Meng Qi bit his lower lip and said nothing. Not long after Mu Shixue left, he still could not stop worrying, so he followed her out.
Seeing that almost everyone had left, Tang Yao shrugged and teased casually, "Little sister, you're not leaving too, are you?"
Tang Xin walked ahead without looking back. "I'd like to, but I'm the only one left. Come with me," she said softly.
Tang Xin's gaze was unreadable. She truly could not understand how the person who had shouted harshly at her since childhood seemed to have become someone else.
It was not just how she treated her. Her entire manner of handling things had changed.
"Who exactly are you?"
Tang Xin suddenly turned back, giving Tang Yao a fright.
Tang Yao quickly calmed down. Drawing on her memories, she imitated the original owner's somewhat sinister expression and spoke with a smile that never reached her eyes. "Tang Xin, what are you talking about?"
"Are you saying I can't change?"
Seeing that familiar smile, Tang Xin instinctively wanted to retreat. Tang Yao had beaten her many times during their childhood, and every instance remained vivid in her mind.
As things stood, she could not beat Tang Yao.
"I was joking. Come with me." Tang Xin forced out a rare trace of a smile.
With an unspoken understanding, neither mentioned the matter again. Along the way, Tang Xin gave her an introduction to the Azure Cloud Sect, then left after settling Tang Yao into her quarters.
Tang Yao surveyed her surroundings. The Long Mountain Residence was furnished with exquisite, understated elegance. On the long table in the center of the hall lay an Azure Cloud Sect direct disciple's uniform. Tang Yao touched it; it felt like satin, and her name was embroidered on it. It seemed to have been prepared well in advance.
The residence brimmed with Spiritual Qi. Ever since the "crybaby" Taotie and the "green tea" Devil Sword had forcibly contracted with her, she had shown signs of breaking through to Golden Core.
Tang Yao closed her eyes.
But now was not the time to break through. If the bait was gone, how would she fish?
Early the following morning.
Tang Yao put on her sect uniform and tied her hair into a high ponytail. The blue-and-white uniform made her look refined and unworldly, and with a blue sword at her waist, she looked like a handsome young man.
She then headed out to the Martial Training Hall and pushed open the doors-
There were about ten or twenty people inside. All four familiar faces she knew were there, and the rest, whom she did not recognize, were probably inner disciples.
But since they could be here, they were probably all outstanding members of this year's incoming class.
When everyone saw Tang Yao enter, the cheerful atmosphere abruptly fell silent, as though the air had frozen.
For a moment, the scene grew awkward.
Tang Yao paid it little mind and walked in on her own.
Elder Yun looked at the children's reactions and waved with a somewhat awkward smile, beckoning Tang Yao over. "Your eldest senior brother is here. Why are you all acting as if you can't see him!"
At the words "eldest senior brother," some disciples curled their lips, while others stared at the sky. No one spoke for a long while.
Tang Yao even noticed that the entire group was deliberately avoiding Tang Xin, leaving her standing alone in a corner with her blue sword.
She did not need to guess to know that Tang Xin had been dragged down by her.
Tang Xin's face was expressionless as she held her sword hilt loosely, meeting Tang Yao's eyes from a distance.
Even after a long while, none of the disciples made a move.
Finally, Mu Shixue nodded at Tang Yao with a smile and spoke first. "Senior Brother Tang."
Seeing Senior Sister Xue'er take the initiative to speak, everyone could not help whispering, "Isn't he just someone with a high-purity Fire Spirit Root and an Innate Sword Bone who parachuted straight in? Who in the cultivation world doesn't know what he's like? Yet Senior Sister Xue'er is still so polite to him!"
Once someone spoke up, it was as though a bomb had been set off. The others stopped restraining themselves and began voicing their discontent.
"The Azure Cloud Sect's greed is really ugly. Just because he has a bit of talent, they'll even accept a scoundrel like this! I thought his coming here was just a rumor, but he actually showed up!"
An ordinary-looking disciple in the crowd shook his head. "Be careful. This one's a bona fide cut-sleeve. You'd all better protect yourselves!"
Tang Yao: "..." She really had to hand it to them.
Tang Yao frowned, lifted her eyelids, and swept a glance over him. "Rest assured, you're perfectly safe," she said coldly.
As her words fell, scattered laughter rose around them.
The disciple's face instantly flushed red. He understood what she meant and clenched his fists tightly.
"Enough!"
"They're merely rumors. Now that I'm standing right here, do disciples of a great sect still hear the wind and take it for rain?" Tang Yao swept her gaze around before going to stand beside Elder Yun.