Hua Yunfeng's provocation

After soothing Xu Xinran, Qin Yi led her out of the cavern.

His original plan had been to take Xu Xinran out of the mountain range first and have her stay alone in a small town near the Famous Sword Sect.

But things were different now. Since Song Xianming and Xiahou Tai were both dead, she no longer had to worry about trouble down the road.

Once she returned to the Famous Sword Sect, it would also be easier for Qin Yi to meet her for secret trysts.

So they left the mountain range by the same route they had taken in.

Just as they reached the outskirts, a graceful figure ran up. "Qin Yi, you're finally out! I've been waiting for you for so long."

A girl spoke with a hint of complaint in her voice.

It was Gu Yiyi!

When no one else was around, Xu Xinran was tender and affectionate with Qin Yi, very close to him. But the moment they encountered someone else, she immediately put some distance between them.

Deep down, she still felt that she was, after all, nominally Song Xianming's Dao companion, and her relationship with Qin Yi had neither a proper name nor rightful standing.

Gu Yiyi belonged to Emerald Bamboo Peak and was Qin Yi's legitimate junior sister. It was only natural for the two of them to be close. With her caught between them, she seemed rather like an outsider instead.

"Oh, Senior Sister Xu, you're out too. Did you find all your materials?" Gu Yiyi was also surprised to see Xu Xinran following Qin Yi.

"Yes." Xu Xinran said little, merely answering before hurriedly moving farther away to avoid suspicion.

"That's great! We all found them so quickly this time. Usually, there's no way to gather all these materials without spending four or five days." Gu Yiyi smiled, gazing toward the mountain forest. "Only Junior Brother Miao Xiufeng is left now. I wonder if he's found everything."

Since they had come out together, their bond as fellow disciples meant they ought to wait and return together.

But it was also fine not to wait. After all, it was not compulsory.

"Should we wait for him?" Xu Xinran asked.

With things weighing on her mind, she felt somewhat guilty, so all she wanted now was to return quickly.

Qin Yi did not mind either way, so he looked at Gu Yiyi.

Gu Yiyi thought for a moment. "Why don't we wait a little? If he can't gather all his materials, we won't be able to turn in the mission with just what we have."

The mission materials had to be submitted as a complete set.

If even one item was missing, it would not count as complete.

So the three of them waited there for more than four hours.

They had thought they might have to wait a day or two before he came out.

But as nightfall approached, Miao Xiufeng finally emerged from the mountain range, looking thoroughly bedraggled.

He hurried out and grinned, delighted. "Senior Brother Qin, Senior Sister Gu, Senior Sister Xu, I found everything!"

Four people had come.

Four people returned.

With all four people's materials gathered together, not a single item was missing.

On the way back, Miao Xiufeng once again piloted the Willow Leaf Boat.

After returning to the sect, they all went to the Mission Pavilion to turn in the mission.

Once the Mission Pavilion recorded it, they would be able to collect a certain amount of cultivation resources at the beginning of the following month.

However, while turning in the mission, Qin Yi ran into Hua Yunfeng again.

He was in the Mission Pavilion, learning medicine refining from the medicine-refining elder.

When Qin Yi and the others brought over the materials, the medicine-refining elder's face lit up, and he told him, "Yunfeng, your materials are all here. This batch of fire salamander bones is very good. The fire salamander bones those disciples brought back in the past were, at most, around five years old.

"But these three sets of fire salamander bones are at least ten years old. Using these three sets of bones to refine medicine will produce even better results."

"Then thank you, Martial Uncle." Hua Yunfeng cupped his hands in thanks.

"You are the sect's hope for the future. The sect master has already said that you are to have first priority for all resources, so there's no need to thank me. This is only as it should be." The medicine-refining elder stroked his beard and smiled.

While they were turning in the mission, Hua Yunfeng also noticed Gu Yiyi.

He greeted Gu Yiyi with a smile, but she was no longer as warm toward him as she used to be.

When he greeted her, Gu Yiyi instinctively glanced at Qin Yi, seemingly afraid he would be displeased. So she did not reply, merely nodding before going to stand beside Qin Yi.

Seeing this little junior sister who used to cling to him now treating him so distantly, Hua Yunfeng could not help frowning. "Yiyi, why are you avoiding me?"

Only then did Gu Yiyi force a smile. "Hello, Senior Brother Hua. I didn't want to disturb you, so I didn't greet you."

"You're treating me like an outsider when you say that." Hua Yunfeng smiled.

The medicine-refining elder stroked his beard and chuckled. "That little girl Yiyi would usually have come over to pester you by now, but today she hasn't. It seems she's probably grown up and learned to be shy."

Hua Yunfeng smiled.

Although everyone already regarded him and Gu Qingshuang as Dao companions, deep in his heart, he was still unwilling to let go of this little Junior Sister Yiyi, whose beauty rivaled a flower.

As a son of destiny, he wanted both sisters.

But for now, circumstances dictated that he had to win over Gu Qingshuang first. Only after his cultivation realm rose again could he ask for Gu Yiyi as well.

After all, Gu Qingshuang was the sect master's daughter. Once he and Gu Qingshuang became Dao companions, he would be the rightful future successor to the position of sect master.

When that time came, as sect master, who could say anything if he took three wives and four concubines and married a pair of beautiful sisters?

Everyone in the Mission Pavilion was chuckling.

They often made similar jokes.

In the past, Gu Yiyi would certainly have blushed, stamped her foot, and run off.

But this time, she was terribly nervous, looking at Qin Yi the whole time and even taking the initiative to tug at his sleeve, seemingly wanting him not to get the wrong idea. He was the only one in her heart now.

Qin Yi naturally knew her heart, so he patted the back of her hand, signaling that she need not be nervous.

However, Hua Yunfeng caught that intimate gesture after all.

The smile on Hua Yunfeng's face vanished in an instant. Then he looked at Qin Yi with a trace of coldness in his eyes. "You must be Qin Yi, Junior Brother Qin? I'm very satisfied with the three sets of fire salamander bones you found. I hope you keep up the good work."

Qin Yi had not felt anything in particular before, but those words suddenly made him uncomfortable.

So the materials he had worked himself to death to bring back were actually going to Hua Yunfeng for free?

Although gathering these materials had not exactly meant working himself to death, he had still traveled a thousand miles to bring them back.

Hua Yunfeng had done nothing, yet the sect gave him first priority.

That really was rather infuriating.

And Hua Yunfeng's words, neither warm nor cold, actually carried two layers of meaning beneath their apparent courtesy.

The first lay in his calling him "Junior Brother": I'm your senior brother. You should know to respect your seniors and superiors!

The second lay in "I'm very satisfied with the fire salamander bones. I hope you keep up the good work." Did that not mean, You're working for me, and I hope you keep working hard?

Who could stomach hearing words like that?

So, in front of everyone, Qin Yi suddenly took all the materials back down from the Mission Pavilion's counter.

"Sorry, I'm not turning in this mission."