Lingyun Sect, Mozhu Peak.
“Seventh Senior Brother, I want to take Luan Jin to the auction,” Feng Qingran blinked her crystal-clear eyes, her expression full of pleading.
“Luan Jin cannot leave Lingyun Sect,” Mo Jinghong replied nonchalantly, placing a black piece on the Go board.
Feng Qingran pouted. She had been begging for hours, but Mo Jinghong simply wouldn’t relent.
And he wouldn’t even explain why Luan Jin couldn’t come!
“Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister are consolidating their realms, Fourth Senior Brother is preparing for a breakthrough, Sixth Senior Brother is taking care of Fifth Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother and Eighth Senior Brother are out training and haven’t returned yet, and now you’re going to Huoling Province. That leaves me all alone to go to the auction. It’s so boring!”
“Please let Luan Jin come with me! I promise it won’t cause any trouble!”
Feng Qingran listlessly placed a white piece. Having lost over a dozen games already, her spirits were severely dampened.
A deep light flickered in Mo Jinghong’s eyes. An aura that did not belong to this lower realm had appeared in Huoling Province, and he needed to investigate personally.
Mo Jinghong said softly, “I’m worried that you’ll be the one causing trouble with Luan Jin.”
“How could that be! Seventh Senior Brother, I’m the most well-behaved, aren’t I?” Feng Qingran protested indignantly.
“Is that so? Then, care to explain the Spirit Origin Fruit and the Tianyuan Fruit that stirred up the entire continent?”
“How does Seventh Senior Brother know…” Feng Qingran’s eyes darted away nervously. She thought she had hidden it perfectly, how did he find out?
She racked her brains, trying to come up with an excuse.
Mo Jinghong’s pleasant voice sounded again, “Did you think just because you hid it well, no one would find out?”
“Although, I must say, you were quite clever, Little Junior Sister. Knowing how to hide yourself and shift all the blame onto Eldest Senior Brother. Quite a few factions are already looking for him.”
Feng Qingran hung her head even lower. Thank goodness Eldest Senior Brother would be in closed-door cultivation for at least a few more years, or he’d be exposed the moment he stepped outside.
Wait a minute!
How does Seventh Senior Brother know all these details?
“Seventh Senior Brother, were you tricking me?” Feng Qingran looked up, her face a picture of disbelief.
Mo Jinghong simply nodded. Feng Qingran clenched her fists, then suddenly pressed her palms together in a pleading gesture. “Seventh Senior Brother, please, please don’t tell Eldest Senior Brother?”
“Still want to take Luan Jin out?”
“Yes!” Feng Qingran answered affirmatively while shaking her head ‘no’.
Mo Jinghong placed another black piece, and the white pieces fell into a rout. “Luan Jin cannot go with you. Also, the auction is in two days. If you don’t leave soon, Little Junior Sister, you’ll probably miss it.”
Completely deflated, Feng Qingran stood up, climbed onto Luan Jin’s back, and left Mozhu Peak in a huff.
After she left, Mo Jinghong raised his hand, and a golden pigeon materialized before him. “Zhuo Yan, follow her. Only intervene if her life is in danger.”
“Yes, Master.” Zhuo Yan flew off after Feng Qingran.
——————
Near the entrance of Lingyun Sect.
Luan Jin stopped. Feng Qingran jumped off its back and walked out alone.
“Little Junior Sister, wait a moment!” Baili Wenliu landed in front of her on his sword.
“Sixth Senior Brother, how is Fifth Senior Sister?” Feng Qingran asked.
Baili Wenliu shook his head, a trace of worry between his brows. “She’s still unconscious. But it seems she took some pills beforehand; her body is recovering.”
“Little Junior Sister, I’ll be brief. Are you going to the auction?”
Feng Qingran nodded. “Do you want me to buy something, Sixth Senior Brother?”
“No.” Baili Wenliu handed Feng Qingran a token. “If you have trouble getting into the auction house, show them this token.”
Feng Qingran took the token. “Thank you, Sixth Senior Brother. If there’s anything you want to buy, just send me a message.”
“Alright.” Baili Wenliu also tossed Feng Qingran a bag of top-grade spirit stones before leaving.
Feng Qingran looked at the token in her hand, then took out her guest elder tokens from the Kunxuan Pavilion and the Tongwen Pavilion.
Apart from the patterns on them, the three tokens were identical.
Sixth Senior Brother actually has a top-tier guest token for the Shumo Auction House!
Coo coo coo!—
Just after stepping outside the main gate of Lingyun Sect, Feng Qingran saw a white pigeon flying towards her.
The pigeon landed directly on her head, cooing incessantly.
Feng Qingran: …
She reached up to grab the pigeon on her head, but it flew up higher.
And kept cooing all the while.
Feng Qingran was utterly speechless. She looked at the pigeon above her. “You’re a pigeon, not a hen. What’s with all the clucking?”
The pigeon’s wings faltered for a moment. It began cooing properly.
Feng Qingran narrowed her apricot-blossom eyes. The pigeon understood human speech. A thought struck her. “You want to follow me?”
Coo coo coo!—
Feng Qingran’s voice was clear. “You can follow me if you want. I’ll ask you three questions. If you want to answer ‘yes’, flap your wings. If not, stay still. Once you answer all three, I’ll let you follow me.”
“First question: Are you a pig?”
The pigeon didn’t move.
“Second question: Do you want to follow me?”
The pigeon flapped its wings once.
Feng Qingran quickened her pace. “Did Mo Jinghong send you?”
The pigeon instinctively flapped its wings once, then froze completely!
It was exposed already?
How could someone be so sneaky?
Feng Qingran felt inexplicably relieved. Threat canceled.
Considering how well Seventh Senior Brother treated her, she decided to prepare a big gift for him upon her return.
Feng Qingran cheerfully set off for the auction with Zhuo Yan in tow.
