Chapter 5: Those who enter the Taihui Cultivation Sect are all eccentrics, but Senior Sister is different...

Qiao Wan paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "No, I... have other things to do."

Her voice was soft as she spoke, but the look in her eyes was resolute. Seeing this, Shen Lixia decided not to make a fool of herself and sat down cross-legged beside her. She picked up the teacup and sipped it like Qiao Yanshen, but the bitterness made her purse her lips tightly. She began to suspect that both of these men surnamed Qiao had a problem with their sense of taste.

After having tea, Qiao Wan explained her itinerary to her mother, and left the mansion with the two of them, watched by the lady and the servants.

The disciples from the sect were staying at an inn outside the city, heading towards the bamboo forest. Changzhou had a pleasant climate and dense vegetation, making it a frequent hiding place for thieves. Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen flanked Qiao Wan, surrounding her in the center, almost holding her hand on either side; they looked more like elders protecting a child than guards. The young man was both amused and exasperated, about to tell them not to worry so much, when he suddenly saw Shen Lixia make a shushing gesture.

Qiao Yanshen lowered his voice and said, "Miss's family has come along."

Shen Lixia casually added, "I can't bear to see Miss, such a grown woman, run off with the sect." Just as she finished speaking, Qiao Yanshen's hand reached around from behind and pinched her waist, signaling her to stop stirring things up. Shen Lixia shrugged, making a zipping motion over her mouth. Qiao Wan's face darkened, and she quickened her pace. The three stopped talking, and only their footsteps echoed through the bamboo forest.

After finding the inn, Qiao Wan explained her purpose to the innkeeper, who led them upstairs to one of the rooms. A talisman was pasted on the ordinary wooden door, which was particularly eye-catching. Some patterns were drawn on it with cinnabar. Shen Lixia couldn't understand the meaning of the patterns. She looked at Qiao Yanshen and found that he was indeed standing to the side, observing the talisman. He picked up the paper with great interest and examined it carefully.

Qiao Wan raised her hand and knocked on the door, calling out, "Sister Huairou."

Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen exchanged a glance.

elder sister......?

Before she could fully grasp the subtlety of the address, a woman in green robes darted out from behind the door and rushed to Qiao Wan, startling Qiao Yanshen into taking a step back. The woman grasped Qiao Wan's hand, her pale eyes brimming with excitement. Shen Lixia noticed a string of jade-like leaves tucked into her hair, their surfaces shimmering with a luminous sheen; it appeared to be a magical artifact. The woman's hasty greeting had left her without even her personal sword; she seemed more oblivious than Shen Lixia had expected.

Qiao Yanshen subconsciously placed her hand on the sword. Unlike Shen Lixia, her first reaction was that she couldn't see through the other party's cultivation level.

"Did I hear that right? You just called me 'Senior Sister,' right? It was Senior Sister, wasn't it?"

Tang Huairou really wanted to take this junior sister as his own.

The cultivation world has been relatively peaceful lately, so she can only take on simple outpost missions to pass the time, such as patrolling borders and intervening in thieves. Her master is busy every day developing new pill formulas and improving their quality, and she is the only inner disciple under his command. Heaven knows how bored she is when there are no missions to do.

At this point, I don't lack contribution points to exchange for items; I can only hope to stumble upon some opportunity. If I had a junior sister, exploring secret realms and traveling around together would be much more interesting than wandering around alone.

Qiao Wan smiled shyly, carefully choosing her words. Tang Huairou's smile was as warm as a spring breeze, but as time passed and she didn't receive a definite reply, the spring breeze slowly withered. Shen Lixia couldn't bear to watch any longer and coughed twice to explain for Qiao Wan, "She called me 'sister'."

"Why..." Tang Huairou lowered her head, about to let go of Qiao Wan's hand, when suddenly a thought flashed through her mind and she gripped it tightly again, "Wan'er, are you worried that your family won't agree? It's okay, your senior sister has the formation given by the master. With a hand seal, you can return to the sect. The barrier will block you from the outside. Your senior sister will hide you well. Even if the Supreme Elder comes to ask in person, he won't know where you are."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lixia raised her hand to wipe her forehead and sighed inwardly. If all these cultivators were as mentally unstable as the person in front of her, then she might as well take her senior sister and find another place to wander the world.

Qiao Wan shook her head, turned to look at Shen Lixia and the others, and said, "Sister Huairou, they have something to ask you today."

The two women stepped forward and bowed to Tang Huairou. Only then did she notice that there were other people present. Her cheeks flushed, and she returned the bow somewhat awkwardly. After introducing themselves, she invited them into the room to talk.

Shen Lixia looked around the room. The furnishings were unremarkable, and there were no talismans. Her luggage was probably all stored in her storage pouch; she couldn't find any personal belongings. Only the teacup was steaming, filling the room with a pleasant aroma. She walked to the table, not asking Tang Huairou, and curiously peered into the tea leaves in the cup. The bitter smell filled her nostrils.

“It’s herbal tea,” Tang Huairou explained when she saw her curiosity. The three of them sat around the table, while Qiao Wan walked to the window after closing the door, gazing thoughtfully at the shadows that flashed by in the bamboo grove and listening to the long, drawn-out birdsong.

Qiao Yanshen cut to the chase and asked, "How do I join the sect?"

Tang Huairou looked at her, her eyes narrowed slightly, and when she sensed the other's cultivation level, she asked with a hint of doubt, "Hmm... Miss, your spiritual power is so pure, you must have started cultivating since you were a child. Why are you still stuck at the early stage of Qi Refining? Have you encountered any obstacles?"

She didn't directly accuse the other person of being lazy. Qiao Yanshen didn't seem like the kind of person who indulged in desires and disturbed his Dao heart. Just now, he was studying her talisman, and he seemed extremely focused. He was the kind of promising talent that the rigid immortals in the sect would appreciate. Although Tang Huairou didn't know the other person's spiritual root, she could see a faint blue light flowing around her body, continuously flowing through her meridians. It should be water-based, rather than one of the five spiritual roots that are difficult to cultivate.

That means you've encountered some difficulties.

Qiao Yanshen shook her head. She couldn't possibly say that she came from another world, and that the spiritual energy there was so thin it was almost nonexistent. She could only give a vague answer: "I was troubled by inner demons before, so I chose to return to the mortal world. Now that the inner demons have been resolved, I don't want to waste my life, so I've started cultivating again."

Tang Huairou understood perfectly. She tilted her head as if deep in thought, the green leaves in her hair swaying as if unfurling in the warm aroma of tea. After pondering for a while, she finally said hesitantly, "I can only take you to the sect. As for whether the manager will accept you, that depends on your performance. Although my sect values ​​stability and is not as martial as those sword fanatics of the Wuji Sword Sect, it still values ​​talent quite a bit."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on the sword at Qiao Yanshen's waist.

"Although you have a water elemental root, it's not as nourishing as the kind I'm familiar with. Your spiritual power is pure yet sharp, colder than gentle, and carries a sword intent." Tang Huairou smiled. "Although I don't understand swords, I can still see that this sword intent is pure. Your heart is very clean; it's a pity you're not a medical cultivator."

Shen Lixia, who was serving tea and water, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and thought to herself: Who said that? Senior Sister has a pure heart, so isn't she more suited to sword cultivation? Senior Sister can cultivate whatever she likes. This sword was meant to be cultivated by Senior Sister from the moment it appeared!

Qiao Yanshen didn't care about the latter part of Tang Huairou's words. She lowered her head and thought for a moment. Her calm, deep blue eyes were like a frozen deep sea at this moment; just looking at them was enough to bring a sense of peace. Tang Huairou had been observing her eyes for a long time. Few people are born with such eyes, both in color and in their calm and undisturbed state.

But Qiao Yanshen's next words made her uneasy.

"I'm not the only one."

Tang Huairou's first reaction was to look at Qiao Wan by the window. However, Qiao Wan did not turn around and continue the conversation as she expected when Qiao Yanshen finished speaking, sweetly telling her that she had made up her mind, and then calling her "senior sister" made her feel light and happy to the clouds.

Shen Lixia felt a tightness on her shoulder as Qiao Yanshen suddenly pulled her to his side.

"And her too."

So touching. She was almost about to call out "Senior Sister" with deep affection, but Tang Huairou timely and unceremoniously interrupted the performance.

“There is no spiritual energy fluctuation on her, and I can’t see anything else…” Tang Huairou frowned, her spiritual power sweeping over Shen Lixia. “In short, she hasn’t even stepped into the threshold yet.”

“I’ve been teaching Li Xia how to cultivate Qi into her body recently. She’s very smart, but she needs some time.” Qiao Yan took a deep breath, lowered his eyes, and pursed his lower lip. After a moment, he continued, “She and I are sworn sisters and have never been apart since childhood. I would really be worried if I left alone. I wonder if you could take her with you, Immortal Master? Whether she can join the sect is up to the Immortal Venerables to decide. I will not bother you any further.”

She took Shen Lixia's hand and placed her own on the back of Shen's hand, feeling a warmth spread through her. For some reason, she didn't feel out of place saying these words, as if she had truly known Shen Lixia since childhood and had walked through the years with her, laughing and chatting.

“I have no more attachments in this mortal world, except for my sister Xia Ru. I know that those who cultivate immortality have weak family ties, but she is not much older than me and also yearns for the path of immortality. I hope the immortal master will give her this opportunity.”

Moral blackmail, oh moral blackmail. This senior sister lies so easily, without even blushing or panting…

Shen Lixia silently pondered, then cooperated with Qiao Yanshen, leaning against her with tears welling in her eyes, almost sobbing aloud, putting on a dramatic display of deep affection. Tang Huairou, caught in their crossfire, was so moved she couldn't speak. Her chivalrous nature as a cultivator kicked in, and she raised her voice, promising, "I'll take both of you with me! If the elders disagree, I'll plead with my master to keep her as a servant, so she'll be under Miss Qiao's watchful eye and easier to care for."

Qiao Yanshen thanked her, and Shen Lixia also bowed deeply, her voice trembling slightly, as if she was so excited that she couldn't speak coherently: "Immortal Master, your kindness and virtue are beyond measure. I will definitely repay you with a thousandfold gratitude in the future."

Tang Huairou waved her hand, saying it was nothing, then looked at Qiao Wan with regret. Finally, she took out a smooth jade bead necklace from her bosom, walked to the window, handed it to her, and whispered a few words to her. Qiao Wan smiled and nodded, looking somewhat reluctant. She rummaged in her sleeve and found only a small, delicate piece of sweet cake, which she handed to Tang Huairou.

After agreeing on a time, the group returned to their respective residences. Tang Huairou escorted Qiao Wan all the way to the front of the mansion before leaving, and carefully tied a sachet around her waist before departing.

The next morning, Shen Lixia experienced the feeling of "sword dizziness" for the first time.

She didn't expect Tang Huairou to actually let the three of them go back like that, without using the convenient formation, saying that he wanted them to experience the comfort of immortals riding swords.

"Comfortable my foot!" Looking at the ever-shrinking ground below and feeling the wind whipping her cheeks, Shen Lixia felt as if she were about to faint from the intense fear of heights. Swallowing back the urge to vomit, she clung tightly to Qiao Yanshen's waist, refusing to let go, fearing that the slightest loosening of her grip would cause her to vanish like a pebble into the vast earth, leaving no ripple, and leaving Qiao Yanshen nowhere to find her corpse.

Muttering things like "Too high" and "These cultivators are really not crazy, they're not afraid of heights," Shen Lixia naturally didn't notice Qiao Yanshen's slightly reddened ears. Her white robes fluttered, and a woman with a gentle temperament stood on a long sword, her black hair flowing freely, bathed in a soft, warm glow.

The longsword moved freely through the morning mist, heading towards the high peak on the frontier as the sun rose. Qiao Yanshen, while keeping an eye on Shen Lixia, asked Tang Huairou, "Why is Master Tang so insistent on persuading Miss to join the sect?"

Tang Huairou couldn't help but feel regret when she mentioned Qiao Wan. She sighed, "She has just awakened, and water elemental energy has already condensed in her dantian. She is a natural water elemental body and is suitable to become my master's disciple. At such a young age, with proper guidance, her path to immortality will surely be smooth."

Qiao Yanshen nodded, no longer provoking her sore spot. He closed his eyes, feeling the cold wind blowing high above, and pondered how to begin inhaling qi. Tang Huairou clicked her tongue, inwardly marveling at how much effort Qiao Yanshen had put in.

As the sun fully rose, the three arrived at the sect. The three large characters "Taihuizong" were engraved on the stone tablet at the entrance, bathed in the morning light and absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, radiating a soft white light.

Qiao Yanshen led Shen Lixia off the longsword and followed behind Tang Huairou, listening to her address the steward at the door.

"I met these two young ladies by chance, and they seem to have a special affinity with the immortals. Could you arrange an assessment to see if they are qualified to become disciples of the Taihui Sect?"

Shen Lixia chuckled dryly, thinking that this exam was no longer one of those easy ones, and she probably wouldn't pass.

A note from the author:

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