Chapter 3 Young Master of Qingning Sect
Zhou Fuling stared silently at the car frame.
The person by the window seemed to be looking at her as well. Their eyes met, then the person turned their head away, and the curtains and drapes were drawn.
Zhou Fuling paused for a moment, then lifted her skirt and went up.
Elder Ning was furious: "Young Master Xu, how could you attack the Yun Ning Sect for the sake of such a mortal?! Aren't you afraid I'll report this to the Immortal Alliance and our Sect Master Ning Tingyue? At that time, the Immortals and Sect Master Ning will probably hold you accountable!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The silence then turned into awkwardness.
The person on the carriage seemed to completely disregard Elder Ning.
Amidst Elder Ning's flushed face and the admiring gazes of the crowd, Xu Qingning's carriage ascended into the clouds and sped away.
...
Above the clouds, the phoenix chariot speeds swiftly.
Its top was made of gold plate, decorated with silver leaves, and a gold-inlaid curtain hung down, with flowing cloud and snow phoenix patterns flowing on the gauze surface.
Looking inside the vehicle, thanks to a technique that allows a small space to be transformed into a vast world, the space here is as large as a mansion in the mortal realm.
In Zhou Fuling's room, famous swords, ancient zithers, and the "Snowy Creek Painting" hung on the walls, and elegant couches were placed on the floor. Under the gold-inlaid and beaded curtains, a snow-white canopy was placed.
The officer lit incense, and Xu Qingning was sitting on the canopy, his features already revealed.
He appeared emaciated and aloof, sitting upright like a pine tree, exuding a cool and elegant air, as he perused a golden book.
His phoenix eyes were exceptionally beautiful, like jet-black glass, sharp as frost and snow.
He wore a snow-white Taoist robe and a fox fur cloak adorned with jade ornaments. These ornaments also concealed his old wounds. Only one or two winding scars could be seen on his fingers and behind his ears, which were covered by jade pendants and jade rings, but they still could not soften the coldness around him.
Xu Qingning glanced up and saw Zhou Fuling across from him.
Zhou Fuling had bright almond-shaped eyes, and her black hair was adorned with blue silk ribbons that hung down. She was petite and beautiful, nestled on another round mat.
She took off her shoes and socks and was carefully covering her ankles.
A large red swelling had appeared there; she had twisted her ankle during the argument.
"Miss Zhou, just bear with it, the medicine will be applied soon." A pharmacist carefully applied the medicine to Zhou Fuling.
Zhou Fuling stared intently at Xu Qingning.
When she met her gaze, Xu Qingning coldly lowered her eyes and flipped through the golden book on government affairs.
Zhou Fuling pursed her lips slightly:
"Fu Ling has something to say; she wishes to speak with her senior brother alone."
Xu Qingning looked at the candles for a while before putting down what she was holding, indicating that the others should leave first.
Everyone else left outside, leaving only the two of them inside. Zhou Fuling knelt opposite him and said in a clear voice:
"I heard you're getting married."
Xu Qingning raised her eyes: "...Who said that?"
His voice was like a clear spring, crisp and clear.
"Elder Ning said so."
"So you're asking me?"
"..."
“Oh,” Xu Qingning said, “Then why don’t you ask me about the rumors in Zhongzhou? They said that I colluded with demon cultivators, killed my own family to prove my Dao in Tianjue Ravine, and slaughtered the good to become a demon. Doesn’t that sound more believable?”
“…” Zhou Fuling lowered her head.
Xu Qingning was mocking.
But when he speaks like this, he doesn't make people feel that he is harsh; at first glance, people just think that he is very serious, cold, and unapproachable.
"Alright, senior brother, I know I trusted the wrong person. Fuling was wrong."
Her voice was low, and her hands, resting on her knees, were clenched into fists, as if she were truly admitting her mistake.
However, Zhou Fuling suddenly felt a cold gaze pierce her face.
Xu Qingning said, "I think you're not just trusting the wrong person. You're just testing them..."
His voice suddenly stopped.
Zhou Fuling looked up, and a slight hint of embarrassment flashed across Xu Qingning's cold phoenix eyes.
It's as if he habitually speaks first, then remembers to avoid suspicion.
He has indeed been deliberately avoiding mentioning the previous matter to Zhou Fuling recently.
After an unknown period of silence, Xu Qingning said:
"In short, I have never intended to form a romantic relationship with anyone."
Zhou Fuling lowered her hand and, who was kneeling in front of Xu Qingning, suddenly straightened her back, gripping the hem of her skirt until her fingertips turned white.
Her almond-shaped eyes were brimming with tears, as if she wanted to beg Xu Qingning to take back her words.
Xu Qingning frowned, slightly turned her eyes away, and remained silent.
After a long pause, he gathered his sleeves, avoiding Zhou Fuling's gaze: "That includes you."
His voice was so cold that perhaps the shy suitor would have burst into tears upon hearing it.
“…But Senior Brother,” Zhou Fuling said softly, her lips pressed tightly together, “didn’t you once say that I was the most important person to you?”
"Can't you just grant me this request?"
“You’ve always been very accommodating to my every request.”
“Zhou Fuling,” Xu Qingning glared at her, frowning, “What have you been thinking lately? You’ve made a complete mess of things.”
"I will not grant you that request. To me, fellow disciples are just fellow disciples."
Zhou Fuling sat up, moved closer to him, and said urgently, "Really? But I was in danger just now, and you were clearly dealing with mountain affairs. I heard that those were matters that were hard to shake off. Yet you rushed over here. Doesn't that mean you also have feelings for me?"
"..." Xu Qingning fell into a long silence. He stared blankly at Zhou Fuling, then lowered his head and said, "I care about all my fellow disciples in this way. You are my closest fellow disciple, so it is natural for me to act in this way. You don't need to think about love and romance in everything."
Zhou Fuling's face turned pale: "So, even if I develop feelings for my senior brother, he has to deny it?"
“Because you shouldn’t have been born.” Xu Qingning hesitated for a moment, then said coldly, “Go back and wake up. What you should do now is to cultivate your skills properly.”
In this world, even mortals possess cultivation techniques.
Ordinary people who cannot cultivate can use magical artifacts or talismans with stored spiritual power by others for protection.
Xu Qingning kept pushing Zhou Fuling to practice self-defense techniques.
Zhou Fuling said, "No, I want to have my senior brother. If I can't, I'll fight to the death. Why don't you look at me and try liking me?"
Xu Qingning stared at her, his handsome face turning white and then green in an instant.
It seemed like he was angry with her.
He was so angry that his face turned completely pale, and he even started coughing.
“Senior brother…” Zhou Fuling tried to get closer to him, but Xu Qingning gently pushed her away.
His phoenix eyes flashed coldly, and his lips were tightly pressed together, as if he had no idea what to say.
“…Zhou Fuling, go back and read your book.”
"You command me."
"I am the young sect leader, so I can naturally arrange where you go." He closed his eyes.
Xu Qingning, her face frosty, rang the golden bell.
As the accompanying celestial official entered, he saw Zhou Fuling gazing at the young sect leader with eyes full of longing. The young sect leader, as always, appeared extremely indifferent, turned his head away, and coldly gave the order:
"Take her out. She must not see me."
Zhou Fuling stood up, gritting her teeth: "Fine, Xu Qingning, you treat me like this, I will never treat you as my brother again!"
Xu Qingning said, "I'll wait until you wake up."
He was dismissive and didn't take her words seriously at all. "Until then, it's up to you whether you treat me like a brother or not."
Zhou Fuling went out, gritting her teeth.
But after she went outside, Elder Haocheng, who was beside Xu Qingning, called her back and brought over a group of cultivators carrying a jade plate.
"Junior Sister Zhou, this is what the young sect leader said you needed and asked you to take with you."
On the jade plate were protective talismans, sword-feeding spirit stones, and meridian-cleansing elixirs—all for Zhou Fuling's needs.
Their quality was superb, something that other cultivators could only dream of. When Shu Mingjian saw them, his eyes turned red.
Zhou Fuling's face was flushed, and she looked very angry, as if she didn't want to accept it.
Everyone was worried that she wouldn't accept it, so they were all on tenterhooks.
But she didn't mean to make things difficult for the others, and finally nodded, which relieved everyone.
Her officer accepted it for her.
Officer Hao Cheng said, "Miss Zhou, the young sect leader has important matters to attend to. Please return."
"Does he really have nothing more to say to me?" Zhou Fuling stood up, and before leaving, she didn't forget to look back at Xu Qingning.
"..." The person behind the curtain remained silent.
The girl snorted and walked to the door.
In the snow, the scene from just moments ago flashed before her eyes.
Beneath the gilded curtains, Xu Qingning, dressed in a snow-white robe, lowered his head, revealing jade earrings hanging from his black hair.
...Why is it that Xu Qingning has been wearing these exquisite jade earrings on her ears every time we meet?
I've never seen him wear it before.
*
Xu Qingning unfolded the golden book, the candlelight reflecting his cold, lonely eyes, but his hand suddenly stopped.
A voice came from within the jade earring:
[Host, the second mission of the prerequisite quest 'Only because I am in the mountains' to unlock the villain's identity is now complete (2/4).]
Please be prepared!
[For this mission, please travel to the demonic lands of southern Eastern Continent to find the 'Qi-Seeking Talisman'. This item is related to the villain's past.]
Beneath the ghostly fire, Xu Qingning coldly lifted his eyelids.
A note from the author:
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