“Hey! Whose side are you on, anyway!?”
“The side of Heavenly Fate, of course.”
“Drop dead!”
Ji Shiyu pounded the Yellow Chicken into the dirt, though she knew the truth in her heart.
Whether it was their first meeting in Mist City, practicing swords in the bamboo forest of Heavenly Phenomena Peak, or even on the food street of the Golden Crow…
Yun Liu had never liked her that way.
All his care and favoritism were devoid of selfish desire; he simply looked at her as a lonely, helpless child.
Because of this, Ji Shiyu felt even more miserable.
Was she really that unattractive?
A streak of light crossed the Sea of Clouds, then doubled back, stopping on the mountain path.
Speak of the devil.
The person Ji Shiyu least wanted to see right now appeared.
A gentle and moving Green-Garbed Fairy hovered in the air on her Flying Sword.
She was also surprised to run into her here, looking at the girl and the bird with astonishment.
“What is it, Shiyu? Did you get into another fight with the little parrot? Even your Cloud Robe is torn.”
“Qin Sister… no, no, we were just playing around.”
Ji Shiyu’s face turned slightly red as she waved her hands frantically.
She felt like a thief who had just broken into a house, only to turn around and find the owner sitting in a chair, watching her tiptoe around like an idiot.
She had a clear conscience regarding Xiao Xinran, but now, in front of Qin Sister, she felt like a clown performing a clumsy act.
“Oh, you’re injured. How could you be so careless?”
“It was during the spar this morning…”
“If you don’t mind.”
Qin Yao smiled.
Sensing the fluctuations in Ji Shiyu’s Spirit Breath, she took out a medicine box and gently unfastened the girl’s collar to apply medicinal ointment and soothe her internal energy.
The young girl’s moist skin was slightly flushed.
The Sword Qi damaging her meridians had not yet dissipated.
Despite her young age, the scale of her chest was already quite impressive.
“Mmm! A little lower, to the left… yes, yes, yes, that feels much better~”
Ji Shiyu sat down obediently, letting out a satisfied purr like a kitten, causing Ao Tian to shake his head repeatedly.
‘She was just sulking a moment ago, yet she forgot everything so quickly. No wonder others are reaping the benefits.’
“Our Shiyu has such a great figure. Unlike me—I’m just skin and bones. No wonder the Five Peaks disciples are so infatuated. Even the fellow Daoists from the Heavenly Concord Alliance who recently visited Shenhua Pavilion have been asking about you, wondering what kind of boys you like.”
Qin Yao rubbed Ji Shiyu’s head and looked down to compare their figures, seeming a bit melancholy.
In the past, Ji Shiyu would have just giggled foolishly, but now everything she heard felt awkward—especially the phrase “Our Shiyu.”
It gave her a strong sense of a mother-daughter relationship.
That rotten joke originated from Ao Tian’s prank.
It was fine when everyone teased her occasionally, but surely her Senior Sister wouldn’t actually become her Adoptive Mother, right?
What a joke!
Ji Shiyu rubbed her temples and shook her head, a ridiculous little theater playing out in her mind for twelve hours straight.
“That’s not true. You’re the one, Qin Sister. You’re very popular among the Radiant Light Sect disciples, and many across the Five Peaks admire you.”
‘Even Master is no exception…’
“Hehe, it’s just that I’ve been cultivating longer and have more seniority. When I was your age, I had to take the long way around whenever I saw a Demon Beast.”
Qin Yao patted Ji Shiyu’s head, and the two of them set off on their Flying Swords toward Sighing Peak.
Speaking of that awkward spar, the Clear Mist Peak’s Chief Senior Disciple was also surprised that Ji Shiyu had lost.
She had seen how the Cloudsea Trio of Fools competed to show off in front of Yun Liu; even an ordinary peak Foundation Establishment cultivator might not stand a chance against them.
“I see. Perhaps you’ve hit a bottleneck. Don’t take it to heart. Cheer up!”
“Mhm!”
Ji Shiyu was preoccupied.
Ao Tian couldn’t stand her pathetic state and began shouting from the chicken nest to stir the pot.
“What are you afraid of? So what if they’re Dao Companions? It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve snatched someone’s husband. Just divorce another one. You were so aggressive when you went up against Xiao Xinran, so why are you turning into a coward now that you’ve run into Qin Yao?”
“Huh?”
The little Yellow Hair’s foot slipped, and she nearly fell off her Flying Sword, her speech becoming incoherent.
‘Is it a matter of being afraid? Qin Sister is so good to me. How could I do something like that? Wait, who said I wanted to snatch someone’s husband! That makes it sound like… like I like Master!?’
“Isn’t that the case? Then why are you moping like your mother died? I haven’t even said anything about the Child of Destiny being led away right in front of us.”
“I…”
Ji Shiyu’s voice trailed off.
‘True, why?’
Her brother-in-arms, who had gone through life and death with her, had no improper thoughts about her.
He had gotten rid of a willful ex-wife and found a better home.
Having had no feelings for men since she was a child, she should have been happier than anyone.
But why was the feeling lingering in her heart not relief, but an indescribable panic?
Exactly when did she start caring so much about her status in Yun Liu’s heart, unable to bear anyone standing above her?
Even her favorite Qin Sister wouldn’t do…
“I’m just afraid he’ll prioritize romance over friendship. Think about it. If he and Qin Sister go off together, won’t he have no time to teach me Alchemical Arts?”
Ji Shiyu held up an index finger, racking her brain for an explanation, but even she didn’t believe she was that studious.
The Yellow Chicken let out a long “Oh,” the trailing sound full of meaning.
“So basically, you just can’t stand seeing the Yun kid being close with anyone else.”
“Exactly! That’s what I mean! No matter who his Dao Companion is, the person he’s closest to must always be me!”
Ji Shiyu nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing with this statement, not noticing anything strange at all.
‘Isn’t that just “liking him” then?’
‘Why don’t you just go for it yourself instead of just watching!?’
Ao Tian held his bird head, speechless.
Moreover, why did those words sound so strange?
A “daughter” who wanted to be closer to him than his “wife”?
That seemed even more outrageous than stealing a lover.
It was like saying:
“No matter who my Adoptive Father settles down with, I’m going to wedge myself right between them as a third party!”
This little blanket he picked up wasn’t just close to the heart; it was sticking to the ribs.
Could it be that the Xiao girl was right?
Did Shiyu just enjoy eyeing other people’s things?
Ugh…
A teacher-student romance, a father complex—Niu Ao Tian’s “filial daughter” had all the elements.
Ji Shiyu didn’t have that many complicated thoughts.
She just wanted to know how far things had progressed between Yun Liu and Qin Yao, and the person involved was right in front of her.
Holding hands?
Kissing?
Or a deeper exchange of the Great Dao?
Passing by Silks and Satins Manor on the shop street, the two of them went in to mend the Cloud Robe.
While waiting, they began to browse the store.
Ji Shiyu had changed into a Daisy Qipao.
It was exceptionally tight across the chest, making it look even more spectacular.
Every time she wore Qin Yao’s old clothes, she felt like she couldn’t breathe.
Qin Yao gave a soft smile and pulled Ji Shiyu toward the fitting room, picking out several exquisite styles.
A young girl traveling shouldn’t always be wearing the Yun Manor uniform.
The blonde-haired girl was like a doll, letting the older sister dress her up.
Every time she stepped out, she was a sight to behold, earning constant praise from the shop assistants.
The clothes in Silks and Satins Manor were crafted by spirit smiths.
They were light and beautiful, and their spirit-gathering and defensive properties were not inferior to the sect’s sword robes, but the prices were staggering.
Although she didn’t know the specific reason, Qin Yao could see that Ji Shiyu had something on her mind, and she knew the apprentice didn’t have much money on hand.
Thus, she bought the cutest set and gave it to her as a gift.