Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Senior Brother, What Are You Doing?
Taking down Yi Ze last night was a group effort, so after a moment’s thought, Lu Sangjiu didn’t refuse.
However, she only took Chi Yan’s and Feng Lin’s shares, pushing her own back to Luo Linlang.
"You went to so much trouble for me last night, Senior Sister. Please take my share as a thank you."
But Luo Linlang was suddenly displeased. "Little Junior Sister, if you talk like that, you’re treating me like an outsider!"
"I wanted to earn money for you to spend in the first place! You wanted to share the Spirit Stones you got in the Secret Realm with me, and you even shared the money you scammed from Zhou Yun. As your senior sister, I can’t be outdone by you, can I?"
"Just take it. It’s not every day I get such an adorable Little Junior Sister. I cherish you, so don’t be so polite with me, or I’ll really get angry!"
Luo Linlang sounded so earnest and sincere that a wave of warmth washed over Lu Sangjiu’s heart.
Master, Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister, and Third Senior Brother... they all genuinely treated her like family. This feeling of having a family was a warmth she had never experienced before.
’Having people to care about, and having people who care about me... This is wonderful.’
Lu Sangjiu smiled softly at Luo Linlang. "Alright, then I won’t be polite with you, Second Senior Sister."
With that, she gave Luo Linlang a tight hug, nuzzling against her chest. "Thank you, Second Senior Sister! I love you the most!"
Those words made Luo Linlang’s heart bloom with joy, and she immediately counted out another one hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones for Lu Sangjiu. "Here, go spend it!"
With the Sword Seizing Conference approaching, many Loose Cultivators had gradually gathered in Muxian Town, taking the opportunity to sell their wares.
Unlike the people from the Gold and Silver Gate, their prices were much fairer. They had already formed their own market on the north side of town.
Of course, to set up a stall here, one had to pay rent to the Gold and Silver Gate.
The Gold and Silver Gate didn’t enforce a monopoly, but they wouldn’t miss any opportunity to fleece the flock.
Lu Sangjiu currently needed to restock on some talismans and Elixir Pills, and she also had a messy pile of spoils to sell.
So, after breakfast, she and Luo Linlang went to the northern market together.
The market was bustling. The two of them browsed for a while, replenishing their stock of basic Elixir Pills and talismans, then paid one Mid-grade Spirit Stone to rent a spot and set up their own stall.
Fortunately, there were a lot of people, and before long, they had sold off a whole pile of miscellaneous items.
Just as the two were happily counting their Spirit Stones together, they suddenly heard someone call out to her, "Mr. Lu, you’re here too."
Lu Sangjiu looked up to see Gu Jue standing in front of their stall.
"Oh, Gu Jue! You’re here to shop too!"
Hearing her call him by his name, Gu Jue’s eyes softened, and a hint of a smile touched his lips.
"Mhm... What about you? You said you were with a friend. When did you get back?"
Just as Lu Sangjiu was about to speak, Luo Linlang’s eyes widened beside her. "What? Wasn’t the friend she mentioned you?"
Gu Jue and Lu Sangjiu stared at her in confusion. "...Huh?"
Luo Linlang: "..."
She suddenly realized she might have misunderstood something.
For a moment, her expression was a colorful mixture of emotions, and she looked like she wanted to say something but held back. Considering Gu Jue was still there, it would be too awkward to say anything, so she swallowed her words and said sheepishly, "Heh heh... It’s nothing."
’This is so awkward. I got the gossip wrong, and I even shared it with the senior brothers... WAAAH, Little Junior Sister will definitely be angry when she finds out, right?’
Utterly dejected, Luo Linlang turned and squatted in a corner, falling silent.
After her initial surprise, Lu Sangjiu also figured it out. Luo Linlang had probably thought the friend she mentioned before was Gu Jue.
She turned to Gu Jue and explained sheepishly, "My senior sister seems to have misunderstood something. Please don’t mind her."
Only then did she answer Gu Jue’s earlier question. "I just got back yesterday. I’ve been busy, so I haven’t contacted you."
Gu Jue didn’t seem to mind Luo Linlang’s words. He just nodded and asked, "So, that dish I taught you to make last time... did it taste alright?"
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
She hadn’t planned on bringing it up, but she never expected Gu Jue to ask about it himself.
And his expression was so sincere; he seemed to be genuinely anticipating her feedback.
Lu Sangjiu fell silent, unsure how to answer the question.
But Gu Jue was a smart man. Seeing that Lu Sangjiu’s expression was a bit off, he realized something.
"What’s wrong? Was... was the flavor off?"
Lu Sangjiu felt it was better to be honest. She nodded and said, "That recipe... Mr. Gu, did you get it from somewhere else? The amounts for the seasonings seemed a little off, and it came out tasting strange."
Gu Jue: "..."
He suddenly realized why his master had been beating around the bush asking him about cooking after that day. His master had done it on purpose.
He had meant well, but he ended up tricking Lu Sangjiu instead. Gu Jue blushed slightly, pressed his lips together, and managed to squeeze out a single word: "...Sorry."
Seeing that he didn’t seem to want to explain further, Lu Sangjiu waved her hand. "It’s fine, it’s no big deal!"
With that, she tactfully changed the subject. "By the way, do you want to see if we have anything you need? I can give you a discount!"
Seeing that Lu Sangjiu didn’t press the matter, Gu Jue nodded, relieved. "Okay."
’I’ve actually bought most of what I need, but... it wouldn’t hurt to have a few extra supplies.’
Gu Jue squatted down to pick through the items at the stall. Not wanting to stand by idly, Lu Sangjiu squatted down as well to help him choose and make recommendations.
Just as the two were looking down and choosing items, they suddenly heard a woman’s sharp cry, "Senior Brother, what are you doing?!"
The voice was familiar to both of them, so they instinctively turned to look, only to see Liu Xi striding toward them, her face puffed up with anger.
Lu Sangjiu’s brow twitched as she recalled what Ye Zhiyao had said last night. Even though Ye Zhiyao had only said it to lure her out, her words probably weren’t entirely baseless.
The hostile way Liu Xi was looking at her now was completely different from how she’d been in the Secret Realm, which spoke volumes.
She had no irreconcilable conflict with Liu Xi, so she had no intention of provoking her.
Seeing Liu Xi’s expression, Lu Sangjiu immediately sprang away from Gu Jue’s side, putting a safe distance between them.
Only then did she wave to Liu Xi, greeting her with a wide smile. "Liu Dao You, we meet again."
Seeing her voluntarily move away, Liu Xi’s expression softened slightly, but her tone was still unfriendly. "Hmph. Don’t talk like we’re so familiar."
Gu Jue’s expression wasn’t very good either, especially seeing Lu Sangjiu avoiding him like the plague.
He frowned slightly. "Why are you here?"
Liu Xi immediately looked aggrieved. "Senior Brother, why didn’t you tell me you were coming out to shop? If I hadn’t asked Master, I wouldn’t have been able to find you!"
As she spoke, she reached out to grab Gu Jue’s arm, but he subtly dodged her.
"Master said you had enough supplies, so I didn’t call for you."
But Liu Xi was provoked by his evasive movement and cold tone. She seemed to find it deeply embarrassing, biting her lower lip hard, looking as if she were about to burst into tears.
"Is that really true? Or is it because..." She suddenly raised her hand and pointed at Lu Sangjiu, demanding aggressively, "Or is it because you just wanted to come out and see her, so you deliberately didn’t bring me along?"
