Former Interstellar Mercenary In Urban Cultivation World
Chapter 1043: Lesson In Judgement

Chapter 1043: Lesson In Judgement

Hong Li sighed. "If it were anyone else in his shoes and they heard what you just said, wouldn’t they also get angry? Junior sister, have you forgotten what our master taught us? ’Don’t judge a person by their appearance.’ A bad temper doesn’t necessarily mean someone is evil. And those who seem like perfect gentlemen—can you guarantee they’re truly good? Even the senior brothers from the main peak often say, ’A hypocrite is more dangerous than a scoundrel.’"

Why is a hypocrite more dangerous than a scoundrel? Because a hypocrite might appear to be your friend, only to stab you in the back when you least expect it.

A scoundrel, on the other hand, is straightforward. You know they’re untrustworthy from the start, so you won’t let your guard down around them.

When the senior brothers from the main peak were mentioned, Ryeong Li immediately fell silent.

Zhar’khaen let out a small sound of surprise. He had always thought all human cultivators were loathsome. However, after encountering cultivators from the Green Lotus Sect at Silent Echo Valley, he realized not all human cultivators were the same.

Today, standing at the gates of the Green Lotus Sect and being falsely accused, he couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of disappointment. These Green Lotus Sect disciples were blindly swayed by a few emotional words, unable to see the truth.

Initially, Zhar’khaen had intended to turn around and leave, but this Hong Li had managed to utter such sound reasoning, which caught his attention.

"You’re not bad at all, kid," Zhar’khaen said bluntly, openly praising him.

Hearing himself being complimented, Hong Li chuckled. "You flatter me. These are merely lessons taught by our elders, which we disciples should strive to remember."

"That’s not necessarily true," Zhar’khaen countered. "Being taught by elders is one thing, but whether someone truly takes it to heart is another matter. Take some people, for example. They’re taught the same lessons, yet who knows what their brains are filled with? Someone says a few sweet words, and they believe it like it came from their own parents. They’d probably even thank the person who sells them out and count the money for them."

Zhar’khaen wasn’t the type to let things slide. Since Ryeong Li had offended him with her words, he had no qualms about insulting her back.

"Senior brother, look at him! He’s insulting me!" Ryeong Li was furious. She had already stopped speaking, yet this man was now mocking her in a roundabout way.

Hong Li rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Junior sister, let it go. He’s probably just blunt and didn’t mean to offend. Besides, you were in the wrong first."

Ryeong Li’s eyes widened in shock. "Senior brother! He’s clearly doing it on purpose. Not only are you not defending me, but you’re saying I was wrong first?"

"Well, isn’t that the case? You really shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions based on a few words from someone else. Honestly, you owe him an apology," Hong Li said matter-of-factly.

Ryeong Li was so infuriated that she burst into tears.

Hong Li immediately panicked. "Oh no, junior sister, don’t cry! Fine, fine, let’s forget about the apology, okay?"

"Senior brother, I think you should stop talking," another disciple nearby sighed. "The more you say, the more upset Junior Sister Li will get."

This disciple shook his head in exasperation. He had never seen anyone as straightforward and tactless as Hong Li.

It was obvious that Ryeong Li wanted comforting words, yet he kept criticizing her.

Zhar’khaen let out a derisive laugh, then said to Hong Li, "Kid, I like you. You’re my kind of person. Don’t worry—when I meet Amalia, I’ll definitely put in a good word for you."

Zhar’khaen’s words rang clearly in everyone’s ears.

Hong Li awkwardly chuckled, "You must be joking, sir. I was just speaking the truth; it doesn’t mean anything else."

"Hmph, lying without even thinking it through. Even if the Amalia you know really is a disciple of the Green Lotus Sect, she’s certainly not anyone important!" Ryeong Li snorted coldly.

Zhar’khaen squinted. He indeed wasn’t sure what Amalia’s status was within the Green Lotus Sect, but his belief wasn’t baseless.

Amalia had once mentioned that it was under her master’s guidance that they had come to Silent Echo Valley to find them and return the young master to their side.

As a descendant of the Pixiu, even if the young master’s bloodline hadn’t fully awakened back then, having the young master was equivalent to having access to half of the Pixiu ’s treasury.

What kind of person could remain indifferent in such a situation?

There was only one possibility—Amalia’s master must be one of the top-tier powerhouses of Mystic Void Continent, someone who no longer cared about material possessions.

For this reason, he was convinced that Amalia’s status in the Green Lotus Sect was not low. However, he hadn’t expected these disciples to have never even heard of her name.

All the more, this reinforced his belief—Amalia’s status must be extremely high, so much so that ordinary disciples weren’t qualified to know her name.

"If you think Amalia couldn’t possibly be an important figure in the Green Lotus Sect, would you dare make a bet with me?" Zhar’khaen’s eyes darted craftily.

"A bet? Let’s bet, then!" Ryeong Li agreed without hesitation.

Seeing the conversation take an increasingly strange turn, Daegang Zhang’s two companions grew anxious.

"Brother Zhang, we can’t let him have a chance to meet this Amalia!"

"Exactly. If this Amalia really is a disciple of the Green Lotus Sect, it’ll backfire on us, and we’ll be in serious trouble."

The truth of the matter was something only they, the parties involved, knew.

"What are you panicking for? Do you really believe there’s someone like Amalia in the Green Lotus Sect as he claims?" Unlike the two’s nervous expressions, Daegang Zhang remained calm and composed.

"What do you mean? Are you saying there’s no one named Amalia in the Green Lotus Sect?"

"I remember that as we pursued all the way here, this person’s direction was always toward the Green Lotus Sect."

"I don’t know if the Green Lotus Sect has someone named Amalia, but I’m certain this person is bluffing, trying to use the Green Lotus Sect’s name to scare us off. Why? Because the Green Lotus Sect is the top sect on Mystic Void Continent, its strength and reputation are unmatched. Most ordinary people would be frightened off the moment they approach the Green Lotus Sect. And besides..."

Daegang Zhang sneered coldly, "Even the disciples of the Green Lotus Sect haven’t heard of anyone named Amalia. Do you really believe this person actually knows someone from the Green Lotus Sect?"

The two companions hesitated. "That sounds reasonable, but what if this Amalia is some reclusive powerhouse of the Green Lotus Sect?"

"Idiots. Even if she’s reclusive, it’s unlikely that not a single sect disciple would know her. Did you see the look of certainty on that girl’s face? Her reaction is our best evidence."

Daegang Zhang cast a cold glance at Zhar’khaen, clearly intent on seeing what tricks this young man could pull.

"Oh, right. That Hong Li doesn’t seem like an ordinary inner disciple either. From his expression, it doesn’t seem like he knows anyone named Amalia," the two companions suddenly realized, almost feeling duped by Zhar’khaen.

"Just wait and see. Once he completely offends that girl and the Green Lotus Sect stops paying attention, this guy will be ours for the taking. But let’s not make it too obvious that we’re just watching the show."

Before the two companions could respond, Daegang Zhang suddenly strode forward.

"Fellow cultivators, while you may be having your bet, I have no choice but to reclaim the treasure this thief stole from me. This is a personal matter between us, and I ask that none of you interfere. Of course, once your bet is resolved, I only want my treasure back. You can do whatever you like with him afterward."

"Fine," Ryeong Li said, still feeling annoyed but finally a bit appeased by his words.

Zhar’khaen sneered. "I’ve tolerated you long enough. Since coming out of the Devil Battlefield, you’ve been hounding me nonstop. Do you really think you can defeat me?"

Among the three, only Daegang Zhang was at the Deity Transformation stage, while the other two were merely at the peak of the Soul Formation stage. In Zhar’khaen’s eyes, they were nothing to worry about. He couldn’t fathom where they got the audacity to try and ambush him.

He had forgotten that because of the effects of the Breath Concealing Pearl, his aura was completely hidden. This led Daegang Zhang to assume his cultivation was at most at the early Deity Transformation stage. Coupled with the overwhelming temptation of the treasure, Daegang Zhang decided to take the risk.

"You might be at the Deity Transformation stage, but so what? I won’t give up on the only relic my father left me just because you’re stronger. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll take it back."