Tian Ning knew nothing about what happened at Wenren Manor.
However, a breakthrough in her cultivation base was imminent, directly rising from the Seventh Stage of Qi Refinement to the Ninth Stage. This sudden surprise made Tian Ning want to fight her bad Senior Brother for three hundred rounds!
Unfortunately, it was daytime, and the bad Senior Brother usually only came out at night.
She left the courtyard and saw a lively scene outside.
Senior Sister Shi Qinxin was holding onto Senior Brother Long Aotien, preventing him from leaving, while Senior Brother Fu Hongming stood by, mediating.
“Fourth Junior Brother! Just come with me to the Fu Immortal Sect's new Secret Realm! This might be my only chance to wield a sword! Do you have the heart to let your Third Senior Sister remain a useless Pill Cultivator forever?” Shi Qinxin desperately clung to Long Aotien's beggar's clothing.
“Third Senior Sister, don’t you butter me up! Your Dan Tian is destroyed; what's the use of just reconnecting the severed meridians? Let alone whether that Secret Realm necessarily has what you want, we're a Foundation Establishment Fifth Stage Pill Cultivator and a Sword Cultivator whose cultivation base has regressed from the Golden Core stage. If we team up, we might be killed in the Secret Realm!” Long Aotien showed a look of absolute refusal:
“Don't disturb me from picking up trash! I'd rather work diligently than die outside and have my money stolen!”
Tian Ning curiously approached: “Senior Brother, what's wrong?”
“It's Junior Sister.” Rarely seeing Tian Ning, who usually stayed in her courtyard reading storybooks, come out, Fu Hongming explained the situation to her.
“The thing is, a new Secret Realm has recently appeared near the Fu Immortal Sect. Your Third Senior Sister received news that a Sixth-Order Spirit Plant, the Blazing Flame Fruit, might appear within the Secret Realm. With this crucial medicinal ingredient for refinement, it might be possible to reconnect your Third Senior Sister's severed meridians.”
“It's a coincidence that your Third Senior Sister once saved the Sect Leader's direct disciple. In return for saving their life, that disciple helped your Third Senior Sister obtain two spots to enter the Secret Realm.”
Tian Ning: “So Third Senior Sister wants Fourth Senior Brother to accompany her to the Secret Realm?”
Fu Hongming nodded.
“Originally, Third Junior Sister wanted me to go with her, but as Junior Sister, you also know. The situation on Sword Protecting Mountain is different from other Sects. Our Master is still lying there, how can I leave?”
Fu Hongming said dutifully: “I also have to check on Master's breathing every day; I can't let Sword Protecting Mountain just collapse.”
Tian Ning: …
She really wanted to say.
Actually, Senior Brother, if you stay away from Master, maybe Master could live longer.
“Right! If Fourth Junior Brother is unwilling, Junior Sister can go!” Fu Hongming, who had been troubled, seemed to have thought of something: “Junior Sister also can't stay in the Sect forever. According to Sect rules, disciples must deduct a certain amount of points each month, and points must be earned by completing missions. Once the points record goes negative three times, they will be expelled from the Sect.”
This is also to encourage disciples to actively complete missions.
“Junior Sister, why not take this opportunity to go to the Mission Hall and accept some missions that can be completed in this Secret Realm?”
His words made Tian Ning curious: “But I see Senior Brother, you never do missions; you always stay in the Sect?”
Fu Hongming: “That's because we completed all the points needed for the next hundred years five years ago.”
Tian Ning: …
So what were these so-called useless people like before?
Before Tian Ning could agree, Shi Qinxin and Long Aotien both refused!
“No! She just joined the Sect, and there's no one to guide her cultivation. How can she go into such a dangerous Secret Realm with me!”
Long Aotien: …
Doesn't his life count?
“No! Junior Sister can't go; if she leaves, I can't handle the madman who comes out at night alone!”
He finally had someone to suppress the madman, giving him a breather; he didn't want to be beaten until he couldn't fight back anymore…
As a homebody, Tian Ning wasn't enthusiastic about going out, but Senior Brother said that if points went negative three times, she would be expelled from the Sect.
Tian Ning didn't want to move, so she had to work honestly.
Tian Ning envied Senior Brother, whose points were enough to deduct for a hundred years. She planned to simply accept many missions from the Mission Hall at once!
Fu Hongming told Shi Qinxin: “Third Junior Sister, Junior Sister is very strong. Rest assured; being with Junior Sister is much safer than bringing Fourth Junior Brother.”
Long Aotien: …
Can you not speak sarcastically?
Tian Ning tiptoed and patted Fourth Senior Brother's shoulder, also comforting him: “Fourth Senior Brother, don't worry, I have a way to deal with Senior Brother who comes out at night.”
She then said to Fu Hongming: “When we get back, I'm going to check on your knife practice. If you don't practice well and just focus on fighting with Fourth Senior Brother… even if Sword Protecting Mountain collapses, I will chase you to the ends of the earth, Senior Brother——”
Although Junior Sister's tone was gentle, a cold sweat broke out on Fu Hongming's forehead.
Another Fu Hongming: …
Shi Qinxin raised her eyebrows, somewhat surprised by Tian Ning's interaction with the two.
She agreed to Fu Hongming's suggestion but still pulled Fu Hongming aside to give a warning: “Senior Brother, you know my situation. Men are fine, but women… I can't guarantee I won't do anything to Junior Sister. If I hurt her…”
“No.”
Fu Hongming said resolutely: “Third Junior Sister, you must be extra careful!”
Shi Qinxin: ?
Recalling Junior Sister's brutal way of teaching him knife skills when she was free, Fu Hongming silently lit a candle for Third Junior Sister in his heart.
Long Aotien also tried his best to remind Tian Ning: “Junior Sister, remember, you must not act coy or flirtatious in front of Third Senior Sister… she will go crazy!”
Tian Ning: “Fourth Senior Brother, have you done that?”
“…”
“It wasn't me! It was the former Fifth Junior Sister! Third Senior Sister used to be a hopeless romantic, admiring the Fifth Junior Sister's man, and was later terribly abused. Since then, something's been wrong here,” Long Aotien pointed to his head: “Just don't get close to men in front of her; she can't stand it…”
Tian Ning agreed, listening to Long Aotien's nagging.
“By the way, Fourth Senior Brother, do I need to prepare anything for going out?”
She had stayed at home for fifteen years and never gone far. The only time was when she came to Wenren Manor, but that was only a day and night's journey. This time, to the Secret Realm near the Fu Immortal Sect, it would take at least half a month.
Long Aotien, who had been nagging just now, casually said: “That's okay, Third Senior Sister will prepare everything.”
Tian Ning: ?
Having given all the necessary advice, Long Aotien busied himself picking up trash, not having time to chat with Tian Ning.
Tian Ning wasn't a nosy person, anyway, she would leave with Third Senior Sister tomorrow.
Tian Ning went to the Mission Hall and accepted many missions that seemed achievable. In fact, besides outdoor tempering, some missions could be completed while staying in the Sect, such as taking care of a Senior Brother's Spirit Pet, wiping a certain Elder's sword box every day… but these missions gave fewer points and were daily missions without any monthly cultivation.
The next day, Tian Ning left early with Third Senior Sister.
Because Xiaobai was lazy, they didn't bring Xiaobai. Jiujiu was more convenient; it just needed to nest on her head and could be carried anywhere.
As Fourth Senior Brother said, Third Senior Sister had planned everything.
The Spirit Tool used for travel, the Spirit Stones spent on staying at inns, and considering Tian Ning couldn't practice Abstinence from Food yet, when sleeping outdoors, Shi Qinxin personally cooked.
Her cooking skills were extraordinary! Tian Ning didn't have high requirements for food, but she could eat everything Shi Qinxin made, until she was full…
“Third Senior Sister, if you opened a restaurant with this skill, business would be booming!” Tian Ning sincerely praised with a round belly.
If she had known Third Senior Sister cooked so well, she wouldn't have stayed in the courtyard eating Abstinence Pills every day.
How can life not have culinary desires? Otherwise, it would be too bland…
“Oh, it's great that Junior Sister likes it.”
Shi Qinxin took out a handkerchief and smiled as she wiped the sauce from her corner of her mouth. Her gentle appearance was no different from an ordinary person.
It was still early before bedtime; Tian Ning casually started a conversation:
“Third Senior Sister, did you specifically learn cooking skills from someone before, or did you like to figure it out yourself?”
“Me? It's because of someone…” Shi Qinxin looked into the distance, as if recalling.
At this time, Tian Ning didn't realize the seriousness of the problem.
Shi Qinxin continued: “He said he liked the women in the Mortal Realm who silently worked behind their husbands, hoping to eat the food I made every day. I put down my sword for him and created a life of everyday life, but… but what did he do? He destroyed everything for that bitch!”
As she spoke, Shi Qinxin suddenly hugged her head and cried out in pain: “He, he pierced my Golden Core with a sword! He destroyed my cultivation base, and it wasn't enough! To please that bitch, he also cut my tendons!!”
“Honglang! Honglang… why are you so cruel!!”
Tian Ning never expected that a casual question would cause such a breakdown.
“Third Senior Sister… are you alright?”
Shi Qinxin's bloodshot eyes glared at Tian Ning, seemingly losing all rationality: “Junior Sister? Honglang was seduced by that bitch Junior Sister!”
“Third Senior Sister, I'm your Sixth Junior Sister… the Fifth you mentioned was expelled from the Sect long ago.” Tian Ning tried to bring her back to her senses.
But a mad person is unreasonable. Shi Qinxin quickly took out poison powder from her Dimensional Pouch and frantically sprinkled it on Tian Ning!
“Don't think I don't know that all you Junior Sisters are bitches who only steal men! I'm going to kill you today, you harmful thing!”
Tian Ning: …
She really shouldn't have expected any normalcy from this Sect!
Facing a girl, Tian Ning didn't dare to strike too hard.
She took out an Anti-Poison Pill and swallowed it while dodging Third Senior Sister's attacks, intending to talk when she calmed down.
However, Tian Ning held back, but Shi Qinxin treated her as a target, attacking with deadly moves…
Tian Ning was forced to fight all night before Shi Qinxin came to her senses and apologized: “Junior Sister, I'm really sorry. Sometimes I can't control my emotions and lose control. I didn't hurt you, did I…”
“I'm fine.” Recalling Third Senior Sister's care along the way, Tian Ning took the initiative to say: “Sorry, Third Senior Sister, I started it last night. I'll be more careful with my words in the future.”
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