As everyone took their seats, they finally took their eyes off each other.
After some meaningless small talk, Li Qingfeng quickly got to the point, afraid that if this continued, Lin Qingying would flare up and start beating people.
"Sect Master Lin, Elder Zhou has told me about your purpose, and Qingyun Sword Sect has no objections."
Lin Qingying raised her wine glass: "Then I'll thank Qingyun Sword Sect for accommodating us. Let me make a toast to you all."
The crowd from Qingyun Sword Sect stood up with their glasses and said, "Cheers to Sect Master Lin!"
After drinking a cup, Lin Qingying immediately began discussing later matters with Li Qingfeng.
The younger disciples below also began chatting and getting to know each other.
They were all hot-blooded youths, and situations of competing and jealousy soon emerged.
Ye Xuan, the Son of Luck with a protagonist's halo, had a constant elderly companion with him, so it was inevitable that he would attract trouble, liking to pretend to be aloof.
Sure enough, a genius from the Sky Demon Sect was quite interested in a female cultivator beside him, who happened to be the one Wang Ziyan's senior brother pursued previously and now Ye Xuan's woman.
After some verbal altercations, they decided to compete in a contest.
Seeing the situation here, Yu Die said to Xiao Xue, "Look, geniuses like dancing on cliff edges. In the end, they don't live as long as ordinary people. I don't know what kind of immortality they cultivate that makes them so keen to seek death."
"What my brother said makes sense. Staying alive is the way of kings."
Xiao Xue nodded. "My brother would never harm me. Isn't the pursuit of immortality about longevity?" She wondered aloud, "What are they competing so fiercely for?"
"Can you still call yourself a genius after you die?"
While Xiao Xue and Yu Die were whispering, Wang Ziyan was so excited she almost jumped up.
"Junior sister, it's starting! The protagonist is going to pretend to be aloof again and slap faces!"
"Senior brother, doesn't Ye Xuan's opponent lack intelligence?"
Wang Ziyan said sarcastically, "Wasn't that what you two used to be like? Now that you've regained your intelligence, you're ridiculing others?"
The second senior brother scratched his head, "Were we really that stupid before?"
Wang Ziyan rolled her eyes at them, "What do you think?"
The two immediately kept quiet and silently raised their cups to hide their awkwardness.
On Ye Xuan's side, first came rounds of verbal sparring, then the usual plot of making reckless bets while pretending to be cold and arrogant.
This attracted quite a few cheers and encouragement from Qingyun Sword Sect's disciples.
The most zealous supporters were none other than Xiao Xue and Yu Die, followed by Wang Ziyan.
Guided by the principle that more exaggerated meant more believable, the three girls performed the fangirl act flawlessly.
Wang Ziyan turned to look at Xiao Xue and the others, and asked, "Who's that beside Senior Sister Yu Die?"
"Oh! A new disciple who recently joined the Main Peak, called Tang Xiaoxue."
Hearing this, Wang Ziyan immediately went over and sat next to Xiao Xue.
"Senior Sister Yu Die, Junior Sister Xiao Xue, I'm not intruding by sitting with you, am I?"
Yu Die was already on good terms with Wang Ziyan, so naturally she didn't object.
"Junior sister, what are you saying? Can senior sister possibly chase you away?"
Xiao Xue sweetly said, "It is my honor to have senior sister sit with me."
"Junior Sister Xiao Xue is so sweet with her words, just like your brother."
Tang Xiaoxue was startled internally but kept a calm exterior and asked, "Senior sister knows my brother?"
Wang Ziyan gave a faint smile. "Recently I've been with your brother every day!"
Xiao Xue was a little confused and asked again, “How could you possibly be with my brother every day? He doesn't like your type of girls!"
At this moment Wang Ziyan really wanted to rush to White Tiger City, grab Tang Xiaoyu and give him a beating.
"Junior Sister Xiao Xue, chatting like this will leave you friendless. Your brother and I are good friends. It's nothing romantic."
"I see! How is my brother now?"
"Your brother is fine. Don't worry, I'm sure Second Elder Martial Uncle has told you too."
Tang Xiaoxue nodded. She seemed a little down.
Seeing her mood, Wang Ziyan comforted, “Don’t think too much. Let me give you some good news to cheer you up.”
"What good news?"
"Your brother is coming to perform at Qingyun Sword Sect in a few days. You should think about how to cheer for him when the time comes!"
Xiao Xue suddenly laughed happily. "Really? Then I must make good preparations over the next few days!"
Afterwards, the three girls started discussing Ye Xuan. Influenced by Tang Xiaoyu's ideology, they began acting it out.
Keeping a low profile means going with the flow rather than sticking out like a sore thumb.
Wherever others are cheering, you remain indifferent with an ‘it’s-nothing-to-do-with-me’ attitude. Is that keeping a low profile or looking down on others?
Therefore, Wang Ziyan and the girls did their best to blend in. No matter how much they disliked or disapproved of something internally, they would not show it externally.
Wang Ziyan: "Senior Brother Ye is so handsome!"
Yu Die: "Junior Brother Ye, go for it!"
Tang Xiaoxue: "Senior Brother Ye, you're the best!"
Hearing these voices, Ye Xuan showed no reaction externally but was extremely smug internally.
"Ye Xuan, there will be no physical fights today. Let's have a debate instead, if you dare?"
A handsome youth with an extraordinary temper stormed over furiously.
Ye Xuan responded aloofly, "Why wouldn't I dare?"
Seeing the other party not taking him seriously, the youth forcefully suppressed his anger and said coldly, "To be fair, let those present propose the topics, and we will answer them. Victory and defeat will be decided by everyone."
"Fine."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Wang Ziyan immediately stood up and said, "I don't care what you debate, I just want to ask why you cultivate immortality. Give honest answers!"
The youth and Ye Xuan were both taken aback. The youth answered first: “To live forever, to roam freely in this world, to attain carefree joy, to stand above other people.”
Many others nodded in agreement. Ye Xuan just gave a faint laugh, then spouted some nonsense about existing for the heavens, for the earth, for all living beings, just not for himself.
When Ye Xuan finished, all sorts of portrayals emerged from people's imaginations. Listening to them, Wang Ziyan and company nearly vomited. But considering Ye Xuan's status as the Son of Luck, they forcefully endured it.
At the same time, they maintained admiring and respectful expressions.
What followed next was more verbal sparring between the youth and Ye Xuan, before moving on to the next round.
The final result was the youth suffering utter defeat and humiliation at Ye Xuan's hands.
From beginning to end, Lin Qingying did not react at all, just watching them with an expression of enjoying the show.
Seeing his own sect disciple about to be humiliated, how could the Sky Demon Sect's Elder, who cared a lot about maintaining face, not step in? But he got driven back by a bout of Ye Xuan's verbal attacks.
Of course, this was also due to the appearance of Elder Zhou, Ye Xuan’s master!
"Elder, don't be angry. He's just a frivolous clown. As long as you forbid your disciples to interact with him, all problems will be solved."
But the Elder was still furious, “But this brat went too far!”
"No need to feed experience to the Son of Luck like him.”
A cryptic line shifted the Elder’s attention.
"What does the Sect Master mean?"
"Can't say, can't say. Just remember not to have any contact with this person."
"I understand."
Inside, Lin Qingying was thinking about what Tang Xiaoyu had told her.
[As expected, exactly the same as the characters in Xiaoyu's stories, judging from his expression, actions and language. It should be an ever-present elderly companion. If it was a reincarnated supreme being, he wouldn’t be so childish.]
[How boring! I want to go home and listen to Xiaoyu’s stories! Let’s take a night stroll home later.]
After this incident, everyone’s previously cheerful mood vanished.
Ye Xuan, who instigated the whole thing, left casually with his harem as if nothing had happened.
Seeing Ye Xuan's departure, Wang Ziyan and the three girls, plus her two senior martial brothers, immediately relaxed and started eating and drinking merrily.
Influenced by them, the atmosphere soon became lively again.
Wang Ziyan beckoned to the humiliated youth, “Senior brother, come over and drink with us!”
The youth had wanted to leave earlier but didn’t know where to go. So he stayed and saw a beautiful junior sister calling him over, immediately rushing to her without hesitation.
Wang Ziyan asked the youth to sit next to her. The youth sat down straightaway without hesitation.
"Senior brother, do you know where you lost today?"
The youth shook his head. “I don’t know. But everything I said was factual!”
"But people distrust facts the most. People only believe in those ethereal hopes and dreams. Do you know why?" Wang Ziyan asked mysteriously.
"Why?" The youth asked.
"Because what people least want to admit is the harsh truth about themselves," Wang Ziyan said with an all-seeing look.
Inside, she thought: [Thank you Elder Brother Xiaoyu for teaching me so much philosophy to awe people.]
Tang Xiaoyu said this pot I do not accept, I'm only used to deceive people.
The young man thought for a while, then looked depressed: "Yes! People are most unwilling to admit their true selves."
Then he bowed to Wang Ziyan and said: "Wu Hao, thank you for teaching me, junior sister."