Chapter 49: Chapter 49 More People Craving for the Flesh
The guest banquet had ended, and it was deep into the night.
The accommodations for the Kunlun emissary group were arranged in the eastern guest room area by Yuqing View.
This place was at a suitable elevation, with a cool temperature. Pushing open the window revealed the ocean wide, each room offering a perfect sea view.
After spending a moment in his room, Qiu Changtian planned to step out for a walk.
Of course, the possibility of meeting Luo Yan was out of the question.
Though Ah Jing had assured that if there was any inconsistency between the timelines of Qiu Changtian and Luo Yan, it would be smoothed over using the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique.
But Qiu Changtian, always cautious and careful, naturally wouldn’t risk unnecessary trouble.
Besides, Luo Yan was well-acquainted with the map of Yuqing View, whereas Qiu Changtian should not be.
If he went outside later, he would have to pretend to be unfamiliar with the place, asking for directions everywhere, which would be incredibly bothersome.
Suddenly, the sound of a zither string resonated from outside, seemingly played by Xu Yinglian.
Speaking of Xu Yinglian, he could not help but recall how she had exchanged sarcastic and mocking words with Shi Liuli at the earlier banquet.
To Shi Liuli, Xu Yinglian was like that “white lotus bitch entwined in scandal with the idol brother she was fanatical about.”
And for Xu Yinglian, Shi Liuli was probably one of those “idiots in the fan circle”, no wonder they found each other disagreeable.
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Stepping into the courtyard outside the room, he saw a cold plum planted in the central garden, its pink petals lightly tinted and its subtle fragrance enveloping the surroundings, adding an elegant charm to the area.
Xu Yinglian was sitting beneath the cold plum, her fingers gently plucking the strings of the zither, producing a long, melodious sound—it was the Phoenix Tail Zither Luo Yan had acquired from his second senior sister and later handed over to her by Qiu Changtian.
“Senior Brother, heading out in the late night, are you planning to find Shi Liuli?” She lowered her head, tuning the Phoenix Tail Zither as she asked indifferently.
Faced with such a leading question, Qiu Changtian would naturally not answer incorrectly, and laughed,
“Blind to the beloved’s intent, I only hear the sound of the zither.”
Yet Xu Yinglian was not inclined to let him off easily, continuing to ask with her head down,
“Junior Sister is dull and doesn’t know whom the beloved refers to?”
“Junior Sister…” Qiu Changtian sighed and said, “After all, we are guests here, why do we need to provoke conflicts with the people of Yuqing View?”
“Senior Brother,” Xu Yinglian furrowed her brows lightly, countering, “Is it I who desires to provoke a conflict?”
Qiu Changtian was left speechless.
If you ask who started it, it was definitely Miss Shi who picked the quarrel.
But considering her princess syndrome that feared neither heaven nor earth, why must you retaliate with biting remarks?
If you just stepped aside, wouldn’t the problem have been avoided?
Yet on second thought, given Junior Sister Xu’s strong nature and the fact that the other party had initiated the challenge, asking her to admit defeat would probably be harder than killing her.
Thinking this, Qiu Changtian sighed heavily, suspecting that these two would likely never get along.
“Why does Senior Brother sigh?” Xu Yinglian’s expression grew colder, and her gaze became more fearsome, “Is it because you find Junior Sister unaccommodating and unreasonable?”
Qiu Changtian, of course, understood what upset her and immediately shook his head,
“No. It’s just that with Elder Shi Ding’s considerable reputation, I fear there will be many burdens in the future.”
His words were veiled, but Xu Yinglian was not at a loss. He was implying that Shi Liuli would too easily attract animosity, which might eventually bring trouble to Elder Shi Ding.
So her expression immediately softened, even feeling a bit triumphant in her heart:
Hmph, how could my relationship with Senior Brother be rivaled by Shi Liuli whom I’ve only met for one day?
“Senior Brother, Junior Sister was just inside listening to the sound of the ocean tides and was inspired with a fragment of a beautiful melody.” She plucked the strings with her graceful fingers, playing a short segment of music, then elegantly asked, “Does Senior Brother have the leisure to help Junior Sister finish this piece?”
Hearing the warmth in her voice, Qiu Changtian knew that Junior Sister had calmed down, and laughed,
“Of course, let me retrieve my flute from inside.”
Together they played the zither and flute, the lingering sounds filling the courtyard with the vitality of spring.
As for the noise outside, there was a soundproofing formation, so there was no need to worry about disturbing others.
After discussing music with Junior Sister, Qiu Changtian returned to his bedroom and immediately began to summon the Kunlun Mirror.
“Load Luo Yan’s file,” he calmly said. “I need to confirm whether Shi Liuli has noticed anything amiss.”
“What if they notice?” asked the Kunlun Mirror.
“Shut up, it’s just a routine matter. I’m certain my acting won’t have any issues,” Xu Yinglian responded confidently.
The Kunlun Mirror spoke helplessly:
[Location Three: Penglai Yuqing View, dormitory.]
[Character Identity: Luo Yan.]
[Overlaying with the Mirror Flower Water Moon Template, currently undergoing time-space travel.]
Transferred to several days earlier at Yuqing View (before the Kunlun envoy team had arrived), Luo Yan made his move to find Shi Liuli.
Before he even reached the door, he heard a burst of exclamations from a group of girls inside.
“Junior Sister Linlang, you really didn’t know?” Shi Liuli exclaimed in surprise, “Senior Brother Qiu is none other than the current Chief Disciple of Kunlun, the newly risen number one figure among the Orthodox Sect’s disciples, Qiu Changtian!”
“Rumors say he is exceptionally handsome and has an excellent character, courteous and humble in his dealings with everyone.”
“And his strength is formidable. He is the prime disciple under the Ziwei real person, the Head of the Kunlun Sect. He once led Kunlun disciples deep into the Demon Sect’s Underground Palace and slew thousands of Demon Cult disciples with his sword, emerging unscathed!”
Luo Yan stood outside the door, his eyes glazed over from the initial part of the conversation, and by the end, he was utterly flabbergasted.
Miss Shi, you can joke about anything else, but not about these wildly exaggerated tales; where in the world did these thousands of Demon Sect disciples come from?
At this moment, another sister spoke up:
“I heard from Junior Sister Bi Lian of the Furnace Hall that on that day she took some junior brothers and sisters to explore a celestial cave in Qinling Mountains, only to get trapped by the Yimu Kunlong Formation inside the ruins!”
“It was fortunate that the Kunlun Chief Disciple, Senior Brother Qiu Changtian, just happened to be passing by. Seeing Junior Sister Bi Lian crying covertly, he took the initiative to help!”
“Wow!” all the young ladies gasped in unison, “Then what happened?”
The sister clasped her hands before her chest, her voice tremulous with excitement:
“He was a vision of sword light and elegance, effortlessly breaking three formation points and rescuing the disciples of the Penglai Sect, who had been on the brink of death, leading them all to safety!”
“Right there on the spot, Junior Sister Bi Lian was so touched that she wanted to repay him with spirit stones. But Senior Brother Qiu politely declined, saying that as fellow disciples of the Orthodox Sect, it was only right to help without expecting anything in return.”
“As he was leaving, he even retrieved the elixir and scripture scrolls Junior Sister Bi Lian needed from deep within the cave and presented them to her, insisting it was a simple effort and not to be hung up on.”
“Junior Sister Bi Lian was smitten right there and then. Unable to persuade him to stay, she could only watch as Qiu Changtian gracefully took his leave.”
“From that moment on, she became preoccupied with thoughts of him, washing her face with her tears every day!”
What the… Who concocted this melodramatic nonsense? Luo Yan was shocked and appalled.
Bi Lian, isn’t it? I kindly saved your junior brothers and sisters out of goodwill, and this is how you repay me by singing such high praises behind my back!
Hey, wait a minute, something seems off here…
“Junior Sister Bi Lian is really dense!” a sister exclaimed indignant, “If I were her, I would have confessed on the spot, face be damned! Even if it didn’t work out, I would have at least tried to get a token from him, anything would’ve been good!”
“Junior Sister Yulang, you’re too greedy!” another sister teased, “Do you know how much Senior Brother Qiu Changtian’s belongings go for in the black market?”
“Even a single strand of hair from his pillow sells for six hundred low-grade spirit stones inside Kunlun! That’s if you can even find it, as it’s snapped up immediately by the lady disciples of Kunlun!”
Luo Yan’s eye twitched involuntarily as he heard someone ask:
“You’re kidding. Six hundred spirit stones for a single hair?”
Another sister spoke enviously:
“You have no idea. That Qiu Changtian is blessed with Daoist Heart Clarity, an incredibly rare trait among cultivators!”
“Those with the Daoist Heart Clarity are not haunted by evil spirits, nor daunted by calamities. Even a single hair of his, kept close to one’s body, can clear the mind and improve vision, possessing the effect of driving away evil spirits!”
“Do you know about Qing Nan Jian Qingnan? She’s the prodigious cultivator girl who stirred up rumors ten years ago, now she’s Qiu Changtian’s junior sister.”
“Every month she tries her best to sneak into Senior Brother Qiu’s cave dwelling and manages to steal just one or two hairs to auction. They’re snapped up instantly in Kunlun on the same day!”
Jian Qingnan, you’re the traitor within! Just wait until I get back; I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget… Luo Yan thought fiercely, grinding his teeth.
Six hundred spirit stones for a hair; this rumor is just too outrageous, exaggerated to the point of absurdity.
So another sister voiced her confusion, sparking an uproar of debate, until finally, Shi Liuli came out to dispel the rumors:
“Stop arguing, it’s all true!”