Bai Shengyi's hand holding the grilled fish trembled. She immediately extinguished the fire, ready to slip away.
But as soon as she stood up, a figure darted out from the woods beside the pond, a palm whistling with a sharp wind, forcing its way towards her face!
Bai Shengyi hastily summoned her Reincarnation Brush to block, sidestepped, and quickly said, "Senior, please calm your anger. This junior is new here and didn't know this fish was yours. I meant no offense and am willing to purchase it with spirit stones!"
"It's you!"
As the figure drew closer, Bai Shengyi finally got a clear look. It was a stunning beauty wearing a split long skirt in a tiger-skin pattern, with golden hair and cat-like eyes, both alluring and lazily elegant.
"Senior recognizes this junior?" Bai Shengyi breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good she was recognized; otherwise, she would truly have to seek help from her senior sister.
Chui Ming nodded, then grew distressed. She hadn't expected that the one catching the fish would be the person dearest to the master's heart. This made it difficult to hold Bai Shengyi accountable.
Yet, she still deeply felt the pain of the silver fish she had nurtured for half a year.
"Senior, here is my payment for the fish. What do you think?" Bai Shengyi reluctantly took out a large handful of high-grade spirit stones and offered them.
Chui Ming became even more troubled.
She only wanted the fish.
Bai Shengyi, thinking the spirit stones were insufficient, pondered for a moment before grabbing another hundred mid-grade spirit stones and adding, "This is all this junior possesses."
"No… ah, forget it." Chui Ming only accepted the mid-grade spirit stones, forcing a smile, "This is enough. Don't catch old… my fish anymore, understand!"
"I won't. Thank you, senior!"
Bai Shengyi quickly gathered the remaining spirit stones, waved her hands repeatedly, and fled.
This woman exuded a powerful aura of the late Golden Core stage; how could she dare to provoke her!
Chui Ming watched the young girl disappear in a flash. Still, she magnanimously contacted her master.
"I encountered your young lady at Spirit Marsh Lake. The young lady seemed very hungry and caught several of my silver fish."
"What do you want in exchange?"
Chui Ming smiled, fully satisfied, "Fifty silver fish fry."
These silver fish were introduced from the Heavenly Scenery Mountain spring water in the Boundless Cloud Sea. Heavenly Scenery Mountain was precipitous and dangerous, and Chui Ming, relying on the innate divine abilities of the Xuanjing Tiger, had made several trips to successfully nurture over twenty fish.
"Alright."
Qin Si cut off communication with Chui Ming, considering her words. He glanced at the new bloody wounds on his body. Without changing his clothes, he simply rose and headed towards the courtyard where the young girl resided.
Bai Shengyi encountered Li Shiqing outside the courtyard.
"A Daoist boy came to deliver some provisions for food and lodging, and also pointed out the location of the academy's mess hall. I'm on my way there, do you want to come along?"
After their conversation yesterday, the two had been interacting like ordinary fellow disciples.
Bai Shengyi glanced at the items. The so-called food was merely辟谷丹 (Bigu Dan - a type of sustenance pill). She nodded, "Let me put these books away. Please wait for me."
"Mm."
Bai Shengyi quickly put her things away, then followed Li Shiqing down the mountain to familiarize herself with the path. She also packed some food from the mess hall. Seeing that Li Shiqing was still waiting for someone, Bai Shengyi returned first.
"Meow meow meow!"
"Little Crescent, what's wrong?" The cry of the crescent cat was too sharp. Bai Shengyi rushed in, "Qin Si?"
Bai Shengyi looked at the uninvited guest, her forehead throbbing.
Why did this person always barge into her territory without any warning!
Qin Si was dressed in a cross-collar robe embroidered with black dark patterns. He was holding the cat with one hand. Upon seeing Bai Shengyi, he loosened his grip, and the crescent cat instantly leaped in front of Bai Shengyi.
"Meow!" Take care of him!
Bai Shengyi couldn't understand cat language. She picked up the cat, placed the food on the stone table in the courtyard, and ate while feeding the cat.
"Cough cough!" Qin Si coughed hard.
Bai Shengyi didn't react. She was hungry and only wanted to eat.
Qin Si narrowed his phoenix eyes, "Cough!"
"If you're sick, go see the senior sister," Bai Shengyi said irritably.
Qin Si walked up to Bai Shengyi and sat down, frowning, "I'm hungry."
"Go to the mess hall yourself," Bai Shengyi said expressionlessly.
Qin Si frowned inwardly. How could she be so distant after such a short time?
He quietly observed Bai Shengyi, "Are you angry? What are you angry about?" He was still upset from a few days ago!
Bai Shengyi had finished eating and was starting to set up a makeshift grill for the crescent cat. She paused her actions, turned, and met Qin Si's gaze directly.
"Young Prince, do you know you shouldn't trespass into a young lady's private chambers? Do you know you should announce yourself before entering a house or courtyard?"
Qin Si truly didn't know.
He just wanted to see her, look at her, and hear her speak.
Before this, if anyone told Qin Si that he would one day be so consumed with longing for someone, Qin Si would have kicked them away.
He cleared his throat, "I'll be careful next time."
So agreeable?
Bai Shengyi glanced at him suspiciously, feeling a bit embarrassed herself. She divided half of the grilled fish and offered it to him, "Eat some to tide you over."
Qin Si's lips curved upward almost imperceptibly.
Just as he reached for it, he saw Bai Shengyi's action and his smile froze.
"What are you doing?"
"Feeding Little Crescent, meow~" Bai Shengyi cooed at the crescent cat. "You're benefiting from its grace."
Qin Si:…The fish in his hand suddenly lost its appeal.
When Bai Shengyi wanted to be good to someone, she was extremely attentive. She picked out the fish bones and tore off bits of fish with her fingers, feeding the crescent cat piece by piece.
"Meow!"
A pink tongue brushed against her fair fingertips.
Qin Si frowned slightly, "Let it eat by itself."
Bai Shengyi was in high spirits and didn't hear him, her left ear taking it in and her right ear letting it out.
Qin Si's expression darkened, and his oppressive aura surged towards the crescent cat.
"Meow!" Bullying the cat again!
The crescent cat, looking wronged, took the fish from Bai Shengyi's hand and retreated to the side to eat by itself.
Seeing this, Bai Shengyi didn't mind anymore. She sat opposite Qin Si and asked the question that had been puzzling her since yesterday: "Why did you ask me to apprentice under Venerable Qinglan?"
Qin Si didn't mention his own ulterior motives. "Senior Uncle Qinglan not only has unfathomable cultivation but recently broke through. He is now a seventh-tier Alchemist and a seventh-tier Pill Refiner. He was a lecturing elder in the academy in his early years, making him more suitable to teach you. However, he will likely be in seclusion until next year. During this period, if you have any questions, you can come to me or Qianying."
"Alright."
Bai Shengyi did not refuse.
"Don't call me Young Prince in the academy anymore."
"Call you 'baby'?" Bai Shengyi blurted out.
Qin Si's ears turned red, and he said dryly, "Choose another one! I told you not to call me that!"
"Oh? What should I call you?" Bai Shengyi chuckled.
He looked serious, his gaze fixed intently on Bai Shengyi, "Call me Senior Brother."
Bai Shengyi's heart skipped a beat at his gaze, and she looked away.
Her eyes swept over the mask he had placed on the table, and she couldn't help but ask, "Do they still not know about your two identities?"
"Qianying, Mu Xing, and the Dean know..." Qin Si said, then suddenly closed his eyes and fainted.
Bai Shengyi quickly caught him, "Qin Si?"
Her spiritual power surged into his body, and she discovered that his Dantian's spiritual energy was actually depleted!
She had no idea what he had done; his entire body was covered in wounds of varying sizes, as if torn by something, with flesh and skin rolling. The patterns on his clothes were not black dark patterns but all bloodstains.
"You person... Hey! Are you crazy? Running around with such severe injuries!"
Despite her scolding, Bai Shengyi carried him inside, treated his wounds, and administered a fifth-tier Rejuvenation Pill. This pill was one of the gifts Qianying had given her that morning.
"Meow!" The crescent cat jumped into Bai Shengyi's arms and lazily closed its eyes.
Bai Shengyi stroked its fur while reading, checking on Qin Si's condition from time to time. By the next day, when she went to the main peak to study, Qin Si still hadn't woken up.
"Shengyi! Over here!"
As soon as Bai Shengyi reached the foot of the main peak, she saw Feng Wuya excitedly waving at her. She walked over and saw Luo Feihua, Zhu Wu, and Chen Qiyang already there.
"Where is Chu Tianle?" Bai Shengyi asked.
Luo Feihua frowned and snorted, "Don't bother with him."
"What's wrong?" It had only been two days; had something else happened?