“Yes, Master must be exhausted after just returning. I’ve been tidying your room every day, waiting for you to come back anytime,” Daisy said with a smile. “If you’re tired, Master can go back to your room and have a good sleep now.”
“You’ve worked hard, Daisy,” Yun Qingxue smiled, then turned to Mo Changxing and Jin Lin. “Thank you for worrying about me these days. Everyone, rest well. Tomorrow, I’ll personally cook a feast to thank you all.”
“Qingxue, as long as you’re back safely, nothing else matters,” Mo Changxing said.
“Exactly, exactly! Nothing is more important than your safety, Qingxue!” Jin Lin quickly chimed in, casting a challenging glance at Mo Changxing.
*Trying to sweet-talk in front of Xuexue, playing the role of a caring big brother to win favor? I can do that too!*
“Junior Brother, can we talk?” Mo Changxing suddenly turned his gaze to Jin Lin.
Jin Lin frowned, wondering what Mo Changxing wanted to discuss with him.
*Could it be that Mo Changxing wants to lay his cards on the table? Confess that he also likes Xuexue, and then challenge me to a duel in some secluded spot, with the loser giving up on pursuing Xuexue?*
Jin Lin suddenly considered this possibility.
*If that’s really the case, should I accept Mo Changxing’s challenge?*
*Tsk, tsk, tsk. It’s not that I’m scared, but I still have lingering trauma from that casual heavenly thunder Mo Changxing summoned last time!*
“Junior Brother?” Seeing Jin Lin lost in thought, Mo Changxing frowned and called again.
“Fine,” Jin Lin decided that even if he might lose, he wouldn’t lose face! If Mo Changxing wanted to settle things through a duel to prove who was more worthy of staying by Xuexue’s side, he’d accept the challenge!
*Who’s afraid of whom? I’m still the mighty Dragon King, after all!*
“Junior Sister, if you’re feeling unwell anywhere, let Master take a good look at you,” Mo Changxing added, addressing Yun Qingxue.
Yun Qingxue nodded with a smile.
Jin Lin, however, felt frustrated.
*This Mo Changxing guy, the moment I let my guard down, he’s right there trying to win Xuexue’s favor!*
*What a scheming man!*
“Xuexue, you rest first. Later, I’ll have Shui Liu bring you some tonics—guaranteed to make you feel full of energy after eating them!”
Jin Lin thought, *Who doesn’t know how to be attentive? Compared to Mo Changxing’s empty words, I think offering something tangible shows more sincerity!*
*Hmph! The Dragon King deserves a pat on the back for his cleverness.*
*Maybe I should also have Shui Liu pick out some jewelry and clothes for Xuexue later. That would surely make her even happier and more aware of my feelings!*
Yun Qingxue watched as everyone left before turning to return to her own quarters.
What she wanted most right now was to find her master and ask him to examine her body to figure out what was wrong.
She desperately wanted to understand the cause of the sudden, intense pain she occasionally experienced and what was hindering her cultivation progress.
But Yun Qingxue knew that her master and the others must have exhausted themselves searching for her these past days.
Now that she was safely back, she should let everyone rest and relax first.
As for her physical condition, she could always ask her master tomorrow morning after a good night’s sleep.
After all, her symptoms weren’t new—they’d been around for a while. A little more waiting wouldn’t hurt.
Back in her room, Yun Qingxue remembered to release Huan Ling from her storage bracelet.
In the new environment, Huan Ling curiously looked around.
A-Dai and the others were surprised to see her.
“What are you doing here?” A-Dai frowned.
Seeing the creature that had devoured her protective toxins, Huan Ling couldn’t help but shudder.
*No helping it—this snake really left a psychological scar on me…*
“I—I was brought here by Master!” Afraid that the venomous snake might swallow her whole if she hesitated, Huan Ling quickly explained, proving she was now one of them.
“But I don’t recall Master accepting you?” Liu Li eyed Huan Ling suspiciously.
At her words, A-Dai also gave Huan Ling a doubtful look.
Huan Ling trembled and hurriedly added, “But when Master was trapped alone in the Yunhuang Illusion, I was the one keeping her company! And when Master fell off the cliff last time, you were all caught in an illusion—it was me who helped break it!”
“Now that you mention the cliff incident, it reminds me…” Liu Li’s gaze grew even more distrustful and stern as she questioned, “Were you the accomplice of that evil woman back then? Did you hold a grudge because Master refused to take you in before, so you teamed up with her to get revenge on us?”
“Tell the truth! Was it you?” A-Dai, finding Liu Li’s reasoning plausible, echoed the accusation.
Huan Ling felt like crying. *Ugh! Stop bullying and falsely accusing me!*
“I already said it wasn’t me! The one who teamed up with that evil woman was a newly awakened little mist spirit. I ate her!”
“You ate her?” Liu Li still looked unconvinced and pressed further, “Weren’t you already gone by then? Why did you come back?”
“Because I wanted to pledge allegiance to Master!” Huan Ling blurted out.
To escape the endless interrogation, she decided to drop a bombshell.
“Master was the one who decided to take me in! Master is so wise—she must have tested my loyalty before making her decision! Are you doubting Master’s judgment by questioning me like this?”
“Of course not!” Liu Li immediately denied, but her sharp eyes scrutinized Huan Ling from head to toe before adding, “We trust Master completely, but we’re also responsible for protecting her!”
Huan Ling pouted, aggrieved. “But I really am one of you now!”
“Better be!” A-Dai coolly uttered three words, his adorable face carrying an inscrutable expression.
Huan Ling’s heart tightened. She felt there was an unspoken threat behind the little snake’s words: *”If you’re not one of us, I’ll eat you!”*
*Oh my! These companions are terrifying! I just want to crawl back into Master’s bracelet and calm down!*
As the sun set, painting the sky in crimson hues, Jin Lin and Mo Changxing’s conversation also reached its conclusion.
Contrary to Jin Lin’s earlier assumption—that Mo Changxing would challenge him to a duel for love—nothing of the sort happened.
Instead, after an afternoon of discussion, the two had formed an alliance!
Earlier, in the Feather Clan, both Jin Lin and Mo Changxing had noticed something unusual between Xuexue and Feng Zihuang, and both had a bad premonition.
They suspected Xuexue might have developed some feelings for Feng Zihuang.
And Feng Zihuang—an ancient bird who underwent nirvana rebirth every five hundred years—was far too cunning and experienced for Xuexue to handle.
They absolutely couldn’t allow any romantic entanglement between Xuexue and that old bird. They refused to tolerate the possibility of him emotionally manipulating or hurting Xuexue.
Thus, the two pigs eyeing the same cabbage—er, no, the two senior brothers decided that any internal conflicts should be resolved behind closed doors.
As for external threats—especially a certain old bird with designs on their precious cabbage—they deemed it necessary to unite and drive him away!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage