I Won't Listen! I Won't Listen! I Won't Listen!

[Optional mission completed, reward: Spirit +1]

"Report! (Report!) (Report!)"

The moment the system prompt ended, Jiang Beiran immediately heard the Yu Family Three Sisters deliver a triple report by his ear.

"You go first." Jiang Beiran once again pointed at the Yu Shimei standing in the middle.

Yu Guizhui pointed into the room, then spread her arms wide in a gesture. "Shouldn't inn rooms be this big? I've never seen a room like this before."

Jiang Beiran sighed inwardly after hearing that, then looked at the other two Yu Shimei. "You two have the same question?"

The two Yu Shimei immediately shook their heads.

So Jiang Beiran pointed at the Yu Shimei on the left. "Then you ask first."

"Is this Senior Brother's way of punishing us? But we didn't do anything wrong, did we?"

"And you?" Jiang Beiran looked at the last Yu Shimei.

"What do we do if there's no dressing table in the room? Can we have that waiter from earlier bring one over?"

Having understood the Three Sisters' doubts, Jiang Beiran nodded. "Go inside first. Once we're in, I'll give you all a proper lesson."

The group entered the room. Jiang Beiran shut the door, then looked at the other five junior sisters and asked, "From now on, you can all speak freely. There's no need to call out 'report' beforehand. But before that, I'd like to presumptuously ask—have any of you ever gone out alone?"

Liu Zijin answered first. "Father didn't allow me to go out by myself. Whenever I went out, he had Eldest Brother accompany me. When Eldest Brother wasn't around, Mister Lü accompanied me instead."

"Mister Lü is...?" Jiang Beiran asked curiously.

"He is one of Father's retainers, and his abilities are extremely formidable."

"Alright, I understand." He then looked toward the Yu Family Three Sisters. "What about you?"

"We usually went out in carriages prepared by Steward Zhou. There were... thirty or fifty people accompanying us, I suppose. All of them were hired by Father."

Jiang Beiran truly wanted to slap himself after hearing that. The reason he had not asked these questions back in the sect was that too much idle chatter about family matters would affect his ability to establish authority.

Now, after the journey, the other four Junior Sisters aside from Fang Qiuyue had already grown accustomed to obeying him. So Jiang Beiran needed to properly understand just what kind of pampered young ladies he had brought along.

No wonder Protector Yu personally came to ask me to be these Junior Sisters' Iron Seal. This difficulty is utterly absurd.

A group of pampered young ladies who had never been beaten up by society, each one a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms and cities—if another Iron Seal had brought them down the mountain, those "hungry wolves" below would probably have gnawed them clean to the bone within minutes.

After the Yu Family Three Sisters finished answering, Jiang Beiran looked toward Fang Qiuyue. But she immediately gave a cold snort and turned her head away, wearing the look of someone who had nothing to say to him.

Jiang Beiran did not mind. He turned to Liu Zijin again and asked, "Is it possible that your father sent some expert to hide nearby and protect you?"

"Probably not." Liu Zijin shook her head. "I never told Father that I would be going down the mountain for the Mountain Descent Trial today."

"Same for us. Father doesn't know we went down the mountain for the Mountain Descent Trial today." Yu Guishui hurriedly answered from the side.

"Mm..." Jiang Beiran nodded. "So, other than during the period when you were sent to the Returning Heart Sect, whenever you went out, someone followed you?"

"Yes." The four Junior Sisters nodded at the same time.

Good grief! Protector Yu trusts me far too much, doesn't she!?

Jiang Beiran thought that if anything happened to any one of these five young ladies, the Returning Heart Sect would inevitably be held accountable. Though the Returning Heart Sect was wealthy and powerful enough not to fear it too much—after all, everything had been clearly written down in black and white when they accepted disciples. If they feared their children encountering danger, they should not have sent them into the sect.

But even so, if things truly escalated, it would certainly stir up no small storm. And Yu Manwen, as their master, would naturally be unable to shirk responsibility; she would inevitably face punishment from the sect.

But now that he had already taken them on, there was no use thinking about it. After getting the answers he needed, Jiang Beiran took the Lotus Leaf Bun from his Universe Ring and placed it on the table. "Eat the buns first."

The Yu Family Three Sisters, who had been waiting eagerly, cheered in unison. The moment Jiang Beiran unwrapped the lotus leaf, they all stepped forward and picked out the Pea Buns they fancied.

Meanwhile, Liu Zijin took out a pink embroidered pouch and asked, "Senior Brother, how much are these buns? I'll pay you."

Jiang Beiran was somewhat surprised. He had not expected this young lady to possess such awareness. Then he waved a hand. "They're only a few buns. Senior Brother is treating you."

"Then thank you, Senior Brother." Only then did Liu Zijin step forward and take a Pea Bun.

Seeing that, the Yu Family Three Sisters also belatedly called out together, "Thank you, Senior Brother."

"No need to be polite." After saying that, Jiang Beiran picked up a Pea Bun and took a bite.

Mm~ Soft, fluffy, and sweet. Compared to red bean paste, it had an even more distinctive sweetness. Was there osmanthus in it too? Nice seasoning. I should try it myself next time.

The Yu Family Three Sisters beside him did not have so many thoughts. They simply kept saying, "Delicious," "delicious," "delicious."

Liu Zijin parted her cherry lips and took a tiny bite. Delight immediately appeared on her face, and she turned to Fang Qiuyue. "Qiu Yao, this is so delicious. Hurry and try some."

But Fang Qiuyue stubbornly turned her gaze away, muttering, "I'm not eating buns bought by that Cowardly Senior Brother."

"Qiu Yao!" Liu Zijin tugged at Fang Qiuyue's sleeve and called out.

By then, Jiang Beiran had already swallowed the entire Pea Bun. He spoke up, "Junior sister Fang, upholding justice and helping the weak is indeed what people like us should do. But upholding justice is not as simple as drawing your sword and driving off those thugs."

"Hmph! Isn't upholding justice just drawing your blade to help when you see injustice?" Fang Qiuyue retorted defiantly.

"Then let me ask you—do you know why this happened? Whose men were those three thugs? And after injuring or killing them on their own turf, how would you leave unscathed? And then there's..."

"You're full of crooked logic! Aren't you just afraid of trouble!? If I killed them, then I alone would bear the consequences of my own actions! Whatever comes afterward, let it come for me, Fang Qiuyue!"

Jiang Beiran smiled faintly upon hearing that and continued, "Among cultivators, there are righteous people like junior sister Fang, with benevolent hearts and chivalrous spirits. But there is never any shortage of wicked villains who oppress the common people and act as tigers' accomplices. If those thugs went back and brought a Mystic Practitioner, or even a Mystic Master, to take revenge, what would you do then?"

"I... I'd fight them to the death!" When Fang Qiuyue said those words, her confidence was clearly already lacking.

"But have you considered that, if you had found out who stood behind those three thugs before acting, or investigated this town's..."

"I won't listen! I won't listen! I won't listen!" Fang Qiuyue covered her ears and shook her head furiously.

Seeing this, Jiang Beiran could only shrug. He knew Fang Qiuyue had actually understood a little already, but she could not bring herself to lose face. Giving her time to slowly digest it was the best thing to do now.