Offering Some Guidance

Her voice was gentle and pleasant, and she seemed easy to approach. "What is it?"

Yun Yun wasn't complicated by nature. She had only snapped back because Medusa's manner had been so aggressive. Now that she thought it over, she felt she might have been out of line. Perhaps she saw Ya Fei as someone who, like her, came from one of the Jia Ma Empire's three great families. In this unfamiliar sect, Ya Fei was at least someone she could talk to. So she asked, "Chief Steward Ya Fei, do you think I was out of line just now?"

"Erm..."

Ya Fei didn't think it was a big deal, and she wasn't particularly concerned about the conflict between them. But out of courtesy—and because Yun Yun was the person she'd picked to take her place—she offered some reassurance. "I don't think so. If the Saint had really formed a bad impression of you, he wouldn't have given up his room to put an end to your quarrel." Even that didn't feel like enough. This was the perfect chance to add fuel to the fire, so she continued, "And think about it: the Saint's actions show that you and Medusa hold equal standing in his heart. That's why he didn't want you two to keep arguing. In a way, the Saint likes you quite a bit, too."

"Ah..."

Yun Yun's cheeks reddened slightly. Ya Fei's words seemed a little too suggestive. Her master had sent her into the sect with that sort of intention in mind, but... this was only her first day. Surely that couldn't be the case...

Still, he'd given her so many seventh-grade pills the first time they met... rare pills that nourished the soul, no less. Could it be...?

Yun Yun was nothing like Medusa, who was so sheltered from the ways of the world. Her education and experience dealing with people meant she couldn't help imagining all sorts of ambiguous possibilities. She glanced at Ya Fei beside her and couldn't help thinking that, in this empty sect, before she had arrived, Ya Fei had been the only one who could really count as...

Medusa was a Snake-Person, after all, and supposedly had a disciple of her own, though that girl looked like a child. Which meant... if the Saint really had such thoughts, then Ya Fei was the only suitable choice before her. Could that be why she'd become the sect's chief steward? Yun Yun knew a little about Ya Fei's past, since they'd both entered the sect. She cautiously asked, "Then have you... already...?"

"Huh?"

Where did that come from?

Ya Fei stared in surprise, then waved her hands. "No, no, I haven't! I'm only the sect's chief steward. There's absolutely nothing between the Saint and me, and I don't even have any talent for cultivation."

She hadn't expected the conversation to suddenly turn into an explosive reveal about her. Besides, how could that possibly be? She kept waving her hands as she said, "All right, just focus on your cultivation. The sect doesn't have that many rules. You can just stay in your room and cultivate in peace. The two maids outside, Cuiguo and Baojuan, were assigned by the Saint to attend to you."

With that, Ya Fei turned and left the room. Yun Yun sat alone in the chair, still holding the pills Zhang Nian had just given her. She couldn't help recalling her master's words before she left: "Yun Yun, the Misty Cloud Sect has been passed down for a hundred years, and now we're at a crucial juncture. The arrival of a Dou Sheng Expert is a stroke of fortune granted by heaven, and the future of the Misty Cloud Sect rests on your shoulders."

Perhaps this was her destiny. At the very least, she could give the Misty Cloud Sect a chance to rise again...

But her feelings about this strange man were a mess. Until now, everything she'd been taught had focused on cultivating diligently and making the revival of the Misty Cloud Sect her life's mission. This sudden change, however, was quietly affecting her state of mind...

This Soul Nourishing Pill...

"I heard a new big sister came in. I came to see her~"

A childish voice came from outside. A moment later, the door was gently pushed open.

"Creak~"

A little head suddenly poked in. Two bright, watery eyes cautiously scanned the room. Seeing Yun Yun sitting in the chair, Zi Yan beamed. Her playful, adorable appearance immediately brought them closer.

"Hello, big sister~"

If Zhang Nian had been there, he would surely have laughed. This little girl acted so grown-up, yet if you added up the ages of everyone in the sect, they still wouldn't match hers. But she was so sweet and adorable that it was hard not to feel fond of her. Yun Yun was instantly captivated by the big-eyed little girl before her. She beckoned to the girl outside and warmly said, "Come on in~"

In truth, Zi Yan had caught the tempting scent of the Soul Nourishing Pill. From the moment she entered the room, her big, adorable eyes had been fixed on the jade bottle in Yun Yun's hand, staring at it without looking away.

"Do you want this?"

Yun Yun raised the jade bottle and asked curiously. She looked at Zi Yan as if she were her own little sister, with a hint of affection.

Zi Yan's eyes rolled. In an instant, she planted her hands on her hips and spoke with an air of authority. "Well, this senior sister doesn't want your pills. I'm only looking after my junior sister. The pills were given to you by Master, after all. Slurp, slurp..." A few glistening drops of drool slid from her mouth. She hurriedly wiped them away with her little hand, then continued, "Okay, just give me one. I'll test it for you!"

Strictly speaking, Zi Yan had joined the sect much earlier than Yun Yun, so she did count as Yun Yun's senior sister.

Yun Yun could tell at a glance that the little cutie before her was a Dou Ling. A seventh-grade pill's effects went without saying. Although Master had told her these pills weren't very potent, she still didn't dare hand them to someone else so casually. What if something went wrong? She put the bottle away and said, "These are seventh-grade pills. I can't just give them to you. If you really want one, you can go ask Master."

"Hmph! Fine, don't give me one! I'll go ask Master myself! I was going to share the mount Master gave me with you, but now I won't!"

With that, Zi Yan spun around and marched out of the room, looking as though she'd suffered some huge injustice. Yun Yun shook her head helplessly. Still, Zi Yan's sudden appearance had interrupted her tangled thoughts. Though life here wasn't as good as it had been at the Misty Cloud Sect, it was peaceful enough. She might as well focus on cultivating. As for everything else, if it was meant to happen, it would happen. She couldn't run from it anyway.

Meanwhile, Zhang Nian sorted through his stock and took a few Dou Techniques up the mountain.

A few minutes later...

"Knock, knock, knock~"

"Come in."

"Creak~"

The door opened, and Zhang Nian stood outside holding a few Dou Techniques. A hint of panic flashed through Yun Yun's beautiful eyes, and her heart began to beat a little faster. She didn't know why, but when she was alone with Zhang Nian, she felt flustered. Her voice trembled slightly. "M-Master..."

"Mm. These are some Dou Techniques the Misty Cloud Sect passed down. I imagine you've practiced them before, but I took a look, and quite a few could still use some improvement. Take them for now and practice them for me. Then I'll give you a few pointers."

Zhang Nian pointed to the few Dou Techniques stacked on the table, indicating that Yun Yun should take them.

[ Ding! Detected the disciple Yun Yun receiving the middle-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique Extreme Wind: Sunset Shine... returning reward ]

[ Ding! Detected the disciple Yun Yun receiving the High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill... returning reward ]

[ Ding! Detected the disciple Yun Yun receiving the low-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique Explosive Step... returning reward ]

Excellent, excellent! Everything was developing just as he'd hoped!