Spirit Pagoda's Eastsea City branch, in the office on the top floor.
Steam rose from the rosewood coffee table.
Holding a celadon teacup, Gu Yue respectfully presented it to Leng Yaozhu.
"Master, please have some tea."
Leng Yaozhu accepted the cup and took a sip, her face full of smiles.
"Good, good. From today onward, you are my personal disciple."
She set down the teacup, took out a crimson token, and handed it over.
"This is my personal token. Anyone who sees it will know you're my disciple."
Gu Yue accepted the token with both hands. "Thank you, Master."
Leng Yaozhu pointed at Na'er, who stood nearby with her cheeks puffed out.
"This is Na'er. She joined a few days before you, so she'll be your senior sister from now on."
Gu Yue turned to look at Na'er.
Na'er had been sulking because Gu Yue had stolen Leng Yaozhu's affection, jealousy souring her heart.
At the words "senior sister," she froze for a moment.
Wait.
Senior sister?
So whenever Gu Yue saw her from now on, she would have to obediently lower her head and call her senior sister?
Seniority trumped everything!
Na'er's eyes lit up instantly. She straightened her back, raised her chin slightly, and clasped her hands behind her, putting on the air of a pompous old elder.
"Ahem, junior sister~" Na'er drew out the last syllable. "Your senior sister will look after you in the Spirit Pagoda from now on. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."
Gu Yue looked at Na'er's smug, petty little display without getting angry.
She lowered her head slightly, her tone even.
"Then thank you, senior sister."
"Don't mention it, don't mention it." Na'er fought the urge to cackle wildly, but a smile still crept onto her face.
Hehehehehehe-
That felt amazing!
Let's see you act all high and mighty in front of me now!
Sitting nearby, Lu Guan rolled his eyes.
This girl's tail was practically sticking up into the sky.
"All right, you two need to get along from now on." Leng Yaozhu waved a hand. "Lu Guan, Na'er, you don't get to come back to Eastsea City often. You should go home and visit."
Lu Guan stood and stretched.
"I've been wanting to go home for ages."
Once I got home, I was going to lie around for a whole week. Nobody could stop me!
Na'er hurried over, hugged Lu Guan's arm, and shot Gu Yue a challenging look.
"Big brother, let's go!"
Gu Yue stayed where she was, watching them leave without a word.
Only the corners of her lips curved slightly upward.
On the way home.
Lu Guan walked ahead while Na'er followed behind, stepping on his shadow.
Hmph, you womanizing radish. I'll stomp you to death.
"Big brother, stay away from that Gu Yue from now on," Na'er muttered.
"What's wrong?"
"You can tell at a glance she's no good. She always wears that icy face, like everyone owes her money."
Lu Guan chuckled. These two really were born rivals. He paused, then deliberately said,
"What do you know? That's called being cool and aloof."
"You're even defending her!" Na'er grew frantic and lunged forward, locking her arms around Lu Guan's neck.
"Ow, ow, let go, let go..."
The brother and sister made their way home, tussling and teasing each other all the while.
Eastsea City, the Lu family home.
Lu Guan pushed open the door and changed into slippers.
Cheerful chatter and laughter came from the living room.
"Oh, your home has such a lovely layout. So spacious and bright."
An unfamiliar woman's voice reached his ears.
Xu Ran emerged from the kitchen carrying a fruit platter and spotted the siblings entering.
"You're back?" Xu Ran beckoned with a smile. "Come over. We have a guest."
Lu Guan and Na'er walked over to the sofa.
A woman in her thirties sat there, elegantly dressed, with a gentle look in her eyes.
"Come, this is your Auntie Yang." Xu Ran set down the fruit platter. "During the three years you were away, Auntie Yang went shopping with me quite often."
"Hello, Auntie Yang," Lu Guan and Na'er said in unison, behaving so sweetly that no one could find the slightest fault.
Auntie Yang looked Lu Guan up and down, her eyes widening.
"Oh my, Xu Ran, this is your boy?" Auntie Yang looked astonished. "That build, that height... did you just say he's only nine?"
Lu Guan's physique really was a little beyond the norm now.
He stood just over 1.6 meters tall, with solid slabs of muscle beneath his clothes.
Standing there, he looked every bit like a boy of fifteen or sixteen.
"Yes, he eats a lot and grows fast." Xu Ran smiled and patted Lu Guan's shoulder. "He's given his dad plenty to worry about."
Auntie Yang nodded repeatedly.
"He's a boy. It's good to be sturdy! Those arms are thicker than my eldest's thighs. What does he usually eat?"
Xu Ran answered with a smile.
"He's had a big appetite since he was little. He can eat five bowls of rice in one sitting. If you'd like, I can write out his meal plan for you later."
"That would be wonderful!" Auntie Yang was delighted.
Holding Auntie Yang's hand, Xu Ran turned toward Lu Guan and Na'er.
"As it happens, Auntie Yang also has a son and a daughter. Her little girl is the same age as you two."
"When she has time, we'll have her come over and play with you."
Auntie Yang waved her hand with a smile.
"No need to wait. My eldest will be out of school soon. Before I left, I told him to pick up his sister and bring her straight here so they could learn the way."
Lu Guan listened from the side without much interest. Hated visiting relatives most of all.jpg.
He was working out how to slip back to his room and catch up on sleep.
Xu Ran poured Auntie Yang a glass of water.
"By the way, your two children have had their martial soul awakening, haven't they? What martial souls did they get?"
Auntie Yang sighed.
"Don't even mention it. Both took after their dad: ice staffs."
"Ice staffs?" Xu Ran paused. "That martial soul... is it control-type?"
"More or less, but neither has much innate soul power. I imagine they'll only become ordinary Soul Masters." A hint of helplessness crept into Auntie Yang's voice. "Still, it's not so bad. They have the same martial soul, so they'll be able to look out for each other."
Standing nearby, Lu Guan suddenly had a flash of inspiration when he heard the words "ice staff."
Ice staffs?
A brother and sister?
Eastsea City?
Put those keywords together, and they pointed far too clearly to one answer.
Lu Guan blurted out, "Auntie Yang, your daughter wouldn't happen to be named Xu Xiaoyan, would she?"
The living room instantly fell silent.
Holding her glass of water, Auntie Yang stared at Lu Guan as though she had seen a ghost.
"Oh my, how did you know, Lu Guan?" Auntie Yang's voice rose.
Xu Ran also turned to him, her face full of confusion.
"Guanguan, do you know Auntie Yang's daughter?"
It really was Xu Xiaoyan.
Lu Guan hadn't expected that.
As for how he knew about Xu Xiaoyan, that would be easy enough to bluff his way through. He could just make up an excuse.
"Ding-dong-"
The doorbell rang.
Xu Ran stood up.
"That must be the children. I'll get the door."
The door opened.
A little girl wearing the uniform of Eastsea Academy's junior division stood outside.
She was short and fair-skinned, with long blue hair falling smoothly along both sides of her face.
Her large eyes held a touch of shyness.
With her hands folded in front of her, she looked as sweet and well-behaved as could be.
"Hello, Auntie Xu." The little girl's voice was soft and sweet.
Xu Ran's heart nearly melted, and she quickly ushered her inside.
"Oh, Xu Xiaoyan's here! Come in, come in!"
The mysterious ice staff girl had arrived.
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