The Bootlicking Antagonist Only Wants to Survive, but the Female Lead Refuses to Follow the Usual Plot

Chapter 277 Colorful Phoenix

The three of them knelt in a row.

The old lady looked at Lu Chengwen. “What exactly has he been saying about me?”

Zhao Ritian leaned closer to Long Aotian. “Did your master really mention her?”

Long Aotian sneered. “You think he did? Not a chance.”

Zhao Ritian was shocked. “Then he dares to make things up? Isn’t he afraid of being beaten to death?”

Long Aotian said, “This old lady has been looking for trouble all day. I don’t think she’ll stop until she cripples two of us.”

Long Aotian sighed. “I’m the senior disciple, so I should be fine. You two… well, good luck.”

Zhao Ritian bit his lip. “I’m already on the brink of death. She wouldn’t bother hitting me, would she?”

Long Aotian looked at Zhao Ritian, his gaze saying:

Little brother, you’re too young.

You don’t understand just how bizarre this world is, yet you’re out here trying to survive. Sigh.

The old lady snapped, “You two, shut up!”

She pointed at Lu Chengwen. “You! Speak!”

Zhao Ritian had a wicked grin. Go ahead, talk! I dare you to say something!

Let’s see what you can come up with! Bet you can’t even say her name!

Lu Chengwen cupped his hands and bowed. “Senior, if I’m not mistaken, you must be the one my master has always kept in his heart, known across the martial world as…”

The old lady sighed deeply. “That’s right. I’m the Seven-Colored Phoenix, Pan Meifeng.”

Zhao Ritian was taken aback. “Wait, old lady, you…”

Long Aotian stopped him. “Adapt, brother. You’ll get used to it.”

Lu Chengwen nodded. “Of course. It all makes sense now.”

The old lady slapped Long Aotian across the face, then turned to Lu Chengwen and shouted, “If you have something to say, say it! Don’t waste time, or I’ll beat you to death!”

Long Aotian held his cheek, thinking, You’re scolding him, but I’m the one getting hit here!

Lu Chengwen’s expression turned somber. “When my master was young… sigh!”

The old lady looked sorrowful. “Sigh!”

Lu Chengwen continued, “Later on, his life took a completely different turn…”

The old lady nodded. “Yes, I know all about that.”

Lu Chengwen added, “But fate is unpredictable, and eventually… sigh!”

The old lady clutched the edge of her clothing, biting her lip. “You can’t blame anyone else. He brought it on himself!”

“But even so, he firmly believed that life cannot be lived stifled, and so he… well, you know.”

The old lady chuckled slightly. “Back then, he truly was a hero among men.”

“That’s why, decades later, the martial world came to know him as the Six-Fingered Ape Demon, Hun Tiangang. But as they say…”

The old lady calmly finished the sentence, “What rises must fall.”

“Exactly!” Lu Chengwen agreed. “After that great battle, my master lost all hope and no longer cared for this world.”

The old lady lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.

“My master often said, in this life…”

“Yes, yes.”

“But some things, he simply…”

“Indeed!”

“He didn’t care, but even so, in his heart…”

“Say no more, I understand!”

The old lady sank into sorrow.

Zhao Ritian shook his large head. “I’m so confused! Hahaha! What… what is this? Is this even a conversation? It’s all filler!”

Zhao Ritian said, “Senior, don’t believe him. He’s deceiving you! This little conman thinks he can…”

“Shut up!”

The old lady struck Zhao Ritian with another palm, sending him flying.

Zhao Ritian lay on the ground, feeling as though his shoulder had fractured.

He could no longer endure such humiliation and roared, “Damn it! I refuse to accept this!”

The old lady glared at him. “What did you say!?”

Zhao Ritian immediately calmed down. “What I meant was, this junior is deeply confused about that last strike. I humbly ask for your guidance so I won’t offend you again in the future…”

The old lady said, “Do you think I can’t tell if he’s lying? I can hear it in his words!”

Zhao Ritian was on the verge of tears. “Anyone can say those things! Brother Aotian, say something, or she’ll beat both of us to death while Lu Chengwen reaps the benefits!”

Long Aotian was exasperated. “What can I say? I was there when Master said those words! I was just as confused as you, except I didn’t get beaten. Just… get used to it, okay? You’ll get used to it.”

The old lady looked at the three of them. “You three want these stones, but it’ll depend on your abilities.”

“I value fairness and justice above all. So, you’ll have to earn these three stones through your own skill. Understood?”

The three of them were stunned.

The old lady said, “Rest well tonight. We’ll see tomorrow.”

Long Aotian looked up. “But it’s almost dawn.”

“I’m tired.”

The old lady pointed at Lu Chengwen. “You, and those two girls, come with me!”

She added, “You two, if you dare run away, I’ll kill you!”

Inside a thatched hut.

Lu Chengwen looked around, quietly amazed.

Hun Tiangang’s place was a chaotic mess, yet the old lady’s home was spotless.

Although simple, the care she put into tidying this modest hut was evident.

Simply put, this old lady was someone who valued the quality of life—refined and not vulgar.

“In this desolate mountain wilderness, with such simple and crude surroundings, you’ll have to make do.”

The three of them quickly exchanged polite responses.

The old lady asked, “Can any of you cook?”

Luo Shiyin immediately replied, “I can cook, senior.”

“Good. You go light the fire and prepare a meal.” Then, pointing at Qi Meishao, she said, “You go make the beds.”

Lastly, turning to Lu Chengwen, she commanded, “You, come with me.”

The old lady led Lu Chengwen outside.

Qi Meishao watched Luo Shiyin quietly and diligently going to light the fire and prepare the meal. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she finally asked, “Sister Shiyin…”

“Hmm?”

Luo Shiyin didn’t turn her head; even without looking back, she could guess what Qi Meishao was likely to ask.

“Did you really… with Lu Chengwen…?”

Luo Shiyin paused, put down the hay in her hands, turned around to meet Qi Meishao’s eyes, and nodded.

Hearing the definitive answer, Qi Meishao was visibly shaken but tried hard to keep her composure. “Why? We all swore loyalty to the Young Master! After Xue Ning left, now even you… Why would you betray the Young Master?”

“If I had truly betrayed the Young Master, I would be by Lu Chengwen’s side right now.”

“Then why?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I don’t know.” Luo Shiyin calmly added firewood into the hearth while speaking, “I’m just like all of you. We’ve followed the Young Master through countless battles since we were young.”

“In terms of loyalty, I’ve never thought I was less devoted than any of you. In fact, I’ve always considered myself the most loyal. But…”

“Since arriving in Snow City and encountering Lu Chengwen, everything changed.”

“What happened?” Qi Meishao asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

“It’s not something I can explain in just a few words. Meishao, you can hate me if you want, but Lu Chengwen saved me time and again, even when I hurt him…”

Luo Shiyin said, “What would you have me do? I’m not like you. I’m different.”

“I once knocked a man who saved my life off a cliff. When he was severely injured, I thought about using my Five-Colored Illusion Flower Eyes to turn him into a puppet for the Young Master to control. I had hardened my heart, becoming so cruel and venomous that even I found myself disgusting!”

“Wasn’t that loyal enough!?”

Qi Meishao looked at the tear-streaked face of Luo Shiyin, her emotions a tangled mess, unable to say a word.

“But at the critical moment, my technique backfired, leaving me gravely injured. And yet, it was Lu Chengwen who saved me again. The reason he gave was so ridiculous it made me feel absurd. Simply because, in his mind, I was a good person, a pitiful person!”

“Everyone sees me as a manipulative woman, a witch who uses her beauty to wander the martial world. Men either fantasize about me indecently, wishing for me to disrobe and indulge their desires, or they fear me.”

“But only Lu Chengwen treated me as a person. When I was struck down by my own eye technique, he saved me again, mistakenly feeding me the Desire Flower Pill.”

“Meishao, if not for Lu Chengwen that day, I’d already be dead.”

Qi Meishao burst into tears and rushed to embrace Luo Shiyin. “Sister Shiyin… your life is too bitter…”

Luo Shiyin gently patted Qi Meishao’s back. “I have no way out anymore. I don’t even know where I’m heading. I’m like a wandering ghost now. Haha, I almost wish the Young Master would find out and strike me dead. Perhaps that would be a relief.”

“No! No! The Young Master wouldn’t do that!”

Qi Meishao bit her lip. “Who else knows about this?”

“Xiaohua and Xue Ning both know.”

“They won’t say anything, and neither will I!”

“Xiaohua is under a lot of pressure. If she speaks, she’ll betray her sisters, forcing the Young Master to kill me. If she stays silent, she’ll be betraying the Young Master. Now, the same choice falls to you. You can tell. I won’t hate you. I don’t hate anyone. I only hate myself!”

Luo Shiyin gritted her teeth. “I hate that I was born with these seductive bones! I hate that I repeatedly misused the Desire Flower Pill! I hate my fate! I hate my Five-Colored Illusion Flower Eyes! I hate it all!”

Qi Meishao looked at her and hesitantly asked, “Do you… hate Lu Chengwen?”

Luo Shiyin froze. “I… Of course, I hate him. I hate him most of all.”

Qi Meishao knew Luo Shiyin was lying.

But she didn’t have the heart to expose her. Perhaps, even Luo Shiyin herself wasn’t sure of the truth.

Dawn approached.

The group ate a simple meal in silence and then lay down to rest.

Meanwhile, Lu Chengwen was bombarded with questions until the sky brightened fully.

The next day.

Zhao Ritian’s recovery was shockingly fast. After a good night’s sleep, he seemed almost back to normal.

Long Aotian’s resilience wasn’t any less remarkable. After sleeping, he too felt rejuvenated.

Lu Chengwen, however, had hardly slept and was fighting off exhaustion as his eyelids drooped.

But all three men understood that today was crucial to their fates.

The old lady was going to allocate the meteorite ice crystals fairly!

Not one piece per person, but potentially… all three pieces to one person!

Whoever obtained all three would undoubtedly gain immense power and undergo a profound transformation.

Those who received none risked angering the old lady.

And with her eccentric temperament and overwhelming abilities, even Long Aotian and Zhao Ritian felt anxious.

The old lady stood at the entrance of the cave, holding a large tree branch. “Prepare yourselves. Let the competition begin!”