The boy before him was the very picture of innocent sincerity. If Yu Qingtang had not known perfectly well that he was Long Aotian, that harmless face might almost have dazzled him into losing his senses.
He shook his head hard, dragged himself back to clarity, lifted his skirt, and ran for it.
“Fairy!”
Behind him, Ye Chenyan seemed to be saying something else. Yu Qingtang did not dare listen. He accelerated into a dive and fled without looking back, nearly slamming the next girl coming around the corner flat onto her back.
“I’m sorry!” Yu Qingtang braked and apologized, reaching out to steady her. The instant their eyes met, he froze—the girl before him was still young, and a light pink veil covered her face, revealing only her eyes, yet she already possessed the bearing of a supreme beauty.
Could she be...
“Chirp!”
A furry little thing burrowed out of the girl’s arms. Yu Qingtang instinctively looked down. It seemed to be a ferret.
The girl hurriedly tried to stuff it back in, but failed.
Yu Qingtang tested it. “Lightning?”
“Chirp!”
The snow ferret poked its head out again in excitement, looking as though it even wanted to crawl into his arms.
The girl paused, then looked up at him. “Is this yours?”
“Ah, no.” Expressionless, Yu Qingtang held down the excited ferret in her arms and pointed toward the back mountain. “I just saw someone looking for it. Over there.”
Since Lightning was here, then this breathtakingly beautiful girl before him had to be the legendary white moonlight who outshone Long Aotian’s entire harem, the official first female lead, the holy maiden of the Esoteric Sect, Ji Ruxue.
There was a very high chance he had not mistaken her. After all, she was the only one at the scene wearing a mask—no, a veil.
The girl smiled sweetly, almost dazzling Yu Qingtang’s eyes. She lowered her head in thanks, then swept away like a breeze, leaving only a faintly fragrant “Many thanks” behind her.
Yu Qingtang watched her head toward the back mountain, hands clasped behind his back. To be fair, that couple really did match in looks. Standing together, they would be like a golden boy and jade girl.
It was just that, thinking about Long Aotian’s twisting, winding romantic plotline...
Yu Qingtang pressed his lips flat and turned back. Forget it. It had nothing to do with him, Passerby A.
Although there had been a slight error, the plot that was supposed to happen was still happening. The male and female leads had finally met, so the tiny mistake from earlier probably did not matter... right?
Yu Qingtang guiltily scratched his chin, leaned over the lake, and looked at his own face reflected on the surface. Though he could count as a cool little beauty himself, no matter what, he could not compare to the author-appointed number-one beauty under heaven. Surely that was not enough to make Long Aotian remember him forever.
As for who came first...
Before Long Aotian met Ji Ruxue, there had already been no shortage of innocent and lively Little Junior Sisters, gentle and considerate Eldest Senior Sisters, and charming, flirtatious young martial aunts around him. Given his character, it should not be a problem.
At this thought, Yu Qingtang relaxed again. Looked at this way, at most, he was one stray fish that had slipped through a playboy’s net. It definitely would not affect anything.
That was Long Aotian. Devotion to one person?
Not a chance.
Yu Qingtang curled his lip, but he no longer dared stay on this back mountain. Better to go back.
Carrying the empty pastry plate, he sneaked back into the competition venue.
His Eldest Senior Sister had already left the table. She sat on a stool with a devastated expression, looking as though she had lost all hope in life.
Yu Qingtang paused, then asked with a look of understanding, “You lost?”
Eldest Senior Sister covered her face. “Wah.”
Fate Immortal laughed delicately. “Lost to all three of us.”
“You cheated!” Eldest Senior Sister slapped her thigh, her face flushed with anger. “Who brings fortune-telling to a card table?”
“This is my signature skill. How could I not use it?” Fate Immortal was enormously pleased. She waved the name tally in her hand. A number was written beneath it, seemingly the chips she had won in this round.
Yu Qingtang instinctively looked toward his own Senior Sister’s. Her face flushed red, and she dodged and ducked, refusing to submit.
Fate Immortal leaned to his ear and told him, “All negative.”
“You!” Eldest Senior Sister sprang to her feet in a fury. Fate Immortal laughingly hid to one side and wagged a finger. “My luck today is excellent. And once I calculate...”
Her expression suddenly changed. “No. There’s a man in the venue!”
The venue went silent for an instant. The competition grounds that had been filled with tender laughter and sweet voices abruptly surged with killing intent.
Yu Qingtang and Eldest Senior Sister both stiffened at the same time. Their movements perfectly synchronized, they guiltily exchanged a glance, laughed dryly, touched their noses, and said, “Huh?”
Then they opened their eyes wide in feigned innocence, pretending they knew nothing. “That can’t be!”
“I would never calculate wrong!” Fate Immortal’s face turned solemn. Her brows drew together. “Go invite Madam Cloud Immortal...”
“Wait!” Yu Qingtang shot to his feet. Eldest Senior Sister nervously grabbed his belt. Yu Qingtang pressed her hand down, his face grave. “Since it’s come to this, I’ll just say it!”
Eldest Senior Sister stared at him in horror. “Tang!”
“Don’t stop me, Eldest Senior Sister!” Yu Qingtang shot her a look, then abruptly stretched out his hand and pointed toward the back mountain. “I saw a male cultivator over there just now!”
Eldest Senior Sister’s panicked expression froze. “Huh?”
Fate Immortal’s eyes lit up. “As expected! There really is a scoundrel who avoided the All-Things Mirror and snuck inside!”
She scolded him sweetly. “Little Junior Sister, why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Yu Qingtang lowered his head in shame. “He told me he wasn’t a bad person. His spirit pet had gone missing, and he only came in to look for it...”
“You’re still young.” Fate Immortal lovingly patted his head. “Easy for men to fool.”
Yu Qingtang guiltily tugged at the corners of his mouth and laughed dryly.
Fate Immortal suddenly leaned closer and gave a soft laugh. “Let me guess. That boy... wasn’t bad-looking, was he? Why, our Little Junior Sister is even blushing.”
Yu Qingtang: “...”
That was because he was thin-skinned and blushed when he lied!
“I’ll go take a look.” Fate Immortal teased him once, then turned and waved. Leading a grand procession of female cultivators, she marched toward the back mountain. Yu Qingtang gazed deeply in that direction, the corners of his mouth curving in a subtle arc.
Let that teach you to date too young!
He was Long Aotian, after all. Surely they would not go so far as to break his legs, right?
Eldest Senior Sister bumped him lightly. “Little Junior Sister, your smile looks so sinister.”
“Cough, cough.” Yu Qingtang rubbed his face and returned to his noble, cold, aloof posture.
Eldest Senior Sister asked again, “Were you making that up on the spot, or did someone really come in?”
“Someone really did.” Yu Qingtang thought for a moment, then warned his own Senior Sister, “Ye Chenyan of Guiyi Sect. If you ever see him in the future, stay far away.”
Although his Senior Sister had “unreliable” written all over her face and was not part of Long Aotian’s harem in the plot, what if he expanded the roster?
The Senior Sisters of Biehe Sect were actually somewhat pretty. It was just that in a plot where everyone casually possessed “peerless beauty,” they were a little outclassed. And Long Aotian’s harem was more competitive than the last: aside from being heavenly beauties, they either had unusual bloodlines, came with powerful backers, or were basically a natural treasure in human form...
These three living treasures in their sect obviously had no competitive edge.
At this thought, Yu Qingtang felt much more at ease. Still, he warned her, “Really. Especially don’t let your guard down just because he’s young.”
After all, in the plot, it was not as if he disliked older women.
Eldest Senior Sister nodded obediently. “Oh.”
“What did he do?”
Yu Qingtang was silent for a moment, then beckoned to her. He leaned toward her ear and was just about to tell her what had happened when the heads of the other two Senior Sisters swiftly leaned in as well.
Yu Qingtang: “...”
Second Senior Sister Shi Miaomiao looked at him eagerly. “Tell us.”
Sixteenth Senior Sister Qu Mingqin stuffed a handful of melon seeds into his hand and looked at him with anticipation.
Yu Qingtang: “...”
Biehe Sect truly was the sort of place where no one was enthusiastic about training, but everyone ranked first in gossip.
In order to make his Senior Sisters understand how terrifying Long Aotian was, Yu Qingtang gave their encounter an appropriate artistic polish, then added some secret rumors about Guiyi Sect’s Senior Sisters, Junior Sisters, and young martial aunts that he should not have known.
After listening to his story, Eldest Senior Sister narrowed her eyes. “At such a young age, he’s already so...”
“Ye Chenyan—now that you mention it, that name does sound a little familiar.”
Yu Qingtang paused. “His reputation has already reached our place?”
“Mm.” Second Senior Sister Shi Miaomiao nodded. “Guiyi Sect took in a prodigy and deliberately announced it to the immortal sects. Sword Sovereign Tianyi even said that in a hundred years, this child would surely stand unrivaled under heaven.”
The corners of Yu Qingtang’s mouth twitched. Right, there did seem to be that part.
“Leave. We leave right now.” Eldest Senior Sister grabbed him and lifted him up. “We can’t stay in this place anymore.”
Yu Qingtang was somewhat moved. “You’re not playing cards anymore?”
“Wasn’t the whole point of running this far to play cards?”
“Don’t say that.” Eldest Senior Sister held his hand. “Nothing is more important than our Little Junior Sister.”
Yu Qingtang’s eyes shone. “Senior Sister—”
Eldest Senior Sister returned his look with deep affection. “Tang—”
Sixteenth Senior Sister Qu Mingqin spoke faintly. “She already lost everything. She can’t play anymore.”
Eldest Senior Sister: “Cough!”
Yu Qingtang silently looked at the negative numbers on all three Senior Sisters’ name tallies. “...So you came all the way from Jinzhou to Qingzhou just so you could lose this badly in the very first round?”
“Has it even been half an hour?”
Eldest Senior Sister’s face flushed red. “They have no martial virtue! Who tells fortunes at a card table?”
...
In Biehe Sect’s main hall, every disciple currently in the sect sat in a circle, listening intently as Eldest Senior Sister vividly recounted the story from back then.
“I told you, competitions like that shouldn’t let fortune-tellers in...”
Sixteenth Senior Sister stuffed a cup of tea into her hand. “You’re off topic.”
“Oh.” Only then did Eldest Senior Sister recover from the pain of losing at cards. She cleared her throat. “Anyway, that’s what happened. Everyone, take a look and tell us what to do.”
“Mm...” Third Senior Brother thoughtfully stroked his chin. “Just say we’re not marrying him. What can he do?”
Daoist Idle Crane spoke faintly. “He can take your Master’s old bones apart.”
“Wouldn’t that be even better?” Third Senior Brother smiled, his peach-blossom eyes radiant and brazen. “If he tears Master apart, then we have a blood feud for the murder of a father-figure. We’d have every righteous reason not to marry him.”
Daoist Idle Crane was so angry his beard puffed. “Rebellious disciple!”
“Little Junior Brother.” Second Senior Sister looked at him worriedly. “What are you thinking about?”
“Hm?” Yu Qingtang came back to himself and scratched his head in confusion. “I was wondering how he found his way here.”
“I didn’t tell ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) him my name back then! Even if his Master can tell fortunes, th-that should still require something to go on, right?”
“Birth date, name, personal belonging... there should at least be something, shouldn’t there?”
The people in the room looked at one another.
...
Before the mountain gate, a boy dressed in tight black fighting clothes sat casually on a rock by the entrance, his long spear half-propped beside him. He lightly rubbed a small earring in his hand.
After waiting for a while, he suddenly turned and asked the little child at the sect entrance, “Hey, why hasn’t anyone come out yet? Did you report it or not?”
“I-I did!” The child’s face flushed red. “Master and the Senior Sisters said Little Senior... Sister is training on the back mountain and needs to bathe and change, so it might—might take a little longer. Girls are all like that. You have to be patient.”
He still remembered Eldest Senior Sister’s instructions and had not exposed Yu Qingtang’s identity all at once.
“Little Senior Sister?” Ye Chenyan thoughtfully propped up his chin. He stayed quiet for only a short while before turning to ask him again, “Is she the youngest in the sect?”
The child trembled. “Yes, she’s the Little Junior Sister. But I haven’t entered the sect yet, so I call everyone Senior Brother or Senior Sister.”
“Mm...” Ye Chenyan’s eyes shifted. He took out a sugar bean and asked, “Since she hasn’t come out yet, tell me first. What kind of cultivation method does your Little Senior Sister practice? What does she usually like?”
The child became alert. “Wh-why are you asking that?”
“Just asking.” Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “If I want to please a girl, of course I need to suit her tastes.”
“If she’s a sword cultivator, I’ll give her a good sword. If she cultivates a water-attribute method, I’ll give her a water-attribute magical artifact...”
The child relaxed slightly. He thought about it carefully, then shook his head and answered, “Little Senior Sister is a qin cultivator. She already has a good qin, and I don’t usually see her use any magical artifacts. As for what she likes, if I had to say...”
“She likes barbecue.”
Ye Chenyan froze. “Huh?”
The child looked at the spear in his hand. “Then maybe...”
Ye Chenyan nearly laughed in anger. “This is a silver battle spear forged from the bones of a fourth-tier Silver Wolf! Its power surpasses a mid-grade magical artifact! You want to use it for barbecue... wouldn’t a tree branch do?”
The child immediately withdrew his gaze. “I didn’t say that!”
Although he had thought it, not saying it meant he had not said it.
Ye Chenyan propped up his chin and thought for a while, then muttered softly, “If she really likes it... it’s not impossible.”
The child looked over in shock. With his back to the mountain gate, Ye Chenyan’s ears were bright red, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably, his entire body seeming to radiate some terribly ominous aura.
The child quietly backed away, then ran all the way toward the sect hall. He shoved the doors open and shouted, “Little Senior Sister... ah, no, Little Senior Brother, bad news!”
“That person...”
Daoist Idle Crane sprang up in fright. “He fought his way in?”
The child hurriedly shook his head and grabbed Yu Qingtang’s hand. “Little Senior Brother, hurry and run! He—he’s beyond help! He’s probably fallen hopelessly in love with you!”
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