A Hint of Something More

Before long, Wang Baiying accompanied Lu Liqian to the outside of Li Qingyun's Bamboo Lodge.

"Senior Sister Lu, this is the place!"

He was about to step forward and lift the door curtain when Lu Liqian stopped him.

Lu Liqian returned to her usual cool composure. With a light wave of her hand, she said, "Junior Brother Wang, you may go. I have something to discuss with Junior Brother Li Qingyun."

Wang Baiying's expression stiffened slightly, and even a trace of jealousy showed in his eyes.

He cast a reluctant, greedy glance at Senior Sister Lu before obediently leaving, though his steps dragged somewhat.

He seemed to want to hear what Senior Sister Lu could possibly talk about with that fool who only knew how to meditate!

A smug smile curved Lu Liqian's lips.

Then she moved with lotus-like steps and gently knocked on the door.

"Is Junior Brother Qingyun in?"

Her voice was as pleasant as the tinkling of clear bells, naturally carrying a hint of haughty charm.

Yet today, rare as it was, there was noticeably more gentleness within that pride.

Inside, Li Qingyun showed a surprised expression.

Senior Sister Lu, someone with such a personality, was actually this warm-hearted? She had come to seek out a useless junior brother like me on her own?

After entering Qi Refining Layer One, Li Qingyun's hearing and sight had sharpened. Naturally, he had long heard the conversation and footsteps outside.

He stopped meditating, concealed the surging aura of spiritual power within him, and went to open the door, still puzzled.

After meditating for so long, his meridians had begun to ache and swell from the washing of spiritual power. This was a good chance to rest a little.

"Senior Sister Lu, please come in. What brings you here?"

When Li Qingyun pulled open the door and saw Lu Liqian standing outside in flowing white robes, beautiful and refined, the snowy gleam of her jade-like skin and the silver bracelets on her lotus-root arms nearly dazzled his eyes.

Judging by appearances alone, Senior Sister Lu, who was actually only two years older than him at most, was indeed quite charming.

But after their brief encounter at Lu Nanling's residence, his intuition told him it was best not to get too close to this Senior Sister Lu.

"How is it, Qingyun? You should be adapting well to the back mountain, right?"

Seeing that Li Qingyun did not quite dare to look directly at her face, Lu Liqian felt pleased. With a smile at the corner of her lips and an air of reserved gentleness, she lightly stepped into the Bamboo Lodge.

Her gaze wandered about as she quickly and critically surveyed the room.

"Please have a seat, Senior Sister. I just entered the monastery, and the room is rather plain. There is nothing much to offer you."

Li Qingyun brought over a bamboo chair for Lu Liqian.

He felt somewhat embarrassed. Having only just arrived, he truly had nothing to entertain her with. Lu Liqian had warmly taken the initiative to visit, yet he could not even offer her a cup of tea.

Fortunately, Lu Liqian seemed to have become much gentler, no longer carrying the hidden sharpness she had displayed in the grand hall.

A gentle smile appeared on her lovely face. Quite understanding, she teased, "I didn't come all this way just to beg for a sip of tea."

"Qingyun, when I first met you yesterday, I thought you looked rather pleasing to the eye. I happened to pass by here just now, so I came in to see you..."

Under Li Qingyun's seemingly shy gaze, she raised a hand to brush aside the hair before her forehead, her posture graceful.

"Mm, I heard people outside saying you spend all day with your head buried in meditation. Do you have any doubts about cultivation?"

"Since your senior sister is here and in a good mood, I can give you some guidance..."

Lu Liqian spoke softly and gently. She was somewhat reserved, yet also seemed rather warm, striking the distance between them just right.

"Then sorry for the trouble, Senior Sister. I really do have a few things I'm unclear about!"

Li Qingyun smiled faintly, took out the little booklet, and began asking about the sections he had marked with questions.

It was a rare opportunity for his senior sister to come personally and enthusiastically offer guidance!

"These are all quite simple..."

Lu Liqian leaned closer to look. Her skin was like snow, and a faint fragrance drifted over, stirring Li Qingyun's heart slightly.

But Li Qingyun immediately reined in his wandering thoughts and reminded himself that those who came were not necessarily benevolent. He had to remain vigilant.

Yet Lu Liqian truly began instructing him. Her slender, fair jade fingers occasionally swept over the booklet, and once, "by accident," her finger carelessly brushed against Li Qingyun's palm.

Senior Sister Lu's jade face flushed slightly then, as though she were a little bashful, looking exceptionally pure and innocent.

Her understanding was quite profound, and her cultivation accomplished. What she explained was far more detailed than what was written in the booklet.

Under Lu Liqian's patient explanations, the points that had puzzled Li Qingyun became like clouds and mist parting before him, and he suddenly saw the light.

Although his cultivation now relied entirely on his "golden finger," the mysterious phantom of a Dao image in his mind able to cultivate in his place, his deficiencies in theoretical cultivation knowledge would have to be made up sooner or later.

He thirsted for knowledge, hoping to gain his own insights and understanding in the cultivation of Dao arts.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister. It has made everything clear to me..."

After Lu Liqian finished her detailed explanation, Li Qingyun rose and sincerely bowed to her.

No matter what purpose this Senior Sister Lu had in approaching him so proactively, at least her explanations had been genuine and had truly helped him. He ought to thank her.

Of course, that was all there was to it. Even if Senior Sister Lu harbored other ill intentions, he was not someone who would let himself be manipulated. He would naturally keep three yards away from her.

"That will be all for today. If there is anything you do not understand in the future, you may also come find me at Tingfeng Small Abode, so long as I am free!"

Lu Liqian was clearly quite satisfied with Li Qingyun's reaction.

She then rose to her feet, her close-fitting white robes fluttering and revealing the graceful curves of her figure.

The Bamboo Lodge was dim, with a faint fragrance floating through it. Seemingly unconsciously, she stretched lazily, revealing slender jade arms and a delicate, shapely body overflowing with the beautiful air of youth.

"What plans do you have for the future, Junior Brother? You may be quite diligent, but there are no fewer than two hundred disciples like you on the back mountain. Do you know what the most successful among those Dao-destined disciples used to do? Some lucky ones pursued elite disciples within the monastery, and their quality of life, status, and position all soared out of thin air..."

She seemed to be hinting at something, then gave Li Qingyun a faint smile, radiant and alluring.

Without waiting for his reply, she swayed her slender waist and walked out of the Bamboo Lodge in a few steps.

In Li Qingyun's eyes behind her, that graceful back was quite a feast for the eyes.

A heated light rose in his gaze, and threads of admiration appeared on his face as he followed her outside.

"Take care, Senior Sister!"

Lu Liqian looked back and saw the admiring gaze of this newly arrived junior brother, no different from the looks of so many disciples in the monastery. A flash of self-satisfaction could not help but cross her jade-like face.

"Come and go on the wind, become one with me!"

She gave a soft cry, and the aura of spiritual power around her began to ripple.

The mountain winds wandering among the nearby woods and dwellings immediately surged toward her, blowing the surrounding maple trees from side to side.

A ball of wind spun around her, whipping her dark hair into flight and making her white robes snap through the air, rendering her even more ethereal.

"I'm off!" With a tap of her foot, she instantly rose into the air.

Then the white figure flashed. The wind bore away the beauty, and she vanished into the hazy mist and lingering sunset glow.

Her wind-riding spell was practiced and natural, quite exquisite, making Li Qingyun, who still held his admiring upward gaze, feel envious.

He thought that since he had already cultivated more than three furnaces of spiritual power, he could choose one or two suitable spells to practice.

In a world where demons, fiends, and Ghostly Creatures ran rampant, he had to master some spells early as a foundation to protect his Dao.

After meditating this afternoon until my body reaches its limit, I'll go take a look at the Scripture Repository. If the price is right, I might as well copy down a few more...

Li Qingyun withdrew his distant gaze and lowered his head slightly in thought. His eyes had already become clear and tranquil; where was there even a trace of the burning admiration he had shown for Senior Sister Lu?

I really can't imagine what there is on me worth coveting.

Lu Liqian had suddenly come to shower him with unearned attentions. Li Qingyun felt there had to be something suspicious about it, and the lesson of that demoness Cui Wan'er was still vivid in his mind.

All his expressions and reactions just now had merely been to play along with Senior Sister Lu, acting out the scene with her.