Driving off dragons and serpents, but not mosquitoes

Inside the Jise Peak Patriarch Hall, Liu Sixteen looked up at the three portraits receiving Luopo Mountain's incense offerings, silent.

Chen Warm Tree brought over a bamboo incense holder and raised it in both hands. Liu Sixteen thanked her, bent down, and drew three incense sticks from it.

Zhou Mili told the burly man that if he grew tired later and needed to rest his feet, he could sit in her chair.

The black-clothed little girl pointed to a seat. A palm-sized slip of paper was stuck to its back, bearing the words "Right Guardian, Zhou Mili."

Liu Sixteen nodded.

Chen Warm Tree tugged Little Millet's sleeve, and they left the Patriarch Hall together, leaving Liu Sixteen alone inside.

They stepped out of the shrine's main entrance, then passed through the Patriarch Hall's outer gate. Sword Immortal Mi, wearing a long, elegantly plain blue-green gown, and Great Mountain Lord Wei, in a snow-white robe with gold rings hanging from his ears, stood side by side outside the gate, like fragrant orchids and jade trees growing together before the courtyard steps.

Mi Yu asked Wei Bo through his inner voice, "How did you know who he was? Lord Yin Guan never mentioned anything about this."

Wei Bo explained that before Teacher Bai had entered the Northern Yue Region, he had voluntarily announced himself to Piyun Mountain, saying, "Bai Ye and his friend Liu Sixteen have come to visit Luopo Mountain." Liu Sixteen had called himself half a senior brother to Chen Ping'an and said he had come to pay his respects to their teacher's portrait.

Mi Yu teased, "Does the mention of Bai Ye get you that excited, Brother Wei?"

Wei Bo smiled. "A Sword Immortal who isn't a sword cultivator—who wouldn't yearn to meet him?"

There were few people Wei