Xuanxiao Gate (Part 3)

After Ling Qingqiu returned to the sect, the forest became much quieter.

Since Ling Qingqiu had never managed the miscellaneous affairs within the sect, Wan Wuji arranged for him to learn from him.

Canghe would always lead a group out once a day, and when he came back he would go to the Third Elder Chu Xiao's Wensheng Cliff. Occasionally he would take a few bottles of elixirs and a few magical herbs from Wensheng Cliff and give them to Lin Zhuo.

After breakfast, Lin Zhuo was about to go to Wan Wuji's Lancang Mountain to take a look. As she walked out of the door, she suddenly looked up at the sky.

The calamity clouds were gathering momentum. Xie Zhitiao's thunder tribulation was approaching.

Lin Zhuo retreated a little further, his face becoming more serious. Xie Zhitiao's thunder tribulation seemed to be even stronger than her own divine transformation thunder tribulation.

Ling Qingqiu and Wan Wuji felt the fluctuations in this area and used their spiritual power to teleport over.

Lin Zhuo had just sent a jade slip to his master and noticed the person coming and turned his head to look at him.

"Uncle, senior brother." She nodded slightly.

As everyone knows, the previous head of Xuanxiao had three disciples, the current great elder Wan Wuji, the current head of the sect Canghe, and the fourth elder Hua Fangyi who has not been seen for a long time.

According to the ranking, Wan Wuji should have succeeded as the headmaster, but he gave the position to Canghe and became the chief elder himself.

Wan Wuji has always been good-tempered and always smiles at everyone he meets. Over the years, Lin Zhuo has only seen his dark face when he was handling affairs within the sect.

The jade slip rang, and Lin Zhuo silently added, "Well, I'm often irritated by my master."

Wan Wuji was still smiling as he looked at Xie Zhitiao's barrier.

"Zhi Tiao is a truly extraordinary kid when he's serious." Despite the praise, he was also a little worried.

Ling Qingqiu also frowned, seeming to disagree with Xie Zhitiao's approach.

Lin Zhuo remained silent. She had always followed the rules and procedures in her cultivation, precisely because she was well aware of the dangers of transcending levels and overcoming tribulations.

The seven divine transformation thunderbolts were already powerful, and after that, every time one advanced to a new realm, they would have to endure three more thunderbolts. For Xie Zhitiao to cross levels and endure ten thunderbolts was ultimately too hasty.

A person fell beside Wan Wuji. It was Canghe. He hurried back after receiving the news.

Glancing at the worries of the three people, Canghe seemed much calmer: "Don't worry, A'tiao knows what to do." He had guessed early on that Xie Zhitiao would do this. Before he went into seclusion, he gave him elixirs to help him overcome the tribulation.

The three of them felt relieved a little, and they stood quietly outside the barrier without saying a word.

——

You Jingjia had said she wanted to return to the sect half a month ago, and she'd been busy upholding justice and slaying evil along the way, only returning today. As she neared the foot of the sect's mountain, she excitedly sent a message to Lin Zhuo. After waiting for a while, there was no reply.

You Jingjia's smile faded. It was rare for Lin Zhuo not to return the jade slip. She straightened her lips and, without stopping at the foot of the mountain, flew straight towards Solitary Illumination Peak, treading on her natal sword.

She prayed secretly, hoping that Lin Zhuo was just hindered by the affairs of the sect, and not leaving the sect to do business again.

Before even getting close, You Jingjia noticed the calamity clouds swirling in the sky above the peak. She narrowed her eyes and muttered to herself, "Zhao Zhao only reached the middle stage of the Spiritual Transformation Realm last year. Could this calamity cloud... be from that kid Xie Zhitiao?"

Cang He was the first to notice the girl's return. He withdrew his gaze from the barrier and looked in the direction where You Jingjia had flown from, reminding the others, "Jingjia is back."

You Jingjia saw the four people standing in the distance, and the corners of her tightly clenched lips twisted into a smile that was no different from usual. She jumped off the sword, sheathed it, and saluted the elders: "Master, Uncle."

Wan Wuji put his hands behind his back and nodded with a smile. Cang He remained expressionless, nodding: "I'm glad you're back." Now that everyone was together, it was time to start making arrangements.

Knowing that Ling Qingqiu was a man of few words, You Jingjia smiled at him, "Senior Brother." Ling Qingqiu showed no emotion. After a pause, he suddenly replied, "It's been a while, Jingjia."

You Jingjia was stunned for a moment, then her smile became more teasing. "Didn't Senior Brother say that a hundred years is just a blink of an eye for us? How can it be considered 'long time no see' after only three years?"

Ling Qingqiu twitched the corners of his lips, a rare faint smile forming, though a hint of sadness lingered in his eyes. If we were to count from the time of You Jingjia's death in his previous life, it had indeed been several hundred years.

You Jingjia didn't say anything more, and turned to Lin Zhuo: "Our little Zhaozhao, you miss Senior Sister so much." Lin Zhuo's cheeks flushed slightly, and he raised his hands to hug Senior Sister, rubbing his hands against her cup affectionately: "I miss Senior Sister too."

When the two sisters gathered together to talk, the barrier opened.

Xie Zhitiao is about to begin his tribulation.

Xie Zhitiao walked out of the house and met the gazes of several people. The young man blinked, his face as calm as ever: "Ah, everyone is here."

Lin Zhuo was about to say something when he was suddenly pulled away by You Jingjia beside him.

The first thunderbolt struck, and smoke and dust filled the surroundings. Every half hour, a long-accumulated thunderbolt would fall on Xie Zhitiao.

The dust around him gradually obscured his figure. Cang He and Wan Wu Ji moved closer to protect Xie Zhi Tiao.

As the sun set, the clouds of disaster dispersed, and the dust gradually settled. The young man remained standing, but his white clothes were no longer clean.

He looked up, chuckled at them, and called out to Lin Zhuo, "Senior Sister, I have entered the state of spiritual transformation." He raised his leg, as if he wanted to approach them, but his body swayed.

Seeing Xie Zhitiao about to fall, several people instinctively rushed over to help him. Wan Wuji was closest, and his hand was about to touch his clothes, but the young man staggered and fell towards the swamp.

Wan Wuji: ...

He withdrew his hand, his face expressionless.

Lin Zhuo subconsciously caught the fallen boy and held him in his arms. He heard the boy's weak voice: "Senior Sister, it hurts." After that, he drooped his head and fainted.

Ling Qingqiu stepped forward to help Xie Zhitiao over. You Jingjia sarcastically said, "This brat has been slacking off on his training all day, and now he's fainting from a thunder tribulation."

Canghe frowned and probed Xie Zhitiao's meridians. After a while, his expression became more serious.

——

Xie Zhitiao was lying on the couch in the room. Chu Xiao came after hearing the news and was treating him.

The three brothers and sisters stood guard outside the house, the atmosphere a bit solemn. No one knew why Xie Zhitiao was so weak. If it weren't for his thunder tribulation today and Cang He's intuition, they might not have noticed it until now.

Wan Wuji walked out of the house, shook his head and approached the three people.

"Why are you all so sad?" He wanted to make the three of them relax. "A Tiao is not missing any limbs."

Lin Zhuo and You Jingjia looked at each other without saying anything.

Wan Wuji patted Ling Qingqiu on the shoulder and said, "Alright, don't keep guarding. The third brother is inside. Jingjia just came back today and she probably has a lot to talk to Zhaozhao. Qingqiu also has a mission to complete. Let's all go."

——

You Jingjia followed Lin Zhuo back to her courtyard, lifted her skirt, and sat down at the stone table in the courtyard in a rather unrestrained manner.

"Xiao Linzi, bring some wine!" She smiled and pinched Lin Zhuo's face.

Lin Zhuo's mouth was pinched so hard that it pouted. Hearing this, he pulled down his senior sister's hand and said, "Senior brother said last time that you are not allowed to take me drinking again. Didn't you remember that, senior sister?"

A few years ago, You Jingjia brought back a few pots of lime wine from the foot of the mountain and forced her to drink them all.

It was Lin Zhuo's first time drinking, and after getting drunk, she was confused and obedient. Her awakened wood spiritual root, due to the spiritual power running wild, gave rise to several vines that surrounded her.

You Jingjia, on the other hand, commanded the vines of the forest swamp to dominate the mountain. If Ling Qingqiu hadn't returned in time, she and the vine would have danced right in front of Cang He, who was in seclusion in the main hall.

You Jingjia's smile fell, and she couldn't help but shrink her neck as she obviously remembered Ling Qingqiu's handsome face with anger. She raised her eyes to look at Lin Zhuo's slightly curved almond-shaped eyes, which were still as gentle as ever.

She suddenly felt a little bitter in her heart, and said softly: "Just accompany Senior Sister. Just drink a little, I'm a little upset."

Lin Zhuo was a soft-hearted person to begin with, and when he heard that the usually optimistic and cheerful You Jingjia was so upset that she wanted to drink to drown her sorrows, he was instantly shaken.

You Jingjia looked at her eagerly. After a few seconds of stalemate, Lin Zhuo resigned himself to his fate and lowered his hands, choosing to compromise: "Only drink for a while, I'll call my senior brother."

The corners of You Jingjia's charming eyes curved downwards. Smiling, she went to her courtyard to get some wine.

Lin Zhuo sighed, took out the jade slip, and told Ling Qingqiu to come back in half an hour. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to control the drunk You Jingjia.

——

In Xie Zhitiao's room, Chu Xiao looked quite relaxed.

"His soul is a little unstable. He will be fine after a few days of rest. I will send someone to bring a bottle of Soul-Strengthening Pill later." She took a sip of water and looked at the two people opposite her.

The smile on Wan Wuji's face had long disappeared. He stood up and paced back and forth, and suddenly slapped the table with his palm.

Chu Xiao remained calm and continued to drink her tea. After so many years, she had long been accustomed to Wan Wuji's sudden anger towards the headmaster.

As expected, Wan Wuji's brows were furrowed, probably out of concern for the person sleeping on the couch in the inner room. He lowered his voice, but could not hide his anger: "Cang He! You knew the dangers of crossing the tribulation, why did you indulge A Tiao!"

Cang He didn't even raise his head: "Nothing will happen to him. I won't let anything happen to him."

Wan Wuji raised his hand, as if wanting to slap him, but he didn't dare to do it, and finally could only wave his sleeves angrily.

"You were the one who agreed to accept a disciple, but after that you didn't care about him anymore. You didn't even ask about the big or small matters in the sect. Do you think you are worthy of being a teacher or a leader?"

Chu Xiao expected that Cang He would, like before, irritate Wan Wuji to the point of losing his voice, so he skillfully placed a soundproofing shield around the person on the couch. The next moment, Cang He indeed spoke again: "...Senior Brother."

Wan Wuji held the teacup and drank tea without saying a word.

"I'm sorry." Ruo Wei lowered his eyelids. "...I've caused you a lot of worry in the past. I will fulfill my responsibilities as a master and a head of the sect."

Wan Wuji dropped the teacup in his hand, shattering it to the ground. Chu Xiao choked on a mouthful of water and began coughing uncontrollably. The two looked at Cang He in horror, unable to believe their ears.

When has Immortal Canghe ever bowed his head to anyone?

Before they could react, a slight noise came from the courtyard next door. The monks had sharp ears and eyes, and the three of them were all powerful immortals, so they quickly realized that someone was crying.

Cang He's expression changed slightly, and he was the first to walk out of the house.

——

The wine that You Jingjia brought was strong and spicy. Lin Zhuo drank half a cup and stopped, but You Jingjia drank one cup after another.

Lin Zhuo was not good at drinking, and his head was dizzy at the moment, but at least he was still somewhat conscious and his spiritual power did not run wild like last time.

She held her chin in her hand and looked at You Jingjia quietly, listening to her chatter and occasionally responding slowly. After You Jingjia finished a pot of wine, the annoyance in her heart not only did not subside, but became more and more intense.

Her eyes suddenly turned red, and the girl who was always smiling hugged Lin Numa and burst into tears.

Lin Zhuo was so frightened that he almost sobered up. He quickly hugged her back and coaxed her gently, "What's wrong, Senior Sister?"

She had never seen You Jingjia cry since she could remember. Now she seemed flustered and could only hold her and comfort her gently.

You Jingjia was drunk at first and howled a few times, but when Lin Zhuo started to comfort her, she really started crying again.

Her tears fell on the girl's shoulders, leaving small stains on her lavender clothes.

She heard the girl's concerned greetings in her ears, and the hands around her were warm and strong. You Jingjia sobbed, almost greedily absorbing the warmth from the girl.

The soft glow of the night pearl illuminated the courtyard and illuminated the two people in it.

"Zhao Zhao." Her voice was a little hoarse. Lin Zhuo subconsciously lowered his voice: "Senior Sister, I'm here."

You Jingjia closed her eyes and tightened her arms around the girl.

She was lively, she would pretend to be mature to discipline herself, but would also unconsciously soften her heart towards her. She would smile with her eyebrows curved, gently call her "Senior Sister", and then drawl like a spoiled child.

She was no longer the numb and gloomy Lin Swamp of her previous life.

You Jingjia wanted to wake up. She had many questions for Lin Zhuo, and if possible, she wanted to avoid them.

Her junior sister was a darling who was pampered by everyone in Xuanxiao Sect. How could she end up like that?

But as soon as she opened her mouth, tears welled up before she could even ask a question. The alcohol had numbed You Jingjia's mind, making it unclear. She cried continuously, calling out "Zhao Zhao" over and over again.

Lin Zhuo, who had just regained consciousness, became dizzy again. Seeing that she couldn't comfort You Jingjia, she also sobbed and cried.

Lin Zhuo felt very aggrieved: "Senior Sister, why are you crying? You make me want to cry too..."

You Jingjia didn't understand what she was saying. Seeing that she was crying, she cried even louder: "Wuwuwu, Zhaozhao, why are you crying? Zhaozhao, have you been wronged? Wuwuwu..."

Cang He and the other two stood outside the courtyard in silence. Ling Qingqiu happened to speak, and upon hearing the two sisters crying inside, he hesitated, "Are they... crying?"

The next moment, he smelled the aroma of wine wafting from the yard.

Ling Qingqiu:......

His fists hardened.

Seeing that the elder was silent and seemed to be in deep thought, Ling Qingqiu walked into the courtyard with a sullen face and knocked You Jingjia, who was crying and saying that she wanted to travel around the world with Lin Zhuo, unconscious with a palm.

He stuffed a hangover pill into You Jingjia's mouth, and handed one to the still sober Lin Zhao: "Zhao Zhao, take it."

Lin Zhuo ate it obediently and stared blankly at his senior brother carrying his senior sister into the house.

She blinked and stood up dizzily, wanting to go into the house and sleep with You Jingjia, but her body swayed and someone grabbed her arm and made her stand up straight.

She looked at Canghe who was pulling her in a daze, and suddenly curled her lips, revealing a slightly shy and surprised smile.

"Master, you've come out of seclusion."

Canghe had a ball of cotton stuffed in his chest, and suddenly remembered that Lin Zhuo in his previous life had cried and blamed him.

She said they always left her alone.

He took Lin Zhuo's wrist and walked into the house, coaxing her gently: "Well, Master will not abandon you again."

——

Across the courtyard, a young man on a couch clutched the mattress with his fingertips, his face pale and beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His pale lips trembled slightly as he uttered a murmur that sounded like a sob or a sigh.

“Senior Sister…”