Nalan Yunyan had always been the one to look down on others with provocation; no one had ever dared to look at her with such an air of superiority before.
Thus, even though her mind was filled with confusion, the eldest miss quickly glared back.
It didn’t matter.
Even if she didn’t know what Gu Qinghan felt so superior about, she had to act even more superior and prove she was better than the other girl.
That was what she thought, appearing as arrogant as a noble golden tabby cat.
However, in the next moment, when she saw the scene before her, that sense of superiority was instantly crushed.
That fox—that hateful, fickle, ungrateful Half-Yao fox—actually showed the excitement of seeing a savior when she looked at Gu Qinghan.
*What is she doing?!*
Nalan Yunyan was displeased; she felt the need to correct Qian Yu’s mistaken thoughts.
At that moment, the little fox seemed to notice her gaze and looked over.
The excitement she had just felt for Gu Qinghan instantly dimmed, turning into a hollow void.
‘Nalan Yunyan, you…’
‘Before, you were the one who thought Cloud-Weave Star Venerable was secretly harming me. Now, you think she’s a good person and are perfectly fine letting me go with her.’
Huh?
Huh?
Huh?
Nalan Yunyan couldn’t read Qian Yu’s subtext, but she could read the hollow look in the other’s eyes.
Her eyelids twitched wildly.
She had never felt such a strong urge to lock Qian Yu up with iron chains and give her a thorough rubbing.
Why was she looking at her with that kind of expression?
Hadn’t she just been hugging her a moment ago?
“Qinghan, it is good to focus on experience during one’s cultivation journey, but aren’t you and Nalan Yunyan supposed to be preparing for the battle against the Demon Holy Body?”
While Nalan Yunyan was secretly seething, unable to accept the massive gap in treatment, Cloud-Weave Star Venerable timely released Qian Yu.
She offered a gentle smile to the black-haired girl standing before her.
After an incident like the Nirvana Black Thunder, it wasn’t even certain if the Demon Race would still want to fight the Luoxia Immortal Sect.
But Cloud-Weave Star Venerable was determined to push the matter forward.
Otherwise, wouldn’t others actually think there was something hidden within that black lightning?
“I believe Nalan Yunyan can win,” Gu Qinghan added.
“But Little Yu’s own cultivation is insufficient. She has only just separated her Sacred Body and is only at the First Realm. It’s better for her to follow me into closed-door cultivation to consolidate her foundation for a while.”
Toward this tool she thought highly of, Cloud-Weave Star Venerable remained patient, throwing out a reason that Gu Qinghan could not refuse.
However, something she didn’t expect happened.
Because of this stiff girl’s interference, Nalan Yunyan—who had originally thought it would be fine for Qian Yu to train with the Sect Master—suddenly felt a competitive urge surge from nowhere.
“Wait! I suddenly remembered, my mother did say she wanted to see Qian Yu. Sect Master, please let her go.”
*Is that any way to talk?*
Qian Yu looked at the elders and disciples who had already begun to disperse, her eyelids twitching.
She was glad Nalan Yunyan had finally come to her senses to save her, but the way she spoke was far too similar to Gu Qinghan.
If there were still an audience around, saying “Sect Master, please let her go” might have forced Cloud-Weave Star Venerable to dig her heels in just to save face.
But what Qian Yu anticipated did not happen.
As a Sect Master of her generation, Cloud-Weave Star Venerable was long used to Nalan Yunyan’s blunt and rude behavior.
In fact, she had even grown accustomed to Gu Qinghan’s habit of staying silent normally, only to say something that could choke a person to death the moment she opened her mouth.
After many such experiences, she knew the girl harbored no ill intent.
She didn’t take such a small matter to heart, choosing instead to weigh the pros and cons.
Nalan Yunyan’s mother was Nalan Mingjing, also known as the Reflecting Heart Venerable.
Ever since Qian Yu’s Master had severed her own cultivation and perished shortly after, Nalan Mingjing had stood alongside her as one of the strongest in the Luoxia Immortal Sect, both at the peak of the Venerable rank.
Admittedly, after breaking through to become a Semi-Saint, Cloud-Weave Star Venerable no longer needed to fear her and could even prepare to eliminate her.
But that bolt of Nirvana Black Thunder from Qian Yu had interrupted everything.
To reclaim her qualification for Saintship, she had to maintain her current good reputation.
No matter how little face Nalan Mingjing gave her, she was still a member of the Luoxia Immortal Sect.
If she eliminated her immediately after becoming a Semi-Saint, even with a valid reason, she would easily be labeled as someone who was narrow-minded and vengeful.
Not to mention, she had been forced to shoulder the suspicion of being connected to the Mara Clan.
Thinking of this, Cloud-Weave Star Venerable felt a surge of hatred for Qian Yu.
If it hadn’t been for the girl’s interference, the Sacred Body left by that drunken fool would be hers, and Nalan Yunyan’s Sacred Body would soon be hers as well.
“Since the Reflecting Heart Venerable has requested it, it would be good for Little Yu to go and learn. Her treasury is no smaller than mine, you know.”
Under the sunlight, Cloud-Weave Star Venerable spoke with a beaming smile.
She handed Qian Yu over to Nalan Yunyan and even cracked a joke to “share the joy,” telling Nalan Yunyan not to let her mother be stingy and to treat Qian Yu well—acting as if she and Nalan Mingjing were on excellent terms.
She had finally made her decision.
She believed Nalan Mingjing surely wanted to see Qian Yu because she had her eye on the girl’s Sacred Body as well.
That was fine.
It would only be temporary storage.
Stealing it from that “scoundrel” who had a terrible reputation throughout the sect would be much easier than taking it from her own martial niece, Qian Yu.
And if the other woman failed to get it and ended up being struck by a bolt of Nirvana Black Thunder just like her, that would be even better.
Nalan Yunyan, whose beauty was matched by her wit, didn’t see through Cloud-Weave Star Venerable’s schemes. She simply looked at Qian Yu with a cold sneer.
At this time, the girl was looking at her sweetly again.
But was it useful?
She had already seen through the girl’s fickle nature.
Furthermore, the girl had actually made a secret pact with Gu Qinghan to explore some Secret Realm.
It seemed their relationship was quite good.
To think she had actually cared about her a little earlier; it turned out the girl was just being two-faced!
Nalan Yunyan was truly fuming.
On the other side, seeing Qian Yu walk away from Cloud-Weave Star Venerable and follow closely behind Nalan Yunyan—carefully inching toward the girl even when she intentionally moved away—Gu Qinghan suddenly felt an indescribable emotion.
But why?
To be honest, from the moment Qian Yu put away the Yi Pan containing the Sacred Body, causing her to wake from the tempting Dao Rhythm of that Sacred Body, she hadn’t quite known what she was doing.
Her Master told her that Cloud-Weave Star Venerable might retaliate, so she had walked over, wanting to bring Qian Yu back to her side for protection and to ask about her relationship with Nalan Yunyan.
She hadn’t expected that instead of achieving her goal, she would see this scene—her friend trying her best to get close to her enemy.
The other party was even resisting the approach, yet Qian Yu was still cautiously huddling close to her.
Even when pushed away, she insisted on following.
*Whew—*
Gu Qinghan exhaled a long breath in secret.
She could guess that Qian Yu was doing this because she was afraid of being settled by Cloud-Weave Star Venerable and wanted to seek Nalan Yunyan’s protection, but…
“Qian Yu, you promised me — “
“Sorry, Senior Sister Gu, I want to go back with Senior Sister Nalan first.”
Gu Qinghan tried to speak again, but before she could finish, she was directly interrupted by Qian Yu.
Her attitude was quite cold.
Qian Yu naturally knew that Gu Qinghan was trying to give her a hand, but she currently didn’t know that the other girl had already rescued her Master.
In her eyes, even if Gu Qinghan was a legendary genius, she would be no match for Cloud-Weave Star Venerable before she fully matured.
If she left with her, she would surely implicate her.
It was better to be blunt with her rejection and find an opportunity to apologize later.
Her decisions were the optimal solutions based on the information she had, but it wasn’t the same for Gu Qinghan.
Gu Qinghan had personally witnessed Qian Yu’s eyes light up when she first arrived.
At that time, she was happy, feeling she had made the right move, and had even glanced at Nalan Yunyan because of it.
But immediately afterward, as soon as Nalan Yunyan spoke, the other girl changed.
She became resistant toward her and even interrupted her.
Even when Nalan Yunyan coldly pushed her away, she followed her carefully.
It was as if — she was just a replacement for when others weren’t around…
“See, Little Qinghan? Didn’t I tell you that you’d feel uncomfortable? You didn’t believe me, claiming you were just ‘ordinary friends.’ Ho ho ho ho — this is killing me!”
Yingning’s teasing, disloyal laughter echoed from within the ring.
Gu Qinghan could imagine the woman clapping and rolling around inside the ring.
She spoke no more, simply turning and leaving in silence.
She wanted to go back and cultivate.
She wanted to very much.