The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, and everything is quiet. The lights in the Qiongzhi Palace are still on, but there is more than one place with lights on at this moment.
"Asi, Asi, Asi!"
"How many times have I told you to call me Senior Sister? You're being disrespectful!"
"Then next time your rabbit runs away, I won't care."
"A'si is A'si. If you dare to call me, I will answer you. Come down quickly and stop sitting on the wall."
Hao Xin tumbled down from the wall, and Si Rong watched anxiously, only to breathe a sigh of relief when he landed safely. Bai He Niannian called out in alarm when he saw someone entering the yard, but when he saw it was Hao Xin, he turned his head back and went back to sleep.
"What do you want from me so late at night? I'm almost asleep." Si Rong rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"If you want to lie, you should hide the notebook first." Hao Xin sneered.
"I...I was taking a sleep aid!"
"Alright, I'm not here to argue with you about this today. Tomorrow, Master will be giving those outer disciples a training class. Aren't you in a hurry?"
Si Rong was puzzled. "Why are we in such a hurry? Aren't we in the same class with them?"
"That's why. We study with them. You are so stupid, maybe even the outer sect masters can learn faster than you." Hao Xin folded his arms and looked at her.
Si Rong reached out and patted his arm. "You're the stupid one! Stupid rat! Wait until I learn the magic and I'll freeze you!"
Hao Xin stepped back and dodged. "You're still stupid? You can't even hit anyone... Okay, stop it. I'm serious. Look at how Master has been talking about those Outer Sect members lately, praising them and scolding them. She only has them in her eyes. She hasn't come to see us in ages."
"Master also praised me in class." Si Rong raised his chin proudly.
"That's because you went to give lectures to the outer sect on your day off. I really don't understand you. Why do you care about them? If you spent more time on cultivation, you wouldn't still be in Qi Refining. If I were you, I would have established my foundation long ago."
"It's fun to play with them. Xiangling also embroidered a purse for me. Smell it, it smells so nice!" Si Rong took off the blue purse from her waist and handed it to Hao Xin.
Hao Xin scoffed. "You're so naive that I think you're bought off with just a few small favors."
Si Rong's smile faded. "I don't understand you either. Why do you consider them all enemies? Master said we're all classmates and should love each other. Aren't you too narrow-minded?"
"Am I narrow-minded?" Hao Xin clenched his fists, then unclenched them. "Si Rong, Second Senior Sister, so this is how you see me. Then we have nothing more to say."
He turned to leave, but Si Rong quickly grabbed his arm. "Hey, hey, hey, you call me stupid every day, but I'm not this angry. But you leave just because I say something to you. Aren't you just being petty? Why are you like this?"
"Do you know the difference between a domestic dog and a wild dog?"
"Um?"
Si Rong didn't let go of his hand, and Hao Xin didn't care either. He leaned halfway to his side, his voice as deep as the night. "Rich families have dogs that never have to worry about food. They just wag their tails and get fed. If one day their owner brings in another dog, it will just bark a few times, and within two days, they'll become close friends. Because their owner won't deprive them of food just because of the new dog."
"You're saying..."
"A stray dog, living on the loose, has no idea where to start. If a new dog suddenly shows up at the temple where it's staying, it'll definitely fight to the death."
"Why...why?" Si Rong was frightened by the fierce look in the boy's eyes.
"There's only one piece of meat. If you give in, it will bite you to death."
Si Rong immediately let go, but Hao Xin grabbed her hand back, pressing closer. "Junior Sister, you're a child of wealth and care, so you don't care about more or less. But I'm different. I've never had anything, so even for a piece of flesh, I'll fight tooth and nail."
"You, you... who said you have nothing?" Si Rong said angrily, "I bring you food every day, and you feed a white-eyed wolf? You don't even remember my kindness. I... I won't be friends with you anymore!"
"Ah Si." Hao Xin gripped her wrist tightly. "It's my fault. But Master is also our Master. The three of us are her direct disciples. She cares about others, but you really don't care at all?"
"I..." Si Rong bit her lip. "But what can we come up with between the two of us...why don't we go find our senior brother? He's the smartest, he'll definitely be able to help us come up with a solution!"
"Big Brother? I'm afraid he doesn't even bother to pay attention to us."
"Who said that? The eldest brother is a very nice person. Let's go, let's go find him!" Si Rong was a man of action. He did what he said. He dragged Hao Xin to Gu Suihan's house not far away. Seeing that there seemed to be candlelight in the house, he pushed the door open and went in.
"Big Brother!" Si Rong burst in cheerfully. Meeting Gu Suihan's icy gaze, his voice softened. "Sorry to bother you so late at night."
She felt that the other person was like a piece of cold jade that could never be warmed up. However, Gu Suihan blinked, and his expression became as warm as in the daytime, making her suspect that the coldness just now was an illusion.
"What's wrong?" Gu Sui Han asked and coughed twice.
Si Rong nudged Hao Xin's waist, and he said reluctantly, "Well... Senior Brother, the outer disciples attend classes with us every day. It was fine for them to learn some sect history before, but now that Master is about to teach them the skills, are we really going to do nothing?"
"What do you want to do?" Gu Suihan rolled up the bamboo slips on the table. "Stop Master from teaching?"
"Master won't listen." Hao Xin shook his head.
"Big Brother, Master is closest to you. Could you talk to her and ask her to spend more time with us?" Seeing Gu Suihan smile, Si Rong continued, "For example, you could give the three of us individual tutoring after school. Even if you don't teach us, just talking would be helpful."
"I understand. I will tell Master. If you have any questions about your studies, you can ask me."
"Well, well, well... can I ask now?" Si Rong raised her hand, a habit she'd learned in class. "Can you teach me the technique Master used to teach Huaining that day, Senior Brother?"
"Senior Brother hasn't learned it yet, how is it possible..." Hao Xin's words were stuck in his throat, and he watched as ice formed on Gu Sui Han's fingertips.
"Ice is formed when yin is strong and water is stagnant. Water can be frozen into ice," Gu Suihan said softly. "Try to gather the spiritual energy of the water in this world, forming it into droplets. Then, dissipate all the yang energy within, and ice will form."
Si Rong and Hao Xin both did as he said. A thin layer of ice soon appeared on Hao Xin's fingertips, but Si Rong had nothing in her hands. She pouted and her eyes were red.
"The fire spirit is the strongest in your spiritual roots, so it's difficult to control the water spirit. Just try a few more times."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
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