Chapter 86: Slacking Off, Day Eighty-Six
Xu Huang remembered a fairy tale she had heard as a child.
It was during a time when she was stealing a mantou, and she happened to overhear the lady of the house telling the story to her child.
The story was fascinating; she had even become entranced listening to it.
She was so entranced that… when her empty stomach let out a loud rumble, she didn’t even react fast enough to run away.
Xu Huang would never forget that story, nor would she forget the version of herself that scrambled desperately to pick up the dirty mantou that the lady of the house had trampled into a mushy mess.
The name of that story was The Emperor’s New Clothes.
With a flick of her long sleeves, an imperceptible strand of puppet silk extended from within.
Channeling qi to her fingertips, the puppet silk instantly split into several extremely fine threads. With a flip of her hand, the threads rapidly extended to several disciples, some near and some far.
Concealed by her long sleeves, almost no one noticed Xu Huangâs movements.
“Wait! Look! Wen Ying is already here!”
A shout suddenly erupted from among the spectating disciples.
“Where? Where is she?” Everyone craned their necks, looking around anxiously.
After looking for a long time, they naturally found nothing.
“What are you talking about? There’s nothing there.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Is lying fun for you?”
When only one person shouted such words, the crowdâs tone was filled with displeasure and accusation.
“No, look! Isn’t she standing right there on the stage!”
At that moment, from another direction in the crowd, a second shout rang out.
When a second person said the same thing, the crowd shifted from certainty to self-doubt.
Could it be… that Wen Ying really is standing on the stage, and we’re just too blind to see her?
“I see her too! I see her too!” came another shout from yet another direction. “She used an Invisibility Spell! Everyone, focus your breath and mind; those with higher cultivation than her can see through it! Miss Mu on stage, be careful!”
When the third person said this, the crowd was already convinced.
They began to channel their qi one after another, yet their investigations yielded no results.
However, just then, more shouts came.
“I see it!”
“I see it too! Miss Mu, watch out! She’s drawing her sword!”
“Left shoulder! She’s going to slash your left shoulder!”
Voices came from all directions among the spectators, the descriptions becoming increasingly detailed, as if it were actually happening.
Even Mu Xiaoxiao on stage began to suspect that perhaps her cultivation really was lower than Wen Ying’s, which was why she couldn’t see her.
Hearing the warnings from the disciples, Mu Xiaoxiao instinctively dodged to the right.
This dodge practically confirmed Wen Yingâs existence.
A momentary silence fell over the crowd.
Could it be that my cultivation is actually inferior to that trash, Wen Ying, which is why others can see her, but I can’t?
No. How can I admit to such a thing!
“I… I see her too!”
“Me too!”
“Yes, yes, yes! She’s standing right there on the stage! She definitely used an Invisibility Spell!”
More and more people who weren’t controlled by the puppet strings began lying through their teeth.
Even Xu Mofeng on the stage was stunned.
The disciples all saw her, yet he…
Could it be that the failure of the Ping’an Town plan caused a shortage in my supply of true qi?
No, I absolutely cannot let others detect this!
Thus, Xu Mofeng assumed a solemn expression and addressed the “Wen Ying” who didn’t exist at all. “Wen Ying, in the future, you must take note: before the match officially begins, you are not permitted to make a move, not even using an Invisibility Spell.”
After a pause, as if he had seen Wen Ying’s reaction, Xu Mofeng nodded reluctantly. “Seeing that your attitude in admitting your mistake is good, and since there is indeed no precedent for this, I will allow it this time. Let the match continue!”
Later, when Wen Ying learned what had happened today through mind-reading: “…”
She had to admit, Xu Huang was suited to be a director. Controlling dozens of roles by herself, with every line successfully driving the plot forward, she had choreographed a grand play.
And Xu Mofeng… was truly a genius actor.
With both director and actor present, it was a pity they didn’t actually film it.
The corners of Xu Huang’s mouth curled up into a smile.
Satisfied, she retracted the puppet silk and extended her hand from her sleeve.
Clothes that only smart people can see are called the Emperor’s New Clothes.
And a Wen Ying that only people with high cultivation can seeâshe would name this The Emperor’s New Wen Ying.
“Go, Miss Mu!”
“Yeah, yeah! Using an Invisibility Spell right off the bat, how shameless! Luckily someone saw through it!”
The spectating disciples became lively again, just like in every one of Wen Ying’s previous matches.
Some began to accuse the nonexistent Wen Ying, while others stared at the empty space as if analyzing Wen Ying’s moves.
Aside from Xu Huang, it seemed as though everyone in the arena had that nonexistent Wen Ying in their eyes…
Three people make a tiger; once a rumor starts, people in this world are truly easy to deceive.
Xu Huang toyed with her fingers, lifting her eyelids slightly.
As long as they believed Wen Ying existed, everything that followed would be under Xu Huang’s control.
Just as Mu Xiaoxiao on stage was feeling somewhat overwhelmed facing a “Wen Ying” she couldn’t find, she suddenly felt a surge of qi attacking from her right.
She immediately retrieved her weapon from the space ring on her handâa hoeâand struck forcefully in the direction of the incoming qi.
The non-Kunlun Cave disciples were stunned when they saw Mu Xiaoxiaoâs unique weapon.
The disciples had truly never seen such a weapon before…
They had long heard that after Mu Xiaoxiao’s family fell on hard times, the Kunlun Cave disciple had rebuilt her fortune from scratch by farming, but they hadn’t expected that even her weapon would be so… prominently agricultural.
The hoe collided with the stream of qi, producing the sound of metal clashing against metal.
Judging by the sound, it seemed to be a longsword.
Blocked in one strike, the opponent immediately changed direction, turning to attack Mu Xiaoxiao’s left arm.
Unable to see her opponent, Mu Xiaoxiao couldn’t judge the direction of the next stab. She was forced to roll awkwardly on the ground to dodge the second blow.
Such agile maneuvering… meant that there was indeed a second person on the stage at this moment.
Mu Xiaoxiao had suspected that someone might be playing tricks, manipulating a weapon remotely with qi, but now it seemed impossible.
There was, indeed, a real person fighting Mu Xiaoxiao at this moment.
It was Xu Huang.
Mu Xiaoxiao’s cultivation had reached the Bing rank. Xu Huang, relying only on her age advantage, had a cultivation level only slightly higher than hers. If she controlled it remotely, it would be difficult to injure her and complete the first step of the plan.
In the crowd, the absence of Xu Huang wouldn’t attract anyone’s attention.
And since everyone assumed “Wen Ying” was using an Invisibility Spell, all their attention and qi were focused on trying to break “Wen Ying’s” spell. Naturally, they wouldn’t notice Xu Huang, who had slapped an Invisibility Talisman on herself.
Xu Huang’s cultivation was already higher than Mu Xiaoxiao’s, and with Mu Xiaoxiao in the open while she was in the dark, relying only on sound to locate her opponent, Mu Xiaoxiao quickly fell to a disadvantage.
Xu Huang felt the time was about right.
She suddenly switched her longsword for a short blade, seized the opportunity, and slashed towards Mu Xiaoxiao’s face!
However, man proposes, but heaven disposes.
At that exact moment, by sheer coincidence, a bird egg fell from the sky and landed right on the top of Mu Xiaoxiao’s head.
Mu Xiaoxiao instinctively ducked her head.
And so, Xu Huangâs short blade sliced right across the top of Mu Xiaoxiaoâs head. It didn’t scratch her face, but it sliced off a patch of black hair right from the crown.
Master Stylist Xu Huang was truly formidable. With one slash, Mu Xiaoxiao was the proud owner of a new hairstyleâthe “Mediterranean” bald spot!
Recommended Reads
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)
![[ABO] After Accidental Marking, I Became Everyone’s Darling](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ABO-225x300.jpeg)
