Throughout the journey, Li Mingke felt as if someone was watching him from the shadows.
Although Misaki Island was large enough, they weren't the only group there, so although she felt a little strange, she didn't think much of it.
Not long after, a group of girls in purple came towards them. They were clearly taken aback when they saw Li Mingke and his group, and then began to whisper among themselves.
“Um… excuse me…” Li Mingke extended his hand to one of them.
"Oh dear!" the girl cried out and hid behind her companion.
Li Mingke: She's not that scary, is she?
"Sister, she is the disciple of Immortal Venerable Jinyun!"
"So young!"
"He's quite handsome!"
So they were praising her!
Li Mingke struck what he thought was a very cool pose, his eyes sparkling, "That's right, I am the only disciple of the great Jinyun Immortal Venerable, who is unparalleled in heaven and earth—Li Mingke!"
So, are you captivated by her?
"..."
"Sister, she seems to have some mental issues."
"It is said that his cultivation level is very low."
"How could the Immortal Venerable have taken in such a disciple?"
Li Mingke: "..."
Hey, hey, hey, how come you guys change your tune so quickly!
"Pfft—" The people behind her couldn't help but chuckle.
Li Mingke felt heat rising to her face.
The tall woman at the head of the group stepped forward, chin held high, looking down at him with a rather condescending air. "Immortal Venerable Jinyun's judgment is really not very good."
Li Mingke: She doesn't like hearing that.
"May I ask who you are, sister?" she asked with a forced smile.
“Me?” The woman snorted coldly. “I am He Shao from Jiao Shang Palace.”
Li Mingke: "Jiaoshang Palace? Never heard of it!" She picked at her ear.
"How dare you!" He Shao's face flushed with anger, then turned mocking. "You don't even know about the Jiao Shang Palace? How ignorant!"
"What second-rate sect? Do you even know what I mean?" Li Mingke curled his lip.
Her words thoroughly enraged everyone in the Jiaoshang Palace.
"Immortal Venerable Jinyun has been in seclusion for many years, and it's inevitable that he might misjudge people sometimes. Today, we'll teach you a lesson on behalf of the Immortal Venerable!"
Jiao Shanggong was skilled in music, and the women in purple opposite him took out their respective instruments.
"jingle--"
A sound wave struck, heading straight for Li Mingke's face.
The sound wave was sharper than a blade, and the surrounding cherry trees were all cleanly cut down.
It only takes a second or two.
"when--"
A long spear came to a steady stop in front of Li Mingke.
The spear tip was aimed directly at the sound wave, and it blocked all the attacks.
Li Mingke remained motionless, a smile on his face.
The other side was greatly alarmed.
"Am I wrong? This level of skill is probably even better than that of a second-rate sect."
"Jingyuan, tell me about it. I've never heard of Jiaoshang Palace!"
Wang Jingyuan was clapping for Li Pinyue with an expression of admiration when his cousin called him. He then came out, fanning himself with his fan.
"Ahem!" He cleared his throat. "Jiaoshang Palace uses musical instruments as weapons, and its members are all women. However, its overall strength is not optimistic. Above them is the Law Enforcement Bureau, which specializes in assassinations using music, and below them is the Illusionary Ship, which is purely for performance. The highest ranking of a disciple on the Heroes Ranking is 105. Overall assessment: Jiaoshang Palace hasn't reached the level of a second-rate sect, but it's not that bad either; it's somewhere between second and third-rate."
The faces of the people from Jiaoshang Palace turned pale and then red.
"Who do you think you are, daring to speak ill of the Shang Palace!" He Shao pointed his flute directly at Wang Jingyuan, his eyes blazing with anger.
Bai Tianshui held his hands up, as if displaying a treasure, and said, "This is the famous young master of Fengyu Tower—Wang Jingyuan."
"Hmm!" Wang Jingyuan fanned himself even more enthusiastically.
The members of Jiao Shang Palace fell silent.
"Sister, it's the Wind and Rain Pavilion."
"He is the young master of the Wind and Rain Pavilion."
Who doesn't know the Wind and Rain Tower?
"Sister, we mustn't antagonize them!"
He Shao gritted his teeth, "So what if it's the Wind and Rain Pavilion? If you've got the guts, come and have a match with me!"
This time it was Wang Jingyuan's turn to show off.
"Why would a mere trifled merchant palace warrant the personal intervention of the young master of Fengyu Tower?" He raised his chin. "See you at the Hero Ranking Tournament half a month from now, after we leave the island!"
"Of course, that is, assuming you can get off the island alive."
"you!"
He Shao flew into a rage, but her sisters quickly pulled her back, saying, "Sister! Don't be impulsive!"
Li Mingke: Well, so you're bullying the weak and fearing the strong, huh? You're specifically targeting me!
He Shao ignored Wang Jingyuan and glared at Li Mingke, saying, "If you have any self-awareness, you should withdraw on your own and stop bothering the Immortal Venerable!"
Li Mingke was dumbfounded. What was going on? Why were they suddenly talking about her and her master again? Besides, what was it to her, an outsider, to comment on her relationship with her master?
"You...you wouldn't happen to admire my master, would you?"
"No one in the immortal sect doesn't admire him!"
"But judging from your reaction... could it be that you're in love?"
He Shao's face turned deathly pale in an instant, then gradually her cheeks flushed red.
"You really admire him?" Li Mingke tilted her head.
"So what...so what!" He Shao began to stammer.
"If you admire him, just tell him! Why are you targeting me?" Li Mingke said, exasperated.
"Immortal Venerable Jinyun is like the bright moon in the clouds, perfect and flawless. His biggest stain right now is you!"
"Me?" Li Mingke's mouth gaped open.
"Yes!" Her eyes filled with tears. "He never took on any apprentices, never treated anyone differently, but he did so much for you!"
Isn't it a given that a master should treat his apprentice well?
"Could it be that your master treats you badly, and you're jealous of me?"
"You're spouting nonsense!"
Li Mingke thought she was being completely unreasonable and didn't want to argue with her. "Don't even think about it. If you really love him that much, go for it. Anyway, his fiancée is long dead. If you're so capable, marry him."
Of course, it's uncertain whether her master will agree.
"You!" He Shao jumped up and down.
Li Mingke felt that her standing there was a waste of her life. "I've said everything I needed to say. What more do you want? Move aside, okay? We're busy too!"
He Shao reluctantly made way for them.
Even after walking quite a distance, Li Mingke could still hear the chattering of that group of girls.
"Is my master very popular?" she asked.
"Of course! Mingke, do you know about the Three Realms Handsome Men Chart? The Immortal Venerable has topped the list several times! Countless people admire him!" Bai Tianshui put his hands on his chin, and his mouth was watering just thinking about the various handsome men in the chart.
"I've heard a little about it." Her maids loved watching it and would often gather together to comment on the men in the videos, worrying about what would happen if they took them all into their rooms and caused trouble in the backyard.
"Could it be that my master is not number one at all?" she asked in surprise.
"For a while, Demon Lord Luan Hua was also very popular, appearing on the charts several times, and the fans of the two often fought fiercely!"
Ma Gege chimed in, "When I went out on a mission last time, the new issue was already published, and the Human Emperor was prominently featured, already breaking into the top three. You know, when he was still the Fourth Prince, his ranking wasn't this high!"
Li Mingke was dumbfounded.
That night, the group rested in a sheltered corner. Bai Tianshui and Xiao Cai kept watch during the first night. Li Mingke was half asleep when she suddenly felt an itch on her face. She waved her hand, but instead of getting rid of the bug, it bit her.
Can't a person get any sleep?
She opened her eyes angrily.
It turned out to be a little paper crane pecking at her with its sharp beak.
She opened the letter in a daze, glanced at it, and was furious. How could such a small thing disturb her sweet dreams!
She crumpled the letter into a ball and stuffed it haphazardly into her clothes before lying down again.
He Shao, who was hiding behind a big tree, was so angry at this scene that he bit his handkerchief.
The next day, Li Mingke had just woken up and was chewing on some dried meat when someone came to find her in a rage.
"Li Mingke!"
"What are you doing?" she asked, taking a big bite.
"Why didn't you reply to my letter last night!" She tried to step forward, but Xiao Cai blocked her with her wings.
Li Mingke stepped forward and stroked Xiao Cai's beautiful feathers. "Let's talk alone."
The two walked to the side.
Li Pinyue looked up, sat down not far from them, and wiped her spear.
Li Mingke took out the crumpled letter and looked at it again and again. "You have too many questions."
It turns out that He Shao was spurred on by Li Mingke's words, "If you admire him, then pursue him," and decided to act on it overnight. Fearing that he might never meet Li Mingke again, he wrote her a long letter containing various questions about Jinyun Immortal Venerable's preferences.
Where can you find someone so close to Immortal Venerable Jinyun?
But Li Mingke was in a real bind.
Because she couldn't answer many of these questions!
What time do you get up in the morning?
What hairstyle do you like on girls?
What shoe size do you wear?
How could she know these things?
She could only answer the question about "the tea she likes to drink"!
However, in order to prevent He Shao from discovering anything amiss, Li Mingke started making things up.
Anyway, He Shao wouldn't ask her directly, and even if she did, her master definitely wouldn't pay any attention to her!
So she talked on and on, her words flowing like a river, leaving He Shao completely bewildered.
After He Shao thanked him profusely and left, Li Mingke unfolded the letter again.
Let's keep this paper. We can ask Master about it in person later. She's his own disciple, after all. We can't be wary of her too, can we?
As she folded the letter again, a light laugh came from above.
"You little girl are quite the talker, very interesting,"
"who?!"
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