Chapter 78: When will you grow up?

Watching Liu Qingqing leave with a happy face, Yan Buji narrowed his eyes.

Hmph.

I hope you really are my opportunity; wasting so much time playing house with you is utterly boring.

Liu Qingqing happily came to the city gate, but in the blink of an eye she didn't see anyone.

"Huh? Senior brother? He wouldn't really go back to find the master, would he?!" Liu Qingqing's expression changed, and she hurriedly ran toward her residence.

Looking at the time, it's almost 1–3 p. m. now, and I don't know if rushing back will let me catch them.

I hope they don't actually come!

Just as Liu Qingqing was rushing back to her residence, Yun Hua had already been searching the city with the master for a long time.

"You brat, you're supposed to watch over your junior sister—do you really feel at ease letting her wander around the city?!" The old man looked at Yun Hua dissatisfied.

Yun Hua sighed: "I thought the junior sister was just throwing a tantrum, but she should at least understand priorities; I didn't expect her to completely disregard my words as her senior brother... sigh."

"Really not reassuring—may I ask if you've seen a girl like her...."

"Her? It seems she went to the nearby tavern with a guy."

"The tavern? Just now!"

"Ah...."

Yun Hua and the old man's expressions changed, thinking they couldn't have been abducted in broad daylight, could they?

But Liu Qingqing is already that old and has internal energy; even if she were drugged, she could hold out for a while—unless a master seized her!

"Could it be that guy?" Yun Hua muttered.

"Who?"

"The rich man I mentioned earlier."

The old man frowned, the two entered the tavern, inquired about that person's whereabouts, then went straight upstairs, where they happened to run into Yan Buji, who was about to leave.

Yan Buji froze for a moment, seeing that strange youth accompanied by an unfathomably strong old man approach, and his heart jumped.

This old guy seems to be a Heavenly Human Realm expert!

What's going on?

Are there really that many Heavenly Human Realm experts in the Kan Dao Territory?

The old man glanced at Yan Buji a few times, found nothing unusual, and demanded: "Where is Liu Qingqing?"

"Miss Liu? Who are you?"

"It's none of your business who we are—tell me, did she just come here with you?" The old man spoke overbearingly.

Yan Buji clasped his hands: "Are you two Miss Liu's family?"

"So what if we are?"

"Well... I suppose you two aren't bad people; Miss Liu came to my place to buy some rouge and has already left. As for where she went, I truly don't know—if you don't believe me, go ask the waiter and the shopkeeper next door." Yan Buji's expression shifted, but having seen many storms, he still spoke with confidence.

The old man gave Yan Buji a cold glance, and Yun Hua also looked displeased with him.

Yan Buji swallowed and asked: "Do you two have anything else?"

"I warn you—if you dare appear before Liu Qingqing again, watch out for my lack of mercy! Get lost!" The old man threw down those harsh words and turned to leave.

As Yun Hua turned, she also gave Yan Buji an annoyed look.

Yan Buji breathed a sigh of relief; it would have been bad if they really attacked.

After all, he'd have to control his qi and blood to feign injury; an ordinary martial artist might manage, but a Heavenly Human Realm expert could notice the irregularity.

"Sure enough, he's a top expert of the orthodox Heavenly Human Realm—those demonic path martial artists wouldn't be so reasonable."

Yan Buji chuckled.

After the two hurried back to the residence, seeing the made-up Liu Qingqing, they breathed a sigh of relief for a moment.

Immediately, the angry master approached and slapped Liu Qingqing across the face:

"What are you doing? Why are you making your senior brother and your master worry so much? When will you ever grow up?!"

Liu Qingqing stood frozen, covering her face with tears welling up: "I just... bought some things and came back late—is that not allowed?"

Seeing the furious master, Liu Qingqing also felt a bit afraid, but what's really so wrong about this?

It seems not.

Just buying some things and putting on makeup deserves a slap?

"Don't get too close to strangers—your senior brother also said that guy might be trouble, so why did you still go look for him?!" The master questioned coldly.

Liu Qingqing widened her eyes, looking at Yun Hua: "Senior brother, do you... do you... think I can't tell good from bad in a person?"

"I didn't think that—I just think that guy isn't a good person, and I told you to stay away from him. Why won't you believe me, but instead trust someone you've only met a few times? Could we be harming you?" Yun Hua sighed and countered.

Again like this, again like this!

They always use these lines to shut me up, as if everything they do for my sake is always right!!!

The master said coldly: "Tomorrow I'll arrange someone to send you back; tonight you must stay honestly in your room, not allowed to step out!"

Liu Qingqing lowered her head, wronged, covering her face and softly sobbing.

The master closed his eyes, turned, flicked his sleeve away, and was quite dissatisfied with Liu Qingqing's attitude toward facing the mountain descent for training.

This martial world isn't that wonderful, after all!

Qingqing, when will you realize this?

Otherwise, by the time you suffer a major loss, it'll be too late.

"Junior sister, you..."

Liu Qingqing lifted her head, her gaze icy: "Don't talk to me, Yun Hua—from now on, if you love to tattle to the master, go ahead, but stop lecturing me just because you entered the sect earlier than I did; you have no right to do so!"

After saying that, Liu Qingqing turned and returned to her room, where she began to cry, feeling wronged.

Yun Hua reached out her hand, then put it down again, wanting to speak but not knowing where to begin.

He paused for a moment, nodded, and said: "All right, but I don't think I'm wrong, junior sister. Human hearts are treacherous; even if my heart cannot discern all good and evil in the world, it will never harbor any ill intent toward Master or toward you."

Yun Hua, like Liu Qingqing, is an orphan, but unlike Liu Qingqing, Yun Hua was born with a clever heart and has trained hard at the mountain gate for over ten years.

Although he hasn't experienced great storms, he can sense a person's good or evil, virtue or vice, from his first impression of them.

Although nothing is absolute, what is the situation now?

Junior sister shouldn't be throwing a tantrum like this!

What I did is not wrong!

Everything is for the sect's grand plan; Master has painstakingly nurtured them for years, and this trip down the mountain is to broaden their horizons and, incidentally, to participate in this operation—already a great blessing many disciples of the mountain gate dream of.

But junior sister's attitude is really too careless.

Doesn't she realize that before achieving great things, one must endure countless hardships, and a single misstep could plunge one into an abyss?

The next day.

Master and Yun Hua watched the carriage depart, and Yun Hua sighed: "Master, junior sister is still young and hasn't experienced worldly prosperity."

"Prosperity is fleeting like passing clouds, but that's no excuse for her tantrum," Master said calmly.

"Are we forcing her to grow up too quickly?" Yun Hua pondered all night, feeling that he and Master might indeed sometimes place too high expectations on junior sister, leading to today's situation.

Master said nothing, merely turning and returning to his room.

Sigh.

I hope junior sister can come to her senses.