Seventy-Six Frames

When the two of them appeared, Qiao Ranran finally felt, if only barely, that the Profound Heart Sect had more than a handful of members.

"Senior Brother Cui, Senior Brother Cen."

Cui Yue was a tall, burly young man with thick brows and large eyes. He looked honest and good-natured, and his smile was bright as sunshine. He cupped his hands and said with a grin, "We finally meet, Junior Sister."

Since their brief encounter in the Main Hall, either Junior Sister had been away or he had been in Seclusion. Somehow, they had never properly met. She had never appeared on their specially made Communication Jade Token, either. He often heard Zhou Lukang chatter on and on about how wonderful, adorable, and dependable she was, so he had long been curious about Qiao Ranran.

As for Pei Ling, the junior brother who was no longer quite so new, Cui Yue's eyes narrowed with amusement. He had never met him at all. Uncle-Master Nie Gui was even more willful than Uncle-Master Xi Lingge. Pei Ling had braved Countless Hardships to climb the Immortal Ascension Road and knock at the Mountain Gate, but after Uncle-Master Nie accepted him, he had never formally met the others.

"Junior Brother Pei, it's a pleasure to meet you." Cui Yue cupped his hands and held out the gift he had prepared long ago. "I've had your welcome gift ready for ages, but never had a chance to give it to you. At last, I get to meet you."

Pei Ling looked at Cui Yue with a placid expression. Qiao Ranran's mouth twitched. She reached out and took Cui Yue's "welcome gift" instead, smiling awkwardly. "That's very thoughtful of you, Senior Brother Cui."

Cui Yue's gaze traveled between Qiao Ranran and Pei Ling. "I understand, I