Zanxing could hear her own heartbeat, pounding rapidly and forcefully.
She murmured, “Didn’t you say that the illusion could last for one or two hours?”
Gu Baiying was startled, his Adam’s apple moved, and he quickly turned his head away, a flash of anger in his eyes. “You… stay away from me!”
“Junior Sister! Junior Sister!”
Before Zanxing could react, she heard someone calling her name from behind. She turned around and saw Tian Fangfang standing not far away, staring at the two of them with a somewhat embarrassed expression. ��Junior Sister, sorry, I didn’t know you and Senior Uncle were… were… What are you two doing?!”
Gu Baiying came to his senses and pushed Zanxing away from him, straightening his collar and emphasizing to Tian Fangfang with a heavier tone, “I’m teaching Yang Zanxing illusion techniques.”
“Yes, yes,” Zanxing hurriedly nodded in agreement, “Senior Uncle is teaching me illusion techniques.” As soon as she finished speaking, she secretly cursed herself. It was just teaching illusion techniques, why did she sound so guilty?
Anyone who saw this would think they were doing something else here.
“Oh,” Tian Fangfang nodded in understanding and laughed heartily, “Learning illusion techniques is good, very good.”
Zanxing asked, “Senior Brother, were you looking for me?”
“People from Yuecheng have arrived,” Tian Fangfang remembered his purpose and quickly said, “Junior Brother asked me to come tell you. Do you want to go back and take a look?”
Zanxing glanced at Gu Baiying.
Gu Baiying waved his hand, as if he couldn’t wait for her to leave.
“Then I’ll go now,” Zanxing took two steps forward and then suddenly turned around, startling Gu Baiying. She winked at him, “Senior Uncle, let’s practice again tomorrow. Don’t forget.”
After she left, Gu Baiying let out a long sigh of relief. He lowered his gaze and looked at the green bell in his hand, his brow slowly furrowing.
The bell had rung once again.
It wasn’t an illusion.
*
In the courtyard of Miaokong Hall, Old Niu was being led around by Hong Su, his eyes full of wonder.
“This persimmon tree in the courtyard of the Eldest Miss is the largest in the entire Taiyan Sect, showing how much the sect values her. Not only that, Young Master Mu also lives in our hall and is the Eldest Miss’s senior brother. Moreover, in the hall next to ours, there’s a young cultivator, Gu Baiying, who, despite his young age, is exceptionally handsome, even more so than Young Master Mu. The Eldest Miss has promised me that Gu Baiying will be my future husband. Uncle Niu, just think, our family might have two sons-in-law in the future. If this news reaches Yuecheng, it will surely make others envious!”
Zanxing had just stepped into the courtyard when she heard this, and she couldn’t help but ponder. It turned out that in Hong Su’s heart, the more sons-in-law, the better. She had never realized that this usually sweet and adorable girl had such wild ideas.
She entered the house and called out, “Uncle Niu.”
Lao Niu turned around and saw Zanxing. He was stunned for a moment, seemingly unable to recognize her. After a while, tears streamed down his face as he spoke, “Eldest Miss? This old servant’s eyes must be failing me; I almost didn’t recognize you at first. This sect really does nourish people. Eldest Miss, you look so different from before!”
Perhaps it was because the fruits in the cultivation world were truly nourishing, or maybe it was because cultivation naturally broadened one’s horizons and knowledge. Though her appearance remained the same, her demeanor was completely different. Zanxing now seemed less delicate and charming but more gentle and bright.
Delicacy would elicit pity, while brightness would garner affection.
“Have you had a hard time coming here? Is everything at home okay?” Zanxing asked.
Not long after Hong Su had come to Mount Gufeng, Old Niu had returned to Yuecheng. From what she had heard from Hong Su, in the common households of the Yang Family in Duzhou Continent, sons were often valued over daughters, and the Yang family was no exception. Master Yang had many children and raised Zanxing like a pet, waiting for the day to marry her off to become the wife of the Young City Lord of Yuecheng.
“It’s no trouble at all, thanks to you, Eldest Miss, everything at home is well. Now, our Yang family is quite proud in Yuecheng. Many families with daughters are starting to have them cultivate, saying that after hearing about your achievements, they believe daughters can also enter sects and bring honor to their families.”
“Really?” Zanxing thought to herself, pleasantly surprised.
“Yes, really. This time, besides coming to see you, I also brought some of your favorite food and clothes. Master said that while the sect has everything, with so many disciples, they might not be able to take care of everyone. These are the master’s and madam’s intentions.”
Zanxing looked at the room full of boxes, feeling a bit of a headache. It was just the family’s kindness, so she had to accept them.
After chatting with Old Niu for a while, Hong Su took him to rest in his room. Zanxing opened the boxes in the room. One box was full of snacks, another with cosmetics, one with silk and ready-made clothes, and another surprisingly with books.
Zanxing sighed, “How thoughtful.”
Did Master Yang think she came to Taiyan Sect for a vacation?
The happiest one was Mimi, the Silver Moon Lion, who, like a house cat, loved boxes. With four boxes, it immediately started rolling around in each one. Zanxing put away the box of cosmetics first, thinking they would hardly be used; it was difficult to get even four hours of sleep daily in the sect, let alone time for makeup.
She pulled Mimi out of the clothes, picked up a piece of silk, and examined it. The golden threads and intricate embroidery were more elaborate than Master Shaoyang’s robes. Wearing it in the sect would be too eye-catching and impractical, so it had to be put away.
She decided to keep the food. As for the books…
The library of Taiyan Sect was already very well-stocked. Zanxing sat down by the box of books and randomly picked one up, seeing the title “Strange Tales from the Demon World.”
It seemed Miss Yang was a fan of light reading.
She picked up another book, with an even more sensational title: “Confessions of a Demon Queen: On the Night of My Wedding, I Discovered My Husband’s Illegitimate Son.”
The titles of leisure books in the cultivation world certainly knew how to grab attention.
Another book, “A Fun Guide to Demon Dialects.”
Zanxing: “…”
She felt something was off. Wasn’t Miss Yang a bit too interested in demon-related topics? Weren’t these books banned in the cultivation world of Duzhou?
Zanxing picked up another book. As soon as she saw it, she froze; she had read it in the library before. It was called “Remembering History: Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Demons’ Defeat.”
Defeat? Wasn’t it supposed to be a ‘Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Victory of the Human and Demon War’?
Hesitating, Zanxing opened the first page.
“All demons should remember this day as a day of shame for our entire race.”
With a bang, Zanxing closed the box lid, unable to hide her shock.
Something big had happened!