14

Why isn't the orb shining like it usually does?"

"Lol, is the crystal broken? Or is the one touching it stupid enough to not even know what to do?"

"Can't she even make a crystal orb work? Isn't she the daughter of the so called high Le family??" One of the disciples on the crowd gave a sarcastic remark as he ignited the fire.

"Hah, this is such a rare occurrence."

"She probably doesn't even have what it takes to cultivate." A person expressed his doubt as he thought it was indeed rare for the magical orb to not respond to someone.

"But, did you say the Le family daughter? The illegitimate one?" A curious voice asked.

"The one who is not even taken in to account by the Le Family head, her own dad right?"

"Oh yes, maybe that is why. She must be a bad fruit.So, both of her parents left her..tsk tsk..such a disgrace!!" Qiqi looked at the stage in contempt and gave a disdainful look. She had heard this gossip many times and with a little exaggeration, she was able to make the people totally fall for it.

"This.." Soon, the whole crowd got caught up in the gossip and soon, it spread all around like a massive wildfire.

An Cheng who had been silent all this time glared at the crowd of disciples with furious eyes. She gripped the hem of her long sleeved robe as she tried to control herself from losing control of her anger.

"They are making such a big issue out of it." She gritted her teeth and spoke.

What they were saying was extremely hateful and full of harsh words. They were just saying whatever they wanted to someone they did not even know just because of her family's reputation.

"You don't even know a dime about her and yet you speak such ill words." An Cheng's hold on her dress became even tighter.

Hell with it!! Le Fangling was such a sweet little girl and even such a hottie but all this hate and bad treatment…She just couldn't accept all these.

Elder Lin could see that An Cheng was really agitated by how the crowd was hurling words of insults at Le Fangling.

"The crowd is going wild huh?" Elder Lin gave a slight chuckle but her voice was like usual, calm and cold.

"Feels like some kind of festival." Elder Lin shrugged her shoulder in amusement.

"….."

"I know you are probably wondering why am I this calm huh?" Elder Lin asked An Cheng a question but since she did not get any reply she decided to continue.

"I will take your silence as a yes then." Elder Lin fanned herself with her bamboo fan and gave a slight chuckle.

"I mean they are being mean towards someone who is not even worthy of it." An Cheng spoke with a depressing sigh. She did hate the Le Family who were somehow responsible for the tragedy she and her brother faced in their childhood but Le Fangling was simply too different from them.

She did not deserve to shoulder the burden of the family's sin.

"Glad to see that you think this way." Elder Lin simply nodded her head and stood up.

"She will have to face these kind of resentment and hatred from many people in future. Consider it her training." Elder Lin started walking towards the central stage.

"Don't worry about it. I have got this." She smiled at An Chneg, her eyes squinting to form a beautiful crescent moon shape.

.

"Ahemm.." Elder Shen let out a cough to clear his throat and maintain silence. Counting this he had cleared his throat for the nth time today.

His throat was starting to get sore.

But few sacrifices were necessary to maintain peace and silence after all.

Hearing him, Every one became solemn and focused their attention at the center platform. They could even speak more if they wanted but Elder Shen's cough was a powerful weapon they did not dare go against.

"Disciple Le Fangling!" Elder Shen approached the crystal Lacrima and stood a little away from her.

After determining that nothing was wrong with the crystal he looked at Le Fangling who was touching the crystal with her palm with her head bowed down facing the ground.

Facing her, he knitted his eyes brows in a sharp frown trying to determine what was wrong.

Even if someone was an outer court disciple most of them had the basic idea and knowledge about how gathering, storing and circulating Qi worked.

So he totally ruled out the idea of her not being able to do that because even if she was an illegitimate child she was still from a prominent family.

Cultivation ran in their blood after all.

"Disciple Le Fangling!!" Elder Shen called her once more. He had a worried look on his face.

A cultivator won't be able to use Qi if they hurt their meridians or in worst case scenario injuries in the golden core.

Before everyone's curious gaze Le Fangling raised her head slowly.

.

"Uh oh, seems like all of your qi got sealed by the sealing formation Elder Lin used on you." Nagina easily found out the cause for this but she still could not crack what it was.

She was still a young sapling as compared to veteran Elder Lin.

"Ahh, no wonder I could not do anything." Le Fangling let out a sigh as she pulled back her hand. She stepped back quietly and looked around.

"Are you hurt by what they said about you?" Nagina sensed the emotional fluctuation in her and asked telepathically.

"Nope, I am just speechless at the amount of hatred and malice I can sense." Le Fangling let out a sigh. She was not depressed about the fact that she was unable to take the test.

"You know, I think I am gonna get a straight F now."

"Kinda yes." Nagina did not deny.

"But it's fine. We can leave the sect, roam around the world and learn about everything ourselves. Just the tow of us who can do anything without being restricted by anyone." Le Fangling suggested half-jokingly and half serious.

"We can be rogue cultivators. What do you say?"

"Well, since I am stuck to you for life, I can say I will stick with you till the end." Nagina simply answered.

"Junior, what is the meaning of this?" He asked her with a cold voice.

"It seems like I am unable to do this. I apologize to the elder about this." Le Fangling bowed down as she spoke.

Elder Shen looked at her clear eyes and calm voice being dumbfounded. He could not even find a hint of fear and anxiety in those turquoise eyes.

"You.." Elder Shen felt a hesitation rise in his heart as he was about to announce her result of the assessment.

"Since you are not able to take the test, Le Fangling fails her....."

"Wait, Elder Shen." Elder Lin had stood up from her seat and was heading towards the central platform.

Everyone including Le Fangling, Elder Shen and the whole crowd that had gathered looked at the source of sound.

"Do not fail her yet."

She spoke calmly, without any urgency in her voice as she slowly made her way up the stairs stopping only when she was facing Elder Shen head on.

"Why is Elder Lin stepping in for her?"

"Isn't she supposed to fail after not showing any results?"

"Isn't she supposed to hate Le family more than anyone else?"

"Are they being biased towards a Le person…Despicable."

Once again the crowd got frenzy with this new set of development. The regular boring assessment event had turned in to a rollercoaster of drama and they were loving every piece of it.

.

"Elder Lin." Elder Shen gave a slight bow in greeting which was retuned by Elder Lin with the same lukewarm attitude.

"You know it is strictly prohibited for other masters to interfere with the result of the test." He reminded her sternly, his tone certainly not pleased with her interruption.

"There is no such rule written anywhere, Elder Shen." She smiled at him politely.

'Well, I can make one now if you insist!' Elder Shen wanted to say this out loud but decided to stop himself.

"And I am not interfering Elder Shen." A slight chuckle left her mouth that was hidden behind her veil.

She gestured towards Le Fangling who still had her mouth open as if trying to say something.

"Listen to my explanation before you give the verdict." Elder Lin stated looking at Le Fangling.

"Hmm.."Elder Shen looked at the Sect Leader who simply nodded his head as if giving permission. He too had sensed something about this girl making him curious as to what was the abnormality with in her was.

"I have done a thorough check up of her body when she arrived yesterday." Elder Lin looked at Le Fangling and gave a sigh.

"And, I have found out that she has a small problem." Elder Lin paced around slowly.

"What?" Both Le fang ling and Elder Shen were curious and asked in unison.

"She has the rare…Chimpanzation disease." Elder Lin stopped walking and looked at both of them as she came with a random name of disease that did not make sense to her either but was good enough to cover the truth about the real condition of her body.

"Da faq?"