"You really think highly of yourself," Xiao Su couldn't help but sneer. "It was just by chance that Shangguan Yuan protected you; otherwise, what use would you be?"
Yan Jiaojiao sneered. Xiao Su clearly didn't understand the power of group cohesion.
The atmosphere had been whipped to its peak by her. If Ge Nan Academy hadn't responded, even if they had suppressed the students' emotions by force that day, the incident would have inevitably spread. By then, not only Ge Nan City but perhaps the entire Boundless Continent would have condemned Ge Nan Academy for its inaction!
Shangguan Yuan's action was the most astute and appropriate decision. He resolved Ge Nan Academy's crisis on the spot and even accepted Yan Jiaojiao as his disciple. This made Ge Nan Academy appear magnanimous and tolerant, instantly turning a disadvantage into an advantage.
Yan Jiaojiao's demands were met, and she also established her reputation.
This public relations crisis was a multifaceted success.
Only those as dull and ignorant as Xiao Su failed to see this.
Yan Jiaojiao increasingly wished to ignore Xiao Su. She walked past the two of them, intending to leave.
Wen Jinshu then said, "Yan Jiaojiao, you can consider associating with us. It will undoubtedly make your time at Ge Nan Academy smooth sailing."
Yan Jiaojiao didn't even pause her steps, walking straight ahead.
Seeing Yan Jiaojiao repeatedly disregard them, Xiao Su huffed angrily, "Putting on airs!"
Wen Jinshu merely watched Yan Jiaojiao's retreating back and said softly, "Perhaps it's a tradition of the Water Faction."
Yan Jiaojiao paid no mind to their petty whispers from behind. She returned directly to her courtyard. As she entered, the senior sister who had led her in earlier called out to her and tossed her a small porcelain bottle.
"Someone asked me to give this to you. I didn't expect you to have admirers so soon after arriving," the senior sister said meaningfully before turning and leaving.
Yan Jiaojiao didn't argue with the senior sister. She took the bottle back to her room and looked down at the item in her hand.
She lifted the stopper and was met with a strong medicinal scent. Simultaneously, a telepathic message from within the bottle was released, entering Yan Jiaojiao's ear: "Seeing your sallow complexion today, it seems you have internal injuries. This medicine can regulate your qi and blood."
The voice was familiar. Yan Jiaojiao recalled briefly and identified Xu Changzong.
He had chosen the Wood Faction, which focused on medicine. He likely knew long ago that she possessed pure wood elemental energy and had practiced the wood faction's medical arts.
Otherwise, how could he have seen Yan Jiaojiao's hidden injuries at a glance and even prepared a corresponding medicine?
For some reason, Yan Jiaojiao felt she could trust Xu Changzong. Without any investigation, she drank the medicine from the small porcelain bottle.
Indeed, as the spirit-infused medicinal liquid entered her body, Yan Jiaojiao felt the congestion in her chest alleviate.
Yan Jiaojiao sat cross-legged on the bed, intending to circulate her qi while the medicine took effect.
The woman on the opposite bed then spoke, "You're quite trusting. You'd drink anything anyone gives you, aren't you afraid of being poisoned?"
Yan Jiaojiao paused and squinted at her. "You were eavesdropping on the outside conversation?"
The woman turned over. "Eavesdropping? I was just bored and idly listening to the outside noise. It's not like there's any secret. If you don't want to be overheard, you can choose not to speak."
This was ridiculous. Yan Jiaojiao didn't want to engage in wordplay and began her cultivation.
However, within moments, Yan Jiaojiao felt discomfort in her abdomen, her brows furrowing involuntarily. Was the medicine truly not right?
Yan Jiaojiao stopped circulating her qi internally and bent over, clutching her stomach.
The woman on the opposite bed heard the commotion, sat up, and mocked Yan Jiaojiao, "Feeling unwell, aren't you?"
Yan Jiaojiao gritted her teeth and remained silent, silently waiting for the abdominal pain to subside.
Based on the current symptoms, Yan Jiaojiao deduced it was likely a common laxative. She had the energy of the Soul Devouring Grass within her, and the discomfort disappeared within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
The woman on the opposite bed no longer slept. She had been sitting there waiting to watch the show but saw Yan Jiaojiao recover so quickly, letting out a surprised "Hmm?"
Yan Jiaojiao stood up and picked up the bottle from the table again.
She couldn't believe Xu Changzong would poison her, especially with such a crude laxative.
Indeed, upon careful examination, Yan Jiaojiao discovered something amiss. The small amount of residual medicine in the bottle was fine, but the bottleneck bore traces of laxative.
It was obvious. It must have been the senior sister's doing. She took Xu Changzong's medicine and then smeared laxative on the bottleneck before handing it over to her.
How utterly boring.
Yan Jiaojiao snorted coldly, listened intently for a moment, and then directly threw the bottle out the window. The bottle landed in the nearby bushes with a "thud," striking something and emitting a dull sound.
There was a rustling in the bushes, followed by silence.
Yan Jiaojiao coldly addressed the bushes, "Petty tricks, utterly amateurish."
The woman in the room couldn't help but chuckle, then her laughter grew louder. "Wang Jingshuang, how long are you going to hide in those bushes? Burying your ears to steal a bell isn't this obvious. Doesn't your head hurt?"
Another rustling came from the bushes. The person named Wang Jingshuang stood up. It was the senior sister who had given Yan Jiaojiao the medicine bottle!
Clearly, she couldn't resist coming to check the results of her prank, only to find that Yan Jiaojiao was not only unharmed but had also caught her red-handed!
"Wei Congling!" Wang Jingshuang shouted angrily, leaves falling from her head, making her look even more ridiculous. "You knew I was here all along, didn't you? You told this little slut to throw the bottle at me!"
So the woman in the room was called Wei Congling.
Wei Congling was laughing heartily and replied, "It has nothing to do with me."
Yan Jiaojiao coldly glared at Wang Jingshuang. "If you weren't sneakily hiding by someone's window, why would you worry about being hit with a bottle?"
Wang Jingshuang's eyes widened. "You two just wait!"
This person really knew how to shift the blame.
Upon hearing this, Wei Congling immediately stopped laughing. "I've been waiting, ready to face you anytime."
Wang Jingshuang, seeing Wei Congling with disheveled hair speaking eerily through the window, felt a chill and hurriedly stepped out of the bushes to leave, though her mouth remained defiant. "I'll deal with both of you sooner or later!"
Yan Jiaojiao said impatiently, "I don't care what grudges you have between yourselves. I owe you nothing, and I will settle the score for drugging the bottle."
Wang Jingshuang turned back, opened her mouth, and seeing Yan Jiaojiao's unyielding expression, immediately stopped speaking and fled as if on wind-and-fire wheels.
Yan Jiaojiao closed the window and turned to Wei Congling. "So, you were paying attention to the outside because they often harass you?"