Jiang Jin felt something was off. After walking behind them for a while, he couldn't help but ask, “Has their relationship always been this good? Have Fourth Senior Brother and Seventh Junior Sister known each other for a long time?”
As far as he knew, Fourth Senior Brother was always away and rarely returned to the sect.
Even if Fourth Senior Brother and Lin Mu had spent some time together in some place unknown to him, their bond shouldn't be so deep that even the Third Elder knew about it.
The Third Elder paused slightly, then smiled. “What do you mean 'known each other for a long time'? Didn't Little Wood enter the sect with you? They've known each other for as long as you've known your Fourth Senior Brother. It's the same.”
“I only thought they had a close relationship because your Fourth Senior Brother doesn't care about anything, yet he treats Little Wood quite well.”
He added, somewhat against his conscience, “Besides, Little Wood is so obedient and sensible. She really is quite lovable.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Qingqiu, who had been leading the way in silence, suddenly stopped and turned to look at him.
The Third Elder stopped abruptly, utterly bewildered. “Sect Master Chen, what is it? Is there a problem?”
Chen Qingqiu gave him a look of approval. “You are right.”
Leaving behind those four baffling words, she continued leading the way.
The Third Elder: “?”
Wait. He was right? What did he even say?
That Little Wood was obedient, sensible, and lovable? Was that something that needed validation?
While he was slightly dazed, Jiang Jin's expression grew even more unsightly. He took a few steps to catch up with Chen Qingqiu, only to be blocked by the cultivator beside her. “Fellow cultivator, our Sect Master does not like people getting too close. If you have something to say, please speak from there.”
Forced to keep his distance, Jiang Jin cupped his hands. “Does the Sect Master also seem to be acquainted with my junior sister?”
Chen Qingqiu gave a flat response. “Yes.”
Jiang Jin continued, “My junior sister shouldn't have met you before. I wonder how she managed to gain your favor?”
This time, Chen Qingqiu ignored him. Instead, she quickened her pace, deep in thought, her eyes harboring some inscrutable emotion.
...
Song Yao didn't manage to linger outside for long before she was caught by Xie Zhou and brought into the Beiyao Sect.
Perhaps to show their sincerity, the courtyards and guest rooms prepared for the Nine Saints Hall cultivators were excellent. They had even set aside an extra sleeping palace.
The disciple responsible for receiving them said respectfully, “Our Sect Master heard that Daoist Lin has been unwell lately and was worried about any lack of hospitality, so this sleeping palace was specially reserved for Daoist Lin.”
Song Yao sat at the table, dawdling with the medicine bowl in her hands under Xie Zhou's watchful gaze. Hearing this, she said in an incredibly meek and modest tone, “It wouldn't be right for me to stay in the sleeping palace. Why doesn't the Third Elder stay there instead? I'm almost fully recovered anyway, I'm not that delicate.”
The Third Elder coughed heavily. “No, absolutely not! This old man has no need for it, you should be the one to stay there!”
What a joke. Who would dare to fight this girl for a room? If she decided to mess with him, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.
Besides, she was always so mercurial. Who knew if she would suddenly change her mind in the middle of the night and come back to reclaim the palace?
Song Yao said, “Please, don't be polite.”
The Third Elder felt a wave of dizziness. “I am not being polite!”
It was a rare occasion where Song Yao actually wanted to show some respect for her elders, but seeing how resolutely he refused, she could only say with regret, “Alright then.”
Xie Zhou supported her hand, tilting the medicine bowl upward slightly, and said expressionlessly, “Drink it.”
Song Yao swept her gaze across the table. “Where's the candy?”
Xie Zhou took out a phoenix sugar painting he had just bought at the market from his spatial pouch. “Drink it first, then you can have it.”
“Oh.”
Jiang Jin stood to the side, unable to interject, still feeling that something was off.
Whether it was between Lin Mu and Fourth Senior Brother, or between her and the Third Elder, they all seemed incredibly close...
Though he, too, would often find himself inadvertently drawn to Lin Mu, the feeling still wasn't quite right.
He couldn't tell if he was envious of how differently Lin Mu treated them, or how differently they treated Lin Mu.
Amidst his chaotic thoughts, the Third Elder and Xie Zhou were invited to the front hall of the Beiyao Sect by Chen Qingqiu to discuss official business.
The remaining Nine Saints Hall cultivators had nothing else to do. Strictly following the Third Elder's orders, they stayed close to their Seventh Junior Sister, making sure not to wander off.
Jiang Jin's eyes darkened once more.
Even now. He was clearly the Sixth Senior Brother. He was clearly the older one.
If they were going to follow anyone, they should be following him. Why were they told to follow Lin Mu instead?
While he was feeling frustrated, Song Yao suddenly stood up. With one hand behind her back, she solemnly instructed the other disciples present, “I am feeling a bit unwell and need to go back to rest. Since Sixth Senior Brother is here, you must all follow him closely and not run amok.”
Having said that, she looked at Jiang Jin with deep trust. “With you leading them, it will surely be much more reliable than with me. I want to go back and sleep for a bit, is that alright?”
Jiang Jin's mouth moved faster than his brain. “Where are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to accompany you?”
Song Yao replied gently, “No need, I'll be fine after a nap. It's just that I'll have to trouble Senior Brother to stay here alone.”
With her speaking to him so normally, Jiang Jin was somewhat unaccustomed to it. He cleared his throat and said, “With me here, you don't have to worry. Just go back and rest.”
“Okay.”
The group of disciples and cultivators watched her departing back, their words caught in their throats.
Something was a bit off. The Third Elder's order earlier seemed to be for them to keep an eye on Seventh Junior Sister, not for Seventh Junior Sister to keep an eye on them.
Why did she just leave?
They exchanged glances and ultimately gave up trying to make sense of it.
Forget it. Anyway, Sixth Senior Brother had agreed to it. If anything went wrong, Sixth Senior Brother would take the blame.
...
Having already had a long, deep sleep on the spirit vessel, it was naturally impossible for Song Yao to actually go back and rest now.
Navigating the path with ease, she made her way to the back mountain of the Beiyao Sect. Extending her divine sense to locate her destination, she arrived before a certain cave.
Outside the cave was an unfathomably deep barrier, isolating the inside from the outside.
She pressed her palm against it, pondering how to get in, when a large hand suddenly reached out from within the cave and pulled her inside without any resistance.
Her vision suddenly went dark.
A cold, damp aura wrapped around her from all directions, its chill penetrating straight to her bones.
In the center of the cave sat a cold jade ice bed. Feng Qing sat cross-legged upon it, her sparse spiritual energy flickering around her.
At this moment, she no longer possessed her former noble and proud appearance. Her body was gaunt and haggard, her messy long hair hung down, revealing only a pair of dark, sinister eyes that made her expression look exceptionally terrifying.
Upon seeing Song Yao, the resentment in her eyes deepened. She raised her hand once more, her sharp claws carrying a freezing, dark wind as they lunged straight at Song Yao's face. A sharp, angry roar escaped from between her teeth: “What a bold little girl from the Nine Saints Hall! This Venerable One was just worrying about not finding anyone to vent my anger on! Yet you've delivered yourself right to my door!”
The Bishui Sword appeared out of thin air to block her path, precisely parrying the strike.
Song Yao sidestepped to avoid the residual force, leisurely walked over to the ice bed, and sat right down beside her. Shivering from the cold, she hurriedly rummaged through her spatial pouch to pull out a cloak and put it on.
As she tied the straps, she kindly offered her advice: “Sect Master Feng—ah, no, Senior Feng—you've already been locked up here, yet your temper is still so terrible. Be careful, or you might never get out for the rest of your life.”
She sat very close, even resting one foot on the ice bed, showing absolutely no restraint.
Feng Qing's temples throbbed. She gnashed her teeth and hissed, “Since you know this Venerable One has a terrible temper, how dare you enter this place? Aren't you afraid I'll take your life?!”
Rate on N.U.
