Wen Li gave a light sigh. “Fine, follow me.”
She let go of Yao Dai and patted her head. “Rest here for a bit. If you want to know about what I’ve been doing these past few years, you can ask your Fourth Junior Sister.”
“Mm.” Yao Dai pursed her lips and nodded. Unlike Xie Tinglan, she didn’t feel the need to interrogate her Master about anything. As long as Master kept her by her side, it was enough.
Wen Li walked further inside and picked up Hua Cishu, who was silently reverting to his human form. He was covered in dust and had injuries on his face. She took out a bottle of pills and gave them to him.
“Take the medicine. I’ll come back to talk to you in a bit.” After a pause, she pulled out a bag of pastries and placed it in Hua Cishu’s hands.
Hua Cishu looked up at Xie Tinglan, then reached out to grab Wen Li’s hand, clearly not wanting her to be alone with him.
“Master, it hurts...”
The little fellow’s eyes reddened as he pouted, a stray tear clinging to the corner of his eye.
“Be good. I’ll be back soon.”
Wen Li currently had a headache. She had to coax everyone. She patted his hand to gently pull her own away, then stood up and led Xie Tinglan outside.
As they were leaving, Xie Tinglan turned back and shot Hua Cishu a cold, disdainful look with his red vertical pupils. His gaze was incredibly provocative.
See? Master chose me. Who do you think you are?
Understanding his gaze perfectly, Hua Cishu’s eyes darkened and his expression became extremely grim. He clenched his fists, wishing he could lunge forward and bite him to death so that no one would be left to compete for Master’s attention.
Yao Dai looked at the gentle Zongzheng Huangyue and the frail Xin Jiuxian in her white dress. She frowned slightly, suppressing her internal displeasure, but for Master’s sake, she managed to maintain a polite face for the two of them.
“Sit. I’ll have to trouble you, Junior Sister, to tell me about Master’s affairs over these past few years.”
Zongzheng Huangyue nodded and lowered her posture. “Of course. Eldest Senior Sister, please ask whatever you wish.”
The three of them sat down to talk peacefully for the moment.
Only Hua Cishu remained in the corner, nursing his dark thoughts.
...
Outside the cave dwelling.
Wen Li led Xie Tinglan to a pavilion by a pond.
She turned to look at Xie Tinglan, her expression calm.
“What exactly do you want me to explain?”
“...”
Xie Tinglan pursed his lips. “Your cultivation. And your constant talk about letting your disciples train and gain experience, yet you took in a waste to keep by your side while I had to stay in the Western Province.”
“My cultivation... I can’t quite explain it myself. As you can see, I am indeed at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. However, I have my ways of protecting my life, though I cannot tell you the reason why.” Wen Li nodded. “Every time I use a great power, I am targeted by the Heavenly Tribulation and punished. Fortunately, I ran fast enough both times, so I wasn’t injured.”
Xie Tinglan understood. Once she used her true power, she had to pay a price. The first time was to fight Feng Ling, and this time, it was to save him and Yao Dai.
So, she truly hadn't been able to take him away from that dwarf old man because the time wasn't right yet.
“As for Old Five, I’ve only had him as a disciple for less than two months. Because his half-human, half-demon bloodline hasn't awakened, he can’t cultivate and has no cultivation base. I tried various methods to help, but to no avail, so I’ve kept him by my side for the time being.” Wen Li continued, “Is what bothers you the fact that he has always stayed with me?”
“Don’t worry. When the time comes, all of you will leave me to fulfill your own destinies. Old Three was also left to his own devices; I’ll only be bringing him back in a while.”
After her long explanation, Xie Tinglan only registered that Hua Cishu had only been with Wen Li for two months, whereas he had been with her for a year. Humph. He knew that waste couldn’t compare to him.
Yet, even after she finished, Xie Tinglan’s expression did not soften.
Wen Li rubbed her forehead helplessly. “What else is bothering you? Spit it out.”
She was finally experiencing the difficulty of trying to treat everyone equally in a multi-child family.
“...”
Xie Tinglan’s pupils trembled slightly as he fell silent for a moment. He pursed his lips and looked at her, his voice muffled. “He said you gave him beautiful clothes, and that you personally gave him a silver bell and braided his hair.”
“Huh?”
Wen Li, who had been expecting him to say something serious, didn't react for a moment.
Was that why the three of them were fighting?
Wen Li asked tentatively, “Did he brag to you about that?”
Xie Tinglan remained silent, his lips pressed together.
Wen Li felt a headache coming on and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She knew it. With Hua Cishu’s black lotus personality, once he realized he couldn't win someone over, he would immediately turn hostile.
“When I first picked him up, I just happened to have some of Old Three’s clothes in my storage bag, so I made do by altering them to fit him. As for the hair braiding, I never did it for you or Yao Dai because you didn't need it. That silver chain was something I came across later by chance, and I just happened to braid it in for him.”
Even after she explained, Xie Tinglan was still holding back a surge of resentment.
Wen Li knew there was more.
“What else did he say?”
“...” Xie Tinglan turned his head away with a cold face. “He said you told him yourself—that he was your favorite disciple.”
“...” Good heavens above, she was truly being framed!
Wen Li lost her temper and simply blurted out a sentence.
“Old Five just likes to talk nonsense. I never said that. At the very least, it wasn't me who said it.” All she had ever said to any of her disciples was a single line: “You’re the one who understands me best.”
When it came to terms like ‘most’ or ‘only,’ she was extremely cautious in front of these obsessive disciples and wouldn't say them lightly. Even if she did, it would just be to coax them like children. Anyway, she just wouldn't admit to it.
It’s not like they used shadow stones all the time like she did.
Seeing that she was actually getting a bit annoyed, Xie Tinglan knew she really hadn't said it. He pursed his lips and crossed his arms.
“Mm.”
Wen Li walked over to his side. Remembering something, she pulled a bag of pastries out of her storage bag.
“Here. I brought these all the way from the Eastern Province. They’re delicious. Try some.”
Xie Tinglan remained silent and didn’t reach out, his face still grim.
“You’re really not going to eat?” Wen Li raised an eyebrow.
Xie Tinglan shifted his gaze away, still feeling petty. In truth, just based on the fact that she was willing to pay a price to save him and Yao Dai, his resentment had already vanished. But he still couldn't swallow his pride and was stubbornly refusing to yield.
“Sigh, fine. If you won't eat them, I suppose Old Six hasn't had any yet...” Wen Li sighed with regret and turned to leave.
As soon as she spoke, the pastries in her hand vanished.
Wen Li’s lips curled into a smile. She turned to look at him. His left hand was hidden behind his back, unmoving, and his expression remained dignified and cold.
“Alright, let’s go. Go and officially meet your junior brother and sisters.”
Xie Tinglan followed behind her. His left hand immediately stuffed a pastry into his mouth. Seeing that she didn't look back, he continued chewing. It was indeed delicious.
“Cough!”
A second later, he ate too fast and choked, coughing out some pastry crumbs. To keep Wen Li in front from hearing, he forced his face red and stayed silent, his neck straining as he tried to swallow the bite.
【Ding! +25 to Villain Xie Tinglan’s Salvation Progress Bar. Current progress: 47%】
Well then. Not only had the 20% she lost earlier returned, she had gained an extra 5%. A profit.
Wen Li didn't look back, suppressing her laughter to keep him from becoming so embarrassed that he’d lose his temper again. Since she had just finished coaxing him, it was better to let him keep some dignity.
Xie Tinglan was afraid Yao Dai would see them and try to take some, so he quickly hid the rest in his storage bag.
Rate on N.U.
