In the courtyard.
The sound of Xiao Yunzhi emerging naturally alerted both Li Ping and Shi Yutong.
For an instant, even the air in the courtyard seemed to freeze.
"Ahem-" Li Ping coughed twice, breaking the silence.
He stood straight and walked upright, with nothing to hide, so a trivial matter like this naturally gave him no cause for embarrassment.
"Sect Leader Shi," Li Ping introduced calmly, "this is my younger sister. She came to the Far North with me over ten years ago."
He and Xiao Yunzhi had long since agreed to pass themselves off as siblings, and Li Ping stated their relationship without hesitation.
Hearing his explanation, Shi Yutong covered her mouth with a soft laugh. "You don't need to explain yourself to me, Brother Li. I trust your character."
As soon as she spoke, Xiao Yunzhi's expression took on a hint of indignation.
Especially when she heard her call him "Brother Li," say he "didn't need to explain," and claim she "trusted his character." That understanding attitude made it seem as though her relationship with Li Ping was anything but ordinary.
Given Xiao Yunzhi's temperament, however, she genuinely had no idea how to counter such sugary, manipulative remarks on the spot. She could only remain silent.
Li Ping shook his head speechlessly. He could now confirm that Sect Leader Shi was a scheming woman who played innocent.
Whether she was revealing the secret of her mixed blood and asking him not to tell anyone, calling him "Brother Li" as though they were already close, or deliberately making suggestive remarks now.
These were all standard moves in the innocent-act playbook.
This was different from Xiao Yunzhi. He had once used the magical power of the Longevity Art to treat the poison in her body, and its nourishing effects