Lu Qing’an’s eyes were filled with entreaty. Her bangs swayed with the rhythm of her speech, as if they were pleading alongside her.
A faint sense of guilt welled up in Ji Zhixing’s heart.
“The master’s requirement for accepting disciples is based entirely on mood.”
Not teasing her any further, she softly provided the answer.
Hearing this reply, Lu Qing’an paused for a moment. “What kind of requirement is that?”
She had expected demands like scaling a mountain of swords or plunging into a sea of fire.
Another gust of evening wind swept by, dispersing the stuffiness lingering over the peak.
The wind brushed past Lu Qing’an’s ear, lifting her strands of hair. She declared with high spirits, “I will definitely become her disciple.”
The corners of Ji Zhixing’s mouth curled upward without a word.
Caught in the breeze, the gray sky gradually dyed itself the color of ink.
Noticing the shift in time, Ji Zhixing picked up the sword resting on the stone table. “I have to go on patrol. Get some rest early.”
Seeing that she was about to leave, Lu Qing’an grabbed Ji Zhixing’s long sleeve, her voice carrying a pleading tone.
“Senior Sister, Senior Sister, take me with you.”
Her eyes, full of yearning, drifted toward the long sword. She gripped Ji Zhixing’s sleeve even tighter, giving the strong impression that she would not let go unless Ji Zhixing agreed.
Ji Zhixing said with some hesitation, “But you are not a disciple of the Enforcement Hall.”
According to the rules of the Liuyun Sect, this did not meet the requirements.
“I will just watch from the side and absolutely won’t disturb you.”
Seeing that Ji Zhixing’s stance wasn’t entirely firm, Lu Qing’an hurriedly added, “Besides, two heads are better than one, and two extra hands help.”
“In case we run into anyone who won’t listen to your discipline, I can help out too.”
Lu Qing’an genuinely wanted to go.
On one hand, the shadow of the spider from earlier that day still lingered. If they left her alone here, what if the spider came back?
She needed to stay far away.
On the other hand, since she had decided to seek apprenticeship, learning more about this sect was certainly never a bad idea.
The word patrol sounded like an opportunity to wander around and see many places.
The reason Lu Qing’an had been able to act so wildly in Lin’an City for so many years relied not only on the Lu family’s influence but also on her own situational awareness.
“Good Senior Sister, you are the best. Whatever you want in the future, your junior sister will give it to you.”
Shaking the sleeve, she resorted to acting spoiled once again.
The final outcome was that Lu Qing’an successfully followed behind Ji Zhixing and became a temporary patroller.
Walking all the way with Ji Zhixing, Lu Qing’an toured over half of the entire sect. It was peaceful and quiet; apart from the martial arts training grounds, there wasn’t even anyone speaking loudly.
Lu Qing’an gained a general understanding of the inner workings of this sect and silently came to a conclusion in her heart.
It was a place governed with strict discipline.
The very next second, that conclusion was shattered.
A stream-lined stone hissed as it cut through the air, hurtling at top speed right toward Lu Qing’an’s face.
Accompanied by it was an extremely arrogant voice.
“Oh, so this is the shameless person hanging around Elder Qi.”
The flying object reflected in the depths of Lu Qing’an’s eyes prompted her body to react faster than her brain, dropping into a squat.
An ornate silver scabbard blocked in front of her with a sharp clang. The projectile crashed to the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust.
Ji Zhixing retracted the hand holding the silver sword. Her gentleness was gone, replaced by a cold gaze directed at the troublemaker.
Already crouched on the ground, Lu Qing’an could clearly see the stone that had been knocked down.
Lifting her head, she saw Ji Zhixing standing right in front of her with a graceful posture, her robe fluttering in the wind.
“So spineless.”
That mocking voice rang out once again.
Lu Qing’an bounced straight up, opening her mouth with a sharp retort. “Who do you think you are? What kind of skill is it to bully someone who hasn’t even started cultivating?”
“With an attitude like yours, let alone Elder Qi, even I wouldn’t look twice at you.”
Although Lu Qing’an had no idea who this Elder Qi was, it didn’t prevent her from using the title to jab at the man.
Her heart pounded furiously. Only upon closer inspection just now had she realized that the stone was half the size of her head.
If that had smashed into her face, she would have died on the spot.
How could she hope to become a master’s apprentice if she met her end right here in the Liuyun Sect?
A flash of annoyance crossed Ji Zhixing’s face. Frowning slightly, she said sternly, “According to the rules of the Liuyun Sect, any disciple who maliciously causes trouble shall be confined in the Enforcement Hall for three days or receive twenty blows with a staff.”
The man, dressed in the uniform of a Liuyun Sect disciple and bearing a sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked face, let out a disdainful scoff. “She isn’t even a member of our sect. What’s wrong with me teaching her a lesson to keep her from pestering Elder Qi?”
Seeing him act this way, Ji Zhixing did not say another word. She crushed a jade token, and two illusory figures instantly materialized.
The figures walked toward the man, restraining him on both left and right, and forcibly dragged him off to the Enforcement Hall.
The incident seemed like nothing more than a minor interlude.
Moonlight spilled softly across the ground, illuminating the path below so brightly that no lamps were needed.
On the way back to the small courtyard, Lu Qing’an endured and endured, the fabric where her palm pressed wrinkled beyond recognition.
Finally, seeing that she was holding back so painfully, Ji Zhixing spoke up for her. “What do you want to ask?”
“Senior Sister, who was that Elder Qi the guy was talking about?”
Having nearly met an untimely demise for no apparent reason, Lu Qing’an felt quite aggrieved when she recalled the man’s mention of Elder Qi.
Ji Zhixing raised an eyebrow, looking quite surprised. “You don’t know?”
Lu Qing’an was just about to shake her head when a sudden possibility struck her. With a stiff neck, she straightened her head, stared straight ahead, and spoke in disbelief.
“Could it be my future master?”
Her dear Senior Sister nodded.
Her mother had only told her to follow the woman, without even mentioning what the woman was called.
Lu Qing’an thought to herself that this really shouldn’t be blamed on her.
“Master’s name is Qi Manmeng, and there are many people in the sect who want to become her disciples.”
“The disciple who just appeared is someone who has been pestering Master constantly and often comes up the peak without permission.”
Lu Qing’an gave a disgusted exclamation.
“I don’t know what Master is planning, bringing you up to the peak yet not telling you anything.”
Lu Qing’an was quite open-minded and spoke with an air of carefree confidence. “I must be different to Master.”
Seeing her so confident, Ji Zhixing couldn’t help laughing out loud. Her eyes and brows were filled with gentleness, her hair pinned back in an exceptionally captivating manner.
“You’re laughing at me again.”
Lu Qing’an’s dark, crystal-clear pupils shifted slightly. She cast a lingering glance at her and sighed with feigned sorrow.
In front of the courtyard’s wooden door, Lu Qing’an grabbed Ji Zhixing to keep her from leaving.
“Senior Sister, I’m scared to sleep alone.”
Her peripheral vision swept across the courtyard. She didn’t dare look closely, but it was enough to raise goosebumps all over her skin.
The bright moonlight filled the small courtyard, illuminating everything within sight and making the dark rooms within the courtyard look all the more terrifying.
Seeing how clingy she was, Ji Zhixing didn’t show a shred of annoyance.
“Then I will keep watch here tonight.”
As she spoke, Ji Zhixing was already walking toward the stone table.
It seemed she intended to spend the night right there.
Lu Qing’an quickly released Ji Zhixing’s sleeve, switching to grab her wrist instead to keep her in place.
Not forcing her steps any further, Ji Zhixing stopped in response to the pull, looking at Lu Qing’an with a hint of puzzlement.
Lu Qing’an’s brows were tightly knitted, her expression showing a trace of hesitation.
Staring fixedly at Ji Zhixing, Lu Qing’an’s furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, turning into an excited expression.
“Senior Sister, let me sleep in your room.”
Lu Qing’an’s eyes shone brightly, sparkling even more than the stars hanging in the sky, thrilled with the brilliant idea she had just hatched.
Ji Zhixing hadn’t expected Lu Qing’an to say such a thing. Her expression went blank for a fraction of a second, and the usual curve of her lips froze right there.
“This.”
She uttered a single syllable, but not knowing what else to say, she stopped right there.
Yet Lu Qing’an thought the plan she had come up with was wonderfully clever.
Lu Qing’an was slightly taller than Ji Zhixing. Seeing that the latter wasn’t agreeing, Lu Qing’an thought for a moment and bent down slightly, bringing herself level so Ji Zhixing would look down at her.
She guided Ji Zhixing’s hand, pressing it flat against her own cheek, while a few strands of slightly longer bangs fell between their interlaced fingers.
She looked back up at Ji Zhixing with a pitiful expression, her clear and aggrieved eyes holding a hint of moisture, looking as innocent as an abandoned puppy by the roadside.
Thump, thump.
Whose heartbeat it was, Ji Zhixing couldn’t tell, but she could only feel it ringing in her ears like rolling thunder, lingering endlessly.
Feeling as though she had been touched by fire, Ji Zhixing abruptly yanked her hand back from Lu Qing’an’s palm.
Yet the softness she had just touched on the palm remained stubbornly branded into Ji Zhixing’s heart, impossible to escape or shake off.
Ji Zhixing unconsciously rubbed her own palm with her thumb.
She must have been raised exceptionally well by her family; her cheek was softer and warmer than the finest mutton-fat jade.
She thought to herself involuntarily.
Her consciousness was recalled by the other hand holding the sword scabbard. The icy, numbing sensation helped her regain a bit of focus, and she shifted her gaze back to Lu Qing’an.
Lu Qing’an’s confidence was also wavering.
This trick had worked once when she caused massive trouble, and her mother, furious beyond measure, had rarely punished her with solitary confinement in the ancestral hall and a fast.
Lu Qing’an had starved for three days and simply couldn’t take it anymore.
She had sneaked over to her mother, caught her hand, and pressed it against her own face.
“Mother, this child knows her wrong.”
Madame Lu’s heart had ached terribly. She had let the person she pampered in the palm of her hand lose a whole circle in cheek size due to a punishment she inflicted with her own hands.
Just like that, Lu Qing’an had skipped the rest of her confinement.
As for the mistake she had committed, Lu Qing’an remembered it was her mother personally taking her to apologize to an official’s daughter.
Repeating the old trick now could still count as trying her luck.
The wind blew fallen leaves dancing in mid-air, spinning a circle between the two of them before slowly drifting to the ground.
Lu Qing’an waited for Ji Zhixing to speak.
Caught up in the lingering impression of Lu Qing’an’s previous gesture, Ji Zhixing found herself momentarily at a loss for how to open her mouth.
The yellow-and-green leaves on the tree branches rustled softly.
The sound of a heartbeat was still echoing in Ji Zhixing’s ears. After a long moment, she slowly and softly spoke. “Do you know that I like women?”
Her tone carried her unique gentleness.
Lu Qing’an didn’t have much of a reaction to this; the official’s daughter from her memories had been much the same way.
Thus, she calmly nodded to indicate she understood.
For a moment, the air fell quiet once more.
After a while, Ji Zhixing spoke again. “Why did you do that just now?”
Her cheeks were faintly flushed, and her grip on the sword tightened involuntarily, stinging painfully, though she had no intention of letting go of her palm’s warmth.
Her light brown eyes stared fixedly at the person before her, her gaze shimmering with a faint, rippling light.
“I acted spoiled, thinking you might agree to let me sleep with you.”
Lu Qing’an honestly voiced the thoughts in her mind, like yet another clap of thunder.