Lin Qi knew when to stop and said with a smile, "You called me Senior Sister, after all. I can't just stand by and watch you starve to death."
As she spoke, she took two flatbreads from her pocket.
The moment Luo Ci saw the dry flatbreads, his expression twisted slightly. "Is this all there is?"
Lin Qi raised an eyebrow. "I forgot that Junior Brother comes from the Southern Continent Luo Family, dressed in silk and fed on delicacies since childhood. You've probably never even seen flatbreads this poor."
"But we're cultivators now. As long as they fill our stomachs, that's enough. Don't fuss over such appetites."
"I'm not fussing!"
Luo Ci puffed out his chest, eager to refute her.
He took out two low-grade Spirit Stones from his pocket. "Here. I'm not taking advantage of you either—I'll buy them with Spirit Stones!"
Lin Qi stared at Luo Ci with her clear black-and-white eyes until he became embarrassed and angry.
"Are you selling them or not?!"
"Selling!" Lin Qi answered briskly.
She had originally intended to give them to Luo Ci.
They were flatbreads bought for two copper coins. It wasn't as if she couldn't afford to give them away.
But her Third Junior Brother cared too much about his pride and was practically rushing to be a sucker, so she could only grant his wish.
She just wondered whether Luo Ci would be furious enough to cough up blood once he learned the flatbreads' true price.
A disciple of the Southern Continent Luo Family probably wouldn't be short of a few Spirit Stones anyway.
The two completed the transaction readily.
After taking the two Spirit Stones, Lin Qi felt a tiny pang of guilt and "kindly" reminded Luo Ci.
"Junior Brother, you should hurry and achieve Qi Induction these next few days. There's no food on Zonglei Peak, and there's only one path down the mountain—the Stone Steps. If you can only climb, going down and coming back up will take half a day."
After saying that, Lin Qi shut the door, leaving Luo Ci alone with the two flatbreads, frozen where he stood.
The last wisp of red light vanished from the horizon, swallowed by the heavy darkness.
The night breeze drifted past, making Luo Ci look somewhat lonely and pitiable.
Feeling pleased with herself, Lin Qi took her sword and headed to the backyard to practice.
Sometimes, people really couldn't be too smug, or joy would turn into sorrow all too easily.
Lin Qi had been far too smug. Her spirits soared as she practiced her sword, and with a twist of her wrist, she was about to form a flourish.
But she failed to control her strength, and the wooden sword came down squarely toward that patch of purple flowers.
The instant the wooden sword touched the flowers, she immediately sensed danger.
But it was already too late.
Dense lightning wrapped around the wooden sword, instantly coiling around Lin Qi's wrist and spreading through her entire body.
Within a few breaths, Lin Qi's entire body convulsed from the shock, and the wooden sword in her hand turned to black ash in an instant.
Luo Ci, who was about to leave from the entrance, suddenly sensed a dangerous aura coming from Lin Qi's backyard. Without a second thought, he kicked open the gate and rushed straight into the backyard.
Seeing Lin Qi's body twitching from the electricity, he shouted, "Watch out!"
He threw out a handkerchief wound with golden threads. It instantly enlarged and blocked Lin Qi, cutting off the unceasing current of lightning.
Lin Qi fell stiffly to the ground, twitching from time to time, her cheeks looking as though someone had smeared them with charcoal.
Luo Ci had originally wanted to check on Lin Qi out of kindness, but when he saw her like this, he could not help bursting into laughter.
Even as he laughed, he asked, "Second Senior Sister, are you alright?"
Lin Qi stubbornly wiped her face and said with feigned calm, "I'm fine!"
She struggled to get up from the ground. Catching sight of the purple flowers, she instinctively backed away several steps.
"Thank you, Junior Brother, for coming to my aid. I will surely repay today's kindness another day!"
Luo Ci waved his hand generously. "No need. It was just a simple effort, not worth mentioning. Senior Sister only needs to be more careful in the future."
Watching him grin so widely that his Ya were hidden from sight, Lin Qi inexplicably felt her hands itch.
Suppressing the urge, she humbly asked for guidance.
"Junior Brother, do you know what kind of flowers these are? Why did Master leave such a dangerous patch of flowers in my backyard?"
Luo Ci lifted his small chin and spoke confidently. "These are Thunder Snake Flowers. They usually look gentle and harmless, but once attacked, they automatically release lightning to defend themselves."
As he spoke, an inexplicable sourness rose in him.
"This must have been specially arranged by Master. You have a lightning spiritual root, and planting Thunder Snake Flowers in your courtyard helps with cultivation. Master really has thought things through for you."
Lin Qi heard the jealousy in his words. Considering that Luo Ci had just saved her, she finally found it in herself to say something pleasant.
"Junior Brother, there's no need to envy me. Master has always treated everyone equally. Since Master arranged Thunder Snake Flowers for me, Master must have made plans for you as well."
Sure enough, the sourness on Luo Ci's face instantly faded after Lin Qi said this, replaced by a somewhat foolish grin.
"My backyard has a patch of Swift Wind Grass. Master said that once I can move freely atop the Swift Wind Grass, my movement technique will reach minor accomplishment!"
Thinking that he was still only a child of a few years old, Lin Qi suddenly found him much less annoying.
"Then I wish Junior Brother an early minor accomplishment in your movement technique."
Lin Qi pondered it. These Thunder Snake Flowers looked quite extraordinary. Could it be that True Monarch Qingyun had forgotten to remind her?
Before she could figure it out, she saw Luo Ci looking awkward and hesitant, as if he wanted to speak but held himself back.
She sighed and took the initiative to ask, "Junior Brother, what do you want to say?"
Luo Ci hemmed and hawed before speaking. "Will Senior Sister also be going down the mountain to eat tomorrow?"
Lin Qi fixed Luo Ci with her bright dark eyes and bluntly asked, "You want to go with me?"
Under her burning gaze, Luo Ci nodded.
"I'm new here and unfamiliar with the place. Going with Senior Sister would at least give me some company."
It was only because Lin Qi had struck Luo Ci down again and again that he could now completely recognize reality and make this invitation to her.
Although Elder Lu had been sent to Chaotic Wind Cliff, the Marketplace was still his territory.
Lin Qi had no desire to set foot in that territory again anytime soon. If she wanted to fill her stomach, she could only go to Tianyi Peak.
After what had happened today, Lin Qi had more or less understood Luo Ci's personality.
He was not a bad person. He had simply been pampered too much at home and did not know how to communicate with people normally.
Just as Senior Sister Yuan Xi had said, they were fellow disciples. They had plenty of days ahead to spend together, so there was no need to be so sharply opposed.
"Alright!" Lin Qi agreed calmly.
When Lin Qi did not answer for so long, Luo Ci had thought she would refuse without hesitation. He had already prepared himself mentally, yet Lin Qi had actually agreed.
Why did he feel so flattered?
After agreeing on a time, Luo Ci prepared to return to his own courtyard.
But Lin Qi suddenly called out to him and silently took two rice balls from her money pouch, handing them over.
"Ahem, a thank-you gift!"
For some reason, Lin Qi saw a trace of resentment in Luo Ci's clear black-and-white eyes.
Lin Qi lifted her chin and explained righteously, "Junior Brother, if you hadn't looked down on me on the first day and falsely accused me of secretly learning your swordsmanship, I wouldn't have kept things from you."
"Do you understand?" She deliberately raised an eyebrow at Luo Ci.
Luo Ci: "..."
After being battered by reality time and again, Luo Ci had matured quite a bit in just a few days.
He clasped his hands toward Lin Qi gloomily. "Thank you, Second Senior Sister, for letting bygones be bygones. I was too frivolous."
Lin Qi waved her hand generously. "It's fine, it's fine. I also have you to thank for saving me today. From now on, all favors and grievances are wiped clean with one stroke. We'll still be good senior sister and junior brother."
Before you continue