Chapter 41

Yu Tao’s words left both of them stunned.

This… the script doesn’t seem quite the same as what they had seen?

Yu Tao pressed her lips together and said softly, “But after Classmate Zhu finished speaking, I already apologized to him. Little Senior Brother is a very nice person and didn’t make a big deal out of it.”

Lu Qingyu paused for a moment. If even Zhu Mingyu’s scene could be changed, maybe reality wouldn’t necessarily be the same as it was written in the book?

She looked up at Zhu Mingyu, realizing she was also lowering her head, deep in thought. It seemed they were both thinking the same thing.

Lu Qingyu coughed lightly and asked, “Let’s set that aside for now. You said you like Senior Brother Yu Li?”

Yu Tao froze for a moment, realizing she had accidentally spoken her thoughts out loud when she had gotten nervous. She was done for.

She pinched her arm, trying to calm down, and nodded, “Mm.”

Before either of them could respond, she quickly added, “Not just Little Senior Brother, I also like Classmate Zhu and Senior Sister Lu.”

She lowered her eyes to hide the nervousness in her gaze, and said softly, “I’ve always been alone and didn’t have many friends before.”

So it was this kind of affection. Both of them immediately felt relieved, but they also felt a bit sorry for her. Yu Tao had been an orphan, and after coming to Wuchang Sect, her classmates avoided her because she was Xuan Yuzi’s disciple.

Zhu Mingyu patted her head comfortingly, “It’s okay. Now you’ve made friends with us, and we’ll always be here for you.”

“Alright, let’s go back. Senior Brother Hua Lian is still waiting for us.”

Lu Qingyu took Yu Tao’s hand, and as they walked, suddenly remembered something. She asked, “What were you and Senior Brother Yu Li doing just now, so close to each other?”

Yu Tao opened her palm to reveal the heart-shaped leaf. Now that she looked closely, she saw that it was actually two leaves that had grown together to form a heart.

“I just picked this up and thought the shape of the leaves was really unusual. I wanted to ask Little Senior Brother what kind of leaf this was, but it was too dark to see clearly, so I got closer.”

“Oh, this,” Zhu Mingyu pinched the leaf stem and tweaked it, “I’ve seen a plant guide for the cultivation world before. This is a Heartwood Tree. Its two leaves naturally come together to form a heart.”

Lu Qingyu agreed, “This kind of ancient tree is rare. I didn’t expect to find one on this island.”

Yu Tao noticed that both of them had been distracted by the leaf and let out a sigh of relief. She had managed to cover up her slip.

As for her secret crush on Little Senior Brother, she’d just keep it buried in her heart. After all, someone like Little Senior Brother… how could he ever like someone like her?

However, Yu Tao couldn’t help but steal a glance toward the direction they had just come from. The moonlight bathed the forest in a gentle glow, serene and peaceful.

… What was Little Senior Brother trying to do just now?

The moonlight poured down like water, the beach rocks constantly being splashed by the waves, their sound mixing with the gentle sea breeze that rustled the leaves.

The young man sat on a rock, one knee bent, dressed in white as snow. His headband and dark hair fluttered with the wind. He pressed his fist to his lips, hiding a look of discomfort, with a faint flush on his ears.

The girl’s clear doe eyes were fixed on him, her gaze sparkling with light. On closer inspection, they only reflected him, as though he was the only one in her eyes. Perhaps the sea breeze was a bit cold, her small nose slightly flushed, giving her a somewhat pitiful look, almost as if she could be easily bullied.

He had lost control for a moment.

… In fact, he had been so focused that he didn’t even realize when the other two had arrived.

Suddenly, a hand slapped his shoulder, and Hua Lian’s mischievous voice came from behind.

“Junior Brother, do you regret not setting up a barrier or something now?”

Yu Li: “…”

Now there were three of them.

The young man stood coldly, stepping off the rock, his voice icy, “Are you that bored?”

“Junior Brother, what you’re saying really hurts my feelings,” Hua Lian feigned grievance, though his eyes betrayed his amusement. “You and Junior Sister were gone for so long. As your Senior Brother, I was just worried something had happened and came looking for you.”

Hua Lian glanced at the faint blue spiritual flowers still lingering on the sea’s surface. He suddenly understood. That night when he kept watch on the sea, he must have seen Yu Tao go out to witness the mysterious sights of Xuanyue Sea.

He couldn’t help but chuckle. Hua Lian was good at coaxing girls.

“It’s been more than a month, how is it now?” Hua Lian asked.

“She’s been very diligent in her cultivation, has already built her foundation, and her swordsmanship has improved a lot.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Hua Lian said helplessly, “What I’m asking is, how are you two doing?”

They’ve been together for this long, surely something has happened by now.

Hua Lian leaned in closer, “Did you confess?”

The young man paused before replying, “No.”

Hua Lian immediately felt exasperated, muttering, “You’ve had your chance, and still, you’re useless. It’s just the two of you. What a perfect opportunity, and you’re just focused on teaching her swordsmanship.”

The young man fell silent for a moment, his tone a little awkward. “It seems like she only likes ‘Lili.’ She’s always so stiff and avoids me, but when I turn back into ‘Lili,’ she becomes a little more natural.”

A question mark slowly appeared on Hua Lian’s forehead. What was that about?

“Does she know that ‘Lili’ is you now?”

“Yes.”

Hua Lian couldn’t help but feel confused. “Then what’s your relationship now?”

“I’m still her spiritual pet.”

Hua Lian: “…”

The young people were playing this game big time.

Hua Lian cleared his throat. “It’s understandable that she likes her spiritual pet, but the fact that she knows it’s you and still accepts ‘Lili’ as a spiritual pet at least shows she doesn’t dislike you.”

“It’s normal for things to feel awkward now. After all, who wouldn’t find it strange if they suddenly found out their cat was their Senior Brother? Just take it slow, and things will be fine.”

Yu Li lightly agreed, “Mm.”

The two didn’t have much more to say, so they returned to their temporary campsite, which was on a wide, flat beach, making it easy to leave quickly if necessary.

As they neared the campsite, Hua Lian suddenly realized something—this time, Yu Li hadn’t stubbornly denied liking Junior Sister.

He was taken aback. Had he turned from proud and aloof to… a little softer?

When they returned, Junior Sister was already sitting by the campfire with Lu Qingyu and Zhu Mingyu.

She was grilling fish for the two of them, who were staring intently at the fish, waiting to eat.

Hua Lian scanned the area. There were about a dozen people, and now, all the disciples from Wuchang Sect who had come to Xuanyue Sea were present, with no one missing.

Hua Lian also sat down, pulling Yu Li with him. Zhu Mingyu sat next to him, and Yu Li sat beside him, with the campfire in between them, perfectly positioned so that he faced Yu Tao.

Someone sighed, “We’ve been here for more than a month, and yet we didn’t get anything from the secret realm.”

A person next to them scoffed, “Still thinking about treasures? It’s a miracle we’re alive. And what do you think this island has to offer? Really, I’m not coming back to the secret realm next time.”

Song Hong, who had just been rescued from the underwater palace today, walked over to Yu Tao. He glanced at Yu Li and then at Yu Tao, his expression filled with gratitude. “Thank you both for today.”

Yu Li didn’t say anything, but Yu Tao looked at him, shook her head, and said, “It’s nothing.”

Even if they hadn’t been rescued, Song Hong and the others wouldn’t have gotten into any trouble. In the past month, the mermaids hadn’t made a move on them, likely waiting for the right opportunity to send them out.

Such things often happened at sea—fishermen lost after a shipwreck would suddenly reappear on the shore days later.

The common trait of these people was that they had no memory of the past few days, and it was obvious that these people were in the same situation.

As expected, when Hua Lian asked, “Where have you all been for the past month?” Song Hong and the others shook their heads, replying, “Our memories only go as far as the day the ship was destroyed.”

It was probably for the best that they didn’t remember. Yu Tao continued to lower her gaze, focusing on roasting the fish. The mermaids were only trying to protect themselves, and the fewer people who knew they were hiding here, the better. Yu Tao didn’t plan to mention the mermaids she’d seen in the sea.

But suddenly, Hua Lian turned around and asked Yu Li, “It seems you went into the sea today. Did you find anything? Did you locate the core of the formation?”

Yu Tao nervously tightened her grip on the branch she had peeled.

The young man’s voice was calm. “No.”

“We’ve searched the island once already, and found nothing. We didn’t find the main formation, and to avoid causing more trouble, we should leave as soon as possible.”

Yu Tao relaxed her fingers slightly.

Hua Lian sighed. “Then what about the toxic fog? It still hasn’t been resolved—what should we do?”

“The toxic fog didn’t originate from this island.”

Everyone was taken aback.

The young man’s expression remained neutral. “In all the days we’ve been on this island, have any of you seen toxic fog here?”

That made sense. They had initially thought the fog came from the secret realm, but now, looking around, there was no fog on the island, except for the occasional mist on the sea.

This meant the fog had another source.

Song Hong, who had known Yu Li from the sect in the past, believed his words completely. He nodded. “In that case, we’ll head back tomorrow, and as for the fog, we can search for it later.”

The others didn’t have any objections and nodded in agreement.

Yu Tao’s fish was ready, so she distributed it to Lu Qingyu and Zhu Mingyu, who had been waiting eagerly, as well as to Wen Ming, who had remained silent by the side.

His hair had grown a bit in over a month, but since it was so stiff, it stuck out straight, like a hedgehog, making him look even more comical than when he was bald.

Yu Tao tried her best to hold back her laughter. She smiled with her eyes and handed him the fish. “Here, Classmate Wen.”

After a brief pause, she corrected herself, “Senior Brother Wen.”

For some reason, even though she knew he was her Senior Brother, Yu Tao always subconsciously called him “Classmate Wen.” Perhaps it was because of the previous rebellious incident, she still saw him as a kid?

Wen Ming scratched his spiky hair. “Junior Sister Yu, if you want to laugh, just laugh. I also think it’s pretty funny.”

“No, I just think it’ll be fine once I tidy it up a bit after we get back.” Yu Tao gestured as she spoke.

Wen Ming pursed his lips. “I’m not very good at this. I saw that Junior Sister Yu’s hairstyle looked really nice. You must be good at taking care of your hair. Could you please help me?”

Hua Lian, watching the two of them, narrowed his eyes slightly. He had thought something was off about Wen Ming on the ship last time, and now it became clear—it seemed like he was trying to get close to his junior sister.

He was clearly trying to steal his junior brother’s corner!

Hua Lian cleared his throat, about to interrupt the two, when suddenly, the young man beside him spoke up.

His voice was calm and unhurried.

“I’m afraid that won’t work.”

Wen Ming turned his gaze toward him. “Senior Brother Yu Li, you’re not Junior Sister Yu. How can you make decisions for her?”

Yu Li smoothly took a roasted fish from Yu Tao’s hand, his tone calm as he spoke.

“I can’t answer for her, but I’m making a decision for myself.”

Wen Ming was taken aback. He had asked Yu Tao, so what did this have to do with Yu Li?

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but voice his confusion.

Yu Tao spoke softly.

“Senior Brother Wen, thank you for the compliment, but I really can’t help you. I don’t know how to take care of hair. This hairstyle was done by Little Senior Brother.”

Wen Ming: ?

Wen Ming’s face instantly darkened, while Hua Lian nearly couldn’t hold back his laughter.

He managed to stifle it, clearing his throat. “Wen Ming, try a little harder. I think Junior Brother would help you eventually.”

Wen Ming was silent for a long time before he squeezed out the words, “No need.”