Chapter 33: Jealousy Arises Unawares

After a round of the Martial Arts Tournament, before the results were even announced, news of a young Peak Master at Qingwei Peak spread like wildfire; the Outer Disciples passed the word among themselves, making Lingxiang sound like a supernatural being.

Some said that despite her young age, her cultivation techniques were extraordinary; others said she was as beautiful as a celestial being, radiating Spirit Qi. Though opinions varied, they were all words of praise.

For a time, all the Outer Disciples who had never seen Lingxiang wished to catch a glimpse of her beauty.

"Hmph! Empty flattery! Sycophancy!" Long Qi entered from outside, drank a cup of water, and sat down with a slap on the table.

Liu Xia and Zhao Wuyang were studying the Guiyuan Sutra; startled by Long Qi's slap, they hurriedly asked what was the matter.

"That tigress Lingxiang is nothing like what they say! They all spread rumors as if they had actually seen her!" Long Qi said indignantly. "Boasting of her beauty and grace—have they all had their eyes glued shut with paste?"

Liu Xia was astonished to hear this; he thought that saying such things about Lingxiang wasn't entirely false, and as he thought it, he spoke it aloud.

"You! Whose side are you on!" Long Qi was stifled with anger.

"I also think the term 'beauty' is fitting for Miss Lingxiang; she is indeed quite good-looking," Zhao Wuyang said with a straight face. "Though she is a bit fierce..."

"Wuyang, you are still young; you don't understand. A beauty should be..."

Liu and Zhao were still waiting for Long Qi to continue, but he couldn't get the words out. Just as he mentioned "beauty," Lingxiang's face flashed through his mind, leaving him stunned.

"I'm afraid he is only this angry because someone said they wanted to be accepted as a disciple under the Qingwei Peak Peak Master," Xin Yi said from the side while wiping his sword.

Hearing this, Liu Xia understood and turned to look at Xin Yi.

"Could it be that he..."

The latter looked up and gave him a look that confirmed it, then lowered his head again to wipe the sword in his hand.

"Worship that big tigress? Which of the sect's Elders doesn't have profound cultivation? Even Senior Brother Hanyang is stronger than her! I don't know if they've all lost their minds, but they actually want to follow her?!"

"Then why did you choose to take Miss Lingxiang as your master in the first place?" Zhao Wuyang asked, confused by Long Qi's reaction.

"I..." Long Qi was momentarily speechless and could only brush it off: "You are still young! You don't understand!"

Zhao Wuyang didn't understand, so he turned to look at Xin Yi. The latter nodded and returned a smile, then lowered his head again to fiddle with his sword.

"You're quite the sensation now; the Outer Disciples are talking about you quite a bit," Maidong said, propping up her head.

"Haha, the rumors aren't false, it's just the truth. What can I do about it?"

Hearing Lingxiang say this, Maidong couldn't help but roll her eyes, suddenly feeling that lately, being with this girl always seemed to end up like this.

"I have brought the Sword Formula for you; don't forget to send it over."

"You mean don't forget to send the Water Art to Xin Yi!" Lingxiang looked at Maidong with a playful expression.

Maidong blushed at the look and hurriedly turned her head away.

"I heard from my master that your disciple's swordsmanship is truly not very good. If he doesn't know what the next Martial Arts Tournament will be like, he will surely have no hope of promotion if he continues like this."

"No matter what, Long Qi is already my disciple. Regardless of the results, he will eventually be a person of Qingwei Peak," Lingxiang said, picking up an orange from the table and peeling it. "Zhao Wuyang has good aptitude; according to Hanyang, he is very much in favor with Senior Brother Qianyuan. Liu Xia's performance is not bad either, and he was recommended by Senior Elder Chiyanzi. But as for this Xin Yi..."

"What about Xin Yi!" Maidong retorted indignantly: "I think he is extraordinary and imposing; where is he worse than the others!"

It was truly interesting to tease this young girl in the throes of first love.

"He does look as fine as jade, but as for this swordsmanship..." Lingxiang carefully picked off the orange threads and gathered them together—these were excellent ingredients for medicine.

"And he is not good with words; looking at it this way, his future is worrying!" She said, glancing at Maidong and sighing feignedly.

While Long Qi was still fuming, Xin Yi was still wiping his sword, and Zhao Wuyang was questioning Liu Xia about the reason, the voice of the Guide Boy sounded from outside the door.

"Peak Master Fucang, please, this way."

Fucang? Who is Fucang? Could there be another Peak Master in the sect? I haven't heard of one.

Long Qi was confused but had no heart to pay attention. Liu Xia and Zhao Wuyang looked at each other, while Xin Yi remained calm and sheathed his wiped sword.

"Eh~ little Yuanhui, how many times have I told you not to mention that title? Why did you forget again?"

This voice—it was actually Lingxiang. What was she doing here?

"Forget it, forget it. You can go now; we will just go in ourselves." Lingxiang waved her hand helplessly.

The little acolyte called Yuanhui smiled, said yes, bowed to Lingxiang, and exited the small courtyard.

After the boy called Yuanhui left, Lingxiang took Maidong and walked into Long Qi's room as if she were familiar with the place.

"Ah! Why is everyone so leisurely today? You're all actually in the room." Lingxiang acted as if it were her own room, sitting down right next to Long Qi as soon as she entered.

Long Qi felt a bit uncomfortable seeing Lingxiang like this—he had just been bad-mouthing her; could it be that she had cast some Strange Arts in the room, and she knew as soon as he spoke?

"You... what are you here for?"

"Look at what you're saying. Your master came to see you; are you not happy about it?" Lingxiang said, pouring herself a cup of water and drinking it.

Seeing this, Liu Xia and Zhao Wuyang laughed without restraint. Long Qi frowned and looked over at the sound, only to see Xin Yi being cornered by Maidong.

This surprised him so much that he forgot to care about Liu and Zhao's lack of restraint—he didn't have much contact with Maidong, but he knew a little about her. Although her temperament was similar to Lingxiang's, that big tigress Lingxiang was even worse. And the last time he saw her, she was a rather quiet person. Xin Yi was a bit dull, but he was a man after all; how could he be forced into such a state?

Long Qi was deeply puzzled. He turned back to look at Lingxiang and saw her looking at Xin Yi and Maidong with a face full of gratification.

Gratification?

It had only been a few days; had this tigress taught Maidong some bad ideas? No wonder the Punishment Elder looked displeased when he heard Maidong had gone to Youran Abode; so that was why.

Long Qi thought this, not knowing that Lingxiang was thinking at that moment: It was worth all her earnest advice before coming; this girl was indeed teachable and understood everything at a hint.

"What did you say? You want me to take the initiative to get close!?" Maidong stood up, screaming.

Lingxiang, however, unhurriedly picked up another orange and peeled it as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, otherwise what? Should I call someone else? There are only the two of us here."

"No, no! What are you saying! How can a girl do such a thing!" Maidong's face turned crimson, and she sat down in a fit of pique.

"What's wrong with being a girl? Aren't we human too? Besides, with Xin Yi's personality, if you keep acting so coy, when will it ever end? I've heard that there are female disciples in the Outer Sect who have their eyes on him. If someone else gets to him first, don't blame me for not teaching you." Lingxiang said, taking the Water Art out from her bosom, placing it on the table, and slowly pushing it toward Maidong.

"There! I've given you the opportunity; as for whether you can grasp it, you'll have to see for yourself." She said, tapping on the book.

Hearing this, Maidong turned her head to look at the Sword Formula on the table, lost in thought...