Warm sunlight filtered through the window frame, casting golden spots onto the cotton quilt.
Lu Qiancha opened her deep blue eyes groggily, her long eyelashes trembling as her small head remained immersed in the lingering warmth of her dreams.
Following an instinct etched into her very bones upon waking, Lu Qiancha subconsciously snuggled toward the familiar heat source beside her. Her small paws skillfully extended, preparing to begin her daily routine of kneading.
‘Ugh?’
Her small hands fell slowly, but they did not touch the warm, soft, and fragrant embrace of her mother as expected. What her fingertips felt was a completely different texture, though it still carried a bit of body heat.
Lu Qiancha opened her sleepy eyes in confusion. What came into view was Ling Wanbai’s quiet sleeping face, which remained expressionless even in her dreams.
‘Ugh?!’
Lu Qiancha’s small mouth hung open slightly. She had actually plunged straight into the arms of this trash fish priestess.
Her body acted before her mind could. Her small paws instinctively kneaded twice against that flat chest.
‘Tsk… this feels terrible.’
Lu Qiancha grumbled disdainfully in her heart.
However, it was a bit different from how it felt yesterday.
Ling Wanbai was currently wearing only a thin silk nightgown. Compared to yesterday’s ceremonial robe which was covered in small ornaments, the subtle softness underneath this layer of thin, soft fabric could barely be felt.
While the sensation was still poor, it was no longer so stiff against her hands.
“Mmm…”
Disturbed by Lu Qiancha’s movements, the grey-haired girl in her sleep furrowed her delicate brows slightly.
A barely audible hum escaped her nose, but her eyelids remained heavy and closed, showing no sign of waking up at all.
By this time, Lu Qiancha was a little more awake. She stared at Ling Wanbai in a daze, her fluffy blue tail swaying unconsciously behind her.
Her small head was filled with a massive question: What happened? Where is mother? How did my big, beautiful mother… turn into this trash fish priestess?
“Little Qiancha, are you awake?”
Xun Xue’s gentle voice sounded like a clear spring, drifting in from the outer room of the bedroom just in time to dispel the wolf cub’s confusion. “Since you’re awake, hurry and get dressed so you can come out for breakfast.”
“Okay~”
The confusion in Lu Qiancha’s eyes instantly cleared. Her mother had not turned into a trash fish priestess, and that made her happy.
She nimbly rolled off Ling Wanbai and grabbed a small dress from the wardrobe. Without bothering to tidy her clothes carefully, she immediately started running on her short legs, pattering toward the direction of the fragrance.
Bracing her small hands against the edge of a chair, the wolf cub flipped herself agilely onto the high dining chair.
She impatiently picked up her exclusive porcelain bowl and small spoon, taking large, gulping bites of the warm white porridge that smelled of rice.
‘Mmm… it’s so sweet. Mother must have put lots and lots of sugar in it.’
The warm and sweet porridge slid into the wolf cub’s stomach, dispelling the last trace of the morning chill and bringing a sense of total happiness.
Lu Qiancha squinted her eyes in satisfaction, her tongue savoring the sweetness. Even her two small feet, clad in snow-white short socks, couldn’t help but sway gently against the chair’s crossbar in rhythm with her joyful mood.
“Is it to your liking?”
Xun Xue asked softly, helping Lu Qiancha tidy her messy collar.
“Anything mother makes is delicious.”
Lu Qiancha gave a sweet smile, her soft, milky voice reaching Xun Xue’s ears.
“What a sweet mouth you have.” Xun Xue’s eyes were filled with smiles as her fingertips gently brushed over the soft top of Lu Qiancha’s head.
“Hehe~” Lu Qiancha squinted her eyes comfortably like a small beast being stroked. The joy in her heart rippled outward like a stone thrown into a lake.
‘I was praised, I’m so happy.’
Afterward, she hopped off the chair briskly and sprinted out the door, throwing herself into a new day of cultivation.
The commotion of the Nine Peaks Grand Tournament had settled, and Lu Qiancha’s life returned to the unique tranquility of Tianquanfeng.
Three days later, Xuan Ya placed the reward for being the champion — a Heaven-rank Spirit Gathering Array Disk shimmering with spiritual energy — into her small hands.
With that, this grand sect event truly came to a close.
However, the peace did not last long.
Just as Lu Qiancha was holding the array disk and sitting in the small courtyard trying to understand the patterns on it, Gantang rushed in with hurried footsteps, looking panicked.
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother!” Gantang’s voice was filled with obvious anxiety and tension, and she even stammered a little. “Some… someone has really come looking for us!”
“Hmm?”
Lu Qiancha raised her small head from the array disk. Her deep blue eyes were full of confusion as she tilted her head to look at her panicked junior sister, clearly not having reacted yet.
“Oh, goodness!” Gantang stamped her feet in frustration. “It’s about that incident in the Nine Peaks Competition Secret Realm. The matter where we… where we tricked them out of their points. They’ve come to settle the score.”
She tried her best to help her senior brother recall that glorious achievement.
“…Mmm,” Lu Qiancha sucked on her pale finger, thinking hard for a moment before a look of realization appeared on her small face. ‘I remember now.’
Then, she blinked in a daze. “Mmm… who is it?”
“It’s Shangguan Yunzhu.” Gantang pursed her lips, her voice carrying a hint of undetectable worry.
“Why her…” Hearing this, Lu Qiancha’s small brows furrowed slightly as she whispered to herself.
She remembered clearly that among the group of disciples who had been cheated of their points and were filled with resentment, this genius girl from Zaohua Peak had actually been the steadiest and most indifferent one.
At the time, she had even seemed to be watching the fire from across the river. Now, she was the first to come looking for them…
‘So unusual… even a bit strange.’
A hint of alertness rose in Lu Qiancha’s heart.
The wolf cub put down the array disk and nimbly stored it in her Storage Bag.
She reached out her small hand and gently tugged on Gantang’s sleeve. Her childish face now held a sense of calm and a trace of eagerness.
“Let’s go,” Lu Qiancha said decisively. “We’ll go meet her.”
“Oh… oh, okay.” Gantang nodded quickly and followed closely behind Lu Qiancha’s footsteps.
The small courtyard of Tianquanfeng was elegant and spacious, decorated mainly in light green and plain white, exuding a sense of peace and quiet.
However, at this moment, a bright red figure, as striking as a streak of vermilion in an ink painting, stood within it. Her presence was exceptionally eye-catching and instantly shattered the harmony.
Lu Qiancha took a deep breath, puffed out her small chest, and gathered her courage to walk straight up to the red figure.
“Hmm?” Sensing the movement, Shangguan Yunzhu turned around slowly.
A barely perceptible ripple passed through the depths of her eyes as her gaze fell upon the small figure wearing an ink-patterned cloud robe.
She couldn’t tell if it was because of the slightly mature robe or if the child’s cultivation had improved over the past few months, but the little one before her seemed to have a hint more maturity than the Lu Qiancha in her memories.
“Are you here about the Nine Peaks Grand Tournament?” Lu Qiancha got straight to the point, having no intention of exchanging pleasantries as her clear blue eyes looked directly at Shangguan Yunzhu.
“Yes.” Shangguan Yunzhu nodded slightly, her voice calm and steady.
She leaned down slightly, meeting Lu Qiancha’s gaze at eye level, the corners of her lips curling into a very faint but meaningful arch.
“As the victim who suffered the heaviest losses in that scam,” her gaze landed on Lu Qiancha with tangible weight, “I indeed want to have a proper discussion with you about the aftermath, Little Qiancha.”
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