It was not that Elder Nanfeng was particularly fond of gossip, but rather that the matter regarding Qin Zhijie was now common knowledge throughout the Heguang Sect. Even if he did not pay much attention to external affairs, he would constantly hear some rumors. For instance, Qin Zhijie had used her identity as the daughter of the Wudu City Lord to stay at the Heguang Sect as a guest. The Heguang Sect found it awkward to openly drive her away, so they could only turn a blind eye to it. Jun Wuya, on the other hand, had been so relentlessly pestered by her that he felt utterly distracted and could not leave the mountain. Before Elder Nanfeng departed, he seemed to have heard that the boy, left with no alternative, had gone into hiding for secluded cultivation.
Now, as he went out to pick up his disciples, he had brought back another young lady surnamed Qin. Judging by the way Su Qingyi introduced her earlier, it seemed she mentioned that this one was also from Wudu City?
Hearing his words, Lu Yuandao fell into a bizarre silence.
Su Qingyi, being a straightforward and quick-spoken person, looked somewhat indignant and was just about to speak when she was interrupted by Qin Zhizhi behind her.
“Elder Nanfeng, that is my younger sister, Qin Zhijie.”
“Oh?” To think they were actually biological sisters. Before Elder Nanfeng could say anything else, Su Qingyi leaned in close to his ear and gave him a brief summary of the situation. She had long found Qin Zhijie rather disagreeable, so she embellished the tale with quite a bit of spice. After listening, Elder Nanfeng cast a subtle glance at Qin Zhizhi. My, how spectacular. He knew that Jun Wuya possessed a face as flawless as carved jade and an extraordinary bearing, causing many young ladies to blush furiously the moment they saw him under normal circumstances. Who could have anticipated… Elder Nanfeng flashed a deeply meaningful smile, feeling that the sect was bound to become lively once again.
However, the smile on Qin Zhizhi’s face faded slightly. Qin Zhijie, eh? At such a young age, she already knew how to conspire with her biological mother to harm her half-sister. She wanted to see just how arrogant this black-hearted girl was acting right now.
The Heguang Sect was considerably far from Fotan. Even if ordinary cultivators traveled day and night without rest, it would still take them three to five days to arrive. However, Elder Nanfeng’s flying Dharma treasure was a genuine prize. It was propelled by spiritual stones; the more spiritual stones provided, the faster it flew. Within just two hours, the scenery of the Heguang Sect faintly came into view, nestled amidst a lush expanse of tall trees and emerald bamboo.
Speaking of which, it was quite interesting. The Heguang Sect mostly consisted of zither and sound cultivators, making it the most elegant, refined, and gentle establishment among the three sects and six factions. The sect’s disciples all wore green robes over white tunics, their sashes swaying gracefully in the wind. Even the sect’s location was a picturesque setting of rustling bamboo forests and winding streams where wine cups floated along, carrying quite a romantic flair.
Seeing Elder Nanfeng return safely with Lu Yuandao and the others, the gate-keeping disciples all bore joyful expressions as they stepped forward to salute. Lu Yuandao hurriedly coordinated with the others to settle the disciples who were still unconscious. Once everything was properly arranged, he followed behind Elder Nanfeng, preparing to pay his respects to the Sect Master together.
Unexpectedly, after walking only a few steps, Qin Zhizhi’s stomach began to growl furiously.
Among this group of people, only Nanfeng and Lu Yuandao had already achieved fast from grains. Su Qingyi was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, let alone Qin Zhizhi. Having experienced such massive ups and downs in life, given this body that was a few degrees weaker than even an ordinary person’s, it was solely due to her firm willpower that she had not fainted yet. However, since she was currently at someone else’s sect, Qin Zhizhi felt a bit embarrassed to speak up and merely rubbed her stomach awkwardly.
Lu Yuandao had originally been walking at the front alongside Elder Nanfeng. Thinking of something, he halted his steps. Turning back to see that both Su Qingyi and Qin Zhizhi were covered in dirt and looking thoroughly wretched, he exchanged a glance with Elder Nanfeng and spoke up, “Uncle-Master Nanfeng, I see that Junior Sister and the others appear somewhat fatigued.”
Elder Nanfeng also noticed the exhaustion evident in their brows and eyes. Pinching his beard, he comforted them, “Lu Yuandao and I can proceed first. You young ladies should go freshen yourselves up, and we will call for you later.”
Su Qingyi responded without a moment’s delay. Thinking of something else, she leaned in to whisper a few words to Elder Nanfeng. Elder Nanfeng smiled and handed her a waist token, saying, “Go on.”
Having obtained what she desired, her face carried a touch of triumph. Turning back to see Qin Zhizhi standing somewhat in a daze, she wrapped her arms around Qin Zhizhi’s arm and said, “Miss Qin, what are you daydreaming about? Come, I’ll take you to get some food first!”
Qin Zhizhi gave a word of agreement and followed Su Qingyi to the side. She certainly would not admit that at the very moment she witnessed the interaction between Su Qingyi, Nanfeng, and Lu Yuandao, she suddenly missed the Sect Master of the Tiantong Sect, her eldest martial brother Fu Xingyun, immensely.
Presumably, if Fu Xingyun were here, he would also instruct her in such a gentle manner.
Perhaps she truly was rather famished. After the dishes were served, Qin Zhizhi could not care less about manners; she picked up her chopsticks and began piling food into her bowl. She had initially intended to maintain some reserve, but upon looking up, she saw that Su Qingyi was even more exaggerated, pouncing on the food like a starving tiger. It seemed she was also fiercely hungry. With that, all her baggage dissolved, and she began to feast heartily.
The food at the Heguang Sect was exceptionally delicious and suited Qin Zhizhi’s palate perfectly. She ate with absolute concentration, momentarily tossing many chaotic matters to the back of her mind.
“Zhizhi, you are also the daughter of the City Lord. Why haven’t you cultivated to become an immortal?” split the silence during a break in their eating as Su Qingyi asked inquisitively.
Although the Twelve Cities could not compare to the immense strength of the three sects and six factions, each boasting ascended ancestors, they were still cultivation families that likewise accepted disciples to pass down their cultivation methods.
Hearing this question, Qin Zhizhi’s movements paused slightly. “Perhaps it is because my talent is insufficient.”
The original owner had suffered a severe illness when she was around three or four years old, nearly failing to survive. Although she recovered later, her health had always been poor. She was constantly under medication, and any slight disturbance or change in temperature would leave her bedridden for several days. With a body like this, let alone cultivating to become an immortal, even just staying alive was a massive struggle. Consequently, no one in Wudu City ever brought up the matter.
“How can that be? Even Qin Zhijie can possess a Qi Refining cultivation level. Could you possibly be worse than her?” Along the way, Su Qingyi had grown quite fond of Qin Zhizhi. She was quiet when she needed to be quiet, spoke when she needed to speak, carried no pretension, and possessed a fair amount of cleverness. She was countless times better than that tactless Qin Zhijie.
For this reason, her heart naturally biased toward Qin Zhizhi.
Qin Zhijie and her biological younger brother, Qin Guanlou, both possessed dual spiritual roots. Compared to the core disciples of the three sects and six factions, they were hardly considered formidable figures, but within the Twelve Cities, they were already of the highest tier. They had been treated as treasures by the Wudu City Lord since childhood. Qin Zhijie was seventeen years old this year, and her cultivation sat at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, only a single step away from Foundation Establishment. She was countless times better off than Qin Zhizhi, a sheltered young lady who could neither shoulder a burden nor lift anything with her hands.
Thinking of Qin Zhijie’s perpetually arrogant face in her memories, Qin Zhizhi silently swallowed a mouthful of rice.
“Once we finish eating, I will take you to test your spiritual roots,” Su Qingyi said, poking the bottom of her bowl with her chopsticks and speaking fiercely. “I simply refuse to believe in this absolute misfortune.”
Qin Zhizhi was somewhat surprised. “Am I allowed to go test them?”
Su Qingyi produced the waist token Elder Nanfeng had given her, brandishing it in her hand as she said with flying spirits, “Look, didn’t I ask Uncle-Master Nanfeng for this exactly for this reason?”
So it was for this matter. It was sweet of Su Qingyi to keep it in mind, and Elder Nanfeng truly did dote on this female disciple. Qin Zhizhi nodded, accepting the other party’s goodwill.
After finishing their meal, Su Qingyi performed a minor cleansing spell on both herself and Qin Zhizhi. Once they had tidied themselves up slightly, she took Qin Zhizhi’s hand and walked toward the hall where the Azure Spiritual Stones were kept. Along the way, they encountered numerous disciples of the Heguang Sect. When they saw Su Qingyi, they would all offer a greeting, but upon catching sight of Qin Zhizhi, they would freeze slightly and begin whispering among themselves.
Qin Zhizhi found it somewhat strange, but because Su Qingyi was walking too quickly, she did not dwell on it, following her into the grand hall where the Azure Spiritual Stones were stored.
Generally speaking, an event like testing spiritual roots would only occur when each sect recruited new disciples, and the hall storing the Azure Spiritual Stones would not remain open on regular days. Because she held Elder Nanfeng’s waist token, Su Qingyi easily opened the doors to the grand hall and led Qin Zhizhi inside.
“This is the one. You just need to place your hand on top of it,” Su Qingyi introduced as she pulled back the fabric curtain covering the Azure Spiritual Stone.
The Azure Spiritual Stone of the Heguang Sect was completely different from that of the Tiantong Sect. It was polished to an exceptionally smooth finish, faintly glowing with a green hue, appearing as translucent as exquisite jade. Qin Zhizhi hesitated for a brief moment, raising her hand, just about to place it on top.
“How truly rare. In broad daylight, what sort of people are lounging around here?”
The moment the voice fell, both Su Qingyi and Qin Zhizhi were slightly startled.
Qin Zhizhi turned around to see a young lady of seventeen or eighteen standing at the entrance of the grand hall. She wore a light green vest paired with an apricot-yellow skirt, her hair styled in hanging buns with an apricot blossom pinned near her temple, looking thoroughly charming and lovely.
However, though the expression on her face carried a smile, it appeared somewhat distorted. The girl stared dead at Qin Zhizhi and said, “When I heard others saying a Miss Qin from Wudu City had arrived, I didn’t believe it. To think it really is you, my ‘dear’ older sister.”
A girl who had been fiercely arrogant since childhood, who ordered her older sister around simply because she considered herself exceptionally talented. A dear younger sister who, out of infatuation with her sister’s fiancé, did not hesitate to have her sister sold off, wishing nothing more than to make her life a living hell.
Before she had even gone to settle the score, this creature had eagerly run right up to dance in front of her face. Was this Qin Zhijie herself in the flesh?
Qin Zhizhi widened her eyes, acting entirely full of astonishment. “Sister, so you are also at the Heguang Sect.”
Seeing Qin Zhizhi’s completely ignorant display, fury surged within Qin Zhijie’s heart. She was always like this, relying on the fact that she possessed a bit of good looks to appear innocent and oblivious. She was clearly a useless waste who could achieve nothing and understood nothing, yet she occupied the title of the eldest legitimate daughter and possessed a fiancé who was a chosen son of heaven, as if every good fortune in this world had been monopolized entirely by her. On what grounds? She merely liked Jun Wuya; what wrong had she committed?
Qin Zhijie let out a cold snort, and in the next instant, a triumphant expression surfaced on her face. “Naturally I am at the Heguang Sect, and furthermore, I will remain at the Heguang Sect forever in the future.”
Qin Zhizhi replied casually, “To do what? Did you come to the Heguang Sect to guard the front gates?”
Although she possessed the talent of dual spiritual roots, Qin Zhijie was no longer that young. Wouldn’t the Heguang Sect suffer a massive deficit by accepting her as a disciple?
Before Qin Zhijie could make any indication, Su Qingyi, standing to the side, could not restrain herself and let out a snort, bursting into laughter. She recalled that the moment the two of them opened the hall doors and before they could even manage to do anything, Qin Zhijie had rushed over to stand right at the main entrance to deliver her sharp interrogation. Didn’t she look exactly like someone guarding the front gates for their Heguang Sect?
Qin Zhijie’s face instantly flushed crimson, yet she forced herself to maintain composure. “Qin Zhizhi, the reason I will remain at the Heguang Sect is naturally because I am about to marry Brother Jun. But what about you? If you still possessed a shred of shame, you should never have appeared here.”
Marry Brother Jun? Qin Zhizhi froze slightly before realizing that the other party was referring to Jun Wuya. No way, in just these few short days, had she actually managed to pull it off?
Hearing this, Su Qingyi grew immensely furious. Taking a step forward, she raged, “You’re speaking nonsense! Senior Brother Jun would never marry a woman like you!”
Qin Zhijie retorted sharply, “If he won’t marry a woman like me, who would he marry? Could he possibly marry the woman beside you, who lost her betrothal token and eloped with another man regardless of rites, righteousness, or shame?”
Qin Zhizhi was utterly bewildered.
Wait a moment. The woman she was talking about, was that supposed to be herself?