No Wonder Grandma Bai Loves Coming Here

Xie Lingyu pushed open the door and was greeted by a decor layout reminiscent of the Tianyan Sect.

Were it not for the noticeable difference in spiritual energy, Xie Lingyu might have even momentarily wondered if she had returned to the Tianyan Sect.

Clearly, these arrangements bore the unmistakable touch of her master.

Many of the stylistic choices were strikingly familiar.

It seemed her master had been thoroughly charmed by Chu Xingchen.

Yet this scene was hard to believe, given how long her master had lived—there was no flattery he hadn’t heard before.

Back in the Tianyan Sect, even the sect leader would swallow his pride and lavish praise when he needed a favor.

But her master had never once humored him.

Then again, considering it was Chu Xingchen, it made sense.

After all, Chu Xingchen’s specialty was delivering surprises—whether good or bad.

Regardless, seeing Chu Xingchen establish his own sect and take in disciples of good character,

Xie Lingyu couldn’t help but feel genuinely happy for him.

The sect was well-built, though it felt a tad too quiet.

When Xie Lingyu left Yuzhou City, construction had only just begun, so everything still felt fresh to her.

Chu Xingchen had even taken the time to give her a tour, including the spiritual herb fields in the back mountains.

From this, she deduced that Chu Xingchen must have gotten along well with her master.

At the very least, her master had been willing to help him build the sect—and had undoubtedly dipped into his own pockets for it.

Some of the materials were Tianyan Sect exclusives—not necessarily impossible to obtain in the Central Continent, but certainly beyond the reach of sects in the Xuanwu Kingdom.

After some thought, Xie Lingyu decided to head toward the deep pool first.

That area had the fewest buildings and the most open space, along with what appeared to be recreational equipment.

If Qinghe was awake, it would likely scamper off there.

Time to apprehend this flood dragon before it bullied others with its superior cultivation.

The pool wasn’t far from Xie Lingyu’s guest quarters—just a short walk down a corridor.

As expected, rounding the corridor revealed Qinghe sitting on a stone bench by the pool, with Chen Baiqing beside it.

What Xie Lingyu hadn’t anticipated, however, was… why was Qinghe holding a fish?

Xie Lingyu knew Qinghe loved eating fish, but she’d never heard of it enjoying hugging them.

Was it trying to trick and bully the younger Chen Baiqing?

Approaching the two, Xie Lingyu asked, “Qinghe, what are you doing with that fish?”

Qinghe turned and, upon seeing Xie Lingyu, immediately tossed the fish back into the water.

Wearing an awkward smile, it stammered,

“N-nothing!”

“Nothing?” Xie Lingyu narrowed her eyes. “Should I fish out what you just threw in before you admit it?”

Qinghe’s mind raced—between embarrassment and the possibility of a beating, it decisively chose embarrassment.

Standing up, it declared with exaggerated confidence,

“Fine, I was holding a fish! What’s it to you? Can’t I hold a fish if I want?”

“Why would you hold a fish for no reason?”

“Do I need a reason to hold a fish?”

Xie Lingyu ignored Qinghe’s theatrics and turned to Chen Baiqing, her tone softening.

“Can you tell me what Qinghe was doing just now? What did it say to you?”

Chen Baiqing glanced at Qinghe, but receiving no signals, she answered slowly,

“We were just discussing something about fish.”

“What exactly? Did it make you hold a fish?”

“No, it didn’t ask me to.”

Chen Baiqing stole another look at Qinghe, but it remained expressionless and motionless.

That probably meant it was fine to speak freely.

After all, liking to pet fish might be unusual, but… surely it wasn’t a big deal?

She added, “We were just figuring out how to pet fish.”

“Pet fish?” Xie Lingyu frowned. “Actual fish?”

“Is… there another kind?” Chen Baiqing asked timidly.

“No…” Xie Lingyu shot Qinghe a look before pressing further.

“Did Qinghe make you do anything? Like hold a fish too?”

Chen Baiqing shook her head. “No… It just said it wanted to pet fish and asked me to help, so I caught one for it.”

Qinghe, emboldened, lifted its chin. “Baiqing’s so nice! What’s wrong with her summoning a fish for me to pet?”

“Absolutely nothing wrong with that.”

Chu Xingchen’s amused voice cut in.

Qinghe glanced sideways to see him approaching with his disciples—all present except for Li Xingtian.

Chu Xingchen walked up to Chen Baiqing, ruffling her hair before addressing Qinghe with a grin.

“Hold as many fish as you like. I’ll even catch them for you myself.”

Qinghe studied his expression—clearly, he’d seen through its accidental blunder.

And was now mocking it!

“I’ve had enough fish-holding for today. Who even cares?”

Qinghe plopped back onto the bench, pouting—damn it, humiliated in front of this scheming brat again!

Watching Qinghe sulk, Xie Lingyu finally pieced things together.

But Chu Xingchen didn’t tease it further—after all, Qinghe was a guest.

There was no sense in tormenting visitors; a little ribbing was enough.

Instead, he proposed an impromptu barbecue gathering. Chen Baiqing was the first to raise her hand in agreement, followed swiftly by Li Yingling.

The other two disciples naturally wouldn’t refuse their master.

With an overwhelming majority, the motion passed.

The barbecue went smoothly—delicious food and plenty of fun.

At first, Li Yingling resumed her usual role as referee. The large open space by the pool had been transformed into a gaming area, complete with life-sized board games and other activities.

Chu Xingchen deserved full credit for designing this playground.

Midway through the barbecue, Chu Xingchen took over refereeing duties from Li Yingling.

After overseeing two rounds of Monopoly, he finally understood why Li Yingling always insisted on being the referee in certain games.

Under her watch, Qinghe and Chu Xingchen would battle fiercely, trading wins and losses.

Qinghe’s expressions cycled between triumph and frustration, while the others occasionally kept up but posed little threat.

But when Li Yingling joined the game?

Qinghe went from shocked to suspicious before settling into a deadpan stare.

No surprise—against Li Yingling’s overwhelming luck, Qinghe was just like everyone else: utterly crushed.

No chance to fight back.

Still, the barbecue concluded joyfully—though Li Xingtian’s absence was noted.

Qinghe left satisfied—no wonder Grandma Bai loved visiting.

With this much fun, Qinghe would gladly come back often too.

Nightfall.

Li Xingtian returned from Zen Forest Temple, walking down the corridor toward his room.

But before he could take more than a few steps, he spotted a familiar figure leaning against the railing, as if waiting for him on purpose.

"Back already?" Chu Xingchen glanced at Li Xingtian. "How did it go?"

Li Xingtian frowned slightly in confusion. "How did what go?"

"Of course, I mean you and Li Zi. Did she say anything to you?"

"She did. She wants to return to the Central Continent to find her brother."

Chu Xingchen thought for a moment. "Did you tell her I already searched thoroughly for him? That perhaps her brother is no longer… around?"

"I did." Li Xingtian stepped closer to his master.

Chu Xingchen chuckled teasingly. "Did she blame you? Call you a jinx or something?"

Li Xingtian shook his head lightly. "No. She just wants to go back and look again."

"So, are you planning to go with her?"

"Why would I go with her?" Li Xingtian’s expression turned puzzled.

Hearing this, Chu Xingchen fell silent for a brief moment but said nothing further. He simply reached out and patted Li Xingtian’s shoulder before turning to leave.

Li Xingtian watched his master’s retreating figure, understanding the unspoken meaning behind his gesture.

Still, he owed his master gratitude…

Back when Li Xingtian was still in the Central Continent, he had heard rumors that the Heavenly Rosy Sect in Sunset Valley had been thrown into chaos by a Nascent Soul cultivator entangled in karma.

The Heavenly Rosy Sect had been thoroughly humiliated.

After investigating the matter, Li Xingtian confirmed it was his master who had stepped in to settle the score for him.

When he returned to Yuzhou City this time, Li Xingtian made a detour to Sunset Valley and found that his wanted notice had indeed been taken down.

Moreover, an apology from the Heavenly Rosy Sect was still posted on the city gates.

Thanks to this, Li Xingtian had also smoothed the way for Li Zi’s return.

He hadn’t spoken much with Li Zi—just the necessary words.

The reason he had returned so late was because he had been making preparations for her journey back.

At the very least, there would be people there to look after her and help her search for her brother. Under such circumstances, why would he need to accompany her personally?

And another thing—though he had no idea who was spreading nonsense—

There was absolutely nothing improper between him and Li Zi!

Besides, Li Zi honestly resembled a man more than anything.

Right now, Li Xingtian simply had no interest in seeking a Dao companion, let alone one who looked like a man!

Who on earth was spreading these rumors?!

And to make matters worse, there were even whispers within the sect…

That Li Xingtian was… not the brightest?

Damn it! Who was behind this?!