Chapter 35

Everyone must die eventually, but social death is unacceptable.

Mu Chongxi felt the acute embarrassment of social death for the first time in a while. He hung his head low, not daring to speak, fearing Elder Zhao’s wrath.

Elder Zhao gave a sinister smile. “Back already, huh?”

—Little rascals.

“Elder Zhao.” The two of them nonchalantly stood up from the ground, sneaking in a kick at the red bird that had thrown them off.

The two disciples from Bishui Sect were both girls, one named Miao Miao, the other Si Miaoyan.

“Senior sister,” Miao Miao nudged and whispered, “I think the disciples of this sect aren’t very normal.”

Si Miaoyan, for once, nodded in agreement.

Even with all the people she had met, she had never seen such bizarre disciples. What kind of sword cultivator chooses to ride a bird instead of flying on their sword?

Elder Zhao’s face twisted momentarily. He didn’t need to look to know the strange thoughts in the eyes of the other sects’ disciples. Suppressing his immense fury, he forced a ‘kind and approachable’ smile, “You’re just in time.”

“These two are Bishui Sect’s disciples. Why don’t you show them around Changming Sect?”

The best way to handle visiting disciples was to leave them with the sect’s own disciples, and Elder Zhao was happy to pass on the responsibility.

Ye Qiao, seeing this, calmly responded with a nod.

She was already planning her escape route from Elder Zhao’s inevitable scolding once the visiting disciples left.

After Elder Zhao left, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

Si Miaoyan discreetly observed Ye Qiao several times.

She had heard before arriving that Changming Sect had recently taken in a new little sister, supposedly promoted from the outer sect to a core disciple. Traditionally, the five major sects only chose the most talented for core disciples.

But this girl seemed quite ordinary, with nothing particularly special about her.

It was unclear whether Changming Sect had given up on standards or had some other plan.

“You’re finally back.” Ming Xuan, chewing on a dog’s tail grass, had his hands behind his head, “If you were any later, Master would have come down the mountain to catch you himself.”

Xue Yu nodded in agreement. “Five days and you look like this…” He eyed the two junior disciples.

They wore casual clothes, but they looked worn out, especially Ye Qiao, who seemed as withered as a wilted cabbage.

Xue Yu rubbed his chin, speaking slowly, “Did you come back from wandering outside?”

“…”

“Think bigger.”

“Could it be we came back from scavenging?” Ye Qiao pointed to the tightly bound red bird nearby.

Xue Yu was silent for a moment, strangely feeling she might be right.

“Senior Brother Xue.”

While they were chatting, Miao Miao intrusively leaned in, “Can I ask you a question? Is there a new kind of pill popular in Yunzhong City recently?”

“Look.” She handed a peculiar pill to Xue Yu, “It’s this kind.”

“… This.”

Xue Yu took it, staring at the pill in her hand for a moment.

The yellow pill emitted a faint fragrance, but unlike the usual smooth and glossy pills, this one looked wild and untamed.

If it didn’t lack smoke, Xue Yu might have smoked one on the spot to express his bewilderment at the world.

How could such an ugly pill become popular in Yunzhong City?

It was as ugly as his little sister…

Ming Xuan found it somewhat familiar, “I think I’ve seen it somewhere.”

Such an ugly pill, only the little sister could have made it, right?

“Where?” Miao Miao’s eyes lit up. She really wanted to know who could make such an ugly pill that still retained its full medicinal properties.

The level of precision required for controlling divine consciousness and spirit plants must be extraordinary.

Ming Xuan chuckled dryly, “My little sister made something similar when she was playing around with pill crafting.”

Hearing her name, Ye Qiao turned to notice the pill in Miao Miao’s hand. She stroked her chin thoughtfully. This was unexpected. Before their training trip, these pills had been unsellable due to their ugliness, yet in just a few days, they had become popular?

“Her?” Miao Miao was slightly stunned, staring at Ye Qiao. Did this sword cultivator actually have dreams of becoming a pill master?

Ye Qiao calmly let her observe, then said to Xue Yu, “Third senior brother, I’m going to the library now.”

Not wanting to stick around for the conversation, Ming Xuan quickly added, “I’m coming too!”

The two of them immediately escaped together.

Xue Yu smiled helplessly.

Seeing this, Miao Miao couldn’t help but feel envious. “The atmosphere between you all is really good.”

Not all sect disciples get along well. They are all prodigies and the future of their sects, constantly competing and comparing their talents. In simple terms, nobody really gets along. She and her senior sister were among the few who could coexist harmoniously, thanks to Si Miaoyan’s gentle temperament.

“Not really,” Mu Chongxi said, a bit embarrassed. Before Ye Qiao joined, the few of them rarely hung out together, only occasionally teaming up for training trips. Their current unity was entirely due to Ye Qiao’s incredible social skills.

…

As the saying goes, people’s joys and sorrows do not intersect. Ye Qiao had just returned and barely had a moment to rest before Elder Yu from the library called her to help copy books.

Being immediately put to work upon returning, Ye Qiao couldn’t help but sigh.

Her real intention in going to the library was to thoroughly study the cultivation methods and talisman books given by Song Hansheng, and to compare them with Changming Sect’s talismans to see if she could make improvements.

Instead, she got caught by Elder Yu.

While Ye Qiao was busy, Ming Xuan leisurely found a talisman book and started flipping through it.

“Elder,” Ye Qiao remembered her previous experience of overextending her divine consciousness and, adopting a learn-as-you-go approach, she asked, “Do talisman masters get nosebleeds the first time they draw talismans?”

“They do,” Elder Yu answered quickly, lifting his eyelids to glance at Ming Xuan and adding, “Of course, there are rare exceptions.”

Ye Qiao was one of those who fainted the first time. She touched her nose and asked humbly, “Who doesn’t experience this?”

She still vividly remembered the dizzy feeling.

“Your second senior brother didn’t. He could draw talismans at seven and was sent to our sect at ten. Overextending his divine consciousness was never an issue for him,” Elder Yu glanced at her meaningfully, “You could say it’s a talent unique to geniuses.”

Second senior brother indeed had unmatched talent in talisman crafting. Ye Qiao lowered her eyes, and with a tone of indignation, said, “I hate talented people the most.”

Then she added, “The worst part is that I’m not one of them.”

Elder Yu: “…”

You really don’t treat me like an outsider at all, do you?