The Pitiful Qi Hao

"Greetings, Senior Brother Qi Hao!" Although a little unhappy with Qi Hao, Ye Yun still bowed. After all, he was indeed his senior brother.

Qi Hao nodded, glanced at Ye Yun, then turned his gaze to Tian Ling'er, smiling, "Could this young lady be the renowned Tian Ling'er, Junior Sister Tian?"

Tian Ling'er raised an eyebrow and said, "How do you know who I am?"

Qi Hao smiled slightly, walked a few steps closer, and looked at her, "Junior Sister Tian is only sixteen, and her mastery of the Tai Chi Xuan Qing Dao is already extraordinary. This is common knowledge within our sect. I have admired you for a long time. Meeting you today, you truly live up to your reputation."

A hint of pride appeared on Tian Ling'er's face. She glanced at Ye Yun beside her and said, "You haven't even seen me fight, so how do you know I live up to my reputation?"

Ye Yun chimed in softly, "That's right. You haven't even seen my senior sister fight, and you already know she lives up to her reputation? You're clearly a flatterer."

Qi Hao was taken aback by Ye Yun's words. After a moment of stunned silence, he completely ignored Ye Yun and continued to smile at Tian Ling'er, "Junior Sister Tian is not only beautiful as a flower but also sharp-witted. It makes me, your senior brother, feel ashamed."

Beauty is human nature. Moreover, Qi Hao was quite handsome and tall. Being praised like this made her feel very proud, but she pretended to be indifferent and said, "You just talk nonsense. What kind of senior brother are you, not even ashamed!" However, the upturned corners of her mouth betrayed her inner joy. Ye Yun watched the scene unfold and, for some reason, felt a dull ache in his heart, as if something very important was slowly slipping away from him.

Tian Buyi frowned slightly upon seeing this and was about to speak, but Su Ru interjected first, "Ling'er, no more nonsense."

Qi Hao quickly said to Su Ru, "Uncle-Master Su, please don't scold Junior Sister. It was my careless words that offended her." After a slight pause, he reached into his robes, took out a small brocade box, and handed it to Tian Ling'er, smiling, "Junior Sister Tian, this 'Cooling Bead' in this small box was something I accidentally obtained years ago when my master, True Person Cang Song, and I were upholding justice and eliminating a group of demonic cult criminals. Although it's not a rare treasure, carrying it can help dispel heat and cool down. It's also said to have some benefits for women's skin. I'll give it to you today as an apology."

Tian Ling'er's face turned red again. Before she could speak, Su Ru said, "Nephew-Disciple Qi, the Cooling Bead is considered a treasure. Ling'er cannot accept it. Please take it back quickly."

Qi Hao smiled, "Uncle-Master Su, you may not know, but the Cooling Bead isn't of much use to me. It's like a chicken's rib. But Junior Sister Tian is young and beautiful, so it's perfect for her. Consider it a small token of my regard. I hope Junior Sister Tian won't dislike it."

Tian Ling'er looked at Qi Hao with admiration in her eyes. Just as she was about to take the box, her peripheral vision caught sight of Ye Yun's dejected expression. Her heart ached, and her slightly raised hand stopped abruptly. She glanced at Qi Hao, then at Ye Yun beside her. Having made up her mind, she smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Qi. However, I cannot accept a gift without earning it. Please take it back."

Qi Hao was surprised that Tian Ling'er, who had seemed moved, had refused. His smile froze on his face. Ye Yun, standing beside Tian Ling'er, suddenly lifted his lowered head, his eyes fixed intently on Tian Ling'er's pretty face.

Tian Ling'er didn't speak. Instead, she gently squeezed his hand and gave him a knowing smile.

Qi Hao, seeing this scene, felt a flicker of anger deep in his eyes. He, Qi Hao, was a genius from Dragon Head Peak, destined for a bright future. The only ones worthy of him, besides Lu Xueqi of Little Bamboo Peak, were the Tian Ling'er before him. He had thought that with his skills, dealing with a girl of fifteen or sixteen would be a piece of cake, but he had unexpectedly failed. And from the situation just now, the reason for his failure was this young man in front of him.

Giving up was not Qi Hao's style. So, he organized his thoughts slightly and said with a smile, "Junior Sister Tian, how can you say you cannot accept it without earning it? This is my apology for offending you just now. It is something you deserve, Junior Sister."

Ye Yun already had a bad impression of Qi Hao, and now Qi Hao was repeatedly ignoring him. This made Ye Yun very, very angry. He decided to teach Qi Hao a memorable lesson and spoke up before Tian Ling'er could, "Senior Sister, please accept it. Don't you always complain that the fan isn't cool enough? With this, you won't have to worry about the heat during the day."

Qi Hao was surprised that Ye Yun would speak up for him and his gaze towards Ye Yun softened considerably. However, looking at the smile on Ye Yun's lips, he felt something was amiss. But what did it matter? As long as Tian Ling'er accepted his Cooling Bead, that was all that mattered.

Tian Ling'er also didn't expect Ye Yun to speak up for Qi Hao. When she saw the smile on Ye Yun's lips, she silently mourned for Qi Hao for three seconds. Because whenever Ye Yun wore that kind of smile, someone was bound to be unlucky, and without a doubt, that person would be Senior Brother Qi Hao.

After understanding the cause and effect, Tian Ling'er smiled and thanked Qi Hao before happily accepting the small box from him.

As soon as Tian Ling'er finished thanking him, Ye Yun tugged at her hand and whispered, "Senior Sister, why are you thanking him? This is something he should have done. How old is he, yet he said such inappropriate things? If outsiders heard this, they might think you have some kind of relationship with him. If someone in our village dared to do this, their legs would be broken."

Although Ye Yun spoke softly, everyone present was no ordinary person, so his words were heard by everyone else. The expressions in the hall immediately became strange, and the smile on Qi Hao's face froze once more.

Qi Hao had lived for decades and had a thick skin. After a brief moment of stunned silence, he quickly regained his composure and asked Ye Yun with a smile, "May I ask who this junior brother is?"

Tian Ling'er quickly answered with a smile, "This is my junior disciple Ye Yun. He is only ten years old and doesn't know any better. I hope Senior Brother won't mind."

Qi Hao's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He had already prepared to give up, but Tian Ling'er's words gave him a glimmer of hope. "He's just a ten-year-old kid. It's laughable that I even considered him a competitor."

With that thought, Qi Hao revealed a very friendly smile. "So, it's Junior Brother from Great Bamboo Peak! Junior Sister Tian, you worry too much. How could I possibly argue with a child? I can't help but like such a cute junior brother. Oh, little brother, have you started cultivating yet? Would you like Senior Brother to take you for a flight outside?" Qi Hao deliberately emphasized the words "little brother" and reached out as if to pat Ye Yun's head, but Ye Yun easily dodged it.

Ye Yun, somewhat disgusted, dodged Qi Hao's hand and said with feigned excitement, "My Master's wife has already taught me to cultivate, but I'm a bit slow and my realm is too low, so Senior Sister always bullies me. By the way, Senior Brother, what level are you at? Are you higher than Senior Sister? Senior Sister is already a master at Jade Purity fifth layer."

Qi Hao smiled confidently, "I've been initiated for over seventy years and have been fortunate to receive my master's guidance. I am now at Jade Purity seventh layer. Before the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, I expect to break through to the eighth layer. This is not a betrayal of my master's teachings..."

Qi Hao wanted to continue envisioning the future and impress Tian Ling'er with his strength, but he saw Ye Yun's eyes filled with disdain and had to stop. He looked at Ye Yun in surprise and asked, "Junior Brother, why do you look like that? Is there something wrong with my realm?"

"It's nothing. I just feel it's a pity. Senior Sister is already at Jade Purity fifth layer at just sixteen. If she cultivates for another seventy or eighty years, she'll probably reach Upper Purity realm. It seems I'm destined to never be able to defeat Senior Sister in this lifetime."

Hearing Ye Yun's words, Qi Hao almost spat out a mouthful of blood. This was clearly saying that he had wasted his years. The expressions of the others in the hall were also very interesting. Although some of them were not as good as Qi Hao, it didn't stop them from enjoying his embarrassment.