"Say it again, what's your name?" Chu Hongluan's eyes were calm, and there wasn't a trace of a smile on her face.
Liu Jinghong's heart skipped a few seconds. He didn't know what he had done wrong, but he still hesitated before answering, "I am Liu Jinghong. I am... the young master of the Tianji Pavilion."
So, it shouldn't be too late for her to kill him now, right?
Looking up, she met the boy's cautious yet bewildered gaze.
"Was I... in any way offensive to you, young lady?"
No.
Chu Hongluan remained silent.
How should I answer? Should I say that he will become a world-destroying demon in the future?
But that's for the future; right now, he hasn't done anything yet.
Moreover, she observed that this young master was quite polite, kind to his subordinates, and grateful for kindness. He seemed to have nothing in common with the future villain.
She took a deep breath and put down the knife.
“I’ve mistaken you for someone else. I have an enemy with the same name.”
Chu Hongluan heard herself answer like this.
She couldn't find a trace of the villain in the book in the current Liu Jinghong; he seemed like a model young man with impeccable character.
She thought she could easily chop off his head with a knife, just as she had easily sentenced Liu Jinghong to death based on only a few lines of text in a book.
But when Liu Jinghong stood before her as a living, breathing person, she suddenly didn't know how to proceed.
Upon hearing Chu Hongluan's reply, Liu Jinghong visibly perked up again and asked with great enthusiasm, "What does your enemy look like, young lady? Do you need the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's help? In this world, there is no information the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion doesn't know, and no one they can't find!"
Chu Hongluan stared at that vibrant face, feeling even more strange.
Why would a villain be so handsome?
Despite having been a fan of celebrities for many years, changing idols one after another, she had never seen a face that could compare to the person in front of her.
Liu Jinghong felt stiff and uncomfortable under his gaze. She had forgotten what she had just asked, and asked again as if making conversation, "It's getting late. Where will you stay tonight, young lady?"
Chu Hongluan snapped out of her daze and, upon hearing his question, immediately had a new idea. She replied, "Having just entered the Southern Region, I haven't settled on a place to stay yet."
“In that case, why don’t you come back to the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion with me and we can make further plans?” Liu Jinghong belatedly realized that her words were rash, and quickly tried to make amends: “You saved my life, young lady, I have no way to repay your kindness…”
The only way is to repay him with my body?
Chu Hongluan finished the sentence in her mind, and then heard Liu Jinghong continue, "But let our benefactor stay on the mountain for a few days, giving Tianji Pavilion a chance to repay our kindness."
Chu Hongluan was unaware that her godlike entrance had stirred ripples in the young man's calm heart. She only thought that if she went up the mountain with him, she could keep a close eye on him and kill him on the spot if she saw any signs of him turning evil. In that way, it wouldn't be against her true nature.
"Then... I'll gladly accept your offer. I'm sorry to bother you."
And so, Chu Hongluan followed Liu Jinghong into the barrier of the immortal mountain. Looking up, she saw long stone steps that went straight up the steep mountain ridge into the clouds. In the twilight, she could vaguely see the jade palaces and the dim lights.
I'd heard that Tianji Pavilion was rich, but I never imagined it was this rich.
Chu Hongluan straightened her back subconsciously, thinking to herself, "I've earned some money over the years, I'm not some poor relative who's just here to freeload!"
Flying was prohibited within the sacred mountain. The two walked one after the other. The surroundings were quiet, making the clinking of their gold jewelry all the more noticeable.
Liu Jinghong subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the girl's slender white feet were dazzling, and her delicate skin and bones were faintly visible under her skirt. Three gold bracelets were fastened to her ankles, and they gently collided with her movements, making a crisp tinkling sound.
Liu Jinghong's handsome face turned bright red. Why wasn't she wearing shoes?!
Looking again, I was amazed to find that my benefactor was truly amazing. She had walked barefoot for so long, yet her fair feet were still spotless. Only upon closer inspection could I discover that her feet were not actually touching the ground, but were being supported by spiritual energy.
Even a Great Immortal wouldn't dare waste their spiritual energy like that!
Liu Jinghong racked his brains for a long time before finally managing to say, "Is the young lady here to participate in the disciple recruitment ceremony? No, since the young lady can kill a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator within three moves, her cultivation must be at least at the early stage of Nascent Soul. With such strength, she is probably qualified to be a nominal elder."
Of course! If it weren't for killing him, she wouldn't bother attending any apprenticeship ceremony.
"If I really came here just to participate in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's disciple recruitment ceremony?" Chu Hongluan stopped and looked at him, her gaze intense.
Liu Jinghong was momentarily stunned by her gaze and forgot her surprise. She stammered, "Then, congratulations in advance, Miss, on winning the championship."
Chu Hongluan was amused by his youthful appearance and smiled, her eyes crinkling. She said, "My name is Chu Hongluan. If you don't mind, you can call me Sister Hongluan."
Oh my, just thinking about hearing a handsome young man call me "sister" makes me happy.
Liu Jinghong's ears burned slightly; she felt a little ashamed to be called that. But she couldn't help thinking that her benefactor's name was really beautiful: Hongluan, Chu Hongluan.
Not hearing Liu Jinghong utter a sound, Chu Hongluan didn't care much. She looked left and right, thinking to herself: The nameless immortal mountain is truly a wonderful place, rich in spiritual energy, with spiritual herbs and plants everywhere. Even small animals like squirrels have gained sentience.
Indeed, feng shui is beneficial to health.
When you reach the middle of the mountain, you'll find places for disciples to stay.
The disciples of Tianji Pavilion who came and went all greeted Liu Jinghong and called him Senior Brother.
Then, noticing Chu Hongluan beside Liu Jinghong, they were all quite surprised.
Everyone in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion knows that although this senior brother usually idles away his days indulging in pleasure, he never touches prostitutes, and he is completely unromantic and avoids women. If any female cultivator comes within three steps of him, he will frown and retreat a great distance, as if avoiding a plague.
But today, he actually brought a girl home.
Moreover, she was a very beautiful girl.
Liu Jinghong led Chu Hongluan all the way up to the main peak and arrived at the main hall of the Tianji Pavilion.
The sect leader's wife was discussing the details of the disciple-acceptance ceremony with the elders inside the hall. One could vaguely hear concluding remarks such as, "Alright, let's do it that way then." or "That's all for today."
Liu Jinghong told Chu Hongluan to wait a moment, then ran into the hall in a few quick steps, "Mother! I'm back!"
Three seconds later, Liu Jinghong was blasted out by a surge of spiritual energy!
"You brat! Where have you been running around off to again!"
Liu Jinghong, covered in dust and dirt, ran around frantically, crying, "Hey! Mom! Don't hit me! Don't hit me!"
"I'll beat you to death, you bastard! You don't cultivate! You're always running around! Didn't you promise me you'd attend this year's Nine Pavilions Summit?!"
"Mother! Mother! Stop talking! Give me some face! I brought guests! I brought guests!"
The lady of the pavilion stopped abruptly.
Finally, I noticed a pretty little girl standing right in front of me.
"This is—" The Lady of the Pavilion suddenly burst into laughter, "Oh my, my son has finally come to his senses?"
"Mom! Stop it! This is my savior!"
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