Shi Zhen's Thoughts

Afterward, Zhou Qing looked again at the two slots for Mind Mirror Vision. His first thought had been his master, but after careful consideration, he gave up on the idea. After all, his image in his master's eyes was already self-evident; changing his master's opinion in a short time was simply impossible.

However—

Judging by his experiences during this period, Li Daoxuan had provided him with quite a few Heart Insight Points.

And the reason for that was Lu Yaoyao.

Quite a few people revolved around that girl, yet the only ones who could observe their little junior sister's movements at any time were her senior brothers.

Whether it was admiration or affection, they were all excellent candidates in Zhou Qing's eyes.

Of course, there was one more person he needed to guard against: the elusive Second Uncle.

The moment he thought of that, Zhou Qing's teeth itched with hatred.

If he could bind that man, then no matter how he changed his appearance, he would have nowhere to hide before Zhou Qing. And since Zhou Qing could know what he was thinking, he would no longer be fooled.

"Bind Second Uncle!" Zhou Qing said.

He then looked at the panel, but there was no change whatsoever.

Sure enough, a name alone was not enough. Who knew how many people shared the same name? Besides, he still did not know whether it was the man's real name or a fake one.

Perhaps he could only bind him face-to-face.

Zhou Qing could only abandon the idea. He casually tidied himself up and was just about to head for Divine Peak when knocking sounded outside the courtyard.

Puzzled, Zhou Qing opened the door and saw Senior Sister Shi Zhen from Jade Clarity Peak standing outside, carrying a gift box in her hand.

Seeing her, Zhou Qing immediately felt awkward and hurriedly said, "Senior Sister Shi, it really was a misunderstanding. No matter how bold I am, I couldn't possibly..."

"I know!" Shi Zhen directly cut him off, looking a little embarrassed herself.

"Rumors are rumors in the end. As long as I know the truth, that's enough!" Senior Sister Shi Zhen said with a serious expression.

Others might not know, but how could she not? There were simply too many suspicious points.

First, her cultivation was far above Zhou Qing's. If he had approached her residence, she would definitely have noticed immediately.

Second, Zhou Qing had taken the initiative to call out from outside that day, muttering to himself as though trapped in a nightmare.

Lastly, she had seen his episode with her own eyes. There was no faking that scene.

Now that she thought about it carefully, she felt a little afraid afterward.

If she had truly scared Junior Brother Zhou into becoming a fool, then her responsibility would have been enormous.

With her overly serious personality, this matter might have become a knot in her heart that she could never untie, an obstacle to her future cultivation.

Especially since they saw each other every day, even merely hearing others mention the matter would likely affect her state of mind.

What was more, because of her, the outside world's misunderstanding of Junior Brother Zhou had only deepened, leaving her consumed with guilt.

Come to think of it, perhaps the incident some time ago, where he had supposedly peeped at eighteen Outer Sect female disciples bathing, had also been caused by Junior Brother Zhou's illness.

"Junior Brother Zhou, I'm truly sorry about that night. I didn't know your sleepwalking disorder was so serious. Please make sure to accept this small gift!"

Senior Sister Shi Zhen handed over the exquisitely wrapped gift box, her face full of apology.

Zhou Qing felt even more embarrassed at the sight.

"No, no, no, Senior Sister Shi. I should be the one apologizing to you. It's enough that you don't misunderstand me." Zhou Qing was flattered beyond measure. As he breathed a sigh of relief, he quickly tried to refuse.

After several rounds of pushing it back and forth proved fruitless, Zhou Qing ultimately accepted the gift.

After thinking for a moment, Senior Sister Shi Zhen said, "It's still early. How about I treat you to a meal at Jade Cuisine Hall? Besides apologizing, it might also help clear up some misunderstandings."

Jade Cuisine Hall was located on Divine Peak, where the Sect Leader resided. The food there was all imbued with spirituality. However, unlike the Fire Kitchens of the various peaks, eating at Jade Cuisine Hall required spending spirit stones.

Zhou Qing felt a little embarrassed, but Senior Sister Shi Zhen had a point. If the two of them ate together, perhaps it really could help clear up some misunderstandings.

If someone had truly peeped at you bathing, could the two of you still chat and laugh together over a meal afterward?

Perhaps he could use this opportunity to take off the hat labeled "perverted peeping maniac."

After Senior Sister Shi Zhen invited him several more times, Zhou Qing pretended to decline twice before agreeing.

Seeing Senior Sister Shi Zhen's happy expression, Zhou Qing smiled as well.

Come to think of it, Senior Sister Shi Zhen's enthusiasm might have stemmed from two reasons.

One was likely guilt, while the other might have been because of Eldest Brother Gui Ao.

As the chief disciple of Little Spirit Peak, Eldest Brother Gui Ao was not only decisive and ruthless in his actions, but also possessed an exceptionally cold temperament.

Especially those deep eyes of his and that chiseled face, which held a unique attraction for girls.

According to Third Senior Brother, Eldest Brother had once saved Senior Sister Shi Zhen's life during a trial mission several years ago.

From that point on, Eldest Brother's shadow had been deeply branded into Senior Sister Shi Zhen's heart.

Think about it: if she had frightened the junior brother of the person she secretly loved into becoming a fool, would she still have any chance to get close to Eldest Brother in the future?

Fortunately, Zhou Qing was fine now, so naturally she had to make a good showing.

"Senior Sister, please wait a moment. I'll go in and change clothes." With that, Zhou Qing entered the house.

But just after changing, he suddenly thought of something and secretly glanced outside.

Senior Sister Shi Zhen was pacing back and forth beneath a tree.

I was careless. What if she's Second Uncle in disguise again?

That old bastard had no bottom line whatsoever and was capable of anything. Maybe he was planning to trick Zhou Qing out this time only to set him up again.

But what if this really was Senior Sister Shi Zhen? If he did not go, he had already agreed to her invitation, and it would also benefit his reputation. Yet if he went, he still felt uneasy.

Looking at the ??? above Senior Sister Shi Zhen's head, Zhou Qing gritted his teeth and simply changed his previous strategy, binding her directly.

Very soon, the question marks above Senior Sister Shi Zhen's head were replaced by a line of golden words—her little junior brother.

Seeing this, the stone in Zhou Qing's heart finally fell to the ground. He then walked out with a broad smile.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Senior Sister Shi. Let's go!"

The moment the two stepped into Jade Cuisine Hall, an air of splendor rushed over them.

Starting from the entrance, there were two doors crafted from rare Purplish Gold Phoebe Wood. Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Auspiciousness patterns had been meticulously carved upon them, every line inlaid with tiny Spirit Light Stones.

Above the doorway hung a plaque carved from a single piece of Warm Jade. The three words "Jade Cuisine Hall" had been written in spiritual liquid, exuding an ancient yet noble aura.

The floor was paved with precious Star Pattern White Jade. Every jade slab had been carefully polished, radiating a soft, warm sheen.

Above them stood a massive Glazed Dome. Threads of spiritual energy swirled within the glaze, refracting sunlight and scattering dazzling patches of multicolored light throughout the hall.

Beyond that, even the utensils and plates were forged from Seabed Cold Iron mixed with Mithril, with a ring of crystals embedded around their edges.

The chopsticks were made from spirit jade, with a tiny Storage Spirit Stone embedded at each tip to store certain special seasonings.

In short, every corner of this place displayed its refinement and luxury.

Naturally, quite a few people came here to dine. From the Sect Leader, elders, and hall masters to disciples of all kinds, anyone with spirit stones could order as they pleased.

Sure enough, when Zhou Qing and Shi Zhen entered Jade Cuisine Hall side by side, everyone dining there was utterly incredulous.

Hadn't they just heard that Zhou Qing had peeped at Shi Zhen bathing and been caught red-handed?

What was going on?

Could the rumors have been wrong?