As they were talking, a brilliant, shining beauty made their way towards them.
Wherever she went, all cultivators that had a sword very quickly hid them behind their backs.
All the sword cultivator that has been beaten up by her once hides them even quicker, making the female cultivators following her break into stifled laughter.
She ignored them all, like she’s already well-used to this scene.
Then she finally made her way to Gu Qing Shan and Xiuxiu.
“Are you living well at Bai Hua Sect?” She asked.
Gu Qing Shan looked at her.
Ning Yue Xi was showing a radiant smile, even her apricot eyes are as gentle as water.
She’s able to struck the numerous cultivators here smitten by simply standing there.
From afar, Lee Chang An couldn’t help but turn around, he gritted his teeth watching this scene as his eyes became cold.
At this moment, he’s no different from the rest of the male cultivators.
Gu Qing Shan responded: “Shifu and my senior brothers all treat me very well; junior sister and I are also very close”
Then he gently pulled Xiuxiu from behind him, introducing her to Ning Yue Xi: “This is my junior sister. Xiuxiu, greet the Saintess”
Ning Yue Xi’s eyes were very gentle, rubbing Xiuxiu’s head as she said: “Calling me that would make me such a stranger, just call me sister”
Xiuxiu looked at third brother, then again at Ning Yue Xi, a bit timidly: “Sister”
Ning Yue Xi looked incredibly happy, held Xiuxiu’s hand as she took out a small intricately designed bag and put it in her hand.
“This is my greeting gift to you, little sister” (1)
“A Spirit Beast Bag? What’s inside?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
Ning Yue Xi answered: “A Red-necked White Crane”
Xiuxiu exclaimed in joy, then hugged Ning Yue Xi: “Thank you, sister”
She isn’t one to fake her emotions, so such a genuine display of joy also made Ning Yue Xi openly pleased.
Ning Yue Xi took out another pretty small Inventory Bag and put it in Xiuxiu’s hands.
“I made this myself, but you can have it” She said.
“It looks so pretty” Xiuxiu hugged the Inventory Bag, smiling, “it smells good too”
Ning Yue Xi took Xiuxiu’s hand, gently shifted herself as she introduced the 5 female cultivators behind her to Gu Qing Shan.
“Liu Qing Yan, Wang Ning Xiang, Dong Xue, Zhao Dan, Zhang Cui Wei, these are all my close sisters”
The girls quickly stepped forward and greeted Gu Qing Shan.
“Nice to meet you, senior brother”
All of them had their eyes lit up as they watched Gu Qing Shan.
The Saintess has never actively approached any male cultivators like this before, not to mention to bring them all with her like this.
And this man right here is the only one to receive such an honor.
What’s so different about him?
We have to see for ourselves.
Is that they were thinking.
Gu Qing Shan clasped his fist, smiling: “Nice to meet you, sisters, I am Gu Qing Shan, the third rank in Bai Hua Sect”
As the girls hear that, they silently nodded.
Bai Hua Sect, the Saint’s Sect, very suitable for our big sister.
Gu Qing Shan thought for a bit, then said: “Can I ask you sisters what your elemental roots are?”
The female cultivators felt a bit strange that he would ask so openly, but as this was not that big of a deal, they simply replied.
After hearing them, Gu Qing Shan tapped his Inventory Bag and picked out 5 jade tags.
Ning Yue Xi was a bit surprised: “What are you doing?”
Gu Qing Shan answered: “My junior sister has already received your greeting gift, as her senior brother, I can’t not show my good will to your sisters, can I?”
Ning Yue Xi smiled, asking: “What do you want to give them?”
Gu Qing Shan replied: “5-Elemental Secret Arts”
All the people that were silently paying attention here was shocked from hearing those words.
These are 5-Elemental Secret Arts you know, techniques so precious that they can be passed down for generations within a sect.
Even if you bring them to an auction house, one of them could go anywhere from a hundred thousand to a million spirit stones.
Yet he just gave them out?
He just gave them out as greeting gifts?
Bai Hua Sect, Bai Hua Sect, god, what kind of sect is this?
From afar, Heaven’s Limit Sect’s sect master was originally sitting still, not saying anything, but then lightly smiled, her mood became infinitely better.
All the other large sect’s great cultivators exchanged looks, then silently sighed.
It can’t be helped, they can only blame themselves for not having such a brilliant person like Ning Yue Xi in their sect.
All the female cultivators accepted their jade tags, shaking, one of them even shrieked from joy on the spot.
“It’s too precious, you’ve scared them” Ning Yue Xi scolded him.
“It’s not, really, they’re all very simple Secret Arts, it’s fine as long as everyone’s happy” Gu Qing Shan replied.
“Thank you very much, senior brother” all 5 female cultivators lightly bowed.
“No need to be formal, we’re all family here” Gu Qing Shan said. (2)
Family? Ning Yue Xi’s face flushed as she heard that, then glanced at Earth sword, couldn’t help but ask: “So you are training with the sword now?”
As soon as she asked that, all the male cultivators that were dejected from before immediately became extremely happy.
A feeling of laughing on another’s misfortune spread like wildfire among all the cultivators here.
Beat him up! Beat him up! Beat him up! Beat him up! Beat him up!
Screw you bastard, screw you for showing off, screw you for giving secret arts, you can’t get out of this!
Go ahead, Saintess, beat him up real good! Just like you always deal with sword cultivators, better make him grovel on the ground and beg for forgiveness!
Gu Qing Shan instantly became tense, but after thinking a bit, if he denied he’s still getting hit, if he admits he’s still getting hit, so he just straight up told the truth.
“I can’t help it, right now the situation is quite dire, I have to quickly grow, quickly become stronger”
“If I’m not strong enough, in the future when I have to go out to exterminate demons, who knows how I’ll die”
“I have to get stronger, this is simply something that can’t be helped”
Ning Yue Xi listened, but didn’t say anything, only the smile on her face slowly retracted.
However, Xiuxiu noticed the air wasn’t quite right, so she cut in: “Sister, Shifu’s very hard on third brother about this you know? Yesterday she was sparring and teaching him about the sword, all the way until midnight you know”
Ning Yue Xi’s face changed.
Xiuxiu is only 8, an age where children still don’t know to mince their words, so she wouldn’t lie about this.
To get to spar with the Saint herself, what a privilege it is, what an honor it is.
Everyone knows very well that Bai Hua Fairy’s eyes are higher than her head. Sometimes, she wouldn’t even go out herself when fighting, rather send someone else instead, saying that she doesn’t want to dirty her hands.
Yet Bai Hua Fairy accompanied him to spar, all the way until midnight.
How many in the world can say that they’ve been personally taught by a Saint?
Even Ning Yue Xi couldn’t help but admire that.
Even she couldn’t help but feel envious, so of course other people are the same.
For the first time, Heaven’s Limit Sect’s master who was listening from afar, turned her head and evaluated Gu Qing Shan with her own eyes.
Ning Yue Xi thought about it, them thought some more, and some more, finally said: “The Saint… is forcing you to go on the path of a sword cultivator?”
Gu Qing Shan’s mind turns, grasping at the giant straw that just descended from heaven: “I’ve really wanted to try the path of the Blade, but Shifu told me to train with the sword, no matter how much I beg, she wouldn’t give me a chance to take up the Blade”
Ning Yue Xi thought about Xiuxiu’s words, muttering: “The sword really isn’t something good, but the Saint’s discerning eyes…”
She shook her head, looking at Gu Qing Shan in empathy: “Hah, you’ve really suffered”
Bullshit! What kind of twist is that? All the male cultivators here all unanimously screamed in their hearts, about to go mad.
Saintess, he’s a fraud, don’t believe him!
They screamed in their mind.
At this very crucial moment, Xiuxiu pulled Ning Yue Xi’s sleeves and happily told her: “It’s not like that, sister, Shifu secretly told me that third brother has the potential to go really far on the path of the sword”
Bang!
Critical hit!
As Ning Yue Xi heard that, no matter how reluctant, she still felt happy for him.
Then she smiled: “Really far huh? Very well, I’ll keep my eye out to see how far you can go exactly”
“Hah, it’s really not as impressive as you think” Gu Qing Shan waved his hands to dismiss it.
Looking at Ning Yue Xi’s gentle smile, he finally relaxed and was enlightened.
———in a time of life’s crisis, there’s nothing better than having a god of a teammate to assist you. (3)
“Xiuxiu, you must be tired standing there, let Senior brother carry you”
Note:
(1) greeting gift: it’s a Chinese tradition, on the first meeting between a senior and an acquaintance’s junior, the senior will gift the junior something to show that they’re pleased with them/their talents.
(2) we’re all family here: A Chinese proverb, the meaning is more commonly used as “everyone is really no strangers”, but it can also be understood by its literal meaning.
(3) god of a teammate: it’s part of a modern Chinese proverb “The scariest thing isn’t the enemy having godlike teammates, but rather you having a pig of a teammate”. This is commonly used in MOBA games. “Pig of a teammate” means someone so shit at the game, it’s like a pig is sitting behind the controls.
