Their eyes met, sparks flying, drawing frequent glances from those around them.
"Zhaozhao, you must not be rude."
Yun Xian glanced at the two of them and spoke first. Upon hearing his words, Lu Zhaozhao could only look away.
The people from the Sword Tomb also noticed. When they saw that Liao Chou was staring at someone from the Qinghui Sect, and then saw Yun Xian at the very front, they cursed inwardly and slapped Liao Chou on the head, causing his entire body to tilt outwards slightly.
Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but frown, looking at the leader of the Sword Tomb with some disapproval.
This commotion drew everyone's attention. In the Sword Tomb group, Jin Ke spotted Lu Zhaozhao and greeted her. Lu Zhaozhao politely returned the greeting. After the Sword Tomb members were seated, she said to Yun Xian, "This disciple has met an old friend and would like to go up and have a chat. I hope Master will grant me permission."
Yunxian didn't think much of it and nodded in agreement.
Lu Zhaozhao quietly circled around from the back row and walked towards Jin Ke. Jin Ke was drinking with someone at the time, and when she caught sight of Lu Zhaozhao out of the corner of her eye, she was stunned for a moment.
Even after Lu Zhaozhao nodded to him, he still couldn't believe that she was looking for him.
Jin Ke immediately left her seat and ran to Lu Zhaozhao's side. They were currently at the edge of a bamboo grove. Wenyuan Academy was full of greenery, with lush trees and tall bamboos, making it convenient to find a place to chat.
"Senior Brother Jin, it's been a long time," Lu Zhaozhao greeted him.
"Junior Sister Lu, it's been a long time." Jin Ke greeted her with a simple smile, still somewhat surprised that Lu Zhaozhao had come to see him.
The two had little interaction apart from Mushan, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, Lu Zhaozhao got straight to the point: "I heard that a weapon master has emerged from the Sword Tomb this year, which is quite novel. I wonder if Senior Brother could tell me more about it?"
Upon hearing Lu Zhaozhao's question, Jin Ke couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had thought that his junior sister Lu had come to catch up with him, but he didn't expect her to ask about that kid. But then again, she was a disciple of the Qinghui Sect, with exceptional talent and hard work. He had also seen this year's list of notable figures, and his junior sister Lu was ranked second. Although his own ranking was not low, compared to Lu Zhaozhao, he inevitably paled in comparison.
“Oh, Liaochou…” He turned to look at the man in red at the table, thinking that this guy was really lucky. The physique of the weapon master made him rank third. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have been able to attract Junior Sister Lu’s attention.
"Liao Chou was originally just a disciple who did odd jobs in the sect. When he was eight years old, he didn't even have any cultivation level in the sect test. Before that, he wasn't even considered a cultivator. Five years ago, he accidentally awakened the body of a weapon master. After that, his cultivation speed was extremely fast. Three years ago, he was taken in by the sect leader. Two years ago, he was brought to the Gathering of Heroes. Since then, he has become famous."
Jin Ke spoke roughly, trying his best to belittle him. He didn't want this person to leave a good impression on Junior Sister Lu. After all, this person was just a handyman before, someone who had to bow and scrape before him and wasn't even worthy of carrying his shoes. But one day, he suddenly had a breakthrough. Before leaving, his master had warned him not to cause trouble, which made him feel uneasy.
"In this competition, Zhezhishanren wrote a list of notable figures, which I have read. Senior Brother is among the top performers, congratulations! However, apart from this weapon maker, all the top 100 participants have their cultivation levels listed. But to rank third, his cultivation level must be quite high, right?" Lu Zhaozhao asked again.
“Junior Sister, you’re mistaken.” Jin Ke became interested and leaned closer to her, whispering, “Although he is the weapon master, he hasn’t been cultivating for very long, so his cultivation level isn’t high. At least last year, he had only just entered the Golden Core stage, and I imagine he’s not much higher now. He was able to win thanks to his physique, which allows him to counter other people’s weapons. This matter is not to be told outside the sect, so I’m only telling you quietly, Junior Sister. Please don’t tell anyone else.”
“That’s natural,” Lu Zhaozhao said with a light laugh.
He asked a few more questions, but Jin Ke clearly didn't know much about Liao Chou either. He only knew that most of the disciples in the Sword Tomb didn't treat him very well. One reason was the sudden change in his identity, and another reason, to put it bluntly, was jealousy of the weapon master's body.
Seeing that she couldn't get any information, Lu Zhaozhao quickly changed the subject and chatted briefly before heading back.
Jin Ke was still somewhat reluctant and racked her brains to find topics to talk about, but she couldn't hold out for long.
Lu Zhaozhao made an excuse to say goodbye to him, and then turned and left.
After walking a few steps, she paused, and instead of returning the way she came, she walked deeper into the path.
After winding her way through several bends, the surrounding noise decreased sharply, and the place became increasingly secluded. Only then did she stop and raise her voice to speak: "Fellow Daoist, you've followed me all this way. Why don't you speak frankly?"
Footsteps sounded behind me, getting closer and closer, and stopped at a spot not too far away.
Lu Zhaozhao turned around, and a splash of blue came into view.
"Senior Brother Bai?" she asked, somewhat surprised.
"I overheard my junior sister talking to someone and was about to leave when your conversation ended. I thought it wouldn't be too late to leave after she left, but it seems she got lost and wandered further and further away, so I followed her. It was my fault for frightening her."
Bai Yuanshi was very elegant and showed no signs of embarrassment at being caught; on the contrary, he appeared quite dignified.
"Is that so? Since it was a misunderstanding, that's good. Farewell."
As Lu Zhaozhao lifted her leg to leave, Bai Yuanshi asked as she passed by him, "Junior Sister, did you visit East Lake the other day?"
"No." Lu Zhaozhao replied without changing her expression and continued walking forward.
"Does Junior Sister also deceive her fellow cultivators in the Sword Tomb in this way?" Master Bai asked again.
Lu Zhaozhao stopped and said coldly, "What do you mean by that, Senior Brother? Senior Brother Jin and I are old acquaintances; we were just exchanging a few pleasantries."
“I remember we’re old acquaintances,” Master Bai Yuan continued, “I happen to have some news about Fellow Daoist Liao Chou here as well. Why don’t you exchange pleasantries with me, Junior Sister?”
Lu Zhaozhao turned around, looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "How would you like to exchange pleasantries, Senior Brother?"
"I only have one question: Where did my junior sister go after she went down the mountain for training six months ago?"
His gaze was deep and unwavering as he stared at Lu Zhaozhao, his eyes filled with a resolute determination to uncover the truth.
Lu Zhaozhao sighed. She began to consider how to answer more favorably, but then she thought that this person seemed to have some means of distinguishing truth from falsehood. It seemed a bit troublesome to fool him. Even if she managed to fool him, whether he believed her or not was another matter. He might continue to investigate.
Left with no other choice, she could only say, "My senior brother made a promise to me, and I ask him to keep it and not reveal my previous whereabouts."
Upon hearing this, Bai Yuanshi's eyes widened immediately, and he opened his mouth, but remained silent.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"It really is you."
"It's me."
Lu Zhaozhao didn't pretend and readily agreed.
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