Back Mountain, Bamboo Forest.
Mao Nanbei lay across the Daoist nun's lap, her four paws slightly curled, her eyes already narrowed into slits.
It was clear that the woman's cat-petting skills were truly superb.
"So comfy, meow~"
Every few days, Mao Nanbei would sneak into the Bamboo Forest to launch another surprise attack. Who knew whether it was because children loved pranks, or because she secretly longed to be petted?
Perhaps it was both.
After the woman's slender fingers gave the Little Black Cat's ears another rub, today's cat-petting session officially came to an end.
Mao Nanbei sprawled on her lap and silently savored the lingering bliss for a while longer. Then, with a light hop, she jumped onto the woman's shoulder and draped half her body over it.
The Daoist nun was far too thin—thin to the point of looking somewhat frail.
Her shoulders were certainly nothing like Murong Yan's broad, fleshy shoulders. Mao Nanbei could only hang from them rather than lie on them.
Once perched on the woman's shoulder, the Little Black Cat began chattering away about the amusing things that had happened during her trip down the mountain.
Like the delicious food she had eaten, the fun things she had bought, how she had slain a Ghost King, and the entire process of meeting Lu Xun...
After monsters took human form, it was like being reborn. Her mind had not fully matured yet, so she spoke with a child's unrestrained innocence and dared to say anything.
When she mentioned how she had once wanted to take Lu Xun in as her pretty mount, the Daoist nun raised her pale hand, curled it into a fist, and lightly knocked Mao Nanbei on the head.
"Meow!" Mao Nanbei covered her forehead with her two little paws.
Mao Nanbei could not understand Second Senior Sister's sudden punishment. "I just thought he was handsome and wanted his body. It's not like I was going to do anything wicked, I..."
Before she could finish, her forehead was knocked again—three times in a row!
"Meow!" Mao Nanbei fell silent.
After sulking successfully for two minutes, she started chattering again.
The Daoist nun never spoke from beginning to end. Like the best possible listener, she simply listened in silence.
Mao Nanbei had long grown accustomed to this.
Second Senior Sister was cool and aloof. Before Master had taken her in as a disciple, she had truly been a Daoist nun.
She was the person who followed rules most closely, yet also the person least bound by them. She would only abide by rules she approved of; if she did not agree with them, they could not restrain her.
Thus, Mao Nanbei had once claimed that Second Senior Sister had said, "Rules are meant to be broken." In truth, Second Senior Sister had never said such a thing, but Mao Nanbei felt that it was what she had taught through both words and actions.
Of course, it could also be understood as a child shifting the blame.
Speaking of which, despite being so cool and aloof—and a Daoist nun at that—Second Senior Sister had an adorable name: Gu Xiaoman.
Xiaoman was the eighth of the twenty-four solar terms and the second solar term of summer. She had been born on that day, hence the name.
As mentioned before, Second Senior Sister disliked talking. Even when she did speak, she spoke especially slowly, with very strange pauses.
Because...
—she stuttered.
Meanwhile, at the Back Mountain Study, Ji Li, who was watching over Lu Xun, heard a knock at the door.
She was slightly stunned, finding the sound rather strange.
No one was allowed to enter or leave Back Mountain freely, and Mao Nanbei never knocked when she came in. So who could it be?
Ji Li rose and opened the door, only to feel her eyes light up.
The man standing before her was not much taller than she was. His head seemed to come with its own halo, like a light bulb.
Though it was her first time meeting him, Ji Li had long heard of Sect Master Shen Yan's distinctive appearance and immediately bowed.
She had just not expected the Sect Master to truly be as short as the rumors claimed.
"Rise. No need for such formalities." Shen Yan revealed what he believed was a kindly smile.
Unfortunately, his face was naturally quite fierce. Coupled with his bald head, it did not leave a particularly pleasant impression.
He thought his smile was warm, but to others, it looked more like a cruel grin.
"I came mainly to see how Little Martial Uncle's injuries are recovering." After saying this, Shen Yan walked to the bedside, swept Lu Xun's body with his Divine Sense, and nodded slightly.
He was recovering very well. As expected of my Top Grade Spirit Pill.
At that thought, the pain in his heart flared up again.
Then, he turned and gave Ji Li another kindly cruel smile.
He had come today specifically for Ji Li, hoping to leave a good impression on her.
Ji Li's talent had already become widely known throughout the Demon Sect. Eight ripples—throughout the entire Tian Chen Continent, that was a rarity. Even in the vast Demon Sect, there were only a few like her.
More importantly, her five elements were exceptionally pure. Her fire affinity was extremely high, while the other four were negligible.
People like her were ideal for cultivating fire-element techniques!
And Shen Yan was one of the strongest fire-element cultivators in the entire Tian Chen Continent!
He did somewhat want to take Ji Li as his disciple.
According to the Demon Sect's rules, when an Outer Sect Disciple advanced to become an Inner Sect Disciple, elders interested in the disciple could extend an invitation. If multiple people wanted the same disciple, the disciple would then choose among them.
Yes, it was remarkably like an immortal cultivation version of a talent show...
Logically speaking, Shen Yan was the Sect Master of the Demon Sect, and his cultivation was so profound that he should never have had trouble finding disciples.
But wasn't his appearance the result of cultivating his technique until not a single hair remained on his entire body?
When describing stinginess, people loved to use the phrase "an Iron Rooster that would not shed a feather," but Shen Yan was genuinely bald.
Though an accidental cultivation deviation in his youth had left him like this, it was still rather alarming for disciples to look at.
What if I suffer a cultivation deviation too?
The cultivators of Tian Chen Continent did not cultivate things like "severing emotion" or "cutting away mortal nature."
The character for "immortal" placed a person before a mountain. A person as lofty as a mountain was an immortal.
Immortals were still people, and people had seven emotions and six desires... Since that was the case, everyone still cared somewhat about their appearance.
Of course, that was not the main reason. The crucial point was that Shen Yan had proven through his actions that he was not a good teacher.
To this day, not one of his disciples had amounted to much.
The path of cultivation was rugged. Those stories where the male lead stumbled upon a technique and, without anyone teaching him, managed to cultivate it into The World's First were a bit far-fetched.
A good teacher's help on the path of cultivation was greater than one could imagine!
Though people said, "A master opens the door, cultivation depends on the individual," some masters led you through the front door. Others could not even find the door, and might even lead you astray!
And after you finally found the door yourself, they might kick you right back out!
Shen Yan was not quite that outrageous, but his teaching ability was truly terrible.
And he was stingy. The benefits for his disciples were abysmal!
In contrast, several Peak Lords were only slightly weaker than him, but were exceptionally skilled at teaching disciples and far more generous to them... That was awkward!
As time went on, Shen Yan began to worry.
The Demon Sect frequently held martial contests between disciples. Sometimes, he would lose face, so he desperately needed a beloved disciple who could uphold his reputation!
After all... I may have no hair, no eyebrows, not even eyelashes or nose hair, but I still have my pride!
On top of that, he had just given away a Top Grade Spirit Pill and was thinking of ways to make up for it when Ji Li came to mind.
This girl was said to have a close relationship with Little Martial Uncle?
Perfect!
She would definitely remember this favor!
Give away a spirit pill, gain a beloved disciple...
—this deal was no loss!
The new character "Gu Xiaoman" has been added to the character list. Waiting for your hearts~
Before you continue