Chapter 104: You're Afraid of Me

After hearing his reply, Yuan Yao steadied her mind, then walked to the wall where mission notices were hung.

She examined them carefully.

Not far away, Yu Qingxue lifted her eyelashes, her gaze falling on Yuan Yao's figure.

And when other disciples looked over, Yu Qingxue silently withdrew her gaze, her expression still cold, her whole body exuding a cool, unique aura that made people avert their eyes.

Yuan Yao looked over one mission notice after another, finding little interest in most of them.

After she had finished looking at all the mission notices in the hall, she realized that the few senior brothers and sisters who had been there had all left; now the empty mission hall contained only her and Uncle Jade.

Outside, the sky had completely darkened.

Yuan Yao felt a slight tightness in her chest, and she again recalled the meeting between Lu Xiangxiang and Shiziwen.

She looked up and saw Uncle Jade turn his back, his hands busy arranging something.

Seeing this, Yuan Yao turned, about to sneak out of the mission building, when suddenly a voice came from behind——

"Yuan Yao."

Yuan Yao's whole body stiffened; she almost mechanically turned around, forcing an awkward smile at Yu Qingxue.

Yu Qingxue also noticed her discomfort, and said expressionlessly, "Come over."

Yuan Yao silently encouraged herself, she had grown up, she shouldn't fear Uncle Jade! Moreover, he is her elder!

He is actually the junior disciple of her master!

She stepped forward to stand before Yu Qingxue.

"You're afraid of me." Yu Qingxue said in a calm tone, as if stating a fact.

Before Yuan Yao could speak, Yu Qingxue suddenly took out a manual of cultivation techniques, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao lowered her eyes to look.

The cover bore no characters at all.

"Sword technique." Yu Qingxue uttered, sparing her words.

Now it was Yuan Yao's turn to be stunned; she lifted her head, incredulously gazing at the young man before her, and upon closer look saw a few strands of his hair had turned white, his brows and eyes were cold, and his whole person faintly exuded a lonely, despondent air.

"Uncle Jade..." Yuan Yao suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

Since she was frightened into tears by him as a child, she had never come back.

Yet upon meeting again, he actually intended to give her a sword technique manual.

This caused Yuan Yao to feel a certain indescribable sense of shame.

Only now did she realize how little she knew about Uncle Jade. She didn't know why he merely served as a clerk in the Carefree Sect's mission hall, nor why he had never appeared outside in all these years……

"Don't want it?" Yu Qingxue looked at her dazed expression and pressed her lips together.

Yuan Yao came to her senses, she picked up the manual, then respectfully clasped her hands toward Uncle Jade, "Thank you for the gift, Uncle."

"Mm." Yu Qingxue responded, then added, "If you don't understand, ask me."

"Okay!" Yuan Yao nodded with a smile.

Yu Qingxue saw her genuine smile for the first time, and the corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly.

"Uncle Jade, what sword technique is this?" Yuan Yao's courage grew, and she voiced the question.

"It's a sword technique I created in my youth; you can……" Yu Qingxue hesitated, "call it Nothing."

"In your youth?"

"Uncle Jade, how old are you?"

Yu Qingxue frowned slightly, giving her a cool glance.

If it were the child Yuan Yao, she would surely have been frightened to tears; after all, when Yu Qingxue is displeased, her gaze is like an ice blade, piercing straight into the heart, making one's spine turn cold.

Yuan Yao gave a dry laugh, "Uncle Jade, don't you remember your own age?"

Yu Qingxue: "Mm."

Yuan Yao: "……"

The mission hall fell into an eerie silence.

Yuan Yao put away the manual, then bowed to Uncle Jade, "Junior disciple, I'll take my leave first."

Yu Qingxue glanced at her lightly, saying nothing.

Yuan Yao turned and left.

Left alone in the mission hall, Yu Qingxue lowered his long eyelashes, concealing the emotion in his eyes.

He could no longer recall his own age.

Everything from his youth was also becoming increasingly vague.

His hand rested on his right leg.

Deathly still, numb.

…

As Yuan Yao walked out of the mission building, she happened to see that one-eyed youth.

The youth sensed her presence, looked over, and a flicker of obscure emotion crossed his eyes.

Shiziwen stepped forward two paces and clasped his hands.

"Senior Sister Yuan."

Yuan Yao guessed he had already met Lu Xiangxiang, she shifted her gaze to his face and said, "It's so late, what are you doing down the mountain?"

"Nothing." Shiziwen said.

"Oh."

Yuan Yao also gave a cold acknowledgment, then descended the steps, about to return to Heavenly Martial Peak, when a voice from her sea of consciousness sounded: 【Target: Shiziwen, Awakening Value reached -5.】

Yuan Yao's steps paused slightly, she turned her head to glance at Shiziwen.

How did the Awakening Value drop?

Yuan Yao smiled faintly, "Shiziwen, are you still used to it at Heavenly Inquiry Peak?"

Upon hearing this, Shiziwen was visibly stunned for a moment.

"Not bad."

【Target: Shiziwen, Awakening Value reached -3.】

"Is anyone bullying you?" Yuan Yao pondered, then continued her questioning.

Since the last tournament, Shiziwen hadn't spoken to her, but now she was showing such concern for him, and he suddenly recalled the scene of her chatting and laughing with everyone that day.

In his mind also surfaced a line Lu Xiangxiang had said to him: "I really envy Sixth Senior Sister, being able to win so many people's affection."

Indeed, Yuan Yao is skilled at winning people's hearts.

Shiziwen's face turned slightly cold. "No."

【Target: Shiziwen, Awakening Value reached -6.】

Yuan Yao: "?"

How does Shiziwen's Awakening Value keep fluctuating?

She said: "In that case, Shiziwen, you should focus on your cultivation for now, after all the Ninth Province Sect Grand Competition is coming up soon."

Having said that, she didn't wait for his reply and turned to leave.

If not for being inside the sect, she reckoned she'd put a sack over his head and give him a good beating.

If he truly harbored treacherous intentions toward the Carefree Sect, she would hesitate not to kill him.

Shiziwen watched her retreating figure, his eyes growing deeper.

Yuan Yao naturally didn't return to Heavenly Martial Peak; she hid secretly in a corner, waited until Shiziwen went far away, then quietly went back to the Menial Labor Pavilion and retrieved the Sound Stone.

She first put away the Sound Stone, then as she was about to leave, someone suddenly tapped her shoulder.

This sudden tap startled her so much she almost cried out.

"What are you sneaking around for?" a familiar voice came.

Yuan Yao turned her head and saw that the person was her third senior brother, Cang Li.

"Why did you scare me?"

Cang Li narrowed his eyes. "Only a guilty thief would be startled. Tell me, what were you sneaking down the mountain to do? Just now, what was that thing you furtively put away?"

"Let's talk later." Yuan Yao dragged him away.

"You wouldn't really be up to something bad, would you?" Cang Li said dubiously.

Yuan Yao remained silent until she had dragged Cang Li back to Heavenly Martial Peak, then she finally said, "I'm investigating something."

Cang Li crossed his arms, doubtful. "What is it?"