To Be Soft

"Alright, I'll just say it then."

Sixth Elder rolled his eyes and continued, "Last time, Little Yu'er sent out invitations to all the fair maidens, but it ended in discord. Only one person accepted his offer."

"That person was Bai Mei!"

"What?"

Zhong Nan felt as if a thunderbolt had struck his mind. "Y-you... you mean?"

"Exactly. Earlier, when our Little Yu'er told your disciples and those other female cultivators about giving them a great opportunity, it wasn't just empty talk—it was the real deal!"

Sixth Elder curled his lips smugly and drawled, "But alas, those blockheads, including your precious disciple, not only failed to seize the chance but even accused Little Yu'er of humiliating them."

"In the end, only Bai Mei grasped the opportunity. After returning, she achieved the Golden Supreme Bone!"

"Tell me, if your beloved disciple had also seized the chance, wouldn’t she be..."

As Sixth Elder's words trailed off, Zhong Nan felt as if struck by lightning.

"Are you sure you're not lying to me?"

Zhong Nan's face was filled with disbelief.

"Do I look like I’m joking?" Sixth Elder said with utmost seriousness. "Originally, your Southern Gate had this opportunity too, but you lot didn’t cherish it. Instead, you came to blame us. Tsk... truly pitiful and lamentable!"

"Stop, just stop..."

Zhong Nan clutched his head, waving his hand to cut off Sixth Elder’s words. If he listened any longer, he felt like he might have a heart attack.

How could he not understand Sixth Elder’s implication?

If his disciple had seized the chance, she too might now possess the Golden Supreme Bone.

A heaven-sent opportunity had slipped right through their fingers.

Given his understanding of Sixth Elder, no matter how unbelievable this sounded, he knew it was likely true.

After a long silence, he finally managed to voice his lingering doubt: "But... but how could the Golden Supreme Bone be achieved so easily?"

"Hah, you really don’t know, do you?"

Sixth Elder chuckled. "Little Yu'er has a peerless expert backing him."

"Remember a few days ago? The Windcloud Sect sent multiple spirit ships to descend upon our Yunjie Sect. But the expert behind Little Yu'er casually dispatched two subordinates, and they effortlessly obliterated those ships."

"Th-there’s really such a powerhouse?"

Zhong Nan was stunned.

"Why would I lie?"

Sixth Elder flicked his hand, conjuring an image before Zhong Nan.

The scene showed a colossal centipede soaring into the sky, effortlessly destroying the Windcloud Sect’s spirit ships and sending their forces fleeing in disarray.

Zhong Nan watched in awe.

Though he hadn’t been there in person, just the sight of the centipede in the projection made him feel its overwhelming power.

"And that was just one of the experts casually sent by that supreme powerhouse."

Sixth Elder lifted his chin proudly. "Oh, and by the way, our Little Yu'er is on excellent terms with that expert."

"As for me, just a few days ago, I had the honor of sharing a drink under the moon with that Centipede Great One."

Before he could finish, Zhong Nan grabbed Sixth Elder’s hand.

"Old Xu... do you want women?"

"If you do, all the enchanting maidens in our sect are yours to pick from."

Zhong Nan fawned eagerly.

Sixth Elder rolled his eyes and declared righteously, "Do I look like that kind of man?"

"O-of course not, of course not!"

Zhong Nan forced an ingratiating smile.

"I am, after all, a man of unshakable integrity."

Sixth Elder stroked his beard leisurely. "But while I am upright, I’m not inflexible. Since Sect Leader Zhong is so hospitable, how could I refuse your kindness? So... let’s start with twenty or thirty!"

T-twenty or thirty?!

What impeccable integrity!

Zhong Nan’s face twitched. In his heart, he had already cursed Sixth Elder’s ancestors eighteen generations back, but his expression remained all smiles.

"I’ll have them sent to you immediately. So about that... other matter..."

"Easy." Sixth Elder grinned in satisfaction. "I came today precisely to give you this opportunity."

"Our Yunjie Sect has always been on good terms with your Southern Gate. So, go ahead and pick a few talented female disciples from your sect. Later, Little Yu'er can negotiate and see if there’s a chance."

"Oh, and make sure they’re... pliant."

"And as for those who refused before—like that precious disciple of yours—don’t bother bringing them again."