Seeing Kong Hou come over, Qiushuang smiled and pulled her to sit beside her: “This child has always been spoiled by us. The older she gets, the less proper she becomes.”

Five spiritual roots talent, Foundation Establishment at fourteen years old—this was called improper?

Shuangqing gritted his teeth and forced a smile: “Kong Hou Xianzi’s talent—in the entire cultivation world, few can match it. It’s because Elder you are too strict in your requirements.”

The word “strict” carried a few more hints of mockery than “demanding.” It seemed Shuangqing Zhenren minded the matter of failing to join Yunhua Sect back then very much, otherwise he wouldn’t have used this word. She secretly glanced at Elder Qiushuang, who still had that aloof and lazy appearance, seeming not to care at all about what Shuangqing said.

Of course, as a great power whose cultivation ranked in the top ten of the entire cultivation world, Elder Qiushuang had the confidence to act this way.

Zhou Xiao, sitting beside Shuangqing, hadn’t yet detected the emotion in Shuangqing’s words and showed Kong Hou an honest smile. Kong Hou nodded slightly at him and stood up to refill tea for Qiushuang and Shuangqing.

Shuangqing had envisioned Qiushuang having various reactions, but he hadn’t expected Qiushuang to have no reaction at all, as if all his years of hard work and struggle were flowers in a mirror, moon in water—completely useless. Angered, he picked up the tea cup and poured it into his mouth, but unexpectedly the tea was so hot it hurt his tongue. However, to avoid losing face, he forced himself to swallow it down without even frowning once.

In front of Qiushuang, he was too embarrassed to use minor techniques to heal himself and still had to appear calm and composed.

Qiushuang glanced at him. Her hand painted with red nail lacquer turned over, and a bottle of emerald green pills appeared in her palm. She placed the medicine before Shuangqing. “Don’t hold it in. The water for brewing tea was taken from Yunhua Mountain’s spiritual spring and is different from ordinary water. After being scalded, if you don’t have our Yunhua Mountain’s special medicine, who knows how long it will take to heal completely.”

Seeing this medicine bottle, Shuangqing’s face immediately turned flushed red. His lips trembled, and after a long while he said: “Elder Qiushuang truly perceives everything clearly and can see through anything.”

“Do you know why I was unwilling to let you enter Yunhua Sect back then?” Seeing him not take the medicine bottle, Elder Qiushuang didn’t mind and continued: “You were diligent and ambitious, and your aptitude was quite good—more than sufficient to be a disciple of my Yunhua Sect. But Yunhua Sect’s disciples mostly have free-spirited personalities, laughing and scolding without restraint. Such an atmosphere wasn’t suitable for you. If I had kept you back then out of selfishness, it would have buried your talents.”

Not only was Shuangqing unsuitable for Yunhua Sect, but Yunhua Sect was equally unsuitable for Shuangqing. For someone who valued propriety and self-discipline, staying at Yunhua Sect for a while would be fine, but staying long-term might drive the person mad.

“So it wasn’t that you despised me as unworthy of Yunhua Sect?” The mental knot that had coiled in his heart for many years was spoken of so lightly by Qiushuang, making all his years of persistence seem ridiculous.

He pushed away the tea cup and medicine bottle before him and turned to leave.

“Being diligent and ambitious, unrestrained and casual, good at strategy, and broad-minded are all advantages, with no hierarchy among them.” Qiushuang picked up her tea and took a gentle sip, not attempting to keep Shuangqing. “I have never looked down on you even a little. Now you are the sect master of Yuanji Sect. Looking across the entire cultivation world, others would only say our Yunhua Sect lacked discernment, and wouldn’t say half a word against you. Let go of those matters from back then.”

Shuangqing’s feet paused. After a long while, he turned to look at Qiushuang and said with a cold laugh: “Elder Qiushuang is overthinking it. I am now a sect master and have no energy to dwell on matters from back then.”

Qiushuang turned the tea cup in her hand, half-smiling: “That’s good then. Kong Hou, go see Sect Master Shuangqing off.”

“Yes.” Kong Hou walked behind Shuangqing, bowed and raised her hand: “Sect Master, please.”

“Kong Hou Xianzi is your noble sect’s five spiritual roots genius. This lowly one’s words carry little weight and cannot deserve the word ‘please’ from Xianzi.” Shuangqing flung his sleeves and left, not even stepping on the spiritual bridge Qiushuang had created with spiritual energy. He directly flew through the air back to Yuanji Sect’s flying vessel.

Zhou Xiao’s expression was somewhat awkward. He cupped his hands and bowed to Kong Hou: “Please don’t mind, Xianzi. Master didn’t mean to target you. This lowly one takes his leave.”

“Take care.” Kong Hou smiled, not taking Shuangqing’s actions to heart.

As he turned to leave, Zhou Xiao saw a man in white robes and green shirt standing not far away. Wasn’t that… Huan Zong Zhenren of Liuguang Sect? Why would he be on Yunhua Sect’s flying palace? He had long heard that in the past year or two, Yunhua Sect and Liuguang Sect had close relations, but he hadn’t expected that for such an important exchange meeting, Liuguang Sect’s direct disciple would still be staying with Yunhua Sect.

Without time for further thought, he cupped his hands toward Huan Zong in the distance, then turned and bowed to Qiushuang before returning to the flying vessel: “Master…”

“Shut up!” Shuangqing glared at him. “Let’s go!”

“It’s quite lively here.” A woman’s laughter came through the wind. This laughter seemed to surge from all directions, making it impossible to find the source.

Shuangqing looked around and said to the disciples around him: “All of you go inside the rooms.”

“I just arrived, and you’re all going to hide? Is my voice not pleasant to hear, or am I not beautiful enough?” The woman’s voice laughed even more seductively, carrying an enchanting flavor. “With this kind of courage, you can still be a sect master? It seems the cultivation world has declined and can’t find a few capable people.”

“Enough. You’re just a fox that’s lived a thousand years—who are you putting on this act for?” Qiushuang slapped the table, and the tea cup in her hand was thrown out. The dense clouds to the front left suddenly dispersed, revealing a seductive woman reclining on a lotus cushion behind the clouds.

The lotus seat was originally a flying magical tool favored by Buddhism, representing purity, transcendence, and compassion. Yet this fox demon had refined such a tool—who knew whether she was deliberately embarrassing Buddhist cultivators or simply thought this kind of flying magical tool looked good.

“I wondered whose words were so bitter—turns out it’s a woman.” The seductive woman sat up from the lotus seat and tossed back the hair by her temples. “You righteous female cultivators are clearly jealous of my beauty, yet you insist on acting righteous and proper. How hypocritically nauseating.”

“Miss.” Kong Hou coughed lightly. “Confidence is an advantage, but being too conceited is not good. Anyone with eyes can see that our Elder Qiushuang is prettier than you. However, we righteous cultivators have always been magnanimous and tolerant. If you feel that having the Elder be jealous of you would make you a bit happier, then we can fulfill your wish.”

“Where did this little girl come from? When this seat is speaking, how dare you interrupt?” The seductive female demon flipped her hand and struck with a palm through the air. Enormous demonic energy rushed forth rapidly. The round fan in Qiushuang’s hand waved once and completely destroyed the demonic energy. She slowly stood up. “Kong Hou, my little grand-disciple, do you like fox fur cloaks? Shall I make one for you?”

“Elder, fox fur has quite a strong smell. This junior doesn’t like it.” Kong Hou said with a smile. “You are magnanimous and generous. Why bother calculating with a mere beast?”

Qiushuang waved her fan, half-smiling: “What you say makes sense.” After speaking, she glanced at Huan Zong, who had just flashed to Kong Hou’s side, and raised her eyebrows slightly without asking further.

She had lived to such a great age and cultivated to such a high level, her appearance still that of a twenty-year-old, precisely because she didn’t love meddling in others’ affairs.

Zhou Xiao swallowed and looked at Shuangqing with lingering fear, saying in a low voice: “Master, Elder Qiushuang and Kong Hou Xianzi were quite polite to us earlier.” This exchange of insults without using dirty words—if used on Master, Master might have already been angered enough to jump off the flying palace.

Shuangqing’s expression changed repeatedly. After glaring at Zhou Xiao once, he said nothing.

The seductive woman had been struck by Qiushuang’s fan blow until she looked disheveled, her hairpins and ornaments scattered. She could no longer maintain that lazy, sensual posture. She picked up her magical treasure and stood up. Just as she was about to activate it, her gaze fell on Huan Zong beside Kong Hou.

“It’s you.” Her eyes looked at Huan Zong with what seemed both resentment and hatred, then she suddenly smiled. “What a stroke of luck—I didn’t expect you would actually be here. Zhong Xi, a hundred years ago you gave me humiliation. Today I will return it to you twofold.”

Zhong Xi?!

The cultivators who didn’t yet know Huan Zong’s true identity looked at Huan Zong in shock. He was actually Zhong Xi Zhenren?

“Oh my goodness gracious.” Jin Ling, who had been hiding in a corner without showing herself, couldn’t help but stick her head out and steal a few glances at Huan Zong upon hearing the name Zhong Xi, sighing repeatedly. If she had known earlier he was Zhong Xi Zhenren, even if he didn’t know how to manage household affairs and fed his horse with spiritual grass worth several hundred spirit stones per stalk, she wouldn’t have minded!

That figure, those legs, that temperament—truly different from ordinary sword cultivators. Worthy of being Zhong Xi Zhenren indeed.

However, Kong Hou detected a different flavor in the female demon’s tone. She turned to glance at Huan Zong. Huan Zong hurriedly explained: “I don’t know her!”

“Don’t know me?” The female demon’s smile grew colder. “Back then in the secret realm, I followed you the whole way. What did you do afterward? You saw me fall into the cold pond, yet you turned and left. I’ve never seen such a heartless man in my entire life.”

Huan Zong had no impression of the matter the female demon spoke of. He said expressionlessly: “I have no impression of this matter. Given your cultivation level at the time, even if you fell into a cold pond, you could climb out yourself. Why would you need others’ help?”

“Tsk.” Linghui, listening to the excitement on the side, couldn’t help saying to Wu Chuan: “Senior Martial Brother Wu Chuan, I finally know why Zhong Xi Zhenren looks so good and has such high cultivation, yet still doesn’t have a dao companion. Seeing a beauty fall into water, he could leave without hesitation—such determination is beyond our reach.”

Wu Chuan looked at her, wanting to speak but stopping, ultimately choosing silence.

No, actually Zhong Xi Zhenren is no longer single—the one who saved him is our little junior martial sister.

“Good, good, good.” The female demon was so angry she said the word “good” three times in a row. “A hundred years ago, in the Western Mountain secret realm, do you truly not remember?”

Huan Zong frowned: “You’re that demon creature who followed me back then, attempting to seize the secret treasure? I pitied you because cultivation wasn’t easy and spared your life, yet you harbor resentment?” He spread his hand, and the Longyin Sword instantly entered his palm.

This evil demon’s body was filled with murderous energy—who knew how many lives she had taken on. Better to eliminate her as soon as possible.

The cultivators: …

For a moment, they didn’t know whether to pity the female demon or pity Zhong Xi Zhenren.

Jin Ling, crouching in the corner, shook her head upon hearing this. No, no—even if it’s Zhong Xi Zhenren, being so unromantic and clueless is unbearable.

“Perhaps what she had her eye on wasn’t the secret treasure, but you as a person.” Kong Hou said softly in Huan Zong’s ear. “Who told you to look so good, Huan Zong?”

“You’re right. This demon cultivator’s body has thick blood energy—she must have the habit of eating people.” Huan Zong said with a cold face. “I shouldn’t have let her go back then.”

“Back then you were merely a cultivator with only two hundred years of cultivation—you thought you could kill me?” The female demon sneered. “Zhong Xi, today I will dig out your heart and see what it looks like…”

“Wait!” Kong Hou interrupted the female demon’s words. “Miss, do you think you alone can defeat all of us?”

“Ridiculous. Who said I’m alone?” The female demon slightly raised her hand, and countless evil cultivators emerged from the thick fog behind her. “With me here, don’t think about reaching Liuguang Sect.”

Kong Hou couldn’t help but turn her head and cover her face. She finally understood why demon women easily fell for disciples of righteous sects.

These evil cultivators truly looked quite random.

—

**Author’s Note:** Melon-eating crowd: Men who don’t understand romance, no matter how good-looking, won’t do.