The days in Luoli Courtyard quietly flowed after Chen Ye’s departure.
The night was dim, gently casting its light on the old pear tree in the courtyard.
Zhiwei was still cultivating, sitting cross-legged under the old pear tree.
A simple light-white long dress accentuated her small and frail figure.
Her ink-black hair reached her waist, and the long black bangs added a touch of melancholy to the little girl.
She slowly opened her eyes, her pale face expressionless:
"I’ve... broken through again?"
She murmured softly, feeling the water element spiritual power in her dantian more abundant than usual, but there was not a hint of joy in her heart.
It had only been a dozen days since she broke through to the 2nd layer of Qi Cultivation.
Such an incredible cultivation speed, if spread, would leave many Outer Sect disciples of the Lingyin Sect, even Inner Sect disciples, astonished and envious.
But the big girl didn’t feel happy at all.
Or rather, she never felt happy because of a breakthrough in cultivation.
To her, cultivation seemed more like a fate that she had to fulfill.
The so-called joy felt as elusive and illusory as a moonlit reflection on water.
She silently stretched out her pale little hand, watching the water-blue spiritual light swirling at her fingertips, her eyes somewhat vacant:
"If only Chen Ye were here... he would definitely be laughing deliriously, completely overjoyed..."
This thought surfaced from her heart without warning, even frightening Zhiwei herself.
She suddenly clenched her small hand, and the spiritual light at her fingertips instantly dissipated.
"How could I possibly think of him!!!"
Since Chen Ye left, Zhiwei had never missed him.
No, let alone missing him.
She hadn’t even had a single thought about him.
But at this moment, no matter how much the big girl tried to calm herself, his image kept surfacing as if flooding her vision...
"Senior Sister! Senior Sister! Look at me!"
On the other side of the courtyard, Qing Jun was pouting her little bum, diligently practicing the Jinghong Technique, her small face flushed red.
Since Chen Ye had taught her the Jinghong Technique, this little girl complained it wasn’t fun, but practiced it eagerly in private.
With Chen Ye gone, she put in even more effort, hoping to surprise her master when he returns.
"Qing Jun, sink your qi into your dantian, remember to circulate your spiritual power."
Zhiwei took a deep breath, walked over to her side, and gently instructed. Now, she was also a young cultivator, and she seemed quite adept at guiding Qing Jun.
"I know, I know!"
Qing Jun waved her little hand impatiently, yet she still obediently adjusted her posture according to her senior sister’s guidance.
She sneaked a glance at Lu Zhiwei and saw her serious demeanor, which made her feel a bit proud.
Hmph, with Master not here, Senior Sister listens to me the most now!
If I want Senior Sister to look at me, she’ll look at me!
Master...
If you don’t return soon, Senior Sister will turn into Qing Jun’s mold!!
The little girl gritted her teeth and concentrated on her cultivation.
Perhaps during this time, Qing Jun had grown quite a lot.
The body-refining effects of the Jinghong Technique made her limbs and bones feel warm, a slight but clear sense of strength slowly grew and flowed within her.
"What is this?"
The little girl blinked her eyes, but then heard her senior sister shout clearly:
"Qing Jun, circulate the Frost Splendor Record!"
"Oh!" Although the little girl didn’t understand why, not doing as Senior Sister instructed would definitely be a mistake!
At the moment she operated the technique.
"Crack!"
An almost inaudible crack sounded, as if a thin film had been quietly pierced through.
Qing Jun only felt a warm sensation in her dantian, and a spiritual power twice as strong as before surged from her dantian and flowed through her entire body!
She blinked blankly, feeling this completely different strength within her.
"Huh? I... I think I..."
She tentatively threw a punch, the wind of which carried a hint of spiritual light.
"Wow!!"
Qing Jun instantly widened her bright, watery phoenix eyes, her small mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg,
"Senior Sister! Senior Sister! I! I think I broke through too! I’m also at Qi Cultivation 2nd layer now!!"
Zhiwei watched her in this triumphant and complacent state, and even her usually cold eyes were warmed with a rare hint of tenderness.
Qing Jun breaking through naturally made her happy.
"Senior Sister look, look! I have spiritual light now!"
Qing Jun, like offering a treasure, brought her little fist swirling with weak spiritual energy in front of Zhiwei, eagerly awaiting her senior sister’s praise.
"Mm, Qing Jun is really amazing." Zhiwei gently patted her head.
Receiving her senior sister’s praise, Qing Jun was even prouder. She stood with her small waist arched, her small chin raised, and looked very smug.
But this pride didn’t last long, as she suddenly remembered something, and the smile on her small face gradually faded.
She walked to the courtyard gate, peeking out through the crack in the door, the alley was quiet, with only a few occasionally drifting pear blossoms.
"Senior Sister..." Qing Jun turned her head, her voice a bit muffled, "Master has been gone for half a month, why isn’t he back yet?"
"Fool, Master has only been gone for two days!" Zhiwei tapped Qing Jun’s head.
"Only two days!" The little girl was shocked.
"You miss Master?" The big girl imitated Qing Jun, squinting her dark eyes.
"I don’t!" The little girl fidgeted with her toes.
"No lying allowed!" The big girl put on a stern face.
"Wuu... I... I miss Master’s pastries. But why is Senior Sister questioning Qing Jun! Could it be..." the little girl turned to defense.
"I don’t miss him at all!"
"But Qing Jun didn’t say anything..."
"..."
"Senior Sister, why don’t we go find Master?"
The little girl suddenly waved her small fist and pointed to the Xiaohan Sword beside her,
"Look, Qing Jun is already at the 2nd layer of Qi Cultivation! We must catch Master and make him obediently cook delicious meals for us! Hmm... it’s so dangerous outside, maybe we can even help Master with something!"
The more the little girl spoke, the more excited she became, as if she could already see the scene where she and her senior sister heroically rescue Master.
"No way."
Zhiwei decisively rejected the little girl’s grand plan,
"It’s too dangerous outside. Master instructed us before he left to stay home and cultivate well, not to run around."
"But... but what if there are bad people outside?"
Qing Jun held Zhiwei’s sleeve tightly, her eyes shimmering,
"It’s precisely because there are bad people that we can’t go out, or we’ll add trouble for Master!"
Zhiwei looked at her appearance, her heart softening.
But she’s the senior sister!
When Chen Ye left, he repeatedly instructed her to keep an eye on Qing Jun!
"But... what if there are bad guys, what will Master do then?"
The little girl’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, yet it startled Zhiwei.
Yes... what will Chen Ye do?
She herself is already at the third-layer of Qi Cultivation and can definitely help him!
But...
Zhiwei thought for a long time, ultimately ignoring Qing Jun’s pitiful gaze, silently shaking her head.
And in the tree.
Bai Susu had long quietly perched on the most hidden, thick branch of the pear tree, only her amber eyes glowing in the dark.
She had been waiting here for nearly a stick of incense’s time, but the two little girls below still hadn’t started storytelling!
After waiting a while longer, there were still only low talking sounds from the two little girls.
Finally unable to hold back, Bai Susu cleared her throat, raised her voice, and with a bit of her usual bossy tone, shouted towards the tree base: "Why aren’t you telling stories yet!"
The voice was especially abrupt in the silent night.
The conversation below came to an immediate halt.
"Who?" Qing Jun was startled and quickly hid behind Zhiwei.
Zhiwei was also surprised, as she concentrated and listened carefully, this voice... sounded very familiar.
Regretting her impulsiveness after the words came out, Bai Susu had just wanted to listen quietly, but unexpectedly revealed her whereabouts in haste.
But now that it had come to this, she couldn’t lose face as the Bai family’s young lady!
With a small huff, her figure descended like a feather from the pear tree, landing steadily in front of the two little girls.
In the moonlight, she wore a green blouse skirt, her golden hair flowing like light, with an exquisite face carrying a hint of arrogance.
"It’s you?" Seeing the person clearly, Zhiwei’s cold eyes flashed with surprise.
The big girl recognized this headstrong little girl who had barged into Luoli Courtyard a few days ago, only to be "sent away" by Chen Ye after a few words.
But how could she be hiding in the pear tree in the middle of the night?
Story...
Zhiwei’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She suddenly remembered how Chen Ye had specifically handed her a thick stack of story scripts before leaving, instructing her to read them to Qing Jun every night.
At that time, she had thought Chen Ye was merely worried Qing Jun would get bored, and wanted to use stories to comfort her.
But thinking back now, Chen Ye’s serious demeanor, combined with Bai Susu’s appearance...
It turns out, all of this was Chen Ye’s intentional arrangement!
Being exceptionally intelligent, Zhiwei instantly understood Chen Ye’s well-intentioned plan.
Chen Ye must have already noticed Bai Susu’s interest in these stories, so he left the scripts for Zhiwei to read aloud every night, using them as a connection.
As long as Bai Susu wanted to hear the stories, she would certainly pay attention to Luoli Courtyard, and to some extent also watch over the two sisters.
That night, the image of Chen Ye staying up late to diligently write resurfaced in the big girl’s mind.
Seeing Zhiwei just staring at her in silence annoyed Bai Susu, whose mood shifted from regret over revealing herself to slight displeasure:
"What are you looking at? Never seen this lady before? Quickly tell me, that old...your Master, where is he? Why has it been little black hair telling stories all these days?"
Qing Jun peeked out from behind Zhiwei, timidly saying: "Master... Master has gone out and hasn’t returned yet."
"Gone out?" Bai Susu raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment, "Where did he go? When will he be back?"
"Master went to Moon Rhinoceros Lake District, saying... it would be a month," Zhiwei replied softly.
Hearing this, Bai Susu’s amber eyes shifted, her petite chin slightly raised, "Hm, he knows how to relax. Moon Rhinoceros Lake District... sounds like a place where there might be some fun things to find."
She glanced at Qing Jun who was eagerly looking at her and Zhiwei who appeared calm, then suddenly spoke:
"Since he’s not here, you two little girls staying here must be boring. This lady happens to be going to visit Moon Rhinoceros Lake District too, to see if there are any fresh amusements, so I’ll take you with me... Hmm, you two can keep me entertained on the way."
Qing Jun’s eyes instantly brightened upon hearing this, her little face full of joy and anticipation: "Really... really? Fox... Sister Bai, are you really taking us to find Master?"
Zhiwei hadn’t expected Bai Susu would actually want to go to Moon Rhinoceros Lake District!
She knew that Chen Ye’s trip to Moon Rhinoceros Lake District was surely to handle some trouble, or else he wouldn’t have left them behind to go alone.
However...
If Bai Susu were to accompany them to find Master, then no matter what trouble Master encounters, wouldn’t it all be easily resolved?
Thinking this, Zhiwei had a plan in mind.
Bai Susu disliked being doubted, impatiently waving a hand:
"When this lady speaks, it’s always a promise! What’s wrong, are you unwilling?"
"Willing, willing!!"
The little girl happily hugged the Xiaohan Sword, nodding like a pecking chick.
Now the apprentices could rescue the master!
See if Master dares to bully her in the future!