Seven Maidens Mountain Estate:
Although it was daytime, Qian Xiuyue and seven or eight companions still sat upright beneath several Star Banners, practicing Dharma Refining.
Beside them, beautiful women and handsome youths held bottles, pouring out starlight.
They breathed in and out the light of the stars: whether cultivating [nature] or [life], all steadily increased their Dharma Power.
Just then, someone reported that a seeker of immortality had come to visit.
Qian Xiuyue gave her companions meaningful looks, signaling for them to go out and receive the visitor.
Yet not one of them was willing to go.
Now they could practice Dharma Refining both day and night, making progress every day. Life was sweet, and they could not bear to waste time, so naturally they were unwilling to receive visitors.
Qian Xiuyue gritted her teeth. "I'll receive the visitor this time. Next time, you go."
"We have to take turns. You can't keep eating into my time alone."
Everyone nodded. "We know. Stop talking. You're interrupting our Dharma Refining!"
Qian Xiuyue sighed and rose to receive the visitor.
The reception hall:
The female cultivator from the New Method group exchanged a few pleasantries, explained the situation, then said cautiously, "Fellow Daoist Qian, we're really just trying to scrape together a living and secretly harvest a few resources."
"We really don't want to lay down our lives for the New Method."
"We only ask that you spare us."
Qian Xiuyue's expression turned strange. "Flower-Scatter Daoist is only a friend of ours. He isn't a member of the Star Alliance."
"This friend of mine is kindhearted. He never takes the initiative to offend anyone!"
"I believe he killed Qin Feng only because of a personal grudge!"
The female cultivator's heart twitched. *Kindhearted and never offends anyone, yet he killed so many unlucky