Queue Up, They're All Here to See Protector Yu

Within Idle Heart Study of Water Mirror Hall, a pipa melody rang out, like jade beads rolling across a platter.

Only after the final lingering notes faded did the Water Mirror Hall disciples below the stage begin applauding.

Liu Zijin gave a slight bow toward the audience, then descended from the stage with her pipa in her arms. Just as she was about to return to her seat, Senior Brother Kong An'nan stepped before her, flicked open his folding fan, and praised, "Junior Sister, your great strings thundered like a sudden rain, your small strings whispered like lovers' secrets. It was truly exquisite beyond compare."

Several other senior brothers immediately followed with their own praise.

"Thank you for your compliments, senior brothers." Liu Zijin smiled sweetly and bowed to them, yet inwardly she felt strangely lost. She had deliberately played several notes wrong just now, but not one person had pointed it out. All she received was lavish praise.

Yet praise was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. What she wanted was Senior Brother Jiang's cold, emotionless criticism. If it came with those sharp eyes of his, that would be even better.

If Senior Brother were here... he would surely say I'm all thumbs.

With an inward sigh, Liu Zijin returned to her seat amid the crowd of senior brothers. The disdainful look in Senior Brother Jiang's eyes, his manner of keeping people a thousand miles away, and the words he had said when they parted surfaced in her mind.

"After we return to the sect, we will each go back to our own halls. If there is nothing important, do not associate with one another again."

This was the first time in her life that someone had found her so troublesome.

I should be unhappy... so why, why does my heart race every time I think of it? I really want to be... to see Senior Brother again.

Over the past few days, Liu Zijin had often felt the urge to sneak over to Blue Heart Hall just to catch a glimpse of Senior Brother Jiang. But his abilities were far too great. She was deeply afraid of being discovered, and then truly never being able to see him again...

Amid one sigh after another, the Melody Teacher dismissed the class. Once outside Idle Heart Study, Liu Zijin declined Senior Brother Kong's invitation on the grounds that she needed to return and continue practicing the pipa.

"Sister Zi Jin, Sister Zi Jin!"

As Liu Zijin walked along the pebble path back to her room, she suddenly heard three familiar voices. Turning around, she saw that it was indeed the Yu Family Three Sisters.

"Sister Zi Jin! Huge news!"

"Guess what we found!"

"You'll never guess it!"

Listening to the Yu Family Three Sisters speak one after another, Liu Zijin asked, "What did you discover?"

"Take a guess."

"You get three chances."

"There's a surprise if you get it right."

Liu Zijin smiled faintly. "Stop fooling around. I need to hurry back and practice."

"Fine." Seeing that Liu Zijin truly had no interest in guessing games, Yu Guishui directly revealed the answer. "We saw Jiang Shixiong come to Water Mirror Hall."

"Really!?" Liu Zijin asked in utter surprise.

"Really, really."

"We saw him with our own eyes."

"It looked like he went to Mirror Garden."

"Mirror Garden?" Liu Zijin's expression dimmed slightly upon hearing the name.

Those living in Mirror Garden were all upper-ranking members of Water Mirror Hall. That meant Senior Brother Jiang definitely had not come to see them.

"Sister Zi Jin, should we go take a look?"

"We can treat it as a chance encounter."

"Right, it would be perfectly normal for us to run into him in Water Mirror Hall."

"This..." Looking at the Yu Family Three Sisters' eager expressions, Liu Zijin thought for a moment before answering, "Then let us go have a look."

"Yay!" the Yu Family Three Sisters cheered in unison.

"Wait, let's go get Qiu Yao first."

After answering "Okay" in unison, the Three Sisters followed Liu Zijin as she ran toward Autumn Water Pavilion, where they usually practiced martial arts.

"Ah, I really want to switch halls..."

Walking through Water Mirror Hall, Jiang Beiran sighed repeatedly. When he had first met Zhang Heqing, he had admired the man's imposing presence even without anger, as well as his watertight caution when negotiating terms. But now, all of that had vanished like bubbles, leaving behind only the pitiful image of a man humbled by love.

Still, switching halls was something he could only talk about. Jiang Beiran had spent enormous effort making life so comfortable for himself in Blue Heart Hall with the status of a Registered Disciple. How could he possibly start over from scratch just because he said so?

After asking several passing disciples for directions, Jiang Beiran finally hardened his scalp and arrived before Mirror Garden.

"Hello, may I ask what business you have in Mirror Garden?" A middle-aged man who appeared to be a guard approached and questioned Jiang Beiran.

"Hello. I am a disciple of Blue Heart Hall. I have come to see Water Mirror Hall's Protector Yu Manwen. I would trouble you to inform her."

"Protector Yu?" The guard first let out a cold laugh. Then, after sizing Jiang Beiran up several times, he pointed to the side. "A fresh face, are you? Go line up over there."

Line up?

Jiang Beiran froze, then looked in the direction the guard indicated. Outside a pavilion, eight male disciples stood in a neat row.

"These... they're all here to see Protector Yu?" Jiang Beiran asked, somewhat dumbfounded.

"Heh." The guard sneered. "Just like you, they were sent here by someone else."

Like father, like son, damn it!

No wonder those male disciples could develop murderous intentions over a pretty junior sister at the drop of a hat. This was practically an inherited tradition! Was everyone in the entire Returning Heart Sect just an old pervert?

Jiang Beiran slapped his forehead. He could not be bothered to explain that he was different from those disciples. The guard would not believe him anyway.

But in the next moment, Jiang Beiran smiled in relief. Wasn't this exactly what he wanted? When he returned tonight, he could tell the Hall Master about the situation. He could not be blamed if he could not get in, right?

Just as Jiang Beiran's mood brightened and he was thinking about where to kill time, he heard a clear voice that he very much did not want to hear right now.

"Beiran? Why are you here?"

This world... truly bears me nothing but malice.

Turning around, Jiang Beiran saw that the one who had spoken was Yu Manwen, the very person he had come to find.

"I..." Jiang Beiran had just been about to find an excuse to slip away when the guard eagerly answered for him, "This disciple has come to see you, Protector Yu. I was just about to send you a message."

You bastard... Jiang Beiran truly wanted to raise a middle finger at the guard.

"Here to see me?" Yu Manwen sounded somewhat surprised, but she quickly seemed to understand something. Looking at Jiang Beiran, she said, "I understand. Come with me."

What exactly have you understood now...

Seeing Yu Manwen's loving expression, Jiang Beiran felt like crying without tears. But just as inspiration struck and he was about to speak, two options appeared before him.

[Option One: "Protector Yu, I should line up instead. Those disciples over there seem to be here to see you." Completion Reward: White Crane Twin Spring Seat (Profound Grade Low Rank)]

[Option Two: Follow Yu Manwen inside. Completion Reward: Random Basic Attribute Point +1]

Damn it, is the system denying my intelligence? How infuriating!

Left with no choice, Jiang Beiran selected option two and obediently followed Yu Manwen into Mirror Garden.

[Option task completed. Reward: Strength +1]

Along with the system prompt, Jiang Beiran suddenly caught a whiff of an extraordinary fragrance. Merely smelling it made one feel incomparably refreshed.

Good stuff. Jiang Beiran's eyes lit up as he began searching for the source of the scent.