Shi Zhen Senior Sister's Thoughts

Then Zhou Qing looked again at the two slots for [Mind Mirror Vision]. His first thought was to bind his master, but after careful consideration, he gave up on that idea. After all, his current image in his master's eyes went without saying—changing his master's opinion in a short time was simply impossible.

Still—

From his experiences over this period, Li Daoxuan had provided him with quite a few Heart Insight Points.

And the reason for that was Lu Yaoyao.

The problem was that plenty of people revolved around that girl, and the only ones who could observe the Little Junior Sister's movements at any time were her few senior brothers.

Whether it was admiration or affection, to Zhou Qing, they were all excellent candidates.

Of course, there was one more person he had to watch out for—that elusive Second Uncle.

Just thinking about it made Zhou Qing grind his teeth in hatred.

If he could bind that guy, then no matter how the other changed his appearance, he would have nowhere to hide before Zhou Qing. And because he could know what the other was thinking, he wouldn't be fooled again.

"Bind Second Uncle!" Zhou Qing said aloud.

Then he looked at the panel. No change at all.

Sure enough, relying on just a name wasn't enough. Who knew how many people shared the same name? Besides, he still didn't know if that was the guy's real name or a fake one.

Maybe he could only bind someone face to face.

Zhou Qing had no choice but to abandon that idea. He casually tidied himself up and was about to head for Divine Peak when, just then, a knock came from outside the courtyard.

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

Seeing her, Zhou Qing immediately felt embarrassed and quickly said, "Senior Sister Shi, it really was a misunderstanding. Even if I had the guts, I would never..."

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

"Rumors are just rumors. I know the truth in my heart!" Senior Sister Shi Zhen said seriously.

Others might not know, but how could she not? There were too many doubts.

First, her cultivation was far above Zhou Qing's. If Zhou Qing had come near her residence, she would have sensed it immediately.

Second, at the time, Zhou Qing had been speaking out loud from outside, mumbling like someone in a nightmare.

Finally, she had witnessed his episode with her own eyes. That scene couldn't have been faked.

Now that she thought back on it, she actually felt a bit of lingering fear.

If she had really scared Junior Brother Zhou into becoming an idiot, the responsibility would have fallen squarely on her.

With her own stubborn personality, this matter might have become an unshakable knot in her heart, an obstacle to her future cultivation.

Especially since they saw each other every day. Even just hearing others talk about it would likely affect her state of mind.

What's more, because of her, the outside world's misunderstanding of Junior Brother Zhou had only deepened. That made her feel even more guilty.

In fact, if she thought about it carefully, that incident a while back—the one about peeping at eighteen Outer Sect female disciples bathing—might also have been caused by Junior Brother Zhou's condition.

"Junior Brother Zhou, I'm really sorry about that night. I didn't know your sleepwalking was this severe. Please, you must accept this small gift!"

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

Seeing this, Zhou Qing felt even more awkward.

"No, no, no, Senior Sister Shi, I should be the one apologizing to you. I'm just glad you don't misunderstand me." Zhou Qing was flattered. While breathing a sigh of relief, he quickly tried to refuse.

After several rounds of refusal to no avail, Zhou Qing finally accepted the gift.

Senior Sister Shi Zhen thought for a moment and said, "It's still early. How about I treat you to a meal at the Jade Cuisine Hall? Besides making amends, it could also help clear up some misunderstandings."

The Jade Cuisine Hall was located on Divine Peak, where the Sect Leader resided. The food there was infused with spiritual energy. However, unlike the Fire Kitchens on each peak, dining at the Jade Cuisine Hall required spending spirit stones.

Zhou Qing felt a little embarrassed, but what Senior Sister Shi Zhen said made sense. If the two of them ate together, it might really help dispel some of the misunderstandings.

If someone really had peeped at you bathing, would the two of you be laughing and chatting over a meal afterward?

Maybe with this opportunity, he could finally shake off the "peeping maniac" label.

Senior Sister Shi Zhen invited him repeatedly. Zhou Qing pretended to decline a couple of times before agreeing.

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

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

On one hand, it could be out of guilt. On the other hand, it might be 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 action but also extremely cold in temperament.

Especially his deep eyes and chiseled face—they held a unique appeal for girls.

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

From then on, Senior Sister Shi Zhen had deeply imprinted Eldest Brother's image in her heart.

Think about it—if she scared the junior brother of the man she secretly admired into becoming an idiot, would she still have any chance to get close to Eldest Brother in the future?

Luckily, Zhou Qing was fine now, so of course she had to put on a good show.

"Senior Sister, wait a moment. I'll go inside and change clothes." Zhou Qing said and went into the house.

But just as he finished changing, he suddenly thought of something and quietly glanced outside.

Shi Zhen Senior Sister was pacing back and forth under the tree.

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

That old bastard had no bottom line and would do anything. Maybe this time he was luring her out just to set her up again.

But what if this was the real Shi Zhen Senior Sister? If she didn't go, she'd already promised her senior sister, and it would also hurt her reputation. If she did go, her heart was still uneasy.

Looking at the [???] above Shi Zhen Senior Sister's head, Zhou Qing gritted her teeth, abandoned her previous strategy, and directly bound her.

Soon, the question mark above Shi Zhen Senior Sister's head was replaced by a line of golden text—[Her Little Junior Brother].

Seeing this, the stone in Zhou Qing's heart finally fell. Then, with a face full of smiles, she walked out.

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

The moment the two stepped into the Jade Cuisine Hall, a wave of luxurious elegance washed over them.

Starting from the entrance, the two doors were made of rare Purplish Gold Phoebe Wood, meticulously carved with patterns of Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Auspiciousness. Every single grain was inlaid with tiny Spirit Light Stones.

Above the lintel hung a plaque carved from a single piece of Warm Jade. The three large characters "Jade Cuisine Hall" were written in spirit liquid, exuding an ancient and noble aura.

The floor was paved with precious Star Pattern White Jade, each piece carefully polished, radiating a warm luster.

Overhead was a massive Glazed Dome, the glass laced with strands of spiritual energy. Under the refraction of sunlight, it scattered colorful patches of light across the hall.

Beyond that, even the tableware and plates were forged from Seabed Cold Iron mixed with Mithril, with a ring of crystal inlaid around the edges.

The chopsticks were made of spirit jade, with a tiny Storage Spirit Stone embedded at the top for storing special seasonings.

In short, every corner of this place flaunted its high class and luxury.

Of course, there were plenty of people eating here as well, from the Sect Leader, various elders, and hall masters down to ordinary disciples. As long as you had spirit stones, you could order whatever you wanted.

Sure enough, as Zhou Qing and Shi Zhen walked side by side into the Jade Cuisine Hall, everyone eating there looked utterly incredulous.

Hadn't they just heard that Zhou Qing was caught peeping on Shi Zhen bathing?

What was going on here?

Could the rumor be wrong?