Chapter 203: The Notorious Jiang Xincheng

After breaking through to the Cloud Condensation Realm, becoming a Great Yuan Warrior, and getting initial revenge on Ximen Changkong, Jiang Xincheng finally felt a bit more relaxed. He no longer hid in the small yard day and night, practicing hard. From time to time, he would set aside some time to eat good food or spend time with Lin Anan.

That evening, snowflakes fell slowly. After the heavy snow a few days before, the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow that had not melted yet. It felt soft underfoot.

Amid the light, swirling snow, Jiang Xincheng was in a rather good mood. Without an umbrella, he walked through the wind and snow to a Hunan restaurant on Shenzhuang Snack Street. He ordered three dishes and a soup, found a corner table, and began to eat.

The three dishes were twice-cooked pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and braised chicken chunks. The soup was pork rib soup. It was quite a feast. A few months ago, Jiang Xincheng only ate this well on his birthday.

But now he ate like this every day. Jiang Xincheng’s standard of living had risen sharply, becoming countless times better than before. Given his current wealth, these expenses were nothing.

The twice-cooked pork was very dry and not greasy at all. It tasted refreshing, especially with fruit juice. The scrambled eggs with tomatoes were fresh and fragrant, especially the eggs, which were so tender they almost seemed to melt in the mouth. The braised chicken chunks were tender and delicious, no less tasty than the twice-cooked pork.

Only the pork rib soup was slightly less impressive, though still above average. Jiang Xincheng sat quietly in the corner, enjoying the delicious meal and listening to the students around him talking. He felt a strange sense of loneliness and distance.

As his strength grew and his status and power increased, the gap between him and these ordinary students widened. They almost seemed to live in two different worlds. As Jiang Xincheng continued to progress, this gap would only grow wider. He could never return to the ordinary, simple life of a university student.

Though he felt a little regret, it was nothing compared to his goals and dreams. Thinking this, a faint smile crossed Jiang Xincheng’s face, and for a moment he thought of his dorm mates.

Perhaps one day, the distance between him and them would also grow. But some bonds were destined not to fade. If he had the chance, he would help his dorm mates—not for any other reason, but for their unwavering loyalty in his past life.

“I never thought Jiang Xincheng was that kind of person. He actually went to Yuyang City to steal a woman’s favor and acted like a flower thief. I thought he wasn’t at school because he was training hard, but it turns out he was doing such disgusting things.”

“Exactly. This is what they call ‘giving a clown power and he shows his true colors.’ He only gained a little strength and already became corrupted. If I had known he was this kind of person, I would never have looked up to him. He’s just awful.”

“To be honest, though, that girl was really pretty. No wonder that scumbag Jiang Xincheng was tempted. He actually went in the middle of the night to steal a woman’s favor. It’s a pity he got caught red-handed and even had his little bird kicked. How embarrassing.”

“I heard he was supposed to represent our school against Tsinghua University’s Pride of Heaven. Even if he’s strong, someone with such terrible character shouldn’t represent our school.”

…

Just then, Jiang Xincheng heard several students a few meters away talking about him. His face darkened. As these few spoke, it was like stirring a hornet’s nest. All the students in the restaurant started discussing him, and most of what they said was not good.

“Have you seen that video? It’s so ridiculous. Remember how arrogant Jiang Xincheng was during the university martial exam? Then Ximen Changkong kicked him and made him a eunuch in one move. He rolled around outside the hotel, holding his little bird, for a long time before he could get up. It looked so embarrassing. I’ll never admire him again.”

“He was always a coward. Remember a few months ago when Tsinghua University came to challenge us? That scumbag was nowhere to be seen. He was clearly scared. How shameful. What right does he have to be the Chief Student for the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors at Tianhai University? I think as soon as he comes back, they should strip him of his Chief Student title and throw him in jail.”

“I heard that scumbag has his eye on Lin Anan, the College Flower of the Finance and Economics College. He wants to win her over and then, through her, persuade her father to give him a powerful Origin Force Cultivation Method. He’s trying to get both the girl and the treasure. How shameless.”

“It’s hard to judge a person by their looks. During the university martial exam, I thought Jiang Xincheng was a real man, a good man. I never imagined he’d be so rotten in private. Attempting to force himself on a good girl, getting beaten into a eunuch, being cowardly, having evil intentions, sweet-talking… He’s a complete scumbag.”

…

Hearing these people directly call him a scumbag, Jiang Xincheng couldn’t help but feel caught between laughter and tears. Just a few months ago, these same people were clapping and cheering for him. Yet, after such a short time, because of some rumors, they were calling him a scumbag, a waste, a beast.

The strange twists of fate truly caught one off guard.

Jiang Xincheng knew a bit about these rumors and understood that Ximen Changkong was behind them.

Ximen Changkong had spread the story about Jiang Xincheng sneaking off with Bai Juan in the middle of the night in Yuyang City. He even had Bai Juan testify tearfully, which stirred sympathy among many students at Tianhai University.

After that, he released a second wave of videos. These videos were from the surveillance cameras at Blue Sky Grand Hotel, clearly showing Jiang Xincheng’s performance outside the hotel. Once released, they caused an uproar and almost confirmed that Jiang Xincheng was a eunuch.

Then he spread rumors that Jiang Xincheng was pursuing Lin Anan with impure motives, aiming to get both the girl and the treasure. This once again caused a huge reaction, turning Jiang Xincheng’s image upside down overnight.

With these three waves of attacks, plus the fact that Jiang Xincheng hadn’t shown up to accept Tsinghua University’s challenge earlier, his reputation did a complete turnaround.

From being the Pride of Heaven, a combat expert, a super genius, excelling in both academics and martial arts… he suddenly became a rat scurrying across the street, with everyone shouting to beat him. If Jiang Xincheng weren’t hiding in the corner to eat and these people spotted him, he probably wouldn’t have any peace.

A bitter smile crossed his face. He thought to himself that Ximen Changkong was ruthless. But how long could that ruthlessness last? In less than ten days or a fortnight, Ximen would get what was coming to him. Jiang Xincheng finished his meal quickly and left the restaurant carefully.

Jiang Xincheng didn’t take these rumors to heart and didn’t plan to waste time dealing with them. He knew Ximen Changkong’s goal was to make him angry, drive him crazy, and provoke him into doing something irrational.

Since that was the case, why should Jiang Xincheng play into that beast’s hands? Letting these rumors affect his training and waste his time was pointless. It was better to use that time for diligent practice. In time, everything would pass, and Jiang Xincheng would use his own fists to show everyone the truth.

Having experienced so many storms and dangers in his past life, how could Jiang Xincheng be troubled by such a small disturbance?