Chapter 78
Xuantian Peak.
Sect Master Qing Xuzi personally received the guests from the Hundred Spirits Sect. The two sects had always maintained a good relationship, so he had already been informed of their early arrival.
"Fellow Daoist Qing Xuzi, it's been a while. How have you been?"
The one leading the group from the Hundred Spirits Sect was none other than Wu Fengshu's master—Minghan Zhenren. Several Nascent Soul cultivators stood behind him, each carrying the calm, transcendent aura of powerful experts.
Sect Master Qing Xuzi smiled warmly. "It's only been a few months since we last met, yet Fellow Daoist Minghan's bearing has become even more extraordinary. Truly admirable."
Who didn't enjoy being praised?
Minghan Zhenren's smile deepened at once.
"Then I'll gladly accept the compliment, Fellow Daoist." He stroked his beard leisurely. "I've been looking forward to this Seven Sects Joint Competition for quite some time now. I wonder... how confident is the Wendao Sect in taking first place?"
The probing intent behind the question was obvious.
Qing Xuzi remained perfectly composed.
"If the Wendao Sect wishes to take second place," he said calmly, "which sect would dare claim first?"
The hall instantly fell silent.
The arrogance in those words was so blatant it left the Hundred Spirits Sect speechless for a moment.
It was true—the Wendao Sect stood above the other six sects. But hearing someone say it so shamelessly to their faces still made the atmosphere a little difficult to continue.
Minghan Zhenren, however, showed no trace of displeasure.
"In the end, victory or defeat still depends on the results.
" He smiled faintly. "Still, seeing how confident you are, Fellow Daoist, it seems the Wendao Sect must be hiding quite the trump card.
I heard you recently reunited with your biological daughter.
I haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet.
Why not hold a banquet someday so we old friends can finally meet your precious daughter? "
Song Li's matter had caused quite the uproar within the Wendao Sect. Naturally, word had already spread outside the sect as well.
At the mention of his daughter, Qing Xuzi's expression softened noticeably.
"Li'er was injured a few days ago and has been recovering. Fortunately, her recovery has been excellent." He smiled lightly. "If Fellow Daoist Minghan wishes to see her, tomorrow's competition will be the perfect opportunity."
Minghan Zhenren's eyes flickered.
As expected.
Song Li was likely one of the Wendao Sect's hidden cards. He already knew quite a bit about the other competitors, but this suddenly appearing daughter of Qing Xuzi remained a complete mystery.
"Then I'll look forward to it."
Outwardly, he remained calm. Inwardly, however, he was extremely confident.
The Hundred Spirits Sect had gone to great lengths preparing for this Seven Sects Joint Competition precisely because several of their disciples were monstrously talented.
To put it bluntly—even against Wei Houming, the famous prodigy of the Wendao Sect, they could still compete.
While the higher-ups focused primarily on the Golden Core division, the younger disciples of the Hundred Spirits Sect clearly cared more about the Foundation Establishment matches.
After all, that was the level most of them belonged to.
"Our Senior Brother Luo is incredibly strong and incredibly smart. He'll definitely crush the other six sects and bring first place back to the Hundred Spirits Sect!"
"This competition was practically made for our Hundred Spirits Sect. It's finally our turn to dominate—and Senior Brother Luo will naturally be the brightest star among us!"
"What's the Wendao Sect even supposed to be? Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators aren't worthy of carrying Senior Brother Luo's shoes, let alone fighting him. Once Senior Brother Luo becomes famous after this competition, don't forget about us little brothers!"
Wu Fengshu happened to pass by an open guest-room door and heard every single word.
She rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into the heavens.
With a cold sneer, she turned and walked away.
This Luo Buqi...
Acting arrogant inside the sect was one thing, but letting his lackeys spew nonsense on someone else's territory? If any Wendao Sect disciple overheard this, a beating was practically guaranteed.
Still, Wu Fengshu couldn't be bothered wasting energy on him.
Luo Buqi was like a stubborn skin disease—the moment you got involved with him, endless trouble followed.
Besides, she hadn't come here solely for the competition.
Thinking of someone, the corners of Wu Fengshu's lips curved upward unconsciously into a sweet smile.
Inside the room, Luo Buqi basked comfortably in the endless flattery, feeling so pleased with himself he nearly floated into the air.
Then suddenly—a faint, delicate fragrance drifted into his nose.
His eyes lit up instantly.
The next second, his figure blurred and vanished from the courtyard.
The remaining disciples stared blankly at each other.
Meanwhile, Luo Buqi chased after the retreating figure without hesitation. But as he watched Wu Fengshu move confidently toward a certain destination, his mood rapidly darkened.
A few days ago, he had been in seclusion, preparing for the Seven Sects Competition.
The moment he emerged, however, his followers reported that Wu Fengshu had been leaving the sect frequently lately... apparently because she was involved with someone.
The woman he had set his sights on was actually getting close to another man without restraint.
Naturally furious, Luo Buqi had confronted her directly. Only to get cursed out from beginning to end.
Wu Fengshu showed him absolutely no courtesy whatsoever, calling him a toad lusting after swan meat and saying he wasn't even qualified to be her male concubine.
At the time, Luo Buqi had nearly exploded from rage on the spot.
But... Wu Fengshu was beautiful beyond compare, elegant and noble by birth. A princess-like temperament was only natural.
He could tolerate it.
"Si. Nan. Ren."
Luo Buqi ground out each word through clenched teeth.
It had to be that wild man.
He had originally assumed Wu Fengshu's failed trip to the Wendao Sect meant she'd finally given up on the man who haunted her dreams.
Who would've thought the two had actually gotten together instead?
A protective aura rose around Luo Buqi as he flicked his sleeve and followed closely behind her, fully intending to teach Si Nanren a lesson severe enough to make him retreat willingly.
"Achoo!" Si Nanren suddenly sneezed.
"Brother, someone's definitely talking bad about you," Si Nidie said with a grin.
Si Nanren shrugged indifferently. "Ever since I joined the Enforcement Hall, I've offended plenty of people. Let them curse me if they want. Doesn't affect me anyway."
Si Nidie scooted closer, smiling mischievously. "Aren't you worried someone might sabotage you during tomorrow's competition?"
"What's there to fear?" Si Nanren casually pushed her forehead away. "I'll deal with whatever comes. Besides, I might not even run into them."
"That's true too."
Si Nidie leaned back lazily, then suddenly remembered something. A trace of melancholy crossed her face.
"Junior Sister Lou hasn't come to the auditing area in forever. If Junior Brother Gu hadn't mentioned her, I really would've thought something happened to her."
Si Nanren stayed silent for a moment before abruptly saying, "She's from Cangtian Peak."
Si Nidie blinked. "Isn't that where Immortal Venerable Zixiao lives? Wait..."
Her eyes widened suddenly as she sat upright. "You mean—"
Si Nanren nodded. "Junior Sister became a registered disciple of Cangtian Peak?"
Si Nanren's nod froze halfway.
"...."
Meanwhile, Si Nidie continued rambling happily on her own.
"When did Cangtian Peak start accepting registered disciples? Junior Sister's so unfair! She didn't even tell me! She could've at least let me compete for a spot too!"
"I've never forgotten her whenever good opportunities came up. Fine, I'm the senior sister, I'll generously give her this chance. As long as she tells me after coming back, I won't hold it against her."
"Oh right—will she still come to the auditing room in the future? If she doesn't—"
"Stop."
Si Nanren stared at her speechlessly, resisting the urge to physically shove the answer into her brain.
"Ever since Immortal Venerable Zixiao dismissed those registered disciples, Cangtian Peak hasn't accepted anyone new. And according to the rumors, Immortal Venerable Zixiao recently accepted a direct disciple."
Only then did Si Nidie finally freeze.
There were only two people living on Cangtian Peak now—Immortal Venerable Zixiao and his disciple.
Which meant...
"Junior Sister is Immortal Venerable Zixiao's disciple?!"
Her voice cracked on the final word.
All this time, Lou Yuqing had never revealed a single hint.
For a moment, Si Nidie looked utterly dazed.
"Brother, how did you even find out?"
"Find out what?"
The door suddenly opened.
Lou Yuqing stepped inside.
Seeing the strange expressions on the siblings' faces, she stopped and touched her own face suspiciously.
"What happened? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Si Nidie stared at her dramatically. "Junior Sister~ you hid this from your senior sister for so long."
Lou Yuqing looked even more confused.
She carefully replayed everything in her head and found nothing suspicious.
"What exactly did I hide from you?"
"Who is Immortal Venerable Zixiao to you?" Si Nidie demanded with a snort.
Lou Yuqing answered instinctively, "He's my master."
Then she paused.
"...Didn't I tell you?"
"No," Si Nidie replied resentfully.
Lou Yuqing looked innocent. "But you never asked. If you had, I definitely would've told you."
Si Nidie paused.
...That actually sounded reasonable.
"Senior Sister suddenly bringing this up..." Lou Yuqing's lips curved slyly.
Under Si Nidie's increasingly uneasy gaze, she drawled, "Could it be you want to start calling me Martial Grand-Aunt? I don't mind."
After all, according to seniority, Lou Yuqing and Sect Master Qing Xuzi belonged to the same generation.
Si Nidie: "..."
Damn it.
She had suddenly dropped two entire generations lower.
Even Si Nanren looked speechless.
Lou Yuqing burst into laughter.
"Alright, alright, I'm joking." She waved her hand. "Just act normal like before. I'm more curious where you even heard about this."
Si Nidie immediately pointed at her brother.
Si Nanren sighed helplessly. "The patrolling disciples saw you and Junior Brother Gu going toward Cangtian Peak several times. After asking around, they naturally figured it out."
Meaning—Lou Yuqing hadn't exactly hidden her tracks.
"Ohhh."
Lou Yuqing suddenly understood.
"Wait." Si Nidie's curiosity resurfaced instantly. "Then what about Junior Brother Gu?"
Lou Yuqing smiled. "He's Master's distant relative."
Si Nanren scratched his head awkwardly. "...I genuinely didn't know that."
At that moment, Si Nidie's expression changed abruptly. "Oh no."
"Oh no what?"
Gu Buqi pushed the door open and walked inside. The dragon-head mask was already gone, though confusion still lingered on his face.
In truth, he had already overheard most of the conversation outside and roughly guessed what the girl was worried about.
Sure enough—Si Nidie looked ready to cry.
"I told you guys about the rumors surrounding Immortal Venerable Zixiao before... you didn't go report me to him, right?"
Back when Immortal Venerable Zixiao separated from his Dao partner, countless rumors spread throughout the sect.
Without exception, every single one involved him being cuckolded in some way.
And Si Nidie had enthusiastically picked the juiciest version to gossip about.
For a powerful cultivator, it wasn't exactly glorious.
Now that she realized Lou Yuqing was his disciple, regret finally arrived.
At the time, gossiping had been way too fun.
What if Immortal Venerable Zixiao held grudges?!
Gu Buqi chuckled softly.
If Immortal Venerable Zixiao truly intended to settle scores, very few juniors in the sect would survive the purge.
"Senior Brother Gu and I never told Master," Lou Yuqing reassured her kindly. "Don't worry. Master spends all day cultivating anyway. He probably doesn't know."
Gu Buqi: "..."
Right. Let's all collectively pretend ignorance.
Si Nidie immediately patted her chest in relief. "That's good."
Even if they didn't punish everyone, using one unlucky person as an example was still entirely possible.
Then suddenly—her expression changed again.
"Wait."
Her divine sense swept across Lou Yuqing.
That aura... Foundation Establishment?!
Seeing the shock on Si Nidie's face, Lou Yuqing admitted honestly, "Yep. I broke through."
Then she added smoothly, "Senior Brother Gu did too."
Gu Buqi smiled and nodded.
In reality, this avatar's cultivation was already at the Nascent Soul stage. He had merely adjusted it to match his little disciple's pace.
"That's wonderful... really wonderful..." Si Nidie forced a smile.
Breaking through so easily felt as casual as drinking water.
She definitely wasn't jealous.
Absolutely not.
"The Hundred Spirits Sect already arrived," Lou Yuqing suddenly said.
Si Nidie immediately snapped out of her emotional damage.
"So Wu Fengshu came too..."
As she spoke, she instinctively glanced toward her brother.
Si Nanren's face remained utterly indifferent, without the slightest trace of emotional entanglement.
Si Nidie silently withdrew her gaze. "Tan Sheng's been waiting forever for Wu Fengshu to arrive. Looks like his wish finally came true."
Those two really were a perfect match.
Originally, she'd tried matchmaking them. In the end, she somehow became the third wheel instead.
Speak of the devil—
Tan Sheng pushed the door open and walked in, his face glowing with joy. The lovestruck expression was so obvious it made everyone else's teeth ache.
"Has Shu'er arrived yet?"
His gaze swept around the room. Not seeing Wu Fengshu, disappointment immediately surfaced in his eyes.
Then he simply stood near the doorway like a loyal stone statue waiting for his wife to come home.
Si Nidie asked dryly, "You arranged to meet here?"
Tan Sheng stayed silent.
Si Nidie looked at his unfocused eyes and instantly understood. His soul had already floated away long ago.
"Forget it," she muttered. "I refuse to chat with people who already have partners."
Then she turned toward Lou Yuqing. "Junior Sister, are you participating in the competition?"
Lou Yuqing nodded. "Master already registered me."
The Seven Sects Joint Competition was divided into an exhibition match and official matches.
The exhibition match featured outstanding Qi Refining disciples from each sect, with limited spots available.
The official matches were separated into Foundation Establishment and Golden Core divisions, with unlimited participation.
In short—the Seven Sects Grand Stage. "If you have a dream, come join us."
"What about you, Junior Brother Gu?" Si Nidie asked curiously.
Gu Buqi smiled lightly. "I'm not participating."
Otherwise, wouldn't that just be bullying children?
And afterward, the gossip would probably spread everywhere.
Si Nidie unconsciously glanced at him a few more times.
To be honest, Junior Brother Gu was actually pretty handsome.
Back then, he always wore an icy expression that made him seem impossible to approach. But now, he felt much gentler.
What's with this little girl?
Gu Buqi immediately noticed the subtle change in her gaze.
Without hesitation, he instantly erased his smile.
As an elder, maintaining proper distance from juniors was important.
Meanwhile, Si Nidie remained completely unaware she had just caused a misunderstanding.
She was simply appreciating beautiful scenery.
Human instinct, really.
"Shu'er!"
Tan Sheng suddenly lit up like a resurrected statue.
At the doorway stood Wu Fengshu.
She wore a golden dress embroidered with an enormous phoenix. Every feather seemed lifelike, making it appear as though the phoenix might spread its wings and fly at any moment.
"Tan Sheng."
The proud princess still carried her usual arrogance, yet the joy in her eyes when she saw him couldn't be hidden at all.
The two stood facing each other, gazes soft and affectionate.
With their equally stunning appearances, the scene looked almost like a painting.
Bang!
The door slammed open violently. The harmonious atmosphere shattered instantly.
"WHO IS SI NANREN?!"
Luo Buqi stormed in, eyes sweeping across the room.
He completely ignored Gu Buqi and the actual Si Nanren before locking onto Tan Sheng standing beside Wu Fengshu.
Seeing them so close together, he exploded in fury.
"So it is you, Si Nanren! How dare you steal my woman!"
Everyone: ?
Si Nanren himself looked even more bewildered than the rest.
Wu Fengshu stepped forward at once, shielding Tan Sheng behind her.
"Luo Buqi, are you insane?!" she snapped. "Who the hell is your woman?! Wasn't causing trouble inside the Hundred Spirits Sect enough for you? Now you're here at the Wendao Sect embarrassing yourself too?!"
Tan Sheng calmly caught Wu Fengshu's wrist and pulled her back to his side.
Only then did he finally glance at Luo Buqi.
"Shu'er," he asked softly, "is this the person you said keeps harassing you?"
His voice remained gentle. But beneath that gentleness lurked endless coldness.
"It's him."
Wu Fengshu looked openly disgusted.
Ever since she accidentally crossed paths with Luo Buqi, he had been pestering her nonstop. Somehow, he always managed to ambush her whenever she left the sect.
It annoyed her to death.
She had considered asking her master to pressure him, but Luo Buqi's master was also a Nascent Soul cultivator. She didn't want to trouble her own master over something this irritating.
Seeing the intimacy between them, Luo Buqi's eyes turned red.
"Si Nanren! Let her go!"
"...."
Si Nanren's lips twitched violently.
"You've got the wrong person," he said flatly. "I'm Si Nanren."
Luo Buqi sneered. "Stop pretending. Besides Si Nanren—the man Wu Fengshu chased so desperately—who else would stand this close to her?"
Si Nanren: ...
This idiot really was stubborn beyond salvation.
"I say, fellow daoist whose brain screws came loose," Si Nidie said with a curl of her lip, "just how outdated is your information? Wu Fengshu stopped liking my brother ages ago. The person she likes now is Tan Sheng."
Luo Buqi froze.
He looked at Si Nanren.
The man's expression was utterly indifferent.
Then he looked at Tan Sheng—and instantly sensed overwhelming hostility.
Only then did realization finally hit him.
...He had actually mistaken the wrong person.