Qu Ping'er's astonished expression pleased him greatly. Liu Zhengguang said somewhat smugly, "My grandfather happened to obtain it some time ago when he wiped out a small demonic sect. Different grades of pill formulas inside were protected by different grades of restrictions. Laughable, really—the little demonic sect couldn't undo the restrictions, so they actually tossed it aside for all these years. Heh heh! My grandfather has already opened the first layer of restrictions. Some of the pill formulas inside truly are extraordinary."
Qu Ping'er frowned. "This is a sect war trophy, and such an important supreme treasure should by rights belong to the sect. Why would the Sect Master give it to you?" In truth, she was already wondering whether the Liu grandfather and grandson intended to keep this treasure for themselves.
"Of course it has to be handed over. Who would dare swallow it all for himself? Even if someone did, who could gather all the ingredients in the pill formulas by his own ability? But my grandfather said that whoever hands this over to the sect will earn a heaven-shaking merit. And my grandfather is already the Qingguang Sect Master, so..." Liu Zhengguang smiled meaningfully. Looking slowly at Qu Ping'er, he said, "So my grandfather said it ought to be me who presents it to the sect. Then this heaven-shaking merit will naturally fall upon me. The purpose of this trip was precisely to find a good reason to hand it over to the sect. Otherwise, if I never even left Qingguang Sect's gates and suddenly produced this item, it would only arouse suspicion."
Qu Ping'er was slightly startled. First, it was simply unbelievable that the dignified Qingguang Sect Master would do such a thing. Second, he had even told her a secret like this—wasn't he forcing her to submit to him?
Outside the door, Yue Qianchou had his ears pricked high. Anything that could make the Liu grandfather and grandson expend such effort was certainly no ordinary treasure. He had never expected to overhear this secret by accident. Yue Qianchou did not even dare breathe as he surveyed both ends of the corridor. Only after seeing that it remained quiet did he press his ear against the door again.
Had it not been for the indescribable special effect of the Golden Pearl, how could his cultivation have possibly allowed him to eavesdrop on Liu Zhengguang's conversation? He would have been discovered long ago.
"Though this merit is great, I am unwilling to enjoy it alone. As long as Junior Sister agrees to become my Dao companion and cultivate together with me, I am willing to give you half the credit. When we submit it, I will report to the sect that we discovered this treasure together. What do you think, Junior Sister?" Liu Zhengguang tossed out what he considered a very enticing condition.
Qu Ping'er was troubled. Ever since seeing Yue Qianchou downstairs, she had already abandoned all thought of dual cultivation with Liu Zhengguang. But now that Liu Zhengguang had told her everything, she feared she had no choice but to agree. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Junior Sister! I have treated you with such candor—can I not even move you?" Seeing that she was still hesitating, Liu Zhengguang's tone turned somewhat displeased, and his words already carried a threat.
Naturally, Qu Ping'er heard it too. Biting her lip, she smiled. "Senior Brother, such enormous merit has suddenly fallen upon me, and my mind is a little muddled. Could you let me have some peace and quiet? I will definitely give Senior Brother an answer tomorrow."
"Fine! Then I won't disturb Junior Sister's rest." Liu Zhengguang rose and answered readily. Qu Ping'er stood as well. "Take care, Senior Brother."
Liu Zhengguang gave a grunt. His gaze swept across her delicate, beautiful face and full breasts, then flicked toward the ivory bed in the room. He could already imagine Junior Sister moaning beneath him tomorrow. He did not believe she could refuse the temptation he had offered. Smiling, he walked out.
As soon as Liu Zhengguang returned to his room and shut the door, the door to the room next to Qu Ping'er's quietly opened.
Qu Ping'er sighed and was about to close her door when Yue Qianchou appeared before her with a mischievous grin. Her bright eyes immediately shone with delight. Before she could react, Yue Qianchou had already slipped sideways inside. As he passed her, he caught a faint, subtle fragrance and could not help taking a deep breath. Based on the experience of his previous life, he judged that Qu Ping'er was still untouched.
"Martial Uncle Yue!" After closing the door and sliding the bolt into place, Qu Ping'er suppressed her delight and bowed.
Yue Qianchou waved a hand and smiled. "No need for such formalities. We haven't seen each other in a long time." With that, he sat down without ceremony.
"Mm! It has already been a year since we parted at Qingguang Sect's Spirit Stone mine, Martial Uncle." Qu Ping'er spoke softly and sat down opposite him.
"Haha, those destined to meet will naturally meet. Look, haven't we met now?" Yue Qianchou laughed heartily.
"When I heard that Martial Uncle had been killed by the demonic path at the Spirit Stone mine, all of Qingguang Sect thought you had truly died. I never expected to encounter you here. Right! Since Martial Uncle is all right, why haven't you returned to Qingguang Sect?" Qu Ping'er naturally had to ask what was on her mind. As she spoke, she changed to a clean cup, poured tea into it, and set it before him.
"Fortunately, my fate is great and my life is tough. Otherwise, I truly would never have seen you again." Shaking his head with a sigh, Yue Qianchou picked up the teacup without ceremony and drained it in one gulp. "Return to Qingguang Sect? Hmph! If I had really returned to Qingguang Sect back then, I fear not even my bones could be found by now. Do you think the Sect Master, Wu Baoru, and the Elder Council would have let me go? Rather than lose my life, I might as well live happily outside as a free and unfettered Rogue Cultivator."
Qu Ping'er thought he was not wrong. If he had remained in Qingguang Sect, he truly might have come to no good end. After refilling his cup, she slowly asked, "Has Martial Uncle fared well during this past year of wandering outside?"
"So-so. I managed well enough."
Qu Ping'er gave an "oh" and looked at Yue Qianchou. She did not quite believe him. Among the Rogue Cultivators of the Cultivation World, how many could live well if their cultivation was not high and they lacked a sect's protection? He was still the same, shouldering every hardship alone. She only did not know when they might meet again after this parting. Thinking of this, she could not help asking, "Will Martial Uncle truly never return to Qingguang Sect?"
"I won't return. Uh..." Yue Qianchou suddenly asked, "You won't tell Qingguang Sect that I'm still alive, will you?"
Qu Ping'er paused, feeling as though someone had stabbed her heart with a needle. She immediately bit her lip hard, and only after a long while did she slowly say, "Is Qu Ping'er truly so unworthy of trust in Martial Uncle's eyes?"
Damn! I've hurt this girl's feelings. No, something feels strange. Could this girl have fallen for me?
Thinking it over, he felt he had not judged wrongly. Wild joy rose in his heart, and he quietly formed a plan. He no longer dared say anything to upset Qu Ping'er and hurriedly changed the subject. "Since I have already left Qingguang Sect, don't call me Martial Uncle anymore. From now on, just call me by my name. Let's be friends! Oh, right—can I call you Ping'er from now on?" As he spoke, he emptied the tea before him into his stomach.
Ping'er! What an intimate form of address.
With those words alone, the resentment on Qu Ping'er's face vanished without a trace. Her eyes brimmed with tender affection as she gazed at Yue Qianchou and nodded with a soft "mm." Then she rose with the teapot in hand and refilled the cup across from her.
Yue Qianchou was now one hundred percent certain that Qu Ping'er truly had feelings for him. He raised a hand and rubbed his nose, a faint smile flashing across his face. Suddenly, he reached out and seized the jade-like hand pouring tea. He could clearly feel her palm stiffen, yet she did not pull away and allowed him to hold it.
What is he going to do? Qu Ping'er's face flushed crimson, her heart thumping wildly. She no longer dared look directly at him.
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