“What?! There’s a new Junior Sister at Yihe Peak? And she even has a little Lucky Mud with her?”
We hadn’t even landed yet, and already the mountaintop was buzzing with lively chatter.
Yihe Peak specialized in combat, filled mostly with vigorous male disciples, with very few female disciples.
Cluru and I coming here was like rare animals making an appearance.
“Are we finally getting a foxy Junior Sister at Yihe Peak?!”
“Heavens, they’re so cute!!”
Our feet had barely touched the ground, and the entire peak was echoing with shrieks of infatuation like monkeys hollering on both banks of a river.
And when we landed in the Sword Rest Platform within the peak, all the disciples instantly swarmed over in a rush!
“What’s Junior Sister’s name?”
“Junior Sister, come with me! Senior Brother will be your guide!”
“Junior Sister, Junior Sister! Ahhh, you’re too cute! I can’t, I’m dying!”
Even Cluru, who was normally shy, was frightened by the commotion.
She shrank back timidly.
I tensed up all over, eyeing the surroundings warily.
[Be careful, don’t be fooled by how enthusiastic they seem— it’s all a façade!]
I sent a voice transmission to Cluru.
[If we let our guard down, they’ll immediately draw their blades, skin us alive, pull out our tendons, slice us up for alchemy!]
Cluru pursed her lips. [Your persecution complex is out of control.]
[That’s just how the Realm of Cultivation is!] I insisted. [Don’t let their appearances trick you!]
“Junior Sister, would you like a drink? I’ve been saving a special batch of Hundred Flowers Honeydew personally brewed by Yi Qin Patriarch from Lingyin Valley!”
“Oh wow, stinky Senior Brother, you hid this so well! You had such a treasure and never let your Junior Brothers have a taste!”
“For you lot? You’re all big, rough, stinky oafs— like a bunch of wild boars. Would you even appreciate it?”
One of the Senior Brothers handed over two little teacups, each filled with fragrant honeydew.
I shot Cluru a triumphant glance.
[See? They’re getting impatient and already showing their true colors. I’m sure there’s poison in this so-called honeydew!]
But Cluru didn’t seem to care—she wanted to take it and give it a try.
After all, that honeydew really did look and smell wonderful! Even I was practically drooling.
“Don’t touch it.”
But just as Cluru reached out, I blocked her.
The surrounding Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters froze.
It was the first time they’d ever seen anyone refuse the Hundred Flowers Honeydew brewed by Master Yi Qin.
“There’s poison in this, isn’t there?” My gaze grew distant as I scanned the crowd.
“The moment we drink it, we’ll lose all ability to resist, and then you’ll skin us alive and extract our gall while we’re still breathing…”
That tender but icy-clear voice struck a chord in everyone’s hearts.
However, things didn’t turn out as I expected. Instead of tearing off their masks and getting angry,
one after another… they just looked heartbroken.
“Xiao Ming and Xiao Ri said the Junior Sisters came from Beiju Luzhou. That place is a disaster zone for demon beasts,” the disciples whispered among themselves.
“We almost forgot—they must have suffered so much.”
“Sigh… they’re probably so deeply hurt they can’t trust humans anymore. And with Yihe Peak being mostly humans, of course they’d be scared.”
“Look at that little fox demon. One of her tails is only half-grown. She’s either malnourished or suffered serious injury… It’s understandable she’s oversensitive.”
“Were we too enthusiastic and ended up scaring them?”
Seeing the wariness and hostility in my eyes, everyone quieted down a little.
Their attitude shifted from pure enthusiasm to a cautious, awkward gentleness.
When they looked at me and Cluru, it was as if we were wounded deer caught in a hunter’s trap.
“Junior Sister, don’t be afraid.”
That Senior Brother put away the honeydew.
“Now that you’re at Tai Ming Liang, Tai Ming Liang will always have your back. No one will ever bully you again.”
“Liar!” I puffed up my petite body, shielding Cluru behind me. “Stop pretending!”
The more frightened and resistant I looked, the more sympathetic their gazes became.
“This honeydew will always be saved for you two. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters won’t bother you for now. Let’s disperse, everyone, let’s not scare them anymore.”
And with that, they really did leave.
Though their eyes still kept glancing our way from time to time.
“No… don’t…” Cluru stared pitifully at the departing honeydew jug. “I didn’t even get to try it…”
“All you think about is food. You almost lost a kidney just now, do you know that?” I scolded, displeased.
“Drinking whatever people give you will only get you hurt! This is the Realm of Cultivation! Realm of Cultivation! People kill without blinking!”
“Wuuu—wuuu—” Cluru sniffled, took out a box, and crawled inside.
She shut herself in.
“Being careful is never a bad thing. If a stranger gives you something, it’s best not to drink it! It’s just honeydew— I’ll make you some when we get back.”
Yihe Peak Lord Xuan Yang looked on at our interaction, half laughing and half exasperated.
“You, you overthink things,” Xuan Yang shook his head.
“Xiao Ming, come here. Take your two Junior Sisters north and find a quiet, new house for them. Don’t make them squeeze in with all those rough fellows.”
“Understood.”
Xiao Ming, one of the gatekeeping disciples from before, a chubby boy with a kind face.
He nodded and gestured for us to follow.
“Oh, and give them two copies of our Taiming Sect’s cultivation manuals.”
“Got it, I just picked them up from Jing Ge.”
“Mm.” Xuan Yang looked at us.
“If you have any questions while cultivating, just ask Senior Brother Xiao Ming. If he doesn’t know, come find me.”
We nodded.
Yeah, that sort of situation was unlikely to happen.
“Go on, focus on cultivating. Once you’re strong enough, you can join Tai Ming Liang’s field team and seek revenge on those who bullied you with your own hands.”
With that, Xuan Yang left.
“……”
He left?
Everyone’s gone?
How odd. Is there really no trap?
Impossible! I don’t believe it!
They must be setting a long-term snare for us!
“How long is our bet supposed to last?” Cluru sidled up with ill intent.
“Three months!” I replied irritably. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely catch these villains in the act!”
“Good luck~” Cluru cheered with a grin, clapping her hands.
Senior Brother Xiao Ming led us to a spot halfway up Yihe Peak, just a bit below the clouds.
It was a spacious bamboo house.
“Above the clouds is too sunny, within the clouds too damp— below the clouds is just right. You’ll stay here for now.”
I nodded suspiciously.
It made sense, but being below the clouds would block our line of sight—if someone attacked from above, we wouldn’t see it coming.
Hmph, see? There’s the flaw.
I smirked to myself, though the evidence was still far from conclusive. This was just a guess.
“These are your manuals. One for each of you. If you feel unwell while practicing, stop immediately to avoid getting inner blockages or suffering qi deviation.”
I took the manual, the corners of my mouth curving up.
The evidence must be in this manual!
Many demon clans made ideal furnace bodies. If these people were evil, they’d definitely use the excuse of “giving you a manual” to slip me a demonic furnace technique.
That way, they could refine me into a furnace! Turning me into a plush toy that would grant experience to whoever did that kind of thing with me!
If I’m right, this has to be a demonic furnace manual!