Chapter 5 Winning Hearts and Minds
As the number one sect, Tianxuan Sect naturally had many affairs to attend to. Although the sect leader was in charge, Su Yunyu could not stand idly by.
After his descent to the mortal realm yesterday, he can no longer revolve around Xiao Shuying today.
So he simply gave Xiao Shuying a token and told him to go to Wugu Hall to eat something first, and then settle him in the disciples' residence when he returned.
Su Yunyu did want him to live in the same palace as her, but Long Aotian had no cultivation at the moment and could not withstand the cold in the palace, so she had to give up.
The token of the Northern Underworld Palace resembled its owner; it was a piece of pure white warm jade with a cold, gleaming light, and was engraved with only the character "Su," without any other patterns.
When Xiao Shuying took it from Su Yunyu, she could even smell the cool fragrance that the token had also absorbed.
"Go south from the sect square and you'll reach the Five Grains Hall. If you're confused, ask your fellow disciples," Su Yunyu said, grasping the hand that held the token. She looked down at her obedient disciple, giving him a casual instruction, but inwardly she was overjoyed.
Great, I finally have time to explore the Tianxuan Sect.
Xiao Shuying's heart tightened when he grasped her hand, but thankfully it was only a brief squeeze. His face was trembling, yet he remained extremely respectful.
"I understand, thank you, Master."
Great, finally I don't have to deal with this hypocrite anymore.
The master and apprentice were each preoccupied with their own thoughts, and Xiao Shuying easily found the Five Grains Hall with the token in hand.
Most of the disciples here are outer disciples, and most of those who diligently cultivate will directly take fasting pills, but he is different.
His meridians were completely severed, and he had no spiritual energy whatsoever, making him no different from an ordinary person. If he were to consume a fasting pill, it would only accumulate toxins and damage his meridians.
Moreover, all the products from Wugutang are of the highest quality, and ordinary people can benefit from them for health and energy cultivation.
On the way here, disciples kept stealing glances at Xiao Shuying.
Some people, unaware of his identity, couldn't help but feel startled upon seeing the subtle white lotus pattern fluttering on the hem of his robe.
So much so that Xiao Shuying could hear whispers all the way.
Being noticed is a blessing.
Having nothing of value is also a misfortune.
He casually showed the token to the cook, took a plate of food, and then looked for a quiet place to eat.
I had just spotted a corner when someone came up and bumped into me shoulder-to-shoulder without saying a word—
With a loud crash, food and soup were spilled all over the floor. Xiao Shuying was not spared either, and she staggered before managing to steady herself. She looked at the person who came with a blank expression.
The man was a stranger. Seeing that he had bumped into someone, he looked apologetic, scratched his head, and then handed the food he was carrying to Xiao Shuying.
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to. I was just so hungry that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. You can have this instead, so you don't have to wait in line."
Xiao Shuying stared at the person for a few seconds, but couldn't recall if she recognized him. She glanced at the long line of outer disciples, then simply took the food the person offered and left.
His cold and sarcastic remarks were a completely different style from those he used in front of Su Yunyu.
After he sat down in the corner, the person who bumped into him walked up to a familiar disciple and fawned over him.
"Young Master Xiao, I have already given him the food."
The one he called Young Master Xiao was none other than Xiao Qingran, the eldest son of the Xiao family. Yesterday, Xiao Shuying was taken away by Su Yunyu, while he came to the sect after the Immortal Sect Selection and was accepted by the sect leader.
The two entered the sect on almost the same day, but the masters they could worship were of different levels of status.
Xiao Qingran glared at Xiao Shuying with resentment, thinking how wonderful it would be if he could become a disciple of Su Yunyu.
This jinx killed his mother at birth, and now he's above him. Why? He's the one who deserves all the good fortune!
Unfortunately, now is not the time to make a move against him. Xiao Qingran's eyes darkened, and she slowly walked away with her underlings.
Sitting in a quiet corner, Xiao Shuying looked at the food thoughtfully.
In his first life, he also became a disciple of Su Yunyu and received respect for a period of time.
But soon the sect discovered that Su Yunyu was ignoring him, and gradually his life became no different from hell.
At first, he was able to use the token to collect his meals.
Gradually, everyone ostracized him, and he couldn't get any good food, so he could only eat one meal as if it were two.
Fortunately, he was used to living a life of irregular eating habits since childhood, so this kind of life was nothing to him.
But this life has been full of unexpected changes, and he felt a strange sense of unease...
Xiao Shuying casually scooped up a spoonful of food and put it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, he crunched, frowned, stopped swallowing, and reached out to catch the food that came out of his mouth.
There lay a small, hard pebble, which was completely undetectable when it was sandwiched between the soft food.
When Xiao Shuying pressed her tongue against her upper palate, a faint taste of blood rose to her palate.
Without needing to trace the cause, he knew it was because his gums had been punctured.
Whether it was intentional or not is hard to say.
Xiao Shuying stared intently at the food that had only been touched once.
He has never been a magnanimous person. In his first life, after ascending to the top of the Six Realms, he was able to take revenge on the past, and he will not swallow his anger now.
After finishing her meal and carrying the token, Xiao Shuying returned to Misty Peak.
Then, after glancing at the empty, desolate place, and after a moment of hesitation, he shouted:
"Master—"
At this moment, Su Yunyu, who had just brushed Wenren Li off, was lying in the first-class place of Beiming Palace, which was inlaid with gold and jade, sleeping on a cool and pleasant jade-carved bed, and eating fruit full of spiritual energy, and was very happy.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, I suddenly heard some indistinct sounds.
He has long suffered from auditory hallucinations, and he can't help but prick up his ears to listen carefully to any noise he hears. Now, upon hearing this, he immediately became alert and got up.
"I feel like someone is calling me..."
[You're overthinking it. Don't cultivators communicate using spiritual energy?]
“That’s true,” Su Yunyu thought. “We’re in the cultivation world now, why would we call people by name? Doesn’t it get tiring?”
Just as she was about to lie down again, she suddenly heard another noise, and Su Yunyu immediately got up.
Something seems off.
After saying that, he suddenly realized that he had overlooked something—
His disciple, Xiao Shuying, had no cultivation at all and was shy, so the only way to find him was to call out from the foot of the mountain.
"Oh no, oh no!" Su Yunyu immediately couldn't lie down anymore and hurriedly got up and went down to Haomiao Peak.
The wind blew through his sleeves, and as he drew nearer, he saw that it was indeed Xiao Shuying.
His body was not yet fully grown, so he was not tall enough. When Su Yunyu stood in the vast world of Haomiao Peak and called out to his master, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
Su Yunyu landed in front of him, expressionless, her delicate brows furrowed, her tone indifferent:
What do you need me for?
Xiao Shuying didn't expect that he would summon people by shouting a few times. He thought he would have to call other people first, and then they would help him contact his master.
After all, Su Yunyu is a cold-hearted and indifferent person. She treats him with courtesy on the surface, but she probably enjoys seeing him in a sorry state behind his back.
However, since they arrived so quickly, it saved her some effort. Xiao Shuying clutched the hem of her clothes, forcing her eyes to well up with tears before looking up at Su Yunyu:
"Master..."
The words came out with a hoarse voice that sounded even more pitiful.
Unfortunately, Xiao Shuying didn't notice anything touching in Su Yunyu's expression.
Ah, indeed, he is repulsive.
Xiao Shuying, her voice slightly sore, asked:
"Master, do you have any medicine to stop the bleeding?"
They only asked questions without understanding, waiting for Su Yunyu to investigate.
Su Yunyu was trying his best to maintain his so-called aloof persona. Ever since he was electrocuted last time, he had been fearful, so even though Xiao Shuying was acting pitifully, he could only continue to remain indifferent.
What kind of medicine is needed to stop the bleeding?
Xiao Shuying hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth. His two rows of teeth were stained with a pale pink blood. He felt a pang of self-reproach.
"I guess I'm just unlucky. I even got hurt by a stone while eating."
Actually, it wasn't just one instance of him hurting himself; he hurt himself several more times.
If we don't make a big deal out of it, it will become an overreaction.
His request for medicine was a pretext; he just wanted to see Su Yunyu's attitude.
Wugutang Sulai produces high-quality products, and for over a hundred years, no disciple has ever reported any unusual experiences with them.
Therefore, if Su Yunyu had paid any attention, she would have known that this pebble was unusual.
So Xiao Shuying looked at Su Yunyu timidly on the surface, but her eyes were already filled with coldness.
If he were to treat Su Yunyu with the same indifference as in his first life, he would be the first to grind her to dust, even if the time was not yet right.
Although Su Yunyu was unaware of the intricacies of the situation, she knew that finding a pebble in the food meant that, according to psychological tactics, she would definitely have to support her disciple.
Immediately, his eyes flickered, like ripples on autumn water, and in an instant, a bottle of miraculous pills appeared in his hand. He took one out and held it to Xiao Shuying's lips:
"A hemostatic pill can stop your pain."
Xiao Shuying stiffly felt the cool touch of the person's fingers on her lips. Just as she was about to swallow, she seemed to remember something, feigned innocence, and asked:
"Will I faint from the pain again after taking this medicine?"
Upon hearing this, the system launched a frenzied mockery of Su Yunyu from within its own consciousness.
Su Yunyu herself was also sweating profusely, repeatedly crying out that she was guilty.
Look at the damage the Marrow Cleansing Pill caused last time, leaving him traumatized by the pain. So Su Yunyu immediately made a promise:
"What happened last time will not happen again, so you can rest assured."
So Xiao Shuying obediently ate it.
However, when she swallowed it, she "accidentally" wet Su Yunyu's fingertips, so Xiao Shuying secretly glanced at his expression, trying to find a trace of displeasure.
He found that Su Yunyu still had a calm expression, and now he was the one who was unhappy.
Damn it, we failed to injure the enemy and instead suffered heavy losses ourselves.
Su Yunyu felt that Xiao Shuying was like a puppy, getting his hands wet while taking medicine, but he didn't show any emotion, and simply said:
"Come on, I'll take you to Wugutang,"
Without waiting for Xiao Shuying's agreement, he raised his hand and flipped the world around him.
Inside the Five Grains Hall, some disciples were still laughing and joking, creating quite a lively atmosphere, until a sense of oppressive power arrived, along with a cold fragrance lingering on their sleeves, and they all instantly fell silent.
Su Yunyu disregarded the feelings of these people, simply walked up to the head cook, and without questioning her, merely gave her instructions:
"Auntie, you must pay more attention to the meals in the future."
Having said that, he took out a bag of spirit stones and placed it in front of her, causing the old woman to break out in a cold sweat:
"We at Wugutang always strive for the highest quality in our cuisine, and we naturally follow your instructions even without your permission."
"To be honest," Su Yunyu sighed, "my apprentice found a pebble in his food. He has no spiritual energy, so it was naturally disturbed by the pebble, which is why this happened."
The beautiful woman's furrowed brow was pitiful, and all one wanted was to dispel one's sorrow; one couldn't care less about anything else. So the old woman immediately threw down her spoon, her expression fierce:
"These stones were definitely not made by our Wugutang. They must have been put there by some heartless person. Rest assured, Immortal, I will personally supervise your disciple when he comes to get food in the future, and this will never happen again."
These words almost made Su Yunyu laugh, but she quickly restrained herself, telling her to accept the spirit stones as a reward for her trouble. With the matter settled, Su Yunyu glanced at the disciples in the hall who dared not breathe, and then gave a restrained smile.
"Shuying is not in good health right now, so I hope everyone will be understanding of her. I won't bother you any longer."
Others might have a word worth a thousand pieces of gold, but Su Yunyu had not only a word worth a thousand pieces of gold, but also a smile worth a thousand pieces of gold. Unsurprisingly, the disciples were all stunned, and only after everyone had left did they react and hurriedly praise her:
"Rest assured, Immortal Lord!"
Su Yunyu, who had brought Xiao Shuying back to Misty Peak, turned to look at him. Seeing that his expression was somewhat unnatural, she assumed it was from being moved and felt quite smug. She then said to him:
"If you suffer any injustice in the future, just tell me."
After saying that, he remembered something and took out a communication board for him:
"In the future, when you call me with this, you won't have to hurt your voice."
Xiao Shuying simply nodded obediently. After Su Yunyu left, he stared at the man's ethereal white figure, clutching the communication token, his eyes cold and aloof, and let out a sneer:
Small favors and small acts of kindness can bewitch people.
He wanted to see how long Su Yunyu could keep up the act.
A note from the author:
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These two are veteran actors, hahaha [newbie dog emoji]
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