When Lu Qing entered the main hall, Yeqing was nowhere to be found. After searching around in a circle and failing to locate anyone, his shoulders drooped as he turned around and walked back out, thoroughly crestfallen.
Clearly, the moment before, he had witnessed the man step into the room, yet the very next instant, the person had vanished from the quarters.
Whether it was a sense of disappointment or some other indistinct emotion at work, to put it simply, Lu Qing felt rather unhappy.
He walked with his head lowered until his forehead collided against a solid wall of muscle, a sweet fragrance drifting into his nose.
“Master.” He raised his head, a flicker of pleasant surprise flashing through the depth of his eyes before he immediately adopted a pitiful, woebegone expression. “Master, am I about to die?”
Because the distance between them was too close, Yeqing took a step backward, frowning as he asked, “What nonsense are you spouting? What happened?”
Paying zero attention to such minor details, Lu Qing pressed both hands against his chest and cried out in agony, “I don’t know what’s wrong, but after I returned to my own room, I couldn’t fall asleep no matter what, and the pain is excruciating it feels as though someone is scraping the marrow right out of my bones.”
His face was deathly pale, his eyes swimming with a restless, churning unease and stark terror.
Seeing that he didn’t appear to be lying, Yeqing stepped past him first. “Follow me, let me check your condition again.”
Back when Lu Qing was unconscious, Yeqing had checked him thoroughly inside and out without finding any major abnormalities. Yet now, merely half a stick of incense after departing, why had physical discomfort flared up once more?
Lu Qing turned to follow him back, taking a seat before the white jade table and slumping across its surface in a listless, withered heap. “Master, it hurts so much.”
“Extend your hand; let me check your pulse with my spiritual energy once more.” Yeqing set down the basket he was holding and seated himself with deliberate, unhurried grace.
Extending his right hand, two fingers pressed together against the pulse point as a wisp of spiritual energy glided into the body, only to be abruptly jolted by the chaotic, turbulent spiritual currents rampaging within.
Yeqing genuinely could not fathom why Lu Qing had remained so quiet after returning to his room, yet ended up with such severe spiritual turbulence.
Lifting his eyelids to gaze at the listless figure, his voice turned cool and clear: “What did you do? Why is your internal spiritual energy churning with such violent disorder?”
The spiritual energy within his body was rolling like crashing ocean waves hammering against reefs under such conditions, how could anyone escape torment?
Lowering his head slightly, cyan spiritual energy flowed along the meridians into the body, pacifying the churning spiritual currents within.
“Do you still feel discomfort anywhere else?” Glancing briefly at Lu Qing’s complexion, he ceased channeling spiritual energy into him, stating indifferently, “My spiritual energy is vast and formidable; if you absorb too much of it into your system, your physical frame will likely fail to bear the burden.”
Lu Qing drew his hand back, settling into an obedient posture as he smiled faintly, “I’m already feeling much better. Thank you, Master. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to rest now.”
“Aside from this, do any other places feel uncomfortable?” Yeqing lowered his hand, his fingertips still lingering with the residual warmth of the skin, while his voice softened considerably.
[Romance progress score +1]
The system’s cold notification chime rang out, leaving Lu Qing’s eyes swimming with profound perplexity he remained utterly incapable of determining precisely how this romance progress score was being triggered.
Yet judging from appearances, his master’s mood seemed rather pleasant at the moment?
Pouting, Lu Qing put on a pitiful display. “Master, nothing else hurts, but I have a lot of questions.”
Observing Yeqing’s expression while lowering his gaze slightly, he asked, “Everyone says my aptitude is mediocre; why did Master choose to take me as a disciple?”
To take Yeqing as his master, he had suffered bitterly to the extreme. Leaving aside being bullied by others, he had even been driven straight into the forbidden area with the intent to murder him.
Even though the Lingyao Sect had already delivered its verdict, resentment still lingered heavily in his heart.
Granted, he needed to romance Yunchuan, but who ever established the rule that romancing Yunchuan required becoming his disciple?
From start to finish, he had never once harbored any intention of taking Yunchuan as a master. His initial strategy had been to sneak into the Lingyao Sect, observe the lay of the land, and then deliberate on his next move.
Yet the moment he arrived at the Ascension Platform, someone intercepted him and smashed all his plans to pieces.
Furthermore, this person wielded absolute, one-word-is-law authority within the Lingyao Sect; those people likely spent every waking moment behind his back gossiping about him and praying for his demise on account of Yunchuan.
He simply couldn’t fathom it—what was wrong with a wood spiritual root? A wood spiritual root could be exceptionally formidable, too!
Meeting that gaze brimming with a thirst for knowledge, Yeqing lowered his eyelids and stated calmly, “You and I share master-disciple fate; I wanted to take you in, so I did. As for those people in the sect…”
His brows twitched in a minor frown before smoothing out again. “You needn’t trouble yourself over them. With Shen Zhixing around, an incident like the one in the forbidden area will never happen again.”
“Master, I…” Lu Qing clenched his fists, desperate to press for answers to all his lingering questions.
Yet before he could squeeze out a second sentence, Yeqing cut him off: “The hour is growing late; you should return to rest. I have already smoothed out your chaotic spiritual energy; do not forget to continue your cultivation tomorrow.”
Retrieving a jade slip from the basket, Yeqing placed it right in front of Lu Qing. “These records detail everything pertaining to cultivation; if anything remains unclear to you, come ask me.”
Standing up, his wide, flowing sleeves brushed across the corner of the table while a flicker of impatience surfaced across his brows. “Very well, return to your quarters.”
Lu Qing sat dumbfounded, his thoughts momentarily adrift in a daze he was being given the cold shoulder, wasn’t he?
It appeared everyone was right: the aptitude of a wood spiritual root remained far too unremarkable; his selection was undoubtedly attributable entirely to this face of his.
Offering no further words, Lu Qing stood up, collected the jade slip, and retreated to his personal quarters.
Placing the jade slip onto the washstand, he glared unhappily at his reflection in the water mirror and let out a sharp tch.
The system kept urging him to romance Yeqing, yet every interaction felt as though he were forcing himself upon an unwilling recipient.
As for the underlying mechanism behind the fluctuating romance score, he still hadn’t figured out the rules.
Could it be that Yunchuan derived pleasure from watching him get injured, which explained why he stingily doled out a solitary point of romance score?
Stroking his chin in deep rumination, a sharp gleam flashed through Lu Qing’s eyes.
Regardless of whether that hypothesis held water, wouldn’t testing it out next time provide the definitive answer?
After struggling through his cultivation routine, Lu Qing went to pay a visit to Yeqing. The crane had hidden itself during his earlier flight, and aside from suffering a minor fright, it remained completely unharmed.
The crane pressed tightly against Yeqing’s slightly bent legs, stubbornly refusing to carry Lu Qing to the dining hall.
With no alternative, Yeqing was forced to summon a replacement crane. “This crane is bolder and possesses a somewhat fiery temper; be careful.”
Looking at the identical-looking crane, Lu Qing thought to himself: Such an adorable crane how could its temper possibly be fiery?
Casting a sideways glance at him without exposing his thoughts, Yeqing patted the crane’s head as a silent warning.
Lu Qing mounted the crane and flew away from Wangxu Hall. Mid-flight, the crane let out a sharp cry, beating its wings to soar at breakneck speed.
Soaring at high speed was one thing; the real issue stemmed from the crane’s manic enthusiasm—swooping sideways one second, diving into a steep plunge the next, and executing backward rolls moments later.
Lu Qing clung desperately to the crane’s neck, his face turning an unhealthy shade of green. His internal injuries from earlier had not yet fully healed, and under this violent turbulence, dull aches flared up throughout his frame.
“Senior Brother Lu, you are…” Spotting Lu Qing in such a wretched state, Gao Qiu burst out laughing without an ounce of restraint. “Senior Brother Lu, what on earth happened to you? Did you know I was waiting here for you, so you deliberately put on this performance?”
Lu Qing waved a hand dismissively, steadying himself against a nearby pine tree as his eyes glazed over in bewilderment. “I was thoroughly played by that blasted crane.”
That crane belonged to Yunchuan; without Yunchuan’s explicit command behind the scenes, he wouldn’t believe for a single second that it was a coincidence.
This was clearly a disciplinary warning regarding yesterday’s events his cultivation level remained microscopic, so he’d better keep his mouth shut about matters outside his purview.
No wonder Yunchuan had spoken in that exact tone prior to his departure.
“Are you alright?” Gong Ya walked over, patted his shoulder, and chuckled warmly. “Did you manage to get bullied by a mere crane?”
Lu Qing arrived rather late, meaning very few people remained inside the dining hall at this hour.
Although Gao Qiu and Gong Ya harbored mutual disdain for one another, within the precincts of the Lingyao Sect, they remained the sole individuals genuinely concerned about Lu Qing’s wellbeing.
Although the incident in the forbidden area remained concealed from public knowledge, Gong Ya as a disciple of Yinglong Mountain under the tutelage of Immortal Zilin was fully aware of it. As for Gao Qiu, he was an outer disciple; outer disciples routinely clashed with inner disciples, bearing the brunt of internal disdain.
Worried sick upon failing to spot Lu Qing, Gao Qiu had resolved to linger until the dining hall emptied out. To his surprise, Lu Qing showed up fashionably late.
Thus, the three of them ran into one another sequentially, creating a rather delicate atmosphere.
Gao Qiu let out a cold snort, crossing his arms as he slanted a gaze toward the pair, his eyes finally landing on Lu Qing. “Are you alright? How did you manage to reduce yourself to this state?”
“I’m fine.” Lu Qing shook his head. Once that wave of nausea subsided, he smiled warmly at the two of them. “What’s this? Are the two of you worried about me?”
“Naturally.”
“Who’s worried about you? Don’t flatter yourself.”
Gong Ya and Gao Qiu chimed in simultaneously, exchanging simultaneous glares before turning their heads in opposite directions.
“Let’s go eat; I’ve saved a portion of food for you. Good thing you arrived when you did, or the elders would have chewed my head off,” Gong Ya joked lightly.
Accepting his goodwill, Lu Qing hooked arms with him as they sauntered toward the dining hall.
Passing by Gao Qiu, Lu Qing shot him a playful wink. “Junior Brother Gao, thanks for keeping me in mind. I’m completely fine, so don’t worry.”
Averting his gaze with a cold huff, Gao Qiu snapped, “I wasn’t worrying about you at all. I’ve got matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first.”
“Hold on.” Seeing Gao Qiu preparing to storm off in a rush, Lu Qing quickly called out to stop him.
Turning around with a look of utter perplexity, Gao Qiu asked, “What is it? Is there something else?”
“How is Bai Li holding up?” Having spent several days within the Lingyao Sect without catching a single glimpse of Bai Li, Lu Qing felt a natural urge to check up on his status.
“Senior Brother Bai…” Gao Qiu scratched the back of his head, shaking it as he replied, “I honestly wouldn’t know. Ever since we returned, I haven’t laid eyes on Senior Brother Bai even once.”
“You didn’t even bother going to check on him?” Lu Qing widened his eyes in shock.
Looking bewildered, Gao Qiu retorted, “Senior Brother Bai resides directly with Elder Li; there’s no way I could possibly go seeking out Elder Li. Besides, I don’t have any pressing business that warrants barging in on them.”
Elder Li managed all outer disciples, and Senior Brother Bai held the status of Elder Li’s personal disciple. Beyond that simple fact, Elder Li was notoriously severe who in their right mind would dare wander over uninvited?
Lu Qing waved a hand dismissively. “Fine, run along then. I’ll drop by to check on Junior Brother Bai when I have a spare moment.”
Gao Qiu felt rather baffled. “Since when did your relationship with Senior Brother Bai become so chummy? You never come visit me.”
“Senior Brother Bai and I share a bond forged through life and death, so it’s only natural that I worry about him,” Lu Qing chuckled warmly, patting Gao Qiu’s shoulder. “Go on back and cultivate diligently.”
The relationship binding Bai Li and Li Heng was likely a closely guarded secret unknown to anyone else within the sect. They were father and son; back in Qiongming, Li Heng had personally made off with the Pear Blossom Demon’s core.
Hiss did Li Heng actually feed that demon core directly to Bai Li?
The head of the Nine Sects harbored a demon within its ranks without anyone realizing it; words truly failed to capture how bizarre this sect was.
“What are you daydreaming about? One second you’re frowning, the next you’re deep in thought—what’s the deal between you and that Bai Li?” Gong Ya asked casually, though a sudden thought struck him. “Bai Li and Gao Qiu arrived together, didn’t they?”
“That’s right,” Lu Qing nodded.
Entering the dining hall and collecting their respective portions of food, the two seated themselves and continued their conversation.
Gong Ya rested his cheek against one palm, his brow furrowing slightly. “Ever since entering the Lingyao Sect, I haven’t caught sight of Wu Xingyun either wonder how her master is treating her.”
As for the events in the forbidden area, Gong Ya had no desire to press for details, provided Lu Qing remained safe and sound.
“Who is Wu Xingyun?” Lu Qing experienced a momentary blankness before retrieving his focus amidst Gong Ya’s exasperated stare. “Oh you mean Wu Shuangxue.”
Smiling awkwardly as he corrected himself, “The disciples within the Lingyao Sect all possess formal Daoist names, which I’m still not accustomed to. Hearing that name thrown around caught me completely off guard.”
“And what about you? What is your Daoist name?” A flicker of curiosity danced across Gong Ya’s eyes. “Immortal Yunchuan is transcendent and ethereal; the Daoist name he bestowed upon you must carry extraordinary significance.”
“Allow me to go first: I possess an earth spiritual root and a mild disposition. My master bestowed upon me the Daoist name: Yunzhen. Calm clouds and gentle virtues, nurturing the spirit within.” Gong Ya smiled proudly.
“That’s a splendid Daoist name with a wonderful connotation a boundless future ahead,” Lu Qing praised generously before shifting the tone into playful dissatisfaction, “My master bestowed upon me the Daoist name: Minghui.”
Gong Ya’s eyes lit up with a trace of undisguised envy. “Your Daoist name points to a truly limitless future! Immortal Yunchuan holds towering expectations for you, you mustn’t fail to live up to his hopes.”
“Tch.” Flashing an expression of mock displeasure, Lu Qing glared at him. “Listen to yourself isn’t it a bit too early to be discussing all this?”
Gong Ya laughed softly. “Early? Cultivation is a lifelong race against time, Lu Minghui you’d better get moving and cultivate harder.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, Gong Yunzhen? Are you trying to lecture me?” Lu Qing set down his bowl and chopsticks, rising abruptly. “I’ve had my fill; let’s get moving.”
Watching Gong Ya depart in the direction of Yinglong Mountain, Lu Qing retrieved the cyan token gifted by Yeqing, lowering his gaze to study its surface while a subtle smile curved his lips.
A demon resided within the Lingyao Sect, did it? It was high time he went over to investigate precisely what was going on.
Stowing the token away, Lu Qing mounted a crane and soared away in the direction of the outer sect.