Qingyun Sect.
The Chu Hua Mountain, bathed in the red glow of sunset and shrouded in mist, boasts a unique and beautiful scenery.
A phoenix cried out to the sky, and a whistling wind swept by. The nine-headed fiery phoenix swooped down to the ground. Before it even touched the ground, several figures gracefully descended, dressed in flowing robes and with the elegant bearing of phoenixes. Bathed in the red glow of the sunset, they looked like immortals descending to earth.
"Welcome back to the Sect Master!"
Outside the vermilion gate, the disciples lined up in several neat rows. Standing at the front was Lu Chang, flanked by Lin Nan and Mu Dong, who greeted Qi Changfeng and his group as they returned to the mountain.
As soon as he landed, someone presented him with a carefully prepared flower wreath and placed it around Qi Changfeng's neck. However, the flower color was a bit strange; it was green and had an earthy smell.
Qi Changfeng tried to ignore the strange smell and color scheme and said with a smile, "You all are so thoughtful. There's really no need to be so formal. It's not a big deal."
Lu Chang stepped forward and said, "That's what I told them too, but the children are so filial, how could I stop them?"
“If that’s the case, then I accept it,” Qi Changfeng said. “Don’t stand here, let’s go inside.”
The group then entered the sect in a grand procession.
Yu Fang suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started nagging Li Jiang incessantly.
"Senior Brother, did you encounter anything interesting on your trip? Tell me quickly, I love hearing strange and unusual stories."
Li Jiang glanced at him, indicating that she was tired and didn't want to talk.
Yu Fang's cultivation level wasn't high, but his ability to read people was first-rate. Seeing that Li Jiang wasn't interested, he said with a fawning smile, "It was my oversight. You've been traveling all this way and you must be tired. I kept asking you questions. It's my fault, my fault."
However, Li Jiang had already gone far away, heading straight to her residence, and she looked really tired.
Qinghe comforted him, "Senior Brother is in a bad mood, don't take it to heart. You just want to hear a story, right? I'll tell you one."
Upon hearing the story, Yu Fang's eyes lit up. "Really, Senior Sister? That's wonderful!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt an extremely cold gaze pierce his heart like an ice spike. He suddenly shivered and looked at the owner of that gaze.
A refined gentleman, handsome in appearance and with a wicked air, he seemed to be someone from the mortal world.
He stood behind Qinghe, looking at him with a half-smile. Although it was a clear autumn day, he felt unusually cold.
"Um, senior sister, I suddenly remembered I have something to do, I... I'll go first."
Watching Yu Fang practically flee, Qinghe was completely bewildered. "Weren't you here to hear a story? Why did you run away?"
“Maybe they really have something to do.” Qi Rong looked at her, her eyes shining. “Take me to your place.”
Qing lifted his chin with one finger. "You really want to go?"
Qi Rong nodded obediently, "I want to go."
Reaching out and touching her cheek, Qi Rong smiled and leaned closer.
Qing's eyes darted around, and she smiled like a cunning fox. "Since you're so sincere, I'll reluctantly take you there."
Luhua Terrace was just as beautiful as when she left, with maple leaves covering the ground and fallen petals scattered everywhere.
The swing on the large stone slab still creaked and swayed in the wind, its movements echoing the sound of the wind.
The stone table in front of the cabin was covered with fallen leaves. Qinghe swept them away with a flick of his sleeve, revealing several teacups and a white jade pot. He casually poured out some tea, which smelled wonderful.
Qi Rong looked around and was satisfied with everything about Lu Hua Tai. Although her expression was intriguing for a moment when her gaze swept over the three characters "Fanglang Ju" on the wooden house plaque, she quickly returned to normal.
He sat down, took a sip of tea, and said to Qinghe, "This Luhua Terrace has beautiful scenery and abundant spiritual energy, making it an ideal place for your cultivation."
“It’s not just about cultivation,” Qinghe said, holding a steaming cup of tea, “dual cultivation is good too.”
The steam from the tea was hazy and indistinct. Through the mist, Qi Rong saw Qing He looking at him with a seductive and flirtatious gaze, yet his expression remained as cold as ever. Like a thorny rose, it pierced his heart, or like a pure and ethereal lotus, it could only be admired from afar, not to be profaned.
Maple leaves drifted down from above, and the two of them, drenched in a shower of maple leaves, spoke of their love without any restraint.
This scene truly reflects the meaning of the three characters "Fanglangju" (放浪居) on the plaque behind them.
Qi Rong waved her fan, her dark blue gown paired with a black paper fan inlaid with gold, adding to her carefree and elegant demeanor.
Before he could speak, Qinghe withdrew his alluring gaze and changed the subject, asking, "Do you know that woman in black, Yanluo?"
"What?" The topic changed too quickly, and Qi Rong hadn't yet recovered from the romantic atmosphere just now.
Qing patiently repeated it again.
Qi Rong closed her fan, her eyes narrowing into slits. "I'm not sure, but I feel that her power is familiar, giving me a very familiar feeling."
Qinghe nodded. "Oh, how long have you known each other?"
Qi Rong thought carefully for a moment, "It's been too long, so long that I can't remember the time. It seems that her image has been in my mind ever since I have memories."
"So you're childhood sweethearts?" Qinghe raised an eyebrow at him, her tone sarcastic, her expression a half-smile.
Qi Rong smiled. "Jealous?"
Qing and Wangtian sipped their tea and said dismissively, "How could that be?"
Qi Rong stared at her intently.
"Okay, a little bit, just a little bit."
She stole a glance and saw that Qi Rong was still staring at her, so she finally relented and said, "You win, I'm jealous."
Qi Rong stopped smiling and held out a hand to gesture for her to look.
Qinghe looked down and saw that a sea of clouds had formed in his hand. The full moon was rising, and its radiant light reflected on the sea, creating a magnificent and breathtaking scene.
She didn't understand and looked at Qi Rong.
Qi Rong said to her earnestly, "I am like the sea of clouds, vast yet boundless, with distant boundaries, never able to stop. You are like the cold moon, lonely yet bright, illuminating my other shore, making the way home clearly visible."
He gazed at him with deep affection, his eyes shimmering. "We are a perfect match. Others are but a drop in the ocean compared to me."
Qinghe was stunned for a moment. The man in front of her, who was usually so carefree and dashing, suddenly became serious, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
In the past, when watching Mary Sue dramas, she would think it was pretentious when the male lead said such sweet words to the female lead. But when she actually heard someone say such words to her, she found it pleasing to the ear, and even... a little shy.
No one had ever said such things to her before. Hearing it for the first time felt strange, yet also very heartwarming.
No wonder women love to hear sweet words.
She felt a cool touch on her earlobe and came back to her senses, staring blankly at Qi Rong.
"Your ears are red, are you shy?"
Upon hearing this, Qinghe suddenly leaned back, freeing her earlobe from his grasp. "No, I didn't."
Despite saying that, the slight upturn at the corner of her mouth proved that she was saying one thing but meaning another.
Qi Rong dispersed the sea of clouds, rested his chin on his hand, and looked at her with a smile full of doting affection.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com