Chapter 5
At the entrance of the Enforcement Hall, Lou Yuqing and Si Nidie parted ways with a casual wave, agreeing to meet again the next day.
For a brief moment, Lou Yuqing had been rendered speechless by the sheer boldness of Senior Sister Ni's gossip—especially the part involving their own master—but the stories that followed were far too tempting to resist. To her delight, her gossip points had skyrocketed.
The number alone was enough to lift her mood.
She glanced sideways at Gu Buqi. This man carried himself even more coldly than Captain Wei, yet through all that outrageous gossip, his face hadn't shifted in the slightest.
In a strange way, she admired that.
A man who could remain unmoved in the face of such explosive gossip... truly formidable.
"Senior Brother Gu," she said, lowering her voice conspiratorially, "if Master asks, just say we were diligently on duty in the observation area. Not slacking off at all. Got it?"
Gu Buqi paused. "...Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"There's nothing inappropriate about it." Lou Yuqing waved it off without hesitation. "Master is like a strict parent. If he finds out we were just lazing around, how are we supposed to enjoy our gossip in peace? You don't want to be reassigned, do you?"
Strict parent... lazy...
Gu Buqi silently repeated the words in his mind, slowly grasping her logic.
"...Alright," he said at last. "If he asks, I'll cover for you."
Lou Yuqing clenched her fist in triumph. "Yes!"
Her smile brightened instantly. "Senior Brother Gu, I misjudged you. You might look aloof, but you're actually very understanding."
Gu Buqi looked at her, at that unguarded, radiant smile—and for a fleeting moment, he found himself reflecting.
Had he been too strict with her before? Was gossip her only outlet to relax?
...If he was here, did it really matter if she lacked ambition?
He could protect her anyway.
The thought settled quietly in his chest.
Laziness... wasn't such a bad thing.
"Senior Brother Gu," Lou Yuqing suddenly said, squinting at him, "are you... smiling? It looks a little creepy."
Gu Buqi: ?
He immediately summoned a water mirror and glanced at his reflection.
...Who is this?
The expression staring back at him was stiff, unnatural—like a poorly assembled puppet attempting to imitate a smile.
He had only meant to relax.
"...Something's wrong with my face," he said at last. "I can't make expressions."
"Oh." Lou Yuqing nodded in sudden understanding, then sighed sympathetically. "So you really do have a permanent poker face... Has Master seen it? Can he fix it?"
Gu Bugai answered without hesitation, "He's seen it. He can't."
A convenient lie.
At that moment, a male disciple approached from the distance. His gaze flicked between the two of them before drifting past their shoulders, confusion settling across his features.
"Have you seen a female disciple who looks like me?" he asked, pointing at his own face.
Lou Yuqing studied him—and immediately noticed the resemblance.
The same features as Si Nidie... only sharper, more angular. Where her face was soft, his carried a rougher edge.
So similar, yet unmistakably different.
"Looks like you've seen her," the man continued. "Where did she go? I told her to wait for me, but she's already run off somewhere."
Lou Yuqing tilted her head. "And you are...?"
"I'm a man," he said matter-of-factly. "Her brother."
Lou Yuqing: ?
Gu Buqi: ?
"...We can tell you're a man," Lou Yuqing said slowly. "You don't need to emphasize that. I meant—your relationship to Senior Sister Nidie. You're her brother, right?"
"Yes." He nodded. "Si Nidie's brother. Si Nanren. Nan as in 'south,' Ren as in 'benevolence and righteousness.'"
(Note: Si Nanren's name is also a wordplay. It sounds like "shì nán rén" (是男人), which means "(I am) a man."
So his name can come off as oddly self-declarative... or just unintentionally funny ??)
He delivered the explanation with practiced ease, as though he'd said it countless times before.
Which, judging by his tone... he probably had.
Lou Yuqing pointed to the right. "Senior Sister Ni went that way."
"Thanks."
He turned to leave—then suddenly stopped, pivoting back with a frown.
"Wait. Why do you call me 'Dead Senior Brother' but call her 'Senior Sister Ni'? That's unfair."
"...Because 'Senior Sister Si' sounds bad."
"And 'Dead Senior Brother' sounds good?" Si Nanren shot back, clearly dissatisfied. "No, no, that won't do. You need to call me something else."
Lou Yuqing exhaled slowly.
...Why is he so particular?
"Then... Senior Brother Nan?"
"That sounds like 'male senior brother.' I am a man. That's redundant. Next."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Senior Brother Ren?"
"'Human Senior Brother'?" He frowned. "That makes it sound like I'm not human."
"...Senior Brother Nanren?"
"'Man Senior Brother'..." He went silent.
Lou Yuqing spread her hands helplessly. "I've done my best. Even the most skilled cook can't prepare a meal without ingredients. You should just accept your fate, Senior Brother Si."
After a long pause, Si Nanren straightened with sudden resolve. "Call me Senior Brother Nan. That's the least offensive. At least I won't sound like I'm dead or expelled from the human race."
Lou Yuqing couldn't help but feel curious.
What kind of parents... would give their children names like this?
Her fingers moved instinctively, tapping open the system panel.
[Haha, so that's how it is!]
[Back then, Senior Brother Nan's mother was pregnant with twins. The labor was extremely difficult, and their father happened to be away on a mission.]
[In the middle of the agony, furious that she had endured everything alone, she shouted, "You damned man—I'm your father!"]
[And miraculously, right after that, both children were born one after the other.]
[Their father rushed back just in time to witness the scene. Convinced those words had protected the children, he named them Si Nanren and Si Nidie.]
Silence fell.
Si Nanren stared at Lou Yuqing, his expression frozen.
He wanted to speak—to question, to deny—but his throat locked, the words refusing to come out.
A chill crept up his spine.
He had heard it.
Not aloud—but clearly, unmistakably—
Her thoughts.
And they contained things even he didn't know.
What... was this?
Before panic could take hold, another voice slipped into his mind.
Calm. Steady.
"Don't doubt it. What you heard is true—you simply can't say it out loud. Keep your mind steady."
Gu Buqi.
Si Nanren's heart skipped.
...This kind of thing can be controlled?
"Brother... you heard that too?"
A familiar voice rang out.
Si Nidie had returned—having remembered their earlier arrangement—but the moment she stepped close, she caught the tail end of Lou Yuqing's thoughts.
Si Nanren nodded stiffly. "I did."
She stopped a few steps away, her expression turning complicated. "Then... do you think it's true? About our names?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "Every time we asked our parents, they just said it was a good name."
Si Nidie's gaze darkened slightly. "What if... they actually meant it?"
A heavy silence settled between them.
Si Nanren suddenly felt that ignorance might have been a blessing.
[Senior Brother Nan was handsome even as a child, extremely popular with girls. When they played house, he was always the emperor, and the girls fought to be empress.]
[Once, he announced he would 'marry' one girl, and the rest burst into tears. Father Si thought he'd caused trouble and beat him thoroughly.]
[After that, Senior Brother Nan matured overnight and never played house again.]
"Pfft—!"
Si Nidie choked, barely holding back her laughter.
Si Nanren shot her a glare.
“Don't laugh.”
She covered her mouth, shoulders trembling. "I—I'm trying—Pfft—!"
Sorry, brother. But this is too funny.
Si Nanren looked utterly defeated.
[Now that he's grown, Senior Brother Nan is even more impressive. Every mission, he wins the hearts of women.]
[This time, he was even selected as a potential son-in-law by the Princess of Wu Kingdom.]
Si Nidie's laughter died instantly.
"...When exactly did you become a live-in son-in-law?" she asked slowly.
Si Nanren nearly choked. "It's a misunderstanding! I don't even know that princess!"
[He was hunting a fox demon that feeds on men's vitality, so he disguised himself as a scholar.]
[Coincidentally, the Wu Kingdom was holding imperial examinations. On the day results were announced, the princess spotted him in the crowd and declared, "I want him."]
[Before he could react, he was tied up by her guards. With the fox demon possibly watching, he had no choice but to endure it.]
[This lasted until the wedding day. Even after he explained he wasn't a candidate, the princess refused to listen: "I like you, not your identity."]
[In the end, he escaped—but the princess swore she would find him and marry him, still wearing her red wedding dress.]
Si Nanren's face darkened.
He had exposed his identity, failed his mission, and lost contribution points... all to escape that disaster.
Calm. Stay calm.
The mortal world and cultivation world were far apart.
She wouldn't actually come...
[The Princess of Wu Kingdom works quickly. Using her network, she has already tracked him down.]
[She is currently at the entrance of the Wendao Sect.]
[A classic tale—domineering princess chasing her husband!]
"What?!"
The word burst out of him before he could stop it.
Every head turned.
Even Lou Yuqing looked up, startled.
Si Nanren stiffened.
"...I just remembered something urgent."
Without another word, he summoned his flying sword, stepped onto it, formed a hand seal—
—and shot into the sky like a streak of light.
Gone.
Si Nidie clicked her tongue, amused. "Serves you right. Acting tough until the moment it matters."
Then she felt it.
A gaze.
She turned—
—and met Lou Yuqing's eyes.
"...."
Lou Yuqing smiled sweetly. "Senior Sister Ni, your brother seemed to leave in quite a hurry. Weren't you two meeting?"
Si Nidie's back stiffened.
For a split second, it felt like she'd been completely seen through.
"I—I just wanted to have a meal with him," she said quickly. "It's nothing. We can reschedule."
Lou Yuqing nodded thoughtfully.
Si Nidie wiped imaginary sweat from her brow, suddenly feeling exposed down to her very bones.
"...I'll take my leave."
"See you tomorrow."
"Y-Yes... tomorrow..."
She turned—and the moment her back was to them, her expression collapsed into pure suffering.
Who would've thought...
Coming to the auditing office could be this terrifying?
Lou Yuqing watched her retreating figure, tilting her head. "Senior Sister Ni's walking seems a bit... off."
"You're imagining things," Gu Bugai said calmly.
"Oh." Lou Yuqing accepted it without question.
At that moment, a line of text quietly scrolled across the system:
High above—
Gu Buqi glanced into the distance.
"Uncle Zixiao noticed us?" Meng Zonghan muttered uneasily.
Qingxuzi folded his hands behind his back. "Even in an avatar, his spiritual sense is no weaker than his true body. It's only natural."
Moments ago, he had rushed over after hearing that his martial uncle had entered the Enforcement Hall under the name Gu Bugai.
And the moment he arrived—
He heard Yuqing's thoughts.
What surprised him more was that Meng Zonghan heard them too.
After careful observation, only the Si siblings seemed capable of hearing them for now.
...Uncle must have noticed this as well.
But with so few examples, the pattern remained unclear.
Meng Zonghan sighed dreamily. "I quite like that Princess of Wu's personality. Reminds me of how I won over my wife back then."
Qingxuzi snorted. "That wasn't charm. That was relentless harassment. If my sister-in-law hadn't been too shy to refuse you, you'd still be single."
Meng Zonghan laughed. "And yet, my wife and I are deeply in love—and we have a daughter."
Qingxuzi lifted his chin. "I may not be shameless like you, but I also have a daughter."
Meng Zonghan blinked, surprised. "Who would've thought? You've been single all your life, yet suddenly—"
His tone softened. "How is Song Li? When will you introduce her? My daughter's around the same age—they could become friends."
A gentler light entered Qingxuzi's eyes.
"With the Frost Toad from Junior Sister Hongyan and the Frost Jade Bed, most of the fire poison has been removed. She'll recover soon."
His thoughts drifted.
A letter... a month ago.
A dying message.
A daughter he never knew existed.
He had rushed south, found her surrounded by fire beasts—her face so achingly familiar it nearly stopped his heart.
Seven or eight parts... just like her mother.
The shell necklace still hanging at her throat.
A memory made tangible.
He had barely spoken to her before she collapsed.
Now, his fingers brushed the shell hidden in his sleeve as his gaze lingered on the southern horizon.
As if, through the drifting clouds-
He could still see her.
The next day, Lou Yuqing bounced into the listening room, light on her feet, her face glowing with energy after a full night's rest.
Behind her, Gu Buqi walked at an even pace, robes immaculate, expression unreadable, his presence steady and composed.
She pushed open the door.
"Huh? Senior Sister Ni isn't here yet? She was early yesterday..."
The room fell quiet as several unfamiliar disciples looked over.
"Who are you?" one asked.
His gaze settled instinctively on Lou Yuqing—she seemed far easier to approach than the man beside her.
"We're new disciples assigned yesterday," Lou Yuqing replied politely. "Captain Wei placed us under Senior Sister Ni. Do you know when she'll arrive?"
Understanding dawned on his face. "Ah, Xiao Si just advanced to Foundation Establishment. She'll need more hands. Wait here, she comes daily. She might be delayed."
"Thank you."
Not long after, a message came—there was a case to be heard. The disciples departed in a hurry.
Before leaving, the lead disciple gestured toward a section of the room. "There are records of past cases over there. Five sections total. With your access, you can browse the first."
Lou Yuqing's eyes lit up.
Like a mouse tumbling into a granary, she dove straight in.
As the numbers ticked upward, realization dawned.
Fresh gossip... was worth more.
If she wanted points quickly—
She needed current events.
Setting the jade slip aside, she stepped out—
—and froze.
Gu Buqi and Si Nidie were already chatting, their conversation surprisingly smooth.
"What are you talking about?" she asked curiously.
Si Nidie's heart jumped the moment she saw her.
If the sect leader hadn't personally spoken to her yesterday... she wouldn't have dared come today.
Forcing herself to remain calm, she patted the seat beside her. "Junior Sister, come sit. Tell me... what kind of person do you think I am?"
Lou Yuqing sat without hesitation, answering seriously, "Senior Sister, you may seem unreliable—but you're actually very responsible. Your case analyses are sharp and insightful."
...No inner thoughts?
Si Nidie let out a quiet breath of relief.
Social death... avoided.
What she didn't know—
Was that Lou Yuqing had already spent 100 gossip points yesterday to unlock her file.
Evaluation: average. Not particularly worth the cost.
She had even tested a cheaper one afterward—ten points.
Dry. Bland. Barely even gossip.
From that moment on, Lou Yuqing made a solemn vow—
She would never again waste points on gossip worth less than 200.
The entire naming scene is based on Chinese wordplay:
The surname "Si" (司 / sī) sounds like "sǐ" (死), meaning "dead", so "Senior Brother Si" can sound like "Dead Senior Brother." ??
His name "Nanren" (男人 / nánrén) literally means "man."
So every way Lou Yuqing tries to address him ends up sounding awkward:
"Senior Brother Si" (sī shīxiōng) → sounds like "sǐ shīxiōng" ("Dead Senior Brother")
"Senior Brother Nan" (nán) → "Male Senior Brother"
"Senior Brother Ren" (rén) → "Human Senior Brother"
"Senior Brother Nanren" (nánrén) → "Man Senior Brother"
Basically... no matter what she calls him, it sounds weird or ridiculous ??
Moral of the story: Naming your kids is a serious responsibility. ??