Chapter 27

His ear, however, rang with Shen Qingli's clear, clean voice: "Delicious."

The chill that had just gathered instantly dissipated, turning into warm, youthful vigor: "Sister, eat more if you like it—I'll grill you another."

"Good." Shen Qingli wasn't exaggerating; the fish was grilled to a crisp exterior and tender interior, full of juice, and especially flavorful—far tastier than what she could grill, which is why they didn't let her grill.

Shen Jin saw she really liked it and stopped looking at Pei Jianshu altogether. What a worthless thing—nothing is more important than grilling fish for his sister.

Shen Qingli also didn't care at all about Pei Jianshu's appearance; since she ignored him, Liu Meng and the others gave up gossiping and continued the lively atmosphere.

Liu Meng even reached out to snatch Shen Qingli's fish: "Give me a taste too!"

"Smack!" Shen Jin precisely slapped her hand away: "Nice try!"

Liu Meng only felt her hand hurt like hell—she was about to cry from the pain!

Is Little Brother Shen's grip really that strong? No, isn't she the one with the strongest grip in the whole sect?

"Here." Shen Qingli quickly tore off a piece of fish and gave it to Liu Meng, seeing tears in her eyes and thinking she wanted to eat so badly she was about to cry.

Having gotten the grilled fish, Liu Meng indeed didn't cry, gritting her teeth and calling out, "It's hot!" She had almost cried—how embarrassing would that have been!

Shen Jin glanced at Liu Meng, then didn't strike again, but quickly grilled another fish, his two hands alternating over the three fish in an orderly fashion.

Pei Jianshu stood there awkwardly for a moment; just as Shen Qingli thought he would boredly leave, he walked over to her: "A Li."

Shen Qingli frowned: "What's up?"

Everyone seemed to be grilling fish, but were actually secretly observing the two.

Pei Jianshu hesitated a moment, then sat down.

Shen Qingli was very surprised; she knew Pei Jianshu well and was aware of his fastidiousness—normally he would never sit on the ground.

"Forget it, let's step aside to talk."

Shen Qingli stood up, so as not to make others uncomfortable.

Pei Jianshu stiffened for a moment, then rose and followed.

Shen Jin immediately turned and shouted: "Sister, the fish gets cold and isn't tasty."

"Got it, I'll be right back." Shen Qingli replied from afar, already leaping onto a nearby rock.

After Pei Jianshu caught up, he stood beside her: "Are you really sure you want to leave the Bijade Sect?"

"Certainly." Shen Qingli spotted Su Chacha not far away: "Your little tail has arrived."

Pei Jianshu blinked, then followed Shen Qingli's gaze and saw Su Chacha heading toward the Tianxing Sect's camp.

"Your eyesight hasn't deteriorated, has it?" Pei Jianshu asked.

"More or less." Shen Qingli replied ambiguously.

"If you're willing to come back, I'll help you secure the cultivation resources you deserve from the past three years," Pei Jianshu added.

Shen Qingli scoffed: "No need."

Her own things, she'll get them herself.

"A Li, I—"

"Take your little junior sister with you."

As the words fell, Shen Qingli, who had been rushing back toward the camp, stepped in front of Shen Jin.

She had just seen from afar Su Chacha shoving Shen Jin, nearly knocking him over.

Liu Meng stared, eyes wide open...

A boy who had made her hand hurt so badly was now being shoved off-balance by another little sister?

No way—could this sister really be that strong? How did she not notice?

Liu Meng gazed hopefully at Su Chacha, only to see her suddenly burst into tears, pear blossoms with rain.

"Senior Sister, I know I was wrong. If you're willing to go back, I truly want to return the phoenix bone to you—and even the Golden Phoenix Immortal inheritance I just obtained, I'll give it all to you."

Su Chacha wept sincerely: "All I ask is that you still lead us, your junior brothers and sisters, in cultivation as before—okay?"

Pei Jianshu, standing behind her, wore a complex expression; his gaze toward Shen Qingli held a hint of expectation.

Su Chacha then fell to her knees with a thud: "Senior Sister! Please agree, I beg you!"

Shen Qingli's eyes flickered with amusement; she saw through Su Chacha's feeble tricks at a glance, yet found it pathetic—she had lost to such lowly pretense.

From start to finish, she actually knew exactly what game Su Chacha was playing; she had seen it clearly before and after her rebirth, which is why she had kept her distance from Su Chacha—but to Su Chacha's ears, it became jealousy of Zhao Yue protecting her, Su Chacha, etc.

Everyone thought so.

Including Pei Jianshu at this moment.

He had already stepped forward and pulled Su Chacha up: "Junior sister, you don't need to do this."

"Not bad." Shen Qingli interjected: "The phoenix bone I lent you—I'll personally pull it out, piece by piece, just as Zhao Yue pulled mine out, and I'll retrieve it."

Su Chacha froze! Especially when she met Shen Qingli's cold, merciless glassy eyes, her whole body trembled, feeling a creepy sensation as if a deity were staring at her.

"Enough!" Pei Jianshu stepped in front of Su Chacha: "Why scare her like this? She's younger than you, and her courage isn't as big as yours."

"My daughter is sixteen, while the one behind you is eighteen," Shen Kuo said coldly—his daughter was the younger one!

Now it was Pei Jianshu's turn to be stunned; he had never realized this before.

Shen Qingli became head elder sister of the Bijade Sect at age ten...

She had always been strong—not just talented, but powerful in combat and capable in handling affairs.

She was so strong that Pei Jianshu tended to see her as a peer, gradually forgetting that she was actually the youngest inner-disciple of the Bijade Sect.

"I—"

"Get lost."

Shen Qingli drove them away with disgust.

What should have been a pleasant dinner was ruined by these two.

"Sorry, sorry, it's all my fault."

Su Chacha cried even harder, looking completely at a loss.

Pei Jianshu's face turned cold, he grabbed Su Chacha and flew away on his sword.

Shen Kuo added, "Don't come looking for my daughter again—you're not worthy!"

Pei Jianshu's sword hanging in midair stalled for a moment…

"Ill omen." Zhan Yuefeng shook his feather fan, "How can someone start crying and mourning as soon as they arrive? Nobody died here."

"Junior brother, your mouth is pretty ill-omened too." Li Yidao said while biting into his own charred black fish, then glanced enviously at the fish in Shen Jin's hand.

Shen Qingli also looked at Shen Jin, "Where did you get pushed? Are you hurt?"

"Here, it hurts." Shen Jin held up the grilled fish, gesturing to his chest.

"You're stupid too—she pushed you, why didn't you dodge?" Shen Qingli's eyes flashed purple as her face instantly darkened.

With her eyesight, she already saw a crack in Shen Jin's chest ribs, and immediately poured out a pill and stuffed it into his mouth.

"It's fine, not painful." After swallowing the medicine, Shen Jin said, "I just didn't expect her to strike so hard; otherwise I wouldn't be hurt."

"He's still hurt!" Liu Meng stared wide-eyed, suddenly doubting: the two junior brothers who howl in pain whenever she hits them—are they too fragile? What will happen at the sect grand competition? Won't they get beaten to uselessness as soon as they step up?

The master was right—outside, strong people are as numerous as cow hairs; her bit of divine power amounts to nothing.

Liu Meng let out an "ah-oh" and gulped down an entire fish in one bite.

Shen Kuo: ……

He had never seen a little girl eat so messily.

Looking again at his daughter, clean and well-behaved, indeed she's his own—never tiresome to behold.

"I'm full, I'm going to cultivate!"

Liu Meng sprang up energetically, deciding to forego sleep before the sect grand competition and train desperately.

"Go on." The Grand Elder wore a look of relief.

Liu Meng had just turned to leave, then twisted her face back and hoisted Zhan Yuefeng and Li Yidao!

"You're not allowed to eat either—train properly! We're really too weak!"

The two teenagers yelped as they were hauled up, "Senior sister, be gentle! Senior sister, why don't you lift the little junior sister?"

"The little junior sister is so pretty, she's surely conscientious—unlike you two, who laze around all day!"