"Since that's settled, it's getting late. Junior Sister, you should get some rest too."
With that, Daoist Fire Crane said no more and half-closed his eyes.
Qinglü, High Cultivator, did not take offense. She turned and headed for the east wing.
After she left, Daoist Fire Crane opened his eyes. A smile flashed across his face as he murmured to himself:
"Junior Sister, oh, Junior Sister. What does it matter if you disagree? Once I secretly pass on the technique, the rice will already be cooked. By then... heh heh."
The next morning, a cool breeze threaded through Anfu City's streets and alleys, making passersby pull their clothes tighter.
Outside Anfu City, hoofbeats thundered from the distance. Moments later, a striking young woman rode a black horse with silver scales straight toward the east side of the city.
Outside the residence, she tied up her horse and ran inside, calling out, "Master, I'm back!"
She pushed open the door, then froze at the sight within. A young man stood quietly beneath the parasol tree in the courtyard.
His white robes were whiter than snow, his bearing graceful and striking. An air of nobility surrounded him, drawing the eye.
Hearing her voice, Liu Yunche looked over and saw a spirited young woman in dark clothes standing in the doorway.
Their eyes met. Liu Yunche smiled warmly and said:
"You're Uncle-Master Fire Crane's disciple, aren't you?"
"Uncle-Master?" The young woman tilted her head. After a moment's thought, she exclaimed:
"Uncle-Master Qing Lü took a disciple?"
Liu Yunche nodded slightly. "Master and Uncle-Master have gone out. Before leaving, Uncle-Master said he'd calculated that you would return today and told me to wait here for you."
"Master's always so mysterious," she muttered. "Who knows where he's run off to this time?"
Then she