Come and Take a Look

Li Yingling pushed the door open and stepped outside.

Two days ago, her fourth junior sister had moved into the sect with her husband. Rumor had it that Li Junzi couldn’t resist their master’s enthusiasm and had agreed to stay for a while.

Admittedly, their master had his ways.

After the last warning she gave Cui Hao, he had indeed become much more subdued lately, appearing near her every few days.

Naturally, Li Yingling had questioned him suspiciously about it, but Cui Hao merely replied—he was turning over a new leaf and staying close to his senior sister to prove his innocence.

Her response was straightforward—don’t get in her sight.

Yet, Cui Hao still popped up every now and then.

Li Yingling ignored her fifth junior brother, whose brain seemed to be malfunctioning again.

Still, there was good news—Chen Baiqing had recently resumed her habit of appearing by the deep pool, just like before.

Chen Baiqing mentioned that she had finished handling those matters.

Their master also began showing up more frequently, though occasionally he would drag Cui Hao off to who-knows-where.

The days when everyone else was busy while she was idle seemed to have passed.

All in all, the sect seemed to be back on track.

It was as if nothing had changed—those past days were just an anomaly where everyone happened to be occupied.

Li Yingling walked toward the deep pool. As she turned the corner, she spotted Chen Baiqing sitting there as usual, quietly reading a book.

With a smile, she called out, "Up so early again today?"

"Good morning, Senior Sister," Chen Baiqing replied with a sweet grin, holding out a piece of candied fruit. "Want one?"

Li Yingling reached out, took the treat, and popped it into her mouth without hesitation.

Sweetness was never unpleasant—as long as it wasn’t overdone.

She studied Chen Baiqing’s face and couldn’t help but notice that her junior sister seemed especially cheerful today, as if something wonderful had happened.

"Got some good news?" Li Yingling asked curiously.

Chen Baiqing lifted her small face, beaming. "Meeting Senior Sister first thing today is the best news."

Though she knew Chen Baiqing was actually closer to their master, hearing such shamelessly sweet words still warmed Li Yingling’s heart.

She reached out, pulled Chen Baiqing into a tight hug, and indulged in the moment before finally letting go.

By the time Chen Baiqing emerged from her embrace, her once-smooth black hair was slightly tousled.

She smoothed her hair back into place and gazed at her senior sister, asking softly,

"Senior Sister, are you happy today?"

Li Yingling pinched Chen Baiqing’s cheeks affectionately and replied with satisfaction,

"Of course! How could I not be when the first person I met today was Baiqing?"

"And what if the second person you met was your master?"

Hearing the familiar teasing voice, Li Yingling turned to see Chu Xingchen strolling leisurely toward her.

Now that it was just the three of them by the deep pool—her, their third junior sister, and their master—Li Yingling lifted her chin proudly and declared,

"Passable, I suppose."

"Tsk tsk, what a shame," Chu Xingchen sighed, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "I was going to share some good news, but since you’re so dismissive of your master, never mind..."

"Master, wait!"

Chu Xingchen paused mid-turn as Li Yingling quickly glanced around, even using her divine sense to scan the area.

After confirming no one else was nearby, she cleared her throat and said,

"Of course I’m happy. So, what’s the good news? Tell your eldest disciple already."

Chu Xingchen’s face lit up with delight, clearly pleased by her words.

Without further teasing, he continued, "You’ve heard about the upcoming festival in Yuzhou City, right?"

"I have. What about it?" Li Yingling mused. "Don’t tell me Fifth Junior Brother is performing as the grand finale?"

Chu Xingchen gave her a deadpan look. "And you call that good news? Our sect’s already shaky reputation would be ruined for good."

Li Yingling nodded in solemn agreement, then suggested,

"I think Fifth Junior Brother could use some... sect-style education."

Chu Xingchen blinked. "We have that?"

Li Yingling smiled faintly. "I noticed he still hasn’t broken through to Qi Refining..."

Silence fell.

Luckily for Cui Hao, he wasn’t around—otherwise, he’d have some choice words for his senior sister.

"Just kidding," Li Yingling chuckled, steering the conversation back. "So, what’s the actual good news?"

Chu Xingchen got to the point. "Today, Zhao Wanqing from the Demon Suppression Bureau invited us to participate in the festival. After careful consideration, I’ve decided our entire sect will attend."

"Plus, I pulled some strings and secured us prime seating at Zen Forest Temple."

Li Yingling’s eyes sparkled. "Tonight?"

Chu Xingchen raised a brow. "Tonight."

"In that case..." Li Yingling raised her hand cheerfully. "I’ll continue being the best disciple ever for Master!"

Chu Xingchen simply smiled.

Night fell.

But tonight, Yuzhou City was alive with excitement.

The dragon and lion dance troupe began their performance along the pre-planned route.

Li Yingling wore a red gown today, with two embroidered coin pouches tied at her waist. As it was late autumn nearing winter, she didn’t carry a fan, so she simply held Chen Baiqing’s small hand instead.

Chu Xingchen, meanwhile, had put on the rather flamboyant set of clothes Li Yingling had gifted him earlier.

By now, everyone in the sect had gathered.

Ning Qianqian and Ning Kun were also present.

Lin Luoyu stood beside Li Junzi, her face wearing a faint, enigmatic smile.

Li Junzi, on the other hand, beamed with an almost maternal delight, as if eagerly anticipating what was to come.

Cui Hao lingered at the rear of the group, discreetly signaling and relaying tasks.

Yuzhou City was alive with laughter and joy, countless lanterns hanging so brightly they nearly turned the night into day.

This celebration was far livelier than the Dharma assembly held by Zen Forest Temple.

The citizens of Yuzhou had all come out to revel. Since hanging lanterns earned them wages, every household now had a bit of spare coin to spend.

And with such a grand festival underway, no one chose to stay home.

After all, the lives of ordinary folk were often dull and monotonous—how could they bear to miss such a rare occasion?

The city was even more bustling now than during daylight hours.

From a distance, the dragon and lion dance troupe approached with the clamor of gongs, drums, and firecrackers.

Cheers and applause had been rising long before they arrived.

Among the group, only Ning Qianqian lacked cultivation prowess, and she had been entrusted to Lin Luoyu’s care.

Thus, despite the crowd, no one jostled Chu Xingchen and his companions.

Perhaps Cui Hao played a role in this—many recognized him trailing behind a group of extraordinary individuals and understood these were immortals from his sect.

Mortals, after all, held a natural reverence for such beings.

Li Yingling’s gaze swept around, her smile unceasing as she held Chen Baiqing’s hand and looked toward the long street.

The dragon and lion dancers stretched in a lengthy procession, each performing their own dazzling moves.

Though Li Yingling was already a Golden Core cultivator, the excitement in her eyes hadn’t dimmed.

She turned to the sect members behind her and called out cheerfully,

"Come quick, look at this!"