Chapter 13

“Yes… Senior Sister is right.”

The male lead was choked into silence. For a moment, he had no idea how to answer and could only lower his head and accept it.

Gu Chufu was still hugging the tree trunk tightly, watching the show from above. Shen Jingjun turned back to glance at her, holding her sword.

“Are you still not coming down? Clinging to a tree like a monkey—what kind of behavior is that?”

“Let this junior brother apologize to you.”

Huh!?

Why did this feel wrong?

Wasn’t the female lead supposed to defend the male lead? Why was she defending her instead?

Since that was the case, it was time for Gu Chufu to perform.

She slid down from the tree, scratched the back of her head, and gave an embarrassed little laugh.

“Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. Then I’ll accept this junior brother’s apology. May I ask Junior Brother’s honorable name?”

“Today can be considered a case of becoming acquainted through conflict. Why don’t we make friends?”

Who didn’t know how to act like a pure little white flower? Gu Chufu firmly believed that, based on her many years of novel-reading experience, speaking like this would definitely win everyone’s goodwill.

The female lead, Senior Sister, would absolutely feel pity for her—pity upon pity.

Chen Jin was someone who knew how to read a room. He was the first to step forward and smooth things over, immediately moving beside Gu Chufu with a flattering smile as he chuckled.

“Of course, of course. Junior Sister Gu is absolutely right.”

“Today can be considered becoming acquainted through conflict. Why don’t we all go inside the main hall and get to know one another properly?”

The male lead’s gaze toward her, however, could hardly be called friendly. But since he was only the youngest disciple here, it was not appropriate for him to lose his temper. He simply said nothing and took a step back.

“No need. Since the apology has already been made, I’ll take Junior Sister back to our peak.”

“She was also in the wrong today. She should not have trespassed on Yuman Peak. I will take her back and punish her myself.”

What… Why was there still punishment?

Gu Chufu’s originally relaxed posture immediately straightened. She swallowed.

No way. She had not misheard, had she?

Senior Sister… What had Senior Sister just said?

“Still not coming with me? Do you need me to help you?”

Shen Jingjun glanced over, and Gu Chufu immediately lifted the hem of her long robe and followed after her, afraid that if she moved even a little too slowly, Senior Sister would become unhappy.

“Senior Sister… wait for me.”

She quickly hurried after her, her steps light.

If she stayed here alone, this group of people would definitely settle accounts with her, right? Stepping along the stone path, Gu Chufu quickly sidled up beside Shen Jingjun.

“What did you come to Yuman Peak for today?”

Seeing Gu Chufu nervously twist her fingers, Shen Jingjun sighed inwardly. If she had not sent a thread of divine sense after her just now, Gu Chufu would probably already be hanging upside down from one of the pillars in Yuman Peak’s main hall by now.

“I… I…”

It was over. She really had not prepared an excuse for getting caught. Gu Chufu froze in place.

“If you truly wanted to eat that bowl of dessert, you could have just told me in the future. There was no need to follow them all the way here and fight them over it.”

Shen Jingjun seemed to have seen right through her thoughts. She turned her head and continued walking outward. Gu Chufu was still a little confused, but since the female lead had handed her a way out, she would be a fool not to take it.

“Mm, Senior Sister is right. I definitely won’t do it again next time. I… I swear to heaven!”

Forget everything else. She would use both soft and hard tactics first.

That was the true path of sincere apology.

“You little greedy cat. Do you really think I don’t know what you’re planning?”

When Shen Jingjun had followed behind Gu Chufu with her divine sense, she had seen Chen Jin flying ahead on his sword with a food box in his hand. It must have contained that popular dessert from the dining hall lately.

According to the original text, the two of them had a pretty good relationship at first. Gu Chufu struggled with herself for a moment, then coyly hugged Shen Jingjun’s arm, her palm pressing against the light, airy gauze.

She deliberately acted spoiled.

“Senior Sister~ You know me. When we go back this time, don’t punish me, okay~?”

No. She was going to throw up.

She really could not keep acting this out.

Unexpectedly, Shen Jingjun smiled on the surface with the warmth of a spring breeze, yet used her finger to separate the two of them, pressing it against the overlapping lapels at Gu Chufu’s chest.

“Junior Sister need not act this way. Looking after you is my duty.”

Even Gu Chufu had not expected this move. Why did she speak with such tender affection? It was enough to make a person fall.

Ouyang Qian miserably patted the mud from his body. His robe hem was stained with patches of filth. His expression twisted as he watched the two of them walk away.

“Junior Brother, you’ll get used to it.”

“Those two women are not easy to provoke. One is a female demon, and the other is a female Asura.”

“That shouldn’t be right. Did she really chase all the way here just for the three remaining bowls?”

Chen Jin could not understand it no matter how he thought about it.

Back in the dining hall, in front of everyone, he had already said he could give up all five remaining bowls of grape milk with crushed nuts. But Gu Chufu had not accepted them all. She had only taken two bowls.

Could it be that she ate them and still felt it was not enough?

“That’s right, Junior Brother. The disciples’ competition is coming up soon. You must practice diligently and not embarrass our master.”

The woman in yellow robes said.

Every hundred years, after Qiling Sect finished recruiting new disciples, there would be a placement exam. It gave the new disciples a chance to test their skills, while also letting them witness the powerful teaching strength of a great sect.

The elders of each peak also valued it greatly.

It was a chance to gain face and vent a little pride. The top three in the disciples’ competition would receive quite a few excellent rewards, including a Qi Refining Breakthrough Pill, a bottle of pills to stabilize spiritual energy and cultivation, and the chance to choose one low-level magical artifact.

For newly entered disciples, these were indeed very good rewards.

“I understand, Senior Brother, Senior Sister.”

“This junior brother will definitely practice diligently.”

If he became the number-one rising disciple of the sect and washed away today’s humiliation, would that beauty look at him with a little more admiration?

……

“Senior Sister… Senior Sister!”

“Can you bring me with you?”

Gu Chufu reached out and tugged at the tassel hanging from Shen Jingjun’s water-blue robe.

Please.

She really did not want to fly on her sword alone again.

Never mind that the sword burned her feet.

Because she flew too slowly, birds had even pooped on her head twice. Even two stupid birds dared to laugh at her. Gu Chufu truly envied how everyone else flew on their swords like street racers with dyed yellow hair, while she, a model student, was already used to obeying the speed limit.

Even sword-flying could not cure this terrible habit… Fine. Between getting pooped on by birds and acting spoiled, she chose acting spoiled.

Maybe the female lead liked this kind of thing.

“You… Very well.”

Shen Jingjun drew her sword. Under the support of a spell, the long sword grew larger. Sure enough, it was just as described in the novel. The female lead’s sword was a rare divine weapon.

It had fallen from the upper realm into a secret realm and was later obtained by the female lead during her first trial. It could be considered one of the few golden fingers the female lead had in the story. This sword was immensely powerful, but it was also considered an ominous weapon. If one failed to control it properly, it could easily harm both oneself and others.

The blade was a pale violet, faintly surrounded by flashes of lightning. Its aura was vast and majestic, and chaotic patterns were carved across its surface, making it seem like a half-finished object.

Just looking at it gave off the unmistakable feeling that it had the potential to become a great weapon of destruction.