When Jing Zhe arrived at the front hall, dressed neatly, ready to eat, all the people he had shared drinks with the day before were there, but Liu Jinghong was nowhere to be seen.

"President Jing, did you sleep well last night?"

Jing Zhe couldn't hold his liquor, so he got completely drunk, but the others weren't much better off. After Jing Zhe got drunk last night, Liu Jinghong helped him downstairs.

They continued drinking until they were completely unconscious, and were later taken back by their men. Guo Lin had finished his business and was heading back to Quzhou early this morning, so he came over to say goodbye to them.

"fine…"

After exchanging a few words, Guo Lin prepared to take his leave. Jing Zhe did not go out to see him off, but instead sent Wang De to see him off.

Wang Fujun and his two companions naturally wouldn't stay for dinner. After all, this was Liu Jinghong's residence, and it was already a rare treat to have a drink here last night. How could they possibly have the nerve to stay any longer?

"Wait a minute."

Seeing that they were about to leave, Jing Zhe suddenly thought of something.

Then he took out the three martial arts manuals he had retrieved from the battlefield the day before from his pocket. “I’ve brought the martial arts manuals. You can take them back!”

"Master, it doesn't really matter whether I take it or not."

"You should keep these for now. Although our Heaven and Earth Sect has its own cultivation techniques, I cannot teach them to you yet. You can't see Master usually, but you can see Senior Sister—who is the Left Protector of our Heaven and Earth Sect. My cultivation technique was taught by Senior Sister. I can only teach you the Heaven and Earth Sect's cultivation techniques after we return to Jingzhou and ask Senior Sister."

Jing Zhe explained.

The three nodded, but were very curious: "Master has a senior sister—our martial aunt?"

Seeing Jing Zhe nod, they asked again, "Uncle-Master is the Left Protector of the Heaven and Earth Sect, Master is the Right Protector of the Heaven and Earth Sect, and besides Grandmaster, are there any other elders in the sect?"

Jing Zhe shook his head: "No, before you, there were only the three of us in the Heaven and Earth Sect."

"Three people..."

Seeing their surprised expressions, Jing Zhe's expression was slightly awkward, but he said without changing his expression, "Well... our Heaven and Earth Sect used to follow a boutique route, emphasizing quality over quantity, which is why we have so few talents, um... you all understand, right?"

"We understand, we understand..."

The three of them immediately nodded like chickens pecking at rice. Only then did Jing Zhe feel a little more comfortable. He nodded slightly, looking like a promising student.

At this moment, Wang Fujun asked curiously, "Master, how does that uncle's cultivation level compare to yours?"

"Pretty much! When we left Jingzhou, my senior sister's cultivation level was higher than mine. I wonder if she's improved any further now..."

"..."

Jing Zhe was telling the truth. When they left Jingzhou, Su Mochen was indeed more powerful than him. However, he had made too much progress during his trip to Jinxi. If Su Mochen wanted to catch up with him, he would have to cultivate with him. However, he would also benefit from the cultivation, so it seemed unlikely.

Wang Fujun and his group, however, had a different idea.

Jing Zhe is a master at the mid-stage of the sixth level, and his senior sister is even more powerful than him. Isn't she almost a grandmaster?

Three people from one sect: a Grandmaster, a Quasi-Grandmaster, and a master who is not yet twenty years old but has already reached the middle stage of the sixth level. This lineup is stronger than that of the four major sects!

This made them feel even more that joining the Heaven and Earth Sect was the right decision! And the fewer people there were in the Heaven and Earth Sect before, the better for them!

So, they are now ranked below three people and above several hundred people. Moreover, they can foresee that in the near future, the number of disciples of the Heaven and Earth Sect will increase, and at that time, they will be the elders!

No, they must make a good impression during this time to solidify their position!

So the three of them assured Jing Zhe that once the New Year was over, they would lead a group to spearhead the attack for him...

...

After the three left, leaving only Jing Zhe in the front hall, Liu Jinghong, who had changed her clothes, came out.

Jing Zhe was stunned after just one glance.

After returning to her room, Liu Jinghong was clearly not acting out of spite; instead, she changed her clothes and even dressed up specially.

She changed out of her light-colored cotton dress and into a deep purple chiffon gown, adorned with tassels at the waist and hem, making her appear even more graceful and ethereal.

She didn't tie up her loose, cloud-like black hair, but instead chose to tie it casually with a light blue ribbon. Her dark hair cascaded down like flowing clouds, falling to her waist, exuding a carefree yet elegant and otherworldly aura that made her seem unapproachable.

This version of Liu Jinghong was even more stunning than when she went out of the city alone with Jing Zhe in Jingzhou. Jing Zhe couldn't help but take another closer look at her from top to bottom.

Her hair was as black as a waterfall, her skin as smooth as jade, her eyebrows as light as smoke, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling, and her gaze shimmering. Combined with Liu Jinghong's already stunning beauty, she truly looked like a celestial being descended to earth.

If the Liu Jinghong you saw when you opened your eyes in the morning was less aloof and more down-to-earth, then the Liu Jinghong you see now is full of ethereal beauty.

After being stared at by Jing Zhe like a lovesick fool for so long, Liu Jinghong wrinkled her nose and pouted, "What are you looking at?"

"Of course we'll look to Fifth Sister!"

"Why are you looking at me like that? I've never seen you before?"

"I have seen it, that's all."

Jing Zhe stroked his chin and laughed, "But I've never seen such a beautiful Fifth Sister before!"

"snort!"

Liu Jinghong snorted coldly with a straight face, but her heart was as sweet as if she had eaten honey. She wanted to remain aloof, but finally couldn't help but ask suspiciously, "Really?"

"Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to Fifth Sister?"

"..."

It would have been better if she hadn't said those words, because as soon as she did, she was glared at by Liu Jinghong. Not only had Jing Zhe lied to her, but she had also caught him red-handed. And he still dared to speak so shamelessly in front of her. He was really shameless.

After glaring at him, Liu Jinghong suddenly rolled her eyes and stared at him intently, asking, "Really beautiful?"

"It's so beautiful!"

Liu Jinghong's lips curled into a smile, as if she were watching prey walk into a trap, and she said in a deep voice, "Fine, since you say I'm beautiful, then I'll ask you now, what about our relationship...?"

After counting for a while, Liu Jinghong seemed to get tired of it and changed his question directly: "Compared to all your women, who is the prettiest?"

"..."

Why is it this kind of question again?

Jing Zhe couldn't even remember how many times he had answered such a life-threatening question. Moreover, the most dangerous time was when his third and fourth sisters were present at the same time. He managed to control such a dangerous situation, so this situation was nothing to him!

His eyes darted around, and a plan came to mind. He gathered all the words he had thought of in his head, ready to speak at any moment.

However, Liu Jinghong was clearly faster than him, speaking in a cold voice before Jing Zhe could even open his mouth.

"Answer properly!"

"Don't lie to me!"

"And you're not allowed to say something as perfunctory as 'everyone is beautiful'!"

"..."

————