There was a sudden knock on the door.

Qi Changfeng regained his composure and sat back down in his chair. Lu Chang steadied himself and said, "Come in."

Qinghe bowed as he entered, saying, "Master, Uncle-Master."

Lu Chang: "What is it?"

“I had nothing to do last night, so I was strolling around the courtyard when I met two guests who had come from afar.”

The implication is that someone has intruded.

"What did the guest do?"

"Engraving array".

The two exchanged a glance, and Lu Chang pressed further, "What kind of formation?"

"The runes are strange and complex, unlike anything I've ever seen before. They don't seem to be the work of a righteous cultivator."

The implication was that it was the work of the demons.

Qi Changfeng suddenly spoke up, "Xiao Er, I already know about this matter. You don't need to worry about it anymore. Go back and rest."

Qing hesitated, wondering if they shouldn't break the formation first.

Qi Changfeng seemed not to have seen through her thoughts. He simply waved his hand, told her not to make a fuss about it, and let her go back.

Qinghe had no choice but to obey. Since her master didn't want her to interfere, he must already have a way to deal with it, so it was best for her not to meddle.

*

The next day, the sun shone brightly.

Qinghe leaned back under the maple tree, closing his eyes to rest.

Maple leaves rustled and fell on her robes, adding a brocade pattern to her plain white and gray clothes, making for a picturesque scene from afar.

The disciples who came to repair the house saw their senior sister under the tree, who was almost buried by maple leaves, and looked at her with pity.

Senior Sister Qinghe is so pitiful. She doesn't even have a place to sleep and can only make do under a tree. Our Qingyun Sect is really too poor. Then she looked down at her own body, which was so thin from hunger that she had lost all her abs. For a moment, she couldn't tell who was more pitiful.

Qinghe jolted awake in his sleep, looking around blankly.

Who just insulted me?

After looking around and not finding the suspect, Qinghe lay back, just about to go back to sleep, when a voice came from beside her, "You'll catch a cold if you sleep like that."

Qinghe frowned and looked up; it was Mo Junqian.

Why is he here again?

Mo Junqian knelt down and gently brushed the maple leaves off her body, then repeated, "You'll catch a cold."

Qinghe wanted to explain to him that with her current cultivation level, catching a cold was not an option for her.

However, given the male protagonist's current state of serious injury and lack of spiritual power, it is clearly too early to say that.

While still leaning back, Qinghe cut to the chase: "Why are you here again?"

Mo Junqian picked up the last maple leaf and played with it in his hand. "Master Boda told me that my body is not yet ready to establish a foundation, but I can do some physical labor to strengthen my body and help with the recovery of my injuries, so..."

So you came here to live in the mud?

Qinghe's lips twitched slightly. "These hands of yours aren't for working with mud! Besides, what if you want to get revenge on me later and hold me responsible for doing this work for me? Wouldn't I be at a huge loss?"

No, no, that won't do.

Qinghe suddenly stood up and said coldly, "I don't need your help. Get out of here right now and don't come back again."

She turned to leave, ignoring him completely.

I had only taken two steps when I heard a deep voice behind me, "Do you look down on me?"

Hmm? Qinghe turned around and frowned at him.

But Mo Junqian thought she was getting impatient.

I chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Even you look down on me. Yes, I was just a beggar on the streets, dreaming that I could rise to the top in one step after entering the Qingyun Sect. What a pipe dream."

Seeing his gloomy and dejected expression, Qinghe realized that he had probably spoken too harshly.

Clearing his throat, Qinghe tried to excuse himself: "That's not what I meant. It's just that you're injured and shouldn't overwork yourself. If you really have nothing to do, then..."

Just as he was pondering what reason to come up with, Mo Junqian suddenly looked up, his eyes sparkling, "Teach me how to cultivate Qi, okay?"

Qinghe was stunned.

Meanwhile, Mo Junqian observed her expression and cautiously called out, "Master Qinghe?"

Qinghe was still reeling from the shock of becoming the male lead's mentor.

Her original intention was to let the male protagonist go for a dip in Crescent Moon Lake from time to time. With his extraordinary talent and invincible protagonist aura, he could easily achieve Foundation Establishment without any guidance from others.

Unfortunately, the male lead lacked the self-awareness expected of a protagonist and actually wanted the villainous female supporting character to teach him Qi cultivation, which was simply a pipe dream.

What's even more terrifying is that when Qinghe heard Mo Junqian call him "Master," he actually felt a strange sense of accomplishment.

Unable to figure it out no matter how much he thought about it, Qinghe attributed this feeling to the omnipotent protagonist's halo. Being illuminated by it even a little bit made him feel elated.

Having said that, Qinghe couldn't refuse, so he agreed, but not in the capacity of his master.

Let's leave the male lead, this great master, to be personally taught by Qi Changfeng.

After a leisurely six months, there were finally only five days left until the Weigu Trial.

The Luhua Terrace had already been renovated. The main hall, a wooden building, occupied a fairly large area and was decorated quite well inside and out, which pleased Qinghe greatly.

A low rosewood and marble table was placed in the open space in front of the door, with fruits, snacks and tea set on it.

There were two rattan chairs on either side. Qinghe was nestled in the rattan chair on the right, with a book covering her face. She was resting with her eyes closed, occasionally reaching out to grab a piece of pastry and chewing it slowly.

The rattan chair swayed back and forth, making creaking noises.

"Ninety-seven...ninety-eight...ninety-nine...one hundred..."

At the same time, a loud bang came from afar.

Mo Junqian ran from a distance to Qinghe, his face beaming with excitement. "Qinghe, I've broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage!"

The book slipped off Qinghe's face, and she looked up at him: "How many times have I told you, you have to call me senior sister."

There were no words of praise, but the satisfaction and appreciation in his eyes were evident.

Mo Junqian smiled shyly and called out softly, "Senior Sister."

Qinghe was in a good mood and gestured for him to sit down and have a cup of tea.

Just as I was about to say something, I caught a glimpse of Li Jiang and Bo Da walking towards us.

Qinghe stood up and nodded to the two of them as a greeting.

Li Jiang smiled as soon as she saw her, which made Qing He feel quite helpless.

The reason was that she had given her little wooden house a good name. Li Jiang was right next to her when she wrote the inscription. He covered his mouth, trying his best not to laugh out loud, and asked with difficulty, "Why did you choose the name 'Fanglangju' (meaning 'Residence of the Wanderers')? Don't you think it's a bit indecent?"

Qinghe expressed his disdain for his ignorance. This was a famous quote from the Sage of Calligraphy, a timeless masterpiece that has been passed down for centuries. The transcendent and unrestrained spirit contained within it was something that you cultivators could never understand.

Despite his strong opposition, Qinghe insisted on using these three characters as the name, and even made a plaque with hidden peach wood carvings and gold sand embroidery, which was not only beautiful but also warded off evil spirits.

Li Jiang said she didn't appreciate it.

Mo Junqian also bowed to the two of them: "Senior Brother Li Jiang, Master Bo Da."

Upon seeing him, Boda automatically activated her maternal aura, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile, "Your cultivation has improved again. It seems my judgment hasn't deteriorated."

Mo Junqian's eyes were sincere: "It's all thanks to Senior Sister's excellent teaching."

This is no exaggeration; Qinghe did indeed teach him a lot. If he had relied on his own exploration to figure things out little by little before, he would never have grown so rapidly.

Qinghe raised an eyebrow and readily accepted.

Li Jiang also looked at him: "Now that you have already established your foundation, why not participate in the Weigu Trial? Right now, you have no name or status in the Qingyun Sect, and you are at most a guest. If you pass the Weigu Trial, you can officially join us."

Boda chimed in, "Yes, the Weigu Trial is held every five years and is specifically designed to select new disciples. Most of them are Foundation Establishment cultivators. As long as you are among the top ten, you can become a disciple of the Qingyun Sect. There are still a few days until the trial, and many cultivators have already gathered at the foot of the mountain to participate. Lu Chang has already started making preparations, so it's not too late for you to sign up now."

Mo Junqian seemed to hesitate for a moment, then turned to look at Qinghe.

Qing looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mo Junqian: "Do you want me to participate?" His tone was somewhat tentative.

Qinghe nodded: "Of course." That's how the script goes.

Mo Junqian suddenly smiled, no longer hesitating, turned to the two of them and said that he would definitely participate, and asked about the specific details of the trial.

Li Jiang was focused on answering his questions and didn't notice anything, but Bo Da was sensitive and her eyes darted back and forth between Mo Junqian and Qing He, her heart filled with some subtle emotions.

After the two left, Qinghe returned to her languid state, sprawled on the wicker chair as if boneless. Reaching for a piece of pastry, she saw Mo Junqian pick one up and offer it to her lips, a smile playing on his lips.

Qinghe wasn't used to such intimate gestures, so she leaned back and reached out to take the pastries.

Just as she put it in her mouth, Mo Junqian spoke gently, "Don't worry, I will definitely come out on top in the trial and enter the Qingyun Sect. I won't let you down." His tone was firm.

Qinghe wasn't worried about him failing the exam, but she still wanted to offer encouragement. She swallowed a pastry and said to him, "I believe in you."

Just four words gave Mo Junqian immense confidence.

No more words were spoken; only the sounds of Qing chewing pastries and the creaking of the rattan chair filled the air.