After Lin Huanhuan went back and told Dong Yuner the good news, Dong Yuner immediately cheered.
“That’s wonderful! You’re amazing, Miss. You solved the problem of finding a master so easily. Plus, I can stay with you and keep taking care of you.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you behind.”
After a quick cleanup, Dong Yuner packed most of their things into a Cosmos Bag, and she and Lin Huanhuan headed toward Little Bamboo Peak. As for their former residence, someone would eventually come to clean it up, so they didn’t need to worry.
Little Bamboo Peak produced a spiritual material called Cloud Bamboo. Looking down from above, the emerald bamboo enveloped the entire mountain like a giant bamboo shoot, which was how the peak earned its name. The spiritual energy here was also quite abundant, nearly three times that of the outer gate, making the cultivation speed far superior.
Walking along the gravel path, Dong Yuner looked at the verdant surroundings and felt her mood improve significantly, especially when she looked at the person beside her.
They returned to the main hall from before. Song Zhuying looked at them, appearing slightly surprised.
“You’re back already? It hasn’t even been three hours. You’re quite fast, Huanhuan.”
Lin Huanhuan gave a cheeky grin and said, “Although you gave me a whole day, I thought about how Master was waiting for us. I wanted to be quick so I wouldn’t keep you waiting for too long.”
Song Zhuying nodded. Her majestic, phoenix-like eyes turned toward Dong Yuner. “You must be Dong Yuner.”
“Greetings, Peak Master. I am the Miss’s personal maid. If there is anything you need done in the future, please do not hesitate to command me. As long as it is within my power, I will do my best.”
Dong Yuner knew full well that the person before her was Lin Huanhuan’s master. Only if Song Zhuying agreed could she stay permanently. Naturally, she maintained a respectful attitude, fearing she might leave a bad impression.
“Mhm.”
The corners of Song Zhuying’s lips curled up slightly, but she seemed to remember something and quickly suppressed the smile. In a majestic voice, she said, “There is no need to call me Peak Master. Since you have entered my Little Bamboo Peak, you should call me Master just like Huanhuan does. I won’t let you lose out. You practice the Way of the Sword; although it is different from my own cultivation path, I have some research into the Sword Dao and can offer you some guidance.”
Dong Yuner looked up in disbelief, her eyes full of shock. She then heard Song Zhuying continue, “As for commands, there’s no need for that. There will just be some ordinary chores from time to time. You can do them if you have the time, but it’s fine if you don’t.”
‘Why is this Elder Song so easy to talk to? She couldn’t have some ulterior motive, could she?’ Dong Yuner, well aware of the wickedness in people’s hearts, instinctively thought the worst.
Meanwhile, Lin Huanhuan thought to herself, ‘It seems my villain attributes are starting to work. As a villain, the people around me are usually quite nice, and I’m rarely targeted for no reason. This should be reasonable, right?’
She glanced to her left and saw Dong Yuner still standing motionless. She quickly gave the girl a light nudge with her elbow and whispered, “Hurry up and thank Master.”
Dong Yuner quickly cupped her hands. “Thank you, Master. In the future, I will definitely cultivate hard and strive to repay this kindness. I won’t let you down.”
“Mhm.”
Song Zhuying nodded slightly and added, “I heard that when you were in the outer gate, you often bullied others… and you would even lay hands on girls. Since you have joined my sect, remember that you must never do such things again. Furthermore, you must not disrespect your superiors, or you will not be shown mercy!”
Song Zhuying finished speaking with a serious face, though her voice sounded a bit strange.
Lin Huanhuan’s body trembled slightly. She thought, ‘How did those things reach an elder’s ears? And specifically my new master’s ears? Dammit.’
Worried her true colors would be seen through, she quickly quibbled, “Master, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not like that. Someone is slandering me and framing me. It must be the work of someone who has a grudge against me. You must not believe those things.”
“Is that so?”
Song Zhuying blinked. “Then I truly have misunderstood you. It’s good as long as it didn’t happen.”
Lin Huanhuan, who had been prepared to list 108 reasons to defend herself, was stunned. She swallowed the unspoken words, caught off guard by the response.
‘Is it my imagination? Why does my master seem… not very bright? Is she a bit too simple-minded?’
‘…I must be overthinking it. Master has lived for hundreds of years. At that age, even a pig would have become a demon. How could she be simple? She’s probably just acting to deceive her enemies. That’s the most logical deduction. If I accidentally believe her, I’ll fall right into a trap. I’ll be sold off and still be helping her count the money.’
Since Master wanted to put on an act, Lin Huanhuan naturally played along. “It’s wonderful that Master believes me. It’s truly my luck to have a master who trusts me so much.”
Song Zhuying nodded and said, “Ling Ling is your Senior Sister. She is outside. She will take you to your living quarters in a moment. If there is anything you don’t understand, you can ask her. If you are truly stuck, you can come and ask me.”
“Thank you, Master. We’ll take our leave then.”
After performing a salutation, they walked out. Outside the door, they saw a young girl dressed in a black robe. The robe was quite large, almost completely enveloping her. Even her face was mostly covered, making it impossible to see her features clearly. It made one wonder if she was a monster underneath.
Ling Ling looked at them coldly and said flatly, “Follow me.”
With that, she turned and left. Lin Huanhuan and Dong Yuner quickly followed.
Dong Yuner whispered, “Miss, this Eldest Senior Sister seems freezing cold. She’s the polar opposite of Master. I wonder how they usually get along? I hope there aren’t any arguments.”
“Who knows?” Lin Huanhuan said cautiously. “Maybe one is playing the good cop while the other plays the bad cop. The goal is to give us a harsh warning so we behave. Anyway, let’s observe first. Don’t cause any trouble.”
Dong Yuner nodded and said with a hint of exasperation, “Miss, shouldn’t I be the one saying that to you? Usually, you’re the one who wants to play pranks and cause trouble while I’m the one who has to clean up after you.”
“Shut up! Don’t bring that up again. Just listen to what I say. If you talk back again, watch out, because I won’t be nice to you!”
Lin Huanhuan unhesitatingly resorted to being unreasonable, bullying the defenseless little maid. Dong Yuner curled her lip but stopped complaining.
When they arrived at the mountainside, their living quarters turned out to be another small courtyard. However, it was much larger than their previous one. There were bamboo forests to both the left and right.
As soon as they stepped inside, Dong Yuner went ahead to tidy up the yard.
Lin Huanhuan was about to speak to test this Eldest Senior Sister, but Ling Ling suddenly approached. She slammed a hand against the wall with a *thud*, her icy blue eyes staring coldly at Lin Huanhuan.
“Lin Huanhuan, I know exactly what kind of person you are. You had better behave yourself. If you dare to harbor any improper thoughts toward Master or me, I will never let you off!”