"Get it straight, it was just you resting on my shoulder for a bit, we weren’t sleeping together."
"Ah, but my sister says whenever a man and a woman sleep together, they’re considered a couple! I don’t care, I want to stay by your side all the time, I don’t want to be with this old and ugly woman."
Wu Bao’Er suddenly flew into a rage upon hearing this, the veins on her forehead popping out.
Earlier, she couldn’t figure out the relationship between Zhao Ya and this girl, which was why Wu Bao’Er didn’t dare make a move.
Now, listening to Zhao Ya, it seemed like this girl wasn’t in the type of relationship she thought with him, giving Wu Bao’Er a lot more confidence instantly.
Especially since this girl dared to call her old and ugly, no woman could stand that.
"Where did this little brat come from, speaking so annoyingly, let big sister teach you how to behave."
Wu Bao’Er wasn’t one to indulge Liu Yuhuan, and she swiftly took a step forward, raising her hand to strike.
Of course, this slap was measured.
At most, it was just to let her feel pain but not harm her.
After all, judging from the Qi Blood fluctuations, this little girl seemed to be just an ordinary person.
But unexpectedly, just as Wu Bao’Er approached, before she could land the slap, Liu Yuhuan suddenly disappeared from in front of her.
At the same moment, a disdainful female voice came from behind.
"You’re not my sister! My sister wouldn’t bear to hit me."
Saying this, Liu Yuhuan raised her fist to strike.
However, as her fist reached halfway, Zhao Ya intercepted it.
"Enough!" Zhao Ya coldly shouted.
The two women instantly dared not speak.
"I have a lot to attend to, I don’t have the time to quarrel with you. If you don’t want to stay here, then go back down the mountain to the Mechanical Sect." Zhao Ya scolded.
Liu Yuhuan lowered her head and didn’t dare to speak.
"Keep an eye on her these two days, if she dares to act unruly, come find me immediately."
"Yes!" Wu Bao’Er agreed without hesitation.
Even though she didn’t receive the punch earlier, the mere Body Technique that Liu Yuhuan displayed made Wu Bao’Er sense something extraordinary.
If it really came down to a fight, she wasn’t sure if she could defeat her.
So when she heard Zhao Ya’s instructions, Wu Bao’Er was quicker to agree than anyone.
Zhao Ya nodded, completely ignoring Liu Yuhuan’s pouting mouth and turned away.
He indeed had a lot of matters to handle and couldn’t waste time here.
After he left, Wu Bao’Er and Liu Yuhuan exchanged a look, and Liu Yuhuan fiercely said.
"What are you looking at, old woman!"
Unexpectedly, Wu Bao’Er showed no anger; instead, she looked at her with a smile and then extended a finger.
"One!"
"What’s with the ’one’!"
"Two!" Wu Bao’Er extended another finger and then slowly said.
"You can continue being this impudent, but once I’ve reached five fingers, I will inform the master about your wild words."
"Guess... what kind of punishment will the master give you then?" Wu Bao’Er asked with a smile.
Liu Yuhuan’s face changed instantly.
She wasn’t afraid of Wu Bao’Er, but she was afraid that Zhao Ya might get angry with her again, or even drive her away.
So after weighing it in her heart, her face blossomed into a bright smile.
"Good sister, I was just joking with you earlier."
"Hmph, now you know to call me good sister?" Wu Bao’Er said with a cold smile, arms crossed.
"Little sister was wrong, you can punish me however you see fit, just don’t be angry, sister." Liu Yuhuan said earnestly.
Wu Bao’Er initially wanted to give this girl a good scolding, but somehow, looking into Liu Yuhuan’s big, blinking eyes, she couldn’t utter any harsh words.
She, as a woman, couldn’t even do it, let alone a man.
And this was not yet fully grown, what’s more to say in a few more years?
Where did this master find such an almost demon-like girl?
But although Wu Bao’Er was reluctant to scold her, she still pointed to the large water tank in the yard.
"Weren’t you quite capable of running earlier? Just as well, the water tank is empty, there’s a water bucket over there, go fill the tank now."
"You..."
"What’s wrong?"
Liu Yuhuan paused for a moment, finally lowered her head, "Okay sister, I will do it now."
As she said this, she really turned to fetch water.
Wu Bao’Er watched with crossed arms, planning something in her mind.
After a short while, the water tank was filled, Liu Yuhuan put down the bucket and asked very obediently.
"Sister, is there anything else you need?"
"Go clean out the woodshed, you’ll sleep there tonight."
This time Liu Yuhuan’s expression completely changed.
Since childhood, she had always shared a bed with her sister, even during the time she was captured by the Python God Sect.
This made her develop the habit of having someone by her side when she slept.
Being thrown into this chilly and broken woodshed, how could she possibly sleep?
"What? Is there a problem?" Wu Bao’Er naturally didn’t know the backstory, so she asked.
"Ah... no, no!" Comparing her issue with sleeping, Liu Yuhuan was more afraid of Wu Bao’Er reporting her, so she hurriedly nodded in agreement.
"If not, hurry and get to work?"
Liu Yuhuan went to work with a bitter face.
Wu Bao’Er was filled with satisfaction in her heart.
She suddenly felt that having such a little sister she could easily handle might not be so bad.
Meanwhile, as Wu Bao’Er was ’exploiting’ Liu Yuhuan to do labor, Zhao Ya caught a flying carrier pigeon on the front mountain and removed the message pouch from its leg.
The message inside was equally brief, but the information was important.
After reading it, Zhao Ya couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Thankfully.
The situation by the sea was as usual with no changes.
This was a small mercy in misfortune.
However, Zhao Ya had also told Kong Xiangdong that if anything unusual happened to that Black Ship, the priority was to flee for their lives.
After all, despite the Black Ship’s size, the Northern Realm was immensely far from the Beyond the World. Even if it traveled a hundred miles a day, it wasn’t something that could be reached overnight.
This serves as a strategic buffer zone.
The reason Zhao Ya was mobilizing the major sects to head to the Northern Realm was to nip the danger in the bud.
Because if the flames of war spread, it would spell disaster for ordinary people Beyond the World.
Therefore, the best choice was to keep enemies beyond the doorstep.
Then Zhao Ya began to inventory the supplies and equipment for departure when Qin Jianji hurried over, speaking in a solemn voice.
"Temple Master, the people from Celestial One Pavilion and Purple Swallow Forest Pavilion have arrived early."
Zhao Ya’s eyes lit up.
He hadn’t expected the people from these two major sects to arrive so quickly, so he nodded immediately.
"Please invite them in."
Then he changed his mind, "Never mind, I’ll go down the mountain to greet them."
When he came to the foot of the mountain, sure enough, He Nandou and Shangguan Jianmei were leading their respective sects there.
Upon seeing Zhao Ya, He Nandou couldn’t help but laugh.
"Temple Master Zhao, do we still keep our promises?"
Zhao Ya also couldn’t help but smile, then bowed with cup hands, "Pavilion Master He and Pavilion Master Shangguan are indeed trustworthy, please come in!"
Soon, the Azure Dragon Temple became lively.
Fortunately, the Azure Dragon Temple had many buildings, most of which were vacant, otherwise, it would have been difficult to accommodate so many visitors.
Elder Guo Luming naturally also came to welcome them personally.
As an elder famous in the Jianghu for many years, even though He Nandou and Shangguan Jianmei were sect leaders, they had to show enough respect to Elder Guo.
"Elder Guo!"
Elder Guo Luming smiled, "To have the two sect leaders keep their promises to come truly makes me happy; no need for pleasantries, let’s eat first and talk after we’re full."
Soon, a grand banquet was laid out, with disciples from all three sects sitting together to eat and drink.
Zhao Ya sat at the main table with He Nandou and others, and after a few rounds of drinks, He Nandou set down his glass and said with a calm demeanor.
"Temple Master Zhao, how many sects have responded to your Azure Dragon Order for the journey to the Northern Realm?"
This question was straightforward, yet it hit the core issue.
The atmosphere at the dining table quickly turned somber.
Zhao Ya set down his glass, contemplated briefly, and then said, "Including the two of you, it’s no more than ten."
"So few?" He Nandou raised his eyebrows slightly, then continued.
"Then the question arises, if we fight hard in the Northern Realm snowfield, while other sects stay behind enjoying the benefits, what should we do about that?"
He Nandou raised a second critical issue.