Zhou Lixing’s attention was immediately diverted. “Where?”
“There! Look at that little stall selling hairpins!”
Nan Sinning seemed overexcited, bouncing like a startled monkey.
When Zhou Lixing looked, he saw the blue robes and extraordinary poise—indeed their senior sister. He was just about to call out in greeting when Nan Sinning pressed him down.
“What’s wrong, little junior sister?” Zhou Lixing was baffled.
Nan Sinning pointed with barely contained excitement, lowering her voice. “Look at who’s beside Senior Sister!”
“Isn’t it just Senior Brother Shen? It’s not like we can’t see him.” Zhou Lixing was still lost.
Nan Sinning sighed deeply. That was the one thing about Third Brother—he was too slow to catch the gossip.
“Third Brother, haven’t you noticed the subtle atmosphere between them? Look at how Senior Brother Shen looks at Senior Sister, that expression—tsk, tsk… He’s definitely been secretly in love with her for a long time!” Nan Sinning said with certainty.
Zhou Lixing’s eyes went wide as he looked left and right, but he couldn’t see anything subtle at all.
A while later, Qin Sangyue bid Shen Tangyuan farewell. Shen also smiled politely, but even long after Qin Sangyue’s figure had vanished into the crowd, he remained staring blankly.
Nan Sinning became even more convinced: that Shen fellow had his eyes on her Senior Sister.
So he was after her, not something else. She secretly let out a breath of relief.
The two didn’t chase after Qin Sangyue. Instead, they shopped a little more before heading to the new inn Fourth Brother Liang Xiao had found.
When they entered and saw their senior sister, Zhou Lixing grew nervous, as if he were the one hiding some secret from her.
Nan Sinning, however, nodded approvingly in her heart. Their senior sister was strong, beautiful, and kind—of course she would draw admiration. If Shen liked her, that was only good taste and good fortune on his part.
Then she noticed the man sitting at the table, robed plainly, long black hair draped elegantly. She drew in a sharp breath. “Second Brother?”
Yuan Qing’an lifted his eyes slightly. “What is it, Junior Sister?”
“N-Nothing, nothing,” she waved it off.
The first time she’d met him, he had been too battered and disheveled, and she hadn’t noticed his startling good looks. Now, washed and composed, he was breathtaking—surely one of the most handsome in the entire sect, maybe even across the cultivation world.
Yes, this cultivation realm was truly paradise for beauty-lovers. No game character creator could produce such faces.
Zhou Lixing distributed the things they’d bought, especially the talismans and pills. Nan Sinning took out the spirit stones and carefully divided them among everyone.
“Junior Sister, what are you doing? You earned all this yourself, how can we take it?” Qin Sangyue refused first.
Except for Zhou Lixing, the others also declined.
Though surprised that she had earned so many spirit stones from herbs, they knew she had worked hard for them. As senior brothers and sisters, they hadn’t even given her much; how could they take her earnings?
Nan Sinning clapped her hands. “Come on, don’t be like that! Sure, Third Brother and I dug the herbs, but we could only do so because you held the line behind us. And what, if you get something good in the future, won’t you share with us? If you won’t take this now, then we won’t dare take from you later either.”
She knew herself well—she was still a weakling chick. Without her seniors’ protection, she wouldn’t last in this survival-of-the-fittest world. For her to live safely, her seniors had to be strong and willing to shield her. Especially now that she was determined to be a fragile alchemist.
Zhou Lixing, not eloquent, just nodded furiously. “Yes, yes, Junior Sister is right! Then I’d better not accept any more pills from Senior Sister, or stones from anyone!”
Qin Sangyue looked at Liang Xiao and Hua Shengqing. They seemed tempted. Thinking of the frugality of sword cultivators, she finally relented. “Very well, since you say so, we’ll accept.”
Hua Shengqing cheered. “Thanks, Junior Sister! Thanks, Third Brother! Just in time—I really needed spirit stones for my sword training!”
Yuan Qing’an also smiled gently. “Thank you, Junior Sister, Third Brother. I won’t be polite.”
Even Liang Xiao gave his thanks. Nan Sinning didn’t treat him differently either; she didn’t want to push him away.
After dividing everything, Qin Sangyue spoke of their next plan. “Today I met Senior Brother Shen. He and his group will return to Yaowang City in two days. We can ride their flying ship. It’ll save us time and energy.”
Nan Sinning tilted her head. “Senior Sister, why are we going to Yaowang City?”
Patiently, Qin explained, “With all the blood ginseng you harvested, we need to find alchemists there to refine them into pills. Also, we must have Master Yaowang check Second Brother’s condition—and yours, too.”
“I’m fine though, why check me?” Nan Sinning blinked.
Hua Shengqing helped explain. “You may look fine, but you ate a Chixin Soul-Nourishing Fruit whole! Usually anyone who does that either falls into a coma like a living corpse, or explodes and dies! Senior Sister can’t rest easy unless Yaowang checks you.”
So that was it.
Nan Sinning wasn’t stubborn—better safe than sorry. “But will Yaowang even see us?”
Yaowang was the world’s only seventh-rank alchemist, a great figure who anchored a whole region. Not someone you could just request an audience with.
“Don’t worry,” Qin Sangyue reassured. “I have a plan.”
Nan Sinning thought of Shen Tangyuan’s feelings toward her Senior Sister. As Yaowang’s chief disciple, if anyone could arrange an introduction, it would be him. So she didn’t overthink it.
The next two days, Nan Sinning roamed the streets happily, even without running into Luo Qingyao. Life felt especially pleasant.
Two days later, they reached Yaowang City’s base in Luoshui. The disciples there were busy loading rare herbs and materials collected from the secret realm, ready to ship them back to the city.
When boarding the flying ship, Nan Sinning blinked. “Eh? Weren’t Fourth Brother and Seventh Sister going back to the sect first?”
Hua Shengqing huffed. “We were, but somehow Fourth Brother suddenly changed his mind.”
Nan Sinning didn’t wonder long. The reason appeared quickly.
Just as they stepped onto the deck, a group of high-ranking Yaowang City disciples arrived—led by none other than Xiao Jingwen.
And at his side, who else but Luo Qingyao?
She wore snow-white robes, blending right in with the white-clad disciples. To an outsider, it might seem she belonged among them.
Seeing her adorned head to toe with trinket-like magic tools, Nan Sinning felt a sudden urge to rob her again.
How had she gotten such an outfit so quickly? Of course—thanks to her loyal simps. Xiao Jingwen was practically falling over himself to please her.
Sensing Nan Sinning’s gaze, Luo Qingyao smiled. This little witch must be burning with jealousy, seeing her flanked by admirers and covered in precious artifacts.
That hateful girl had exposed her secret about the sword bone, forcing her into hiding these last few days. That debt would be repaid, with interest.
The more she seethed inside, the sweeter her smile appeared.
Once aboard the ship, she headed straight for Nan Sinning.
Nan Sinning marveled at her shamelessness. Being teleported out of the secret realm in her undergarments, alongside half-naked male cultivators, hadn’t shaken her composure at all. Such resilience—something to learn from!
“Junior Sister Nan, I called you twice but you didn’t respond. What were you thinking?” Luo Qingyao asked, looking pitiful.
Sure enough, several nearby male cultivators immediately frowned at Nan Sinning.
Nan Sinning answered seriously, “I was admiring you.”
“What?” Luo Qingyao thought she misheard. Praise, from Nan Sinning’s mouth? She was caught completely off guard.