xin Zhixuan’s eyes started to turn red as her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. Finally, she could bear no more and burst into tears. 

“You’re a bully! Your skill level is obviously higher than mine, but you still tricked me into competing with you. You are too cunning.” 

“I am cunning?” Gu Lingzhi was amused by her  lack of reason. “Wasn’t it you who kept pressuring me into agreeing to compete with you?” 

“But you could’ve told me about how good you really were at Alchemy!” Xin Zhixuan said indignantly as she maintained a victimized expression on her face. “How can your clan be so scheming? You clearly have talent yet your clan still spreads those false rumors. Who knows if you used those rumors to seduce the Third Prince? I was only testing you to gain some justice for Lady Tianfeng!”  

Gu Lingzhi finally understood what it meant to have someone to blame. In a mere few sentences, Xin Zhixuan had justified her actions as helping others. In the past, she always thought that Gu Linglong was ludicrous. Now, Gu Linglong’s attitude towards her seemed pale in comparison to this lady in front of her. 

Still, there were actually people that believed her. A few people who followed Xin Zhixuan around started to scold Gu Lingzhi for being shameless. Those that were friends of Xin Zhixuan, including several guys that secretly admired her, all started criticising Gu Lingzhi’s actions and her unwillingness to let things go.  

If not for the majority of the students being objective onlookers, this scene might actually deceive people into thinking that Gu Lingzhi was really an evil and unforgiving person. 

Seeing Xin Zhixuan put up a pitiful facade in front of others yet giving her a sly look when others were not looking made Gu Lingzhi frown. She wanted to force Xin Zhixuan into admitting defeat. 

Before she could say anything, a stunning young man suddenly emerged from the crowd holding an object resembling a furnace in his hand. His mouth twisted into an expression that seemed torn between a smile and a bland look as he headed straight for Xin Zhixuan, “Since when was someone of my Xin Family so unable to admit defeat?” 

Upon seeing the young man, a look of panic flashed across Xin Zhixuan’s eyes. 

“Young... Young Master, why are you here?”

Xin Yi waved the pendant in his hand and retorted, “I am a student from this school, why can’t I be here?” 

This caused Xin Zhixuan to be lost for words momentarily. Not bothering to beat around the bush with Xin Zhixuan, Xin Yi grabbed his pendant in his hand, turned to look at Gu Lingzhi and said, “Please accept my apologies for whatever she might have done to offend you. I will order someone to send a gift as an apology to your dorm soon.” 

Only a fool would offend someone who possesses such great talent in Alchemy. Xin Yi was not stupid, he wasn’t going to allow Xin Zhixuan to offend Gu Lingzhi too much.  

Gu Lingzhi raised her eyebrows and did not decline Xin Yi’s good intentions. She then turned to face Xin Zhixuan. 

“Then how should we settle the bet?” 

Gu Lingzhi could tell that Xin Zhixuan was very scared of this young man. 

“She will naturally admit defeat.” Xin Yi laughed. His thin lips pulled into a radiant smile that caused Gu Lingzhi to temporarily fall into a trance. Luckily the young man in front of her was a guy, if he was a girl, she could not imagine how many guys would go crazy. 

“Aren’t you going to hurry and uphold your side of the bet? Aren’t you embarrassed enough!” 

Following Xin Yi’s words, Gu Lingzhi was shocked to realise Xin Zhixuan, who had refused to admit defeat on matter what, actually shouted at her, “I am worse than a wastrel!” 

After she finished shouting, she jumped off the arena with tears in her eyes. 

The turn of events happened too abruptly, leaving the majority of the audience dumbfounded. 

This eye-opening scene changed and ended in a way that many did not imagine, and the news spread quickly throughout the school by the time dinnertime came around. 

In the cafeteria, Ye Fei sat across Gu Lingzhi and looked at her with a look of surprise, “I can’t believe there are people that actually believe the rumours. They should just think of what kind of person the Third Prince is, how would he give up his own morals just for a girl?”

The way she put it made it sound like Gu Lingzhi had no charm and Gu Lingzhi suddenly felt bitterly disappointed for no reason. She then looked at Ye Fei who gave her a very mysterious look as she lowered her voice, “Even though you have proven today that you did not pull connections to get in, but the mind of a female is very wild. Those that admire the Third Prince cannot outright seek trouble with Tianfeng Wei, but they can very easily find trouble with you.”