Black Bellied Belle: Demon Lord, Bite the Bait Please

Ch. 151-160

Chapter 151: Doesn't Look Like A Good Person At All

The person on the opposite window turned out to be a stunned Yan Xi Wu.

Another person then came walking over and upon seeing Yan Xi Wu standing there in a daze, she then followed Yan Xi Wu's gaze and immediately broke into a smile. "Qing Yu, seems like we'll be staying right across from you from now on."

"Lai Lai! What a coincidence!" Qing Yu said and then raised up an eyebrow thoughtfully. [Why have the three of them been allocated together in the same place? And was just staying right across from her.]

Mu Lai on the other side then curled her lips up in a smile. "I was initially placed at another place. But I told the teacher that if they do not let me live close to you, I will then go join the Martial Arts Department and he immediately agreed to it."

Her teacher was Elder Jin and knowing that she was good friends with Qing Yu, together with the fact that he liked Mu Lai very much as she was an outstanding genius with surpassing skill in both martial arts and medicine, he was quite ready to be lenient and to indulge her.

Just the thought that he would lose such a great talent for her to go join the Martial Arts Department and be under that damned old man he was at loggerheads with, how could Elder Jin possibly bear to see that? Hence he had immediately agreed to Mu Lai's request.

Hearing those words, Qing Yu could not help but laugh, and then blinked her eyes with a mischievous glint. "In future when we cannot sleep at night, you can just come over for a chat."

Mu Lai's eyes brightened. "That's a great idea."

The different departments in the Faint Mist Sect were separate and independent, with about ten meters' distance between them.

The Deviant Department has the least number of members and there were no teachers in this department. That was because the people in there were unique geniuses in their own right from different corners of the lands and due to the rarity and unique nature of their profession and skill, there wasn't any teacher of a high enough level to coach them in their areas of expertise.

Even if there was, he would not be able to rein in such an arrogant and unrestrainable bunch and they would only defer to Feng Tian Hen completely.

It had been so many years since this motley bunch had joined the Deviant Department but the number of times they have seen Feng Tian Hen was less than what they could count on the fingers on their two hands. So the moment they heard that Feng Tian Hen had come back, every single one of them was greatly excited and they were all standing in anticipation as they craned their necks around to look, hoping to welcome their Chief back, but they did not see anyone even after waiting for a good part of the day.

It was after a long while that they finally saw someone walking towards them from afar. Before they could get their hopes up, they all them lowered their heads mournfully, their faces staring in displeasure at the person approaching.

The expression on Su Li Mo's face was indignant. [Why is the whole lot of them looking at him like that?]

But he still did not forget his purpose in coming here. He cleared his throat and then said: "You little brats, your Senior came here today to bring you good news."

The contempt in everyone's eyes then grew stronger.

[This fella has merely joined a few years before them and was only older than them by those few years. But he is always going around acting like he was their senior and did he just all them little brats?]

[If it wasn't for the fact that he was on rather good terms with the Chief, they would have given him a good thrashing already.]

Su Li Mo was needled by their gazes and he immediately became disgruntled. "If the lot of you continue to stare so rudely at me, then I will not tell you the good news I have brought!"

"Isn't it only that Chief has come back!? Tsk, we already know that." An adorable doll faced young girl with a rounded figure said with a pout, the expression on her face looking unimpressed as she spoke.

"Heh, that's not what I came here to tell you." Su Li Mo raised an eyebrow. "All of you are probably unaware that a prodigious young lady showed up in this year's recruitment trials?"

"A prodigy? Which one of us here in the Deviant Department isn't a prodigy? Senior, I think you're getting old and that is why you are thinking that it is that incredible." The person who said that was a handsome looking man who was extremely gentle and reserved, his long and slanted peach blossom like eyes highly enchanting, his looks more beautiful than a woman's.

Su Li Mo did not get angry but laughed and said: "Don't come complain that Senior did not remind you. During today's trials, this young lady had three different departments fighting for her but in the end, our Chief managed to recruit her into our Deviant Department. So from today onwards, all of you will have another pretty little junior, and the lot of you had better not bully her!"

[He knew very well the kind of scoundrels this bunch were that was etched deep in their bones. When has any new recruit not been toyed half to death by this rowdy bunch?]

"Did you say it was our Chief who personally recruited her?" The doll faced girl who spoke earlier asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Not only her, but the others did not really believe it either. Because all of them had come here on their own and their Chief had never taken the initiative to recruit anyone himself. So their first reaction was to think that Su Li Mo had just been exaggerating.

Su Li Mo looked at their pitiful faces looking so downcast and his heart filled up with pity. "That's right, our Chief personally invited her and in order to show his sincerity, he even promised to teach her the puppetry technique. What I am trying to tell all of you here is that the young lady is not any ordinary prodigy, so you must probably fall out of favour soon."

That hit them like a bolt out of a clear sky!

At that moment, their hearts felt as if they were surging with tumultuous roaring waves, so stunned that they were not able to regain their senses for a long while.

And however intense the shock they were feeling then, or how hard they were finding it to accept that as the truth, an equal measure of enmity rose up within them towards the young lady they have not yet come to meet.

After Su Li Mo finished what he came here to say, he then walked off, gloating in his heart. Heh, of course he would not tell them everything. He was just feeling bored and was looking for some fun. Really wonder if that pretty little lass would be able to withstand the torment under the hands of this bunch of miscreants.

......

Just as Qing Yu had expected, Qing Bei succeeded in joining the Soul Cultivators Department. Of course Ming Yi Yi had helped by whispering good things into Ming Jing's ears and together with the fact that Qing Bei truly possessed great powers, Ming Jing had naturally welcomed his joining.

In the place that he had been allocated with, Qing Yu only knew the youth who was with Ming Yi Yi, the one named Lan Yu and the other two were strangers. Ming Yi Yi had probably been afraid that he might not be able to get adjusted to the new environment and was considerate enough to have Lan Yu share the room with him, so they can at least look out for each other a little.

After he was settled in, he immediately wanted to go look for Qing Yu, and to also see where she was staying.

But he had just passed through a pavilion when a rather familiar figure came walking towards him from afar. Although Qing Bei had not seen clearly who that person was, but his heart subconsciously wanted to avoid that figure. The idea had just popped into his head when he was suddenly called to a halt.

"Ay, that somebody there. Yes, you. Don't go away." Su Li Mo approached speedily, covering three steps' distance with just two. He had not expected the person that he had just been thinking of in his mind would suddenly appear right before him. Truly a case of wearing out a pair of iron boots in search to no avail. [Translator Note: Chinese proverb 踏破铁鞋无觅处得来全不费工夫 (tà pò tiě xié wú mì chù dé lái quán bù fèi gōng fu). Usually means: to travel far and wide looking for sth, only to suddenly find it easily without effort.]

A corner of Qing Bei's temple twitched, really wanting to pretend that he had not heard the guy. But that fella was suddenly already right in front of him in a flash and was blocking his way.

"I'll say kid, have you forgotten me already just because we've not met each other for a month? What are running away for? I wouldn't eat you up." Su Li Mo said with a highly imperceptible smile.

Qing Bei's good looking face grew grim. "What could Senior need from me?"

Having joined the Faint Mist Sect, no matter how unwilling, he still had to address him as Senior at least.

"Its nothing. Just saw a familiar face and thought to come say hi." Su Li Mo said pretentiously, and then acted indifferent as he continued to ask "Where is that kid that was with you the other time? Don't tell me he did not come!"

Qing Bei immediately felt his scalp crawl with an itch. He just knew that the fella had come to ask about Qing Yu's whereabouts. Afterall, back when they were at the Mystifying Bogs, he had hounded Qing Yu so hard, trying to make friends with her.

Although he was a little panicked in his heart, his face was a mask of calm as he asked the guy instead. "Why should he come?"

Su Li Mo was taken aback a moment by the question and then said scoffingly: "He really did not come? I don't believe you. You must be bluffing here. I could see that you were very close to that kid like the two of you are seldom seen apart. Since you are here in the Faint Mist Sect, he must definitely be here as well. Hurry up and tell me which department he is at so that I can also look out for him a little. We are afterall such old friends already."

The corner of Qing Bei's mouth tugged with a twitch. [This guy is claiming to be familiar with them one sidedly all on his own. Who is his old friend here?]

"He really did not come. Why would I lie to you for?"

Su Li Mo saw that he wasn't going to talk and his brows had just creased up and he was going to blow his top when the soft and gentle voice of a young lady sounded enchantingly behind him. "Little Bei, are you looking for me?"

Upon hearing that voice, Qing Bei's mind almost exploded on the spot. [This guy here is looking all around for her and she has suddenly turned up right before him?]

Su Li Mo did not recognize Qing Yu dressed in women's clothes and he greeted her smilingly. "Little young lady, the two of you know each other?"

Qing Yu raised an eyebrow and went on to disregard Su Li Mo as she looked at the youth behind the guy who was signalling to her with his eyes. She immediately caught on but she did not intend to hide it from him. Her cherry lips curved up into an indiscernible smile as she then said in a displeased tone.

"It seems this young master here not only likes to eavesdrop on other people's conversation but also likes to pick on junior disciples who have just joined the sect?"

That highly familiar tone and manner of speech with that languid and unruly smile, together with those devilishly alluring upslanted phoenix-like eyes, so beautiful with a face like a little seductive demoness.

Su Li Mo's mind blanked out for a good while before his pair of obsidian black eyes widened like he had just seen a ghost, and he said stuttering: "You..... You are..... You are that little brat?!"

[What kind of a manipulation was going on here?]

[This fella here is also a master of disguise? As a male, devilish and sinister, and as a female, alluringly beautiful, and nothing felt out of place at all!]

But it was soon clear to see that Qing Yu had overestimated the guy's intelligence. She had already expressed it so clearly but he was instead just standing there in a dumbfounded daze, the expression on his face changing endlessly before he stared at her with a highly conflicted gaze. "Who have you offended that made you not dare to meet people with your real face? Why have you dressed yourself up as a woman for..... It's just so weird."

Qing Yu nearly died laughing, driven up the wall by how dense he was being. A chicken and a duck really just cannot communicate.

If he doesn't get it, she was not going to explain it any further. She turned her eyes towards Qing Bei and said: 'Let us leave this place together." And she turned to walk away.

Qing Bei nodded and then quickly caught up, finally rid of that pesky guy.

Leaving Su Li Mo confused on his own, his mind in a whirl. [Did he say something wrong?]

After the pavilion became quiet, a white clothed figure then came walking slowly over, and it was the figure of Feng Tian Hen.

His pair of eyes gazed gently in the direction that the young lady had just departed into, not moving for a long time. It was not known how long had passed before he sighed softly. [Why did he want her so badly..... The urge was so strong that it was impossible to ignore.]

A voice suddenly rang out in his head. "She has always belonged to you."

Feng Tian Hen's body stiffened, and the bewildered look on his face turned clear.

......

The Gathered Cloud Loft's new premises was located on the peak directly opposite the Faint Mist Sect. It wasn't really that far away but neither could it be said to be close, requiring almost an hour's walk to reach there.

There was originally not that much people in these wild mountainous territories but it was not known who had leaked out the news of their new location as Qing Yu and Qing Bei discovered that the Gathered Cloud Loft's business was better than before when it had been in the capital city when they stepped into the place.

Qing Yu casually glanced around and unintentionally noticed several dark green clothed figures in a corner, their faces covered by masks of demonic monsters, a bunch of sinister and eerie looking men.

Chapter 152: Be Good. *Pat Head

Although they were seated in an inconspicuous corner, their strange dress still drew quite a number of curious gazes their way.

Qing Yu had similarly given them a couple of glances as well.

"Those are the Carefree Valley's Mystic grade assassins. You had better not keep staring at them so obviously." A slovenly lazy sounding voice sounded from behind, that was accompanied by a highly sleepy yawn.

Qing Yu turned around to look, and saw the grey robed man, Ling Shu that she had not seen for quite a long time. He was holding a pot of hot tea in one hand and a dish of delicately made snacks in the other as he came shuffling slowly over.

Qing Yu's eyes blinked in amazement. "You are actually awake and not snoring away?"

Since the day she knew this man, he was always sleeping at every moment. You can never hope to see him awake in the day but he stirs awake lively as a dragon once night falls, a night owl through and through.

Ling Shu gave another big long yawn and he very nearly dropped the snacks in his hand in a moment of distraction. He caught himself and steadied his hand nimbly, hurrying to quickly send the things he held to a table before giving a relieved sigh.

"I wouldn't do this if given a choice. Who asked my Lord to suddenly have this idea of wanting to move all of us here into this place. The other guys can't move so fast and have not reached yet, so I have to be replacement labour."

Ling Shu grumbled mournfully, and then narrowed his eyes conspiratorially. "I heard that you went to participate in the Faint Mist Sect's recruitment trials. You can secretly tell me here. Are you and the Lord of our house....."

His voice suddenly stopped, his face smiling slyly.

Qing Yu arched up an eyebrow quizzically. "Are we what?"

Ling Shu then smiled even more delightedly, as he looked at Qing Yu with eyes that Qing Yu found detestable looking. "You are one lass that really isn't too adorable are you? Do I really have to spell it out that clearly......"

He even went on to nudge her with his arm as if they were very close. "These things are very common and completely normal. I understand that and you do not have to feel embarrassed."

A corner of Qing Yu's mouth twitched, feeling uncomfortable all over being bumped by that guy. Moreover, she doesn't know the point that fella was trying to make with his self absorbed mutterings.

She was still suspecting whether her brain was too slow to understand it when she saw her younger brother looking at the guy like he was a lunatic. "What in the world is that guy talking about?"

So she wasn't the only one who doesn't understand.

"Ling Shu, have you lost your mind? Why are you smiling like an idiot!?" Having just come out from behind, Bai Zhi Yan ran right smack into that scene the moment he lifted his head and just could not help but say.

The man was not angered by Bai Zhi Yan's words that were intentionally insulting but just gave Bai Zhi Yan a mystifying glance before he threw out words that confounded everyone. "It's good enough that I alone know about these things. You can forget about trying to trick me into telling you anything."

And he immediately straightened up his back as he strutted proudly away.

Bai Zhi Yan didn't know what to say. "....." [How did he try to trick him at all??]

Qing Yu was at a loss for words. "....." [Why is she not able to understand what that fella is saying?]

Qing Bei was speechless. "....." [What a lunatic!]

"What did that fella just say to the two of you?" Bai Zhin Yan then asked them, his mind completely baffled.

Qing Yu thought about that for a moment and her lips then curved up as she smiled in polite embarrassment. "Truth to be told, I don't think I understand what he was saying at all."

"He might have a problem up here." Qing Bei said without any expression on his face as he pointed his finger to his head.

Bai Zhi Yan then smiled in agreement. "Mm. That's the way he is. If he does not get enough sleep in the day, he becomes rather abnormal, and it is common to see him saying strange things or doing all kinds of absurd things. It will be fine once you get used to it."

[Tsk, don't really want to get used to something so ridiculous. His condition is as frightening as walking in your sleep.]

In a room upstairs, Lou Jun Yao was studying the soul fragment that was kept in the Soul Nourishing Orb and it was clear to see that the originally frail and highly translucent soul fragment seemed to have become more substantial in the past few days.

There was a light knock of the door and Bai Zhi Yan's voice sounded. "The lass is here and she says she is looking for you."

Hearing that, Lou Jun Yao went over to open the door and stepped out of the room.

"Got into the Deviant Department?"

The tall well built figure came walking slowly in, his voice interrupting their conversation.

Qing Yu raised an eyebrow. "You are quite well informed."

The ends of Lou Jun Yao's lips lifted slightly as he went on to take a seat. His slender and well defined hand then poured out two cups of steaming hot tea. "This tea is brewed with water from snowy peaks. Have a taste."

Qing Yu's eyes lit up. "No wonder the smell is different." She brought the cup to her lips and took a light sip. "Very fragrant."

Qing Bei beside her took a sip as well, and found that it tasted rather good.

"After getting into the Faint Mist Sect, what kind of plans do you have?" Lou Jun Yao then opened his mouth to ask.

Qing Yu put down her cup and said slowly: "I can sense traces of my mother's soul fragments in there, and that is where I will start to work from first."

Qing Bei already knew about the things that have happened before and when he heard Qing Yu speak of it, the expression on his face did not change much.

Lou Jun Yao arched up an eyebrow. "You can really sense it? Was it during the trials earlier today?"

"I had felt it from a long time ago. It is probably due to us being linked in blood. I had not thought to come to the Faint Mist Sect before this but a voice inside kept telling me that I must definitely come." Qing Yu replied truthfully.

Lou Jun Yao nodded his head. "Since the location has been confirmed, then the search can commence. Now that you are a disciple in the Faint Mist Sect, it might not be entirely convenient for you to act as you please. I will go help you with it."

"Help me?" Qing Yu was a little surprised, and then became a little doubtful. "The Faint Mist Sect's mountain gates have some rather special functions and I fear that you would not be able to sneak your way inside that easily."

"I am not going to sneak my way in but will openly walk into the place." Lou Jun Yao said with a meaningful smile.

Towards the young lady's look of incomprehension, he stretched his palm out and a fiery red round token badge appeared, inscribed with the words Deviant Department Teacher, and a circle made up of seven shiny gold stars at the bottom.

Teachers were given different grades as well, and the highest grade there was was seven stars.

The Deviant Department had never had a teacher since its founding, so when Lou Jun Yao took that token badge out, Qing Yu was stunned for a few seconds. "This is a very good imitation! It looks really authentic!"

Lou Jun Yao smiled. "That is not a replica, but a seven star Teacher token badge that has been authenticated to be as real as it can ever get."

Qing Yu still looked as if she did not believe it as she glanced at him before taking the token from his hand to carefully inspect it, and to finally see three characters on the back of the token that read, Lou Bai Qian. (Translator Note: Bai Qian 百千, literal translation is Hundred, Thousand.)

"Who is Lou Bai Qian?"

"It's a fake name that I used in these low level lands in the past" The man said indifferently.

Qing Yu still did not look like she believed him completely. "Isn't the name you gave yourself..... a little too haphazard? Why not Qian Wan then?" (Translator Note: Qian Wan 千万, literal translation is Thousand, Ten Thousand.)

"Qian Wan will sound too tacky. The sound of that will hint too strongly of the stench of money wouldn't it?" Lou Jun Yao said with disdain.

Qing Yu was greatly amused by his reply. [So Bai Qian does not stink with the stench of money then?]

Qing Bei's eyes then turned away from that man and he thought to himself in his heart. [Except for the first time that he saw this man where he found him frightening, he seems to be quite an amiable fella in private.]

After hearing that the man was a long lost friend of his mother's and that they were on very good terms, together with the fact that he was conscientiously helping to find his mother's scattered soul fragments, he no longer felt any enmity towards the man in such a situation.

It seemed to him that they still had more things to talk about and Qing Bei stood up to say: "I would like to go walkabout downstairs."

Qing Yu raised her eyes to look at him. "Mm. Then you wait for me downstairs and do not stray too far off."

Qing Bei agreed and then went walking out.

Lou Jun Yao found that scene a little amusing. "Aren't the two of you twins? You are both the same age but why are you always acting so old and matured but he is acting like a kid in front of you?"

"How are we the same at all? I am someone who has lived two lifetimes and would naturally be more matured." Qing Yu reasoned.

She had already told Lou Jun Yao that she had come over from another world before and when he heard that, Lou Jun Yao had been highly curious. "A lass as intelligent and powerful as you, what could have possibly caused your downfall?"

The smile at the corners of Qing Yu's lips suddenly stiffened, the expression on her face seemingly showing a brief moment of pain before her lips curled up, mocking herself as she said in acceptance : "Because of a yearning for feelings that should not be."

Lou Jun Yao paused and it was a long while before he asked softly: "Was it someone you like?"

[Someone I liked?]

Qing Yu shook her head and laughed. "Maybe, but let's not talk about that."

But her non committal reply made Lou Jun Yao certain that she was hurt by love and he could not help but feel a little strongly about it.

Aunt Lan had ended up with her soul scattered all over the place and it was not known whether she was dead or alive all because of a man. It seemed like it was the same for her daughter, who died once because of a man.

The word love, really torments people.

Unknowingly, the sun was already dipping over the horizon and dusk fell. Just before she left, Qing Yu then remembered to ask something and she turned herself around to look at the man behind. "Do you know Feng Tian Hen?"

Lou Jun Yao raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"That man gives me a very strange feeling....." Qing Yu furrowed up her brows. Gathering up her thoughts, she then continued: "I cannot seem to read him, and he just feels very unreal, like..... he is not a complete person."

Lou Jun Yao's face did not seem very surprised but merely replied: "Why have you come to notice this person?"

With that question, Qing Yu's brows knitted up tighter. "Because he was the one who invited me to join the Deviant Department personally and his gaze makes me very uncomfortable, like something evil has their eyes fixed on me. I am certain that I do not know him and it is even more impossible that he could possibly have known me, so I feel that this person very frightening."

Lou Jun Yao folded his arms and looked at Qing Yu calmly, a teasing glint in his eye as he said: "That doesn't sound like you at all. If you do not like the way he looks at you, then just dig his eyes out."

Qing Yu glared at him, feeling a little miffed. "I am now a disciple of the Faint Mist Sect. If I act too arrogant and draw too much attention to myself, how am I going to be able to investigate the traces of my mother? Don't you know the saying want of forbearance might bungle grand plans!?"

[She shouldn't have vented out her concerns with this guy!]

The smile on Lou Jun Yao's face intensified as he watched the girl bristling in anger and came to find it rather amusing.

He subconsciously stretched his hand out to pat the soft hair, trying hard to contain his laughter. "So you've turned to become such a good girl now? That's just great. Afterall, I will be your teacher in the days ahead. It's fine in private, but you cannot be unruly when we're in front of others."

Qing Yu was stunned, her eyes widened with incredulity as she stared at him. [Has this fella's self assumed sense of familiarity between them have advanced to a level that he starts patting her head?"

In the end before she could even show her rage, she saw than man's devilishly handsome face lean in close, the eyes seeming like violet precious stones filled with teasing mirth and his thin lips parted slightly at her ear: "When you said that you hated the way that man looked at you, you looked just like a kid who had been bullied outside and came running back to complain to your lord."

Qing Yu exploded with rage. [She had just been taken advantage of didn't she!?]

Chapter 153: Baddie! Pay Me Back For My Hand! Pay Me!

After the recruitment trials, there was a welcome meet held for the batch of new disciples and there was basically nothing much more happening till the end of the year.

The biggest gain of the Faint Mist Sect this entire year was that they managed to recruit an all element prodigy that was very rarely seen across the entire lands throughout history.

It was heard that one so favoured by the Heavens to be uniquely gifted with maximum levels in both soul power and martial strength would definitely become a leading figure in whatever profession one chose, and he could also choose to cultivate several different professions at the same time.

But this prodigy had kept an extremely low profile since being accepted into the Faint Mist Sect and except for the people who were present in the great hall back on the day of the trials, few others knew her. Besides knowing that she was a very young lady, nothing else was known about her.

If it was any other person who possessed such gifted talents, they would have gladly publicly blown their own trumpets, afraid that the whole world would not know it, but this young lady was really one of a kind.

Today was the day that the new disciples would report to the various departments they have been assigned to and all of them had senior disciples to come lead them there.

Ming Yi Yi was naturally going to the Soul Cultivators Department her elder brother was in and just before she left, she looked at Qing Yu a little worriedly and said. "You have to be careful. I heard from my Big Brother that the bunch of people on the Deviant Department are especially hard to deal with, and that they..... like to bully new recruits."

Qing Yu lifted up an eyebrow and asked: "Do you think that I will be so easily bullied?"

Ming Yi Yi creased up her brows as she looked at the young lady's thin and slender body with a measuring gaze, which seemed to look so frail, and she could not help but worry a little.

"Those guys at the Deviant Department will not even give any thought to cherish such beauty and to be gentle with delicate women, and the girls in there are even more atrocious than the guys. So do not clash with them head on and if..... if you really get bullied....."

"Yi Yi, you're thinking too much into it." Qing Yu could not help but interrupt the girl. "You forget that I am a prodigy whose martial strength is at the maximum level."

"But they are many in numbers and you are all alone!" Ming Yi Yi continued to say in worry. "Or maybe I should get my Big Brother to go with you. At the very least, he commands a certain status here in the Faint Mist Sect and they would surely give Big Brother some face."

Qing Yu really did not know what to say to the girl and could only lower her head to laugh.

[This little girl is really something. She was so cold and haughty when they first met, her nose held so high up in the air, and that frail little body of hers was hiding such strong soul powers that it made people not dare cross her.]

[Now that they are on familiar terms, she is suddenly so highly considerate of her well being. Although she might be rather naggy, but there was no way anyone would dislike her for being so concerned about them.]

Qing Yu curved up her lips and revealed a bright and radiant smile. "Why not we have a bet?"

"A bet?" Ming Yi Yi blinked her eyes in confusion.

"If I get bullied, then it means I lose, and I will have to cure you of your condition within three months without taking a single cent. But if I am not bullied and you lose the bet, then you just have to do one thing." Qing Yu said with an incredibly crafty smile, and if you looked closely, one would even feel like there was a hint of her hatching up a sly scheme.

Ming Yi Yi became curious and she asked: "What do you want me to do? It must be within the boundaries of my power. I will not agree to it if it's too difficult."

Qing Yu did not keep her in suspense but just told her directly. "If you lose, you will have to go look for your brother and make your feelings clear to him. How's that?"

Ming Yi Yi's tiny face turned pale. "Wha..... What are you saying?"

"Haven't you always liked Ming Jing all this time? You were willing to give your most precious heart's blood to him to let him live that caused your body to decline and fall into such a wrecked state. Are you going to let him be ignorant of that fact his entire life? That a person is willing to sacrifice so much for his sake? Since that is the case, just tell him your true feelings as the two of you are not related by blood anyway." Qing Yu said as she rubbed her chin, looking like a big bad wolf who was trying to entice a little bunny.

Ming Yi Yi's face turned an uglier shade. "How do you know all these?"

She was so certain she was willing to guarantee that besides herself, no other person in the entire world knew about the matter. But how did Qing Yu come to know the entire matter so clearly?"

Seeing a wary and guarded look coming into the young girl's eyes, Qing Yu placed her palm over her face and said with a sigh: "Have you forgotten that a Soul Cultivator is able to probe into a person's memories through their dreams? When I was checking your body for your condition, I happened to see it because your heart was too highly fixated on this matter, and was unable to let go of this memory.

Ming Yi Yi was first startled, and then her eyes grew conflicted. "You can really drive people insanely jealous. You are clearly an Elixir Cultivator but you also possess the abilities of a Soul Cultivator as well."

"That is not the most important thing now." Qing Yu said dismissively. "Because when I was returning back here from outside, I saw Ming Jing together with a very beautiful girl, and there was also a smile on his face."

It was widely known that Ming Jing was a cold and aloof person whose face was incapable of showing any expression. To think that he would come to be so friendly and smiley with a girl, that just meant that the girl held an exceptional place in his heart.

Hearing that, Ming Yi Yi subconsciously bit down on her lip, her thin fingers clenched up tightly without saying a word.

"I just felt that it must have been very painful for you when I saw that part of your memory. But I will of course not want to be a busybody and whether you will do it is still all up to you."

Ming Yi Yi's eyes grew red rimmed and her body trembled slightly. She had already left the Soul Cultivators Tribe and she had nothing left in the world, but just her elder brother.

[If Big Brother were to also leave her.....]

The young girl's eyes suddenly steeled with determination. "Regardless whether you win or lose, I will still let my Big Brother know that I like him!"

Qing Yu smiled and patted her on the shoulder before turning away to walk out from there. [Had she done a good deed here?]

Due to the uniqueness and the danger of the Deviant Department, it was situated a little further away than the other departments. Qing Yu roughly estimated in her heart that it had taken her about a quarter of an hour to walk there from the place she was staying in.

Because she was not really all too familiar with her way around, she had asked for directions along the way. When they saw that it was such a beautiful young lady, they all quickly blushed a little before they came to realize that she was asking for directions to the Deviant Department. They were stunned for a moment before their eyes would then look at her like they were staring at a monster right before them for a moment.

After ascertaining that she was really asking for directions to the Deviant Department, their faces became highly sympathetic. They looked like they wanted to say something but held their tongues, quickly giving her the directions before quickly scuttling away with big steps.

Qing Yu could not help but found it rather amusing. [Could that place be filled with wild and malevolent beasts? Do they have to exaggerate it so much?]

— Deviant Department —

The disciples' morning lessons usually start at a quarter past the Mao Hour after dawn as no matter which profession they were in, even the most frail bodied Elixir Cultivators would need a strong and healthy body, so being an early riser was a lesson all of them had to practice.

Since the Deviant Department was established, it had already been seven to eight years already, but the place only had a pitiful eleven members.

They originally had the chance to grow and become much stronger. But as their members were each stranger and more eccentric than the next, rumours about the place grew more and more terrifying as time went by, so even if anyone had wanted to join, no one dared to come to this place.

The weather had becomes colder and the sun was coming up later. It was already three quarters past the Mao Hour that the sky then starting to show a sliver of light.

The buildings at the Deviant Department was very different and gazing at it from afar, it looked like a palace that had laid dormant for a very long time, sitting over a vast area. Big and tall trees that blocked out the sun were planted around the place, evergreens that stood lush throughout the seasons, unafraid of the chilly temperature, their branches heavy with thick and dense canopies.

Hence even when the sun was shining at its brightest in the middle of the day, much of it did not reach inside, making the place look rather gloomy and sinister.

From the moment that Qing Yu stepped into the place, she had immediately felt the hair on the back of her neck stand.

Not because she was afraid, but the Yin energy was too strong in here, so ominous it sent chills through a person, feeling as if there was a strange pair of eyes watching her.

Just as she was surveying the surroundings warily, something suddenly tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Qing Yu instinctively grabbed at that thing and gave it a vicious twist.

The crisp clear sound of a crack sounded, and a rather innocent sounding voice rang out from somewhere. "Its hand looks like it has been broken!"

"Not just looks like, but it is really broken!" Another voice chimed in.

"Poor thing. It took three months of hard cultivation to grow another hand and now it's broken again." A third voice then rang out mournfully.

"Eh? Why did you say "again" ??" The innocent sounding voice asked curiously.

"I saw it go touch a very feminine looking man's chest the last time. It thought the person was a girl and wanted to take advantage, and the man snapped its hand right off." The second voice replied.

"Oh. So because this young lady looks so very beautiful, it just could not resist?" The innocent sounding voice then concluded rather wisely.

"So stupid. Doesn't it know the more beautiful the woman, the more dangerous she is? Absolutely brainless." The third voice then scoffed with haughty contempt.

...... ......

Qing Yu's face was one of confusion as she stared to her right, to see three figures huddled together behind an enormous tree that almost blocked out the sky. They were all lying there in similar positions, thinking themselves well hidden as they conversed in voices that were not exactly soft.

[What..... are those things?]

Qing Yu blinked her eyes, and then turned turned her head back around stiffly like a machine, to look at the unidentifiable creature that had just assaulted her.

And in her hand, she held a..... broken tree branch?

Standing before her, was a youth who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, and he looked..... Erm, it was hard to describe with words.

He was staring in shock with widened eyes that were just two thin slits so narrow they could not be seen. Oh, so he had eyes.

His left hand was fleshy and fat while his right hand..... had a portion broken off. Unable to maintain its form as a normal human limb, it had withered and turned to revert back to a tree's form.

Qing Yu lowered her head to look at the tree branch in her hand before lifting her eyes up to look with a conflicted gaze at the thin bodied youth, but who had a face so fat and pudgy like a ball that she could not find where his eyes and nose were, and she then said in a measured tone: "About that, I did not mean to do that. I thought you were going to attack me."

Who would have known that she had just opened her mouth when the youth immediately broke out into a loud wail with mucus running down his nose as he hugged his right hand and curled up into a ball like a porcupine, bawling so pitifully like his parents had just died. "Pay me back for my hand! You've got to pay! Boo hoo hoo....."

Qing Yu furrowed up her brows feeling a little helpless and she then stretched her hand out to hand him the tree branch. "Err, here."

The youth snatched it from her hand and then sobbed even more sorrowfully. "You are such a baddie!" He then ran away and there was no sign of him anymore.

Qing Yu was still a little baffled. [Was that, a tree that gained consciousness from cultivation?]

"It will not be able to come out for another few months." The innocent sounding voice said with sympathetically.

"Serves it right. Who asks it to always be so lecherous? A tree that likes to tease pretty girls. It deserves to lose its hand." This was the voice that had sounded rather haughty.

"Err, but we are trees too!" The innocent sounding voice said in reply.

"Oh. That's true. Come, let's hurry up and leave. Don't let that young lady discover us. She looks so fierce, and I do not want to look my hand."

Qing Yu was speechless. "....." [She could hear them clearly.]

Chapter 154: The Highest Level of Swindling and Being Swindled

A corner of Qing Yu's mouth twitched as she watched the figures behind the trees running away very quickly.

Seeing that the figures were merely about half a grown man's height, they looked very much to be young children.

[The Deviant Department really has rather strange things inside.]

She continued on her way forward, passing through the dark and ominous darkness before finally seeing a glimmer of light in front. She did not encounter any more strange creatures as she went straight towards the mysteriously coloured building and went inside.

It was when she stepped inside that Qing Yu really saw just how enormous the place really was.

She could hear her lights footsteps rippling out in reverberation, reaching to very far places, so empty it was unbelievable.

With just such few people in the Deviant Department, but taking up a space that was so much bigger than all the other departments, wasn't it a rather big waste?

She was just thinking that when she suddenly heard the sound of a second set of footsteps coming from right behind her.

Qing Yu turned herself around subconsciously and saw a sleepy eyed youth with a tall and thin figure approaching like he was sleepwalking. It was only until he sensed an unfamiliar presence that he suddenly opened his eyes wide, to stare at Qing Yu in bewilderment. "Who are you?"

Qing Yu showed him a highly friendly smile. "Hello, I am the new disciple reporting in here today. My name is Qing Yu."

The expression on the youth's face changed. "You are the newcomer?"

"I am." Qing Yu nodded and replied.

The youth immediately reacted like a startled cat and the expression on his face changed dramatically. His originally slow shuffling steps as he ambled his way in earlier suddenly broke into a mad dash like an arrow shot out from a bow into a particular direction, disappearing from sight in a blink.

"....." Qing Yu's face was one of complete bafflement. [Is she that frightening? I don't think so!]

But having finally seen a human person, and judging from the direction he had dashed off into, Qing Yu could already ascertain where the Deviant Department's classroom was. This was the first time that she could not find her way around as the place was really just too vast.

She walked slowly further inside, finally coming to a stop before a door. It was quiet without a single sound inside, the door slightly ajar by about a palm's width.

Qing Yu raised an eyebrow and lifted her eyes to look up a moment before she stepped away without making any noise.

"Lass, why don't you just go inside when you're already here?" She had just moved herself two steps away from the door when a gentle male voice reached her ears.

The person was tall and slightly thin, his countenance good looking. Under his long narrow eyes, there was a red teardrop shaped mole, which lent an added sense of enchanting allure to the man, giving him an air of comfortable gentleness.

Qing Yu remembered this person. It seemed like the expert who specialized in sound attacks that killed countless thousands of venomous snakes and bats back in the Lost Bogs was also from the Deviant Department.

But this man seemed to be much more amiable and easy to get along with, his personality very gentle, unlike the smiling tiger that Feng Tian Hen was.

[Hmm, it looks like there are normal people in the Deviant Department.]

Seeing the man look at her quizzically with a faint gentle smile, Qing Yu hesitated a moment before she completely went on to ignore the minute twinge of guilt that was so small it might very well not have existed in her heart, and started to babble on with a load of made up nonsense.

"Well, I heard that the Seniors in the Deviant Department are a little xenophobic, so I thought it might be better if I stayed outside to wait in case I leave a bad first impression on them."

Luo Lan Zhi lifted up an eyebrow in surprise, and a look of helplessness flashed across that handsome face. "You are so lovably obedient, they will all surely like you."

[He had not thought that the prodigious young lady the Chief recruited would have such a gentle nature. To put it bluntly, it can be said that she makes an easy target for bullying. So if that bunch of rascals in there were to really pick on her, she might just end up enduring it in silence.]

[How can this be allowed?]

[A good number of people had not been able to endure their malicious antics and were driven away by this very bunch in the past, but this one here was someone that the Chief had personally said to take good and proper care of, so this young lady must not end up leaving due to the rascals' tormenting ways.]

With that thought in mind, Luo Lan Zhi was already going to push the door open, to go knock some good sense into the heads of that bunch of mischievous imps.

With his mind preoccupied in thought, he had of course not noticed the slightly ajar door and the fact that the young lady had unnoticeably retreated herself way back.

The door opened with a creak and before Luo Zhi Yan was able to utter a word, he immediately sensed a wave of danger lunging right straight upon him. His body instinctively reacted, immediately putting up his guard, thinking that someone was out to test him.

In the end, what he did not expect was that the danger wasn't from the front, but was actually coming from above his head.

"Splash....." The sound of something splashing down was suddenly heard.

The eleven disciples of the Deviant Department were all fully present in the room and they had probably been overly confident, and hence did not even look to see who the person that was coming in really was. They just assumed that their prank had worked and they were all howling with gloating laughter.

"Hahahahaha! She would definitely break down into tears from the shock!"

"Although I do not think that we should be bullying people like this, but why am I finding it so hilarious here? Hahaha....."

"I don't even dare to see what kind of a dismal and pathetic scene it must be."

"Wait..... Wait..... We seem to be..... in deep trouble." A weak sounding voice suddenly said in fearful terror.

"What trouble could we get into? What is there to fear....." His voice abruptly stopped.

In the next second, everyone's faces took on looks of pure horror, looking like they had been forced to swallow ten catties of feathers but were unable to spit any of it out.

[They're all finished. They all could already see how they were going to die that very day. Answer: Self invited death.]

Luo Lan Zhi's reaction had really been very fast, but he had completely not expected that the wooden bucket that fell down from above him would contain not just water that had turned bitingly cold with the season, but there were also a countless number of disgusting grey Mucus Slugs in the water.

It was a type of slug that was hard to shake off once it latches onto you, an incredibly disgusting kind of creature.

Luo Lan Zhi was an even tempered man, gentle like a gust of spring breeze, but that was before anyone even touches his most bottomline.

And that bottomline would quickly be breached when one violates his extremely severe case of mysophobia. Even the slightest smudge of dust on him would make him feel uncomfortable all over, causing his temper to become highly irritable.

And right before his eyes were not mere dust. They were the absolutely repulsive and revolting highly sticky Mucus Slugs! There wasn't any creature that could be more disgusting than that.

Luo Lan Zhi had actually dodged from a good half of their numbers by raising up an arm to block the wooden bucket, which caused it to veer away from its original direction, so there were just about four or five of them stuck on his sleeve. But even though that was the case, for this man who was so clean freak that it was almost an obsessive compulsive disorder, it was already something he absolutely could not endure.

The long narrow eyes then darkened thunderously, devoid of any human emotion.

Seeing the soft slush on his sleeve crawling towards his uncovered hand, leaving behind a disgustingly sticky translucent trail in their wake, the sleeve suddenly crumbled into ash together with the Mucus Slugs in a blink, without a single trace of them to be seen.

Of course that was not all. Luo Lan Zhi slowly took off his outer robe and tossed it over the wiggling Mucus Slugs spilled across the floor. Lifting his eyes up to look at everyone before him, his lips parted slightly as he said, pausing in between each word: "Since the lot of you loves the Mucus Slug so much, then clean them all up now. Take note though, that none of your powers are to be used. I want them all picked up with your bare hands."

[What?!]

That stunned them all like they were struck by a bolt out from a clear sky!!

The adorable doll-faced girl was thoughtful for a moment before she immediately broke into tears to beg pitifully: "Senior Luo, I have nothing to do with this at all. They were the ones who came up with this idea, and they were the ones who said they wanted to make fun of the new junior girl. Who would have known that after waiting so long for the new junior to appear, it turned out to be you who came in instead....."

The last of her words sunk, drowned under Luo Lan Zhi's gaze that grew more and more terrifying.

"Oh? Nothing to do with you?" Luo Lan Zhi suddenly laughed lightheartedly, as if he had changed back into his elegant and refined self.

Just as the young girl thought that she had managed to escaped calamity, the man's face suddenly darkened again and spoke in a harsh and severe tone: "You think I do not know that you are the one who likes to fool around with all these vermin and insects? Without your involvement, from where are they going to even find so many Mucus Slugs!?"

The doll faced little girl looked like she was the youngest among all of them there but she must not be underestimated. Not only her skill in concocting poisons was top notch throughout the lands, her martial skills was also the top few among that bunch of people. She was of course the one capable of coming up with the most tricks, and often prone to acting pitiful.

Luo Lan Zhi was not about to be taken in by her act.

The young girl was stunned by that sudden shout. She had never thought that the ever gentle Luo Lan Zhi who was like a kindly old man could show anger that did not lose out to the Chief at all when enraged.

He was usually rather silent and quiet, but when he erupts, the entire mountain shakes.

More than ten of them stood there in jitters, not daring to make a sound. Besides the Chief, it was usually Luo Lan Zhi that was watching over them, being the only other person who was able to control them at all.

When they thought how that young girl had so shamelessly dumped all responsibility right onto them without a care, everyone immediately harboured thoughts of strangling her to death right in that instant.

Fortunately, Senior Luo was insightful enough to see through her tricks.

But what puzzled everyone was, they had clearly seen their new junior fellow disciple making her way here, how did it turn out that Senior Luo was the one who pushed the door to come in instead?

It made no sense! Was it already fated that she was to escape calamity this time?

Qing Yu stood watching the entire charade unfold, and then suddenly a burst of laughter, seemingly gloating.

She immediately drew everyone eyes to turn onto her.

The delicate figure of a young lady stood behind Luo Lan Zhi, looking at them with an almost imperceptible smile on her face, that seemed to be saying something.

That doll faced little girl suddenly widened her eyes and pointed a finger at her angrily. "Did you design this scheme to set us up?"

Facing everyone's angry gazes, Qing Yu laughed offhandedly and an eyebrow lifted up slightly. "And how have I set you all up?"

"You were clearly already going to come in earlier! Why did you suddenly stop, and even lied to Senior Luo!?" The young girl looked as if she had seen through everything, highly accusatory and aggressive.

Qing Yu just simply replied with an indifferent "Oh", and then turned to look at the calm and unruffled man beside her to say: "Senior Luo, as you can see, both my male and female seniors here have a very bad impression of me and that is why they placed a bucket of water over the door in this horribly freezing time of the year to make catch my death of a cold. They had even put those disgusting Mucus Slugs that girls are most terrified of to frighten me as well."

Luo Lan Zhi creased up his brows and said a little remorsefully: "Apologies. I have not been strict with them which gave them the audacity to commit such a vile deed. I will make sure they all suffer the kind of punishment they deserve."

Qing Yu shook her head, her face scrunched up like she was put in a very difficult position. "If Senior does that, they will only detest me even more."

Luo Lan Zhi snorted derisively and swept his eyes over the bunch of rascals. "They are merely suffering the consequences of their own actions. All the other departments are saying that the Deviant Department is filled with a whole bunch of arrogant and uncivilized scoundrels and seems like it is all true. From today onwards, I will make sure I properly correct the kind impression all of you will come to give people."

Someone had wanted to voice his protest and Luo Lan Zhi's icy gaze immediately turned onto him. "Or would you prefer the Chief to personally deal with this matter himself?"

Everyone immediately clamped up. [Heavens! If Chief comes to know about this, would they still be able to live?]

Chapter 155: It's Alright To Be Young, You'll Grow Up One Day

In the end, the bunch of them had no choice but to obediently endure that nauseatingly slippery touch of the sticky Mucus Slugs as they picked them all up one by one, to put them back into the wooden bucket.

Qing Yu just stood there calm and unruffled as she stood leaning against the door, watching all of them suffer the fruit of their own nefarious scheme.

The lousy trick this bunch of rascals had come up with was really just too lame and it was all pure childishness in her eyes. Did they really think she would fall for such a paltry trick? If she really wanted to vicious, they would all be howling in endless agony.

When Luo Lan Zhi saw that they were cooperating obediently, the expression on his face then softened a little. He then turned to the young lady behind and said: "It's embarrassing that you had to see this."

He could be forgiven for not having been aware of it before, but at that moment, how could he possibly not be able to see that the young lady was not as weak as she looked, not easily bullied. She was afterall such a rare prodigy, an all element wielder who caught the Chief's eye. So how could she possibly be ordinary?

She was just being generous and was going to hold it against them. If she really wanted to settle the score, the whole entire bunch of them would not be her match at all.

Highly skilled at pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger.

Hearing that, Qing Yu curled up her lips to smile sweetly and then said: "It's alright. I do not hold grudges against little children as it is in their nature to be mischievous. I am not so domineering as to deprive them of their joy."

Luo Lan Zhi's smile stiffened, and for an awkward moment, he did not know what to say in response.

On the other hand, the ones fighting down the repulsion from picking up the Mucus Slugs almost vomited out blood in anger when they heard those words.

[What the hell!?]

[Just which bastard was it who said that their new little junior was easy to pick on? Step forward so that they can strangle him to death!]

[They had really stubbed their toe on a steel plate this time. Their little was such a sinisterly sly little devil, her belly filled with nothing nice!!]

To have been so humiliated the first time they met, how were they going to get along in future? Really regret what they had done.

Compared to the others who were starting to regret it a little, the young doll faced girl was feeling highly indignant, and went on to stare vehemently at Qing Yu.

[She really thinks it's so easy to be part of the Deviant Department? She's just a little luckier to be able to wield all elements. What's so special about her? Just a weak and feeble Elixir Cultivator, and she had probably managed to deceive everyone's eyes for the title without possessing any real abilities.]

[She will tear off her mask and expose this woman, so the Chief can see just how big a mistake he has made.]

On the other side, Luo Lan Zhi was speaking to Qing Yu politely. "If there is anything you do not understand in future, you can come ask me, or you can also go straight to the Chief. As for these rascals, I think they will be a little more restrained with today's lesson. And if anyone of them comes up with any more tricks, I think that you are capable of dealing with them on your own."

He had not forgotten the fact that his clothes were in such a mess now was also due to her hidden maneuverings. To think that she was audacious and daring enough to trick even him, these bunch of young imps here would not be anything significant in her eyes at all.

Qing Yu smiled highly disarmingly. "Thank you Senior for your concern. If they persist in being stubborn, I will surely help Senior teach them some manners. Kids are usually just acting up when they become disobedient, things will be fine once they are given a good beating."

Luo Lan Zhi was at a loss for words. "....." [Looks like he really does not have to worry that the young lady will not be able to adapt to her new surroundings at all.]

The rest of them were also speechless. "....." [Oh gawd, why do I feel a chill running down my back? Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?]

It was not known who told them this piece of information, that the young lady was not only an all element wielder, she was also a rare maniacal prodigy with max levels in soul power and martial strength, one among thousands.

Hence.....

Everyone unconsciously gulped inwardly. Who would dare to go challenge her?

After exchanging nervous glances among themselves, there was only one conclusion. No one dared.

That's right, all of them were really that wimpy.

They just could not help feeling that their days ahead would not be that wonderful. Having been too used to bullying the weak but was now faced with one of such high skill in manipulation, they were all caught completely unprepared!

Qing Yu had acclimatized herself to the place like fish to water, and the worries the others had for her was not seen to be uncalled for.

Everything that happened here had also been made known to Lou Jun Yao as well.

Before him, a tall and handsome looking man dressed in an ink shade robe was reporting the whole sequence of events to him at that moment.

This man was highly familiar looking. If one took a closer look..... Isn't he the human form assumed by the twelfth level Lightning Blaze Unicorn after transformation?

It was said back on the day after he brought Qing Yu and her companions to the foot of the Faint Mist Sect Mountain, he had disappeared without a sign. He had actually blended himself among the crowd, and took part in the recruitment trials together with them.

With his cultivation of a level twelfth spirit beast, no one would be his match here in these low level lands, and it was only natural that no one would be able to detect the extent of his real cultivation. He would just need to suppress his powers and no one would be able to find out, so he had pushed down his cultivation to be just slightly above average, and joined the Martial Department.

He had received orders from Lou Jun Yao right from the start, that he was to protect her in secret, and prevent any accidents from happening.

In fact, the Lightning Blaze Unicorn had not been entirely willing in the beginning, as he felt that asking such a high leveled spirit beast like him to go protect that weak little young lady was just a waste of his talents.

But when Luo Jun Yao allowed him to transform back into human shape, he quickly agreed to it happily.

Lou Jun Yao had even executed a killer move, saying that if he was able to make Qing Yu happy, in a moment of kindness she might very well suddenly decide to prepare a rabbit feast for him, prepared in all manner of ways: braised, steamed, deep fried, roasted..... Each and every kind.

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn's eyes were shining bright with tiny stars upon hearing the words as he went on to nod his head in a hurry.

Hence, it could said that even or a highly intelligent high leveled spirit beast who had gained his own consciousness, once his weakness was discovered, he could still be easily controlled.

After the Lightning Blaze Unicorn finished talking about the incident, he suddenly raised up a doubt in his mind. "I feel that, there is something abnormal about that man called Feng Tian Hen."

[After Qing Yu, even a spirit beast had come to notice something strange about him. It looks like he would have to meet this man as well next time.]

Lou Jun Yao raised up the ends of his lips. "Abnormal in what way?"

[It would probably be no different from what the little fox has said that day.]

Unexpectedly, the Lightning Blaze Unicorn creased up his brows and then started to mumble to himself, although his voice could not be considered to be soft. "I think..... that he might be a pervert!"

Lou Jun Yao became amused. "Huh?"

[How did this go from being abnormal, and then suddenly jumping straight up to being a pervert?]

"That's right, because I noticed a few times that the man was secretly watching the little missy while hidden in the darkness, and his gaze....."

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn rubbed his chin as he gave it some serious thought, before finally coming up with a great analogy. "It's exactly like how the female beasts look at me among we spirit beasts."

Although that analogy used as a comparison wasn't exactly that great, and that it contained elements of bragging that stoked the beast's own ego, Lou Jun Yao was at least able to understand what he meant.

The violet eyes surged mysteriously with a glint as he said slowly. "Are you saying that Feng Tian Hen harbours ill intentions towards the little fox?"

"That's right. Although the little missy possesses rather good cultivation, but compared to that man, she is still at a slight disadvantage. Moreover, he is intentionally hiding his presence, so she had not noticed that the man had been watching her at all, but I saw everything."

"Alright. I know about it now. I will not be around for the next few days as I have something to attend to and I will be going to the Faint Mist Sect as one of their teachers after that. You keep watch over the little fox in the meantime and do not let anything happen to her in there. Do not let strange and weird people get close to her as well."

Lou Jun Yao gave his orders in a deep low voice, and his gaze then turned to look at the spirit beast icily. "And when I come back, if she so much as lose a single hair, mind that you do not lose your skin."

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn felt a chill run down his spine and he immediately straightened his back in a stiff portrayal of loyalty. "My Lord can set his mind at ease. I guarantee that the young missy will be watched with utmost care."

In a blink of an eye, the welcome meet for the new disciples arrived.

They would be given two sets of the Faint Mist Sect's uniform and a token badge that was proof of their identity as disciples of the Faint Mist Sect.

With that token badge, every action they took in every place they went would represent the Faint Mist Sect, and they were to mind what they did in every situation.

Their names and the departments they were assigned to that was reflected on the badge tokens were carved in with spirit power and were intricately linked to the lives of each and every individual disciple, an unerasable existence. Unless their bodies were dead and their souls destroyed, those words would then disappear from the badges.

At a quarter past the Chen hour, all the disciples would be gathering in the main meeting hall and the Sect Leader himself who seldom showed his face would be here to lend his support to the welcome meet this time.

Qing Yu looked at Ming Yi Yi who was a little distracted these few days and suddenly recalled the bet they had made before. She called out feeling rather amused to the young girl who was folding her blanket layer upon layer neatly. "Yi Yi, what are you thinking of?"

It was a good while before Ming Yi Yi noticed that someone had called her and she raised her head up looking a little dazed. "Huh? I am merely folding my blanket."

Qing Yu glanced at the blanket with amusement. "You have been folding that blanket for a good quarter of an hour already and you're still not done?"

Ming Yi Yi then looked a little defeated and then stopped her actions in folding the blanket.

"What? You told your brother and it shocked him so much that he gave you a fierce scolding?" Qing Yu asked with an eyebrow raised.

Talking about that, Ming Yi Yi's pretty and adorable little face could not help but show a sliver of frustration. "No, he did not scold me, and neither was he shocked."

Pausing a moment and her voice sounding so aggrieved that she was going to cry, she then said: "His reaction could not have been any more calm. He said I am still very young and it is completely normal for girls to be fond of those close to me who are of the opposite sex. He merely sees the whole thing just as a joke."

"Is that what happened?" Qing Yu nodded in understanding.

Her gaze then swept over the young girl whose body was a little thin and slightly bony due to the long years she had been ill. Ming Yi Yi was the same age as her and though she was about five months older, her body was very petite and looked quite a lot younger than she was.

At that age, the places a girl body's were supposed to develop should have grown to a significant extent but she still looked like a little girl.

Although Qing Yu's body had frequently suffered from hunger and insufficient food seven years ago, she still looked a lot better than Ming Yi Yi.

Hence, Qing Yu patted Ming Yi Yi comfortingly on the shoulder and said: "Don't be sad. You will grow up one day. Maybe when you come to look more feminine, your brother will start to take notice of you."

Though what Qing Yu went through when she was younger in the past was from a completely different world.

Mu Lai and the others from opposite had already come over to knock on their door and that topic ended at that moment. Qing Yu went over to open the door. "Are you all ready?"

"It will take roughly about half an hour from here to the meeting hall, and it will be just right if we leave now." Mu Lai answered.

Many disciples in white robe uniforms could already be seen walking past outside. It was not known what material they used to make the uniforms as they all had the mystifying air of deities about them, changing one's flair and demeanor once a person put it on.

Yan Xi Wu said feeling a little touched: "I had never thought that the day would come that I can really become a member of this place!"

Speaking about that, she suddenly looked at Yan Xi Rou a little smugly and said: "That woman Yan Ning Luo always thrown cold scorn and ridicules us everytime she comes back to the manor just because she was part of the Faint Mist Sect. And what did she say the last time? She said that we would just shame ourselves by being eliminated in the very first round. I would like to see what else she has to say when she sees us this time."

It seemed like she had really been badly bullied. Yan Xi Wu felt that she had found her voice this time and she would be able to retaliate good and proper this time so she was not bothered at all whether her words would be heard by others.

Chapter 156: Just How Terrifying a Woman's Jealousy Can Be

Qing Yu glanced at her with a smile. "There are still quite a few protectors who will do Yan Ning Luo's bidding without question. With you being a fresh recruit in here, you must remember that what comes out from one's mouth can bring disaster."

Hearing that, Yan Xi Wu quickly clasped her hand over her mouth with her eyes wide, as she gazed suspiciously all around her.

See, she was just being so fierce and aggressive barely a moment ago. Is this what people call the legendary instantaneous timidity?

She was probably just reacting to whatever was being said.

From afar, a group of people about five or six in number were walking towards them, and in the lead, was Yan Ning Luo herself. Right beside her, were her two loyal protectors who were always by her side, Jiang Yi Han and Shen Jing, together with a few other inner disciples walking with them.

It was inevitable that the two groups of people would come to meet as this was the only way to the meeting hall. Qing Yu and the others were still focused on their own conversation as disciples passed all around them and they did not notice Yan Ning Luo with the others in front of them.

But the valiant and pretty looking Shen Jing was rather sharpeyed who noticed the other group immediately.

Humans were afterall visual creatures and with that group of five young girls, all of them with extraordinary good looks, they had naturally drawn many gazes to look their way. Moreover, one among them was such a peerless beauty that was dressed in those divine white clothes, her facial features more stunning than the most beautiful blossoms, the soul captivating Qing Yu.

Beauties were countless throughout the world, but beauties who were unforgettable with just one glance were a very rare few.

In the Green Wave Kingdom and even in the Faint Mist Sect, Yan Ning Luo's looks was considered an unmatched beauty and nobody could have thought that within this batch of new recruits, there would be such a beautiful young lady, who did not pale in comparison to Yan Ning Luo in anyway, with none of the alluring and lustre diminished in the slightest.

"Yi Han, look at that young girl. Isn't she just such an absolutely beautiful little thing?"

Shen Jing's personality was candid and magnanimous and not fussy or petty like many other girls, who would become jealous when they see a pretty girl, but was just purely filled with admiration.

Hearing that, Jiang Yi Han raised her head to look and her eyes lit up in surprise a moment by the stunning beauty she saw. She then turned to look at the expressionless young lady beside them and went on to say: "She's indeed beautiful, but that kind of beauty is too flamboyant and seductive. I still think Ning Luo is better looking."

Shen Jing smile with a curve of her lips and did not say anything. But when she saw Yan Ning Luo's gaze was fixed upon that group of people, she raised an eyebrow and asked in puzzlement: "Ning Luo, you know them?"

As she spoke, the few of them had already reached before the group, and were just a few steps' distance away.

It turned out that Yan Ning Luo spoke first, her tone light and soft, her emotions indiscernible. "Congratulations on passing the recruitment trial."

Qing Yu's lips curved up and before she could speak, she heard Yan Xi Wu beside her say in a hypocritical tone: "Thanks you Elder Sis for your concern. But I'm sorry to say we did not embarrass ourselves and managed to make it through instead of being disqualified in the very first round. You must be sorely disappointed."

These words sounded so familiar. They were the words that Yan Ning Luo had said to them half a year ago, and Yan Xi Wu had now thrown it back onto Yan Ning Luo like a slap across the face.

Yan Ning Luo's face was unaffected but her eyes darkened.

[Is this fool bragging in front of her now? Ha! What does she think getting into the Faint Mist Sect represents? She has merely gotten in through a miraculous stroke of luck.]

[Does she think that just by being on Yan Qing Yu's side and she would have nothing to worry about anymore?]

[But when did this fool start to be on such good terms with Yan Qing Yu?]

"Eh, Ning Luo, this is your younger sister? Why haven't I never heard that you have a younger sister!?" Jiang Yi Han asked in surprise.

Yan Ning Luo then replied: "She's just a commoner born from a concubine. I only have one brother born from my mother."

"Oh, so I see."

In large prestigious families, great importance was placed on one's common or noble birth lineage, determining their status and position, as those of common birth were usually not viewed with any importance.

Yan Xi Wu was greatly nauseated by her cold demeanor, looking high and mighty.

This woman was always like this, using her position as the eldest daughter to treat the common offsprings as lowly servants, never thinking anything of them.

But if not for the fact that she had a mother of noble birth marrying in early, in what way was she better than all the others?

With the undisguised look of disgust in Yan Xi Wu's eyes, Yan Ning Luo had naturally noticed it, but she was not about to lower herself to be affected by it at all. What she was concerned about, was that seemingly weak and harmless looking young girl who always had a faint smile hanging from her lips.

From the beginning till now, she had been that one that she was unable to fathom, and the existence that she was most wary of and hated the most.

"I heard that you joined the Deviant Department. That place is a lot more demanding than the other departments and you must take the effort to carefully establish good relations with them. If you come to offend anyone in there, I might not be able to help you at all." Yan Ning Luo cooed like a naggy elder sister giving advice to her younger sibling, her tone highly caring, seemingly concerned, and was showing sympathy and feeling sorrowful.

Qing Yu smiled and did not rebutt her, but went on to say cordially: "Thank you for my elder sister's advice. My fellow senior disciples in there are very nice people and I am not facing any problems in there."

"Is that so? That's good." Yan Ning Luo said with her lips stiffened.

[She just doesn't yet know just how hard a place like the Deviant Department is to be in. Just how many people have pulled themselves out from the Deviant Department on their own in the past years, with the one who remained in there the longest just over twenty days, unable to even make it till the one month probation trial. There will be much time for her to regret it when the time comes.]

Till now, she was still unable to believe what she saw back at the main hall on the day of the recruitment trials.

[An all element wielder, an unmatched prodigy with maximum levels in soul power and martial strength.]

[Hmph, how can that be possible?]

[That Yan Qing Yu who was so weak and incompetent that she did not even dare to speak up, always hiding behind that crippled good for nothing Yan Qing Bei. How could she possibly have suddenly been enlightened out of nowhere? And met with such a miraculous encounter that could not possibly have happened to someone like her.]

[Like she had become a completely different person.]

[And at her side, people whom she could not possibly have met or had any dealings with before have appeared.]

Recalling how Feng Tian Hen had acted back in the main hall during the recruitment trials, Yan Ning Luo was still thinking it all felt too surreal.

From what she could remember, she had only seen that man two times herself.

Once was after the internal turmoil within the Faint Mist Sect was quelled, when things were at its lowest point.

The Sect Leader Wen Ren Qian had picked out ten people out from a batch of children with extraordinary gifts and brought them back to the Faint Mist Sect, and she had been one of them.

Feng Tian Hen at that time was just an eighteen year old youth but he was already a person so deep and unfathomable that people were unable to read clearly at all. She had seen when Wen Ren Qian spoke to him, he was courteous and polite, completely unlike the demeanor he used towards most disciples, but more like he relied on the man instead.

The other time was when she was promoted to become an inner circle disciple within the span of two short years, and Feng Tian Hen had said to her: "Not bad."

That man was really terrifying. He was clearly so gentle and good looking, his intoxicating gaze able to melt a person, but despite all that, he just causes fear to rise up in people's hearts for no reason.

But back on that day, his demeanor towards Qing Yu had been tolerant and indulgent like never before.

If Qing Ye Li was said to be her dream from the time that she was a very young girl, then Feng Tian Hen would be the level of power she yearned to attain all this time.

But, why have both these two people become linked to Qing Yu?

In that intense clash of the goddesses, Qing Yu and her group had already said their greetings and went walking away, leaving Yan Ning Luo and her group there to stare at their departing backs going further and further away.

Shen Jing smiled with amusement and said: "Ning Luo, that younger sister of yours is rather interesting."

Yan Ning Luo's eyes surged up within and did not answer, walking towards the meeting hall without a word while the others behind her exchanged glances with each other.

"What up with her?" Shen Jing said with a highly baffled face.

Jiang Yi Han shook her head and replied: "Ning Luo has never liked people of lowly birth so I think now that her few sisters are here in the same sect as her, she isn't feeling too happy about it."

Shen Jing raised an eyebrow but did not comment.

The new disciples have basically all arrived in the meeting hall and only some of the more senior inner disciples of a higher status and a few teachers were not yet there.

Roughly about half an hour later, several people were then seen walking out slowly from the back of the great hall, and the graceful and handsome man in a dark green robe in the lead gazed with a smile on his face upon the disciples who were gawking curiously at him.

While the new recruits were still guessing at the identity of that man, before they could react, they saw the man taking a seat down upon the seat right in the middle, his poise elegant.

"Aren't all of you going to greet the Sect Leader?" A white bearded elderly man beside him said in a deep holler as he stared at the disciples with a fierce gaze.

That was when the disciples then came to realize that the young man who was only in his early thirties was actually the mysterious Sect Leader, Wen Ren Qian.

In a moment, everyone quickly retracted their gazes and went on to greet in a fluster: "Respects to the Sect Leader!"

Wen Ren Qian laughed softly, his voice gentle. "It's alright Elder Mo, don't be too strict now. All the little ones here have never seen me before and they would naturally not recognize me. Ignorance makes them innocent."

Elder Mo then relented, acknowledging with a muttered yes and a nod of his head.

Wen Ren Qian then swept his eyes all around with a gauging gaze and when he did not find the person he wanted to see, he opened his mouth to ask quizzically: "Feng Tian Hen is not here yet?"

"Chief suddenly recalled he forgot something and he went back to fetch it. He should be arriving in a while." Luo Lan Zhi explained.

"What is it that he could not get a disciple to go fetch it but has to personally make a trip himself?" Wen Ren Qian then asked.

Luo Lan Zhi then smiled. "He said it is something important and he does not want it in another person's hands."

Wen Ren Qian did not pursue it any further, looking like he suddenly remembered something. He looked at Luo Lan Zhi and said: "Where is that little prodigy your Deviant Department recruited? Let me have a look as I have yet to see her"

Qing Yu had come here together with Ming Yi Yi and the others but upon reaching the meeting hall, the disciples were separated according to their departments, so Qing Yu was with the others in the Deviant Department at that moment.

Suddenly having been singularly called out and the gazes of the other fellas around her turning to fix upon her, it made her feel rather uncomfortable and she moved a couple of steps to one side.

It was silent in the hall at that moment and her movements had naturally attracted the attention of others. Upon seeing that she was standing on the Deviant Department's side and that exceptionally beautiful face, everyone was naturally able to guess her identity.

"That is the prodigious all element wielder? Why does she look so seductive and alluring as well?"

Hearing those words, it could immediately be ascertained that it came from a woman who was highly jealous.

"But I think she is very adorable instead!" Someone raised his voice in rebuttal.

"She looks so very young and seems so frail that makes people want to protect her. Those few other girls in the Deviant Department are all vicious tigresses, hope that she would not be bullied by them."

"Hearing you say that just makes my heart ache. Why does such a good little fellow junior have to fall into the demonic claws of that bunch in there? My heart will not be able to take it!"

Hearing the bunch of people bemoaning loudly like there was no one else around, the people from the Deviant Department almost exploded in rage.

[What kind of a joke are they making?]

[What do they mean by fall into their demonic claws!?]

[Don't you think you've all gotten it backwards?! That little lass is really very skilled in using her weak and frail outlook to deceive everyone!]

[We just could not wait to hold her up in reverence you know? Much less even dare to bully her?! What a big joke!!]

Chapter 157: Romanticism from the . . . Ancients?

Wen Ren Qian looked at the young lady before him with interest. [Is this the lass that caught the eyes of that fella Feng Tian Hen? An all element wielder?]

[Really rather different from what he had imagined.]

"Lass, what's your name?" Wen Ren Qian opened his mouth to ask with a smile.

"Qing Yu."

Although she was a little flustered with so many people's gazes fixed upon her, but since the question was directed at her, she went on to answer truthfully.

When Wen Ren Qian heard the exceptionally two clear and simple words, he could not help but smile. [This lass is rather candid, and it would seem like she was not one to flatter and fawn upon others. Just what was Feng Tian Hen really thinking in his mind?]

After having asked her for her name, Wen Ren Qian did not say anything more. Just at that moment, a tall and well built figure came walking slowly into the hall, clad in his usual suit of white.

But this time, the clothes on his body seemed to be different in some way. Upon close inspection, it looked no different from the uniform worn by the Faint Mist Sect's inner disciples, but just a minute difference in the finer details of his clothes.

Compared to the cloud patterns embroidered into cuffs and hem of the inner disciples' uniform, it was only when he walked closer that they saw soaring phoenixes embroidered into the front and back of the clothes on the man's body, and that was a uniform that was one of a kind throughout the entire Faint Mist Sect.

Some people were born suited to wear such a gentle and graceful white like this. Feng Tian Hen's facial features were exceptionally handsome an elegant, his brows tinged with a faint gentleness, and the pure and pristine white of his clothes just emphasized the gentle demeanor his body exuded.

It was a kind of attraction that shocked and overwhelmed the ladies, where they would surrender their hearts upon seeing him a second time.

Even the people from the Deviant Department who had spent the longest period of time in Feng Tian Hen's presence could not help but be mesmerized for a moment.

Upon seeing him, Wen Ren Qian said in jest: "I heard that you went off to fetch something very important? I wonder what kind of treasure could be so precious that it needed you to protect it yourself?"

Feng Tian Hen's gaze did not waver as he passed through everyone's stares to come walking up to the elevated platform at the head of the hall. He then sat himself down upon the chair to the left, just below Wen Ren Qian, his poise gracefully leisurely.

It was only at that moment that everyone noticed there was a seat there and they immediately were in awe.

The Sect Leader held the highest authourity in the Faint Mist Sect and in all important ceremonies, besides the Sect Leader himself, everyone else remained standing. But another seat had been specially placed there this time and none of them had noticed it earlier till now, that the seat had been set there just for Feng Tian Hen.

Being number one in the inner circle of disciples really has its advantages!

After Feng Tian Hen sat down, his eyes seemed to unconsciously drift towards a particular direction, and he then said with a soft laugh: "It is indeed something important, and it wouldn't be wise to leave it in the hands of others."

She didn't know whether she was mistaken, but she felt that the look that Feng Tian Hen gave was actually directed right at her.

Back on the day during the recruitment trials, teachers from three different departments had been determined to win the all element wielding prodigy prize, refusing to give way to each other.

But what they had not expected was for Feng Tian Hen who appeared and stuck his foot in halfway through to poach the prodigy into joining the Deviant Department. Although they did not dare to say anything despite the rage they felt, they scolded him countless times silently in their hearts.

Upon seeing Qing Yu again now, they were still highly amicable to her, finding her pleasing to their eyes, especially Elder Jin, whose face was already stern and fierce without being angry. He was highly smiley today, looking exceptionally weird.

Jin Ze Hao standing close by saw his own father's foolish looking face and felt goosebumps rise all over him, which made him suspect whether his father had taken a wrong dose of medicine today.

Back to the topic at hand. Wen Ren Qian retracted the joking smile on his face and looked at the disciples in the great hall seriously. "From today onwards, you are a member of the Faint Mist Sect. I hope that all of you will be able to strictly comply to the sect rules, and note every action that you take. Work hard on your cultivation and contribute to the Faint Mist Sect, and progress together with the sect, striving towards the peak of power."

All the disciples then replied in unison. "We'll remember the Sect Leader's wise words."

After that, a senior disciple from the respective departments then distributed out the sect uniforms and identity badges to the disciples. When the disciples received their badges and uniforms, every one of them were as excited as when they had first advanced a level in their cultivation.

Yan Ning Luo was the representative for the Martial Department and when the youths saw that they had such an extraordinary and ravishingly beautiful female senior fellow disciple in their department, they were immediately ecstatic, their faces flushed red with delight.

When it was Yan Xi Wu and Yan Xi Rou's turn, Yan Ning Luo merely paused and rested her gaze on them for a moment, before reverting her expression back to normal as she handed the items to them.

The Elixir Cultivators Department had Elder Jin's First Disciple Tan Lin Ruo as their representative. Having heard Elder Jin trumpeting how talented and good looking his First Disciple was, he was now still trying to entice Qing Yu over by using sex appeal.

Hence, Mu Lai had specially paid attention to him, and found that though he was rather good looking as a person, a suave and handsome young man, but.....

Mu Lai's gaze glanced over to peek into the Deviant Department's side. That Feng Tian Hen was a lot more outstanding than in looks than Tan Lin Ruo, and the flavour of maturity in the man pounded out from the passage of time, was one thing that an inexperienced youth like Tan Lin Ruo who had not yet seen enough of the world did not possess.

Because Qing Yu was the one and only new recruit over at the Deviant Department, hence she stood right at the back of everyone else.

Luo Lan Zhi personally handed out the sect uniform to her, and when he was about to give her the identity token, he discovered that the fifty badges that had been definitely made had now run out, with none to give to Qing Yu at her turn.

Luo Lan Zhi knitted up his brows. "What happened?"

His gaze then turned to gaze at the bunch of people from the Deviant Department, giving a silent warning. [Could this be the doing of that bunch of rascals again?]

Right at that moment from the elevated pedestal, Feng Tian Hen suddenly stood up from his chair and came walking down slowly. His voice was gentle and pleasing to the ear as he said: "Her identity token is here."

Upon saying that, he then pulled out a silver white jade badge from his sleeves, before gently tying it to the young lady's hip.

Large characters could be clearly seen carved into the jade badge, Deviant Department: Qing Yu.

It did not really look all that different from the identity badges of the other disciples, but people who knew stones would be able to see that the quality of the jade was special, and not any ordinary stone.

It was made from priceless Heavenly Silkworm Jade that was extremely rare. It was a treasure that Feng Tian Hen happened to come across by chance, where he crafted an identity token badge for himself, and it had not been thought he would give the remaining amount of stone to this young lady.

That was something nobody could have expected.

Just what was it about this young lady that made Feng Tian Hen favour her so much that he made him not stinge on such a precious treasure but was giving it to her just like that?

It must be known that when Luo Lan Zhi had opened his mouth to ask for the stone in the past, the black hearted fella had adamantly refused, by quoting a ridiculously high price for it.

On the other side, all the others who saw Feng Tian Hen's actions, regardless of whether it was the new recruits or disciples who had been in the Faint Mist Sect for many years already, they were greatly astounded and their eyes grew green with envy.

It must be said that the young lady must be truly blessed. To think that the Chief, the first ranked inner circle disciple was treating her so well.

But Qing Yu who had been bestowed with that honour did not look all that happy. Instead, her brows were creased up, the expression on her face looking rather complicated as she stared at the badge token at her hip.

If she was not mistaken, the make of this identity token of hers was completely different from that of others. Just the material used differed by a million miles and the most important thing was.....

Qing Yu's confused gaze then turn to look at Feng Tian Hen's lean hip, to see a jade token that was exactly the same as hers hanging there.

[This couldn't possibly be the fabled..... couple jade tokens right!?]

[Romanticism from the..... Ancients??]

Qing Yu very nearly frightened herself to death with that stunning thought that jumped into her mind. She quickly halted the raging emotions that welled up within, her face expressionless as she said: "Thank you my senior."

Feng Tian Hen looked at her with a gentle smile. "You do not seem to like the identity token all that much."

[You don't say! In front of so many new recruits and he conjures up such a show of exclusivity by giving her a specially made identity token badge?!]

[Does he fear that everyone here wouldn't want to stick a dagger into her back right this instant? So is he now encouraging them by doing this? He's just making them think that she has used some underhanded means to win the favour of the inner circle's number one, like maybe seduce him with beauty!]

Although she was well filled up with nothing but scorn for him in her belly, her face as indifferent as she replied: "Not true, I like it."

Feng Tian Hen looked disbelievingly at her and raised an eyebrow with an indiscernible smile on his lips. "If you like it, then why is the expression on your face like this?"

"Senior is showing me so much concern that I really do not know what kind of reaction I should give." Qing Yu explained rather believably.

A rare twitch twerked at the corner of Feng Tian Hen's lips. "....."

Luo Lan Zhi and Su Li Mo could almost not maintain their stoic demeanor anymore. [So this is how the little lass interacts with the Chief? And the Chief isn't getting angry in the slightest, but was being as indulgent to her as the rumours say.]

Of course the ones that were the most shocked were those who viewed Qing Yu with enmity, the bunch from the Deviant Department that were thinking how they would be able to prank Qing Yu good and proper, like how they had forced others to leave the department before. All of them had faces looking like they had just seen a ghost at that moment.

[The Chief is really going to indulge her like that?]

[Oh Heaven! Fortunately they had not continued to dig their own graves after that lecture from Senior Luo. Otherwise if they had really done something irreversible, there wouldn't be any medicine for regret.]

[That girl isn't even afraid of the Chief, but is putting on such an arrogant and rude attitude. No wonder she had treated them like little children.....]

Thinking back about it, they had really been rather childish.

"It seems that girl is really rather capable." When Ming Jing saw that scene, he spoke his thoughts aloud softly.

Feng Tian Hen was deep and profound, a man that was hard to read. Few dared to speak to him with such wilful carelessness and he was quietly allowing it as well. It must be said that it was a rare and spectacular sight to see.

Ming Yi Yi beside him smirked a little smugly as she looked at Ming Jing, like he was praising her instead. "That is a matter of fact. Qing Yu is really highly skilled or how could she be accepted into the Deviant Department?"

The look of reverence on her little self caused a look of suspicion to show on Ming Jing's cold and aloof countenance. "You like her?"

"That's right! Not only is she my benefactor, she is now a good friend of mine, and she is very nice as well." Ming Yi Yi did not see the puzzled look on her Big Brother's face and she continued on to say: "If Big Brother comes to get to know her, you will surely like her as well."

"No need for that." Ming Jing said with a scornful sniff, and turned his head away from her.

"....." Ming Yi Yi was baffled for a moment, not knowing what happened.

[What did she say that got him so miffed?]

Wen Ren Qian up upon the raised pedestal said a few more words, reminding the disciples to look out for their new fellow juniors and to help them along, coupled with some appropriate words telling them to share weal and woe before the welcome meet came to a close.

After Wen Ren Qian departed, the rest of the people then began to leave the meeting hall one after another.

Mu Lai and the few other girls then came swarming over to Qing Yu, their eyes mischievous as they stared at the jade token hanging from her hip.

Chapter 158: Turning a Rotten Thing into Something Amazing

A corner of Qing Yu's mouth twitched. "What is it?"

[What are they trying to say with their eyes.....]

"Qing Yu, the inner circle's first ranked Senior Feng looks so breathtaking!" Yan Xi Wu was a classic dolt easily infatuated with good looks, and regardless of whether it was a man or woman, she just had no resistance against them.

Mu Lai was just looking thoughtfully at that retreating back gradually growing further, her fingers clasped around her chin. "Why do I feel that Feng Tian Hen is exceptionally concerned about you?"

Qing Yu could not help but feel mournful when she heard that. "It's just an identity badge. Aren't you thinking too much about it?"

Ming Yi Yi had been staring at the badge for a good while before she said all of a sudden: "Throughout the entire Faint Mist Sect, it seems like only Senior Feng has a piece that looks exactly the same, making your identity badge a pair with his."

The young girl's highly candid words tumbled out from her mouth just like that which caused the gazes of the other girls to grow more mischievous, like they thought that Qing Yu was hiding some unspeakable secret with Feng Tian Hen.

Qing Yu immediately felt her headache worsening. She looked at the jade badge at her hip like she was looking at some malevolent and ferocious monster.

She then noticed the cold and aloof Yan Ning Luo walking past beside her and the look the woman gave her just before she left was one tinged with unprovoked scorn and derision.

Qing Yu immediately had the urge to want to tear that jade token off her and to smash it right onto Feng Tian Hen's face.

[Did that guy do that on purpose?]

[Was it because she embarrassed him on the day of the recruitment trials and he bore a grudge against her, so he had come up with this big show here today right before the countless pairs of eyes here today?]

After today, everyone in the Faint Mist Sect would surely think that there was some level of intimacy in her relationship with Feng Tian Hen.

Qing Yu clenched her jaws tightly together. [What a shameless and despicable man!]

Yan Xi Ruo had always been more reserved and she did not join in with the teasing. Instead, her brows were slightly furrowed as she said in a serious tone: "I feel that the man is not someone that is easy to deal with and you must be careful around him.You must not go against him openly."

Hadn't his actions here today caused Qing Yu to gain many enemies? There would surely be many disciples green with jealousy who would come find trouble with Qing Yu in future. Being closely linked to the first ranked disciple of the inner circle was not as great as it seemed on the surface.

Hearing those words that were said out of concern for her, Qing Yu nodded her head with a smile. "I will be careful. Thanks Second Sis"

Yan Xi Ruo was taken aback, her eyes a little strange as she looked at Qing Yu.

[Did she just call her..... Second Sis?]

She had never thought that they would be able to get along on such amicable terms. Qing Yu had been so weak and timid in the past and although Yan Xi Ruo had not really detested the girl, it couldn't really be considered as liking her as well.

But she had suddenly changed to seemingly become a totally different person, her entire being exuding with such blinding light that people could not take their eyes off of, unable to help themselves but to follow in her footsteps.

By now, Yan Xi Ruo greatly admired her, and she had not expected that Qing Yu would address her as Second Sis despite the things that had happened in the past.

That form of address which sounded so intimate made her feel like they were sisters with absolutely no feelings of estrangement.

The expression on her face immediately softened quite a bit.

Qing Yu thought nothing of it but Yan Xi Wu was immediately blustering as she wailed: "You..... You called her Second Sis? I don't care! Then you have to call me Third Sis as well!"

Seeing how greatly skilled Qing Yu had now become, and that she was her younger sister, just the thought of that made her feel that it was something she could brag about!

But Qing Yu merely looked at her with a profound gaze, seemingly refusing her request.

Yan Xi Wu's face immediately turned mournful. Seems like she had committed too many foolish deeds and her younger sister did not have that good an impression of her.

Everything that was happening here was being carefully scrutinized by the Lightning Blaze Unicorn, a spy hidden amongst the crowd.

Although he did not fully understand confusing and winding ways of humans, but there was one thing he had seen clearly. [Why would that man with ill intentions need to give such a young lady a gift? Was he trying to hook up with the little young lady!?]

[The young lady looks so naive and innocent. What is he going to do if she falls for it?]

[This is a serious matter. He must inform the Lord about this. He is afterall highly responsible.]

But the Lightning Blaze Unicorn was set to fail this time. He immediately remembered that Luo Jun Yao had just said a couple of days ago that he was leaving to go take care of some business, and would not be in the Gathered Cloud Loft. Just when he was all ready to leave, he coincidentally bumped into Bai Zhi Yan.

Bai Zhi Yan was naturally aware that the Lightning Blaze Unicorn had been assigned the role of being a spy and he immediately knew why the man had come here. Bai Zhi Yan draped his arm around his shoulders and brought him upstairs. "What, you came here to snitch? Has the lass gotten herself in trouble again?"

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn's face was befuddled and he looked at Bai Zhi Yan with a slightly displeased look. "The young lady has been very good. Why would she get herself in trouble?"

[Ha! He has merely eaten one rabbit from her and he is being so protective of her already, not allowing him to say anything bad about her. Does not bite the hand that feeds indeed. Has the Lightning Blaze Unicorn forgotten he was his benefactor that saved his life?]

Bai Zhi Yan thought to himself and then went on to say: "Alright then. She's being very good and has not gotten into any trouble. So why have you come here then?"

Remembering the purpose of his visit the Lightning Blaze Unicorn's expression grew grave and concerned as he looked at Bai Zhi Yan seriously. Bai Zhi Yan's face darkened as his heart sank and he could not help but ask: "What is wrong now? Has the little lass met with danger or has she gotten hurt?!"

Although Qing Yu's words really drove him up the wall at times, but Bai Zhi Yan was filled with admiration for the intelligent and highly capable little lass, so he was naturally highly concerned about her. Thinking that something might have happened to her, he immediately became anxious.

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn looked like he did not how to put it into words as he stood there with his brows deeply furrowed for a good while.

Bai Zhi Yan became even more flustered. "What exactly happened!? At least say something for Heavens' sake!"

"The young lady is doing great and she is fine." The Lightning Blaze Unicorn said unhurriedly. "There is an extremely good looking man among you humans today who gave her a gift as a love pledge today and she accepted it."

His heart in a fluster, Bai Zhi Yan who wished he could personally fly his way into the Faint Mist Sect right away was then stunned for a good while before he could digest that piece of news.

"A love pledge?" A corner of Bai Zhi Yan's lips twitched a couple of times. "You better not spout nonsense about things you don't understand. Do you even know what a love pledge is?"

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn looked at Bai Zhi Yan scornfully and said: "Although I am not human, but many female beasts among my species worship and are highly infatuated with me alright? Moreover it isn't just a matter of a day or two that that man has been coveting for the little young lady and I have spoken to the Lord about it before. Who knew that their relationship would progress so quickly just after the Lord left?"

Bai Zhi Yan's face grew even more amused. "Then what do you say we should do?"

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn snorted derisively through his nose. "I would naturally have to make the little lady realize the error of her ways and turn herself around. I have decided that I will go try to convince her to not get bewitched by that man's beauty. She is too young to know the kind of tricks all these men are capable of deep inside their bellies, and you cannot blame her for getting swept off her feet for a moment in such a situation.

Backing up everything he said with a reason, he made himself look seasoned and experienced.

Bai Zhi Yan curled up his lips with derision, his eyes filled with contempt. "That little lass is so smart and intelligent. How could she be so easily bewitched by a man? If it is that simple, Lou Jun Yao's handsome face would have her eating right out of his hand, but she still remains unmoved even after having faced each other for so long. Don't tell me that man you are talking about is a deity descended to the mortal realm."

"That might not be entirely impossible." The Lightning Blaze Unicorn's assessment of that someone was rather high. "From my experience of having seen countless humans in this world over so many years, I have not met more than five men I would consider good looking, but this man here is placed among them."

He paused a moment, and a feeling of crisis hit him out of nowhere. "And that fella really knows how to make a girl happy."

Hearing him say that, Bai Zhi Yan inadvertently became a little worried. [Would the little lass really lose her mind from the attention.....]

After the welcome meet for the new recruits ended, life in the Faint Mist Sect resumed back to normal.

Compared to the other departments, disciples in the Deviant Department enjoyed a lot more freedom. As the profession and field of they specialized in were all different, they usually did not interfere with each other's training but cultivated on their own. Only when they occasionally encounter a bottleneck, would Luo Lan Zhi come give them guidance.

But it was different this year as their main pillar Feng Tian Hen had come back, and everyone's morale was riding high, all of them filled with confidence as they strove to show off their skills.

Qing Yu came to notice that there was an exceptionally young boy among them, who did not look like he had reached the Faint Mist Sect's minimum age for new recruits at all. He did not even look to be ten yet and he was very quiet, always keeping to himself. He always kept his head lowered and did not command much presence, making it easy for people to disregard his existence.

Qing Yu was a little curious and she took a couple of steps closer. She then came to hear the overbearing doll faced young girl saying in a nasal voice: "Little Junior had better not go near that fella. Be careful he does not turn you into something strange or the Chief will surely blame all of us."

"Something strange?" Qing Yu raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Another tall and lanky youth who had seen Qing Yu before then opened his mouth to explain. "He has a strange and unique ability to turn people into all kinds of things, like wood or stone for example, or into an animal. He is even able to give his creations a soul, which is just so demonic, so all of us usually do not go close to him."

"I saw some trees that were alive when I first came here. Were those one of his creations?" Qing Yu asked with her eyes shining brightly.

"That's right! Those demonic monsters are always roaming everywhere all the time and we have gotten used to it.". The tall and lanky disciple replied. But one thing befuddled him. [Why does the expression on the young lady's face look so..... excited?]

Qing Yu completely disregarded the look on the disciple's face and went on to approach the quiet little boy. She went on to say in an easy and jovial voice: "I had not thought that I would see a Soul Binder in the flesh in this place. You're really good at it!"

Never expecting that she would be able to immediately point out his profession with the first words that she said to him, the young boy lifted his head up in surprise, to look into the young lady's exquisitely beautiful face, before quickly lowering his head back down.

But that action of his had allowed Qing Yu to see the mark that filled the left side of the young boy's face. It was a strange creature with eight waving tentacle arms that looked like an octopus, but had the unique head of a dragon.

That was the mark that Soul Binders were born with which was a symbol of the Soul Bound Beast he possessed. The ability was as rare as Midas' Touch, giving shape to the formless, that could even exchange the souls between humans and spirit beasts, a heaven defying profession that could reap completely unexpected results.

She just could not fathom why the youth who possessed such a heaven defying ability would be so quiet and withdrawn, and even looked like he had an inferiority complex.

Was it because of the mark on his face?

But the more the youth tried to avoid her gaze, the more Qing Yu did not want to let him go. In the end, for the first ever time over the past several years, a hoarse and raspy voice spoke a few highly precious words.

"I look so hideous. Aren't you afraid of me?"

The jaws of the others from the Deviant Department at the side almost dropped their jaws to the ground. [Did...... Did the scary little mute just speak?? ]

[The new little junior is just incredible! All kinds of impossible things are happening to her here!?]

Chapter 159: Winning Over the Little Boy

Faced with the youth's large limpid black eyes, it was seen that they still showed a hint of hesitation and timidity.

Qing Yu smiled gently and said: "What is there to be afraid of? You are much better looking than most people. The mark on you is a symbol of the spirit power you are born with, so you should be proud of it instead!"

The youth was suddenly taken aback and his entire body froze. The fair skin on his face turned red at a speed that could be seen by the naked eye, rising up till it reached the tips of his ears.

This was the first time that someone did not despise him for his looks, but had instead praised him for being good looking.

Even the Bound Spirit Beast in his body became so highly elated that it almost could not hold back from leaping out of the boy's body.

When the doll faced girl at the side saw that the corners of her lips turned up in scorn. "Crazy! Why would she come suck up to the little mute out of the blue? Really can't understand what she is thinking."

The tall and lanky youth then tugged at her sleeve, signalling her to not talk so much. The young lady was afterall someone the Chief favours now and it would not be good if they come to offend her.

Qing Yu seemed to like the shy and bashful little boy very much as she said many things to him. In the end, when Qing Yu reached her hand out, wanting to touch the mark on his face, the young boy became highly alarmed and quickly retreated back a step, like he was afraid of her touching him. With his face pale, he then said timidly: "You..... You must not touch me....."

"Why?" Qing Yu asked in bewilderment.

The expression on the youth's face then turned sad and mournful as he said: "I am not able to control my own power..... I will turn you into a monster....."

In the Deviant Department, he was the least conspicuous disciple. No one dared to have any contact with him, and he would try his best to keep out of everyone's sight, not wanting to show himself before them. He really did not want to cause anything irreversible to happen because he was unable to rein in his powers.

Because even he himself did not know how to change the strange creatures he had created back into their original selves.

Only the Chief was able to come close to him and remain safe and sound. Although the Chief had always consoled him, but he just could not get over the fact that he had once turned a living person into a tree.

The youth looked like he had withdrawn himself back into a sturdy little protective shell, not just to protect others from him, but also to protect himself. He was afraid that he would hurt others, but was more afraid that others might come to hurt him.

Qing Yu sighed and tried her best to make herself look like a person safe to engage with. Her voice was exceptionally gentle as she then asked: "What is your name?"

The youth's eyes flashed with a wary glint and it was quite a while before he opened his mouth to utter two short words: "Xing Tong." (Translator's Note from Cloud: Xing1 Tong2 – 星瞳, in this instance means "starry eyes".)

Everyone here had always called him Little Mute and no one knew what his name really was, as no one had asked him.

This beautiful young lady, was the first person who was willing to take the initiative to ask him his name.

But the very next instant, the friendly young lady whom made him feel secure enough to engage with then did an action that would shock and astound any other person.

Before anyone even had the time to react, Qing Yu's hand reached out to rest on the youth's cheek, and she smiled more beautifully than a flower as she said to him. "The name suits you very well, as beautiful as the way your eyes look."

Xing Tong was stunned into a daze, unable to move as his cheek felt the cool temperature on his skin, and it did not feel uncomfortable at all. The Bound Spirit Beast in his body was like a happy little kid, longing for more of the highly caring touch of the young lady, enjoying it immensely.

[Why is he..... liking it so much?]

[Shouldn't he be in a helpless fluster, terrified that his uncontrollable powers would turn her into some kind of hideous monster?]

[Why doesn't he feel the slightest abhorrence or any resistance against it at all?]

"Heavens! My eyes must be going blind!" It was not known who said that who then gulped loudly in horror.

"Has the Little Mute suddenly recovered?"

"Who knows? Why not one of you step forward to let him touch you and see!?"

"Are you crazy? You go let him touch you yourself!"

The doll faced girl was also in a state of shock. After hearing what all the others said, she then spotted a bird flying through the air above. She went on to strike the bird down from the air and threw it upon Xing Tong's body.

In the end, they saw the expression on the youth's face changed in shade and in the next instant, the bird was turned into an ugly toad going "ribbit ribbit" non stop.

The bird immediately felt extremely uncomfortable and it attempted to stretch its wings out to fly away. It came to discover in horror that its wings have..... disappeared!? And when it cried out its cry had turned into a horrible sounding "ribbit ribbit"!

[It was just flying past the place and what has happened in just an instant!?]

Everyone's face immediately lost their colour. [Fortunately they had not touched Little Mute out of curiosity, or it would have been such a tragedy!]

[Is the new little girl junior a deity? Why is she completely fine and unaffected!?]

[Does being that good looking give them such an advantage as well?]

It was out of utter surprise that Xing Tong's head which had been bashfully lowered all this time now came to lift up fully, and his whole countenance came to be revealed without any part of it hidden.

Disregarding the left half of his face that was filled up by the mark of the Bound Spirit Beast, the other half of his face had exquisitely fair skin, and a look that was enchantingly tinged with a hint of sadness, especially his pair of eyes. They were as beautiful as his name, a bright and shiny jet black, so captivating that one would not be able to take their eyes off them.

[The Little Mute has rather handsome looks!] Everyone thought silently to themselves.

"Are..... Are you alright?" Xing Tong asked anxiously, getting a little tongue tied as his gaze remained fixed upon the young lady before him.

Qing Yu was tickled by the boy's careful concern which made her laugh. Her phoenix like eyes flashed with an astute glint and she said: "It looks like you do like me deep in your heart afterall. And look, you haven't turned me into some strange monster have you?"

Against the looks of utter amazement that Xing Tong and the others were giving her, Qing Yu was actually aware of the real reason behind it.

She possessed the purest bloodline that was loved by all spirits, a bloodline that all living creatures could not help being attracted to, hence when the Bound Spirit Beast in Xing Tong's body was touched by her, it became incredibly delighted, and was inevitably drawn to her, yearning to stick close to her.

"What are all of you doing clustered together there?"

It was time for morning lessons and the classroom in the Deviant Department was empty, without a single person in there. Luo Lan Zhi had followed the voices here, and had coincidentally bumped into Feng Tian Hen along the way.

Upon hearing his voice, one of the disciples immediately could not wait but to run over eagerly to him. "Senior, Chief, I'll be damned! Our new little girl junior is just too godly! She touched Little Mute and she is completely unaffected!"

Hearing that, the two men were clearly taken aback as well.

They raised their eyes and immediately saw just below a tall tree, a youth sitting obediently there, looking rather frightened. Qing Yu was squatting just in front of him, talking to him with a smile on her face, and even stretching out one of her claws to pinch the boy's face.

The youth did not flinch or dodge, but just sat there red faced, allowing her to do as she please.

Feng Tian Hen's eyes narrowed and he took a few steps to walk over there. He grasped the young lady's arm and pulled her up to her feet. With a voice that wasn't as gentle as before but tinged with a certain deep darkness, he went on to ask: "What are you doing?"

Xing Tong's eyes stared wide like a startled little fawn. "Chief....."

Qing Yu creased up her rows, and flung off his hand in great displeasure. "Doesn't Senior know that appearing so suddenly out of the blue like this can scare the life out of a person?"

The difference in her demeanor at that moment was as different as light and day compared to the caring and concerned person towards Xing Tong earlier.

The new little girl junior was indeed highly favoured. To think that she dared to speak to the Chief in such a manner.

"How come I did not know that you were so timid?" Feng Tian Hen said with a laugh when he heard that. His eyes then turned to the frightened Xing Tong. "Don't you know that you should have kept your distance away from her?"

The look on the youth's face then became even uglier, turning a pale shade as his body trembled slightly.

When Qing Yu saw that she stood in front of him to protectively to block Feng Tian Hen. "Why are you bullying a kid for nothing? I was the one who took the initiative to come talk to him. He did not do anything at all."

Seeing her so protective like a mother hen, Feng Tian Hen was helpless. "There are many kinds of danger here in the Deviant Department. I was just worried that you are not familiar with things in here and might get hurt as you just came here recently."

"Am I not still good and well now? Senior has worried himself for nothing."

Those were clearly words said out of concern for her but for some unknown reason, Qing Yu just could not help but have a strange feeling inside, her mind subconsciously repulsive.

To put it more accurately, right from the very beginning, she had felt a kind of repulsion towards Feng Tian Hen, and she couldn't really pinpoint the reason for it, but her body just seemed to resist him coming close to her.

Towards that intentional cold indifference, not to mention just Feng Tian Hen, everyone else in the Deviant Department who were presently watching the scene there could also sense it, which caused them to burst out in cold sweat. [Their new little fellow junior is really quite a character, to think that she dares to stand up to the Chief like this.]

Feng Tian Hen had always seemed so gentle, especially when he was before Qing Yu, like he would never ever get angry.

Turning around to the others with a faint smile, he then said: "The Deviant Department has enjoyed much freedom all these years but when I was with the Sect Leader and the others in the meeting hall, I heard that two high level teachers would be joining the Deviant Department at the end of the year. They will be teaching all of you so I hope that from today onwards, all of you can learn to restrain yourselves a little, so that you do not create unnecessary trouble for everyone in future."

His voice was still just as gentle and pleasing to the ear, but the underlying meaning in his words was immediately understood by everyone there. [Has the Chief come to know how they had tried to pull a prank on their new little junior in the past and he was now giving all of them an indirect warning?"

Everyone burst out in a bout of cold sweat, their eyes looking ruefully at Luo Lan Zhi at the side. [Didn't you agree to keep it a secret Senior?]

After Qing Yu heard those words, a look of surprise showed on her face.

[Lou Jun Yao had told her before that he would be coming into the Faint Mist Sect as a teacher to help her locate her mother's soul fragments, but he had not mentioned anything about a second person coming in together with him.]

[To have two high level teachers join the sect at the same time, will they attract too much attention to themselves? What will they do if they become suspicious?]

But what she had not thought was that Lou Jun Yao himself was not aware of that fact. The other teacher joining the sect was someone she had never expected at all.

It was just deep autumn when the Faint Mist Sect's recruitment trials started and in a blink, the weather was already starting to turn colder and colder, the season running straight into winter when the first snowfall fell.

Not including the years she spent roaming everywhere as a formless spirit, this was the seventh year since Qing Yu came to this other world, but this year, she finally did not need to be holed up within the tiny Tranquil Abode inside the Duke of Eternal Peace Manor.

Time passed in a whirl and they had been in the Faint Mist Sect for more than half a month, and many of the people in there had come to be acquainted with each other.

Besides Qing Yu, no matter whether they were sincere or being hypocritical, the other eleven disciples in the Deviant Department no longer ostracized Qing Yu, because they just could not find anything to hate about her.

She was probably the kind of person that once people came to know well, they would not not be able to help themselves but adore the person.

"Little Junior, Little Junior, come here quickly and have a look. Why do I suddenly have so many red spots on my face when I woke up this morning?!" An exaggeratedly shrill scream sounded from behind.

Qing Yu who had been enjoying the snowy scenery outside almost had her eardrums ruptured from the sudden screech and she turned herself around in speechlessness. She was met with the sight of a tall figure who had his face covered and was glancing around furtively as he scuttled his way over, looking at her like he had just found his savior.

However patient Qing Yu could possibly be, she just could not hold herself back from saying with scorn in her voice: "What happened to you again?"

Chapter 160: It's Him!?

She had really not met any man more nit-picky than him.

It could be overlooked if he was just always too concerned with his looks, but for him to get into such a mad panic when he was just bitten by a bug and expecting her to cultivate some kind of miraculous elixir to ensure it would not leave a scar, she was driven to the edge of madness.

She really wanted to blow up! She was an Elixir Cultivator you know? Not some damned beautician!

The man did not seem to have noticed the shade of her face but had gone on to push his own face close to her with a pitiful look on his face. "Little Junior, have a look and see what kind of an illness I have been stricken with!? Is it very serious??"

Qing Yu took a deep breath and forcibly pushed down the rage threatening to well up inside as she glanced at the man. "Did you sneak out to eat something secretly again last night?"

"Huh? How did you know that!?" The man asked in shock.

"I have already told you that you have a sensitive constitution and you must not eat things that are too stimulating. Why can't you just rein in your urges?" Qing Yu asked, her brows creasing up as she felt a headache coming on, unable to recall how many times the man was kicking up such a big fuss over a small allergic reaction.

Qing Yu pulled a green porcelain bottle out from her sleeves and said to him: "This is the last time. Next time, don't come look for me even if you get disfigured."

After that, she walked away and did not turn back no matter how loud the man called out to her.

These people were really getting to be a little too much. If not for the fact that there were traces of her mother's soul fragments in this place, she would have left long ago.

"Ay! Young lady!"

As she walked, a snowball was suddenly tossed down from up above a tree. Fortunately her quick reflexes allowed her to dodge in time or that snowball might have blasted onto her head.

Dread filled up inside Qing Yu. She had immediately known who that was the moment she heard the voice. She gritted her teeth together and said: "What are you doing up there? You were waiting for me to pass just to attack me sneakily?"

Her ears had already suffered under the grinding drone from the guys back at the Deviant Department and now this beast here had come running to join in the fun as well. She started to wonder just what Luo Jun Yao had been thinking, to appoint such a clumsy and simple minded fool to come protect her. Is he sure that he wasn't just adding to her troubles instead?

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn was a refined and handsome sight, dressed in a suit of white robes, almost perfectly camouflaged against the white snow that blanketed everything. But as he was really too tall in stature, but had chosen a branch that was only as thick as a baby's arm to crouch upon, he looked most comical, making Qing Yu worry whether the branch would break under his weight.

His head peeked out from behind the tree to look at her, his white teeth showing. "Young lady, where are you headed off to for fun?"

Qing Yu looked at him expressionlessly. "Are they always so relaxed at the Martial Department? How come no one noticed that you have sneaked out?"

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn's eyes widened as he started to explain. "I did not sneak out from the department alright? The teacher back at the department said that if I can beat him into the ground in ten moves, he will let me come out to play. I remembered to pay mind to his reputation and I did not kill him instantly with one move, even giving him a handicap of three moves!"

[Oh, you're really so thoughtful aren't you?]

It could be overlooked if it was just a twelfth level spirit beast picking on the weak. But when it was boasting about it so shamelessly, then she really did not know what to say.

Moreover, could he not tell that the teacher was politely telling him that his demand to leave was being rejected?

To think that he really went on to fight the teacher! To have disgraced the teacher right before so many other disciples, it could be seen that he really was just a simple minded beast who was unable to understand the ways of humans. It was thought that he would surely be marked with hatred by the teacher after he returns back to the Martial Department.

"Come down here and speak. Why must you always hide yourself up on a tree?" Her neck was feeling sore from craning her neck back to speak. [Doesn't that fella mind getting pins and needles from squatting behind a tree the whole day?]

Hearing that, the Lightning Blaze Unicorn then obediently jumped down from the tree.

The falling snow had stopped and an occasional sprinkling of snow would fall down from the trees. Several fresh sets of footprints could be seen running through the newly fallen snow.

Qing Yu followed beside the footprints as she walked, and then started to make perfunctory chatter with a certain beast with her. "What has your Lord been busy with recently?"

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn thought it fun and imitated Qing Yu by following the footprints as he listened to her speak. He then subconsciously answered without thinking: "Huh? I think the Lord went back to Cloud Heaven!"

Qing Yu was dazed for a moment and her footsteps halted. "Did anything happen? Why did he suddenly go back?"

"I am not sure, but my Lord said that he will come to the Faint Mist Sect once he has dealt with some business. He will probably be back in a few days" The Lightning Blaze Unicorn replied.

Qing Yu nodded and did not ask anymore.

As the man would frequently just appear by her side all of a sudden, it somehow felt a little strange that she had not heard a peep out of him for a good two weeks at a stretch now.

At that same time in another side of the Faint Mist Sect, Yan Ning Luo had been summoned to the great meeting hall.

It was cold and desolate in the great hall as the chill wind blew through the vast empty space. A man sat high up upon the elevated pedestal as the teapot upon the table before him let out a cloud of steam above it, that blurred the man's countenance.

Yan Ning Luo retracted her gaze and said respectfully: "I wonder why Master has summoned Ning Luo here for?"

Most of the disciples throughout the Faint Mist Sect addressed Wen Ren Qian as Sect Leader and Yan Ning Luo was one of the few people who addressed the man as Master. It was because she had been following at the man's side since a very young age and over the many years that had passed, the relationship built up between the two people was naturally not an ordinary one.

Wen Ren Qian raised his eyes and laughed softly. "After this year, Ning Luo would then be eighteen already!"

"Yes." Yan Ning Luo answered, not sure where this conversation was heading.

"Your previous engagement with Xuanyuan Che was called off. Was it because you already had someone in your heart?" Wen Ren Qian suddenly asked, which caught Yan Ning Luo off guard and she was unable to react for a moment.

"What does Master mean by that?"

Wen Ren Qian shook his head with a laugh. "I was naturally just concerned about you. A girl should have someone she can rely on when she grows up, so is there anyone in the Faint Mist Sect that takes your fancy?"

Yan Ning Luo's eyes sharpened slightly. "Thank you Master for your concern, Ning Luo does indeed have someone in my heart, but..... he is not from our sect."

Wen Ren Qian just smiled and did not say anything as he poured out a cup of tea and a disciple coincidentally announced at that moment: "Sect Leader, a guest is here waiting outside the mountain gates."

Yan Ning Luo was just about to ask for her leave when she heard Wen Ren Qian say to her with a smile: "Ning Luo, help me go welcome the guest."

Although a little puzzled, Yan Ning Luo did not probe any further but just acknowledged the order and went out.

— At the foot of the Faint Mist Sect mountain —

A simple and inconspicuous horse carriage was stopped in this place as a black robed youth sat on the outside of the carriage. The horsewhip held in his hand occasionally poked at the horse's behind, the youth seeming bored and was looking for something to kill time with.

After a good while had passed, he turned his head and spoke to the person inside the carriage, his tone of voice sounding highly displeased. "Lord, why hasn't anyone come out yet? Is the Faint Mist Sect putting on airs now?"

"We came here unannounced, so it is normal that we will have to wait for a while." The voice inside the carriage was cold and magnetic, highly pleasing to the ear like the clink of jade beads falling upon a dish.

The black robed youth stiffened his lips and did not complain any further. It then looked like he suddenly remembered something and his eyes turned slightly as he asked with secret delight: "Say, would that person be very happy coming to know about this?"

The person in the carriage did not respond for a long while. It was after quite a while that the voice inside then rang out. "Hopefully she would not be mad at me"

"Why would that be? My Lord has spared no effort, all because of....."

The black robed youth had just opened his mouth to explain further when he saw the mountain gates in front slowly opening, as a slender and graceful figure came out slowly, moving towards them.

People with cultivation had better hearing and sharper eyesight than regular people and hence the youth immediately recognized the slightly familiar figure from afar, where he quickly said in surprise: "Isn't that Princess Ning Feng? And she is....."

Yan Ning Luo's footsteps were light and slow, but the speed which had seemed slow brought her quickly in front of them.

Upon seeing just the unimpressive horse carriage at the foot of the mountain and the youthful coachman seated on its outside, Yan Ning Luo could not help but raise an eyebrow slightly, seemingly a little curious who the guest was, but her face remained calm and indifferent like always.

She parted her lips slightly and said: "I came under the orders of the Sect Leader to receive our esteemed guest. Horse carriages are unable to go into the Faint Mist Sect, so can I implore our distinguished guest to first disembark, so that I can walk you in."

After a moment of silence, a large hand that was slender and fair then stretched out behind the curtain, a voice filled with iciness that would not melt over eternity just like before, the chill seeping into one's bones, but was so unforgettable, that said only two words.

"Appreciate the trouble."

Yan Ning Luo's entire body froze, and her calm and indifferent eyes suddenly flared wide, like she could not believe that that was really the voice she had just heard.

[Is she mistaken?]

The voice, one that was so familiar to her, the same voice that she was able to hear only in her dreams.

Yan Ning Luo's eyes stared unblinkingly at the horse carriage, till the owner of that hand pulled the curtain aside, finally revealing his true countenance.

"It really is you." Yan Ning Luo's eyes were misty, her voice a little hoarse.

——

"Little young lady, do you see? I have really performed very well recently, so can you even consider preparing a rabbit feast, with steamed, braised, roasted and fried rabbit for me?" The Lightning Blaze Unicorn nagged persistently as he followed behind Qing Yu.

Qing Yu covered her ears with her hands, her face mournful. "Do not follow me anymore. It isn't as if you are not aware that the Faint Mist Sect prohibits any form of cooking on your own within its premises, I'll have a blackmark against me if we're caught."

"What is there to be afraid of? Isn't Feng Tian Hen the chief among the inner circle's disciples? Moreover, all the Elders are afraid of him almost half to death, so just say that he is the one who wants to eat if you get caught! I can guarantee you that no one will dare to give you a blackmark."

The expression on the Lightning Blaze Unicorn's face looked as if it was saying "I am so clever", seemingly seeking for Qing Yu to praise him.

"Is there something wrong with you? Don't you know how malicious that man really is? If he finds out that I made use of him, I will have to pay him back ten times at least. Just because of you gluttony and you want me to do something so dangerous? Wait till I go tell Lou Jun Yao about this and let him smash you back into your original form."

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn immediately looked highly aggrieved. "Why are you threatening to have me turned into my original form the moment you disagree with me? I am afterall still a twelfth level high grade spirit beast, I have a reputation to maintain you know!?"

"If you want to maintain your reputation, then use that clever mind of yours a little, and not come up with such silly ideas trying to take advantage of me." Qing Yu said with a cold stare.

The Lightning Blaze Unicorn then clamped his mouth shut ruefully. [It was agreed that there would be a rabbit feast to eat if he performed well. The Lord lied to me again. I will not believe you again.]

Qing Yu was on her way back to the dormitory when she bumped into the doll faced girl from the Deviant Department. Compared to the malicious way the girl already tried to pick on her, she was not exceptionally friendly instead.

"Little Junior, where are you headed for?" The girl asked as she latched on to Qing Yu's arm. "Tell you something. We have a teacher who came in today, and we are all headed to the classroom to go wait. The Chief will also be there."

"Teacher?" Qing Yu raised an eyebrow. "He arrived so soon?"

[Didn't the Lightning Blaze Unicorn say that he went back to Cloud Heaven? And he is already back?]

Qing Yu did not think any further about it but just allowed the doll faced little girl to pull her along as they went on their way to the classroom.