Wenren Jingxuan looked at Wenren Wan and asked in a deep voice: "Wan’er, is this true?"
"Yes..." Wenren Wan kept her head down, biting her lip hard, but still insisted, "Mo Hua saved Yu’er, that’s why I..."
Wenren Jingxuan was slightly startled, thinking this must be the disciple Wan’er inserted into the Eight Great Gates...
Meanwhile, Shangguan Wang retorted:
"How could a mere little cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage save Young Master Yu’er, whom even the Gu Family and the Taoist Court couldn’t rescue?"
Wenren Wan was taken aback, "It’s... a coincidence..."
"A coincidence?" Shangguan Wang said indifferently, "Miss Wan, do you believe that?"
Wenren Wan couldn’t speak.
Because she indeed didn’t know.
Regarding Mo Hua’s matters, she had always been tolerant, never asking deeply.
Shangguan Wang sighed, expressing disappointment: "Do you know what they’re saying outside?"
"Outside, the rumors say, our Shangguan family’s direct lineage Young Madam, found a ’wild child’ from somewhere, and treats him as her own, even sparing no effort to send him into the Eight Great Gates..."
This suspicion was extremely malicious.
Wenren Wan’s face turned deathly pale, and then flushed blood red.
Beside her, Gu Changhuai finally couldn’t hold back, slammed the table, and angrily shouted at Shangguan Wang: "You’re talking nonsense!"
Shangguan Wang’s gaze instantly turned icy.
Gu Shouyan immediately reprimanded: "Changhuai, be polite!"
Gu Changhuai wanted to say more, but seeing Gu Shouyan slightly shake his head at him, he could only swallow his words.
Yet, he couldn’t stand seeing his cousin suffer such injustice, so he cupped his hands to Wenren Jingxuan and said: "Regarding Yu’er’s matter, I was investigating it at the time, and although there were some coincidental factors, Mo Hua indeed saved Yu’er."
"And my cousin sent Mo Hua to the Taixu Gate not only to repay kindness but also because Mo Hua has an extraordinary talent in formations..."
Shangguan Wang asked: "How extraordinary?"
Gu Changhuai replied: "The ancestor of the Taixu Gate personally taught him formations..."
Shangguan Wang sneered, "Don’t think I don’t know that most disciples who enter the Taixu Gate have been personally taught formations by the respected and morally upright ancestor of the Taixu Gate, adhering to the sect’s teachings."
Gu Changhuai paused, falling silent momentarily.
"Moreover, formation talent isn’t spoken of, but competed with," Shangguan Wang sneered, pointing downwards, "The disciples here in the Taoist Field are the ones with truly remarkable talent in formations. Can you guarantee that this Mo Hua will be qualified to participate in the Array Discussion Conference in three years?"
Gu Changhuai was stunned for a moment, then relaxed, his gaze sharp: "No need for three years..."
He also pointed downward, "He’s already competing this year!"
Everyone followed his direction of pointing and indeed saw in the corner of the Taoist Field, a young and handsome little disciple earnestly drawing formations.
The crowd was somewhat astonished.
Some in the crowd already knew about this, but most of the Shangguan family, Wenren family, and some Gu Family cultivators had no idea and couldn’t even fathom it.
"Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, participating in the Array Discussion Conference?"
"Is this child’s talent really that exceptional?"
"Must be under the ancestor’s care; otherwise, he wouldn’t get this opportunity..."
"Even so, it’s still remarkable..."
Even Wenren Jingxuan was somewhat surprised, deliberately taking a closer look at Mo Hua, his gaze slightly tense.
Shangguan Wang felt a sudden jolt in his heart.
He immediately realized he had miscalculated.
Unexpectedly, he had handed the "spearhead" over to others, stabbing himself.
He mainly hadn’t realized such an absurd thing as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment participating in the Array Discussion Conference would occur.
But having lived many years among families plotting against each other, he was incredibly experienced, long achieving the ability to remain calm and collected.
At this moment, his expression unchanged, he sneered:
"His formation talent is good, but so what? Participating in the Array Discussion Conference now is rushing growth, lucky if he manages to complete a formation of sixteen patterns."
"Moreover, that’s not the point at all."
"No matter how good his talent, is his surname Shangguan? Wenren? Or is it Gu?"
"Not at all! No one knows where this child is from."
"There are many geniuses, so why did the Young Madam go all out just for this child to be sent into the Eight Great Gates?"
"Fine, let’s say it’s to repay kindness, I believe it, but does anyone else?"
"Can this explanation silence the public’s opinions? Can it stop others’ gossip? Protect the Shangguan family’s reputation?"
Shangguan Wang looked around, and boldly said even more bluntly, "Some families are even spreading...
"The young madam of the Shangguan Family, unmarried, gave birth..."
Wenren Jingxuan slammed the table into pieces, his gaze cold as frost, "Elder Wang, watch your words."
After all, Shangguan Wang was someone who almost became the Family Head; he still harbored that ambition now, so he was not afraid. Instead, he feigned a sigh:
"These words damage the reputation of the Shangguan Family; I find them unpleasant to hear, but there’s nothing I can do, as people’s mouths are their own..."
Wenren Jingxuan gave a cold glance at Shang Che.
Shang Che then slowly spoke: "Enough, let the clear be clear, and the murky be murky, let’s not bring this matter up again."
Gu Shouyan also said: "We are here to observe the Array Discussion Conference, so don’t talk about these trivial matters."
Wenren Jingxuan did not speak, but his face did not look good.
Shangguan Wang also wisely chose to let it go.
Although there were some unexpected issues, his goals were essentially achieved.
He had tarnished the daughter-in-law of Shang Che, and more so, planted a thorn in the minds of Shang Che and Wenren Jingxuan.
Only Wenren Wan, who suffered cold sarcasm and rumors, looked pale as she held Yu Er tightly in her arms, her expression forlorn, and remained silent.
Yu Er wanted to comfort her mother, but after wiping her tears, she did not know what to say.
Gu Changhuai felt heartache but was helpless.
There was intrigue among the families.
Meanwhile, in the Taoist Field, the Seventeen Patterns competition was gradually coming to an end. Fınd the newest release on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
Mo Hua put down the brush, checked several times, and continued to meditate to restore Divine Sense.
Around him, many disciples had already failed and left the stage.
Another hour went by, and time was up.
The Seventeen Patterns exam ended.
A multitude of examiners came down to the field, starting to review scripts one by one to judge right from wrong and determine who would stay or leave.
Those who didn’t complete their drawing, drew it incorrectly, or made mistakes without realizing them were pointed out by the examiners and cleared off the field.
Some disciples, despite losing, still refused to leave their spots.
The examiners then ordered someone to forcibly drag them away.
As a result, even more people left the stage.
Soon after, an examiner walked up to Mo Hua.
Seeing Mo Hua’s young age and shallow cultivation, yet pretending to sit there calmly, he assumed he must have been defeated and was lingering unwilling to depart.
Until he saw the flawless, perfectly executed formation test paper in front of Mo Hua, the examiner was stunned.
The examiner couldn’t help but rub his eyes, frowning, and carefully verified the paper once more to confirm that there was nothing wrong with the handwriting, the questions, or the formation drawn before he could shake his head in amazement.
"This child drew so well..."
The examiner left a red mark, signifying Mo Hua’s advancement, then continued onward.
But after taking just a few steps, he suddenly sensed something was amiss.
"Something’s not right..."
Not right, not right, not right...
The examiner’s frown deepened, his thoughts momentarily in disarray, until he finally realized what was wrong after pondering carefully.
"Seventeen Patterns Formation?"
"Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, drawing Seventeen Patterns Formation?"
"Seventeen Patterns..."
Sev... Seventeen Patterns, is...
The examiner’s eyes widened abruptly.
Isn’t this... a formation that can only be drawn at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, being drawn by someone at the mid-stage cultivation?!
This child’s Divine Sense, has surpassed the rank?!
Without being a Formation Master, one wouldn’t understand what this implies.
The examiner was stunned for a moment, feeling a chill rush to his heart, and couldn’t stop trembling all over.
Damn, without noticing, a prodigy emerged...