Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations

Ruan Mingzhu left Qin Xi's Immortal's Cave in silence then flew back to Shangqing Palace, still without saying anything.

At that point, there was nothing left to be said. Saying anything further was just pointless.

Right after she left, Ye Zhenji hurriedly rushed into the cultivating room. "Master!"

Qin Xi was still sitting crossed-legged, maintaining his cultivating posture. He didn't even open his eyes when he spoke: "Have you heard enough?"

Ye Zhenji scratched his head and chuckled mischievously. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I just happened to be looking after Xiaohuo…"

"I didn't say you were eavesdropping." Qin Xi finally opened his eyes. He threw a faint glance at Ye Zhenji then cast his eyes down. "What are you feeling guilty for?"

"I…" Ye Zhenji had no answer to that, so he could only go over and say, "Master, who's she? Why did she call you 'senior martial brother'? After you, didn't grandmaster only accept my aunt as his disciple?"

Qin Xi said, "She's your Martial Uncle Qingyuan's daughter, Ruan Mingzhu. According to reason, you ought to call her 'senior martial sister'." After he said this, he raised his gaze and fixed it on Ye Zhenji. "What else do you want to know? Just ask directly—no need to beat around the bush."

"Well… I want to know what's going on with this senior martial sister. Does she like you? What has she done? Why isn't grandmaster allowing her to come back?"

This barrage of questions made Qin Xi silent for quite a while.

Ye Zhenji waited, but because he still didn't get any response, he called out again: "Master?"

Qin Xi stopped his wandering thoughts then said slowly, "Mingzhu… was my childhood playmate. When I was brought to Mount Taikang by your grandmaster, I was only about eight years old while Mingzhu was about five or six years old. Her father—your Martial Uncle Qingyuan—had just fallen, so your grandmaster took pity on her and kept her by his side. The Mingzhu then was a very adorable little girl. I had an introverted temper; I didn't like to interact with others… Afraid that I'd get lonely, Mingzhu always made me play with her, and I… I also always treated her as my little sister…"

"Because of Senior Martial Brother Qingyuan, my master always treated Mingzhu better than he treated me. Master's requirements towards me were very high, but he granted Mingzhu's every request. Whatever Mingzhu asked, master would give it to her. I don't know when it first started, but Mingzhu gradually changed. We grew up and built our foundation, but Mingzhu started to become very unreasonable, overbearing, and paranoid. After I built my foundation, I often left and during the rare times I returned to the mountain, I was always in Closed Door Meditation to cultivate. I had no idea her character had become so horrible."

"I later formed my Gold Core. Master gave me a separate Immortal's Cave, so I moved out of Shangqing Palace. At that time, I was still too young. I wholeheartedly immersed myself in cultivating, so I simply didn't want to accept any disciples. If there were any ch.o.r.es to do, I'd pick a few people from among my senior martial siblings' disciples to carry them out. I don't know what happened with Mingzhu, but she always made things hard for those disciples. Sometimes if I happened to see it, I'd tell her off. She complied with what I said to my face, but she'd covertly become even more severe the next time. After that happened several times, I gradually began to dislike her…"

At that point, Ye Zhenji couldn't help but interrupt him: "Master, at that time, did you know senior martial sister liked you?"

Such an outright question made Qin Xi look up and give him a death glare. "Do you still remember I'm your master?"

Ye Zhenji let out some chuckles then said, "Master, I'm just telling the truth. Anyone with eyes can definitely see that Senior Martial Sister Ruan likes you. You don't have to feel embarra.s.sed."

A wrinkle emerged on Qin Xi's brows. "Boy, why are you so talkative—who have you learned this from? From what I remember, your aunt doesn't really like to talk."

Ye Zhenji said, "It's precisely because aunt and master don't like to talk that I have to talk a lot. Otherwise, how boring would life be?" The conversation was then redirected back to the original topic. "Master, did you know or not in the end?"

Being pestered until he had no way out, Qin Xi could only answer his question: "I didn't, at first. Later, I heard her talking to someone and finally found out about this matter."

"Then, Master, how did you react back then?"

"Did I have to react?" Qin Xi said indifferently, "Since I'll never reciprocate her feelings, naturally, I just acted as if I didn't know."

"…" Ye Zhenji stared at Qin Xi's face and examined it for a good while before he finally spoke: "Master, anyone who likes you is indeed unlucky."

Qin Xi's expression remained indifferent. "Even if they're unlucky, it has nothing to do with me. Are you done asking now?"

"Not yet!" Ye Zhenji immediately exclaimed. "Master, then why hasn't Senior Martial Sister Ruan been here these past sixty years? What person-injuring crime is she guilty of?"

Faced with these incessant questions, Qin Xi could only heave a long sigh. If it was anyone else, he definitely wouldn't have answered; he'd have driven them away and been done with that. Unfortunately, this was his disciple, and his only disciple at that. This matter made him wonder—had he been too good to Zhenji? Too good that this boy didn't respect their master-disciple relations.h.i.+p?

Although he was pondering in his mind, he still answered: "At that time, one of your Grandmaster Xuanyin's female disciples was working in my Immortal's Cave. Mingzhu felt jealous of her; she took advantage of a moment when I wasn't present to attack that disciple, injuring her heavily. Killing of fellow disciples was originally severely prohibited according to the school's rules, and the reason was also something so trivial… In his anger, your grandmaster personally punished Mingzhu. Nevertheless, Mingzhu stubbornly refused to repent, so your grandmaster ordered her to leave Mount Taikang for a remote branch courtyard and to never come back unless she was summoned." After he finished, Qin Xi once again threw a strict glance to Ye Zhenji. "Even though you've just been told all this, you mustn't spread news of this around."

Ye Zhenji immediately pledged: "Of course! I've always acted according to Master's wishes." Right when he said that, a fiery red spiritual beast quietly stepped into the room.

"Ah, Xiaohuo!" Ye Zhenji brought it into his embrace."Weren't you making a realm-breakthrough? Why are you still in the third rank?"

Xiaohuo made a few squeaking noises in reply. Qin Xi took a look at it then said, "It failed to advance." Making a realm-breakthrough wasn't easy, not even after Xiaohuo took a lot of medicinal pills these past years.

Ye Zhenji's eyes moved quickly. A split second later, he said, "Master, since Xiaohuo finished its attempt at making a realm-breakthrough, can I go and take it back?"

"En." Qin Xi closed his eyes again, a.s.suming a posture of continual cultivation. "Go quickly if you want."

Ye Zhenji said nothing further. He left the Immortal's Cave and went towards Shangqing Palace with Xiaohuo in his arms. His mouth was muttering: "I definitely have to tell such interesting matters to Auntie!"

Unfortunately, by the time he took Xiaohuo back and animatedly described the story, Mo Tiange simply replied with a short sentence: "I know."

Ye Zhenji's eyes widened. "Huh? Auntie, how did you know?"

Mo Tiange stared at him amusedly: "Have you forgotten? At Shangqing Palace, there are sixteen female busybodies?"

"Oh…" Ye Zhenji scratched his head. "Reasonable though… Xiuqin and the others feel very bored every day; they must've long asked around about this."

Mo Tiange looked down, staring at Xiaohuo in her embrace. She said with a hint of astonishment, "This is Xiaohuo? Did it become like this after it advanced?" The original Xiaohuo didn't have such beautiful fur, but now, which part of it still resembled other Inferno Beasts in Kunwu?

Ye Zhenji said, "I don't know what happened. When Xiaohuo advanced to the third rank, it seemed as if it transformed into another kind of spiritual beast. Master said that maybe a mutation had occurred."

"Mutation?"

"En." Ye Zhenji seemed like he also didn't really understand what happened. "Master said Xiaohuo might've eaten something, so its const.i.tution is different from other common Inferno Beasts. As for others, I'm not too clear about them either."

Mo Tiange sank into contemplation. In the beginning, she always tossed Xiaohuo into the Virtual Sky World—it must've eaten some random spiritual plants, hence its mutation.

"Zizi!" Squeaking noises suddenly rang out; a ball of golden fur ran over from the gate of Mingxin Residence. Upon seeing the red fur in Mo Tiange's hands, it immediately quickened its steps, ran over then took a leap, trying to reclaim its position.

Mo Tiange reached out, holding Feifei in her other arm so that it wouldn't flatten Xiaohuo.

Xiaohuo finally noticed this golden colored dumpling. In an instant, it stood up in Mo Tiange's embrace; its eyes widened.

Ye Zhenji, who witnessed this, exclaimed: "Auntie, what is this?"

"This is Feifei." The two beasts looked at each other curiously at first, but then, Xiaohuo took a step forward in its attempt to claim a wider territory. Feifei, who saw this, wasn't to be outdone. It also stood up in Mo Tiange's embrace.

The two spiritual beasts, one red and one gold, glared and scrutinized each other without even a sliver of friendliness.

"Hey? Are they going to fight?"

Ye Zhenji, who was excitedly looking forward to seeing the two spiritual beasts fighting each other, immediately received a glare from Mo Tiange.

Xiaohuo was glaring at Feifei in the beginning, but after glaring for a while—maybe it sensed its cultivation level was higher than its opponent, so it shouldn't lose its dignity like that—it held its head high and leaped down from Mo Tiange's embrace. It then went straight to Feifei and squeaked "wuwu" a few times.

Upon seeing Xiaohuo voluntarily leaping down, Feifei was delighted. However, after seeing Xiaohuo's provocative look, it finally understood what was going on and also glared at Xiaohuo.

Xiaohuo extended its claws then scratched the air, seemingly threatening Feifei.

Feifei glared at Xiahuo for a while before it also leaped down from Mo Tiange's embrace and stood opposite Xiaohuo.

The two spiritual beasts glared at each other then began to circle each other as if they were trying to decide which part of their opponent they should bite first.

Ye Zhenji, who had now become extremely excited from watching this fight unfolding, asked, "Auntie, is this also your spiritual beast? What kind of skills does it have? Can it beat Xiaohuo?"

Mo Tiange was just debating whether she should stop the fight or not as their master when she heard Ye Zhenji's question. She took a moment to think of an answer. "Feifei's abilities are special. I haven't seen it fight before…" At Bixuan Court, she heard that Feifeis didn't have any combat power, but they did have a very odd ability. Demonic beasts, no matter what kind of demonic beast they were, would never take the initiative to attack them.

Right now, however, Xiaohuo was obviously provoking Feifei. How would Feifei react then? There was also Xiaohuo—after advancing to the third rank and going through a mutation, it ought to have a special ability, right?

The two spiritual beasts had no idea that their unscrupulous master actually wanted to see them fight each other. After circling each other for a while, Xiahuo finally made the first move. It spouted Sun Real Fire from its mouth, trying to burn the golden fur on Feifei's whole body.

If this fire managed to land on Feifei, the golden fur on Feifei's whole body would definitely turn into charcoal. After all, this was Sun Real Fire, which could be used to purify all kinds of spiritual plants and spiritual objects—there were very few things it couldn't burn.

Nevertheless, Feifei agilely leapt up and avoided Sun Real Fire. It then squeaked and raised its paws, emitting a misty beam of light which shone onto Xiaohuo's head.

Soon afterward, Xiaohuo stopped using its magic. Its head gradually drooped lower, and its gaze began to look empty…

Ye Zhenji said with surprise: "Bewitching Technique?"

Hearing his voice instantly roused Xiaohuo from its muddle-headed state. It let out a low, angry roar towards Feifei then waved its paws, sending another round of Sun Real Fire towards Feifei.

Feifei was startled. It raised its head to quickly glance at Ye Zhenji then it turned around and ran away.

The two spiritual beasts, one in the front and one in the back, started to play chase in the courtyard. From the front of the house to the back of the house, water was splashed all around the ground, and the medicinal fields were a complete mess from being trampled on.

"Auntie!" Upon seeing this scene, Ye Zhenji hurriedly exclaimed: "Spiritual plants! The spiritual plants are crushed!"

But Mo Tiange was still watching with great interest. "If they're crushed, then they're crushed."

The current Xiaohuo was obviously much fiercer compared to how it was before. On the other hand, although Feifei's cultivation level was inferior to Xiaohuo's, its magic, which was similar to the Bewitching Technique, was quite special.