Second Uncle's Trap! (Seeking Follow-ups)

Unexpectedly, that afternoon, Lu Yaoyao and Li Daoxuan actually came to visit, bringing some pastries with them.

Sure enough, the [So Awesome!] note above Lu Yaoyao's head had already changed to [So Pity].

And Li Daoxuan had gone from [A Lecher Starting to Look Decent] to [Extremely Unlucky Lecher].

"Senior Brother Zhou, look on the bright side—at least you're safe and sound." Lu Yaoyao comforted him softly.

Li Daoxuan set the pastries on the table, his face stiff, and said, "Maybe next time the Grand Elders gather the herbs and reopen the Flame Spirit Blood Pool, they'll make it up to you."

Zhou Qing really wanted to tell them that the thief had only shown up after he'd already soaked for an entire night, so he hadn't actually lost anything.

But after thinking it over, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

After all, this reward was already the kind that invited envy and resentment; spreading the truth would make him a laughingstock, which was still better than being the target of jealousy.

So Zhou Qing immediately put on a dejected look and said, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Junior Sister and Senior Brother."

Lu Yaoyao wanted to say more, but Li Daoxuan saw the defeated expression on Zhou Qing's face, gently tugged at his Little Junior Sister, and shook his head.

Lu Yaoyao took the hint, stood up, and said, "Alright then, we won't disturb you any longer. Get some rest, take it easy—it's no big deal."

Watching the two leave, Zhou Qing instantly perked up.

He opened the food box, gazed at the delicate pastries inside, and couldn't help licking his lips.

He'd smelled the fragrant aroma earlier and was already craving them; it was clear these pastries had taken some real effort to make.

Since this wasn't an enemy seeking revenge, the pastries probably weren't poisoned, so he dug in with gusto.

That night, while Zhou Qing was studying the "Silver Dragon Hand" and absorbing a Top-Grade Spirit Stone, a voice transmission suddenly came through.

"Fourth Child, come to the foot of Jade Clarity Peak immediately!"

Zhou Qing was startled at first, then quickly packed up his things, pushed open the door, and looked out at the night, puzzled.

At this late hour, why would Third Senior Brother call me to Jade Clarity Peak?

Though full of doubt, he still hurried over.

Before long, he spotted a person at the foot of Jade Clarity Peak, frantically waving at him. Zhou Qing had no choice but to steer his flying sword down.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Zhou!" The newcomer was an Inner Sect disciple in yellow robes, with two wisps of mustache at the corners of his mouth, looking to be over thirty.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly, but the man quickly said, "Senior Brother Zhou, Senior Brother Yan has been waiting inside for a while. If we're any later, we'll miss it."

"Miss what?" Zhou Qing grew even more confused.

The man shook his head: "Junior Brother doesn't know either. You'll find out once you go in."

With that, he immediately took a formation plate from his bosom, activated it, and the night curfew barrier of nearby Jade Clarity Peak silently opened a gap.

"Junior Brother will lead the way!" the man said, then slipped inside.

Zhou Qing looked at Jade Clarity Peak, feeling that sneaking onto someone else's turf in the dead of night wasn't a good idea, but he figured Third Senior Brother must have something important, or he wouldn't be so urgent.

Gritting his teeth, he followed him in.

Under the cover of night, the two weaved through the area, dodging one Patrol Enforcement Team after another.

"It's right here!" The mustached man suddenly stopped and pointed at a standalone courtyard ahead.

Zhou Qing immediately crouched down, looked around, and whispered in alarm, "Are you kidding me? This is a Core Disciple's residence, and judging by the decor, it belongs to some Senior Sister."

But the mustached man said seriously, "Senior Brother Yan is inside. Don't you know he has someone he's sweet on?"

Zhou Qing was stunned, the image of Yan Xiaohu's carefree face flashing through his mind, and he shook his head repeatedly.

He never bothered with matters of the heart.

Now on high alert, Zhou Qing took two steps back: "Who are you, really? And where is my Third Senior Brother?"

The voice transmission had indeed been Third Senior Brother's, but this style of doing things was completely unlike him.

The mustached man saw Zhou Qing's wary posture and chuckled, clicking his tongue: "Couldn't fool you, eh? You've got a bit of a brain. As repayment, this old man specially catered to your tastes."

Hearing that familiar yet strange voice come from the mustached man's mouth, Zhou Qing's face changed drastically.

"Who's out there?"

Suddenly, the courtyard door behind him was flung open, and a figure wrapped in a bath towel shot into the sky.

Her long, waterfall-like hair hung wet over her shoulders, water droplets rolling down the strands. Her gaze was like lightning, locking onto Zhou Qing in an instant.

"Shi, Shi Zhen, Senior Sister!" Zhou Qing's face turned pale.

Not long ago, his first lecture had been taught by Senior Sister Shi Zhen, and she'd even explained the cultivation method for the Azure Wood Spirit Shield in detail.

Zhou Qing quickly turned his head, only to find that the Second Uncle who had tricked him here had vanished without a trace.

He gulped.

This was bad. It was mud in the crotch—not shit, but it sure looked like it.

At that moment, Shi Zhen's delicate face was a mix of shame and fury, flames seemingly blazing in her eyes.

But in the next instant, Zhou Qing's legs suddenly gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, his body beginning to convulse uncontrollably.

His limbs flailed violently, as if being pulled by an invisible force.

His facial muscles twisted, eyes rolled back, mouth stretched wide open, and a painful gurgling sound escaped his throat.

White foam bubbled from the corners of his lips, a truly horrifying sight.

Shi Zhen, who had been burning with anger, changed expression slightly. She furrowed her delicate brows and tested a call: "Junior Brother Zhou?"

Seeing Zhou Qing still convulsing, she quickly descended, gripping her bath towel with one hand while pressing the other to Zhou Qing's pulse. In an instant, she was taken aback.

"How can his pulse be so chaotic? This isn't right—it looks like poisoning or qi deviation. Master, Master—"

Shi Zhen dared not delay a moment. She hastily pulled out an SOS Talisman to summon her master. After all, if a Core Disciple met with trouble right outside her door, she would have no way to clear herself.

"What exactly happened to this child?"

Jade Clarity Peak Lord Tong Min looked at Mo Xingjian as he walked out of the room and hurried forward to ask.

Mo Xingjian bowed gratefully to Tong Min. "Thanks to Junior Sister's timely rescue and for sending him back to Little Spirit Peak at once. He's out of danger now—just needs a day or two of sleep to recover."

Tong Min finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Mo Xingjian turned to Shi Zhen, who stood nearby looking slightly uneasy, and said with a smile, "This has nothing to do with you. This child's sleepwalking has been going on for a while now. I just never expected it to get this severe. You didn't mean to scare him."

Shi Zhen suddenly understood. She had heard that sleepwalkers must never be startled awake, or unpredictable consequences could follow. So it was true.

She quickly bowed in apology. "Martial Uncle Mo, it was still my fault. Once he's fully recovered, I'll apologize to him in person."

Mo Xingjian waved his hand hurriedly. "It's fine, it's fine. As long as you don't misunderstand."

Meanwhile, inside the room, Yan Xiaohu was tiptoeing to the window, eavesdropping.

Zhou Qing, however, sat on the bed as if nothing had happened, cautiously craning his neck.

"Third Senior Brother, is she gone?" Zhou Qing didn't dare speak aloud, using hand signals only the two of them understood.

Yan Xiaohu made a shushing gesture, listened for a moment longer, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Master's seeing them off. Fourth Child, you've got some nerve!"