Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Second Senior Sister and Third Senior Brother Are Back
News of Duan Xingyun’s injury and coma spread quickly throughout the sect. Disciples and elders from every peak came one after another to visit.
Three days passed. All the expected visitors had come and gone, yet there was still no sign of anyone from Purple Peak.
Because of this, Li Qiancheng, who hadn’t mentioned it before, couldn’t help but complain to Lu Sangjiu. "If Master Bai Heng hadn’t been unwilling to go back then, Master wouldn’t have been forced to take his place."
"Now that Master’s had an accident, no one has said a word, but he should know better. The least he could do is come visit, right?"
"But what does he do? He spends all day guarding Ye Zhiyao during her Core Formation seclusion, and he even has Qin Yu out looking for Spirit Grass for her."
"I get that she’s his precious disciple, but anyone who didn’t know better would think he was raising his own daughter!"
Lu Sangjiu thought about it carefully. ’It’s really hard to say what Bai Heng’s feelings for Ye Zhiyao are.’
’Although it wasn’t explicitly stated in the book, their overly affectionate behavior didn’t seem like a normal master-disciple relationship, did it?’
However, she wasn’t very concerned with their affairs, so she just said, "However Purple Peak treats us is how we’ll treat them from now on. Eldest Martial Brother, why get angry over people who have nothing to do with us?"
Li Qiancheng nodded in agreement. "No one from Purple Peak is any good. We’ll stay far away from them from now on!"
As the two were talking while keeping watch in Duan Xingyun’s room, they suddenly heard an anxious woman’s voice from outside.
"Eldest Martial Brother, Little Junior Sister, how is Master?"
The moment she heard the voice, Lu Sangjiu knew her Second Martial Sister, Luo Linlang, had returned.
She and Li Qiancheng quickly got up to open the door, just in time to see Luo Linlang jumping off her Flying Sword.
Luo Linlang wore a water-blue long dress and had a pair of beautiful, fox-like eyes that made her look charming and passionate, easily giving people the wrong impression.
But anyone who got to know her would discover she was an extraordinary woman full of contradictions, and that you should never be fooled by her appearance.
At this moment, her face was filled with worry. The moment she saw Li Qiancheng and Lu Sangjiu, tears immediately began to stream down her face.
Both of them were quite used to it. Before she could speak again, Li Qiancheng pointed to the room. "Master is inside. Go in and cry your heart out!"
"Master! SOB SOB SOB..." Luo Linlang immediately ran into the room, crying.
Lu Sangjiu and Li Qiancheng exchanged a look.
Li Qiancheng: "I wonder how long she’ll cry this time?"
Lu Sangjiu: "Second Martial Sister has already reached Core Formation. Her emotional control should have improved, right?"
That was right. Luo Linlang’s tendency to cry was purely because she cultivated the "Sorrow" mantra.
The two of them, familiar with her nature, knew that once she started crying, it would take a long time for her to calm down again. So, they decided it was best not to go inside and listen.
After standing at the door for a moment, Lu Sangjiu saw her Third Martial Brother, Shen Yuzhao, flying in on his sword.
Shen Yuzhao was only at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, so his speed couldn’t compare to Luo Linlang, who was at the Golden Core Early Stage.
’She guessed that as they neared the sect, Luo Linlang had gotten anxious and sped up, which was why they arrived one after the other.’
"Eldest Martial Brother, Little Junior Sister!"
Seeing Lu Sangjiu and Li Qiancheng, Shen Yuzhao began waving his arms from a distance.
He had a baby face, a delicate appearance, and a soft personality. Moreover, he cultivated the "Fear" mantra, so he was easily frightened.
As a result, many female cultivators couldn’t help but feel a protective affection for him; he was the type who was very popular with women.
Lu Sangjiu had always been on good terms with him and was about to go and greet him, but she suddenly saw a junior brother not far away practicing the Sword Control Technique, wobbling unsteadily and about to crash right into him.
So she hurriedly called out, "Third Martial Brother, watch out! Behind you there’s a—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Shen Yuzhao’s face went deathly pale, as if he’d received a terrible fright. With a WHOOSH, he shot away on his sword and vanished in an instant.
Lu Sangjiu stared, dumbfounded. "Uh... person."
Li Qiancheng’s mouth twitched. "...Third Martial Brother went out to gain experience. How did he get even more timid?"
Fortunately, Shen Yuzhao hadn’t fled too far and returned a moment later.
He jumped off his Flying Sword, his face still a bit pale, and stared nervously at Lu Sangjiu. "Little Junior Sister, I... what was behind me just now? What did you see?"
Lu Sangjiu’s mouth twitched, and she casually made something up. "Oh... there was a mosquito."
The terror on Shen Yuzhao’s face immediately turned to confusion. ’A mosquito... that doesn’t seem so scary.’
He let out a sigh of relief, and then blue flames suddenly erupted around his body, the high temperature making the air around him distort.
Lu Sangjiu and Li Qiancheng were both forced to take half a step back.
Shen Yuzhao retracted the flames, straightened his clothes, and gave Lu Sangjiu a shy smile. "There shouldn’t be any more mosquitoes now. I’ll go in and see Master first!"
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
She looked at Li Qiancheng with an expression of existential doubt. "Abnormal Fire... is that how you’re supposed to use it?"
Li Qiancheng had a deadpan expression. "So, why exactly did we waste several days waiting for these two unreliable people to come back?"
In the Cultivation World, cultivators who possessed an Abnormal Fire were already few and far between. Among them, the one who would use an Abnormal Fire to burn a mosquito... was probably only Shen Yuzhao.
Lu Sangjiu thought seriously for a moment before saying uncertainly, "...Because of love, maybe?"
Li Qiancheng: "..."
Luo Linlang stayed in Duan Xingyun’s room for the better part of the day. It was almost evening before she finally reined in her sorrow and came out with her eyes swollen like walnuts.
Even so, neither Li Qiancheng nor Lu Sangjiu dared to offer any comfort, fearing a single word might set her off again. If that happened, they’d lose their chance for a proper discussion today.
Shen Yuzhao’s eyes were also red as a rabbit’s, but he was in much better shape than Luo Linlang.
He was rubbing his eyes and asked Li Qiancheng in a tearful voice, "Eldest Martial Brother, why isn’t Master awake yet? How can we save him?"
That was the right question to ask. Li Qiancheng patted his shoulder. "Come on, let’s talk in my room."
The four martial siblings gathered together. As the Eldest Martial Brother, Li Qiancheng took the lead and explained what had happened to Duan Xingyun from beginning to end.
Of course, this included the key role Purple Peak played. "I’m not telling you this so you’ll go looking for trouble with Purple Peak, but simply because I don’t think they’re good people. Don’t get too deeply involved with them in the future."
Lu Sangjiu chimed in at the right moment. "The people from Purple Peak are unreasonable. It’s not just a matter of not getting close—if you can avoid them, do so. Don’t get entangled with them."
Ye Zhiyao was unsettlingly strange. Even Lu Sangjiu found her hard to deal with, so naturally, she didn’t want the others getting dragged in.
Luo Linlang nodded in strong agreement. "Don’t worry. That Ye Zhiyao, I get annoyed the moment I see her. You don’t have to tell me; I’ll stay far away from them."
Shen Yuzhao just said obediently, "I’ll listen to you all."
Li Qiancheng then returned to the main topic. "To save Master, we have one year to either find Hell Grass or a Fiend Burning Pill."
"But neither of those are easy to obtain. It will require the four of us to work together..."
He was mid-sentence when a golden light suddenly flew into the room, followed by the voice of the Sect Leader, Master Qian He:
"I have just received news: the Ancient Secret Realm, the Qingyu Secret Realm, has appeared. It may contain Hell Grass. Are you willing to risk entering and trying your luck?"
