Chapter 1105: Turbulent Winds

The Dawnlit Grove was lush with towering trees, veiled in a thin mist and bathed in radiant hues of twilight.

The woman’s voice carried far and wide, an unusual feat given that this was the Celestial Academy, where everyone possessed keen senses. How could they not hear it?

Even though the area was vast, with sprawling mountains and valleys, some in the distance caught her words—and in an instant, they froze in shock.

Was this an illusion? What had they just heard? That was the thought running through everyone’s mind. It was too shocking, too unbelievable!

“Climbing into Wang Xi’s bed”—was there any news more earth-shattering than this? It was nothing short of a thunderbolt. Wang Xi, the young lady of the Wang Clan, had cultivated three strands of immortal qi, placing her on an untouchable pedestal. In the eyes of many, she was a goddess—peerless in grace, lofty and unattainable.

And yet, such a scandalous rumor had surfaced. It was absolutely world-shaking.

“That madwoman!” Su Lan stomped her foot, knowing full well that this was deliberate—a calculated move to mislead everyone.

Whether people believed it or not, the mere spread of such a rumor would tarnish Wang Xi’s reputation. Chen Nuo and Su Lan were flustered.

“Lady Qi Lin, don’t you think this is going too far?” Su Lan spoke up.

“I’m merely stating a fact. Isn’t that so? I heard it with my own ears,” Qi Lin laughed from a distance.

To Su Lan and Chen Nuo, that smile was insincere, downright detestable. But as mere followers of formal disciples, they were no match for Qi Lin.

“Even the Moon Inviting Princess might not approve of your methods,” Su Lan said, trying to keep her tone measured.

Qi Lin merely chuckled, then vanished like a fairy treading on ripples, disappearing from the area.

Though she was gone, the place was anything but calm. In no time, formal disciples of the academy arrived, demanding answers.

“What happened? Was what Qi Lin said true?”

Four or five young men stormed over, their gazes sharp and intense, fixed on the group as they shouted their questions.

“Of course it’s false. You’d believe that woman’s words?” Shi Hao retorted, cutting straight to the point. He had no intention of being dragged into this whirlpool of nonsense.

Especially not over a woman’s scheming. Even if the main target was Wang Xi, he refused to be collateral damage in this sordid affair.

“You—speak!” One of them suddenly barked, locking eyes with the newly recruited female follower of Wang Xi. His pupils gleamed with an eerie light, compelling and hypnotic. “Is what Qi Lin said true?”

He was employing a formidable technique, one that could seize control of a person’s mind and force them to reveal the truth.

“Yes… he climbed into Fairy Wang Xi’s bed,” the woman murmured, her eyes vacant, her expression blank as she pointed at Shi Hao.

“What?!” The young men gasped, unable to believe their ears. They had only been testing the waters, yet they had stumbled upon this seemingly absurd “truth.”

They couldn’t accept it. Wang Xi, the most dazzling woman the Wang Clan of the Eternal Life lineage had ever produced—how could such a thing happen?

This was like seeing a ghost!

They gaped, at a loss for words.

“This… this nobody climbed into Lady Wang Xi’s bed?!” one of them roared, his face stiff with shock before contorting in fury. The idea was ludicrous.

A mere follower, an insignificant ant—what right did he have to earn the favor of a fairy from an Eternal Life lineage? It was laughable.

“That’s not what happened!” Su Lan hurriedly explained. If this spread, the damage would be irreversible.

But the young man’s furious shout had already echoed across the mountains, reaching the ears of those who were just arriving.

*Thud!*

Not far away, someone was so stunned they plummeted from midair onto the rocky ground.

The newcomers stood frozen, their faces blank. This news… was terrifying. It was downright insane, leaving some utterly devastated.

“I don’t believe it!” someone howled.

“See? I told you it was true. You heard it yourselves,” Qi Lin’s voice drifted from afar.

“That’s not how it was!” Chen Nuo quickly clarified, explaining the situation to those nearby.

But the earlier outbursts had already spread far and wide, causing an uproar. Several fragile-hearted men were particularly heartbroken.

The news was like a meteor crashing into the ocean—waves of shock surged in its wake!

Chen Nuo and Su Lan’s explanations soothed the immediate crowd, but their gazes toward Shi Hao remained sharp.

Unfortunately, those farther away remained in the dark. Misled by Qi Lin and fueled by the earlier shouts, the rumor spread like wildfire.

It was absurd, yet it was happening—precisely because it involved Wang Xi, a fairy of unparalleled popularity. Whether true or false, the news surged forth like an unstoppable tide.

“This is false. We’ve already heard the explanation,” some young elites at the Dawnlit Grove clarified. But those fanning the flames ignored them, and the rumor spread rapidly.

Soon, some dismissed it as a farce, while others swore they had heard the truth—that someone had indeed climbed into Wang Xi’s bed.

The place descended into chaos as more formal disciples arrived, demanding confirmation.

“A mere servant dares to slander Lady Wang Xi’s name? A toad lusting after swan flesh!”

“Not so. The matter is real. No one is lying.”

The rumor twisted further, growing more outrageous.

“Where is that servant? I’ll kill him!”

“Shh. He’s not a servant. He’s an acquaintance invited by Fairy Wang Xi.”

“No wonder! I thought an ordinary man couldn’t possibly climb into her bed!”

Clearly, someone was stirring the pot, spreading deliberate falsehoods to muddy the waters.

Chen Nuo and Su Lan were on the verge of losing their minds. Out of nowhere, the Dawnlit Grove was surrounded, with people demanding answers while others spread more nonsense.

This was an undeserved calamity—utterly unjust.

It had started as a misunderstanding, but malicious gossip had twisted it beyond recognition. The more they explained, the worse it got.

Those who arrived earlier believed them, but the later arrivals were here to stir trouble, making the scene chaotic and noisy.

“We’ve already said it’s false! Are you deliberately smearing her? When our lady returns, she’ll visit each of you personally!” Su Lan fumed.

“Hey, you there—acting all nonchalant. Care to explain what really happened?” someone taunted, targeting Shi Hao.

Shi Hao glanced at them, knowing full well that no matter what he said, they’d twist his words.

So he ignored them.

“Ha! Quite the attitude. Regardless, you’ve got guts—climbing into Wang Xi’s bed. Hahaha!” someone jeered.

“Idiots,” Shi Hao spat, his tone cutting and cold.

The atmosphere instantly chilled, thick with killing intent. Many turned to stare at him in surprise.

Su Lan’s scalp prickled. These were cultivators who had refined immortal qi—each one formidable. Without Wang Xi here, who could keep them in check?

She couldn’t help but think that bringing Shi Hao along had been a terrible mistake. He was going to cause a disaster.

“A worthless trash like you dares to challenge us? You’ve got a death wish!” someone sneered.

Suddenly, radiant light cascaded from the sky, rippling with a sacred aura.

Wang Xi had returned.

Her robes fluttered as she descended into the grove, her skin like flawless jade. She had heard the news and knew what had happened.

Her gaze settled on Shi Hao, her expression unreadable. Even she was at a loss for words. This guy… had caused such a storm the moment he arrived.

Naturally, she was embarrassed. When she first heard the rumor, she had wanted to beat Shi Hao senseless. But by the time she arrived, she had calmed down somewhat.

Taking a deep breath, she simply looked at him without speaking.

“Fairy Wang Xi, this man has slandered your purity. He must be dealt with!”

“Indeed! It’s been confirmed—he really did it!”

Shi Hao observed coldly, sensing the malice. The ones in the open were bad enough, but those lurking in the shadows were worse. A trivial matter had been blown out of proportion.

“If you worthless trash don’t back off, I’ll crush every last one of you,” Shi Hao declared, his tone domineering.

Silence. Then laughter erupted.

“You, who couldn’t even qualify for the Celestial Academy, dare to boast like this in front of us?”

“How adorably naive! Pitifully stupid! Who do you think you are?!”

Wang Xi remained silent, watching.

Shi Hao stepped forward and asked her, “If I kill them here, will that be a problem?”