A single thought
“I can’t tell, my dear disciple, you give it a try.”
There's no such thing as testing one's spiritual roots with the naked eye. Even with Lin Yueyao's rapid cultivation, she couldn't possibly reach the point of opening her third eye.
"Master, are you joking?" she said seriously, not in a teasing tone.
Master Xuantong cleared his throat a few times, composed himself, grabbed Rong Yan's arm, and examined it repeatedly.
The first time he saw this child, he found him strange. He had extraordinary physical attributes, a nose and eyes, and the appearance of a cultivator. However, his strength did not match, and there was a sense of incongruity about him.
In the immortal sects, those with profound cultivation can discern a person's social standing at a glance. This isn't based on social status, but rather on their affinity with the immortals. Immortals can sense whether someone has an affinity for the immortals.
"Let me think about it."
The three of them stood in the room for a long time without reacting. Master Xuantong then said, "You may all go down first."
Rong Yan remained motionless. After a brief pause, a sneeze suddenly rang out. Master Xuantong raised an eyebrow. "Little Yan'er has caught a cold."
"Yes," he said in a low voice, with a heavy nasal tone.
Master Xuantong frowned, his voice tinged with reproach, "Why didn't you tell your master sooner?"
"I was going to tell my master, but I'm getting better, so I didn't want him to worry," he explained softly, coughing lightly a few times.
"It's fine if Xiao Yan'er doesn't say anything, but as her senior sister, don't you know how to care?" Master Xuantong sighed and instructed, "Your junior brother is still young and new here. If there are things he doesn't understand, you should help him more and not make things difficult for him."
"Yes." Lin Yueyao, unlike her usual disdainful self, was unusually docile, a cold smile flashing across her face as she thought: Little vixen.
As they emerged from the Wenyuan Hall, Rong Yan followed closely behind her, calling out, "Senior Sister, I didn't mean to."
Lin Yueyao stopped, turned slightly to the side, and gave him a look that said, "Let's see how long you can keep up this act," before walking away.
Rong Yan couldn't catch up. Watching her figure disappear into the flower bushes, he held his sword and remained silent for a long time.
Master Xuantong went into seclusion, and Rong Yan, whose spiritual root was not yet determined, only learned some basic offensive and defensive techniques from his fellow disciples.
The Misty Sect was busy with many affairs, and True Person Xuantong devoted himself to studying cultivation techniques, locking himself in the Wenyuan Hall all day long and never going out.
Lin Yueyao always represented the sect at regular meetings and grand ceremonies.
An invitation from Wanjian Manor was handed to me, and Master Xuantong's name was prominently listed.
Lin Yueyao stood at the foot of the stone steps of the Wenyuan Hall, peach blossoms falling all over her shoulders. The array was layered with protective barriers, so there was no need to worry about others intruding.
"Master, what gift do you plan to give the Lord of Wanjian Manor for his upcoming birthday?"
"You can decide for yourself, just choose a few." The old man's voice came from inside the house, loud and steady.
Lin Yueyao took her leave and headed towards the rear hall, where there were vast peach orchards where the honey produced was fragrant, sweet, and believed to have longevity-promoting effects. The old man had collected hundreds of jars of honey, storing them in the cellar, and would distribute them to people whenever he had free time or when he had other business.
As more and more people asked for the celestial honey, and a lot of it was given away, some people started to resell it. So the old man simply refused outright, saying that he didn't have any.
Upon opening the cellar door, a blast of cold air hit her face. Lin Yueyao, feeling the chill, frowned and stood at the cellar entrance, calling out to Wenqing.
Wenqing understood her instructions, flew into the cellar, took out a jar, and landed steadily on the ground.
She patted Wenqing on the shoulder as a reward, then used her spiritual power to close the cellar door and quickly left.
Song Qingyun had been waiting outside the hall for a long time. She informed Master Xuantong and then met up with Song Qingyun. After descending the mountain gate, she thought of her junior brother, who was all alone, and realized that she hadn't told him yet, which might be inappropriate.
Lin Yueyao stopped halfway. Seeing that she remained unmoved, Song Qingyun asked in surprise, "Junior Sister Yueyao?"
Well, this kid looks cute, but he's got ulterior motives. It's best to say less.
Leaving him alone in the sect should be fine.
"nothing."
The sect had prepared fast horses. The two arrived at the foot of the mountain in Lanxi Town. After several days of travel, they arrived at the mountain villa, but the banquet had not yet begun.
The villa is still preparing for the banquet, and everything has been renovated.
Song Qingyun led her inside. The people in the manor greeted Song Qingyun with joy, cupping their fists in a salute, "Young Master is back—" They all smiled at Lin Yueyao beside him, "Fairy Qingyi."
Lin Yueyao doesn't smile much. Her unique aura as an immortal makes her seem unfathomable, and no one dares to slight her.
This wasn't her first time here. The last time she visited the manor was during the funeral of the former manor owner, Song Qingyun's grandfather.
Now, times have changed, and Song Qingyun's father, Song Kang, has taken over the reins of power.
People come and go. Wanjian Manor is home to many rare treasures, including countless swords and halberds. It has connections with various sects of immortals and even the capital.
As a disciple of Master Xuantong, Lin Yueyao was not only a master swordsman in the sect but also the fastest-growing and most skilled swordswoman. The people in the manor treated her with great respect, and her residence was naturally elegant and refined.
After resting for a while, the maid knocked on the door from the outside. She opened the door and the maid said, "Young Master was afraid that Fairy wouldn't be used to the food, so he specially asked us to prepare some food."
She accepted the lacquered wooden tray and said politely, "Senior brother, you are too kind. Please thank him for his kindness."
He closed the door, placed the tray on the table, and didn't feel hungry. Cultivators who reach a certain level of mastery can live without food, and for convenience, they carry fasting pills or other elixirs with them.
After resting in the room for half a day, it was already dark when I woke up to the sound of music.
Lin Yueyao stepped out of her room and stood on the outer corridor. She was at the highest point of the villa, where an open-air red carpet stretched for miles, a scene of extravagance and waste.
Most of the people attending the celebration banquet were present, a diverse mix of people from different factions, each dressed differently and corresponding to different social statuses. It was crucial to follow the proper etiquette and serve them correctly; mistaking someone's status would be a serious offense of neglecting their duties.
As the young master of the manor, Song Qingyun was naturally busy entertaining guests and had no time to attend to her.
After delivering the gifts, Lin Yueyao, who disliked crowds and couldn't handle such situations, returned to her room after a short while.
Fireworks lit up the night sky, turning the inky black sky into ablaze with vibrant colors. Amidst his busy schedule, Song Qingyun took a moment to call her out to watch the fireworks. He knocked on the door, but there was no response. He apologized and entered the empty room.
Unable to sleep due to the noise of fireworks, Lin Yueyao wandered around alone. She heard that the Hidden Sword Pavilion of Wanjian Manor was hidden behind the main room, backed by a tower, and contained countless spears, swords, halberds, axes, and knives.
There were many people around, all gathered in the front hall to congratulate Song Kang and offer him a toast. Her senior brother was also revered by thousands, and this was the moment when the defenses were at their weakest. At that moment, a bright light, like a beacon in the darkness, shot into the sky with a trail of exhaust fumes, and exploded violently.
The cracking sound of the fireworks could drown out the noise of Wen Qing breaking the mechanism. Lin Yueyao stopped moving. Although she did not intend to do so, her hand was still placed on the mechanism. A man appeared behind her at some point.
"There are many traps here, it's best not to move." The man was dressed in fine clothes, and judging from his attire, he was not from a sect of immortals; he was probably a relative of the Song family.
"Thank you for the reminder." Her voice was neither cold nor indifferent. There were few people here, and apart from the man in front of her, no one else had seen her arrive. After bowing, she drifted away.
Back in the main hall, she bumped into her senior brother, who had come looking for her. "I was just looking for my junior sister. Where did she go?"
Lin Yueyao didn't explain, but said knowingly, "Just wander around."
The banquet began, with wine, dishes, and fine wine served. Song Kang sat in the main seat, surrounded by a large number of guests.
Song Qingyun led her to a quiet banquet table, where people who had come to offer their birthday wishes filled the front hall.
Amidst the lively atmosphere, a woman wearing a straw hat descended from the sky and landed gracefully. Her attire indicated she was a member of the Lotus Cave Master's faction at the Water and Land Temple.
The woman presented the treasure box, and Song Kang gestured for Song Qingyun to take it. The woman then politely said a few words and quietly took her leave.
Song Qingyun opened the box, and a bright, round luminous pearl shone from within. The guests cheered in unison.
Shui Lu Temple has always lived in seclusion and rarely participates in the conflicts of the immortals. As one of the Four Immortals, the Master of Lotus Cave has remained unknown for thousands of years.
Even the women inside the cave all wore veils to cover their faces.
Halfway through the banquet, Lin Yueyao had no intention of lingering any longer. She got up and went back to her room. When she walked to a secluded spot, she could vaguely hear a woman sobbing.
The immortal was free from worldly desires and possessed keen hearing and sharp eyesight. He simply stood at a distance and heard the man's voice coming from afar.
"Why are you crying on such a joyous day?"
"You won't stay even for the sake of the child in your womb?" Sobbing, the woman touched her slightly protruding belly and carefully hooked her arm around the man's.
The man's voice was familiar; he was the one who had blocked her way in front of the main room.
Lin Yueyao watched quietly. The man didn't say anything more, but comforted the woman, "Today is your uncle's birthday. Go to sleep early. I will definitely come back tonight."
The faint, hurried footsteps were the sound of the man leaving.
As night fell, darkness descended completely, lasting until dawn.
At dawn, Song Qingyun was told that he would have to stay a few more days. He explained shyly, "Now that the banquet is over, I still need to take care of the social obligations. Could you stay with me a little longer, Junior Sister? I can return to the mountain in less than three days."
Lin Yueyao remained silent. Rather than returning to the mountain to face her aggressive junior sister and her precocious junior brother, staying here would at least provide some peace and quiet.
She replied, "Okay."
This worried the junior sister greatly. Since recovering from her illness, she had not seen her senior brother again. Only after asking did she learn that it was Song's father's birthday.
When her senior left, she was still resting in bed. He didn't tell her beforehand, which must have been because he didn't want to distract her.
I just don't know when they'll be back. And that Lin Yueyao, she actually went with her senior brother too.
What if her senior brother's father takes a liking to her? Wouldn't she then have no chance at all?
Upon thinking of this, she quickly called the twin brothers Xu Yourong and Xu Youruo to her side.
"Tell me, when will our senior brother be back?"
The two brothers were known as know-it-alls; nothing within the sect could escape their notice.
It's hard to say what will happen, so the two brothers comforted her, "Junior sister, don't worry, maybe Senior Sister Lin is already on her way back."
"What do you mean 'maybe'? I need the exact time. I'm going crazy if I don't see my senior brother soon!" The junior sister threw a tantrum, taking her anger out on the two of them.
Xu Yourong had no choice, as she always obeyed her every command. "Junior sister, don't be angry. I'll go ask again."
"So annoying, so annoying, so annoying!" the junior sister complained, throwing her pillow. The two lackeys stood beside her, exchanged glances, and changed the subject, "Junior sister, you don't know yet, Master Xuantong has taken on a new disciple."
"My apprentice? I've never heard of this before. When did this happen? How come I don't know?"
"Not long ago, my junior sister was still recuperating. My junior brother was from Lanxi Town. He took the opportunity to join our sect when the Painted Skin Demon was causing trouble."
Lingfang suddenly remembered, "It was that inconspicuous little brat." She murmured, "Even real people can be mistaken."
"Not only that, the Immortal also bestowed the Jade Bed upon him, making him far more prestigious than us," Xu Yourong said sarcastically.
As Lingfang listened, she unconsciously gripped the brocade quilt tighter. In the past, when there were good things in the sect, they would always ask her first. Now, taking advantage of her recuperation, they didn't even take her seriously. This junior brother really had no respect for anyone.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
