Chapter 82: Feigning Teasing to Toy with Long Qi

It was already dusk when Lingxiang and the two others returned to the foot of Qingwei Peak. She gifted Shoucheng a Gathering Spirit Pill to thank him for his escort back and forth, then sent him back to Kuncheng Peak before heading up the mountain with Rendong.

From far away, Long Qi saw the two of them coming from the foot of the mountain with baskets on their backs. He squinted to look—was that not Lingxiang? To think she was actually chatting and laughing with that someone beside her; he had gone out of his way to run to Xianyun Abode to see if she had returned, only to be met with this.

Lingxiang asked Rendong about his cultivation as they walked, hoping to make plans for his future sooner. Before they knew it, they arrived at Xianyun Abode. Just as she stepped through the courtyard gate, she heard a clear cough. She looked up and saw Long Qi sitting in the courtyard in a sprawling, unconstrained manner.

Lingxiang felt suspicious: Why did this Long Qi run to her Xianyun Abode for no reason? And he was sitting so casually, as if he were the master of Xianyun Abode himself.

Just as she was wondering, she heard Long Qi speak:

"Where did you go with him? Why were you gone for so long?"

Lingxiang laughed upon hearing this: "How truly strange. Must I, an Elder of this sect, report to you, a newly promoted Inner Sect Disciple, about whom I go with and what I do?"

Long Qi was left speechless by the question. Just as he was thinking of how to retort, he saw Rendong unload the basket from his back, which turned out to be a basket of mud shoots.

This girl took this man out just to dig for bamboo shoots? Or did this man have some other meaning in putting down the basket at this moment?

Digging for shoots (wa sun)... digging for damage (wa sun)?

He was actually using this to dig at his own reputation?!

In truth, Rendong was merely tired from carrying a basket of bamboo shoots for so long and had no other intentions; since they had already arrived at Xianyun Abode, he simply put them down first. But the doer had no intention while the observer had a hidden meaning—how was he to know that this action would be interpreted in such a way?

Long Qi walked up to Rendong with his hands behind his back, cleared his throat, and said, "You are the new disciple who came to our Qingwei Peak?"

Rendong was startled by the question: "Our"? Could this Long Qi also be a disciple of Qingwei Peak? But on that day at Wuji Hall, Master did not say he would take him as a disciple. Thinking this, he replied in the affirmative.

Long Qi gave an "un" upon hearing this, nodded in a professional manner, circled around Rendong, and muttered things like "not bad, not bad" and "passable, passable."

Lingxiang glanced at him sideways and asked, "Why are you throwing your weight around in my Xianyun Abode? Is your skin itching and you want to be loosened up?"

Long Qi looked astonished: "Why do you say I'm throwing my weight around? I am the Head Disciple of Qingwei Peak!"

"Oh?" Lingxiang feigned surprise. "Why don't I remember taking in any such Head Disciple? When did you perform the apprenticeship ceremony?"

"Long Qi and Xin Yi must absolutely not be handed over to Junior Sister to take to Qingwei Peak. These two possess a Heavenly Spirit Root and a Heterogeneous Spirit Root. It has been hundreds of years; the sect has finally received such rare Spirit Roots, we cannot let Lingxiang mess around!" After the group of disciples was led out of Wuji Hall, Zhaoming Zhenren hurriedly said to Shangqing Zhenren.

The Elders heard this and, though they did not agree out loud, they all wore expressions of tacit approval. Shangqing Zhenren also lowered his brows and eyes, as if considering Zhaoming Zhenren's words.

And although Lingxiang thought the same in her heart, she was who she was; naturally, she would not admit it like that.

"Yo~~ Fifth Senior Brother says it like that, as if I would lead them astray if I took them in. Could it be that if these two follow me to cultivate, I would order them to commit evil?"

Zhaoming Zhenren was flushed red by her words. Just as he wanted to speak, he did not anticipate that Lingxiang would not give him a chance at all. Donghui Zhenren, standing to the side, looked at him with sympathy: This had truly poked a hornet's nest.

"Furthermore, you all may have profound cultivation, but you cannot say I am messing around just because my cultivation is inferior to yours. At the very least, I have read every single scroll and historical record in the Langhuan Pavilion. Even if I haven't mastered every single one to the point of reciting them backward, I can still speak a thing or two about them. How could I not be able to instruct these two?" Lingxiang said as she walked down from the Hunyuan Platform.

Once the crowd heard Lingxiang's Yin and Yang tone again, they knew this girl would definitely not stop until she had ridiculed everyone.

"And speaking of you Senior Brothers, apart from the Sect Leader Senior Brother, whose Spirit Root is higher than Long Qi and Xin Yi's? If you can teach, why can't I? Could it be that you look down on me because my Spirit Root is incomplete? And how much better are you? To think you would laugh at fifty steps while standing at a hundred, like a short-statured Senior Brother laughing at a short-legged Junior Sister?"

Elders Danyang and Danzhu could not hold back and laughed at Lingxiang's words. Seeing this, Lingxiang immediately pointed her spearhead at them.

"And Seventh Senior Brother and Eighth Senior Brother, you two hide away on Yinyu Peak every day to mingle with those beasts and spirits—can you really teach these two well?" Saying this, she pointed her spearhead at the Elders on the Hunyuan Platform one by one:

"And Sixth Senior Brother, you have already closed your doors, yet you still manage who I take as a disciple. Could it be that you have drunk too much spring water on Qiuyun Peak and want to descend to the mortal world to taste the water of the great rivers, so you can manage things more broadly?"

"Fifth Senior Brother, don't even get me started. Every day you are either collecting this treasure or appraising that spirit tool. Among the disciples you teach, which one is as outstanding as Hanyang?"

"Fourth Senior Brother, don't you laugh either. I have seen you reading that Xuantian Remnant Scroll since I was small. All these years have passed, and I haven't seen you comprehend anything from it. You are still at a bottleneck in your own cultivation, yet you think you can teach Long Qi and Xin Yi, who have excellent Spirit Root aptitude?"

"Third Senior Brother, don't put on that 'none of my business' look either. I saw the expression on your face just now clearly. You have been without desire or pursuit for all these years, never asking about sect matters, so why are you suddenly worried about these new disciples?"

"And Second Senior Brother? You manage the sect's internal affairs all day long; can you really spare the heart to teach these two to be outstanding? Besides, among this group of disciples, Zhao Wuyang, who has the best Spirit Root aptitude, was already taken by you. Could it be that you are still greedy and want to take in all the disciples with rare Spirit Roots?"

"Need I even mention the Head Senior Brother? He has to personally look into the disciples you all picked over, while still having to focus on his own cultivation, manage the sect's overall situation, and divine fortune and misfortune to prevent trouble. Can he really teach the two of them well?"

Sure enough, this girl had to point out every single Elder. The crowd thought Lingxiang had said enough, but they did not expect her to raise her voice and start singing.

"Aiyoyoyo~ Speaking of which, are you all targeting me like this because you see my cultivation is low and I have no special skills? A bunch of old monsters who have lived for hundreds of years always picking on a weak woman like me—aren't you ashamed? Why don't you just let me follow your Master and be done with it, so I don't have to be treated like this by you~" As she spoke, she actually slumped to the ground and wiped the corners of her eyes.

Long Qi heard this and hurriedly pulled Lingxiang to the side. He glanced at Rendong as if guarding against a thief and whispered to Lingxiang.

"How can you say such things? It was you who wanted me to join the sect in the first place, saying it was for a temporary trial, and that if I passed the Martial Trial, I would go to Qingwei Peak to cultivate!"

Lingxiang heard this and pinched her chin, pretending to recall.

"I said that? Why don't I remember?"

Seeing her like this, Long Qi frowned and spoke urgently: "How can you deny it? You said it in front of Maidong at the time. Could it be that you want to go back on your word now?"

Maidong?

Lingxiang laughed upon hearing this.

For that dead girl to remember this, the sun would have to rise in the west.

"Since that is the case, how about this: let these two cultivate with Junior Sister for a period of time. With her ability, she should be able to teach the two of them well. As for later, if the two make progress in their cultivation and Junior Sister is unable to guide them, we can then take them into Youyuan Hall. What do you Junior Brothers think?" Shangqing Zhenren deliberated for a long time, stroking his white beard as he spoke.

"That is not a bad method. It can temporarily reduce the burden on Youyuan Hall and also find her something to do," Qianyuan Zhenren echoed upon hearing this.

Hearing Qianyuan Zhenren say this, Lingxiang shot him a glare, which frightened him into hurriedly saying: "There is no point in dwelling on this too much, I think we should just settle it like this!" As he spoke, he winked at the crowd.

The Elders immediately understood and all spoke in agreement.

Lingxiang naturally would not let it go so easily. She walked onto the Hunyuan Platform leisurely and said, "Since you Senior Brothers are sincerely begging me, I will reluctantly take the two of them in. However, I must be given a dharma token for the Hidden Scroll Room under Wuji Hall. We are all Elders of the same sect and fellow disciples; how can it be that you can enter but I cannot? Furthermore, since I have taken in two disciples with excellent Spirit Root aptitude, I certainly cannot stop my own progress, can I?"

Seeing Lingxiang like this, Long Qi suddenly remembered her relationship with Maidong. These two were definitely of one mind. He hurriedly spoke again: "Even if Maidong doesn't remember, it doesn't matter. Xin Yi, Liu Xia, and Wuyang were also there at the time. Even if Wuyang was taken by the Managing Elder and Liu Xia entered under the Dharma Elder, there is still Xin Yi, is there not? He is still in Youyuan Hall now!"

"Speaking of Xin Yi, you know about his situation. Since you insist on joining my Qingwei Peak, then bring him along! That way, you can add another laborer for me."

Long Qi was stunned upon hearing this. Did this girl want to take Xin Yi into Xianyun Abode as well? With these dilapidated houses, could they even fit so many people?