At that moment, a high-spirited girl entered the hall beside a gentle young man whose bearing was as warm and polished as jade.
The girl was not wearing the standard robes of an inner disciple. A pale pink gauze coat covered her pure white silk underrobe. She had cleverly divided her raven-black hair into many small braids and decorated them with tiny bell-shaped ornaments.
Such a lively, adorable outfit ought to have delighted anyone who saw it. Yet irritation darkened the girl’s face, and a trace of murderous energy flickered between her brows.
The young man at her side, meanwhile, perfectly matched the well-worn saying: a gentleman like jade, without peer beneath heaven.
An ancient, unadorned longsword rested across his back, and a plump storage pouch hung at his waist. The corner of his mouth lifted as he nodded in Xiaoqing’s direction by way of greeting.
*Who is this guy?*
She soon received an answer as several nearby disciples exclaimed in surprise.
“It’s Eldest Senior Brother and Cheng Yun! They really do look like the perfect couple.”
“They certainly do!”
Eldest Senior Brother!
The eldest senior brother who had loved the heroine in secret for years!
The story’s number-one cannon-fodder supporting man!
Most importantly, the eldest senior brother who had played that rotten trick on Xiaoqing a few days ago!
She seriously considered walking over and kicking him. Or perhaps she should challenge him to a fight to the death in the dueling arena.
Then she carefully considered her chances. Eldest Senior Brother had already reached the False Core stage, while she was a minor creature at Foundation Establishment.
How was she supposed to fight him?
She could not even match one of his fingers. It would be a completely one-sided beating. Just thinking about it exhausted her capacity to love.
While Xiaoqing brooded, Cheng Yun was equally confused. What was going on? She had entered beside Eldest Senior Brother and put on such a convincing display of intimacy, yet Lin Xiaoqing had not rushed over in a jealous rage. Instead, Xiaoqing glared furiously at the man, snorted, and turned her head away.
Cheng Yun hated admitting that she had to use such a method to attract Xiaoqing’s attention, but Eldest Senior Brother had always been her unbeatable trump card. It worked every single time. There had never been an exception!
One of the disciples who had been flattering Cheng Yun in the inner hall quietly sent her a private voice transmission. After listening, Cheng Yun knitted her delicate brows.
“Ouyang Yue is the Sect Leader’s own younger sister,” she said thoughtfully. “A thousand years ago, she was discovered sacrificing hundreds of thousands of mortals to cultivate an evil art. The Sect Leader immediately declared that all bonds between them were severed. Then he personally placed her on our sect’s bounty list.”
Xiaoqing forgot all about studying Eldest Senior Brother. “The Sect Leader’s sister? And did you say a *thousand years ago*? That means this mission has been on the list for over a thousand years!”
It was true that years meant little to cultivators. But Xiaoqing was a girl of sixteen or seventeen, while her target was an old monster who had lived for more than a millennium—perhaps much more. They were not remotely at the same level!
Could she change her mind after accepting a mission?
Apparently not. She could trade it to another sect member, but she could not simply withdraw.
Cheng Yun spoke coldly. “I intended to accept that mission, but you beat me to it. Lin Xiaoqing, every encounter with you is unpleasant.”
“Since you wanted it…” Xiaoqing cleared her throat. “Very well. I’ll give it to you. Because *you* want it, I’m willing to let it go.”
Her sincerity was absolute. After a thousand years, what other sweet, foolish soul in the sect would ever agree to trade missions with her?
If she captured Ouyang Yue, she would offend the Sect Leader. If she failed, everyone would call her incompetent.
How terrible did her luck have to be for her to choose such a thankless task at random?
A suspicious blush colored Cheng Yun’s cheeks. “Forget it. Since you’re so determined to complete the mission, the two of us will do it together. Don’t accuse me of bullying you!”
*I truly don’t want to complete it!* Xiaoqing wailed inwardly. *Why are you blushing? And what is that shy, hesitant look supposed to mean?*
Then there was Xiang Le.
Xiaoqing was not deaf. She could hear the girl spreading yet another tale about the “secret affairs” between Xiaoqing and Cheng Yun. Why did listening to her suddenly feel so irritating?
“Xiang Le… You seem to know a great deal about the matter between Xiaoqing and me,” Cheng Yun said. “I suppose you were also the one who ran around the sect a few days ago claiming I was involved with a certain person.”
Cheng Yun’s voice resembled a clear spring in a summer desert. It could make anyone feel peaceful and refreshed.
Anyone except Xiang Le.
The girl felt as though she had fallen into an icy abyss. She forced out a laugh. “Not at all! I was only talking nonsense. You’re generous, Senior Sister. Please don’t take offense at a nobody like me.”
*Please, please don’t take offense.*
“I don’t. I don’t care in the slightest.”
In truth, Cheng Yun was delighted by the rumor itself. She merely hated the person who had exposed her little secret.
“Even so, Junior Sister Xiang Le, I would like to invite you to the Cold Pool for a talk.”
The dueling arena was where disciples of Shuangji Sect exchanged pointers without causing serious harm. The Cold Pool, true to its name, was a dangerous place for any cultivator below Core Formation.
The body’s original owner had once spent nearly two hours just inside its entrance. Even after using every ounce of strength and every magic artifact she possessed, she had killed only three low-level ice-type demonic beasts.
The Cold Pool was not merely an excellent place to break through cultivation bottlenecks. Formations had also been installed there so sect disciples could fight life-and-death duels amid its deadly cold.
Did Cheng Yun mean to fight Xiang Le until only one of them walked away?
