The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 16

A’Ling hadn’t expected Zhao Diqing to come to Class B-6. Remembering that she had just heard Shi Qingqian used to be in Class B-6, she immediately understood Zhao Diqing’s reason for choosing this class.
It had nothing to do with her anyway. A’Ling didn’t bother to give her a glance. She lifted her foot, kicked aside the obstructing desk, and sat down in her own seat.
Unfortunately, the other person wouldn’t let her be quiet.
Zhao Diqing straightened her desk again, and as soon as A’Ling sat down, she leaned closer.
“‘A’Ling… I…'”
Zhao Diqing’s slender eyebrows furrowed slightly. Before she could even finish a sentence, her eyes filled with tears, and she looked pitifully at A’Ling.
A’Ling took one look and felt utterly disgusted: “‘Stop it. If you keep trying to sicken me with that expression, don’t blame me for giving you a makeover.'”
She hadn’t gone looking for Zhao Diqing. Yet this person dared to come find her? Did she really think A’Ling wouldn’t do anything to her?!
Zhao Diqing’s unshed tears clung to her eyelashes. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes. She continued, whimpering: “‘A’Ling, that matter was my fault…'”
A’Ling already knew the aftermath of that incident. Shi Qingqian had voluntarily admitted to wrongly accusing her and was undergoing self-punishment. Xing Yanchu was given thirty discipline whips and sent home with a month’s suspension. Not one of the people he brought escaped; all were imprisoned in Panli Mountain for hard labor.
As for Zhao Diqing, she had only said that A’Ling had daily disagreements with Shi Qingqian, which wasn’t really anything substantial, and didn’t warrant any punishment.
Others only thought she had misunderstood A’Ling out of a sense of justice.
Only A’Ling knew that Zhao Diqing had never considered her a friend. Everything had been a lie.
Good, she didn’t need friends. Especially ‘friends’ who would stab her in the back.
She looked at Zhao Diqing with cold eyes: “‘I remember telling you to stay three feet away from me, or I’d break your legs.'”
She paused, her voice growing colder: “‘Do you think I won’t act, or do you think I can’t beat you?'”
Her words were truly full of threat, making Zhao Diqing’s scalp tingle instantly. She hurriedly pulled back some distance: “‘A’Ling…'”
A’Ling scoffed. Good, at least she knows fear.
Zhao Diqing’s face was pale: “‘A’Ling, just because I made one mistake, you won’t forgive me?'”
She was starting to panic. She had thought that if she came to apologize and plead, A’Ling would let it go. This time, it seemed different…
A’Ling didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids: “‘What, do I have to give you another chance so you can stab me in the back again?'”
Her words were mocking, making Zhao Diqing’s face flush crimson.
In the past month, she had heard many people say she was unkind, saying that A’Ling was her friend, yet she didn’t believe her and even came forward to slander her.
Zhao Diqing didn’t believe that Shi Qingqian had wronged A’Ling. At that time, she had earnestly pleaded with A’Ling, yet A’Ling hadn’t gone to save Shi Qingqian. So why did she suddenly go later?
It must have been the Huo family that demanded Shi Qingqian lie. Shi Qingqian was only doing it for the Huo family’s reputation. But when she said that, it made Zhao Diqing’s situation very awkward.
Zhao Diqing blamed all of this on A’Ling. Today, she had already humbled herself so much, yet she was still pushing her luck and refusing to let it go.
“‘A’Ling, have you forgotten? When you first came to Hongjian Academy, you knew nothing, you had no one to talk to. It was I who took pity on you being alone and took you under my wing—Ah—'”
Before Zhao Diqing could finish speaking, A’Ling grabbed her by the collar and threw her out.
The teaching hall instantly fell silent. A’Ling clapped her hands: “‘Remember my words. In the future, stay three feet away from me, or I’ll break your legs and dig up your skull to kick around like a ball.'”
Zhao Diqing pushed herself up from the ground with her arms, looking at A’Ling in disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe A’Ling would actually lay a hand on her.
Someone in the teaching hall went to help Zhao Diqing up: “‘Are you okay? Do you need me to tell the cultivation master?'”
Soon, a group of people gathered around Zhao Diqing. All of them stared at A’Ling, either with caution, disgust, or indignation.
A’Ling just glanced at Zhao Diqing, smiling disdainfully: “‘Go quickly if you want to. You’re so good at complaining anyway.'”
After her shock, Zhao Diqing’s face was covered in tears, but instead of looking at A’Ling, she wailed to the people around her: “‘A’Ling, how could you do this? Regarding Shi Qingqian’s matter, I only went to Elder Zeng because I was worried you would cause great trouble!'”
“‘If you’re mad that I told Elder Zeng, then I apologize to you. But how could you just hit someone like that?'”
Zhao Diqing finished speaking, then just quietly wept, looking at A’Ling. Her eyes were full of grievance, looking utterly pitiful.
Indeed, her crying, just like every time in her previous life, caused more and more people to blame A’Ling.
Looking at Zhao Diqing, who was being protected by others, A’Ling’s heart somehow suddenly felt a burden lifted. A corner named Zhao Diqing ceased to exist for her from that moment on.
In her previous life, after Zhao Diqing’s betrayal, she had more than once wondered if she had done something wrong to make her change. Now A’Ling knew: Zhao Diqing had never changed; she had always been like this.
The mistake was A’Ling’s. She had actually thought they were friends before.
They never were. At least, Zhao Diqing had never considered her a friend.
The Chaotic Stone Bell rang out with a lingering, profound sound, abruptly ending the farce in this corner. Zhao Diqing claimed she didn’t want to delay everyone’s class, and moved her desk to her new ‘friends” area.
A’Ling was happy to have the peace and quiet, and fully immersed herself in cultivation. She wanted to achieve Core Formation early, enter the inner sect, and become stronger.
When the bell rang again, A’Ling even felt that time had passed too quickly. The cultivation that used to bore her now felt interesting. This morning, she felt as if she could slightly control the spiritual energy within her body.
If she could get the Qi-Gathering Primordial Pill, she would definitely be able to accelerate her Core Formation speed. She had to find Gu Jingyang and tell her to go all out.
As Gu Jingyang finished her breathing exercise and opened her eyes, she saw A’Ling standing outside the teaching hall, waving at her. Her heart startled, thinking something had happened.
“‘A’Ling, are you looking for me?'” Gu Jingyang quickly stood up. Before leaving the teaching hall, she glanced back: Shi Qingqian was still sitting with her eyes closed, doing her breathing exercise.
A’Ling also saw Shi Qingqian. Not wanting Shi Qingqian to overhear, she pulled Gu Jingyang towards the dining hall.
“‘Let’s talk while we eat.'”
Gu Jingyang frowned at the thought of the food in the dining hall. Although she hadn’t yet reached Bigu, she had already detached herself from the habit of needing food to fill her stomach.
Normally, she ate only when she craved something, simply enjoying the food.
However, seeing that A’Ling seemed to have something serious to discuss, Gu Jingyang reluctantly took a portion of fruit and sat by the side, watching A’Ling eat.
A’Ling ate quickly but gracefully, not unattractively, making others feel hungry by watching her.
“‘So you just came to tell me to take the afternoon competition seriously?'” Gu Jingyang hadn’t expected A’Ling to care so much about this.
A’Ling swallowed a piece of pumpkin as she nodded: “‘You win, then choose me as a teammate, and we’ll go together to fight the Ferocious Beast and win that Qi-Gathering Primordial Pill!'”
Gu Jingyang understood: “‘You want that Qi-Gathering Primordial Pill. But it doesn’t have to be me who wins. If Shi Qingqian wins and chooses you, wouldn’t getting the Qi-Gathering Primordial Pill be a sure thing with her on your team?'”
A’Ling was fortunate to have finished her last mouthful of food, or she would have choked.
“‘Someone with such malicious intentions, if you team up with her, you might end up being schemed against, and besides, how could she possibly choose me as a team member?'”
Gu Jingyang forked a piece of white jade melon into her mouth and leisurely said: “‘In that case, even if I lose, I’ll simply be choosing after her. If she doesn’t pick you, wouldn’t I be able to choose you anyway? Why do I absolutely have to win?'”
A’Ling almost choked on her mouthful of melon. It seemed that was indeed the logic. If Shi Qingqian didn’t choose her, wouldn’t Gu Jingyang be able to choose her instead?
But what if Shi Qingqian was up to something malicious, and deliberately chose her, knowing she wanted the Qi-Gathering Primordial Pill, then intentionally lost so A’Ling wouldn’t get it? It was hard to say; anything was possible.
Seeing Gu Jingyang’s extremely casual attitude, A’Ling’s eyes rolled, and her face sobered: “‘I’ve bet on you to win, you know.'”
Gu Jingyang smiled: “‘That ‘entire fortune’ you mentioned earlier, seven or eight spiritual stones? It’s fine, if you lose, I’ll compensate you.'”
“‘I’ve doubled it. You might not be able to afford to compensate me now.'” A’Ling also leisurely put a piece of white jade melon into her mouth. “‘You forgot, my fortune has increased.'”
Gu Jingyang laughed even more heartily. She hadn’t expected A’Ling to take the hundred thousand spiritual stones and immediately increase her bet for Gu Jingyang to win. It would only be seven or eight hundred anyway; how could she not afford to compensate her?
“‘How much did you add?'”
“‘Ten thousand.'”

The spiritual energy arena that afternoon, the sun was dazzling, and the area around the spiritual energy arena was packed with students who came to watch the competition.
Gu Jingyang walked into the spiritual energy arena with heavy steps. She felt as though she was carrying a debt of ten thousand spiritual stones on her back, and her creditor was still behind her, waving flags and cheering.
“‘Gu Jingyang, you can do it! You must win!'”
Her powerful shout made everyone in the spiritual energy arena look their way. Those blocking the path quickly stepped aside, clearing a way for Gu Jingyang.
Gu Jingyang felt that she had never been so highly anticipated before.
However, compared to Shi Qingqian’s popularity, it was truly dismal.
The moment Shi Qingqian appeared, she became the brightest focus in the crowd. Clad in white, she was exceptionally beautiful and ethereal.
The crowd cheered excitedly: “‘Shi Qingqian is here! Make way!'”
A’Ling looked at Shi Qingqian on the opposite side, who was being surrounded and ushered into the field. She pursed her lips. Just you wait, Gu Jingyang will definitely win this time.
To boost her morale, she had claimed eight spiritual stones were ten thousand.
Gu Jingyang wiped the sweat from her forehead. She glanced at today’s sun; the sunlight wasn’t particularly fierce. So why was she sweating so much?
She must be nervous.
She looked back at the culprit.
A’Ling seeing Gu Jingyang looking her way, thought she needed encouragement. She cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and loudly shouted: “‘Gu Jingyang will win!'”
Gu Jingyang’s legs went weak. Her first instinct was to check Shi Qingqian’s expression. She couldn’t discern any difference from her expression during previous competitions.
However, Gu Jingyang felt a faint unease in her heart.
Elder Zeng arrived slowly, accompanied by the ringing of the Chaotic Stone Bell, and, as usual, announced the day’s competition rules.
It was no different from before. There would be three rounds in total: Sword Combat, Art Combat, and Spiritual Energy Combat. Best of three.
Gu Jingyang felt that to win, it would all come down to the final round of Spiritual Energy Combat.
She had never been Shi Qingqian’s match in Sword Combat, and was already prepared to lose this round.
Art Combat was her strong suit. Shi Qingqian had never beaten her in this area, so the second round should be her win.
The key lay in the third round, Spiritual Energy Combat. She had always lost this round before.
Although they were both in the Core Formation realm now, Shi Qingqian had reached Core Formation a few days earlier than her, so her cultivation should be slightly higher. But the difference wasn’t that great; perhaps if she fought hard, she still had a chance to win.
Before, she always went all out. Now, she might need to use two hundred percent of her ability to succeed.
After all, for A’Ling’s ten thousand spiritual stones, she couldn’t afford not to fight!