Chapter 17

Yu Tao really liked reading books. There were several small bookstores in Haicheng that specialized in selling books about rare and strange occurrences, and she often visited them to buy books. When she returned home, she would curl up with the books and read them with great interest.

This was her first time visiting the library. Looking around, the architecture was full of ethereal charm, and the scent of books filled the air.

Yu Tao took a few books and walked up the celestial stone steps, eventually finding the seventh floor.

This place was called “White Night.”

Except for the night pearls on the seats, Yu Tao looked up. On the opposite shore of the Tianjing River, there were scattered lights. The moonlight was as bright as day, and the transition between dusk and dawn created a strange and beautiful scene of interwoven light.

The white night moon rested, the lantern flowers half asleep.

Yu Tao found a seat and sat down, placing her books on the table.

Because of the recent events in the Void Realm, Shishu Lin Lin had asked them both to rest and recuperate, so she didn’t attend the morning class today.

She was usually someone who followed the rules, and this was the first time she had missed a class, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

Yu Tao opened her book when suddenly a figure appeared beside her.

She looked up and saw a young male cultivator, who seemed to be a new student.

He looked a little nervous and frightened, his body trembling. There were a group of people behind him, hiding in the distance, looking at her. It seemed like he had been pushed out.

Yu Tao asked in confusion, “Is something wrong?”

Xu Jing stammered, “Yu, Yu… Classmate…”

—

Zhu Mingyu thought that after explaining the situation to Lu Qingyu, she would leave, but to her surprise, Lu Qingyu wanted to follow her to “White Night.”

She said it had been a long time since she had read books and wanted to relax with them.

Seeing Lu Qingyu’s slightly smiling face, Zhu Mingyu didn’t want to refuse her too forcefully and nodded in agreement.

She wasn’t worried that Lu Qingyu would go back on her word. After all, everyone had their own sense of decorum, and Lu Qingyu wouldn’t do something like that.

But Zhu Mingyu quietly thought to herself.

Over the years, her public image had always been that of a taciturn, decisive, and cold-faced senior sister, rarely speaking to others. She had assumed that Lu Qingyu was the same type—aloof and distant—but it seemed like she was actually quite friendly and easygoing?

Meanwhile, after Zhu Mingyu agreed to her request, Lu Qingyu silently cheered in her heart, but didn’t show it outwardly.

If it had been just her alone, she would have probably been grinning from ear to ear at this moment.

She quickly controlled her facial expression, maintaining her cool persona, and then lightly coughed: “Junior Sister Zhu, how long have you and Yu Tao known each other?”

“We met on the day I joined the sect, and then it was about twenty days ago when we really started interacting.”

However, Zhu Mingyu thought the day they truly got to know each other was when they were in the Void Realm.

The girl was cold all over, trembling, unable to move, but stubbornly carried her through the snow to find a shelter.

Zhu Mingyu couldn’t help but tremble with her eyelashes when she thought about it now.

…What a fool.

Lu Qingyu thought to herself, so they’ve only known each other for about a month, huh? There’s still a chance for her!

‘Wuhu~ Little ^[1]“Tao” with “Zi” is essentially a way of saying “Peach” in a more affectionate manner, somewhat like how in English, one might say “Sweetie” or … Continue readingTaozi, here I come.’

When they arrived at the seventh floor, “White Night,” Lu Qingyu immediately spotted Yu Tao in the corner, sitting quietly.

She had a book open in front of her, with a stack of books next to her. It really did look like she was here to read.

However, she wasn’t actually reading at the moment. She was looking down, her delicate fingers tracing the surface of a Liuli mirror laid flat on the book. Yu Tao seemed to be concentrating, frowning slightly, as if troubled by something.

So obedient, so cute.

Lu Qingyu couldn’t help but feel giddy inside. She really wanted to pinch her face. Maybe she could even make the little dimples appear again.

…Wait, the Liuli mirror!

Lu Qingyu suddenly froze, and in the blink of an eye, she made eye contact with Zhu Mingyu. They both saw the same realization in each other’s eyes.

Zhu Mingyu quickly walked over, seemingly casually standing next to Yu Tao. “Yu Tao, I’m here. What are you looking at?”

Yu Tao looked up at her, then turned off the glass mirror, a little annoyed. “I’m looking at some posts. There are some things I don’t really understand.”

“The things they’re saying are so strange…”

The two exchanged a glance: “…” Great.

Zhu Mingyu was at a loss, scratching her head. How did she see it so quickly, just after a brief moment of not paying attention?

Lu Qingyu sat down next to Yu Tao, her tone gentle: “Junior Sister Yu, don’t believe those opinions in the posts. They are all baseless nonsense. You can’t trust just one person’s words, always rely on facts.”

Yu Tao nodded seriously: “I also think it can’t be trusted. Some of it’s a bit too outrageous…”

Fortunately, she hadn’t believed it.

Lu Qingyu felt relieved and, in the manner of someone holding a small animal, gently pulled Yu Tao into her embrace, patting her back softly: “That’s right. Don’t mind what they say. There, there, just let Senior Sister hug you.”

Yu Tao, suddenly pulled into her arms, was a bit stunned: “…Senior Sister?”

Meanwhile, Zhu Mingyu, who was still trying to figure out how to comfort Yu Tao and hadn’t even started yet, was taken aback: ?

Aren’t you usually cold and aloof, not giving anyone the time of day?! What’s this supposed to mean now???

Zhu Mingyu, holding her breath, sat on the other side, pulling Yu Tao away and placing her arm around Yu Tao’s shoulders, half-hugging her.

“I’m telling you, those are just foolish remarks, things people made up on the spot. If you believe them, you’ll be tricked…”

Yu Tao paused for a moment, then lowered her eyelashes without a sound. Suddenly, she smiled: “Junior Sister Zhu, although the answers I found while researching seem a bit odd, it’s not to that extent, is it?”

Zhu Mingyu froze for a moment: “Research?”

Lu Qingyu leaned in closer as well.

Yu Tao nodded, turning on the glass mirror on the book. “There’s a lot of text in the book I’m reading that I couldn’t understand, so I searched for this kind of language and found this post.”

She pointed at a spot on the Liuli mirror: “Here, there are clearly only two characters, but their answer is so strange.”

Original Poster: 【Omnipotent forum friends, help me out. Does anyone understand animal language? What does ‘δψ’ mean?】

Forum Friend 1: 【Don’t know, but bumping the thread.】

Forum Friend 2: 【Don’t know, bumping +1】

Forum Friend 8: 【Hmm… First of all, I want to ask the original poster: which beast said this to you? Or where did you see it?】

Original Poster: 【It’s almost the same. This was written by my spirit beast after it transformed into a human form today. I rubbed its head, and it ran off to bathe in the river. Right now, it’s wagging its tail and shaking its fur at me.】

Forum Friend 8: 【Hmm… Can I ask what gender your spirit beast is?】

Original Poster: 【My spirit beast is male. I’m male, too. Why do you ask?】

Forum Friend 8: 【Cough… Nothing, just a simple curiosity… OP, if you’re a normal person, I only have two words for you: run. Don’t look back.】

Forum Friend 2: 【Hiss… I think I understand now.】

Forum Friend 13: 【I get it now (tears). Hope the next time I understand right away is in the swordsmanship class.】

Original Poster: 【??? So what exactly does that mean?】

Forum Friend 13: 【It means your spirit beast will tear you apart and swallow you whole, leaving nothing but bones (whispering like an evil ghost).】

Yu Tao put down the Liuli mirror and scratched her head: “I feel like unless the master does something really excessive, a spirit beast wouldn’t normally want to kill its master. Also, eating its master? That answer is really scary.”

“That’s why I said they’re weird. What they’re saying is a bit outrageous.”

Zhu Mingyu: ?

Lu Qingyu: ?

Yu Tao looked up at the two of them: “What do you think?”

Zhu Mingyu: “…”

How is she supposed to answer that…

Lu Qingyu, with a serious face: “I also think what they’re saying is strange. After a spirit beast makes a contract with its master, it won’t kill its master, otherwise it would backfire.”

“So I don’t know what they’re talking about either.”

Zhu Mingyu: ?

‘You better genuinely not know.’

Zhu Mingyu cleared her throat twice: “I also don’t understand animal language, so I don’t know what they’re saying.”

Lu Qingyu glanced at her leisurely.

None of them knew, so it became an unsolved mystery. Yu Tao sighed and turned off the Liuli mirror: “Looks like we can only ask Senior Shishu Lin Lin. He reads more books than most.”

Zhu Mingyu: “…”

Lu Qingyu: “…”

The two of them tacitly didn’t speak up to stop her.

May Senior Shishu Lin Lin rest in peace.

But both of them were secretly thinking: So it turns out Yu Tao didn’t see those posts, which is probably for the best.

The bench was meant for two people, but now that three people were sitting on it, it was a bit cramped, and their limbs couldn’t move freely.

Yu Tao had trouble even flipping through her book, glancing helplessly at the two of them.

Zhu Mingyu smiled faintly: “Senior Sister Lu, the space across from us is quite spacious.”

Lu Qingyu, who wanted to sit next to the soft and cuddly little Taozi, of course wasn’t happy: “As the senior sister, I naturally should be courteous. The more spacious seat should be given to Junior Sister Zhu.”

Neither of them wanted to sit across from each other. After staring at each other for a while, Yu Tao was the first to give in, and went to sit across.

“Junior Sister Zhu, Senior Sister Lu, I’m a bit out of breath, so I’ll sit here for now.”

The two of them fell silent for a moment, and neither of them objected.

Anyway, whoever sat with Yu Tao, the other wouldn’t be happy.

Suddenly, Lu Qingyu took out a plate of snow pear pastries from her storage bag, which smelled fragrant and sweet.

She picked up a piece, leaned forward, and offered it to Yu Tao’s mouth: “Junior Sister Yu, try this. It’s a new snow pear pastry from Jiuwu Workshop. It’s been really popular with girls lately.”

Zhu Mingyu: ?

Zhu Mingyu ground her back teeth together.

She now realized that the so-called “relaxing with a book” was just an excuse, Lu Qingyu was really here for Yu Tao.

Although she didn’t quite understand her intentions, Zhu Mingyu had an instinct that something was being snatched away from her.

The pastry was held out to Yu Tao’s mouth. It was an experience she had never had before, and after hurriedly thanking her, she still took it with her hand and ate it in small bites.

She said cautiously: “Mmm, it’s really delicious, thank you, Senior Sister Lu.”

Lu Qingyu smiled: “If you like it, I’ll bring it to you again next time.”

Yu Tao, aside from seeing her outside the library once, had only heard Zhu Mingyu call her “Senior Sister Lu.” She didn’t even know her name, so she felt a bit puzzled by the intimacy, finding it somewhat baffling.

“Senior Sister Lu, have we met before? Or did I forget that we’ve already met? Sorry about that.”

Zhu Mingyu coldly remarked: “Don’t doubt it, you only met her today.”

Yu Tao: Huh?

Lu Qingyu laughed softly: “It’s true that this is our first time meeting, but I feel like I’ve known Junior Sister Yu forever, and I like her a lot.”

“Junior Sister Yu doesn’t think I’m annoying, right?”

Yu Tao shook her head: “Not at all, it’s just that I don’t even know Senior Sister Lu’s name yet…”

“Lu Qingyu, just call me Qingyu. If you’re not used to that, you can call me ‘Sister Lulu’ too.” Lu Qingyu propped her chin on her hand, smiling brightly as she looked at her.

Zhu Mingyu cast her a lingering glance.

Heh, a few years ago, at a family banquet, you coldly told Zhu Qianying that you weren’t sister, yet look at you now, acting so unimportant!

“Qing…” Yu Tao stuttered, but still said, “Senior Sister Lu, aren’t you going to read?”

‘Why has she been staring at me like that since earlier?’

Lu Qingyu smiled: “I’m just watching you.”

‘Such a cute girl, ah, I really want to pinch her cheeks.’

‘She must be the type to cry if I tease her a little, right?’

Yu Tao was confused: “Huh?”

Zhu Mingyu: “…”

‘Damn, so she’s a pervert. No wonder.’

Lu Qingyu continued smiling, reaching over to tap her book: “I mean, I want to see your book. What are you reading?”

“Oh, oh!”

Yu Tao straightened her book and showed them the cover.

“This one! It’s the one I couldn’t understand earlier and had to search for.”

The two of them looked at the title— “One Hundred Ways to Train Spirit Pets: The Cat Edition”

Zhu Mingyu: ?

Lu Qingyu: ?

Wait a second, this book title, combined with the beast language characters from that post earlier…

This… this training… is it serious?

—

Word Count: 2,385