Chapter 50: with translation of chapter title

"Yao Yao, what do you think?" Xiao Lingwei looked at Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao glanced at Dongfangxiu lying on the ground and said, "It's fine."

Xiao Lingwei put away the bone-joint whip, "Since my junior sister said so, let's just let this matter pass for now."

"For now?"

Man Yue's face twitched slightly; she didn't say anything, merely gave Xiao Lingwei a slight nod before turning to help Dongfangxiu up.

Dongfangxiu's face was pallid, his gaze at Xiao Lingwei gloomy; he had never suffered such utter humiliation!

His gaze involuntarily fell on Yuan Yao, who was being protected by several youths in the middle, and hatred began to grow in his heart.

In the crowd, a youth wearing a ghost-mask glanced toward Yuan Yao, then turned and left.

Yuan Yao seemed to sense something, looking in the direction the masked youth had gone; despite the distance, she clearly saw a few strands of vivid, eye-catching red curly hair behind the youth's silhouette.

Xie Yan...

Xiao Lingwei walked over and directly summoned a spirit boat.

"Let's return to the sect first."

Xiao Lingwei said, wrapping her arms around Yuan Yao's waist, lightly tapping her toes, and directly brought Yuan Yao leaping onto the spirit boat.

Seeing this, Cang Li, Xue Jin, and Ying Wuji all boarded the spirit boat.

Xiao Lingwei turned her head, looking at the cultivators below, and said, "All Carefree Sect disciples, come up."

Soon, seven Carefree Sect disciples also boarded the spirit boat.

Song Yan looked at Lu Xiangxiang and said, "Junior Sister Lu, go up."

Lu Xiangxiang pressed her lips, silently leaping onto the spirit boat; after she boarded, she saw Xiao Lingwei taking Yuan Yao's hand and entering the cabin.

The seven Carefree Sect disciples exchanged glances, wondering why the youngest junior sister had left the Carefree Sect.

Moreover, she had entered the Wuduan Mijing.

Since just now, Lu Xiangxiang had felt that everyone's attention was no longer on her, making her feel the discomfort of being ignored.

No one asked about her identity.

Lu Xiangxiang's gaze unconsciously fell upon the pink-white-haired youth.

At that moment, Xue Jin keenly noticed her gaze, looking over at her with an extremely cold stare.

Lu Xiangxiang's heart jolted.

Cang Li, seeing this, said, "This is the master's newly accepted personal disciple, Lu Xiangxiang. From now on she will be our seventh junior sister."

Xue Jin, hearing this, couldn't help but furrow his brow.

"Fourth Senior Brother," Lu Xiangxiang called out as she stepped forward.

Xue Jin's expression was very cold.

In his previous life, Xue Jin exuded a gloomy aura, with an indescribable chill, and treated others with extreme coldness.

However, later, after she severed ties with the Carefree Sect, he changed his attitude toward her and even said he had come to like her.

Lu Xiangxiang naturally would not accept it, for she felt that belated affection was cheaper than grass.

But now, she needs to spend some time in the Carefree Sect, so she must first get on good terms with them.

Lu Xiangxiang raised her head and sincerely said to them, "Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, Youngest Senior Brother, I know I've caused you trouble in the secret realm… I hope you don't dislike me."

Song Yan softly said, "Junior Sister Lu, you haven't caused us any trouble."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiangxiang's eyes reddened.

"If that's the case, why do you all call me Junior Sister Lu, making me feel like I don't belong?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yan was somewhat stunned.

Lu Xiangxiang choked up, feeling wronged, and said, "I'm ranked seventh; shouldn't you call me Youngest Junior Sister? I know you few have grown up together since childhood, so your bond naturally can't compare to mine as an outsider. But I sincerely hope you can accept me, rather than push me away. Since the master has taken me as a personal disciple, that shows he accepts me; you… can you also try to accept me?"

After a moment of silence, Ying Wuji spoke up, saying, "Trying to accept also requires a process. Moreover, the master's acceptance of you doesn't mean we must accept you."

"Yeah, if you don't like us calling you Junior Sister Lu, how about we call you Seventh Junior Sister?" Cang Li quickly interjected, "After all, you're one year older than Yao Yao, the same age as Ying Wuji and Xue Jin, so we really can't call you Youngest Junior Sister."

Lu Xiangxiang heard this; though she felt unwilling, she still nodded.

At the same time, the seven Carefree Sect disciples aboard the spirit boat naturally heard these words, and their attention all turned to Lu Xiangxiang.

At first glance, this Junior Sister Lu's appearance somewhat resembles that of the youngest junior sister.

But upon closer look, they are not the same.

Lu Xiangxiang appears gentle and restrained, whereas Yuan Yao, the youngest junior sister, is lively and playful.

Lu Xiangxiang noticed the gazes of those seven Carefree Sect disciples, tilted her head to look at them, and then gave a faint smile.

That smile instantly caused the hearts of those seven Carefree Sect disciples to race uncontrollably.

Inside the cabin.

Xiao Lingwei removed Yuan Yao's outer clothing entirely, revealing that her body was almost covered in wounds—old and new injuries combined, a shocking sight.

Xiao Lingwei felt both heartache and a hint of anger, saying, "Master sent you the saint-grade healing ointment, didn't he? Take it out; I'll apply it to your old wounds, otherwise you'll surely be scarred."

Yuan Yao sensed her Second Senior Sister's anger, dared not speak, and silently took out the saint-grade healing ointment to hand to Xiao Lingwei.

She turned her back to Xiao Lingwei and said, "Second Senior Sister, this time I asked the master to let me out for training. Although I'm injured, I've also grown stronger. Second Senior Sister, haven't you noticed my cultivation broke through from Qi Refining Layer Eight to the Initial Foundation Establishment? Everything has its reward!"

Xiao Lingwei, however, was not swayed, saying, "Do you know how dangerous the Wuduan Mijing is? Foundation Establishment cultivators entering it face nine deaths to one life, let alone you, who were originally a Qi Refining cultivator. This is sheer folly!"

"Second Senior Sister, I know I was wrong." Yuan Yao understood her Second Senior Sister's nature—she was cold on the outside, warm within—and thus she needed to yield.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingwei's expression eased slightly.

She gently treated Yuan Yao's various wounds, asking, "Why did you go out for training?"

"I want to become stronger."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingwei's hand paused in its motion, saying, "You've never wanted to become stronger before; you even feared it. Tell me, who or what stimulated you?"

Yuan Yao's heart jumped suddenly.

"No." She shook her head.

Xiao Lingwei frowned, "You're lying."

"Second Senior Sister, I have many reasons for wanting to become strong. A few days ago I had a dream, dreaming that eighty years later I had become an old woman with a wrinkled face and a stooped body, while you all still looked young. You took my hand and walked out, and passersby asked, 'Is this your grandmother?'" Although Yuan Yao made this up on the spot, as soon as she imagined that scene she suddenly felt terrified.

Yuan Yao sucked in a breath of cold air and said, "I don't want to become an old woman! I certainly don't want to be your grandmother."

Xiao Lingwei was amused.

"All right, I'll believe you for now."

She also wanted Yao Yao to become strong, because then Yao Yao could live a very long time.