“Ya! Sister, you’re out? Did you succeed in your breakthrough?”
Still caring for the two Luan Bird Chicks, Su Lingling saw her master and elder sister approaching and happily ran over.
Su Lingling gently circulated the spiritual energy in her body, smiling as she answered Su Qianqian’s question.
“Great! Sister really is the best!”
“Hey, Xiao Qing, don’t move around!”
As Su Lingling ran toward her sister and master, the Luan Bird Chick in her arms—Xiao Qing, who belonged to her sister—suddenly struggled free, fluttered in the air a few times, and landed right in front of Su Qianqian.
Seeing the little chick fall down, Su Qianqian hurriedly caught it and held it in her arms, while Xiao Qing in Su Qianqian’s embrace let out a comfortable chirp.
“Hehe, looks like she still likes you best, sister.”
“Gu gu~” The little Luan Bird in Su Qianqian’s arms seemed to agree and gave a soft coo at that moment.
Lin Muxue stood quietly to the side, her own contracted spirit beast, Qingxia, slowly flying to her side.
“Both of your disciples are excellent. I’m glad to see you finally starting to step out of your shadow. Your condition some time ago really worried me. After all, Muxue, you’re not someone who easily lets go…”
Lin Muxue’s gaze still did not leave Su Qianqian as she spoke casually about things Qingxia could not understand: “The things I lost have already been found. Everything can begin anew. I won’t let my disciples leave me again.”
Qingxia understood only vaguely, but she could sense that Lin Muxue’s state did not seem as recovered as she claimed; in fact, it seemed to be developing in some even less controllable direction…
Lin Muxue didn’t continue chatting with Qingxia. Instead, she walked up to her two disciples, who were still fooling around.
“It’s already late. Your cultivation is still shallow, and practicing too long can harm your bodies. Rest well tonight.”
After thinking a moment, Lin Muxue added, “Do you know how to play the Bamboo Flute? I can teach you.”
Hearing “Bamboo Flute,” Su Qianqian instantly caught the keyword, her body tensing up as she hurried to refuse. But Su Lingling was already selling her out…
“Bamboo Flute? Sister can play! I’ve heard her play a song before—it was beautiful!” Su Lingling immediately spoke up to Lin Muxue.
“What kind of song was it?” Lin Muxue asked Su Lingling with expectation in her heart.
Hearing Lin Muxue ask this, Su Qianqian only felt doomed, because in her memory, the song she played was one that would absolutely expose her!
“Um, it was just a very common tune. Lingling thought it was nice simply because she hadn’t heard it before. I only self-studied for a while a long time ago, and I’ve already forgotten all of it.”
Before Su Lingling could answer, Su Qianqian tried to cover for herself, but Lingling didn’t give her a chance at all…
“No way, it was really lovely! I remember the melody was very light and gentle. If I had to say… it sounded like longing for someone, and it felt like it needed other instruments to be complete…”
Su Lingling kept describing, and Su Qianqian’s heart was almost in her throat.
How had she never realized her little sister was so musically talented? Just hearing it once, she could describe it so accurately!
“Lingling, you’re really selling me out here…” Su Qianqian thought to herself.
Now, what Su Qianqian worried about most was that Lin Muxue would try to reproduce the tune on the spot—and if Su Lingling recognized it…
But fortunately, Lin Muxue just listened and nodded, not saying any more, though she already had an answer in her heart…
Lin Muxue then took out a beautifully crafted, emerald green Bamboo Flute—the sight of which made Su Qianqian’s feelings very complicated…
“Let me teach you again…”
A melodious tune drifted from that place, floating off into the distance…
……
But just at that moment, the City where Su Qianqian’s family lived, and its surrounding areas, were anything but peaceful.
The Royal Court Shadow Guard were on the move, searching for their target, vowing to carry out the Empress’s orders to the death.
A mysterious Intelligence Network hidden in the shadows was moving about nearby, seeking the person with a bounty on their head.
A woman dressed in a white gauze dress, as if waiting to be married, was weaving between the boundary of reality and illusion, searching for that familiar presence…
In recent days, many powerful auras had been wandering through the area, all seemingly searching for something.
And inside the Su Family residence, an inconspicuous little flower was sensing these newly arrived auras.
Far away, Lin Muxue, through a mark she’d left there in advance, sensed these presences and manipulated the flower to gradually conceal itself, leaving not a trace…
“This time, I won,” Lin Muxue thought to herself.
“Eh? Master, did you remember something happy? Your smile is so beautiful!”
“Sweet talker. Yes, I did think of something happy… I won a very important Competition.”
“Competition? What kind of Competition?”
Lin Muxue only smiled without answering, stroking the heads of Su Qianqian and Su Lingling.
“Qianqian, you have the basics. Can you play a tune for me now?”
“If you want to hear it, but it’s been a long time since I played. I’m probably very rusty.”
“It’s alright. Right now, I really want to hear your flute…”