"Motherly Love, Filial Piety"

Luo Ci's eyes indeed welled up with tears from the provocation.

Lin Qi began to employ a soft-spoken approach again.

"Junior Brother, do you know what your biggest problem was today?"

After being provoked, Luo Ci actually didn't want to pay attention to Lin Qi, but he couldn't help but feel curious.

He awkwardly leaned closer and said in a husky voice, "What?!"

"You were too impulsive! As soon as you encountered someone, you acted without restraint, without thinking things through, which is why you fell into that ridiculous trap!"

The first two sentences were fine, but the last one sent Luo Ci's anger through the roof, and he immediately decided to cut ties.

"Second Senior Sister, you're so infuriating! I'm going to break off all contact with you for three days!"

After speaking, he turned to Senior Sister Yuan Xi to complain, "Eldest Senior Sister, Second Senior Sister is bullying me too much!"

Tears of grievance welled up in his eyes.

Senior Sister Yuan Xi, with her gentle nature, didn't indulge Luo Ci this time.

She spoke in a soft tone, "Third Junior Brother, you shouldn't be flustered or impatient when facing matters. Fortunately, Master doesn't know about today's events, otherwise, you'd likely face considerable hardship."

Although True Monarch Qingyun was gentle, she never held back when training her disciples. Luo Ci probably understood this best over the past month.

Luo Ci immediately hung his head, his voice weak, "Eldest Senior Sister, I know I was wrong!"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi calmly took a Memory Stone from her bosom. "The Memory Stone recorded your performance during the fight today. You can watch it a few times and see where you fell short, striving to improve next time."

Luo Ci stared blankly at the person frantically slashing wildly in the Memory Stone and exclaimed in disbelief, "Is that really me?!"

Yuan Xi and Lin Qi watched him with smiling silence.

Who doesn't know their own capabilities?

Lin Qi touched her chin and sighed, "Master said before that Junior Brother has a natural 'lucky body' that allows him to turn misfortune into fortune and danger into safety at critical moments. Now I've witnessed it firsthand."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi glanced at Lin Qi and asked with a smile, "What scheme are you hatching now?"

"Not at all!"

Lin Qi quickly retorted, "I was just thinking that in the future, no matter where we go, we can't leave Third Junior Brother behind."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi nodded seriously, "What you said does have some merit."

Luo Ci, feeling wronged, looked up at Lin Qi and then at Senior Sister Yuan Xi, suddenly feeling that the world was not very friendly.

As they neared Luo City, Luo Ci should have been feeling increasingly relaxed and at ease.

Unfortunately, due to that embarrassing fight, he spent the entire time rewatching the Memory Stone, and also had the chance to watch the Memory Stone recording of Lin Qi fighting the Grey-robed Daoist countless times.

The stark contrast repeatedly provoked Luo Ci, and his impatience completely dissipated.

Without Lin Qi's intentional or unintentional hints, he began to diligently cultivate on his own.

Seeing this, Senior Sister Yuan Xi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After leaving Zonglei Peak, Luo Ci had indeed become a bit arrogant. She wasn't a strict person and found it difficult to manage him harshly.

If Lin Qi hadn't been there to keep him in check, she truly worried about facing their Master with shame upon returning to Zonglei Peak.

The people of the Luo Family were secretly thrilled to see Luo Ci cultivating so diligently. Within a few days, Luo Ci's diligence and hard work had spread throughout the city.

Upon hearing this news, the Luo Family Head, who was in Luo City, couldn't help but shed tears of joy and personally came out to greet them.

It wasn't until Lin Qi arrived in Luo City that she truly understood the depth of the Luo Family of Southern Continent, one of the five great families.

The successive city lords of Luo City were all determined by the Luo Family Head and had to be disciples of the Luo Family.

With Luo City as the center, the surrounding cities were almost all under the Luo Family's influence.

In comparison, Lin Qi, from the Lin Family of Desolate City, was indeed from a small place.

"Mother!" As soon as Luo Ci saw the Luo Family Head, he excitedly dashed forward and hugged the Luo Family Head's leg.

The Luo Family Head was a kind and gentle-looking woman, with a very approachable smile.

She lifted Luo Ci with one hand, examined him carefully, and praised him with a smile, "Good boy, not bad, not bad! You've only been a disciple for less than two months and you're already at the Fourth Stage of Qi Refining. It seems my decision to have you apprentice under True Monarch Qingyun was a very correct one."

Lin Qi silently retracted the words "kind and gentle."

She followed Yuan Xi to greet the Luo Family Head, and the hospitable Luo Family Head insisted on taking them home to stay.

When the Luo Family Head looked at Lin Qi, her gaze was particularly ardent.

Upon learning that Lin Qi was Luo Ci's senior sister, the Luo Family Head slapped Luo Ci on the backside.

"You brat, were you slacking off while cultivating in the Sect!"

The Luo Family Head's face was all smiles, but judging by Luo Ci's yelp, one could guess how much force she had used.

Luo Ci struggled with his legs, feeling utterly wronged.

"I wasn't! I worked really hard!"

He cried out in anger, "In the Sect, I don't even dare to sleep! Every day, as soon as I open my eyes, it's cultivation; as soon as I close my eyes, it's still cultivation. I'm practically becoming a cultivation maniac!"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi, feeling a pang of sympathy, kindly tried to help him out of his predicament.

"Aunt Luo, Xiao Qi and I can both testify that Third Junior Brother trained very diligently when he was on Zonglei Peak. Otherwise, he wouldn't have broken through to the Fourth Stage of Qi Refining so quickly."

With his Senior Sister vouching for him, Luo Ci puffed out his chest righteously. "Exactly! Mother, you're completely unreasonable!"

Who knew that upon hearing this, the Luo Family Head merely snorted, "Then you were slacking off after leaving the Sect! Don't I know your character? Without anyone to keep you in check, you're like a wild horse that's broken free from its reins, and no one can control you!"

Luo Ci immediately recalled the embarrassing incidents on the road and didn't dare to struggle any further. He obediently and meekly straightened his posture, letting his mother fuss over him.

Later, the Luo Family Head somehow found out the truth, and Luo Ci still couldn't escape a beating.

Lin Qi was practicing her sword in the courtyard late at night when Luo Ci let out a sudden scream that nearly made her drop her sword.

Senior Sister Yuan Xi slowly appeared from her room, raising her eyes to look at the full moon in the sky.

Usually gentle and radiant, she now had a pallor and a sense of loneliness about her, her eyes revealing envy mixed with a faint sadness.

Lin Qi felt a pang in her heart. "Senior Sister, what's wrong?"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi smiled gently and tenderly stroked Lin Qi's head.

"It's nothing, I just remembered some old things."

Lin Qi felt that the smile in her eyes was like a flower in a mirror or the moon in water, easily shattered.

Luo Ci's wails continued in her ears, occasionally accompanied by the Luo Family Head's scolding in her full-throated voice.

It seemed a Memory Stone had been discovered. After the Luo Family Head watched it, she grabbed Luo Ci by the ear and lectured him on how to handle things.

Of course, it was a chaotic scene.

Seeing Senior Sister Yuan Xi's expression, Lin Qi thought she was reminiscing, so she put away her Small Wooden Sword.

"Senior Sister, let's head to Ming City tomorrow."

"We came here to complete a mission, but now we're just staying at Luo Ci's place, eating and drinking for free. I feel very embarrassed."

As Lin Qi spoke, she handed a handkerchief to Senior Sister Yuan Xi, familiarly tilting her head up.

Taking advantage of her young age, she said shamelessly, "Senior Sister, you wipe my sweat for me!"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi habitually took care of her, her movements exceptionally gentle, and the smile in her eyes became a bit more genuine.

"What's wrong, Xiao Qi? Are you in a hurry to leave?"

"A little. I feel uneasy staying at someone else's house and eating their food for free."

"But it's rare for Third Junior Brother to be home. He'll surely want to stay for a few more days," Senior Sister Yuan Xi hesitated.

Lin Qi said without hesitation, "Then let him stay home alone. We'll go!"

If Senior Sister Yuan Xi stayed here every day, she might get upset by reminiscing.

"That's not right!"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi seemed to guess Lin Qi's thoughts and said helplessly, "Xiao Qi, you don't need to worry about me. I was just reminiscing and feeling a bit emotional."

After speaking, Senior Sister Yuan Xi paused, her expression relaxed. "Once, I also had a loving and strict mother. Just like Luo Ci, my biggest worry every day was getting punished by my mother after causing trouble..."

She quickly withdrew from her low mood and returned to her usual gentleness.

"Xiao Qi, people must look forward. You can't dwell on past memories for too long."

"I just feel that time passes quickly. Third Junior Brother won't have much time to spend with his family in the future, so the more time he can have now, the better."

Lin Qi's eyes were fixed on Senior Sister Yuan Xi's still slightly immature profile.

Her fair face wore a faint, watery smile, like a gentle breeze rustling through the grass, or warm light enveloping the mountains.

Lin Qi had always thought Senior Sister Yuan Xi's personality was very similar to True Monarch Qingyun's, but the more they interacted, the more she realized how different they were.

Behind Senior Sister Yuan Xi's gentleness was strength and confidence, a calm demeanor towards everything, and absolute control over all matters.

Behind Senior Sister Yuan Xi's gentleness was tolerance and kindness.

She was the typical person who, having been drenched by the rain, would rather get wet again just to shield someone else with an umbrella.

She was always thinking of others, using her gentle kindness to tolerate Lin Qi and Luo Ci's various shortcomings.

Lin Qi thought, how lucky she was to have such a Senior Sister.

She suppressed her curiosity and continued to act spoiled. "We're leaving tomorrow too. Senior Sister, your mission scroll needs to be stamped in Ming City. If we're too late, we might be questioned."

Although no one would dare to question the chief disciple of Zonglei Peak.

But Senior Sister Yuan Xi was a very responsible person.

Upon hearing this, she began to ponder.

Lin Qi continued to offer suggestions, "Then let's ask Third Junior Brother first. If he wants to stay home, the two of us will go to Ming City together. If he wants to go, then we'll go together."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi nodded. "That can work too."

The next morning, Lin Qi woke up as usual, ready to practice her sword.

As soon as she struck a pose, she heard a scream.

"Someone's dead! Someone's dead!"

She frowned, suppressed her curiosity, sheathed her sword, and turned to go back to her room.

Going to watch the excitement at a time like this is practically asking for more trouble when you have nothing better to do.

Who knew Lin Qi wanted to avoid trouble, but trouble actively sought her out.

The little maid, probably seeing a dead body, panicked and barged through Lin Qi's courtyard gate.

Upon seeing Lin Qi, she grabbed her without hesitation and shouted, "Go get help! Go get help! There's a dead body in the well!"

Lin Qi's arm hurt from being pulled. She used a clever move to break free, then decided to play along, pretending to be stunned.

"A dead body?!"

The little maid stammered, nodding frantically, "Yes, a dead body, someone's dead! The face in the well is all swollen from being in the water!"

Lin Qi stood there, stunned for a few breaths, then suddenly ran back into her room with a frightened expression, shouting, "Senior Sister, Senior Sister! There's a dead body, it's so scary! I'm so scared~"

Thanks to the little cuties Su YuqingAS, Rose Paradise, is White Rabbit Ya~Bright Sun, and Mu Tou for the tips.

This author worked very hard to type today. There are still three thousand words to go, and it will be updated before twelve tonight. Please support with investments, recommendation tickets, and continued reads. The new book has started PK, and I don't know if it can make it to the next round. Let's go!