Li Yingling propped her chin on one hand, her gaze casually sweeping over the stack of inventory sheets before her as she mentally tallied the accounts.
Her master had it easy—just a casual "I have more important matters to attend to," and he’d dumped everything here on her.
Annoying. If he came back empty-handed, she’d really give him a piece of her—
Li Yingling pondered for a moment but couldn’t think of anything she could actually do to him.
Ah, well. He was her master, after all. Given how well he usually treated her, she’d grudgingly welcome him back even if he didn’t bring a gift.
After a moment, she jotted down a few notes before stretching lazily, then let out a heavy sigh as she thought of her master, whom she hadn’t seen in months.
Zhang Miaoyu, who was organizing materials nearby, noticed her leader’s sigh and quickly looked over. "Leader, is something wrong?"
Li Yingling glanced at her and shook her head, brushing it off. "It’s nothing… I just have a feeling Cui Hao’s about to cause trouble again."
Zhang Miaoyu hesitated. "Really? He’s been keeping his head down since the last incident."
Li Yingling chuckled dryly. "Hmph, that just means he’s saving up for something big."
Zhang Miaoyu laughed in response.
Lately, Zhang Miaoyu had been acting as Li Yingling’s personal assistant, helping with tasks, organizing documents, and relaying instructions.
As a result, she’d become familiar with everyone in the sect—whether it was Cui Hao, Chen Baiqing, or even the quiet, hardworking duo Lin Luoyu and Li Xingtian, who rarely spoke.
There was no scheming or infighting in the sect—just everyone working together for its sake.
Even Cui Hao, who’d been sternly reprimanded by the senior sister before.
Sure, he sometimes pulled off ridiculous stunts, but they were always harmless.
When it came to serious tasks, he handled them flawlessly, often exceeding expectations without ever seeking credit.
So Zhang Miaoyu wasn’t too concerned about his "something big."
How bad could it be? At worst, he’d just embarrass himself.
In fact, she was a little curious about what bizarre antics he’d come up with next.
But she’d never say that to the leader—Zhang Miaoyu wasn’t foolish enough to voice things the leader didn’t want to hear.
Using her spiritual energy, Zhang Miaoyu sorted through stacks of supply invoices and letters, most of which were correspondences with material suppliers. But soon, her attention was caught by one particularly plain envelope.
What made it stand out was how ordinary it was.
Since the suppliers dealt in immortal goods, their envelopes were usually enchanted and made of luxurious paper.
This one, however, was completely mundane—no spells, no embellishments.
It almost looked like trash.
Zhang Miaoyu checked the address, then pulled it out and placed it on Li Yingling’s desk. "Leader, there’s a letter forwarded from the Xuanwu Kingdom in the Southern Continent."
Li Yingling turned her gaze to the unremarkable envelope.
Her master had mentioned leaving letters in Yuzhou City in case someone came looking for him and found the place empty.
Li Yingling knew exactly who that "someone" was—the little monk Yuan Kong.
She was aware that Yuan Jing had passed away and that Yuan Kong had chosen to walk his own path.
Though her master always acted indifferent, deep down, he was sentimental.
Yuan Kong might not be the most capable, but he was still just a kid—pure-hearted and kind.
Not to mention, he’d played a key role in convincing their master to stop force-feeding his disciples experimental pills.
Without hesitation, Li Yingling took the envelope and opened it.
Inside were two sheets.
Her eyes quickly scanned the first, then flicked to the second, her expression turning suspicious.
Zhang Miaoyu noticed the subtle shift and immediately realized this wasn’t just any letter.
She wanted to ask, but held back—waiting for the leader’s orders was the wiser choice.
Before Li Yingling could say anything, however, Chen Baiqing walked in.
Her eyes first landed on the senior sister, then flicked to Zhang Miaoyu. Though she’d come to report progress, she stayed silent and calmly stepped to the side.
Li Yingling looked up and saw her, but this time didn’t greet her first. Instead, she turned to Zhang Miaoyu.
"Go to the main hall and fetch my fourth junior sister."
Zhang Miaoyu nodded swiftly and hurried off.
Li Yingling then turned to Chen Baiqing, forcing a faint smile. "Did you need something?"
"Mm, the residential area has reached the topping-out stage, and interior decoration will begin next." Chen Baiqing took out the prepared materials from her spatial ring and said, "Here’s the list of required supplies I’ve calculated. We can start procuring these materials now."
Li Yingling accepted the documents without glancing at them and replied straightforwardly,
"Alright, understood."
Chen Baiqing hesitated briefly but still asked,
"Did something happen? Is it about Fourth Junior Sister?"
Li Yingling looked at Chen Baiqing’s earnest expression and softened her tone, speaking as casually as usual,
"Fourth Junior Sister’s husband sent her a letter, that’s all."
Chen Baiqing stood still for a moment, then met the senior sister’s gaze with determination.
"Baiqing isn’t a child anymore. I’m the third senior sister, and Fourth Junior Sister is my junior too. I can help as well."
Li Yingling was taken aback and studied Chen Baiqing closely.
Suddenly, she realized how much Chen Baiqing had grown—no longer the little girl who had to tilt her head up to hold her hand, eager to explore the world. Now, she stood before her with the poise of a young woman.
Perhaps because they spent so much time together, Li Yingling had overlooked her growth.
Chen Baiqing taking sole responsibility for the residential area’s construction wasn’t Li Yingling’s arrangement—it was Chu Xingchen’s decision.
Had it been up to Li Yingling, she would have paired Lin Luoyu with Chen Baiqing rather than letting her handle it alone.
In Li Yingling’s eyes, Chen Baiqing was still that sweet-natured third junior sister who loved sitting by the deep pond, smiling brightly while nibbling on candied fruits and reading books, greeting her with a cheerful "Good morning, Senior Sister."
Subconsciously, Li Yingling just wanted Chen Baiqing to remain carefree, shielded from all troubles—whether by her, Second Senior Brother, or even their master if needed.
But sometimes, she forgot that Chen Baiqing would grow up. Had to grow up.
Li Yingling calmly picked up the letter in her hand and passed it to Chen Baiqing.
Time hadn’t just shaped her own growth. The little girl of the past had now become someone capable of sheltering others from storms—someone dependable.
Their master, Chu Xingchen, had recognized Chen Baiqing’s maturity and entrusted her with independent responsibilities.
Yet Li Yingling hadn’t. She’d still treated Chen Baiqing like a child.
Perhaps this was why their master could unite everyone’s hearts.
Li Yingling suddenly spoke, "Little Baiqing, you’ve grown taller."