Surprised? Didn't see that coming, did you?

Lan Yue looked up blankly and met the eyes of several people in the gloom.

Seeing that they could no longer hide, Jiang Li, who stood at their head, jumped down of his own accord.

"We're the disciples stationed at the Hidden Sword Pavilion. We just happened to be discussing an amusing mission and couldn't help laughing. Please carry on choosing your spirit swords."

"We didn't disturb you, did we?" Jiang Li asked gently.

"No, no, not at all..."

Lan Yue was still standing there in a daze, but Li Bai had already begun waving his hands frantically beside her.

The two girls had only recently joined the sect, so it was perfectly normal that they didn't know Senior Brother Jiang Li.

He, however, knew very well. Senior Brother Jiang Li had been the most gifted disciple of his intake. When he first sought a master, the peak masters of the Southern Spirit Sect had even come to blows over him.

He had supposedly already reached the Golden Core stage. Out in the wider world, he would absolutely have been powerful enough to establish a sect of his own.

Yet someone like him had actually accepted a mission to guard the Hidden Sword Pavilion.

After all, the Hidden Sword Pavilion wasn't somewhere just anyone could enter. It was a Spirit-Sealing Ground, and supposedly housed the Southern Spirit Sect's greatest secret.

Every disciple who chose a mission at the Hidden Sword Pavilion had to swear a Dao-heart oath before it.

Once they accepted the mission, they had to remain inside the Hidden Sword Pavilion for at least three years, or as long as five or even ten, without ever leaving.

Spending year after year cultivating in a Spirit-Sealing Ground was a hardship not everyone could endure.

So Senior Brother Jiang Li must have been discussing important sect affairs just now. He definitely hadn't laughed because he'd heard their junior sister's thoughts!

Li Bai was utterly confident of that!

Before leaving, Jiang Li glanced toward Lan Yue, then swiftly leaped back up.

Wait, why is this senior brother different? Why can he fly? Isn't the Hidden Sword Pavilion a Spirit-Sealing Ground?

Lan Yue's little head was filled with questions.

"Junior Sister, stop staring. We need to look for spirit swords. Back in the Human Realm, Senior Brother Jiang Li was the son of a martial arts grandmaster. It's perfectly normal for him to know a little lightness kung fu."

Li Bai raised his chin proudly, as though he were the one being praised.

"Oh, so that's why." Envy filled Lan Yue's eyes.

So the Human Realm really does have lightness kung fu! If I can't learn Sword Flight, I'll come ask Senior Brother to teach me that instead!

Lan Yue entertained the thought with delight.

Jiang Li, up at the cavern ceiling: "..."

It was his first time seeing someone so happy about being unable to learn sword flight.

Forget it, I'll get back to feasting on gossip! I haven't finished Elder Lu's juicy melon yet!

Woohoo! What have I uncovered? Hahaha, I'm dying! So that's what really happened! How can those people be so hilarious? They actually came up with something like this!

Lan Yue nearly laughed herself breathless inside her head, but the people around her weren't having nearly as much fun.

They waited and waited without hearing any details, scratching their heads and ears in frustration, each more miserable than the last.

Even Jiang Li overhead was wondering what on earth the girl had discovered that amused her so much.

Laugh all you like, but tell us about it!

The other disciples at the cavern ceiling felt exactly the same as Jiang Li. They had been stationed at the Hidden Sword Pavilion for over two years. Aside from meditating in seclusion, all they did was count spirit swords from the cavern ceiling every day.

People said cultivation knew no passage of years. Outside, they could probably spend a decade or so in seclusion without even noticing.

But that didn't hold true inside the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Spiritual power was forbidden here. Just sitting there for a few days left their legs numb, never mind meditating to cultivate.

And so their only daily amusement was counting spirit swords.

Forget the tens of thousands of spirit swords in the Hidden Sword Pavilion-they had even counted every last clod of dirt overhead.

Now that a few junior sisters and a junior brother had arrived, how could they not treasure them?

Of course, this new junior sister was even more interesting. Everyone could hear her thoughts clearly, yet she herself had no idea!

That was an intriguing ability. They wondered what grade of spirit artifact it came from. Whatever it was, its grade certainly wasn't low-at least ninth grade or above.

I'm dying! Elder Whitebrow has eighteen Dao companions hidden outside the sect. He went to all that trouble thinking he'd kept them from finding out about one another for over twenty years. Every time he met them, he even dressed up in all sorts of disguises, doing everything he could to change his appearance so nobody else would notice. But they were actually all in it together!

Jiang Li was listening intently when he suddenly sensed movement to his right. He turned to look and nearly jumped out of his skin.

A whole cluster of elders was crouching in that secluded little nook to his right.

The sect master was at their head, naturally, followed by the second elder, third elder, fifth elder, sixth elder, and even Elder Whitebrow, who had only just left. Not one was missing!

What are they all doing? Holding a grand meeting here?

Under Jiang Li's puzzled gaze, the sect master gently raised an index finger to his lips.

To the sect master's right, Elder Whitebrow, whom he had bound and dragged over, drooped his brows and eyes, looking utterly bereft of the will to live.

If the sect master hadn't tied him up with the Immortal-Binding Rope, he probably would have fled the cultivation world already.

Still, hearing the girl's thoughts left him momentarily confused. How could his eighteen beautiful Dao companions all be in it together?

Hahaha, let me see, let me see. So that's how it was. It all started with Elder Whitebrow's original White Moonlight. There was an unattainable White Moonlight in his heart.

Since he couldn't have White Moonlight, he renamed his first Dao companion after her. He even demanded that she dress and style herself exactly like White Moonlight.

Holy shit, what kind of domineering CEO stand-in romance plot is this? I never imagined I'd run into one in a cultivation novel too. I have to say, Elder Whitebrow really knows how to spice things up.

Hahaha, here comes the most important part!!!

Hearing Lan Yue shout in her head that the most important part was coming, everyone instinctively pricked up their ears, from Li Bai and Yun Xi beside her to the disciples and elders overhead.

I'm dying. Of course, that first Dao companion was clever too. How could she fail to see through Elder Whitebrow's little schemes? She had plenty of backbone and was just about ready to throw down her tools and quit.

But who could have imagined that, despite his lousy character, Elder Whitebrow was generous-and had more money than brains! He even handed out supreme-grade spirit stones and high-grade mineral deposits. Who could resist that?

Anyway, when she was with Elder Lu, all she had to do was change her clothes and let the sight of her remind him of someone else.

She didn't have to do anything, and she received a handsome income every month. Could she possibly keep such an easy job to herself? Of course not!

And so this Dao companion found her path to riches. I'm dying! Every trade really does produce its own champion. Put your mind to it, and you can make any line of work bloom.

Elder Whitebrow, who had more money than brains: "..."

His face flushed crimson with embarrassment and agitation.

Listening to those thoughts and the girl's accompanying laughter, he couldn't help snorting inwardly.

What does this little girl know? My Dao companions are all more attentive than the last. Every time I return, they fuss over me and ask after my well-being. That's the pinnacle of life! What does this little girl know?

So this Dao companion roped in her girlfriends. They all dressed in the styles White Moonlight liked and went looking for "chance encounters" with Elder Lu.

Sure enough, her girlfriends became Elder Lu's Dao companions, one after another. On the surface, they might act jealous over Elder Lu always having other women, but once he left, they secretly gathered to eat meat around a hot pot!

Whoa, I never imagined the cultivation world would have hot pot too. I've got to try it someday. I'll definitely order a spicy, numbing broth! And some spicy rabbit heads to go with it!

Pfft! Laughter rang out from the cavern ceiling again, even more clearly this time.

Li Bai, who had just been admiring his senior brothers for discussing important sect affairs: "..."

Senior Brothers, at least laugh a little more quietly! If Junior Sister really finds out, the Southern Spirit Sect won't be able to withstand an Immortal Artifact's wrath!

Haven't you noticed how desperately the Immortal Artifact has been stopping us from letting Junior Sister find out?

This time, however, Li Bai really had misunderstood. The people hiding at the cavern ceiling and snickering weren't Jiang Li, but the sect master holding the Immortal-Binding Cord and the sixth elder, who had sneaked over.

In truth, the sect master couldn't help it either. After all, the Hidden Scripture Pavilion was a Spirit-Sealing Ground. Even at his cultivation level, he couldn't use spiritual power freely, so he could only let the laughter escape.

Still, the sect master remembered how the Immortal Artifact's last attack had left him recuperating for three months, so he hurriedly cast warning looks at everyone around him.

The sect master: Every one of you, watch yourselves. Nobody is allowed to laugh! Otherwise, I'll throw you all out! And you can forget about feasting on this gossip!

The elders nodded discreetly, while Jiang Li and the other disciples raised two fingers to declare their commitment.

Jiang Li: Don't worry, Sect Master. We definitely won't laugh-unless we really can't help it!

Among them, Elder Whitebrow was already dazed, as though his soul had been sucked dry. The blow had hit him hard.

Just as they all thought it was about to end, another shocked inner voice rang out nearby.

I'm dying! Later, Elder Lu's first Dao companion felt her business was too limited. Just bringing in her girlfriends wasn't enough, so she called over all the junior sisters and junior brothers from her own sect. Now that's generosity! Now that's grand ambition!

In other words, half of Elder Lu's eighteen beautiful Dao companions are men! What kind of earthly paradise is this? He's simply sitting back and enjoying every blessing of a shared bed!

No matter how wild those mortal emperors get, they only ever go as far as twins. Elder Whitebrow has an entire sect as his harem!

Surprised? Didn't see that coming, did you? Whatever you want, they can transform themselves into it!