Chapter 136: Chapter 125 Little Bird
"Who are you hiding from?"
This sudden tap nearly made Liu Suiyun jump, but hearing the voice immediately calmed his nerves. "Sister-in-law! It's you!"
Turning around, Liu Suiyun saw that it was none other than Gong Yuehua. Under the soft moonlight, she appeared in simple attire, her hair pinned with an unadorned wooden comb. She smiled warmly at him. "Who are you hiding from?"
The vendor selling Frost Vine Seeds shouted nearby, "Fellow cultivator, don't you want to double your strength? In just ten years, this Frost Vine could become an extension of your own limbs..."
Liu Suiyun sighed and pulled Gong Yuehua aside. "Sister-in-law, I'm not hiding from anyone, just browsing around. Where did Brother Dan and Yulin go?"
"They went to Baicao Peak for a family gathering. Yunping took Yulin with him, so I came out for a stroll," Gong Yuehua replied with her usual gentle tone. "I just happened to bump into you. So, which girl are you avoiding, to be this nervous?"
"No one! I'm not avoiding anyone!" Liu Suiyun hurriedly denied. "When did you and Brother arrive?"
"Yesterday!" Gong Yuehua chuckled, treating Liu Suiyun like family. "Yulin kept talking about you, saying that the silver bells you bought for her were beautiful. Yunping bought her ten candied hawthorns, and she insisted on giving you one."
"Ah, Yulin is as clever and adorable as ever. You and Brother are truly blessed," Liu Suiyun said with a smile, though inwardly he added, "Not much different from my little darlings at home..."
Just as he was chatting with Gong Yuehua, she suddenly said, "You're hiding from that little bird, aren't you?"
"Little bird?" Liu Suiyun's expression froze for a moment, as if Shen Que'er might appear at any moment from the other side of the street. "Sister-in-law, stop teasing me. Why would I be hiding from her?"
"Half of Yunxiao Peak is already buzzing about it!" Gong Yuehua said with a mischievous smile. "As soon as Linghua Sect arrived today, that little bird was already asking, 'Who's Liu Suiyun? Where's Liu Suiyun?' She won't rest until she finds you."
Liu Suiyun scratched his head, not expecting Shen Que'er's challenge to come so quickly. Though confident in himself, he knew he wasn't yet her match. "Sister-in-law, I've only met her once in passing."
"Word has spread all over Yunxiao Peak that you're the only one capable of making Linghua Sect's top prodigy, who hasn't appeared in centuries, cry over spirit planting techniques. Only you, Liu Suiyun!" Gong Yuehua teased with a lighthearted grin. "And you even call her 'little bird' so affectionately—why are you hiding from her?"
Liu Suiyun felt even more helpless, realizing Gong Yuehua misunderstood the situation. "She just wants to have a competition in spirit planting. You're thinking too much, Sister-in-law!"
"No, I'm not!" Gong Yuehua wasn't about to let this go. "I think you should seize this opportunity. Don't let her down. How did you and this 'little bird' first meet?"
With no other choice, Liu Suiyun explained, "I attended one of her lectures. She was teaching, and I sat quietly listening. After she finished, I asked her a question, and she refused to answer, telling me to ask something else. I persisted, and she finally gave me an answer. That's all."
Stars seemed to twinkle in Gong Yuehua's eyes as she sighed dreamily, "What a romantic story! Did Shen Que'er give you that three-word answer? But why are you hiding from her now?"
It seemed the allure of romance could captivate even the most virtuous women. Liu Suiyun had no choice but to continue explaining. "Sister-in-law, you're mistaken. Shen Que'er is only looking for me to compete in spirit planting."
"I see!" Gong Yuehua exclaimed, though Liu Suiyun felt she still hadn't understood. "As a man, you can't let this chance slip away! Even though you're from different sects and there's a slight age difference, that doesn't matter for cultivators. What's important is..."
"Having the courage and resolve!" Gong Yuehua declared, her tone romantic and impassioned. "With Shen Que'er pursuing you so boldly, wouldn't you respond to her? If you refuse, you'll not only break her innocent heart but also lose the love of your life!"
Liu Suiyun was at a loss for words, feeling utterly defeated. "Sister-in-law, you should know I'm already married!"
"That doesn't matter!" Gong Yuehua encouraged, undeterred. "That shouldn't be an obstacle for you. I think you should embrace this love passionately. Someday, it may become a legendary love story known throughout Shenshao Mountain..."
"You need the courage and resolve to accept a maiden's confession, and above all, to love!" Gong Yuehua continued with a smile. "Don't fear the obstacles that fate throws your way, allowing love to slip silently from your grasp!"
She playfully pushed Liu Suiyun's shoulder, urging him on. "Go after her! Love bravely! Chase after the little bird, for she may be the star destined for you!"
Liu Suiyun was completely speechless, yet somehow, his feet began moving forward involuntarily.
Who would have thought Gong Yuehua would be such an advocate for romance? Liu Suiyun couldn't help but compare himself to Shen Que'er, and a sense of guilt crept in. The age difference between them was at least seven or eight years, and even though Gong Yuehua had said age didn't matter for cultivators, Liu Suiyun shuddered at the thought.
Breaking into a jog, he disappeared from Gong Yuehua's sight. But as he ran, he could still hear her voice behind him. "I'll create every opportunity for you! Be brave and chase her!"
Liu Suiyun's heart pounded with a sense of foreboding. He couldn't shake the feeling that Gong Yuehua's sweet words somehow carried an ominous force behind them.
What was really going on?
Liu Suiyun couldn't figure it out and sighed to himself... Forget it.
He glanced up at the sky. The moon hung like water in the night, and though Yunxiao Peak bustled with lights and people, Liu Suiyun felt a deep sense of loneliness in this unfamiliar city.
It was time to return to Jietian Pavilion.
He felt a sudden longing for the warmth of home, though Jietian Pavilion wasn't truly home. At least it offered some comfort. Hopefully, his master and mistress had finished their private conversation by now.
With a hint of melancholy and a faint smile, Liu Suiyun headed towards the pavilion.
"Forty-seven floors... I wish I were in the Foundation Establishment stage already!"
The thought of climbing all the way to the forty-seventh floor made Liu Suiyun curse the architect of Jietian Pavilion. Why design such a convoluted staircase, forcing him to walk so many unnecessary steps?
Even for a cultivator like him, capable of ascending not just forty-seven but four hundred seventy floors if needed, there was still a profound sense of spiritual fatigue. "Forty-six floors down, thank heavens!"
"Master, I'm back!"
He hadn't even reached the final floor before cheerfully announcing his return. "Master, I'm back!"
But instead of being greeted by his mistress's celestial beauty or his master's stern expression, a deep voice responded instead. "Shen Immortal, since your disciple has returned, you have no reason to refuse this duel, do you?"
His mistress's voice was as melodious as ever. "How do you know it's my insignificant disciple? My disciple isn't here, so I can't fight in his stead."
The deep voice chuckled. "Of the three great disciples of Chonghua Peak, only Liu Suiyun specializes in spirit planting and hasn't yet reached Foundation Establishment."
Liu Suiyun's mistress didn't expect the person to know Chonghua Peak's affairs so well. She could only call out towards the staircase, "Suiyun, why aren't you hurrying up here?"
"Yes, Master!"
Liu Suiyun dashed up the stairs, realizing the gravity of the situation. Opposite his master and mistress stood the group of Linghua Sect cultivators he had brushed past earlier. The fiery-eyed girl standing among them—was none other than Shen Que'er!
Oh no, oh no! He regretted coming back at all!
Yet despite the sinking feeling in his chest, Liu Suiyun knelt smartly before his master and mistress. "Disciple Liu Suiyun greets Master and Mistress!"
He completely ignored the Linghua Sect cultivators, and his mistress, with a hint of sarcasm, said, "Stand up! This is Master Yanhuo from Linghua Sect, here to challenge you."
Before Master Yanhuo could even speak, Liu Suiyun quickly responded, "Very well! I accept the challenge. Greetings, Master Yanhuo. I am Liu Suiyun of Chonghua Peak. Shall we compete in Daoist arts or speed? I'm ready for anything."
Master Yanhuo's expression turned grim. He had no intention of stooping to fight a mere Qi Refining disciple. To duel with someone of Liu Suiyun's stature would be beneath him.
But Shen Que'er stepped forward with eyes ablaze, ready to settle the score.