Chapter 61: Doesn't Like to Smile

"You're not going?" the Young Lady narrowed her eyes, looking at her younger brother, and spoke word by word: "I worked hard, schemed with all my heart, and used the goodwill of our elders to invite Shijie Zhang back for you, and you say you won't go? I'll give you another chance to answer!"

"I won't go!" the Seventh Young Master shrank back, still refusing.

"Zhao! Jing! Fan!" the Young Lady clenched her fists: "Don't force me to beat you as soon as I return!"

Hearing this familiar cadence, the Seventh Young Master seemed to recall some painful memory, and his voice grew much quieter: "Zheng Fa moves a pile of books back every day, stays up late drawing these talisman diagrams for me..."

The Young Lady's expression stiffened slightly, the anger on her face slowly solidifying, as if she hadn't expected him to give such a reason.

Listening as the Seventh Young Master continued: "He works so hard; if I stop him from teaching me now, won't he feel all his efforts were wasted? Will he think I look down on him? How could I be so disloyal!"

"You're doing all this for this?"

The Seventh Young Master nodded, his tone somewhat depressed: "If it weren't for seeing how hard he works, I would have run away long ago; could a small vine whip stop me?"

Looking at her younger brother, the Young Lady's anger gradually faded, replaced by a faint smile: "Ten years without seeing you, I was afraid you'd gone astray; now it seems you're more sensible than I thought."

"I'm not stupid; can't I tell when someone treats me well?" Hearing his sister praise him, the Seventh Young Master snorted through his nose, quite proud: "Anyway, let Zheng Fa teach me! I feel I've made great progress! I don't need that Shijie Zhang!"

Seeing his attitude, the Young Lady's tone softened: "His hard work is his own business; don't throw a childish tantrum. Learning from Shijie Zhang is better for you!"

"No!"

"Zhao Jingfan! Do you really think you've grown up and can disobey me?" Seeing him unyielding to both soft and hard approaches, the Young Lady was clearly truly angry; she glanced left and right, picked up the vine whip Zheng Fa had left here, and pretended to discipline her own brother.

"Even if you beat me so badly I lie in bed for another three months, I won't go!" the Seventh Young Master said, sticking his neck out.

Looking at her brother defying her, the Young Lady raised the vine whip; the Seventh Young Master truly closed his eyes, neither flinching nor dodging.

She swung her hand, and the whip struck the Seventh Young Master's arm.

"It hurts!" the Seventh Young Master cried out, his tone miserable.

"Enough! What are you pretending? You've been like this since childhood; you scream before the stick even hits your body, not a single mark on your backside, yet your voice is hoarse." The Young Lady rolled her eyes.

"Sister! I knew you wouldn't dare hit hard!" the Seventh Young Master chuckled.

"You..." The Young Lady tossed the vine whip aside, shook her head, and said: "Whether you learn from Shijie Zhang or not is not up to you; this concerns whether you can pass the Immortal-Grade Assessment and enter the Immortal Gate."

Seeing the Seventh Young Master about to speak again, the Young Lady continued: "This Immortal-Grade Assessment's grading will be stricter than before; dual spiritual roots might not be rated as high-grade."

The Seventh Young Master's expression changed slightly.

"If you cannot enter Qingmu Sect through the Immortal-Grade Assessment, then I will have to take you using my personal attendant quota." The Young Lady looked at the Seventh Young Master: "At that time, the personal attendant quota Mother promised to that Zheng Fa would have to go to you instead of him; do you understand?"

The Seventh Young Master fell silent; the Young Lady knew he had taken this to heart this time.

"Go learn properly from Shijie Zhang, enter the Immortal Gate smoothly, and he can also be taken by me to Qingmu Sect; it's good for you and good for him."

After a long while, she finally saw her younger brother nod; just as she wanted to give him a gratified smile, she heard the Seventh Young Master say:

"But I must go tell Zheng Fa first, so he doesn't misunderstand!"

"..."

Walking toward the Zheng family's small courtyard, the Young Lady furrowed her brows slightly and asked the Seventh Young Master: "As soon as I returned, I heard the name Zheng Fa; my ears are calloused from it, as if there were no one else in the manor. Mother also spoke to me about him, and you value him so much; what kind of person is he?"

"Zheng Fa, well..." The Seventh Young Master scratched his head, seeming unsure how to describe him; after struggling for a long time, he finally spoke:

"He is very smart; he started learning talisman diagrams here with me, and half a month's worth equals several years of my study."

The Young Lady nodded and said: "Anything else?"

"Also, his martial arts talent is not bad either; Mother gave him the 'Spirit Crane Body,' saying no one in the mortal world could master it, yet he mastered it."

The Young Lady remained expressionless, only saying: "That's all? And this makes you care so much?"

"He is usually not very respectful to me, not like a book boy... but actually, he treats me very well." The Seventh Young Master pressed his lips together and said: "Mother schemed against him and even scared him; it was all for my sake. He is so smart; he shouldn't be unable to see that."

"But he has never taken his anger out on me; he still stays up late drawing talisman diagrams for me and is willing to teach me those secret methods..." The Seventh Young Master turned back, looking at his sister with a toothy grin: "Sister, don't worry; your brother has grown up and is truly not stupid."

The Young Lady sighed: "Your nature since childhood has been to love someone so much you wish them life, or hate them so much you wish them death; haven't you suffered enough losses because of this? How could I not worry?"

The Seventh Young Master pouted, wanting to argue back.

"What kind of person this Zheng Fa is, you don't get to decide; I will judge for myself." The Young Lady didn't say whether she believed her brother or not; she simply said: "Whether he is good or bad for you, you must know he is merely one of the Zhao family's servants."

"Sister?"

"The Zhao family may seem large, but what is it compared to Qingmu Sect? Compared to the Baixian Alliance? Compared to the entire Cultivation World?" The Young Lady turned to look at her younger brother: "His talent may seem outstanding within the Zhao family, but compared to the geniuses of the Cultivation World? Not to mention, before Shijie Zhang, his talents are insignificant."

The Seventh Young Master stared at her blankly.

"The Cultivation World is vast; perhaps once you go, you will discover this Zheng Fa is nothing special, just like your sister me, who once fancied herself exceptionally talented..."

Saying this, she closed her mouth, seeming unwilling to say more.

A flicker of pain crossed the Seventh Young Master's face; he pressed his lips together, seeming unwilling to contradict his sister at this moment.

The Young Lady changed the subject: "Remember, you may be close to Zheng Fa, but do not, as you did today, abandon such a good opportunity with Shijie Zhang for the sake of loyalty; do you understand?"

The Seventh Young Master was still somewhat unconvinced: "Zheng Fa is even valued by a Nascent Soul True Person! Learning from Zheng Fa is also learning from a Nascent Soul True Immortal!"

Seeing him still arguing, the Young Lady sneered: "Shijie Zhang's master is a Nascent Soul True Person! She is the most famous talisman and magic genius of the Baixian Alliance; can she be inferior to a Zheng Fa? Zheng Fa and Shijie Zhang are like heaven and earth; do you understand!"

Even though the Seventh Young Master still thought Zheng Fa had talent, he dared not say Zheng Fa could compare to Shijie Zhang at this moment.

"Also, although Shijie Zhang's temper is not bad, she dislikes wasting words with people; she agreed to come to the Zhao family only because our ancestors had old ties with her elders. She is a person..." The Young Lady hesitated before describing her: "She is solely devoted to talisman arts and mathematics, uninterested in anything else; she may seem cold at times, but it is not directed at you."

"Sister..."

"Hmm?"

"Does this Shijie Zhang like wearing a green Taoist robe?"

"How do you know?"

"Does she have quite large eyes and a straight nose?"

The Young Lady was even more confused: "Have you seen her?"

"Does she have a small dimple on her left cheek when she smiles?"

The Seventh Young Master did not answer but continued asking.

"Her... I really didn't notice that." The Young Lady frowned: "She is not one who smiles much; I've rarely seen her smile, so I didn't notice if she has a dimple."

"I saw her smiling quite happily."

The Seventh Young Master pointed to the left front, and the Eldest Young Lady could not help but look in the direction he indicated.

This was a small courtyard; its gate stood open, facing the main hall directly.

Inside the main hall, Sister Zhang, who did not like to smile, held a brush, her lips curled upward, her smile blooming like a flower as she spoke to the man opposite her.

Hmm, she does have a small dimple; her smile is quite sweet...