Xiao Linyu?
Then she knew who he was-the junior brother in the novel who had entered the Beast Taming Sect through the back door. He belonged to the Xiao Household, one of the five great Households.
The Xiao Household was an Aristocratic Clan of alchemy cultivators, with fire and wood Spirit Roots passed down through the generations.
Of course, in terms of wealth, they rivaled the Jiang Household, if not surpassed it.
But Xiao Linyu's talent for alchemy was an utter mess. His Lineage had spent a fortune buying him a spirit snake to contract with and had him join the Beast Taming Sect.
Naturally, they had bought his way in too. Compared with his older sister Xiao Rong's talent for alchemy, he was practically a total noob.
Xiao Linyu gave a soft scoff. "Don't tell me you're expecting the Profound Heaven Sect to lend you Spirit Stones?"
In terms of strength, the Sword Sect had always ranked first and the Talisman Sect second. For a hundred years, the two sects had fought openly and schemed in the shadows without end.
Huh?
The four people drinking tea were suddenly called out.
Chi Wang propped his head on one hand, the corners of his lips slightly raised. Of the four, he was the happiest. He had enjoyed his fill of the show today.
It seemed the discord between the cultivation world's sects really was no mere rumor. He had thought they were deliberately spreading rumors to make them lower their guard.
At that moment, he was watching Jiang Yueyan, hoping to hear him refuse.
While Jiang Yueyan was still wavering, Tang Yao immediately spoke up. "We'll lend them! Why wouldn't we?"
Hehe, getting the female lead to owe us a favor-what a bargain!
The smile instantly vanished from Chi Wang's lips.
He was getting utterly sick of this little flower and little blade of grass.
Xiao Linyu's smile vanished as well.
He truly had not expected two sects that always insisted on outdoing each other to offer a helping hand.
He was simply seething.
Seeing Tang Yao's veil, he scoffed and muttered, "Wearing a veil in this heat? Just how unfit for public viewing is your face?"
Tang Yao naturally heard him. She narrowed her eyes at him, considering how to mess with him later, when a furious voice rang out beside her ear.
"You f*cking... who the hell are you in the Beast Taming Sect?"
"Do you even know how to talk? Who taught you to disgrace the sect out in public? First you're coercing the Azure Cloud Sect, then you're provoking the Profound Heaven Sect?" Chu Song's temples throbbed as he listened. He furrowed his brows, slapped the table, and promptly stood up.
Xiao Linyu had been spoiled and domineering since childhood. Who had ever spoken to him like that? Apart from his sister, he feared no one. Nobody would offend an Aristocratic Clan of Alchemists.
He immediately shot back, "Yeah, so what? This young master changes neither his name when walking nor his surname when sitting! Xiao Linyu."
Chu Song knitted his brows, his eyes darkening, then suddenly laughed. "Xiao Linyu. I'll remember you."
"We'll meet again," he said, enunciating every word.
Tang Yao silently clicked her tongue. Of all the people you could offend, you offended your own eldest senior brother. Sigh.
She seemed to have some recollection of that name too. Her original self's Jade Slip had an entry for him. She had scrolled past it by accident the last time she checked her messages.
Still, they were both wastrels. Having each other's spiritual contact was perfectly normal.
Seeing that Xiao Linyu still wanted to cause trouble, the woman leading the group immediately signaled for him to shut up, then approached Tang Yao and the others to thank them.
"I'm Mu Shixue, the Azure Cloud Sect's second disciple. Thank you for speaking up for us, fellow Daoists!"
She glanced at her junior brother and sister beside her. "These two are my junior sister Tang Xin and junior brother Meng Qi."
At her words, Tang Xin and Meng Qi cupped their fists in greeting to everyone from the Profound Heaven Sect.
Tang Yao rose and stood beside Mu Shixue, who was half a head shorter than her. Tang Yao lowered her head slightly and whispered, "Mu Shixue, that Xiao-whatever is so willing to spend Spirit Stones."
"Since he's so nasty and insists on forcing you, why not play along..."
"After all, danger is perfectly normal in a secret realm. It wouldn't have anything to do with you." A smile curved Tang Yao's lips.
Mu Shixue returned an equally meaningful smile, a hint of danger in her gaze. Meeting Tang Yao's eyes, she replied in a breathy whisper, "Thank you, fellow Daoist."
She immediately turned back to Xiao Linyu, her attitude taking a complete reversal, her smile soft as cotton. "Then we'll be in your care, Xiao Linyu."
"I know your Beast Taming Sect has been searching for your missing senior brother lately. You must have snuck out to gain experience, right? If you're alone, teaming up with us would indeed be safer. You provide the money, and we provide the labor."
Those words clearly doused most of Xiao Linyu's anger, but he still could not help complaining.
"Senior Brother Chu is a grown man, yet he still ran away from the sect! Now nobody from the sect is coming to this secret realm! He even snuck out here this time!"
His talent was already poor. If he didn't come to the secret realm to find some heavenly materials and earthly treasures, wouldn't he be even more useless?
Chu Song's expression darkened further and further. If the white tiger's needs had not been so great, he would never have ended up like this.
But he was indeed part of the reason the sect had not come this time, so he drank his tea with mixed feelings.
By then, Xiao Linyu's place in the Azure Cloud Sect's team had been settled. Mu Shixue came over to bid Tang Yao's group farewell.
"Thank you, but I won't go easy on you in the secret realm. We'll each rely on our own strength."
With that, they went upstairs.
After watching the Azure Cloud Sect's group go upstairs, the atmosphere grew somewhat subtle. Jiang Yueyan toyed with his fan, looking at Tang Yao with a faint, ambiguous smile. "You earned a favor and worked out a scheme too."
Tang Yao raised her brows and smiled back. "Then that's an internal dispute of theirs. It has nothing to do with us."
As far as her original self was concerned, someone in the Azure Cloud Sect was no saint either.
Judging by things so far, if this body could not break through to Golden Core, she could wash her hair standing on her head.
Someone in the Azure Cloud Sect had harmed her original self.
Chu Song suddenly leaned closer and asked in puzzlement, "Then what are we doing next? We can't just sit here waiting for the secret realm to open."
Jiang Yueyan nodded. "We don't get to come here often. Shall we look around Myriad Ancient City? I'll pay."
When Tang Yao and Chu Song heard Jiang Yueyan say he would pay, they nearly dropped to their knees and hugged his thighs!
With a senior brother like this, what more could a junior sister ask for??
Chi Wang frowned and shot the two a disdainful glance. "I'm not going. I'm heading upstairs to rest."
"Are you resting? Or cultivating?" Chu Song pressed a hand onto Chi Wang's shoulder.
Chi Wang: "?"
Was there something wrong with this guy?
"None of your damn business."
Chu Song gave a cold snort and followed Tang Yao and Jiang Yueyan out of the inn.
The streets bustled with activity, the dazzling assortment of stalls leaving Tang Yao's eyes overwhelmed.
At a secondhand bookstall ahead, several books gave off faint fluctuations of Spiritual Qi. The stallholder was an unremarkable old man, forming a stark contrast with the dazzling displays around him.
Seeing customers approach,
the old man hurriedly began his spiel. "Young lady, this is an ancient tome. It might contain some great secret, you know. Only five hundred high-grade Spirit Stones."
Wasn't this a rip-off? He might as well have stamped "sucker" on her face.
Just then, a hand appeared before Tang Yao's eyes. Jiang Yueyan had already handed over the Spirit Stones and bought it.
"If you're curious, take a look. It's not expensive anyway."
Wait, she had only glanced at it, and Jiang Yueyan had bought it for her?