Chapter 88: Withdrawn, Yet Not Completely

“Eh?”

What went wrong?

Yan Bingling froze, flustered and at a loss.

At most, she just wouldn’t hide her personal belongings anymore.

She would relearn how to be a good mother and teacher, and she would never speak for herself again.

What exactly did this child want to forgive her?

Yun Liu simply left like that, accompanied by Mister Canghai, his disciple, and his little steward.

The Five Peaks disciples exchanged glances, all with unpleasant expressions.

The biggest embarrassment was probably Head Lan, who fancied herself as the Second Mother.

Her dreams shattered on the spot, and she nearly fainted, unable to catch her breath.

You probably wouldn’t believe it, but she was even shamelessly planning to ask Mister Canghai for help after the selection tournament, hoping he’d concoct a Reversion Pill for Liu’er.

But things had long since spiraled out of control.

The Grand Elder’s face changed multiple times, unable to recover for a long time, even forgetting about the promotion selection…

When the dust settled, it felt like a different world.

Yun Liu strolled out of the Academy, finally tidying up the mess and feeling completely free, lighter all over, though his mind was still digesting the flood of information.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Youyou grinned mischievously.

Yun Liu shook his head helplessly, knowing the little girl had done all this just for him, aiming to fight his battles for him.

“Hehe, you’re my boss after all. If you lose face here, I naturally have to help you get it back. From now on, it won’t be me leading you to feast and drink, but me following you to eat meat and sip soup. I’ve staked everything on you!”

Yun Liu rubbed his temples.

That sounded like a lot of pressure, as if lying down wasn’t as peaceful as it looked.

The Shanhai Pavilion was such a massive organization.

Even a pavilion master of a single province bore a heavy burden.

“The master of an entire pavilion—you really think highly of me.”

“Do I? But I think no one else is more qualified than you. At least in East Pole Province, there’s only one as unique as you. How could I let you go?”

Youyou tilted her head, acting mature beyond her years.

She had all the time to wait for the little pavilion chief to grow up, and enough capital to protect Boss Yun in every way.

How long that would take, neither Yun Liu nor Mister Canghai knew.

The identity of the Shanhai Pavilion’s Kanban Girl was a mystery.

Her age was unknown, and she always appeared as an eternally young girl.

Her true status was far beyond a mere waitress.

On a broader scale, she seemed to hold considerable influence, at least enough to decide who could become a pavilion master—even if that person was a weak sixteen-year-old boy.

Just as Yun Liu was about to head toward the Sect Gate, Youyou pulled him back.

Strictly speaking, he no longer belonged there.

“You’re going the wrong way. Our stall is in that direction!”

The little girl pointed toward Shenhua Pavilion, her face flushed with excitement, eager to see Boss’s reaction.

The “surprise” wasn’t over yet.

The so-called Master of Jueyun Peak was utterly confused as the little girl led him into the market, Mister Canghai and his disciple following behind with smiles, unhurried.

Soon, Yun Liu noticed something unusual about today’s pavilion street.

Looking down from the peak of the clouds, the Shenhua Cloud Mansion’s Sect Gate formed a circular barrier.

The Four Academies were scattered among the peaks, guarding the five Sword Peaks.

On the left and right were Heavenly Phenomena Peak and Sunset Peak. Clear Mist Peak and Mist Veil Peak lay deep behind, while the First Peak, Zhuiyun Yun Peak, stood in the center.

But now, at the end of Shenhua Pavilion’s street, a treasure pagoda had inexplicably risen.

The Mist City Shanhai Pavilion branch had been relocated here by the Pavilion Deacon Kanban Girl.

The once empty Summon Wind Terrace suddenly sprouted a Cangcui Sword Peak, radiating a strong spiritual aura.

“That’s Jueyun Peak, Master.”

The sixth Sword Peak emerged from the mist. It was not one of the Five Peaks, yet it was deeply rooted in the Sea of Clouds, standing somewhat apart from the Shenhua Sect.

Clearly, this was Youyou’s gift to Boss—more generous than the immortal masters of Penghu Island.

Yun Liu’s mouth twitched.

The Kanban Girl’s powers were truly formidable—she had actually moved an entire mountain, right under the Sect Master’s nose.

How brazen!

“What are you up to?”

“The Cloud Sea’s spiritual veins converge here. This is the best land in East Pole Province. I negotiated with that old sweeper for a long time before sealing the deal. Don’t you like it?”

Youyou pouted innocently, shrugging.

The deed and all paperwork were complete and handed over to Boss, bought outright in the name of Shanhai Pavilion—extremely domineering.

This place was free from Shenhua’s control and the Zhusheng Dynasty’s jurisdiction.

It was forcibly carved out from the heart of the Sea of Clouds, a self-contained territory.

Here, they could enjoy the Cloud Sea’s blessed spiritual veins while hidden within the Shenhua Sect’s great formation, making it an absolutely neutral and safe zone.

“This isn’t about liking or not liking…”

Yun Liu’s face stiffened, his gaze dull. No wonder Youyou told him not to leave.

Now that he had just stepped down from Heavenly Phenomena Peak, he was immediately going to operate at the neighboring peak. How could he possibly leave?

The little steward seemed to have misunderstood and simply moved the home to the Sea of Clouds, saving Boss the commute back and forth.

Thoughtful as it was, it put Yun Liu in a rather awkward position.

To quit the sect but not fully quit, and to end up a permanent resident of the Sea of Clouds?

A purple-clad girl covered her mouth to stifle laughter, seemingly guessing the boy’s thoughts.

She said fiercely, “I know what you want to say. I came here to help you teach them a lesson. You can’t leave. If you leave, how can you face their hypocritical smiles? It would be like you were kicked out of the sect! You can’t leave. You have to stay and slap their faces. From now on, the higher this pagoda grows, the more glorious Jueyun Peak becomes, the more they’ll regret it!”

Youyou clearly stood on Yun Liu’s side, moving the stall out of Mist City, drawing a clear line between Boss and the Xiao Family.

“………”

Yun Liu rolled his eyes, his smile weak.

Youyou was mischievous but endearing, impossible not to love, yet all he wanted was to hold onto the iron rice bowl and nestle in the Kanban Girl’s arms.

Now, he had unexpectedly become a big shot with a reputation.

Everyone in East Pole Province, from immortal gates and caves to worldly nobles, scrambled to curry favor with him. He was truly busy.

How had it come to this?

Youyou was undoubtedly the street-smart big sister, already having written a comeback script for the boss.

She had dispensed a Heaven-grade Foundation Establishment Pill to those who looked down on Yun Liu and chased them away.

But how would the adorable little steward, who staked everything just to fight for the boss’s dignity, repay her?

Whether he understood or not didn’t matter.

This deserved applause.

Youyou sniffed, silently proud and accomplished.

She was wholeheartedly loyal to Boss Yun and had restrained herself well.

If she wished, changing the ownership of the Cloud Sea and driving out these rabble from East Pole Province wouldn’t be difficult at all!

Mister Canghai watched this quietly and chuckled.

This was interesting indeed.

Whether the downfall of Shenhua Sect was a blessing or a curse now rested on the sect’s outcast’s decision—it truly was fate’s whim.

With things at this point, Yun Liu sighed and had nothing more to say.

After all, Youyou’s intentions were kind.

This also made it easier for the fallen Master to strike at night, and pulling in the Mistress of Xiangfang Pavilion as housekeeper should be simpler.

In the future, there would be no need to travel halfway across the map to visit home.

The two of them walked leisurely through the pavilion.

As the stall relocated and opened for business, it immediately attracted many visitors.

This also benefited the Shenhua disciples.

The presence of Shanhai Pavilion was the largest traffic hub in the nine provinces, bringing plenty of business to Shenhua Pavilion’s shops.

Only the Mist City lord and passing cultivators suffered.

Since Shanhai Pavilion had moved, any urgent matters would now require ascending the mountain to visit the Master of Jueyun Peak.

Youyou busied herself inside the pavilion, while Yun Liu ascended the main building to overlook the Sea of Clouds.

The same breathtaking scenery, yet past and present gazed back differently, stirring a myriad of emotions.