Qin Yun was an Inner Sect Disciple of the Heavenly Fragrance.
She had been with the sect for more than ten years, and her current cultivation was at the Spirit Enlightenment Middle Stage.
She had initially thought an Evil Path Great Power was attacking, but when she saw it was Shen Qingqing, Qin Yun’s worries vanished.
She looked at Shen Qingqing with eyes full of grievance.
“Do you know the punishment for spreading rumors within the Inner Sect?” Shen Qingqing asked.
Qin Yun froze upon hearing this, her gaze guiltily shifting elsewhere.
Recently, Shen Qingqing had discovered a bit of gossip circulating among the Inner Sect Disciples: that the Great Disciple Chen Xiaoyan, the disciple of the Vice Sect Master herself, had mirror-grinding tendencies.
When she first heard the news, Shen Qingqing had been furious.
She had almost accidentally struck the culprit dead with a single palm strike.
But she had held back.
Fortunately, the rumor was only circulating within a small circle of Inner Sect Disciples and had not reached the outside world.
If it truly spread outside, it would be a significant blow to the reputation of the Tianxiang Sect.
It was precisely for this reason that Shen Qingqing had not killed her.
After asking the question, Shen Qingqing released the Spiritual Power Restraint on her.
“Sect Leader, this disciple was only telling the truth…” Qin Yun turned her head to the side, not daring to look Shen Qingqing in the eye.
“Oh?” Shen Qingqing’s eyes narrowed as she inquired, “Then tell me, what did you see?”
“This disciple… this disciple does not dare say.”
“Tell the truth, and I will not blame you.”
“Really?” Qin Yun turned her head back to look at her in surprise.
Shen Qingqing closed her eyes and nodded.
“This disciple saw Senior Sister Chen and Junior Sister Chong Chong acting intimately, and… and…”
Shen Qingqing’s gaze turned cold as she barked, “And what?”
This shout gave Qin Yun a fright, and her speech became hesitant.
In an instant, a terrifying pressure bore down on her.
Qin Yun’s pupils shrank, and she trembled while gritting her teeth, her mind buzzing.
She knew she was definitely going to be punished by the Sect Leader this time, so she replied in despair, “They also said they were going to kiss!”
“Hmph.” Shen Qingqing snorted coldly, waving her sleeve as she stood up.
“Sect Leader, I swear to the heavens that every word I said is true, without a hint of falsehood!” Qin Yun scrambled to sit up and guarantee.
Shen Qingqing stood by the bed, silent for a long time.
“From now on, act as if you have forgotten this matter. If I hear of it again, you will be severely punished.”
“This disciple obeys!”
“Also, explain to the other disciples that what you said before was a baseless fabrication.”
“Yes.”
“Mm.”
Shen Qingqing nodded once and then disappeared from the room.
Seeing the mountain that had been weighing on her chest depart, Qin Yun collapsed onto the bed and breathed a sigh of relief.
During the Mountains-and-Rivers Competition, she had been unable to stand those few people, as they treated the matches like a joke.
She had thought that by leaking the news, she could vent her frustrations, but who could have expected it would draw the Vice Sect Master herself?
“Sigh, such bad luck.” Qin Yun sighed and slowly sat up.
“Hiss—” As soon as she moved, she felt an unstoppable ache throughout her entire body, as if her bones were falling apart.
Recalling Shen Qingqing’s terrifying aura, Qin Yun couldn’t help but shudder.
Was this the strength of the Vice Sect Master?
A mere release of her aura could leave her unable to move, like a lamb waiting for slaughter.
Too scary. It was best to stay away from Chen Xiaoyan in the future.
After this lesson, Qin Yun had already labeled Chen Xiaoyan as extremely dangerous.
***
Tianxin Pavilion, back garden.
Shen Qingqing used the supernatural Ground-Shrinking Technique to quickly return to the inner room.
With a wave of her hand, she slammed the door shut and sat down on a prayer mat.
Her face was grim, her eyes cold, and her entire being was like a powder keg with a lit fuse, ready to explode at any moment.
Qin Yun’s words were like demonic sounds repeating endlessly in her mind.
‘Kissing?’
‘They… they…’
At the thought of the two of them kissing, a nameless fire rose in Shen Qingqing’s heart, rushing straight to her head.
Fortunately, her state of mind was firm, and no issues arose.
Sitting cross-legged on the prayer mat, she calmed her chaotic spiritual power before suddenly snapping her eyes open.
‘Come to Tianxin Pavilion to see me immediately.’
On the other side, Chen Xiaoyan had returned to the small courtyard after leaving Tianxin Pavilion.
The three women—Chong Chong, Xianyun, and A Curtain of Dreams—had already finished their daily cultivation tasks in the house.
Sensing Chen Xiaoyan’s arrival, they immediately ended their meditation.
Seeing her looking sluggish and dispirited, Chong Chong said sarcastically, “Oh? Back from fooling around at your Sister Shen’s place again?”
Chen Xiaoyan rolled her eyes at her and replied crossly, “You think I wanted to go?”
“You went even though you didn’t want to? A Player being handled so easily by an NPC—yikes, Sister Xiaoyan, you’re way too pathetic.”
“You say that as if it’s any different for you.”
“At least I don’t have to go and report there every day.”
“Hmph, that’s just because she didn’t take an interest in you.”
Seeing the two of them bickering, Xianyun and A Curtain of Dreams exchanged a look and silently walked out.
“Don’t you think Chong Chong is jealous?”
Once in the courtyard, A Curtain of Dreams gently nudged Xianyun with her elbow.
“Mm, no need to ‘think’ it. I’m certain.”
“First there was Mu Qingxue, and now there’s Chong Chong. Sister Xiaoyan’s life is going to be difficult in the future.”
Xianyun forced a smile and sat on a wooden stool, clearly unwilling to discuss the topic.
“Right, there’s also that Sword Pavilion Guild Leader. I feel like the way she looks at our Sister Xiaoyan is also a bit off.”
“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore.”
“What’s wrong with you?” A Curtain of Dreams only now noticed that her expression was off.
Xianyun looked up with a smile and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
A Curtain of Dreams rested her chin on her hand and leaned in, studying her seriously.
“Uh, what are you doing?”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Why do I feel like you’ve got such a sour face, like you’ve been dumped?”
Xianyun’s brows quirked, and her expression suddenly became serious. “I haven’t.”
“You definitely have, trust me.”
“Do you really think you know better than the person herself?”
“Uh, well…” A Curtain of Dreams was left speechless.
“Believe what you want. I’m going back to my tasks.” Saying this, Xianyun sat on a stone stool and continued practicing the Xiangyi Art.
Xianyun glanced at her, then stood up and walked over to the peach blossom tree in the courtyard. She plucked a blossom, sniffed it, and then loosened her fingers.
She watched as the peach blossom drifted down, landing in the dirt.
This blossom would likely rot in the soil as time passed, and no one would ever know.
“Xianyun, Yumeng!” Suddenly, Chen Xiaoyan’s voice came from inside.
This shout instantly pulled Xianyun back to reality. she quickly patted her face and walked to the door of the inner room.
“Big Sister called for me?”
Chen Xiaoyan was currently sitting on the edge of the bed, wiping the back of her hand. Xianyun could clearly see teeth marks on it.
Chong Chong sat to the side with her arms crossed, a trace of moisture still lingering at the corner of her mouth.
Chen Xiaoyan looked up. “Where is Yumeng?”
Xianyun pointed behind her. “She’s outside doing her daily cultivation tasks.”
“Ask her if she wants to go grinding. We’re heading out as a party immediately.”
“Okay.”
Just as Xianyun turned around, she saw an afterimage fly into the room.
A Curtain of Dreams appeared before Chen Xiaoyan like a ghost, nearly startling her.
“Sister Xiaoyan, are we going grinding?”
“It’s only two steps. Did you really need to use Qinggong?” Once Chen Xiaoyan recovered, she snapped at her in annoyance.
“Hehe, I just got excited for a moment,” A Curtain of Dreams laughed bashfully.
Chen Xiaoyan curled her lip. To be honest, she was quite envious of them. As their levels and Lingqi increased, their speed was becoming faster and faster.
Only she remained stuck in place.
All of this was due to her constitution, which was simply too weak.
‘Come to Tianxin Pavilion to see me immediately.’
Chen Xiaoyan was startled.
Was that Shen Qingqing’s voice?