Función clerical

Capítulo 17

Shen Zhili: "..."

Turning his head, he saw another burly man squeeze into the crowd and pat Su Chenche on the shoulder with his palm: "Twelfth Brother, you've been gone for quite some time now, I was so worried about you! Where have you been making your fortune? By the way, where's Qian-mei? Isn't she always by your side?"

The big man seemed completely oblivious to the gossipy glances directed at him from the side, and laughed as he scratched his head.

Su Chenche paused for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Brother Gai, you must be mistaken. I... have never had a Qian girl by my side."

The big man exclaimed, "Hey bro, you've got amnesia, haven't you? Qian is Bai Qian, the girl who's fierce, beautiful, and loves wielding a big knife. You used to like her a lot... If you don't believe me, ask everyone... Hey, hey, why are you all turning your heads away? Come and be my witness!"

Su Chenche patted his shoulder in return, his tone full of certainty: "Brother Gai, please don't say such things in front of my sweetheart."

My beloved!

All eyes turned to Shen Zhili, who was following behind Su Chenche and stuffing a piece of cookie into her mouth.

Shen Zhili had a piece of cake in her mouth, feeling a kind of painful tension, unable to swallow it.

The burly man hurriedly said, "That's not right, but clearly..."

Seeing the strange looks he was getting from the people around him, the burly man stopped talking, frowned, thought for a moment, and then chuckled awkwardly, "Well... I must have misremembered. I'm not even old yet, and my memory is already failing me. I deserve a beating..." He then turned to Shen Zhili and began rambling on as if to cover up his earlier mistake, "Sister-in-law, look at my memory! Twelve is a fine young man! He's skilled in martial arts, handsome, and most importantly, he has excellent character. These days, men with such good character are rare. You must cherish him! Give Twelve a few chubby sons so he can inherit his mantle."

Good character! May you have a son!

The guy you're talking about definitely isn't Su Chenche! This guy is a shady businessman!

"I... cough cough cough..."

The cookie she had finally managed to swallow was stuck in her throat, and Shen Zhili's cheeks turned red as she choked, shaking her head in pain.

"Ali, what's wrong? Are you choking? Water...drink some water!"

A warm hand gently stroked down Shen Zhili's back, but the voice was filled with anxious concern.

Shen Zhili didn't have time to think, took the cup and gulped it down in two big gulps...

Damn it, this isn't water, it's wine...

I could faintly hear the sounds of conversation.

One person said, "Doesn't this scene look familiar...?"

Another person chimed in, "Yes, to some extent. It seems that Young Master Twelve Nights used to be just as concerned about Ye Qianqian."

Another person said, "I think, could it be that he mistook this woman for Ye Qianqian?"

Another person pondered, "...That's not impossible, but perhaps Young Master Twelve Nights has had enough of delicacies and wants to try something simpler, like porridge and side dishes. This woman is really..."

One person made a decision: "...So ordinary that you wouldn't even notice it in a crowd."

Not only did they mention his ex-girlfriend, but they also took the opportunity to insult him!

Shen Zhili's cheeks flushed, her eyes slightly glazed. Upon hearing the sound, she smashed the porcelain cup in her hand to the ground and roared angrily, "Who said I'm so ordinary that I'd disappear into a crowd? Get out here right now!"

This kind of temperament... everyone suddenly understood.

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After Shen Zhili regained her senses, she was filled with remorse.

Aside from her master's specially made wine, she's a total knockout with everything she drinks... after just one glass.

After one drink, she was basically out of consciousness.

Sitting on the lower side, Su Chenche was very attentive, serving Shen Zhili tea, water, and snacks.

After taking the hangover medicine and regaining her senses, Shen Zhili pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ignore the strange gazes that were still faintly cast at her from the side. At the same time, she really wanted to slap the human-shaped Bagua target sitting next to her to the ends of the earth.

Fortunately, the voice of the Huashan Sect Leader on the stage quickly drew everyone's attention back.

"...Thank you all for coming. That's all I have to say... Now, please pay attention to the competition order on the west curtain wall. The competition will officially begin at noon."

As soon as he finished speaking, several young men carrying swords stepped forward from various sects.

Having practiced medicine for many years, Shen Zhili had seen many handsome men, but this was the first time she had ever seen so many at the same time.

Most martial arts practitioners are tall and handsome, with long hair tied up in a neat and capable manner. Even if they are not as good-looking as Su Chenche, their temperament alone is enough. From a distance, the many young heroes holding various weapons and standing in front of the curtain wall are quite a sight to behold. Many of the female heroes present stared wide-eyed and whispered among themselves.

Everyone loves beauty, and seeing this, Shen Zhili's depressed mood improved somewhat.

He rested his chin on his hand, pulled out the martial arts tournament invitation book, and asked while looking at it, "What's this for?"

Su Chenche peeled an orange and handed it to Shen Zhili, blocking Shen Zhili's view, and replied, "The Martial Arts Tournament is held every three years, with two competitions each year. Today's competition is for young heroes under the age of thirty, and tomorrow's competition is for grandmasters. The former will earn you the title of Martial Arts Rising Star, while the latter will earn you the title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader."

Shen Zhili, with an orange in her mouth, tried to push away the obstructing Su Chenche.

Su Chenche said in a low voice, "Zhi Li, are they prettier than me?"

Shen Zhili looked carefully and honestly replied, "It seems there really isn't one."

Although some of them were indeed quite good, Su Chenche's seemingly innocent face was still more pleasing to the eye.

Su Chenche blocked her way again: "Zhi Li, can't you just look at me?"

Shen Zhili pushed impatiently, "I've been looking at your face for over a month. Even if it's beautiful, I'm tired of it. Can't you just move aside?"

Biting his lip, Su Chenche repeated softly, "Are you tired of it...?"

Shen Zhili shifted her gaze from the group of young heroes, her eyes meeting Su Chenche's trembling eyelashes, which looked as if he had been hurt. "Hey... don't look at me like that, it's like I abandoned you after starting something... I didn't just like him because he's good-looking, it's just..." She changed the subject, "Oh, by the way, you're not thirty yet, are you? Why aren't you going down to participate in the competition?"

Su Chenche: "...Don't you want to see me?"

Shen Zhili: "No, it's not that..."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Chenche had already stood up and left.

After finishing the orange in two bites, Shen Zhili was stunned. Was he angry? She hadn't said anything...

Just as I was about to chase after him, someone grabbed my sleeve.

Shen Zhili turned her head and saw a smartly dressed, beautiful young woman looking at her with big, bright eyes. Several bells hung from her body, making a melodious sound when she moved.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

The girl sat down where Su Chenche had just been, wrinkling her nose: "Please tell me, how exactly can I get my hands on Twelfth Brother!"

Shen Zhili's lips twitched: "...How would I know about something like that?"

The girl pouted, "You must have taken advantage of Twelfth Brother's heartbreak and pain after being deceived by that wicked woman, and seized the opportunity to get close to him!" Before Shen Zhili could answer, the girl stared at her and speculated, "That must be it, what good luck! Oh no, after Twelfth Brother was hurt by that woman, he definitely won't like a pretty girl like me anymore. After all, no one else would want an ugly girl like you, so I can only stay by his side. Ugh, should I try to make myself ugly? But what if I'm naturally beautiful and can't make myself ugly no matter what I do? But for Twelfth Brother, oh dear, it's such a struggle..."

Ugly, ugly, ugly!

Even if Shen Zhili isn't a stunning beauty, she's still a long way from being ugly!

The biggest taboo of my life was touched.

Shen Zhili pulled his sleeve away from the girl's hand and said calmly, "Miss, you have too high an opinion of yourself."

She paused, then added, "Also, compared to Ye Qianqian... I think you're ugly enough without any effort on your part."

Upon hearing this, the girl's eyes widened, as if she had heard something very surprising.

When it comes to people who annoy her, Shen Zhili never hesitates to make them even more annoyed: "Don't stare so wide, it makes you look even uglier."

Girl: "You, you actually..."

Shen Zhili: "So you still have a stutter, ugly woman."

The girl was so angry she wanted to draw her sword.

Shen Zhili: "The way he draws his sword is also ugly."

Girl: "I'll kill you!"

With a flick of his fingers, a long needle soaked in numbing powder instantly appeared in Shen Zhili's hand.

A hand reached out at just the right moment and stopped the imminent battle.

"Xiao'er, don't do anything reckless!"

The man in the moon-white robe pressed down on the girl's shoulder, and said apologetically to Shen Zhili, "My younger sister is impulsive and has offended many people. Please forgive her."

Shen Zhili calmly withdrew the silver needles and said, "It's alright, I've always been very tolerant of ugly women."

The girl burst into tears, burying her face in the man's arms and pounding her fists repeatedly: "Brother, she said I'm ugly! Waaaaah! Help me teach her a lesson!"

The man looked troubled and said to Shen Zhili, "Miss, this... could you please say a few words to comfort her?" As he spoke, the man kept stroking the girl's back to comfort her, and occasionally whispered some words of coaxing.

Shen Zhili suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Leaves fall and drift beneath the sycamore tree.

The little girl in my memory hugged her knees, pouting with a wronged expression.

Upon seeing this, the alluring young man stepped forward and, while gently rubbing her cheeks, said, "With such a perfect master and senior brother, what is there to be sad about?"

The little girl stood up, pushed him away, and walked into the house without saying a word.

The boy followed behind her, impatiently saying, "What's wrong with you now? Did someone bully you again? Tell me right now! Damn it, it's one thing for me to bully my junior sister, but when did it become anyone else's turn to bully her! I'm going to go and beat him so badly his own mother wouldn't recognize him."

The little girl glared at him and said, "Master said he'll beat you up if you swear again."

The boy lifted the little girl's chin, a wicked smile on his face, and said, "Don't you think your senior brother is more charming this way? Never mind, you wouldn't understand anyway. Sigh, what's wrong with you?"

The little girl rubbed her red eyes: "They said I'm ugly and don't deserve to be Master's apprentice. They also said I'll never get married."

The little girl, who was only ten years old and had not yet fully developed, did indeed have an ordinary appearance.

The boy lifted her chin, examined her closely for a long time, and said something he didn't mean: "They're not particularly ugly, cough cough, I don't think they're that pretty either... They can't get married... Then you can tell them you'll marry me when you grow up, how about that? Having a senior brother as a fiancé is quite prestigious, isn't it! If all else fails, there's still Master, right? I'll beg Master to order them all to be betrothed to the old man sweeping the valley entrance, hmm, that doesn't sound too bad..."

Before he could finish speaking, the girl had already hugged him tightly, as if he were her only remaining family member.

What a foolish past... No matter what, her master and senior brothers will no longer be her support.

Shen Zhili moved her lips, her eyes half-lowered, and said, "Don't cry. I just said you're ugly. You might not actually be ugly..."

The girl turned around, wiping away her tears: "Oh right, why should I believe you! I've always been stunningly beautiful, you're just jealous!"

With another "humph," the girl strode away proudly.

The young man smiled at her and said, "My name is Du Yizhi from Hengshan. This is my younger sister, Du Xiaoxiao. If there is anything I can help you with in the future, please feel free to come to me."

Shen Zhili smiled: "She has a good older brother."

Du Yizhi's face flushed slightly, and he cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "The competition is about to begin, so please allow me to go ahead first."

Before long, the competition began, but Su Chenche still hadn't returned.

Just as the first duel between two people had finished and the next two were about to enter the arena, the Huashan Sect Leader suddenly stepped onto the stage and said, "Just now, Young Master Twelve Nights requested of me that the competition be changed to a ring tournament. He is willing to serve as the champion of this ring as a three-time martial arts newcomer. Does anyone else have any objections?"