In the end, they still split up. Thirteen took Da Lu and Xiao Lu, while Murong Ye followed Su Jiu with a miserable expression.
Thirteen, Da Lu, and Xiao Lu were the first to disappear through the south gate.
Su Jiu glanced back at Murong Ye and said coolly, "What, you don't want to follow me?"
Murong Ye forced a smile. "Of course I do."
The belief that female cultivators were inferior to male cultivators of the same rank had become deeply rooted in many people's minds, and Murong Ye was no exception.
As far as he was concerned, pairing him with Su Jiu was like pairing the worst with the second worst.
Perhaps Murong Ye had never heard Su Jiu's name, or perhaps he simply hadn't connected the woman before him with that legendary name.
Whatever the reason, Murong Ye felt miserable. Utterly miserable.
Su Jiu didn't care whether his smile was genuine or false. She simply strode off. To her, whether he wanted to follow had little to do with her. She had never been a warm, sociable person, nor did she have the patience to explain anything.
Seeing that Su Jiu had already left, Murong Ye had no choice but to cling to the only powerful leg available to him.
Neither spoke along the way. To ease the awkwardness, Murong Ye took the initiative to offer a compliment. "You've reached such a high cultivation level at such a young age. Your sect must value you highly."
It was plainly a piece of empty chatter. Su Jiu was busy observing their surroundings and ignored him.
Murong Ye felt the atmosphere had only grown more awkward after he spoke, so he obediently shut his mouth.
After stepping through the round stone gateway, Su Jiu discovered that the second place