Chapter 128: Which One Looks Better, Senior Sister or 'Dry' Sister?_1
Xiao Ruoching stared blankly at Su Bei. Feeling his gentle every move towards her, the tip of her nose stung with emotion. Without a word, she clutched the thick fur of her Snow Fox Cloak, her fingers tracing the soft, snowy fur trimming the lapel.
"Actually, you look much better now than when you always had such a stern face."
"The disciple my master taught is no longer the one whose heart was filled with hatred, living burdened by it."
"..."
Xiao Ruoching's face flushed as she looked at Su Bei. As the cold wind blew past, she instinctively smoothed her dark hair.
Though just a fleeting moment, she was as breathtaking as a white lotus tinged with color, stunningly beautiful.
"It's my first time being a master."
Su Bei smiled, gently patted Xiao Ruoching's head, then extended his other hand to her, his eyes gleaming as he said, "You'll have to cultivate diligently in the future. Don't embarrass your master..."
Xiao Ruoching pursed her thin lips, extended her small hand, and felt the warmth in Su Bei's palm. Her eyes curved into crescents, and then she nodded vigorously.
Under the sunlight, they gazed into each other's eyes.
Their looks were full of unspoken words.
「Sword Sect, Red Dust Peak.」
"What? You're saying Fifth Elder brought back a Dao Integration Demon Pill?"
Wenren Pingxin had just returned to the Sword Sect when she heard this shocking news from one of the disciples. Her expression shifted rapidly as she forcefully suppressed the shock in her heart. She looked at the disciple before her with a peculiar gaze, asking, "Are you telling me he really descended Unrepentant Cliff?"
"So, what Mo Youqian and Zhen Jianting said was true?"
"..."
The disciple took a deep breath, his tone filled with immense admiration for the great Elder Su, as excited as if he had personally witnessed Su Bei cleaving a Great Demon with his sword. "That's right! Exactly! Fifth Elder is a true man!"
Wenren Pingxin fell silent for a moment. After confirming the disciple wasn't exaggerating, she had to accept this incredible reality. She thought for a bit, then asked again, "What about Ninth Elder? Are her injuries serious?"
"Third Elder is using the Dao Integration Demon Pill that Fifth Elder brought back to refine a First Grade Rejuvenation Pill for Ninth Elder!"
"..."
Having learned what she wanted to know, Wenren Pingxin nodded and waved her hand dismissively. The disciple withdrew.
After meandering back to her chambers, Wenren Pingxin entered her boudoir and gently removed her light green gauze outer robe. This revealed the turquoise bellyband underneath, which clung to her full bosom like a turquoise ribbon, accentuating its prominence.
Her smooth, rounded shoulders were like carved jade, their curves exceptionally beautiful. Her skin, fairer than frost or snow, was as delicate as ivory and as warm as fine jade.
Wenren Pingxin had no time to admire this. She gently pulled the small butterfly knot at her back, and the bellyband eagerly fluttered down from her porcelain-smooth skin.
Just like that fish, she really disliked wearing bellybands; she felt they were too restrictive, not nearly as comfortable as going without...
After lighting a candle, she lifted the brocade quilt, preparing to lie down. Just then, she abruptly realized there was another person in the room and startled. But upon recognizing who it was, a blush crept up her cheeks. She casually picked up a gauze robe to wear, then leaned lazily on the bed, the quilt covering only her waist and abdomen. With a sneer, she said, "Oh? Is that Bei Bei?"
"You've gotten bold after just a few days, haven't you? You even know how to sneak into your Senior Sister's room. Planning a night raid, are we?"
"..."
Su Bei looked utterly innocent as he faced his Senior Sister. It was already dark outside, and the room was dim. Coupled with him maintaining the Selfless Realm, Wenren Pingxin hadn't noticed him immediately.
He then coughed awkwardly and turned his back, careful not to look. But the scene he had just witnessed still replayed in his mind. It truly proved his earlier saying right: Heaven and Earth may be vast, but Senior Sister is vaster!
"I didn't see a thing," Su Bei said. "I came looking for Senior Sister during the day, but the disciples at Red Dust Peak said you'd left the sect... As soon as I sensed Senior Sister had returned, I came here early to wait."
"..."
A cold smirk touched Wenren Pingxin's lips as she listened to his excuses. Then, her voice suddenly became unusually gentle. "Bei Bei, who's prettier: your Senior Sister, or your sworn sister?"
Sworn sister? Is she referring to Yu Hongxiu? Su Bei thought. He turned around, considered it carefully, making sure "sworn" wasn't a verb, then hesitated.
Unconsciously, two equally captivating figures emerged in his mind, and he began to compare them meticulously. There was no denying Senior Sister was an absolute beauty, ranking among the top in all Twenty-One Provinces, but Yu Hongxiu wasn't far behind.
The comparison was genuinely difficult. It wasn't just about looks but also temperament. And what exactly did Senior Sister mean by "prettier"? Prettier in what aspect?
Seeing Su Bei hesitate, Wenren Pingxin's brows instantly knitted. An inexplicable irritation welled up inside her. She stretched out a slender, jade-like foot and kicked sharply at Su Bei, scolding, "You heartless brat! How can you hesitate on such a question?"
"What's so good about that fish? Has she bewitched your soul in just a few days?"
"Your Senior Sister painstakingly raised you since you were little, and you turn around and throw yourself into another woman's embrace? Casually acknowledging a sworn sister?"
"Do you even have the nerve to come back? Why don't you just live at the Red Pavilion? Why not wait until you're completely drained dry before returning?"
"The Sword Sect is so poor, yet you don't think of earning any money for it! You saw that fish was pretty, let her sweet-talk you a little, and then you gleefully went and got that newspaper sorted out for her?"
"....."
Su Bei smiled sheepishly, looking directly at Wenren Pingxin. He let his Senior Sister's foot land on him, offering no excuses.
Perhaps tired from kicking, or perhaps because Su Bei's attitude was exceptionally compliant, showing no resistance at all, Wenren Pingxin found it somewhat dull. With a hint of confusion in her eyes, she looked at Su Bei and asked, "Bei Bei, why aren't you resisting anymore? Do you admit your mistake?"
Su Bei raised a hand and lightly wiped his nose, blinking.
Following Su Bei's gaze, Wenren Pingxin looked down. A blush immediately spread across her cheeks. She nonchalantly pulled the quilt higher to cover herself more fully and said, "Tell me, how did Ninth Junior Sister get injured?"
"..."
The boudoir fell silent. Su Bei took the Token from his waist and said with a grave expression, "Senior Sister, it's this Token. It seems to belong to an organization!"
Listening to Su Bei's description, Wenren Pingxin's expression gradually grew serious. Frowning, she took the silver Token, pondered for a moment, and said, "Based on your description, this resembles a secret cultivation technique from the Miaojiang Clan of the South Wind Ancient Country!"
"However, they use it to cultivate Gu. Extracting bones from living people... this is the first I've heard of it."
"It's truly a pity for Second Senior Brother's third disciple. To possess a Sword Bone... such a thing is rare even in the Sword Sect... This matter absolutely cannot be dropped. We must inform the Sacred Land. I fear the Twenty-One Provinces are about to face a major upheaval!"
"..."
Sacred Land? Su Bei mused. For some reason, the mention of the Sacred Land made him think of that dignified and regal woman with whom he had once eaten grilled kidneys. If she truly is from the Sacred Land, she's likely already aware and taking precautions. Still, for added assurance, it's best to inform the Sacred Land through Senior Sister. But... that woman truly was the most elegant and distinguished woman he had ever met!
Just as Su Bei's thoughts wandered, he heard Wenren Pingxin speak again. "Well? How is that recruitment task I assigned you progressing?"
"..."