Chapter 1025: Chapter 1025: The People We’re Waiting For
The conversation between Pei Yan and Mei Simiao plunged everyone in the room into deep thought. As everyone was pondering how to uncover the truth, Lin Junzhao’s lazy voice suddenly piped up, "Why are you all so dim-witted? If you want to know the answer, why not just ask Lin Ruxue directly?"
"Ugh~." Everyone in the room turned speechless as they stared at Pei Yan. Pei Yan gently rubbed his forehead. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought of this direct and simple way, but he couldn’t say it himself; he had to lead Lin Junzhao to say it on her own. Seeing that his goal was achieved, Pei Yan smirked, "She’s Spirit Lord Lin, a prestigious figure in this realm. We can’t just talk to her directly, can we?"
"Alright, I’ve seen you sweet-talking and calling her ’sister’ with such familiarity during your meetings!" Lin Junzhao complained, not without some annoyance.
"I’m just borrowing your influence, aren’t I? Otherwise, who am I, a little nobody, to Lin Ruxue! Since you’ve agreed, let’s go ask her! I’m really afraid those people will pounce first and completely eradicate Celestial Sword Manor, leaving us with nothing to investigate." Pei Yan urged with good humor while rising from his seat.
"Sit back down, calm yourself! With your strength, you could easily lead a sect in several realms, so why are you still so rash?" Lin Junzhao refused immediately and made Pei Yan sit back down. She then scolded, "If anyone truly intended to kill Celestial Sword Manor, it would have been dead a thousand times over. Your going there now wouldn’t help! After all, it’s an internal affair of the Immortal Palace, Lin Ruxue’s family matter. Why are you getting so worked up? The more eager you seem, the more counterproductive it will be. As I’ve said before, someone will be more anxious than you are! Just wait! I said it won’t be long before someone comes to visit, and then you can ask everything clearly."
Since Lin Junzhao sounded so confident, the others had nothing to add. She said wait, so wait they did!
It didn’t take long for Pei Yan to see results. Just the morning after discussing intel with Mei Simiao, while brushing his teeth by the pool, Pei Yan saw a little girl swinging her legs and looking at him from a fake mountain.
Lin Ruxue, this time using the same seven or eight-year-old girl persona as the first time she met Pei Yan, didn’t seem as relaxed as their first encounter. With his mouthful of toothpaste foam and holding a cup, Pei Yan awkwardly smiled back at the disdainful face of Lin Ruxue.
"Such a waste of talent!" Lin Ruxue scoffed, leaping down and walking across the water to Pei Yan, ridiculing, "I have a pond filled with Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi nurturing the Dao Heart Fish, and you use it as a rinse for brushing teeth? I thought you were urgent to occupy Yirong Pavilion because you valued this pond for its calming properties, so I even restored it for you. Who knew you’d waste it like this."
"Ugh~." The reproach made Pei Yan feel a bit embarrassed. He looked down at the pool, then back at Lin Ruxue, grinning foolishly, "I thought no matter how much dirty water went in, it stayed crystal clear. I figured it was a function of the pool itself; I had no idea it was special. I wondered why brushing my teeth here made me feel so refreshed every day!"
"Alright, we’re from a small place, he doesn’t know better, so don’t mock him," Lin Junzhao’s voice echoed from within Pei Yan, and then an energy body emerged and formed a humanoid shape between them. It was the same form as when Lin Junzhao and Pei Yan first met from thousands of miles away. After taking shape, Lin Junzhao sniffed near Lin Ruxue, chuckling, "Wow, such strong hostility and blood scent, what could make you so angry to act in person?"
Facing Lin Junzhao’s teasing, Lin Ruxue pinched her nose and retorted, "What happened? The whole Daoist Realm is buzzing about it. Your subordinate, busy running between our Sect Elders at the Immortal Palace, didn’t tell you anything?"
Seeing the two troublesome women engage in conversation, Pei Yan decided to slip away to avoid being the fish caught in the crossfire. While they chatted, he, holding his water cup, tiptoed towards the corridor. Just when he thought he could sneak away unnoticed, an innocent yet authoritative voice stopped him, "Don’t go! Today’s matter involves you!"
"Oh!" Retrieving his half-stepped foot into the corridor, Pei Yan rolled his eyes, turned around, and put on a smile, coming back. Seeing this, Lin Ruxue snorted, "Drop that fake smile, finish brushing your teeth, and clean all that foam off your mouth."
"Oh!"
A moment later, after hurriedly brushing his teeth and tossing the cup and toothbrush into a nearby planter, Pei Yan wiped his mouth with a towel and returned. Looking at the two Masters of Origin waiting for him, he grinned obsequiously, "Sisters, don’t just stand there! Either come inside to talk, or shall I set up some chairs and brew you a pot of tea?"
"No need! It’s too stuffy indoors, here is fine, and I don’t want to see too many irrelevant people." With that, Lin Ruxue waved her hand, and by the edge of the previously empty pool, a set of Eight Immortals table and three Grandmaster Chairs appeared. Meanwhile, the trees surrounding the pool extended long branches out, forming a leafy parasol canopy over them, conveniently blocking the sun’s rays and the gaze from the nearby pavilion.
The changes in the courtyard attracted the attention of those inside the house, but no one dared to check. It wasn’t out of indifference to Pei Yan’s safety, but because the moment Lin Ruxue appeared, Immortal Palace Steward Cao Jiu Zhou also timed his visit, stopping Gu Shenghui from investigating. He explained that the two Spirit Lords wished to meet privately without disturbances. Given the current relationship between the realms, Gu Shenghui reckoned that Lin Ruxue wouldn’t harm Pei Yan, so he ordered others to remain vigilant without approaching the courtyard.
Under the courtyard’s shade, with everything set up, Lin Ruxue was the first to take a seat, with Lin Junzhao following suit. Seeing Pei Yan standing awkwardly aside, Lin Junzhao smiled, "Since there’s a third chair, it means she acknowledges you’ve earned the right to sit with us, so don’t just stand there, take a seat."
"Yes!" Pei Yan responded respectfully, relieved, even though he addressed the two Masters of Origin as sisters, knowing full well to tread carefully within the boundaries of respect was crucial. Over time, he understood the mercurial nature of these Masters of Origin. One moment they could be amiable, and the next moment turn hostile, to the point where Pei Yan felt his own sanity slipping from their prolonged company.
