"Yijing pays respects to Uncle Master Zhao, your praise is too kind. After being in seclusion for the better part of a year, if my cultivation didn’t improve at all, I would be undeserving of my master’s teachings,"
responded Zhao Yijing with a bow to Zhao Rushi. Her gaze, however, wandered behind Zhao Rushi and Xu Lianyu, as if she were looking for someone. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Nove1Fire.net
"Uncle Master, Junior Sister, have you seen my junior disciple?"
Zhao Yijing asked directly, her heart contemplating that she had clearly seen Lin Chen heading in the direction of Crimson Dawn Peak; surely Uncle Master Zhao wouldn’t hide Lin Chen.
"Your junior disciple? It seems I haven’t seen him. What’s the matter? Has he done something wrong? You look worried. Are you trying to catch him to reprimand him?"
asked Zhao Rushi curiously as she observed Zhao Yijing’s demeanor.
Zhao Yijing’s facial expression became somewhat unusual, but it wasn’t worry; it was a hint of annoyance.
However, Zhao Rushi had seen through her thoughts, and Zhao Yijing immediately thought of the incident where Lin Chen had seen her barely clothed. Instantly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Zhao Rushi was a woman too, and one with meticulous thoughts. Seeing Zhao Yijing show a shy expression at her words, Zhao Rushi immediately knew that this scoundrel Lin Chen must have done something shameful to his senior sister.
With this thought, Zhao Rushi looked at Wang Yilin, feeling even more reluctant to let her get close to Lin Chen. However, she understood Wang Yilin’s temperament all too well. If she forcefully told Wang Yilin not to get close to Lin Chen, given her stubbornness, she would only try harder to do so. It seemed best to let things take their own course.
Hearing Zhao Rushi’s words made Zhao Yijing frown slightly. What did she mean by saying she ’seemed’ not to have seen Lin Chen? Given Zhao Rushi’s strong cultivation, a casual sweep with her divine sense over Crimson Dawn Peak would surely make it impossible for Lin Chen to evade.
Observing Zhao Rushi’s secretive glances, could it be that Uncle Master Zhao has some kind of leverage in the hands of her junior disciple and thus found it inconvenient to disclose Lin Chen’s whereabouts?
Unbeknownst to Zhao Yijing, she had guessed correctly. Zhao Rushi was indeed worried that if she revealed Lin Chen’s location, that guy might move the formation he had set up in the Alchemy Room.
Lin Chen’s words earlier had been clear enough; he didn’t want to waste the materials to set up a second formation. That could only mean he intended to use the Alchemy Room that already contained the formation.
"If that’s the case, then I will take my leave first."
Zhao Yijing glanced at the tightly closed Shi Men behind Zhao Rushi and quickly left. Even if Lin Chen could avoid the first day, he wouldn’t escape the fifteenth. She didn’t believe Lin Chen could keep hiding indefinitely.
"Alright, your senior sister has left. There’s no need to hide now; I haven’t betrayed you,"
Zhao Rushi said indifferently after Zhao Yijing had gone.
Lin Chen emerged from the Alchemy Room with disbelief and relief. After confirming that Zhao Yijing was truly gone, he sighed in relief, feeling as though he had just walked through Ghost Gate Pass.
After all, with the incident that transpired, if he were really caught by the eldest senior sister Zhao Yijing, he had no idea how he’d be disciplined. Even Xu Lingyu was afraid of this senior sister.
"Look at you, did you provoke your eldest senior sister?"
"What bad thing have you done? Your senior sister just now seemed quite angry, and yet a bit bashful. You didn’t happen to peek at her bathing, did you?"
Lin Chen was almost shocked speechless by her words, which seemed so lewd. The point was, she had actually guessed it right. Yet Lin Chen swore that although he had seen it, it was absolutely not intentional but merely a fortuitous accident.
"It’s true, you young people sure know how to have extravagant fun,"
Zhao Rushi revealed a gossip-filled smile, then glanced at Wang Yilin and secretly thought that by tarnishing Lin Chen’s image in front of her disciple, she wouldn’t be fascinated with him anymore...
The poison in Yang Yuemin had just been cleansed, and although she had been in seclusion for recuperation, she realized that today was the day her eldest disciple, Zhao Yijing, was due to emerge from seclusion. Despite being a rather hands-off master, she felt it was her obligation to check how Zhao Yijing’s cultivation was progressing and if there was anything that required her guidance.
However, when she arrived at Zhao Yijing’s courtyard, she saw a large, fresh-looking pit in the ground, likely made within the last few days.
Could it be that her eldest disciple had just come out of seclusion and decided to test her strength in her own yard?
In Yang Yuemin’s mind, her eldest disciple was not of that temperament.
"Did your senior sister cause this hole?"
"And your junior brother who went to the Spirit Martial Pavilion to get a Martial Arts Skill hasn’t returned yet, has he?"
Noticing that Lin Chen was not around and only Xu Lianyu was present, she asked what had happened.
At that moment, Xu Lianyu, clutching her little butt, didn’t know how to respond to Yang Yuemin’s question.
In fact, to this day, Yang Yuemin still didn’t know which room Lin Chen was staying in.
There were many courtyards on Jade Bird Peak, and the one before her was known as Plum Blossom Garden. The entire garden was filled with plum blossoms, with over twenty rooms in total.
However, Xu Lianyu, feeling particularly mischievous at the time, had not taken Lin Chen to an empty room to settle down when he arrived at Jade Bird Peak. Instead, she brought Lin Chen to her senior sister’s room.
At the time, Xu Lianyu just wanted to play a joke on her junior brother. But she never expected that he would fail to realize it was a girl’s boudoir.
That led to the subsequent events. Xu Lianyu was also punished, and her butt was still hurting now; her senior sister had indeed given her a good scolding.
Xu Lianyu really wanted to say that the big hole was made by her senior sister, and it was caused by fighting with their junior brother.
But by doing so, if her master found out about her prank on her junior brother, she feared she’d be blamed and punished again.
"Junior brother, junior brother, he went to Crimson Dawn Peak, and it seems senior sister went there too. I’m grounded, so I couldn’t go,"
Xu Lianyu hurriedly changed the subject.
Upon hearing this, Yang Yuemin nodded and then left.
At this moment, Lin Chen was in the Alchemy Room on Crimson Dawn Peak, completely absorbed in refining an elixir, while Zhao Rushi watched by the side, waiting to see Lin Chen make a fool of himself.