Chapter 629: Fellow disciples meet, glaring at each other!

A group of seven or eight people heard Xuan Cang's voice and were instantly stunned.

"Big... Senior Brother?"

Xuan Cang: "It's me."

Everyone instantly rejoiced: "Senior Brother, is it really you?"

"Senior Brother, great, you've finally arrived in Loulan too; we're finally together!"

"Senior Brother, how... how did you become a Loulan person?"

"Right, Senior Brother, what on earth is going on?"

"If it weren't for you just now, Senior Brother, we wouldn't know what would happen. It's you, Senior Brother, who can always resolve crises. Now that you're here, we'll surely be able to rescue our master smoothly!"

When mentioning rescuing the master, everyone became even more eager.

Li Qingluo had been leaning against the wall with her arms crossed; hearing this, she slowly straightened up.

"Everyone, it's time to disperse today."

"If there's anything, let's talk about it tomorrow."

She spoke up suddenly, startling everyone.

Everyone looked at her in disbelief, wondering when she had appeared.

They were a group of martial arts experts, yet not one of them had noticed?

And who is she?

She wore a Loulan face, but her accent was pure Central Plains.

Could it be that, like Senior Brother, she isn't truly a Loulan person either?

"Who are you?"

Second Senior Sister Zisu sized up Li Qingluo from head to toe, her eyes full of hostility and wariness.

Li Qingluo gave her a slight nod.

But she had already sensed that this Second Senior Sister was wary of her and even felt a faint dislike, so she didn't immediately rush to call her 'Senior Sister' with a warm face to a cold backside.

She merely introduced herself in a cold tone: "If Master mentioned me, I should be his little disciple; my surname is Li."

Among the group led by Zisu, only she and the sixth disciple Xuan Che are inner disciples of Nan Gongdi.

The rest are merely ordinary sect disciples.

This difference is naturally significant in the eyes of this group.

The status of inner disciples versus outer disciples is worlds apart!

So hearing that she was actually the Sect Leader's little disciple, everyone was greatly shocked.

"Is it really her?"

"I heard she wasn't a noble lady from Jinling?"

"What noble lady? I heard she was born into a merchant family."

"However it is, she's still the Sect Leader's disciple; even if she joined late and her skills aren't as good as Second Senior Sister's by a bit, we should still be polite."

"Hmph, our Meteor Sect values seniority, but we always prioritize strength. Even if she's a useless lump, what good is being an inner disciple? She's still nothing!"

Being discussed publicly, even someone as good-tempered as Li Qingluo sank her face.

Is this the Meteor Sect of my master?

Do these people have only this much insight and cultivation?

Li Qingluo was greatly disappointed.

She looked toward Xuan Cang.

Xuan Cang then reacted and hurriedly said: "What nonsense are you all spouting? Luo'er's identity isn't for you to guess!"

"Luo'er, this is your Second Senior Sister Zisu and Sixth Senior Brother Xuan Che."

"Zisu, Xuan Che, she is Luo'er. She brought me here to Loulan all the way, and she saved my life."

"Listen to Luo'er; let's discuss everything tomorrow."

"Like this..."

Before Xuan Cang's words finished, Zisu said: "Senior Brother, are we senior siblings, or is she the senior sister?"

"Why should we listen to her?"

"We've finally gathered with difficulty, and there are no Loulan people watching us around here—are you still afraid?"

"Senior Brother, you weren't like this before!"

Li Qingluo raised her eyebrows.

If she still couldn't sense Zisu's hostility toward her despite good intentions, she would truly be foolish.

Li Qingluo gave a cold smile.

Indeed.

I'm not silver, so how could I please everyone?

So, it doesn't matter.

Moreover, she now dislikes Zisu intensely; it's perfect to be mutually annoyed without having to call each other 'Senior Sister'.

"Really foolish."

"You've just provoked public anger and offended all the Loulan people in the city."

"Xuan Cang stepped forward impulsively and paid for you."

"Don't these Loulan people suspect who the payer actually is—what identity?!"

"These Loulan people aren't so easily fooled."

Xuan Cang's face turned pale: "Luo'er, what do you mean by that?"

Li Qingluo: "Literal meaning. Senior Brother, you publicly broke their siege and paid them silver. A true Loulan person would never do that."

"So they will definitely investigate, who is the traitor tonight?"

"They will also investigate whether this traitor is truly a Loulan person!"

Xuan Cang drew a cold breath.

"I—did I cause you trouble?"

Li Qingluo sighed: "Yes. So, let's hurry back. Destroy the evidence, and discuss the rest later."

Xuan Cang nodded, just as he had agreed with Li Qingluo and was about to leave, he heard Zi Su's low shout.

"Enough!"

"Senior Brother, what kind of mind‑altering soup did she pour for you? How could Wei Nuo be so frightened?"

"Are you still the wise and mighty Senior Brother who can discern right from wrong and make decisions on your own?"

"She, a little girl, says a couple of words, and you believed everything?"

As soon as Zi Su finished speaking, the sixth disciple Xuan Che also followed: "Indeed, Senior Brother. When did you become so indecisive, even listening to a girl's words?"

"Even if she is a junior sister disciple, you should have your own judgment, right? Whatever she says is automatically true?"

"How old is she, and how much jianghu experience does she have?"

"I think she is just being alarmist."

Speaking, Xuan Che gave a cold smile: "And even if some of what she says is reasonable, does that mean everything she says is correct?"

"Even if a few points are right, does that mean we should keep swallowing our grievances silently?"

"These days we have already endured enough grievances; if it weren't for Senior Brother intervening tonight, this matter would not have ended well."

The others also chimed in: "Indeed, if it weren't for Senior Brother, we still wouldn't know what to do now."

"What then? At worst we fight. Kill a few Loulan people, let them see our strength, and maybe they'll be more courteous to us later!"

"But Senior Brother will not be like some people who stand by and let us be bullied by a group of outsiders."

"Even if you are a direct disciple of the Sect Leader, what does it matter? We have never lived together, so it's normal for us to be unfeeling toward you."

"Senior Brother, don't be foolish. We finally gathered; we can't just listen to her."

"Exactly, from now on when we're together, any matter we discuss, we'll all listen to you, so why worry we can't rescue the Sect Leader?"

The crowd chattered, each one speaking over another, as if Li Qingluo were a poisonous woman threatening them, more hateful than the Loulan people.

Li Qingluo laughed angrily.

Looking at Xuan Cang, who had been letting them speak: "So, Senior Brother, you think the same?"

Xuan Cang certainly was not!

He immediately whispered a reprimand to Zi Su and the others: "You all shut up!"

"Murder? What foolish thing do you still want to do?"

"You few who slipped down the mountain to the Western Regions, I haven't settled accounts with you yet, yet you still slander Luoer here!"

"I'll tell you again, the matter of rescuing the Master must follow Luoer's instructions!"

"Only Luoer has hope of rescuing the Master!"

Zi Su clearly still disagreed: "Senior Brother! You are truly unfamiliar!"

"The Master is not hers alone!"

Xuan Cang: "If you have the ability, why haven't you rescued the Master by now?"

"And you've tangled the relationship with the Loulan people into this mess!"

"If you have ability, speak with power, not by guessing whether others can do it."

"Alright, tonight we'll part ways for now; the rest we'll discuss together later."

"Remember, you have never seen us. Tonight it was just a helpful Loulan person who assisted you."

"If you reveal our identities, there will be no good fruit for you!"

"Got that?"

Xuan Cang's authority and intimidation still kept them from daring to offend him.

Everyone lowered their heads and said they heard, but Zi Su's clenched fist clearly wasn't truly convinced.

Li Qingluo didn't care at all.

She had already walked far away; if Xuan Cang hadn't chased after her, she wouldn't wait for him.

Xuan Cang's complexion darkened as he looked at Li Qingluo.

"Sorry, junior sister disciple."

"They don't know your true identity; they only know that the Master has been away for years and no longer manages the sect, because you took in a junior disciple. So… some people inevitably harbor resentment."

"And that's also because they have never truly interacted with you, junior sister disciple."

"When they later have a chance, after knowing your abilities and temperament, they will understand the Master and come to like you."

Li Qingluo: "Unnecessary."

"When the well water doesn't encroach on the river, that's already my bottom line."

"Senior Brother, as long as they don't proactively provoke me, I'll overlook their offenses out of respect for you and the Master."

"But, nothing beyond three."

"Mark this: tonight is the first time."

Xuan Cang gave a bitter smile.

"Fine."

He indeed knew that Luoer had indeed been courteous and patient this night.

The two returned to the house; Li Qingluo had just hidden the two human‑skin masks when a large contingent of officials and soldiers began pounding on the door.

Open the door!

Tonight a thief appeared on the street; we suspect the thief entered your courtyard.

Please, honored guests who have come from afar, cooperate with the officials in investigating the case!

Que'er and the others immediately realized that something had probably really happened.

They hurriedly looked at Li Qingluo, waiting for the young lady to make a decision.

And each had already prepared to fight the Loulan people bare-handed if needed.

Unexpectedly, Li Qingluo merely sat in the house and calmly ordered: "Open the door!"