My Number One Fan Is Actually Me

"My dad said that, back when Senior Brother Qiu first joined Kunlun, the elders nearly came to blows over who would take him as a disciple."

"For someone with a Clear Dao Heart, the path of cultivation had no obstacles. It was a smooth road from the start. In just a few centuries, he'd become a Nascent Soul expert."

"So after all that fighting, the Kunlun Sect Master had to overcome every obstacle and take him as his disciple."

"Wow." Hearing that, everyone could only sigh in admiration, their faces brimming with envy.

"And all those things people say about him are true, too. There are witnesses in both Kunlun and Penglai. None of it's made up."

As she spoke, Shi Liuli took a small booklet from her sleeve and continued:

"I pulled some strings and paid a fortune to get this biography of Qiu Changtian from a friend in Kunlun. You can all have a look."

At once, everyone crowded around, heads pressed together as they read.

Outside the door, Luo Yan scratched at his head, wanting to go in and look but not daring to. He was utterly miserable.

He could hear them chattering away inside:

"The cover even has a sketch of him! He really is so handsome and elegant. He's exactly my type!"

"He's not quite how I imagined, but the one in the picture is even more handsome! Ahhh, I want to touch his face!"

"To think such a perfect man exists in this world! Damn it, if I'd known, I would've gone to Kunlun to become a disciple!"

"Junior Sister Shi, could I borrow your booklet for a few days?" one senior sister asked eagerly.

At once, Shi Liuli snatched it back and clutched it to her chest, shaking her head fiercely.

"No, no. I have to keep this booklet close to me. Go buy your own from someone in Kunlun."

"Little Junior Sister, don't be so stingy."

"How about I trade you a Demon-Sealing Seal? I'll throw in two luminous pearls from the East Sea!"

Luo Yan left with a blank expression.

As he walked along a garden path in Yuqing Temple, he began to ponder a question in earnest:

Did this count as cheating on myself with myself?

Of course not.

First of all, Eldest Young Lady Shi's feelings for Qiu Changtian could only be called idol worship for now. They weren't genuine romantic feelings between a man and a woman.

Even if they might turn into a secret crush later, that was in the future. At least for now, they weren't.

Secondly, Luo Yan himself had no romantic feelings for Eldest Young Lady Shi, either.

That was the key!

Although Eldest Young Lady Shi was pretty and cute enough (and very cooperative when he was farming synchronization points), just as Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian had said, her personality was far too immature.

To pick a fight with Xu Yinglian, a complete stranger, over something so absurd...

To put it nicely, she didn't know her place. To put it bluntly, she'd cause trouble sooner or later!

Of course, her personality was also the result of growing up in an exceptionally privileged environment.

Her father, Elder Shi Ding, was a pillar of the Artifact Refining lineage at Yuqing Temple. Even the temple's abbot, let alone the Ziwei Sect Master of Kunlun, treated him with respect.

And the Tiangong Workshop had three Golden Core cultivators in one family. Third Senior Sister Liang Ruohua had reached the Spirit-Seated stage, Second Senior Sister Lei Caiyan had reached the Root-Seeking stage, and Eldest Senior Brother Linghu Chu had already cultivated to the peak of the Subtle stage. He only needed to fully return to the Void to form an Immortal Embryo and become a Nascent Soul elder.

With so many domineering senior brothers and sisters behind her, who would dare pick on Shi Liuli? Even if someone couldn't stand her, they'd have to steer clear.

Naturally, she'd grown up thinking the world revolved around her. That said, Shi Liuli hadn't gone completely off the rails; she still occasionally remembered to care for her junior brothers. That alone showed how kind-hearted she was by nature.

For the sake of farming synchronization points, Luo Yan had no choice but to wait on this Eldest Young Lady. But in all honesty, compared to gentle and considerate Senior Sister An and clever, haughty Junior Sister Xu, Eldest Young Lady Shi's personality really wasn't appealing.

Forget it. She could like whoever she wanted.

Qiu Changtian was me, and Luo Yan was me, too. As long as I didn't like her, it wouldn't matter who she liked.

Back in his workroom, Luo Yan continued studying his assignments.

Elder Shi Ding had given him three tasks:

First, learn formation techniques and the art of casting cauldrons.

Second, refine his qi and improve his cultivation.

Third, take good care of Eldest Young Lady Shi.

Of course, that wasn't how Elder Shi Ding had actually put it. His exact words had been, "When you have time, ask your senior sister for guidance."

With the talent One Hear Thousand Comprehensions, how could Luo Yan fail to catch his master's hidden meaning? He did whatever Shi Liuli asked of him, and in the process, he could also farm synchronization points for his hypocritical persona.

As for refining qi and improving his cultivation, there was no need to be too fixated on that.

After all, the Qi Refining Technique used by the Tiangong Workshop lineage was Three Flowers Gathering Spirit. Its cultivation efficiency was very mediocre, so practicing it was a waste of time. He might as well wait until he could advance a stage at the Li Palace.

After studying for a few more days, the day finally came for the Kunlun delegation to arrive, catching up with Qiu Changtian's timeline.

At that moment, Qiu Changtian was following the Ziwei Sect Master and the others into the main hall for the welcoming banquet. Elder Shi Ding had gone as well.

Unexpectedly, the senior brothers and sisters weren't particularly eager to make connections with the people from Kunlun. Aside from Shi Liuli, who was eager to meet her idol, only Eldest Senior Brother Linghu Chu had been dragged along, and he'd gone unwillingly.

Everyone else stayed holed up in their own workrooms, so Luo Yan didn't even need to make up an excuse.

At dusk, after the banquet ended, Shi Liuli burst into his workroom again.

"Little Junior Brother, Little Junior Brother!" She started complaining as soon as she came in. "Ugh, that Xu Yinglian is so disgusting. Let me tell you!"

She went on and on, tearing into Xu Yinglian, until Luo Yan was at a complete loss for words.

Well, on top of her princess syndrome, she was also vindictive, petty, and a gossip.

"Junior Brother! What do you think?" Shi Liuli demanded, cheeks puffed with anger.

Luo Yan: ...

"Do you actually think this is my fault?!" Shi Liuli's brows shot up at once. Hands on her hips, she looked ready to "bite his head off if he didn't explain himself."

"No." Luo Yan could only sigh. "I was just thinking, what a dashing and extraordinary man Kunlun's leading disciple, Qiu Changtian, is. How could his junior sister be so uncouth?"

[Hypocritical persona, synchronization +1]

He hadn't said the second half out loud, but Shi Liuli understood his meaning all the same. Her face lit up with delight. "Well said! You really are my junior brother. Exactly! If Xu Yinglian were just an ordinary disciple, I couldn't be bothered with her. But as Qiu Changtian's junior sister, she makes no effort to improve herself and spends all day trying to stir up rumors with her senior brother. I absolutely won't tolerate that!"

Luo Yan was completely numb by now, so he simply nodded along as Shi Liuli continued badmouthing Xu Yinglian. He called her things like "pretending to be aloof" and "a phoenix with its feathers plucked." The synchronization points kept soaring, and Eldest Young Lady Shi was so delighted that the anger she'd felt after arguing with Xu Yinglian finally vanished.

"You really know what's what, Junior Brother." Shi Liuli grinned. "Oh, by the way, a few of my senior and junior sisters and I have formed a society. Would you like to join?"

"What kind of society?"

"A society for people who support and study Senior Brother Qiu, of course. For now, we're calling it the 'Changtian Society.'"

Luo Yan nearly spat blood. You want me to join my own fan club?

But when he thought about it, it wasn't such a bad idea.

If he left them alone, who knew what kind of trouble Shi Liuli and her senior and junior sisters might stir up over Qiu Changtian?

I can't just sit back and do nothing!