Now You See It

Yuzhou City.

Lin Luoyu pushed open the door and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

Her master had been away in Chizhou for quite some time now—months, by her count.

The monks Yuan Kong and Yuan Jing from Zen Forest Temple had already returned and had even paid a visit earlier, though at the time, her master still hadn’t come back.

The reception had been handled by the youngest yet currently highest-ranking senior among them—Third Senior Sister.

It had to be said that despite her youth, Third Senior Sister carried herself with a demeanor reminiscent of their master, at least in Lin Luoyu’s eyes—flawless.

Third Senior Sister rarely smiled, except when their master was around.

It hadn’t been something Lin Luoyu noticed before, but ever since their master left the sect, the number of times Third Senior Sister smiled could be counted on one hand.

Unlike Eldest Senior Sister, when Third Senior Sister was in charge, things were more relaxed—everyone simply went about their usual tasks.

Eldest Senior Sister, on the other hand, would organize sect activities and the like, though this was partly because Third Senior Sister had a naturally quieter disposition.

Lin Luoyu felt that Third Senior Sister possessed a maturity and temperament beyond her years.

But because of this, Cui Hao had been left to his own devices—and he had taken full advantage.

During breaks from cultivation, he tinkered with the magical artifacts given to him by Second Senior Brother.

As a result, the fish in the pond had become unfortunate victims of his experiments.

Still, Cui Hao had some sense—he only experimented on the ordinary fish in the pond.

Perhaps the spirit fish were too delicate to endure the chaos of artifacts darting through the water. After a few days of his meddling, one of them ended up floating belly-up.

Looking back on that day, Lin Luoyu still found it somewhat… amusing?

The usually lively and grinning Cui Hao had stood there, head bowed, wearing a guilty expression as he was scolded by Third Senior Sister, who barely reached his waist.

Even Chen Baiqing, who usually only showed more expression around their master, had frowned like a stern little adult as she reprimanded him.

That scolding demeanor… faintly resembled Eldest Senior Sister’s style.

But for Lin Luoyu, there was also good news.

A few days ago, she had broken through from the ninth level of Qi Refinement to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Fortunately, her innate talent was decent, so she hadn’t needed to rely on the pills their master left behind to assist her breakthrough.

Lin Luoyu wasn’t the overly curious type—she had seen enough of the world to know that if something looked suspicious, it probably was. There was no need to test it herself.

Only someone as impulsive as Fifth Junior Brother would willingly jump into something they knew was trouble.

Lin Luoyu stood up and made her way toward the deep pool.

If anyone had free time, they would usually be found at the stone table and chairs by the pool.

According to Third Senior Sister, this habit stemmed from the time their master had stayed in Yuzhou City.

Back then, whoever was free would sit on the stone chairs, and whenever Third Senior Sister wanted to go out, she would ask the person sitting there.

And without fail, they would accompany her.

But as Third Senior Sister had mentioned—their master had spent the most time sitting there, followed by Eldest Senior Sister.

By the stone chairs near the pool.

Chen Baiqing was engrossed in a book borrowed from the Demon Suppression Bureau. The world of immortal cultivation was vast and varied, and the more she learned, the more she realized how little she truly knew.

Beyond cultivation itself, Chen Baiqing also took an interest in strange tales and other esoteric knowledge.

Her gaze lifted from the book, shifting toward the corridor. A faint smile touched her lips as she spoke.

"Good morning, Junior Sister."

Lin Luoyu clasped her hands in greeting. "Good morning, Third Senior Sister."

"Have you eaten breakfast?"

"I’ve reached Foundation Establishment—I don’t need to eat anymore."

"Then have some candied fruit."

Lin Luoyu walked over to the stone chairs and happily accepted the treat Chen Baiqing offered.

Once Lin Luoyu had taken it, Chen Baiqing lowered her head again, returning to her book.

By the time Lin Luoyu finished the candied fruit, Cui Hao had also arrived, striding down the corridor.

"Good morning, Senior Sisters."

"Good morning." Chen Baiqing looked up again, retrieving another piece of candied fruit from the side and handing it to him. "Here."

Cui Hao took it and popped it into his mouth in one go before plopping down onto an empty seat. He grinned.

"Mmm! So sweet."

Hearing this, Chen Baiqing gave him a small smile.

Though this Fifth Junior Brother occasionally caused trouble, most of the time, he managed to clean up his own messes.

At the very least, he wasn’t too much of a headache.

Cui Hao stretched lazily before launching into the latest news he had gathered.

"Recently, I heard there was chaos in Cangzhou—a flood dragon went on a rampage. The battle was so intense, they say the heavens shook and the earth split."

Chen Baiqing gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"Do you think it could’ve been Master fighting that flood dragon in Cangzhou?" Cui Hao rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "But Master was in Chizhou. Sure, things happened there too, but it all seemed too… uneventful."

"Tsk… Yuan Kong and the others are already back. What’s keeping Master there? And why did he call Eldest Senior Sister over too?"

"Not a single letter, either. I have to go out and gather rumors just to guess what’s happening."

Chen Baiqing turned a page in her book and said softly, "It’s good that Master is in Chizhou. As long as he’s safe, that’s what matters."

Cui Hao nodded in agreement. After all, aside from that initial incident with the pills, their master had always treated him well.

Lin Luoyu glanced toward the gate. "Since everything’s settled, Master should be returning soon, right?"

Chen Baiqing didn’t answer. Instead, she picked up another piece of candied fruit and placed it in her mouth.

She had never said it aloud, but she missed their master, Eldest Senior Sister, and Second Senior Brother.

This was the longest their master had ever been away from her side.

"Wow… I thought you’d be some country bumpkin, but you’ve actually got taste. There’s even a hint of the Tianyan Sect’s style here."

Chen Baiqing stiffened at the unfamiliar voice coming from the gate. She immediately stood, her gaze snapping toward the entrance.

Her spiritual sense reached out—and then she was running.

Lin Luoyu and Cui Hao had also risen to their feet, but seeing Third Senior Sister’s reaction, they instantly understood who had arrived.

The two of them hurried after her.

By the time Cui Hao and Lin Luoyu reached the gate, Chen Baiqing’s faint smile had blossomed into a sweet one as she reached out to grasp their master’s sleeve.

The two of them stepped forward to greet him.

Cui Hao first clasped his hands in a respectful bow to their master before turning his attention to the two strangers.

One was a woman with delicate features but an icy aura.

The other was a young girl—barely taller than Third Senior Sister—with deer antlers atop her head. She had one hand on her hip while the other stroked her chin as she surveyed the surroundings.

Chu Xingchen gently patted Chen Baiqing’s head. After so long apart, she seemed even more clingy than before. Then his gaze shifted to Lin Luoyu, who had also bowed.

"Your progress is impressive—you’ve reached Foundation Establishment?"

Lin Luoyu nodded. "Yes, I have."

Chu Xingchen handed her a book that faintly emitted a soft white glow. "This is for you. Study it well, and ask if you don’t understand."

Lin Luoyu quickly accepted it, her eyes falling on the cover—"Righteous Sword."

Cui Hao glanced enviously at the manual in his junior sister’s hands before turning an expectant gaze toward their master.

Chu Xingchen didn’t play favorites. From his spatial ring, he retrieved a local delicacy from Cangzhou—a specially cured and dried fish.

He had tried it himself, and the taste was quite good.

He handed Cui Hao an entire jar of the dried fish, adding,

"These are delicious. Feel free to snack on them whenever."

Cui Hao nodded solemnly while holding the jar.

The value of the gift didn’t matter—what was important was that his master remembered him!

Without lingering at the entrance, Chu Xingchen and the others took their seats by the pond.

Once seated, Cui Hao was the first to speak up:

"Master, I heard rumors about a mighty flood dragon appearing in Cangzhou. They say it wreaked havoc along the great river, shaking heaven and earth—is it true?"

Qinghe, who had been quietly observing the spiritual fish in the deep pond, swiftly turned his gaze toward Cui Hao at these words.

This guy sure knew how to spin a tale!

Chu Xingchen’s expression turned serious as he nodded. "It’s true. I even saw the flood dragon with my own eyes."

"Really? Then it must have been incredibly powerful, right?"

"Well, it was decent. Would you like to see it?"

"I’ve never seen one before, so of course I’d like to! But I heard the dragon met a gruesome end—not only was it beaten to death by a mighty cultivator, but its sinews were supposedly ripped out while it was still alive. Did you… manage to get a piece of its flesh, Master?"

Chu Xingchen coughed lightly, then gestured toward Qinghe beside him.

Cui Hao’s eyes flickered with confusion as he stared at Qinghe, whose horns were clearly visible.

Chu Xingchen asked, "Do you see it now?"

"See… what?"

"The flood dragon, of course."

"Wha—?!"