“The weather has been so dry lately; my skin is starting to crack.”
Ji Shiyu stretched out her hands.
Her thin hands were white and tender, yet they seemed to be in dire need of some skincare products.
The silly girl seemed to be talking to herself, yet she kept glancing over here, lingering instead of leaving.
Yun Liu flipped through the Records of Kyushu Scenery, completely failing to understand what she was trying to express.
Just a moment ago, she had said the Sea of Clouds was too humid, and now she was complaining about it being dry enough to crack her skin.
So, was it dry or not?
“Drink more hot water.”
Ji Shiyu’s mouth twitched.
She held up a single index finger, leaned over the table, and said, “Teacher, have you noticed anything different about me today? A little hint: make good use of your amazing sense of smell!”
Yun Liu took a casual sniff and remarked, “I smell roasted suckling pig. You’re eating such greasy food so early in the morning?”
“That’s not the point! I didn’t apply any scented balm today because — I — ran — out!”
Ji Shiyu’s face flushed red as she stomped her foot in frustration.
While that was true, the winner of the annual King of Big Stomachs Challenge never missed an opportunity for an overlord meal.
It was likely that the branch of the Eight Directions Eatery would soon regret moving to the Sea of Clouds.
“If you’re out, go buy some. Oh, I get it now. You’ve run out of Spirit Stones again, haven’t you? You really are a ‘Moonlight Beauty’ — you can’t save a single cent.”
Yun Liu shook his head, referring to the “exceptional talent” who spent her entire salary by the start of the month.
Qin Xing spent all year accompanied by Spirit material, so hugging her naturally released a medicinal fragrance; she was probably marinated in it.
The yellow-haired girl, on the other hand, always smelled of various types of meat, which suited her style perfectly.
No amount of expensive cosmetics could mask her essence as a foodie.
“…”
Ji Shiyu spent a long time trying to wear him down, but she failed to drop the hint successfully.
Instead, she was left fuming.
Despite the yellow-haired girl having her wallet emptied right after leaving the Newbie Village, the young master of Sky Manifestation used to live a very refined life, and her favorite fragrance was the Sunset Lotus.
“Teacher, you big idiot!”
Ji Shiyu puffed out her cheeks and let out a loud shout.
Without waiting for her sworn father to hand out relief funds, she bolted out the door.
“Huh?”
Watching the slender back of the young girl, Yun Liu fell into thought just as he was about to pull out some money.
‘She’s gotten bold. Imagine being that arrogant while asking for a loan.’
However, for a split second just now, he actually thought… she was kind of cute?
Eek!
Yun Liu shuddered, attributing the hallucination to the Sacred Fire going to his head.
His Demon-fallen Master had forcefully pushed open the door to the adult world for him.
The Bright Sovereign was only at the minor achievement stage, yet even the yellow-haired girl was starting to look delicious.
If he continued his cultivation, would he even spare Mu Zhu?
The Demonic Art of the Holy Sect was truly terrifying!
Originally, Heavenly Walk and Bright Radiance counterbalanced each other, allowing his internal breath and external techniques to flow harmoniously.
Now, the scales were beginning to tilt to one side, and his self-control was worsening.
This was not good.
Ao Tian fluttered his wings and looked at Yun Liu.
He seemed to have something to say but held back, eventually flying out the door.
The attentive Senior Sister Qin had noticed it long ago, yet Yun Liu hadn’t sensed Shiyu’s abnormality at all.
Should he remind him?
Recently, the Phoenix Hatchling had been quite well-behaved, not daring to cause any trouble.
The clever plan to acknowledge him as a father might end up being a failure.
Shiyu’s bad habit of wanting to be physically close to girls seemed to have been cured, but a new and more serious condition had emerged.
The silly girl, who had depended on her mother since childhood, suddenly had someone to lean on.
‘She couldn’t be developing a father complex, could she?’
The Queen of the Sky could no longer find any joy…
Outside the door, Xiao Xinran saw this scene before she could even knock.
Ji Shiyu ran off in a huff without even saying hello.
She froze for a moment, poked her head in, and hopped inside.
“What happened to her?”
Yun Liu shrugged.
“I don’t know. Maybe she ate too many bugs.”
Xiao Xinran stuck out her tongue.
After reporting to her Master in detail, she had been severely scolded.
Only then did she realize how terrifying the Blood-Sucking Hex was; she had truly brushed past the gates of hell.
However, she didn’t regret it one bit.
If the roles were reversed, Xiao Yun would have risked his life for her just the same.
From now on, it was her turn to protect him.
“Ah, I improved the Sword Riding technique according to what you said! I’ve already grasped the essentials of the Second Layer of the Sunset Sword Classic. Master even praised me for making great progress!”
Xiao Xinran placed her hands behind her back, looking blissful.
As soon as class was over, she didn’t even bother patrolling the Sea of Clouds before running over to share this joy.
The Instructors of various departments and the Senior Brothers and Sisters had been full of praise for her.
Their joint effort in destroying the Nili Magic Golem was even more admirable.
Everyone was looking forward to her performance in the Great Competition.
“You realized it yourself. It has nothing to do with me.”
Yun Liu tapped his temple.
He had merely offered a brief reminder while Qin Yao was guiding the two of them in their sword practice — his words had been few and far between.
Xiao Xinran pouted.
This wasn’t the first time she had been rebuffed, so she quickly recovered her energy.
When the conversation turned to the annual focus, the Sword Duel Conference, her words were filled with a desire for guidance.
She wanted specific private tutoring to achieve good results.
Just like — just like Jing Tan’er!
Yun Liu didn’t hear a single word.
His gaze drifted unintentionally over the young girl’s developing body, and he fell into another daze.
He was at a vigorous age, and after one night, the way he looked at the Cloudsea Trio of Fools had changed.
The childhood friend next door was growing up, her whole body radiating a youthful aura, like a bud about to bloom.
His ex-wife’s beauty was warm and full of vitality; it was the most beautiful season, tempting one to pluck.
“Xiao Yun? Xiao Yun! Are you even listening!”
Xiao Xinran slapped the table, startling Yun Liu.
He coughed to hide his embarrassment and suddenly remembered something, pulling out several exquisite boxes.
“Oh, right. I almost forgot.”
“New scented powder from Cloud Dream Manor? Is it for me!”
To a girl, a personal item like this was much more pleasing than a Spirit Pill or Divine Medicine.
Xiao Xinran cheered with a sweet smile, but her face fell after hearing his next sentence.
“This one is for Huo Tian Tian, this one is for Mr. Kuai, and this one is for Ji Shiyu. I forgot to give it to her just now, so please help me pass it along.”
They were all loyal customers who had contributed significantly to Jueyun Peak’s sales.
This was an annual gratitude giveaway, and everyone had a share.
He hadn’t even forgotten the little sisters at the Rosy Fragrance Pavilion.
The souvenirs were all different, novel and unique.
The hot-selling products of Cloud Dream Manor were equally popular among the Nüxiu.
‘So I’m not special… fine, it’s better than nothing.’
Xiao Xinran carefully tucked the gift away.
Becoming exceptionally diligent, she waved goodbye and went off to patrol.
A Sword Guard on duty couldn’t leave their post for too long.
In the blink of an eye, a new semester had begun.
The girls carrying dreams of becoming a Sword Immortal returned to their peaceful Academy life, but this tranquility did not belong to the dropout of Celestial Phenomena Peak.
Just after seeing off Miss Xiao, before he could relax, Miss Lin’s voice came from outside, saying that two Masters from the Sea of Clouds were visiting Jueyun Peak.
“You didn’t even make a sound when you got back. I had to hear about it from Cha’er before coming to visit a busy man like you personally?”
The voice arrived before the person did.
Ge Erniang had that kind of presence.
Yun Liu stood up in surprise and gave a slight bow.
“Greetings, Head of Qingxia Peak.”
“Brat, there’s no need to be so formal in private. I heard you suffered quite a lot out there this time. Come on, jump into your Second Mother’s arms and cry for milk like you used to!”
Gelan opened her arms wide, lording over the room with her bountiful chest.
As for the dignity of a teacher? It didn’t exist.