The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

After blurting everything out in one go, Lu Sangjiu couldn’t resist sneaking a peek at Xie Ningyuan.

He stood there silently, his head slightly lowered, and didn’t speak for a long time.

The night was thick, and Lu Sangjiu couldn’t quite see his expression. She had no idea if he believed her.

Feeling uneasy, she couldn’t help but open her mouth to ask something.

But before she could get a word out, Xie Ningyuan spoke first.

”You said... the Bodhi Bracelet was the only thing left on her body?”

Lu Sangjiu: ...?

She failed to control her expression for a moment, her face a mask of utter confusion.

’So... after I said all that, this is the only thing he cares about???’

After a long silence, Lu Sangjiu couldn’t hold back any longer. For the first time, she asked with genuine suspicion, ”You... you don’t actually have a secret crush on her, do you?”

’Is it because he has a secret crush on her? Is that why he’s so desperate to find her, and why he’s fixated on a minor detail like the only thing left on her body being the Bodhi Bracelet he gave her?’

’Oh! Thinking about it that way, everything actually makes perfect sense!’

Then she heard Xie Ningyuan let out a soft scoff and ask disdainfully, ”Have you been reading too many romance novels?”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

’I knew it. I’m not Ye Zhiyao; I don’t have the protagonist’s halo. Seducing the Buddha Son and dragging him down from his divine pedestal... no matter how I think about it, that’s not the kind of script a cannon fodder character like me is supposed to get!’

Her expression went blank. ”Oh, I was just saying. It’s good that it’s not the case.”

But as for why Xie Ningyuan was really looking for her, he clearly wasn’t planning to say any more.

After another moment of silence, Xie Ningyuan spoke again. ”What you said sounds convincing, but... I still don’t believe she’s dead. Not unless you swear a Heart Demon Oath.”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

’We’ve come full circle, and he’s still asking me to swear a Heart Demon Oath. Is he for real?!’

She ground her teeth and said defiantly, ”You tell me to swear an oath, so I should just do it? Why should I listen to you?”

”I’ve told you everything I know. Take it or leave it!”

With that, she turned and walked away.

The Barrier was only soundproof; it didn’t stop anyone from leaving.

So Lu Sangjiu walked away unimpeded, putting seven or eight meters between them in an instant.

But with a flicker of his form, Xie Ningyuan appeared behind Lu Sangjiu in a flash, his hand clamping down on her shoulder.

Unlike his usual demeanor—whether his kindness was an act or genuine—his voice now held a dangerous, icy chill. ”Did I say you could leave?”

Lu Sangjiu froze. Then, she suddenly grabbed his hand and spun around. Tearing at her own collar, she cried out in a terrified voice, ”Mr. Xie, what are you doing? Let go of me... Ah!”

Xie Ningyuan was clearly stunned. Seeing her rip at her own clothes, he immediately tried to let go.

But she held on to him with a death grip. To shake her off, he subconsciously used a bit of force.

Then, Lu Sangjiu was sent flying in a graceful arc... before crashing heavily to the ground!

SPIT! Lu Sangjiu coughed up a large mouthful of blood, her breathing instantly becoming faint and shallow.

”Immortal!”

”Ms. Lu!”

Gu Jue and the others had heard Lu Sangjiu’s cry and rushed over. They arrived right as she was thrown to the ground.

Seeing her pale face, the blood on her lips, and her disheveled collar, the group instantly pieced together what they thought had happened.

Gu Jue had the least tolerance for this sort of thing and immediately drew his sword on Xie Ningyuan. ”Mr. Xie, I never imagined you were this kind of person.”

Liu Xi helped Lu Sangjiu up, straightening her collar as she said sarcastically, ”You may look human on the outside, but you do things that are worse than what an animal would do!”

Chi Yan was also furious. ”And to think I actually thought you were a good person! I must have been blind!”

Lin Ziye frowned as well. ”Mr. Xie, it is natural to appreciate beauty, but to commit such a despicable act is truly unacceptable...”

”Mr. Gu mentioned before that you were a Buddhist Practitioner. Looking at you now, I have to wonder if you said that deliberately to make us lower our guard.”

Had it been anyone else, they might have had their doubts. But Xie Ningyuan had saved Lu Sangjiu several times before, and his interest in her was obvious.

Furthermore, they had all met Lu Sangjiu first and had all, to some extent, been helped by her. Their first impression of her as a good person was firmly rooted in their minds.

And since they had all just seen Xie Ningyuan send Lu Sangjiu flying with their own eyes, they now naturally stood on her side without a moment’s hesitation.

Xie Ningyuan was dumbfounded by the barrage of accusations. Even though he realized what Lu Sangjiu was doing, he couldn’t possibly reveal their earlier conversation to the others, which left him with no way to explain the situation.

He was rendered speechless, but Lu Sangjiu was still in the middle of her performance.

She anxiously tugged on Gu Jue and Chi Yan, a panicked look on her face. ”Don’t be rash! He... he’s very powerful. I think he was hiding his true strength before.”

As she spoke, she forced a smile. ”Anyway... I’m not seriously hurt. Just let him go. There’s no need to fight him for my sake. If any of you get hurt, I’ll be overwhelmed with guilt!”

Supporting her, Liu Xi said in exasperation, ”Why are you being so timid? There are a bunch of us, and my senior brother is here too. What’s there to be afraid of?!”

Xie Ningyuan: ”...”

He was finally witnessing Lu Sangjiu’s true capabilities.

She hadn’t told a single lie, yet she had made everyone misunderstand him completely.

Xie Ningyuan laughed in exasperation. ”Ms. Lu, since you’re playing the victim so well, why don’t you tell everyone what exactly I did to you just now?”

Lu Sangjiu immediately put on a frightened expression, waving her hands frantically. ”No, no... You didn’t do anything to me.”

Then, she pleaded with the others, ”Really, it’s all a misunderstanding! Please don’t be rash, he’s incredibly powerful!”

But after she said this, no one believed her. In fact, it only made them more furious.

Liu Xi was the first to explode. ”You do something like this and then try to force her to describe it just to humiliate her further? Are you even a man? Pah!”

Xie Ningyuan: ”...”

He had thought he was quite the actor, but he never expected to meet someone even better at putting on a show.

At this point, there was nothing he could say to talk his way out of this... The outcome was set!

Indeed, without giving him any further chance to explain, Gu Jue charged at him with his sword, not hesitating for a second!

Gu Jue’s strength was not to be underestimated. With both of their cultivation levels suppressed to the Foundation Establishment Stage, even Xie Ningyuan had to treat him with caution.

But he had no intention of continuing to argue with them. So, after a brief clash, he used the force of the blow to retreat a dozen meters.

His figure was completely swallowed by the darkness, and only a soft chuckle echoed from within it.

It was impossible to tell if his tone held admiration or anger. His final words to Lu Sangjiu were, ”You’ve certainly got some tricks... I’ll be back for you.”

Once she was sure Xie Ningyuan had left, Lu Sangjiu breathed a silent sigh of relief. At the same time, however, his final words made her worried.

’After all... once we’re out of the Qingyu Secret Realm, forget about me—even my master might not be a match for Xie Ningyuan!’