The Saintess's Warning

"I'll take you!"

The Tianxuan Saintess spoke, moving with light, lotus-like steps to Li Qingyue's side and gently taking her hand.

Only then did she look at Yan Wushuang. "Brother Yan, you can let go now. Leave her to me, Yuping!"

Yan Wushuang gave a sheepish smile at her words.

He hurriedly released Li Qingyue's arm. Had the Tianxuan Saintess not reminded him, he really would have kept holding on to it.

It was not that he deliberately wanted to take advantage of her. He simply had not noticed, and he was genuinely afraid Li Qingyue would leave in anger.

He watched Li Qingyue follow the Tianxuan Saintess into a private room in the pavilion with some hesitation.

Only then did Yan Wushuang cup his hands toward the Tianquan Saint. "Thank you, Tianquan Saint, but let me pay for the Source Stones myself."

"I, Yan Wushuang, can still afford a dress!"

"Besides, if I'm making amends and apologizing, this is the only way to show my sincerity."

The Tianquan Saint chuckled and did not insist.

Thirty thousand catties of Source Stones was certainly not an enormous sum, but neither was it a small one.

An ordinary small clan with a century of history, or a grotto-heaven blessed land, would have only three to five thousand catties in total savings.

"As long as Brother Yan doesn't blame me for speaking out of turn."

The Tianquan Saint's tone remained gentle, like that of a graceful young gentleman, without the lofty, overbearing air of a holy land's heir.

Of course, a greater reason was that the Nine Saints Gate, the foremost holy land in the Central Province, was no weak power either.

In particular, legend had it that the Central Province's foremost holy land had produced several Great Accomplishment Sacred Bodies.

They were all disciples of holy lands, each backed by a powerful force. Why would there be so much hostility between them?

Even if they disliked one another, they still had to preserve each other's dignity.

Moreover, only ten thousand years had passed since the Feathered Great Emperor's passing, and the entire Big Dipper remained peaceful, with little conflict.

"You worry too much, Tianquan Saint. Yan Wushuang should be thanking you for the reminder!"

Yan Wushuang spoke openly and straightforwardly, hiding nothing.

The Tianquan Saint's reminder had brought him to a sudden realization. He now had some idea why Li Qingyue had ignored him all along the way.

Clearly, everyone present had also understood the implication, and knowing smiles appeared on their faces.

Although the girl was only a mortal, her figure was every bit the equal of a holy land's saintess. Everyone had a heart that loved beauty.

There was nothing unusual about it.

Beside them, Yang Wuzheng's brows creased slightly before relaxing again, and he returned to his calm, unworldly state.

To him, liking someone did not necessarily mean possessing her. Quietly protecting and caring for her was enough.

Let everything take its natural course!

Yang Wuzheng silently comforted himself.

Just then, however, Yan Wushuang turned slightly and sent Yang Wuzheng a voice transmission. "Old Yang, lend me some Source Stones. I'm short by a lot!"

At those words, the corners of Yang Wuzheng's mouth immediately twitched.

His newly calmed heart surged again, and he looked at Yan Wushuang, somewhat speechless.

This man... he hardly knew how to describe him anymore.

Still, he did not hesitate. With a turn of his palm, a storage artifact landed in Yan Wushuang's hand.

Yan Wushuang accepted it without betraying anything and transmitted, "Old Yang, you're a true friend!"

Yang Wuzheng silently turned away, unwilling to bother with this bastard.

Anyone with even a little sensitivity could hardly have failed to notice his feelings.

To put it plainly, this was borrowing Source Stones from a romantic rival. Probably only Yan Wushuang could do something like that.

Time passed, and everyone looked toward the private room's door with anticipation.

They were eager to see both what made a dress worth thirty thousand Source Stones so special and how the girl would look in women's clothing.

Inside the private room, the Tianxuan Saintess studied Li Qingyue without rushing to help her change.

Instead, she said gently, "I know you're unwilling. If you want to leave, you can go through the back door."

Li Qingyue paused and looked at the Tianxuan Saintess in astonishment, utterly taken aback.

But a moment later, she saw a trace of pity and compassion on the Tianxuan Saintess's face, and even a hint of sorrow in her cool eyes.

Does she think Yan Wushuang and Yang Wuzheng are coercing me, and is deliberately giving me a way out?

At that thought, Li Qingyue asked, "If I leave, won't they make things difficult for you?"

"Don't worry. We're all disciples of holy lands. Even if they object, we'll still preserve one another's dignity. It won't be a problem!"

Having said that, the Tianxuan Saintess looked again at Li Qingyue's delicate face, and the sorrow in her eyes deepened.

She sighed softly. "If you want to live in peace, stay away from the Sacred Body, and from anyone with a special constitution!"

"They will all be starting points for the chaos to come."

"Following them isn't necessarily a good thing."

Li Qingyue was slightly shaken by the Tianxuan Saintess's words.

She thought of her older brother. If he truly had been a Sacred Body, perhaps there had been other reasons behind what happened.

Moreover, she did not believe the Tianxuan Saintess would speak without basis. She must have noticed something that would set it all in motion.

"Why do you say that, Sister?"

Li Qingyue's tone grew considerably warmer as she asked.

She could sense the Tianxuan Saintess's goodwill.

"Knowing will only put you in greater danger. Since you've called me Sister, listen to a word of advice from me."

"Stay away from the Sacred Body. The Human Sacred Body will be the source of chaos."

"Without a holy land behind him, it's hard to say whether he would even still be alive!"

The Tianxuan Saintess wore an inscrutable expression, as though countless secrets lay hidden in her heart.

Yet Li Qingyue clearly sensed helplessness in her words.

"They treat me very well!"

Li Qingyue spoke earnestly. "I'm a mortal. If I leave here, where else can I go?"

"It would only be moving from a puddle into a mud pit."

"Even if I really do die in the future, I'll have no regrets."

Yan Wushuang and Yang Wuzheng did indeed treat her very well.

Along the way, they had cared for her in every possible way, explained the Dao Scripture and Dao Patterns to her, and answered every question she had about cultivation.

That was a debt of kindness!

She had once said that she would repay those who showed her kindness and kill those who wronged her.

Those had not been empty words.

Her older brother had saved her with his life, and she could never repay him.

She never wanted to let such a thing happen again.

Then she could only grow stronger and protect all of this.

"As you wish!"

The Tianxuan Saintess answered softly, without insisting.

People chose their own paths. Others could interfere for a time, but never for an entire lifetime.

She had only offered a warning because Li Qingyue's pure nature reminded her somewhat of an old acquaintance from that calamity.

Li Qingyue hesitated no longer and turned to look at the dress.

Men's clothing or women's clothing did not really matter. If she had to wear it, she was not all that opposed.

She merely felt a little uncomfortable.

A short while later, Li Qingyue sat before the mirror, dressed in the new outfit.

Somewhat dazed, she murmured, "This is me?"

For the first time, Li Qingyue clearly saw the flawless, delicate face of the girl in the mirror.

Now she somewhat understood why Yang Wuzheng and Yan Wushuang were attracted to her.

Even her own heart stirred a little.

"You really are beautiful. Even I pale in comparison."

The Tianxuan Saintess sighed softly. Wearing women's clothing, with her hair arranged, Li Qingyue seemed to have broken the seal on her beauty.

At least among the women she had seen from the Seven Great Holy Land of the Eastern Wasteland and the Three Great Families, not one could compare to Li Qingyue.

Gently combing Li Qingyue's hair into place, the Tianxuan Saintess smiled softly. "Even my heart is fluttering at the sight of you."

As she spoke, the Tianxuan Saintess's fair, delicate fingers lightly stroked Li Qingyue's face.

Her jade-like cheeks were tender and smooth, making it hard to bear taking one's hand away.

At that instant, Li Qingyue suddenly blushed.

"What were you thinking about? You're actually blushing?"

The Tianxuan Saintess spoke gently, her face full of teasing amusement.

"Nothing... nothing at all!"

Li Qingyue hurriedly denied it. The Tianxuan Saintess was beautiful herself, with a graceful figure like an immortal maiden.

A woman with such beauty was saying these things right in front of her.

And making such gestures. It would have been stranger if she had not blushed.

Even counting her previous life, she had never experienced anything like this.

"All right... you weren't thinking anything. I understand!"

The Tianxuan Saintess chuckled. "But we should go out now. They're probably getting impatient."

Hearing the Tianxuan Saintess's words, Li Qingyue took a deep breath, then resolutely rose and walked toward the door.

I'll have to face them sooner or later. It doesn't matter!

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Too few people are keeping up with the updates, so I didn't get a trial promotion this week. I could cry myself to death!

Leaving a novel to pile up chapters can kill it...