Peering at the scruffy looking youth before her, Jun Wu Xie's memory was jolted. Wasn't this the unkempt youth she had met in Ghost City that sold her those dilapidated books?
With his face cleaned up, she could not recognize him at all.
"Remember me now?" The youth blinked his eyes in anticipation.
"It's you?" Jun Wu Xie remarked calmly.
The youth wiped off the dust from his face and said: "You remember me at last."
Jun Wu Xie nodded slightly. She had gone to the Ghost City only once, and she had changed her looks then only once like she had now. She had not expected that after so many months, the unkempt youth had recognised her at once.
"I did not think you would come to the Qing Yun Clan, I would not have thought they have anything that you might need." The youth said as he continued to wipe his sleeve across his face. He had spotted Jun Wu Xie from afar earlier, and had hesitated not because he did not dare approach Jun Wu Xie, but was wondering why a kid who could concoct far better elixirs and medicine than the Qing Yun Clan come such a long way to apply to enter the Qing Yun Clan as a disciple.
Jun Wu Xie looked at the youth, with her eyes showing no intention to reply.
As though conscious of the fact that he was prying, the youth scratched vigorously at his hair and hurriedly tried to explain: "I am not trying to pry, but was just happy to see a familiar face here, and got a little too excited."
Jun Wu Xie raised an eyebrow. Were they already familiar with each other?
The unkempt youth seemed oblivious to Jun Wu Xie's cold and distant eyes and in fact became more and more enthusiastic.
The other youth who had been thrown unceremoniously had already gotten to his feet holding his bottom and stared angrily at the unkempt youth who had rudely poked his nose into his business out of the blue.
"Who the hell are you? How dare you touch me!?" The youth squirmed at the pain in his bottom and was held up by the other youth.
The heavens forbid! The penniless unkempt youth who was wearing clothes all covered with patches had dared crawl out of his hole and thrown him heavily to the ground without a word of warning!? It was lucky he was still conscious.
The unkempt youth paid no heed to the youth screaming his head off and said to Jun Wu Xie: "Right, I'm Qiao Chu, and you?"
Jun Wu Xie stared at the overly enthused Qiao Chu and paused before softly replying: "Jun Xie."
Left out to dry on his own, the screaming youth became furious as he saw that Jun Wu Xie and Qiao Chu totally ignored him. He took a step wanting to stomp up to them to give them a piece of his mind when Qiao Chu suddenly turned and waved his fist at him.
"Weaklings like you, I can handle more than ten." Qiao Chu threatened menacingly.
The youth grabbed at the throbbing pain in his bottom from Qiao Chu's earlier attack, and stopped in his tracks, but he continued on his rant.
Jun Wu Xie was irritated by the noise and there were only two minutes before the time was up, and she did not want to waste her time on idiots like those.
Jun Wu Xie took a step forward and shoved the herb in her hand into the face of the ranting youth, and said curtly:
"Scram."
The surprised youth brushed off the mud on his face and was about to continue on his tirade when his eyes fell upon the herb that had fallen to the ground. His eyes widened and he bent eagerly to pick it up in glee. He had thought that there was no chance of getting his hands on the herb from the petite youth now that the obnoxious unkempt youth appeared. Who would have thought the little brat would suddenly surrender the herb to him in fright?
"At least you know your place! Let's go!" It was enough that he got the herb, despite the throbbing pain that persisted in his bottom. He was happily discussing how he should split the herb with the other youth.
Qiao Chu stood in his spot, dumbstruck, as he witnessed what Jun Wu Xie was doing.
"Are….. are you mad?"
.....