"Senior sister, Master is far too biased. There are four of us on Little Bamboo Peak. It should never have been his turn to stand beside Master. If anyone should be there, it should be our eldest senior sister."
Tai Yujie spoke with indignation written all over her face.
Her words spoke straight to An Kexin's heart.
"Junior sister, Master must have her reasons for doing this. As her disciples, how can we talk behind her back?"
Zeng Linghong frowned when he heard this and spoke up.
Although Zeng Linghong liked Tai Yujie, he was straightforward by nature and respected his master deeply, so he immediately objected.
Tai Yujie grew even angrier at his words and was about to argue, but a glare from An Kexin left her not daring to speak.
"Third junior sister, let's stop discussing this. Our little junior brother joined late. It's only right for Master to look after him a little more!"
An Kexin spoke calmly, her face expressionless.
Hearing this, Zeng Linghong hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Eldest senior sister is right. It's only right for us to give our little junior brother some leeway!"
Zeng Linghong's words nearly twisted Tai Yujie's nose out of shape with anger!
At that moment, Tai Yujie began resenting even this second senior brother of hers!
Seeing that things were going wrong, Fang Xue'ao hurried to smooth things over, saying with a smile, "Senior brother, senior sisters, what's so great about standing up there? You wouldn't even dare move."
"We're much freer down here, without any restraints! Being around the elders is what I hate most!"
With Fang Xue'ao smoothing things over, neither An Kexin nor Tai Yujie mentioned the matter again, though Tai Yujie found Zeng Linghong increasingly displeasing to look at!
By now, Fourth Elder Yin Shuyao, Sixth Elder Yue Zhen, Seventh Elder Jing Fengcheng, Eighth Elder Jia Yuanliang, and Ninth Elder Li Genfeng had all appeared on the viewing platform!
As Ji Wuchang looked at Sixth Elder Yue Zhen, a trace of killing intent flashed through his eyes, only to vanish in an instant.
Yue Zhen oversaw the Longevity Sect's Punishment Hall. Whenever a sect disciple committed a serious offense, Yue Zhen had to carry out the punishment.
But in his previous life, Yue Zhen had favored Xiao Fan. Once, after Xiao Fan deliberately provoked him, Ji Wuchang had fought a fierce battle with Xiao Fan.
Naturally, Ji Wuchang had lost and been injured by Xiao Fan.
Without asking who was right or wrong, Yue Zhen had accused Ji Wuchang of bullying a new disciple and ordered him to be given fifty lashes, whipping him until his skin split and his flesh tore.
As for Xiao Fan, he had merely been confined to his room to reflect on his mistakes for three days.
Ji Wuchang remembered that incident for his entire life.
There was another incident: after Meng Caihong died, Yue Zhen had forcibly seized Little Bamboo Peak and driven Ji Wuchang and the others out.
These two incidents combined left Ji Wuchang without the slightest goodwill toward Yue Zhen, and had even earned him a place on Ji Wuchang's must-kill list.
Of course, he would not kill him now, but wait until his cultivation improved further!
As for Ninth Elder Li Genfeng, the man was an alchemy fanatic. He paid no attention to anything else and devoted himself entirely to refining pills.
Almost all the Longevity Sect's current pills came from Pill Peak, which the ninth elder managed!
Just then, Second Elder Zhou Yuan arrived. Behind him followed a man whose presence was as steady as a mountain: his eldest disciple, Zuo Yan.
Like Ji Wuchang, Zuo Yan stood behind his own master.
Zuo Yan turned back and glanced at Ji Wuchang, his expression as calm as still water! A faint, inexplicable meaning surfaced in his eyes!
Ji Wuchang nodded slightly to Zuo Yan. They had had little contact in his previous life, so Ji Wuchang's attitude was relatively indifferent!
Zuo Yan offered no response, then turned away and stopped looking at Ji Wuchang.
Ji Wuchang did not mind either, but he kept feeling that there was something different about the way Zuo Yan looked at him!
"Eldest senior sister is here! Senior Sister Huang is here!"
Just then, all the Longevity Sect disciples began cheering.
Two graceful figures stood on a longsword not far away.
The woman in front wore purple robes and looked noble and elegant. Though she merely stood there quietly, a natural confidence radiated from her.
She was, of course, Zhen Miaoqing.
Behind Zhen Miaoqing stood a woman in bright yellow robes with a longsword on her back, equally radiant and lovely.
Yet beside Zhen Miaoqing's commanding presence, she somehow seemed a notch below.
She was Huang Wanqiu of Spirit Sword Peak!
When the Longevity Sect's elders arrived earlier, the disciples' expressions had remained indifferent! But now, with Zhen Miaoqing and Huang Wanqiu's appearance, the entire gathering instantly boiled over.
Many stared in fascination at the two graceful figures in the air, their eyes filled with deep reverence!
Zuo Yan's tightly closed eyes slowly opened as well, and he looked at Huang Wanqiu with intense fighting spirit.
When Zuo Yan's gaze shifted to Zhen Miaoqing, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly before he sighed. She had beaten fear into him!
Ji Wuchang's gaze swept over the two women. Looking at the cheering disciples around him, he could not help but smile faintly.
The Longevity Sect was still very harmonious at this time!
"That girl Miaoqing has far more charm than us old fellows!"
Second Elder Zhou Yuan spoke with a smile.
At his words, the other elders all burst into laughter.
"Second Elder, surely you haven't started envying Miaoqing too?"
Fourth Elder Yin Shuyao spoke with a smile.
Second Elder Zhou Yuan laughed heartily and said, "More than envy, it brings back memories. When we were young, we too were once brimming with spirit!"
"Our cultivation was very low then, but we dared to point out how the world should be ruled and make bold declarations."
"Now our cultivation has improved, yet we find that our old passion is gone. Every day, our thoughts revolve around all the trivial matters of the sect and its disciples!"
"It seems I truly am old, to be reminiscing about the past like this!"
At Zhou Yuan's words, all the elders fell silent. Were they not the same?
"The sect master has arrived! The pavilion master of the Great Saber Pavilion has arrived!"
Just then, a loud shout rang out across the gathering. A huge saber flew toward them from afar, carrying dozens of figures, with Zhao Sandao at their head!
At the same time, two figures appeared not far from the huge saber!
The one leading the pair was none other than Zhen Yaotian. Following behind Zhen Yaotian was his disciple, Cai Ping!
The instant these people appeared, Ji Wuchang fixed his gaze on Cai Ping.
In the future, this man would kill Zhen Yaotian and become the Longevity Sect's sect master!
Although Zhen Miaoqing later sent someone back to slay him, Zhen Yaotian had long since turned to dust by then.
In his previous life, Ji Wuchang had rarely seen Cai Ping. After all, they were not on the same level, and with his meridians damaged, Cai Ping would not even spare him a glance.
As Ji Wuchang watched Cai Ping, although he followed behind Zhen Yaotian, his gaze was fixed firmly on Zhen Miaoqing, his eyes burning with extraordinary fervor!
In his eyes, Ji Wuchang saw an intense desire to possess her!
Could Cai Ping's drastic change in temperament later have had something to do with Zhen Miaoqing?
Ji Wuchang could not help silently speculating, feeling that this was indeed possible!
In Ji Wuchang's memories of his previous life, Zhen Miaoqing seemed to have left within these next few days, only returning a hundred years later!
Just thinking about the tangled grudges involved gave Ji Wuchang a terrible headache, and he could not be bothered to concern himself with them!