The yin-yang eyes swept over the scroll in Sun Juehu's hand.
Si Xuanji ignored it as she walked to the main seat of the hall and sat on the star-shaped wooden chair. Then, she crossed her legs and snapped her fingers.
Snap---
Two inner disciples of the Black Star Sect came out from behind the screen holding trays and bowed before Sun Juehu. One of them respectfully served her a cup of tea, while the other moved the tray in front of her.
Si Xuanqi was quite impatient and nodded perfunctorily. "I've accepted it. Anything else?"
Sun Juehu's eyebrows twitched slightly, obviously dissatisfied with Si Xuanji's perfunctory hospitality, but she still smiled.
Previously, she had heard from the Snow Guards of Heavenly Wind City that Ye Anping and Si Xuanji's daughter, Xiao Yunluo, were partners and were already practicing dual cultivation together.
---Did Xiao Yunluo try to hide it from the world and date him behind Si Xuanji's back?
Sun Juehu thought it was unlikely.
It would not be surprising if a cultivator with a heavenly spirit root formed the Heavenly Dao Golden Core .
However, Ye Anping formed the Heavenly Dao Golden Core with his dual spiritual roots, and he also got the Snow Jade Spirit Sword inherited from the Immortal Yun Jian.
She didn't believe that Ye Anping didn't have Si Xuanji's support.
Not to mention the sudden loss of composure of Si Xuanji in Bright Star Sect and her bursting out, "Idiot!!!" ...
Therefore, Sun Juehu felt that:
---Ye Anping must have some special trait that she valued highly, or rather, some ability that she feared...
Sun Juehu came to the Black Star Sect at this time to meet Si Xuanji just to confirm this.
She had searched for Si Xuanji's 'weakness' for a thousand years, but she had found nothing.
But her gut feeling told her that the Imperial Advisor's stargazing skills were still useful. "Your Majesty, I was reading the stars the other day and found an interesting spiritual track inHeavenly Wind City. If Your Majesty is interested, you can go there and take a look. You might find a good opportunity."
It was precisely because Chen Yin had said this to her that she disguised herself as her own servant and went to Heavenly Wind City in person to give the Xu sisters a reward decree.
And because she went to Heavenly Wind City , she met that kid, Ye Anping.
The only thing that made her a little regretful was that before she could strike the grass and scare the snake, the boy named Ye Anping suddenly ran away with his wheelchair and his cultivation partner for no apparent reason...
Sun Juehu smiled but did not place the scroll in her hand on the tray brought by the Black Star Sect disciple. Instead, she stood up and slowly walked toward Si Xuanji.
Si Xuanji narrowed his eyes slightly, and a hint of vigilance appeared on her face.
"Eh?"
"Sister Red Moon, I came today just to show my respect to you. I simply came to give a gift and ease the relationship between us."
Sun Juehu walked to the side of Si Xuanji's star-shaped wooden chair and placed her large butt on the armrest. She leaned over and reached out to massage Si Xuanji's shoulder. "Sister Red Moon, what do you say? We have been sisters for so many years. In the past, although some unpleasant things happened, such as you accidentally giving my master a..."
"..."
"Ahem---" Sun Juehu stopped talking and waved her hand. "Let's not talk about the past. Sister, can we bury the axe? You see, I've already prepared a gift for you. You'll definitely like it. Take a look?"
Si Xuanji frowned slightly. She didn't believe that this woman really wanted to make peace with her. Her gaze shifted back to the scroll in her hand.
Sun Juehu wanted her to see the scroll so much, so there must be a reason.
And most likely, it would be something that made her feel very uncomfortable.
But, what could it be?
Those sweet words were meant to make her let her guard down?
Like, this moment laughing and wanting to make peace, but the next moment showing the head of her lover or child in a box...
Could it be that, when the scroll was spread out, the plan would be revealed?
But what was the plan of Sun Juehu? Could there really be something hidden in this scroll?
Si Xuanji was silent for a moment. Then, in her mind appeared the image of the handsome young man sleeping peacefully in the small cave behind the Hundred Lotus Sect for those two years. Suddenly, she felt a little worried.
However, she suppressed her worry and replied expressionlessly. "I'm not interested in calligraphy and painting."
"Sister, I know."
Sun Juehu held Si Xuanji's shoulder and slightly flicked her hand. The painting floated in front of Si Xuanji and slowly unfolded...
At the same time, Sun Juehu moved his lips closer to Si Xuanji's cheek and whispered, "It's like this. I know that Sister Red Moon is not like me, who has a harem of three thousand beauties. You've been alone for thousands of years and have never had a cultivation partner. So I specially found a good-looking young man to present to you."
At this point, the scroll was half unfolded, revealing four lines of poetry. "Leaves moved, startling the color on the brush, silently messing the moon and the clouds. How many days can you live in your life? Gains and losses total one forming core."
After that, there was a picture of a handsome young man, drawn with excellent painting skills.
Si Xuanji's childlike face and those yin-yang eyes did not change at all, but her small pale left hand clenched the armrest of the chair imperceptibly.
However, Sun Juehu noticed the slight movement of her left hand and came to a conclusion.
This kid named Ye Anping was the key to her revenge on Si Xuanji.
Seeing Sister Red Moon so anxious made Sun Juehu happier than anything else. At this moment, her heart was filled with joy. She had not encountered such a happy thing in a thousand years.
"Hehe, do you like it? He's so handsome, and also, so young. He matches your horoscope too. I just met him by chance."
Si Xuanji glanced at her. "Not interested."
Sun Juehu shook her head, sighing. "That's a pity. Sister Red Moon, don't you want to experience the pleasure of dual cultivation? I've tested this kid. He's very tender and lively. I'm sure he'll satisfy you."
Si Xuanji frowned, then asked calmly, "When did you start interacting with that old witch from the Hedonistic Sect?"
"Oh, how could I do that~ Sister Red Moon, please don't hurt my feelings. I am an immortal cultivator, how could I be in the same boat with the demonic cultivators?"
"..."
"I was just thinking, you have lived for so many years and have tasted everything in the world, but you have never tasted the joy of pleasure and love. Can't I help my sister to make up for this regret? I'm very well-intentioned."
"Not interested."
Sun Juehu could barely hide her smile, but she pretended to be sad. "Then, just say that I am imagining things and got your preferences wrong. But, do you really not want him? This young man is so tender, I have tasted him for you."
"No need."
"Forget it then..."
Sun Juehu sighed. The scroll that had not been completely unfolded began to unroll again. A dagger with a golden handle appeared in the corner of the scroll.
She reached out to take the dagger and drew a silver arc from the center of the scroll along Ye Anping's portrait.
Whoosh---
The painting floating in front of Si Xuanji was split in two instantly and then ignited by a spiritual fire. Before it hit the ground, it turned to ash and dissipated.
Then, Sun Juehu moved her butt off the armrest and took a few steps back.
"Since the gift is not to your liking, I will not stay and accompany you to appreciate the beautiful flowers in the Western Region . I'll come back to enjoy the flowers and talk to you next time I find a gift that you like. I'm taking my leave now."
Sun Juehu turned and walked outside, but paused after taking a step as if she remembered something. "Oh, by the way, I also prepared ten pounds of Cold Moon Melon Seeds for you. This is a specialty of the Northern Region . You will accept this gift, right? I know you like to eat melon seeds the most."
As she spoke, she raised her sword finger and took out a sack from her storage bag. She gently placed it on the tray of the Black Star Sect disciple from before.
However, although it didn't look heavy when the sack fell on the tray, the disciple in the Core Formation stage suddenly felt that the tray weighed several hundred pounds and almost dropped it.
Fortunately, he reacted quickly and used his spiritual energy to prevent the sack from falling to the ground.
Sun Juehu was a little disappointed. She had deliberately put some strength when placing the sack, thinking that the man would not be able to hold it and would scatter the melon seeds all over the ground.
It seems that she didn't use enough strength...
Well, never mind, she was happy anyway.
"Little brother, please hold it well. Don't spill it. These Cold Moon Seeds are your sect leader's favorite."
Cold sweat broke out on the disciple's face. He didn't dare to say anything, just nodded.
"I'm going. Sister Red Moon, come to the Northern Region when you are free. I will host a banquet for you."
After saying that, Sun Juehu opened the door of the hall and walked out.
Outside the hall, the Elders of the Black Star Sect were still waiting. When they saw Sun Juehu come out, they shifted their gaze to Mr. Qi's right hand, waiting for his signal.
Mr. Qi glanced out of the corner of his eye at Si Xuanji, who was sitting in the main seat, then at the parrot on her shoulder.
Others might not have noticed, but Mr. Qi did.
After all, this parrot was the most intelligent and perceptive. It was also the prettiest and he had chosen it from thousands of Golden Feather Parrots to give it to Si Xuanji.
In other words, if the parrot no longer dared to play, it meant that Si Xuanji's bad mood had reached its peak.
Therefore, Mr. Qi raised his index finger slightly and reminded the other Elders. "Don't bow, don't show respect!"
Sun Juehu walked to Mr. Qi's side with a smile. "Mr. Qi, would you like to come visit the Cold Country with me?"
"I am the dean of the academy and I have to attend classes. I don't have time to go to the Northern Region ..."
"Forget it, I'll ask you next time if I have a chance! Goodbye..."
Sun Juehu nodded slightly to Mr. Qi to show his respect, but Mr. Qi straightened his old back and raised his head.
Sun Juehu didn't care. Her body turned into an icy blue arc of light before disappearing from the hall into the sea of clouds in the north.
After a while, a Nascent Soul stage elder wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and sighed.
"Whew..."
Lei Wanjun glanced at him. "Old man Wu, what are you thinking? If we fight, with so many of us here, no matter how powerful Sun Juehu is, she definitely won't be able to gain an advantage. Moreover, this is the Black Star Sect, our own territory."
"That's right... And I'm not afraid..." Elder Wu sighed. "The thing is... there are so many disciples in the sect. If Matriarch fought with her, would those Foundation Building and Qi Refining stage disciples still live?"
Heavenly Cloud Peak 's Elder, Qin Ruyi calmly said, "Haven't we already asked the Foundation Building disciples to hide in the sect's back mountains? If a fight breaks out, at most we'll just renovate the pavilions on the three peaks of the Black Star Sect. We can save ourselves from demolishing some old pavilions."
"Yes, yes, Elder Qin is right." Lei Wanjun quickly echoed. "Anyway, I'm not afraid of that Sun bimbo. If she wants to fight, we'll fight! This old man still wants to see what the Furious Thunder Divine Ability looks like when it strikes a Void Returning cultivator! Heh!!"
The Elder of Moon Spring Peak , who had two heavy black circles under his eyes, looked at Lei Wanjun. "Elder Lei, the wind has stopped, the rain has stopped, and you think you can do it again? When Sun Juehu came just now, your back never straightened up."
"Get lost... That's to show respect to her, she's a senior in the Void Returning stage, don't you understand? I haven't even shown my strength yet and she ran away, didn't she?"
The crowd chatted chaotically, and the atmosphere was no longer so tense.
After a while, Mr. Qi shouted, "Matriarch!" and quickly signaled the other Elders to become solemn and cup their hands toward the entrance of the hall.
Si Xuanji stepped barefoot over the threshold and walked out. She glanced around the elders at the door expressionlessly before her gaze finally fell on Lei Wanjun.
"Lei Wanjun."
"Yes... at your command."
Si Xuanji relaxed her tone a little and asked, "Don't you have such a loud voice? When she came over, why didn't you yell at her to go away? If you yell at her, won't she run away with her tail between her legs?"
"Ah, this..."
Lei Wanjun was sweating profusely, already wondering where he would be sent to do hard labor this time. The last time he bred the Flood Dragons; that experience was simply...
Fortunately, Mr. Qi quickly stepped forward to save him. "Matriarch, what did she come for?"
"To deliver ten pounds of melon seeds." Si Xuanji answered casually. "I'm going back to sleep. Parrot."
She raised her hand, and the parrot jumped over from Mr. Qi's shoulder and lowered its head obediently, letting her touch its golden crown.
Then, the two figures, a bird and a person, turned into starlight and dissipated in front of everyone.
The Elders chorused. "Farewell, Matriarch!"
Then, they returned one by one to their own abodes and brought the disciples who had been sent to the back mountain back to their respective peaks.
The Black Star Sect, which had been quiet until now, soon recovered its vitality. Sword practice, farming, and the sound of disciples reading books echoed in the Academy...
However, above the Middle Peak , in the immortal palace under the perpetual daylight environment--
Boom--!
As soon as Si Xuanji appeared, she took a few steps forward and punched the beam made of black meteorite iron. The parrot on her shoulder cowered in fear, and the whole palace built on a floating stone trembled.
After the punch, her mind calmed down a lot. She concluded that Sun Juehu was lying because she wanted to embarrass her.
If that brat was really caught by her, how could the bell she gave him not ring at all?
The Northern Region was a place where the moon once fell and stars were scattered. The reason why she didn't like to go there was because the cold air made the star path too vague, and her star-reading skills could only give a roughly estimation.
Si Xuanji took a deep breath and calmed down. She took out a crystal bell from her waist and shook it twice. She smiled lovingly and asked the bell, "How are you going to make it up to me? I rarely worry so much about someone."
Seeing that Si Xuanji seemed to have calmed down, the parrot flicked its tongue to speak. "Squeeze him dry!! Squeeze him dry!!"
Si Xuanji sighed, feeling a little confused.
---Who is Ye Anping to me?
---She used to think that he was just a sword that she could use to fulfill her ambitions, but now...
The parrot seemed to have guessed what Si Xuanji was thinking at this moment. Tilting its head, it said, "Not enough? Not enough?"
Si Xuanji looked at it with her yin-yang eyes for two breaths, then stopped thinking about it before heading straight for the observatory behind the Immortal Palace .
---Maybe it really was not enough.
If she did it a few more times, she would get tired of it, and it would probably be fine...
She couldn't be Ye Anping's partner. Over the past thousand years, she had seen too many friends die one by one and leave her...
Li Feng, Master Taixu, Cultivator Hu Yuan, Baishi Mountain Man, Yue Mingji...
Too many names. She could recite them for three days and three nights...
And every time she witnessed it, it was very uncomfortable, so every time a friend's lifespan was nearing its end, she avoided it.
As soon as she woke up from a dream, Qiu Shuirou would come to tell her that so-and-so had passed away...
Although it was better than seeing them go with her own eyes, it was still quite uncomfortable...
If she was that uncomfortable when her friends left...
Then, what if her cultivation partner left before her in the future...
How bad would that be?
She didn't want to experience it.
Arriving at the observatory, Si Xuanji sat cross-legged in the center of the stargazing platform and looked up at the endless star dome above. The stars were shining brightly in those yin-yang eyes.
"Shuirou!"
Tap tap...
Footsteps came from behind her. Qiu Shuirou had already arrived here and helped her prepare. "Young Miss, the formation for star reading is ready..."
"I didn't tell you I wanted to read the stars, how did you know?"
"After following you for so many years, I have guessed it. Do you want to eat pear blossom cake? I've made some."
"Hmph~ You guessed wrong. I want to taste roasted chicken."
Qiu Shuirou sighed helplessly. "Sigh... I will make it right away... Salty or sweet?"
"Hmm... Let's have one each. I'll try it and see."
"Fine."
Qiu Shuirou bowed and raised her arm, letting the parrot land onto her arm from Si Xuanji's shoulder so as not to disturb her stargazing. Then, she carried the parrot down the stairs and headed toward the back kitchen of the Immortal Palace.