Young Daoist Chu Yu's Appearance Was an Accident to Begin With

As soon as Su Ying finished complaining, the system went [Ding] and continued, [Congratulations, host. Mission complete. One hundred points have been credited to your account. You now have two accumulated prize draws. Would you like to draw now?]

[Wait.] Su Ying stared straight at Ling Xian. [Watching the show takes priority right now.]

A sharp gleam flashed through Chu Yu's eyes. He would let her keep her shoulders for now.

After hearing Su Ying's words, Ling Xian turned pale. She immediately put on a pitiful expression, as though she had been terribly misunderstood, and tears welled in her eyes. "Senior Sister Su Ying, I truly can't compare to you when it comes to cultivation, but why must you ridicule me? I've been trying so hard to keep up with you. Besides, I was only worried that our junior brother might have trouble settling in here and wanted to guide him. I never thought it would affect my cultivation."

With that, she bowed toward Xiao Muchen, her face filled with reverence and a faint, barely discernible affection. In a soft yet firm voice, she vowed, "Master, I am willing to remain by your side day and night, listening to your teachings and learning spells. I won't let myself get distracted again. One day, I, too, will make you proud."

Su Ying raised an eyebrow. That was it?

If Ling Xian didn't make a heartfelt confession to Xiao Muchen now, wouldn't all that affected posturing just now have gone to waste?

She grumbled inwardly, [I thought Ling Xian would wail to the heavens and cry out to the earth!]

[Host, at present, the female lead only admires the male lead. I think what you just said mostly spurred her ambition.] The system reminded her again, [Host, this is already your fifth run through the mission. How do you still not remember the plot?]

[Isn't it enough to remember my own part?] Su Ying glanced at Chu Yu and sighed appreciatively. [What a feast for the eyes.]

The moment she finished admiring him, her gaze met Chu Yu's purple eyes.

Su Ying gave him a brilliant smile before turning back toward the male and female leads.

As Xiao Muchen listened to Ling Xian's vow, his brows creased slightly on his usually impassive face. It was so fleeting that no one noticed except Chu Yu.

This young disciple was the daughter of his master's lifesaver.

Calling that person a lifesaver was a stretch. They had merely given his master a bowl of water while he was out gaining experience beyond the mountain, then used that bowl of water as grounds for a request. The old man was too thin-skinned to leave a favor unpaid, so he brought Ling Xian back and dumped her on Xiao Muchen to teach.

He had always instructed Ling Xian with great care, because she was slow-witted and did not work hard enough either.

So he did not believe her vow.

Xiao Muchen's voice was cool and even. "Since you have that resolve, devote yourself to your studies from now on. Do not dwell on other matters."

"Yes, Master. I will obey." Glittering tears clung to Ling Xian's fair, beautiful face. She bowed to him again, gently wiped away her tears, and stepped aside.

Xiao Muchen swept his gaze over the disciples before finally resting it on Su Ying.

She...

Forget it. Xiao Muchen had been about to say something, but the sight of Su Ying looking at Ling Xian provocatively immediately gave him a headache. Instead, he addressed the disciples. "From now on, you are all disciples under my tutelage. To help you familiarize yourselves with the sect more quickly, each of you should choose a senior brother or sister to cultivate alongside."

Cultivating alongside someone here simply meant having a senior disciple guide a junior one.

Su Ying was about to walk over to Chu Yu and bring him into her Firefly Fragrance Court.

But Ping Qingyun blocked her path. "Junior Sister Su Ying, apologize to Junior Sister Ling Xian."

Looking at this bird sticking its head out, Su Ying was speechless. "Senior Brother Qingyun, why should I apologize to her?"

"You made Junior Sister Ling Xian cry!" Ping Qingyun was an impulsive hothead, determined to stand up for Ling Xian.

Su Ying glanced back at Ling Xian. Now that trouble had arisen here, she stood there looking timid, as though everyone had wronged her.

Su Ying was baffled. All she had done was carry out a mission as instructed by the system and say a few things to spur Ling Xian to "improve."

Looking at Ling Xian now, anyone who didn't know better would think Su Ying had slaughtered her entire family!

Su Ying's eyes shifted as she recalled the mission from just now. She might as well add fuel to the fire.

So, looking utterly aggrieved, she asked in front of everyone, "Senior Brother Qingyun, what did I do wrong?"

Ping Qingyun gripped his sword hilt, but for a moment, he could not answer.

"Senior Brother Qingyun, everyone knows you treat our junior sister well, but you can't pin everything on me. That's very unfair to me." Su Ying lowered her head and knelt toward Xiao Muchen. "Master, I merely expressed my determination to cultivate, and Junior Sister started crying. I do not believe I did anything wrong. Please uphold justice for me."

Xiao Muchen had been about to leave when Su Ying's words made his forehead throb.

Su Ying always loved saying strange things to him. Just hearing her voice repelled him.

Although there was nothing strange about her words this time, she was still making trouble for him.

Didn't she know that Ling Xian was their great-grandmaster's favorite?

Though annoyed, Xiao Muchen remained as cold and aloof as ever. After glancing indifferently at Su Ying and Ling Xian, he said, "Rise."

Su Ying stood, keeping her head lowered, and rubbed her face with her hand, making people mistakenly think she was crying.

Xiao Muchen looked at Ping Qingyun and warned him, "Qingyun, this was a trivial matter to begin with. There is no need to make a fuss."

Very surprised, Ping Qingyun immediately gave him a Daoist salute, then said, "Yes, Master. I acknowledge my mistake."

Xiao Muchen nodded, then addressed Su Ying with a rare trace of gentleness. "It's all right now."

With that, he flew away on his sword, afraid that if he lingered even a moment longer, Su Ying and Ling Xian would start making trouble again.

Watching her drop to her knees at the slightest provocation, Chu Yu's eyes showed a flicker of displeasure.

This girl was already reserved for him. Why should she kneel to a hypocrite like Xiao Muchen?

Did she not want her knees anymore?

Only after Xiao Muchen left did Su Ying slowly raise her head.

Everyone looked at her. Her face was perfectly clean, and her eyes had never even reddened. They realized she hadn't been crying at all.

Comparing her with Ling Xian's pitiful appearance, they immediately began silently condemning Su Ying's hypocrisy. Not only did she bully a fellow disciple, she also put on an act to win their master's sympathy!

Shameless!

[I exceeded the mission requirements. Do I get a reward?] Although Su Ying had not seen Ling Xian's subsequent reaction, that little bit of gentleness Xiao Muchen had shown her at the end was sure to stir Ling Xian's possessiveness.

After all, Xiao Muchen had never spoken to Su Ying so gently before.

[No, host. That was far too risky. Why did you suddenly add your own scene? If the mission failed, you'd have to start over!] the system scolded.

[Then shouldn't I be asking what's wrong with your plot? They actually came after me. With my temper, how could I swallow that? Of course I'd blow up first and worry about the rest later. Besides, the worst that could happen is failing the mission.] Su Ying was unconcerned. She had already done it five times; she didn't mind a sixth.

The system reminded her, [Young Daoist Chu Yu's appearance was an accident to begin with. If you start a sixth run, you might not meet him again. Host, could you bear that?]