Deep in the night, a cluster of flames flickered within the dark, secluded forest.
A bonfire burned, with two men seated beside it.
One man, gentle and refined as jade, sat cross-legged to the side, his eyes tightly shut.
His slender fingers formed a seal, and a shimmering water screen gradually materialized before him, glowing with radiance as ripples emerged layer by layer.
The other, a red-haired, sharp-toothed youth, was childishly attempting to tie the hair of the five-year-old child in his arms.
"Fifth Senior Brother, you've pulled out my hair again."
The jade-like, adorable little girl rested her cheeks in her hands, her voice soft and milky.
"Uh…"
Guan Yuanbai guiltily hid the few strands of hair in his hand.
"I just wanted to learn how to tie your hair…"
Sheng Sheng, her hair a messy bird's nest, wore a somewhat distressed expression.
"Just leave it to Eldest Senior Brother. Fifth Senior Brother is too clumsy—he can't tie it properly at all."
Guan Yuanbai protested indignantly, "Who says so? I can definitely do it!"
There was absolutely nothing in this world he couldn't learn!
After all, he was the exceptionally talented Guan Yuanbai!
The destined Child of Destiny!
Sheng Sheng said, "Mhm, Fifth Senior Brother will definitely succeed. It's just that my hair might not last until you learn how!"
Though she spoke these words, Sheng Sheng's thoughts were quite different.
[Wah, when will Eldest Senior Brother wake up? Fifth Senior Brother's hair-tying skills are terrible!]
[Eldest Senior Brother, if you don't wake up soon, Sheng Sheng's hair will be pulled out completely!]
Guan Yuanbai gritted his teeth: Little Junior Sister, I never knew you had two faces!
"Don't worry, Fifth Senior Brother will definitely give Little Junior Sister a beautiful hairstyle!"
Guan Yuanbai said sarcastically.
He refused to believe he couldn't do it!
Sheng Sheng looked up, catching a glimpse of Guan Yuanbai's sinister smile from an unflattering angle.
A sense of unease washed over her, and Sheng Sheng continued sending mental distress signals to Eldest Senior Brother.
True to his word, Guan Yuanbai persisted in tying Sheng Sheng's hair.
Usually, watching Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister do it seemed effortless.
But whenever he tried it himself, it always felt uncontrollably difficult.
The hair in his hands was too slippery—just as he smoothed the left side, the right side would come loose. There was always something that wouldn't cooperate.
"Tying hair is way harder than it looks!"
Guan Yuanbai was sweating profusely, more focused than he ever was while practicing sword techniques.
He deeply felt that two hands weren't enough; once he grabbed the hair, he didn't dare let go.
"Fifth Senior Brother, too tight, too tight!"
Sheng Sheng felt as if her scalp was about to be ripped off, yelping incessantly.
"Hold on a little longer, Little Junior Sister. I'll have your hair tied up in no time."
Left with no choice, Guan Yuanbai gripped the hair tightly with both hands and simply used magic to manipulate a red ribbon, wrapping it around and around.
In the end, he followed his martial uncle's example, creating a stiff, upright "skyward cannon" hairstyle.
[Eldest Senior Brother, save me, save me! Sheng Sheng's hair is about to fall out!]
Sheng Sheng kept wailing in her heart.
"Fifth Junior Brother, what are you doing?"
A cold voice startled Guan Yuanbai, making him tremble all over.
He instinctively looked up, meeting the eyes of the person in the water screen.
A pair of icy eyes stared intently at him.
Jiang Qingjiu asked, "What are you doing to Little Junior Sister?"
"Second Senior Sister, Second Senior Sister!"
Sheng Sheng's eyes lit up as she called out joyfully toward the water screen.
Jiang Qingjiu's icy gaze softened instantly upon seeing Sheng Sheng in Guan Yuanbai's arms.
A touch of tenderness appeared in her eyes.
"Sheng Sheng, are you feeling much better now?"
Sheng Sheng nodded excitedly, "Much better! I just miss Second Senior Sister so much!"
The second senior sister reassured, "It's fine, we'll be able to meet again soon."
Guan Yuanbai watched them chatting and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But the next second, the second senior sister looked over again.
"Fifth junior brother, what were you doing just now?"
Her cool voice carried a somewhat unfeeling tone.
"Uh… I was helping the little junior sister tie her hair."
Guan Yuanbai's heart leaped into his throat again as he answered cautiously.
Meanwhile, Wen Rugu happened to open his eyes.
At a glance, he saw Sheng Sheng with her hair tied into a skyward tuft, and the culprit—Guan Yuanbai.
"Big… big senior brother…"
Guan Yuanbai's expression stiffened, looking as if he were about to die.
Wen Rugu didn't look at him. "Sheng Sheng, come here."
"Okay!"
Sheng Sheng showed no attachment to Guan Yuanbai's embrace, scrambling and tumbling into Wen Rugu's arms.
Guan Yuanbai watched helplessly as his lifeline ran away.
He didn't even have the courage to "hold the emperor hostage to command the vassals."
Under the big senior brother's all-encompassing gaze, Guan Yuanbai mustered the courage to explain.
"Big senior brother, I just wanted to tie the little junior sister's hair…"
"Big senior brother, my head hurts so much!"
Sheng Sheng pointed to her scalp, which had been pulled taut, and quickly cried for help.
"…"
Guan Yuanbai immediately burst into tears.
Little junior sister, couldn't you have waited a little longer before crying for help?
With your interruption, I'm absolutely doomed!
"Guan Yuanbai!"
The voice from the water screen sounded even colder.
Guan Yuanbai decisively lowered his head. "I was wrong. I'll never touch the little junior sister's hair again!"
"No, you weren't wrong," Wen Rugu said softly.
"Big senior brother…"
Guan Yuanbai looked at Wen Rugu with teary eyes.
Jiang Qingjiu in the water screen sneered.
"He really wasn't wrong. He was just wrong for having questionable taste and pulling out the little junior sister's hair."
Does this guy even know how important hair is to a female immortal?!
Guan Yuanbai: "…"
It's over.
If the second senior sister were here, he'd definitely be beaten up by both of them!
Wen Rugu helped Sheng Sheng let down her hair.
He gave Guan Yuanbai a kind smile, offering him a glimmer of hope.
"It's fine, fifth junior brother. Since you enjoy playing with the little junior sister's hair so much, I'll get you a substitute later."
"Huh?"
Guan Yuanbai looked dazed, not quite understanding.
Wen Rugu said, "It's a good chance to learn the hairstyles popular among female immortals these years. Once you're proficient, you can help the little junior sister style her hair."
"Ah!"
Guan Yuanbai was stunned.
Sheng Sheng couldn't help but laugh.
[Hehe, serves fifth senior brother right for pulling out so many of Sheng Sheng's hairs!]
Little junior sister, your inner voice really couldn't have come at a worse time!
Guan Yuanbai was calculating his chances of escaping the big senior brother's grasp.
After calculating left and right, he concluded the probability was zero.
Wen Rugu narrowed his eyes at him. "What, you're not willing?"
Sensing the threat, Guan Yuanbai burst into tears again. "No, I'm willing."
He looked pitiful, as if he were being forced into something against his will.
The little junior sister is so cold and heartless!
The big senior brother is so cold and heartless too!
The big senior brother's new punishment method is terrifying!
Just tying a skyward tuft was hard enough for him.
Not to mention the various hairstyles favored by female immortals—it would be the death of him!
"Fifth senior brother, do your best! Sheng Sheng believes you can learn it!"
Sheng Sheng smiled with her eyes curved, clenched her fist, and encouraged him.
"Little junior sister…"
Couldn't you plead for fifth senior brother?
Sheng Sheng completely ignored Fifth Brother's pleading gaze, taking the Formation Plate from First Brother's hands to examine it.
She wore an expression of pure innocence, as if she were just a well-behaved child who understood nothing.
[Fifth Brother, First Brother is only doing this for your own good. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn hairstyling and cultivate your mindset!]
Wuwu, what a ruthless yet adorable little junior sister!
Guan Yuanbai would rather swing his sword ten thousand times than learn how to style hair.
Unfortunately, because of his earlier reckless behavior, First Brother would definitely not take back his words!
The eldest brother is like a father, and the cost of defying him is too great.
His frail body couldn’t withstand it.
Could this be what is meant by “When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility upon a person, it first tests their resolve, exhausts their body, starves their flesh, empties their being, lashes them dozens of times, and drives them to a separate courtyard”…
The life of a Child of Destiny is truly terrifying!
Guan Yuanbai silently hugged himself tightly, shedding tears under the moonlight.