Senior Sister looked up at her, eyes red-rimmed, tightly grasping her hand: “Junior Sister, really?”
“Really.” Ning Ying nodded.
“Sob sob, only Junior Sister is good to me…” Sang Jinse hugged her arm and cried, her thin shoulders lightly trembling, clearly crying quite sadly.
“Alright, Junior Sister, you still need to conserve your energy. Go back and rest early,” Gu Qi said, helping Ning Ying out of the situation.
Ning Ying glanced worriedly at Sang Jinse’s red-rimmed eyes.
“I’m fine now…” Sang Jinse said weakly. “Thank you for your help, Junior Sister.”
After Ning Ying left, Sang Jinse’s tear-streaked face instantly returned to normal.
She asked calmly, “Junior Brother Gu, will this plan of yours really work?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve tested Junior Sister Ning’s strength. Her bone structure is excellent, and she’s not lacking in heavenly treasures for tempering. She’s at least at the Nascent Soul stage—she’s only pretending to be at Foundation Establishment to keep a low profile.” Gu Qi said confidently. “Now that she has the motivation to win, she’ll definitely take first place in the Sword Trial Conference and get together with Master!”
“Then… who was in that room just now? You said it was the Buddhist Son, so I played along and acted out that scene.” Sang Jinse asked curiously.
“It was Sikong Qin and the Hehuan Sect Holy Daughter,” Gu Qi chuckled lightly. “Didn’t expect that, did you?”
Sang Jinse: “…”
Somehow she still felt like she’d been cuckolded?
The next morning.
【Ding — Host has checked in for 119 consecutive days.
Reward: One jar of ten-thousand-year spiritual wine. Claim?
Yes/No】
Ten-thousand-year spiritual wine?
Today’s reward seemed pretty good. The system had finally stopped being stingy for once.
By the time Ning Ying flew to the main peak on her sword, the Sword Trial Conference was about to begin, and quite a few people had already gathered in the square. As she took a detour through a less crowded area, she happened to run into her master.
The silver-haired, white-robed great beauty nodded slightly at her. “You’re here.”
For some reason, seeing her master made Ning Ying think of yesterday’s “Dao companion” matter, and a faint blush tinged her fair, delicate cheeks.
Seeing the slight redness on her face, Yun Qingyuan’s usually calm and indifferent eyes showed a barely perceptible ripple deep within.
“Your senior brother and sister have also arrived. Go find them.” His voice was clear and gentle.
“Okay Master, bye Master…!” Ning Ying raised her hand to cover her cheeks and fled from Yun Qingyuan’s side like she was escaping.
Gu Qi and Sang Jinse had already been stretching their necks to peek this way.
“Junior Sister is blushing again, and again, and again!”
“Master is always so gentle with her. If we arrived right on time, not getting scolded by Master would be the best we could hope for.”
“Senior Brother, Senior Sister, what are you talking about?” Ning Ying greeted them casually.
“Haha, nothing.” Gu Qi’s gaze flickered. “Good morning, Junior Sister!”
Sang Jinse instantly put on a aggrieved expression, taking Ning Ying’s hand and saying softly, “Junior Sister, today I’m counting on you to vent my anger for me QAQ. Be careful not to get hurt…”
“Don’t worry, Senior Sister,” Ning Ying said. “I actually hid my strength before. I’m also… ahem, a Nascent Soul cultivator. I probably won’t get hurt.”
She still held back, not revealing her true Grand Ascension cultivation.
In this world where big shots were everywhere, it was better to keep a low profile. At her age, cultivating to Nascent Soul could still be attributed to good talent and having spirit stones and resources at home. If people found out she was at Grand Ascension, she’d probably be treated like a monster and dissected for research.
“Nascent Soul?!” Sang Jinse’s eyes widened in surprise. “Junior Sister, you’re so young and already at my level—that’s really impressive!”
“Truly, genius comes from youth!” Gu Qi searched his mind for appropriate words and chimed in, “How awe-inspiring!”
Though those two were acting a bit exaggerated, Ning Ying’s mind was elsewhere, so she didn’t pay much attention.
She was thinking—if she won today’s match, what would happen with Master…
Master had only given her the opportunity to become his Dao companion—she could refuse, right? It was like getting first place on an exam entitled you to a prize—it was okay not to claim it.
Ning Ying thought happily and soon let go of her psychological burden. She walked onto the competition platform and performed a formal greeting to the Buddhist Son opposite her.
Seeing her, Jing Nian intoned “Amitābha” and said compassionately, “Benefactor Ning should surrender. Swords and blades have no eyes—this humble monk fears hurting you.”
Hearing this made Ning Ying angry. This Buddhist Son was still putting on an act!
“No need for further words. Today I’ll seek justice for Senior Sister Sang!” As Ning Ying’s words fell, she drew her sword from its sheath. The Chongming sword’s blade flowed with icy light, carrying sharp sword energy as she slashed toward Jing Nian.
“…What’s wrong with Sang Sang?” Jing Nian was still confused when he sensed the fierce sword intent coming at him. He quickly raised his demon-subduing pestle with both hands, trying to block the strike.
Ning Ying still held back. To avoid exposing her true cultivation, this strike was only equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator’s attack.
But even so, it astonished everyone present.
“Good, good! What a good strike!”
“When did Yaoyue Sect produce such a sword talent!”
“Both sword intent and sword momentum are top quality. If properly cultivated, she’s destined to be the next Sword Master!”
“Terrifying! No wonder she’s Sect Leader Yun’s disciple!”
Ye Juan, who’d slept in for several days and finally gotten up to watch the matches today: “Dammit, why didn’t I take Little Ning as my disciple back then? Too late for regrets!”
Gu Qi stabbed the knife in from the side: “That’s because on the day new disciples climbed the Immortal Stairs, Uncle-Master Ye was sleeping in.”
Ye Juan: “…”
Right in the heart.
Jing Nian exerted all his strength and barely managed to block the strike.
But he’d been forced by the sword energy all the way to the edge of the platform, kneeling on one knee with veins bulging in the arm holding his pestle, barely avoiding falling off.
Anyone with eyes could see who’d won.
But to avoid appearing too strong, Ning Ying still slacked off, sparring with Jing Nian for fifteen minutes before finally knocking him off the platform.
“…Wh-what just happened?” Jing Nian questioned his life choices.
Afraid the Buddhist Son might let something slip, Sang Jinse quickly used the excuse of treating his injuries to drag him away from the scene.
Watching Sang Jinse and Jing Nian’s retreating figures, Ning Ying nodded with satisfaction. Senior Sister Sang must have thought she hadn’t been harsh enough and decided to take matters into her own hands.
Knowing the truth, Gu Qi silently lit a candle for the Buddhist Son.
Buddhist Son: so tragic.jpg
Meanwhile, the crowd was buzzing with discussion.
“Doesn’t first place in the Sword Trial Conference come with a reward?”
“The reward is becoming her Master’s Dao companion (laughs).”
“Did you notice that banner earlier? This Junior Sister Ning actually has feelings for her own master!”
“How long have you been out of the gossip loop? Of course we know—yesterday Junior Sister Ning even confessed to her master publicly!”
Ning Ying: “???”
Confessed to Master publicly? What the hell?
How could she possibly do something like that? The gossip these days is getting more and more ridiculous!
Just then, a Supreme Elder stood up and said seriously, “Young friend Ning, this elder will take charge for you. Today you and Nephew Yun shall become Dao companions…”
Before the Supreme Elder could finish, Yun Qingyuan said in his cool, indifferent voice, “This matter requires no one to take charge.”
Ning Ying sighed with relief.
See? Master would never agree to such a thing.
But her master’s next sentence made her question her life.
“Come to Master’s cave tonight.”
His tone was calm, as if it were just an everyday instruction.
Ning Ying: “???”