“Mm… alright, I have finished tidying your hair. Take a look in the mirror.”
Gu Qingying smiled and pushed Lu Li toward the mirror.
In the reflection, the messy hair that had once hung over Lu Li’s forehead was gone.
In its place was a style Gu Qingying had meticulously arranged.
A neat, gold-edged black hair rope tied his hair high into a crown.
If Lu Li had previously given off the vibe of a cynical young master from a noble daimyo’s house, then the change brought about by this new hairstyle made him look less like a pampered noble and more like a romantic swordsman wandering through the red dust of the world.
If he were to have a sword hanging at his waist or strapped to his back, he would surely exude the aura of a ronin even more.
Looking at his new hairstyle in the mirror, Lu Li nodded in satisfaction.
“Mm… Qingkong, your hair-tying skills are indeed quite something.”
Lu Li’s faint praise caused Gu Qingying’s face to redden.
A moment later, Gong Shangyu and Gu Qingying also finished selecting their clothes.
Although both women desperately wanted to choose female attire, they were forced to choose men’s clothing due to the need to hide their identities in front of Lu Li.
Gong Shangyu chose a set of moon-white martial arts robes with silver trim.
The outfit highlighted her tall, straight posture.
With her pink hair and jade-like face, she looked exactly like a refined and proud young master of a prestigious family, her brow naturally carrying an air of someone who could spend money like water.
Gu Qingying chose a set of indigo blue, narrow-sleeved casual clothes.
The style was simple and sharp, matching her cold temperament.
Her purple eyes shimmered with a teenager’s sharpness and a hint of undetectable vigilance.
Once the master and his two disciples finished changing, they stood together.
They appeared as three young cultivators, each with a different style but all possessing extraordinary poise.
They looked like completely different people compared to their previous simple appearances.
“Master, what do you think of this?”
Gong Shangyu asked with a smile, quite satisfied with the clothes she had chosen.
Lu Li nodded.
“It is acceptable. Since we are ready, let’s head out.”
He kept the investigation in mind and only wanted to leave this gaudy shop as soon as possible.
He hoped to finish this night excursion early and return to the Imperial Palace to report to the Jin Emperor.
After Gong Shangyu slapped the payment down on the counter, the three of them settled the bill and left, leaving behind the luxury clothing shop that had been cleared out for some time as they rejoined the noisy streets of Yicheng.
The moment the three of them stepped out of the clothing shop, it was as if three brilliant Ling Stones had been suddenly cast into a calm lake, instantly stirring up ripples throughout the bustling market.
Tonight was the Yicheng Lantern Festival.
Brilliant lanterns lined both sides of the long street, their flowing lights colorful and radiant.
Tourists moved like a woven fabric, and among them were many young men and women walking hand-in-hand.
The air seemed to be filled with a sweet scent.
However, when Lu Li’s group appeared, the surrounding noise seemed to freeze for a moment.
Countless gazes, especially those from young female cultivators and mortal women, were drawn like magnets, focusing squarely on them.
Lu Li stood tall with his black hair tied high.
The stray hairs on his forehead had been groomed meticulously, revealing a clean forehead and handsome features.
The Spirit Clothing further emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist.
He possessed an air of excellence that combined the free-spiritedness of a swordsman with the steady restraint of a superior.
He walked with a calm pace, his eyes scanning ahead with indifference toward the scorching gazes directed at him.
He had no idea that he had already become the image of the heroic knight in the dreams of many young girls.
Gong Shangyu wore her moon-white martial arts robes, her pink hair like a sunset cloud and her skin white as snow.
Her exquisite features seemed to be shrouded in a soft glow under the lantern light.
Her eyes naturally carried an air of nobility and distance, looking like a noble son stepped out of a painting.
That natural elegance and slightly haughty expression held a fatal attraction for certain women.
Gu Qingying was dressed in her indigo casual clothes.
Her figure was slightly lean, which only made her look sharper.
Her purple eyes flowed with a mysterious luster under the reflection of the lanterns.
Her handsome face held a touch of coldness, like a sword that had not yet been fully unsheathed, inviting others to investigate.
She followed quietly by Lu Li’s side, her gaze vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
That focus and coldness also possessed a unique charm.
These three people, though different in style, were equally outstanding.
Walking side by side on the long street where the lantern shadows flickered, they formed a picture that was far too pleasing to the eye.
It was hard not to attract attention.
“Look! Those three young masters… they are so handsome!”
“The one in the middle has an extraordinary temperament. Which sect’s brother is he?”
“The one with the pink hair… Heavens, how can a man be born so beautiful?”
“The one in blue has such special eyes…”
“Are they together? Which sect’s disciples are out for training? Why have I never seen them?”
Whispers and gasps of admiration came from all directions, mixed with the shy yet bold gazes of the women.
Many women who were originally snuggling with their lovers couldn’t help but have their eyes drawn away.
This caused the male companions beside them to look displeased, their eyes filling with envy, jealousy, and even a faint hint of hostility as they looked at Lu Li’s group.
The three of them had effectively become the most untimely yet dazzling “couple killers” at this lantern festival filled with pairs.
Lu Li felt the increasingly intense gazes and the faint commotion around them, and he shook his head somewhat helplessly.
He turned his head slightly toward his two “beloved disciples” following closely behind him and spoke in a low voice that was half-teasing and half-emotional.
“It seems that bringing you two out was a bit of a mistake. Look at this scene… Qingkong, Bai Yu, you are both only at this age, yet you already have such style. When you truly grow up and your cultivation improves, I wonder how many female cultivators in the cultivation world you will charm, and how many immortal ladies will fall for you.”
His words were merely casual teasing, carrying a senior’s praise for a junior’s appearance and a playful reminder of the romantic debts they might attract in the future.
However, upon hearing this, both Gu Qingying and Gong Shangyu stiffened.
Charm female cultivators?
Enchant immortal ladies?
The two women subconsciously glanced at each other, seeing the same ridiculous and amused expression in the other’s eyes.
They had gone through so much trouble to disguise themselves as men to stay by their Master’s side.
From beginning to end, their only desire and thought was the person right in front of them.
To them, everyone else was nothing more than the dust and grass by the side of the road, not even worth mentioning.
A mixture of amusement, bashfulness, and a certain secret pride surged into their hearts, causing their cheeks to flush uncontrollably.
They desperately suppressed the laughter that almost escaped their lips, their mouths held tight, though their shoulders trembled slightly.
In the end, neither of them responded.
Instead, they simultaneously locked their brilliantly glowing eyes — one pair mysterious as violets, the other shimmering like pink crystals — quietly and firmly onto Lu Li’s tall and dashing back.
‘Charm thousands of immortal ladies? Hmph… Master, do you know? We only want to charm you.’
‘Master, you are the one who… truly makes people fall without even knowing it…’
Countless thoughts swirled within the two women, eventually turning into a tiny curve at the corners of their lips that they couldn’t suppress, yet were terrified would be noticed.
In this manner, amidst the waves of admiration, jealousy, and gossip, they followed their Master step by step, their gazes remaining consistent, following only that one figure.