Chapter Fourteen: Rumors and Gossip
On the path leading home, Fang Li and Xie Chen walked one after the other.
The only sounds in the air were the footsteps of the two people and the rustling of the wind through the leaves; a subtle silence was spreading.
"Junior Sister Fang," Xie Chen's voice broke the silence, "In this mission, you were quick-witted and efficient, unlike an ordinary Qi Refining Level 6 disciple. Is there anything special about your cultivation technique? Or perhaps you had another opportunity?"
Fang Li's heart tightened, her gaze falling on the stone steps ahead. She merely tilted her head slightly and said, "Thank you for your praise, Senior Brother. These are just some basic techniques taught by the outer sect of the sect. I just practice them diligently. As for any special opportunities, there's nothing to speak of. I was probably just lucky that I wasn't scared out of my wits by those ferocious rats."
Xie Chen waved his jade fan, his smile unchanged, but his gaze seemed to casually sweep over her calm profile: "Oh? To be able to do so well with just basic techniques, Junior Sister's comprehension must be exceptional. I wonder if Junior Sister has any plans for her future cultivation? Is it for swordsmanship, or something else? Perhaps Senior Brother can offer some humble advice."
Fang Li's alarm bells rang loudly; this smiling fox was indeed difficult to deal with.
She immediately lowered her eyelashes, feigning distress and resignation: "Senior brother is joking. My aptitude is ordinary. Being able to cultivate steadily and reach the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible would be a great blessing. How could I dare to hope for anything like swordsmanship or anything else? Let's take it one step at a time. The sect will make its own arrangements."
Xie Chen's smile deepened, and his curiosity only intensified.
Having seen countless people, he naturally realized that this girl was not as simple as she appeared. The calmness she possessed in her inner chambers and her impeccable perfunctory attitude at this moment created an interesting contrast.
Just as he was about to speak again, Fang Li preemptively pointed to a cluster of purple wildflowers in full bloom by the roadside and abruptly changed the subject: "Senior brother, look, these flowers are so beautiful. The spiritual energy in the back mountain is so thin, yet such delicate flowers can still grow."
The topic was steered in an extremely abrupt way.
Xie Chen chuckled and readily looked at the clump of wildflowers: "Indeed, the flourishing and withering of plants have their own way." He didn't press further, but simply slowed down the speed of his fanning.
Fang Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but a thin layer of sweat seeped out on her back.
Dealing with Xie Chen was more exhausting than dealing with a brood of rat demons. Every word had to be thought through three times, for fear of falling into his verbal traps.
He didn't say another word the rest of the way.
When Xie Chen and Fang Li returned to the sect affairs hall to submit their mission, the disciples on duty saw Xie Chen and Fang Li walking in side by side and their eyes flashed with obvious surprise.
Especially when Xie Chen added a few details about the mutation of the demon rat and the gathering of yin energy in a gentle voice, it showed that he was very concerned about this trip.
Fang Li lowered her eyes, only wishing for a quick end to the matter.
She quickly stepped forward, returned the mission token, and after confirming that the contribution points and spirit stone rewards were correct, she immediately clutched the small bag of spirit stones tightly in her hand.
The heavy touch instantly dispelled the fatigue from dealing with Xie Chen, replaced by a profound sense of satisfaction.
Success! Our cultivation resources have become even more abundant! We're one step closer to our goal of becoming wealthy!
She was so satisfied that she almost wanted to turn around and leave this troublesome place immediately to go back and carefully consider how to use the spirit stones.
"Junior Sister Fang." Xie Chen's voice rang out again.
Fang Li stiffened, slowly turned around, and forced a stiff smile: "Is there anything else, Senior Brother Xie?"
Xie Chen simply waved his jade fan, a gentle, enigmatic smile playing on his lips. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he said softly, "It's nothing. I just feel that Junior Sister is truly... a constant source of surprises."
His tone was calm and gentle, even carrying a hint of appreciation.
Fang Li felt that the gaze seemed to penetrate her feigned calm and see the vigilance and secrets deep in her heart.
A strange chill crept up her spine, making her skin feel slightly cold.
She gave a curt reply, "You flatter me, senior brother," and quickly left the office, wanting to get as far away from this smiling fox as possible.
Little did she know, behind her...
Regarding the statement "Senior Brother Xie Chen actually went down the mountain with Junior Sister Fang Li to complete the mission"
"Senior Brother Xie even went out of his way to provide her with additional mission details from the administrative office."
The rumor that "the two seemed quite familiar with each other" spread like a pebble thrown into a lake, instantly creating ripples among the onlookers and spreading outwards at an astonishing speed.
The days of cultivation are long, and the disciples are most enthusiastic about such romantic affairs.
In just half a day, the rumor had evolved into several versions.
Some say Fang Li is quite shrewd, somehow managing to get on board with Senior Brother Xie.
Some said they saw the two walking side by side and talking happily.
Even more outrageous, some began to speculate whether Senior Brother Xie harbored any special competitive intentions towards Senior Brother Shen, Fang Li's "former" object of his affections.
These ambiguous rumors, like an invisible wind, quickly reached the Cold Pool Square where the Sword Sect disciples practiced their swords daily.
At this moment, the setting sun is painting the sky orange-red.
Most of the disciples had finished their training and left, but one person was still tirelessly wielding his longsword.
The sword light was icy cold, and as the figure moved nimbly, sword energy crisscrossed, creating a whistling and ear-piercing wind, making the surrounding temperature several degrees lower than elsewhere.
Shen Yunzhou was practicing his sword with complete focus.
He overheard two outer disciples who had just finished their cultivation and were about to leave, excitedly whispering to each other as they walked.
"Really? Senior Brother Xie Chen and that Fang Li?"
"Absolutely true! Junior Brother Wang from the Affairs Hall saw it with his own eyes! The two of them came back together!"
"Tsk tsk, this Junior Sister Fang Li is quite skilled. Just now... cough, it hasn't been long, and she's already..."
"That's right. But I heard she did quite well on this mission, and Senior Brother Xie seems to admire her quite a bit..."
"Appreciation? I don't think it's that simple..."
His words came out in fits and starts, but they clearly pieced together a fact that was troubling him.
Fang Li and Xie Chen went on missions together, returned together, and even became "quite familiar" with each other?
"laugh--!"
A piercing tearing sound rang out!
Shen Yunzhou's longsword suddenly paused, and then an incomparably sharp and icy sword aura burst forth from the blade.
It slammed violently into a huge, dark-colored testing stone at the edge of the square, a stone used to test the disciples' attack power!
"Bang!!!"
The loud noise shook the entire square.
The incredibly hard testing stone was actually cleaved open by this single sword strike, creating a crack.
The two disciples who had been chatting turned pale with fright, fell silent instantly, and froze on the spot, not daring to breathe.
The few disciples who hadn't left yet were also startled by the sudden loud noise and terrifying sword energy, and looked on in horror.
Shen Yunzhou stood there, sword in hand, his posture still upright like a lone pine tree.
A low pressure, colder than the water of a frozen pool, permeated his body.
His handsome face was expressionless, his thin lips were tightly pressed together, but in his eyes, a storm was silently brewing.
He didn't even glance at the two gossiping disciples, as if his earth-shattering sword strike just now was unintentional.
The silence lasted for a few breaths, the air thick with tension, as if frozen.
Then he flicked his wrist and sheathed his sword.
His gaze was fixed on the empty void ahead, his voice so cold it seemed to pierce through the air, clearly reaching the ears of every disciple who stood frozen in fear:
"Insufficient cultivation, distracted mind!"
It's unclear whether he's criticizing others or warning himself.
After saying that, he didn't linger. His white robes fluttered as he turned and left, leaving behind a mess on the square and a group of disciples looking at each other in bewilderment.
At this moment, Fang Li was sitting cross-legged in her room, completely at ease.
The window was open, and the evening breeze brought the fresh scent of the distant mountains and forests.
On the small table in front of her was a bag of spirit stones.
She counted them one by one, her eyes sparkling, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up in a smile. In her mind, she was calculating: How many bottles of suitable pills could she buy? Or should she exchange them for a more suitable low-level flying sword? Or should she save up some more and exchange them for a better cultivation technique?
Cultivation, wealth, and immortality!
Feeling great!
As dusk deepened outside the window, the Milky Way began to appear.
She was completely unaware of the undercurrents she had unknowingly stirred up, and how many increasingly deep and dangerous gazes she had attracted.
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