“What?” Li Xue looked at Dongfang Jing in surprise. She had initially assumed that Daoist Mingyuan had bought the Green Oriole for him, or perhaps that a friend from the Bai family had gifted it to him. It turned out he was a member of the Bai family himself.
“Well, my mother was a direct descendant of the Bai family, but she and my father perished together when I was only four,” Dongfang Jing explained, his expression turning piteous. He then pointed at Ji Rufeng and added, “He calls you Sister Li, so I want to call you Sister Li too!”
Ji Rufeng frowned at the words. Li Xue felt a wave of helplessness; she had originally thought he was merely a junior of Daoist Mingyuan and intended to keep him at arm's length. Now that he turned out to be a member of the Bai family, there was no avoiding him. *Fine,* she thought, *let him have his way.*
Seeing that Li Xue didn't object, Dongfang Jing was overjoyed. He cried out, “Sister Li, let’s hurry! we’re almost at the Bai estate!”
Ji Rufeng gave Dongfang Jing a warning glance before turning to Li Xue. “Sister Li, let’s go. Master was very happy to hear you were coming.”
On the way, Li Xue asked Ji Rufeng, “Since Dongfang Jing is a member of the Bai family, how come I couldn't tell that you two knew each other back at Cloud Transformation Mountain?”
Ji Rufeng gave a wry smile. “I truly didn't know back then. I only heard Master mention it after I returned to the family.”
Li Xue frowned and turned to Dongfang Jing. “But surely you must have known?”
“Oh, I only realized who he was when he summoned the Purple Oriole. But at the time, I was struggling so hard within Sister Li’s formation that I didn't have a moment to introduce myself!” Dongfang Jing replied with a face full of innocence.
Li Xue’s facial muscles twitched. She thought to herself, *Only a fool would believe you. ‘Struggling hard’? You were clearly handling it with ease, pulling out one magical treasure after another.*
The trio soon arrived at the Bai family’s territory on East Beast Mountain. Daoist Ruihua’s cave dwelling was situated halfway up the mountain, a place where spiritual energy swirled around elegant pavilions and exquisite courtyards. It was known as Ruihua Villa. The moment Li Xue stepped into the main hall of the villa, she heard Daoist Ruihua’s voice.
“I say, girlie Xue, why has it taken you so long to come and visit this old man?”
“Greetings, Daoist Lord. It’s just that my cultivation is too slow and my realm is too low; I didn't dare wander about blindly!” Li Xue replied warmly. Daoist Ruihua and Daoist Yuhong were close friends, and she had met him many times at the Cloud Might Sect. Knowing that Daoist Ruihua didn't care much for formalities, Li Xue spoke quite freely.
“Reaching Foundation Establishment in twenty years and the late stage in another thirty, yet you still claim your cultivation is slow? Aren't you afraid of your tongue tripping over such a lie!” Daoist Ruihua teased with a laugh. Then, turning to Dongfang Jing, he asked, “How did that old fellow Mingyuan agree to let you come here?”
Dongfang Jing stepped forward respectfully and bowed, answering honestly, “Great-Great-Grandfather, I ran away. I was rescued by Sister Li during a conflict with people from the Hundred Flowers Valley, so I followed her here.”
Daoist Ruihua raised an eyebrow. “What kind of nonsense is that old man up to now?”
Dongfang Jing looked at him as if he were a divine prophet, then stammered slightly, “Well... Grandfather brought in a whole lot of female disciples. I got annoyed, so I ran away.”
“Hahaha!” Daoist Ruihua burst into hearty laughter. “He really has nothing better to do! A whole lot of female disciples... that’s enough to make this old man die of laughter!”
Li Xue and Ji Rufeng couldn't help but laugh as well. Daoist Mingyuan must be bored to tears if he had started playing matchmaker for his grandson.
Dongfang Jing’s face turned as red as an apple, his expression a mix of grievance and helplessness. The more Li Xue looked at him, the more she felt he fit the "bottom" archetype. Her mind began to wander into the realm of BL fantasies, and a rather wicked, lewd grin naturally spread across her face.
Seeing her expression, Ji Rufeng knew she was up to no good. He couldn't help but ask, “Sister Li, what is so funny?”
Li Xue’s eyes flickered. She leaned close to Ji Rufeng’s ear and began to whisper, initiating him into the world of Danmei terminology. As Ji Rufeng listened, his face grew paler and paler until he was utterly mortified.
Finally, Ji Rufeng asked with a complicated expression, “When did the State of You start having such bizarre and scandalous theories?”
Li Xue paused, then played it off vaguely. “Didn't I live near the border? News travels fast there. I heard it from the traveling merchants, just the merchants.”
Ji Rufeng thought to himself, *I’ve traveled the martial world for years and never heard of anything so outrageous. Could Sister Li and Xiao Lin really have heard such things in that remote mountain village?*
Daoist Ruihua’s expression was also quite strained at that moment. He could swear he hadn't intended to eavesdrop on the girl’s transmission to his disciple; he was merely curious about what kind of mischief she was plotting. He never expected that her head would be filled with such bizarre and peculiar ideas.
He looked at Dongfang Jing. The boy was currently watching Li Xue and Ji Rufeng whisper with a suspicious and aggrieved look, feeling left out. Daoist Ruihua’s heart twitched. Jing’er’s expression really did look exactly like the "perpetual bottom" the girl had described.
