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“Have you heard that the two disciples from Qingling came out of the inner pool in disarray? Is it true?”
“Absolutely true! One of them is Shen Liuliu. It’s said that he was carried out and had already lost consciousness.”
“This, this, this… It’s really inappropriate to act like that in broad daylight. Who is the one who carried him?”
“It’s Zhou Xuanlan, the leading figure among the new disciples of Qingling!”
“What?! It’s understandable for Ning Shishu to do that, but now there’s another Zhou Xuanlan involved. What are they planning to do to Shen Liuliu? Could he be under some kind of curse?”
“If this happened in Zhuhou Country, Shen Liuliu would definitely be considered a troublemaking demon consort!”
The rumors spread like wildfire within the Sword Sect, but the parties involved remained clueless.
The “demon consort” woke up from his bed, feeling comfortable and unwilling to move. From the tips of his hair to his rounded, fair toes, he exuded an air of laziness and contentment.
“Oh, so refreshing!” Shen Liuxiang sighed. In the pool, he had been in so much pain that he wanted to die, but unexpectedly, after the ordeal, he felt light and heavenly.
At that moment, the door opened.
“I heard that there was some improper behavior in the Inner Pool,” said Ling Ye as he walked to the bed and looked down at Shen Liuxiang, “I didn’t believe it at first, but looking at you now, it seems this matter might be true.”
Shen Liuxiang sat up, his eyes slightly red as if he had just finished crying, his soft, black hair scattered messily around his shoulders, and his fair cheeks showing a hint of blush.
From head to toe, inside and out, he looked as if he had been thoroughly pampered.
Shen Liuxiang was stunned.
Improper behavior?
Seeing his confusion, Ling Ye reached out and gently ruffled his hair, saying in a warm voice, “Let me be honest with you. If this matter is true, when we return to Qingling, I will hold a ceremony for you and Zhou Xuanlan to become Dao companions, setting it early to avoid future troubles.”
“What?!” Shen Liuxiang exclaimed.
He had bitten his disciple a few times because of the pain, but that didn’t mean they had to become Dao companions to take responsibility for each other!
Ling Ye’s expression remained calm, “This is the third time I’ve told you.”
“That’s also a misunderstanding,” Shen Liuxiang hastily explained, “Believe me, both my disciple and I are innocent. We’re only in trouble because of the incident in the Bone-Washing Spring.”
As he spoke, he suddenly turned serious, “Senior  Brother, have I ever suffered any serious injuries?”
Ling Ye frowned slightly and scrutinized Shen Liuliu for a while, “You’ve always returned triumphantly from your expeditions outside the Sect. The only time you were injured was ten years ago, when you went to pacify the disturbance caused by the Demon tribes in the Eastern Wasteland. You were injured there and rescued by Ye Bingran.”
Upon hearing the words “Eastern Wasteland,” Shen Liuliu’s mind flashed with some fragments, but the memories were causing him a severe headache.
He clutched his head and involuntarily curled up.
Ling Ye’s expression changed slightly, and he was about to reach out to touch him when loud noises came from outside the room.
He frowned and listened carefully.
“Someone from Qingling, quickly call Shen Liuliu out! He dares to release the Young Sect Master’s spirit pet; it’s audacious!”
“The Young Sect Master was so angry that he didn’t sleep all night. Wei Elder, you must seek justice for him!”
“The Young Sect Master said he will cut off Shen Liuliu’s hand, so he can never shoot arrows again.”
A group of people forcefully burst into the courtyard, with several Sword Sect disciples trying to block them, “Wei Elder, Shen Liuliu is a guest entrusted to us by Ning Shishu. Please don’t cause trouble.”
Wei Tianji pushed away the disciple blocking his path with a palm and said, “Enough with the nonsense. Let’s argue on the grounds of reason. If Ning Runxin forcefully intervenes, I will make sure the whole world knows that the Sword Sect is filled with unreasonable people who like to stir up trouble.”
He had also heard the rumors but felt that they were exaggerated. Perhaps the two of them had some previous interaction, but their identities were vastly different, so what could possibly happen between them?
Seeing that Ning Runxin had broken through and didn’t bother to see Shen Liuliu, he probably had come to terms with the situation.
Moreover, before leaving the sect, the Sect Master had specially instructed not to let his son suffer any grievances. Otherwise, he would take it as a personal attack. Now that Jin Dieshang had suffered such humiliation, if they didn’t handle it to his satisfaction, Wei Tianji feared his position as an elder wouldn’t be secure after they returned to the sect.
With these thoughts in mind, Wei Tianji led a group of disciples and hurriedly arrived at the door of Shen Liuliu’s room.
With a forceful kick, the door was sent flying open with a loud bang.
“Qingling brat, come out and face the consequences!”
The word “die” was stuck in his throat as Wei Tianji looked at the person who walked out of the room and shuddered, his steps faltering.
The disciple behind him, who lacked tact, recalled the morning’s gossip and pointed at the person while speaking coldly, “Could it be that you’re the adulterer of Shen Liuliu? Call your lover out now!”
Wei Tianji stared at the disciple in disbelief, wanting to kill him on the spot.
Had they gone mad?!
The Sect Master of Qingling, Ling Ye, was not even recognized, and on top of that they dared to act so insolently.
Ling Ye stood with his hands behind his back, his red and white robe making him appear even more elegant and tall. Looking down on the sulky disciples of Xiyang Sect, it seemed as if the world was aware that Ling Ye was known for his gentle and good-natured temperament.
However, at this moment, his expression darkened.
Perhaps it was because he saw his junior holding his head in pain, or perhaps he found the people in front of him too noisy.
He was rarely angry.
So he asked, “What business do you have with Shen Liuliu?”
A disciple coldly sneered, “He released the Young Sect Master’s spirit pet, the Undying Phoenix. Such a rare and precious demonic creature, even if he were to trade his life, he wouldn’t be able to get it. My Young Sect Master is merciful, letting him use just his hand as compensation.”
“A mere Undying Phoenix, let him release it if he wants, and if Jin Xiangtian is not satisfied, tell him to come and talk to me personally.” Ling Ye’s expression remained emotionless as he said, “This is not a reason for your intrusion. All of you, get lost!”
The world changed dramatically.
Dozens of disciples, along with Wei Tianji, were caught in a sudden whirlwind and were thrown into the air, howling miserably. They were tossed out of the courtyard like garbage.
The Qingling disciples who came out at the sound saw their stern-faced Sect Master, and no one dared to make a sound.
At the foot of the welcoming peak, the Xiyang Sect disciples who were blown by the wind were left hanging on the tree branches, wearing their colorful attire. From afar, they looked like little suns, attracting quite a few onlookers.
“They went to trouble Shen Liuliu, how did it turn out like this?”
Unable to bear the weight, the branches snapped, and Wei Tianji hadn’t recovered his senses when he fell to the ground with a crash.
The few disciples who were still conscious said, “Elder, Shen Liuliu’s lover is so powerful, what should we do?”
Wei Tianji’s face turned ashen, and he picked up a stone and threw it at the disciple, yelling in anger, “Shut up! Shut up! That’s the Sect Master of Qingling!!”
Upon hearing this, the few remaining conscious disciples turned pale and fainted completely.
As Ling Ye left, more people arrived right after.
Shen Liuxiang quickly put on his clothes, his black hair scattered behind him. He looked around the room for a hair tie when he heard a knock on the door. He casually grabbed a thin thread, wrapped it around his fingers, and gathered his messy long hair into a bundle.
He opened the door, and Ning Runxin stared straight at him, saying, “I heard the rumors about the Bone-Washing Spring.”
Shen Liuxiang responded with a nonchalant hum.
What did he mean by acting like this? Even if he and his disciple were innocent, there was no need to explain to everyone.
Ning Runxin continued, “I know that it must be false.”
Shen Liuxiang was surprised.
Ning Runxin went on, “Because you are heartless.”
Shen Liuxiang felt slightly offended, “…” He felt like he was being insulted.