March 7th's rationality had been shattered by the string of events—she couldn't even tell where it had flown off to. Almost like she was under a spell, she found herself about to actually agree.
"That… then I'll…" March 7th swallowed hard. Her mind resisted, but her body had already accepted.
Yanqing hadn't expected it to go this smoothly either.
He had only tried half-heartedly, and it actually worked?
"Hey, hey, hey, Yanqing, you're way too sneaky! Why does she have to be your senior sister, huh?"
A clear female voice cut through just before Yanqing could seal the deal.
At the critical moment, Yunli intervened.
She stepped between the two and spoke with a tone of fairness and reason. "Little March has the right to choose for herself. You can't just say a few words and make her follow you."
"Yeah, yeah!" Stelle chimed in, her small face tensed, hands on her hips.
"If she's going to become a disciple, she should join me and worship my grandpa as her grandmaster instead!"
Yunli said it with complete righteousness.
"Uh… huh?"
Out of habit, Stelle nearly agreed again, but thankfully her rationality far exceeded that of ordinary people, and she quickly recovered.
Yunli grabbed one of March 7th's arms and smiled. "Obviously, you should come to the Zhuming! General Jing Yuan's side is full of burly men—you won't even get a word in."
"It's different with us in the Zhuming. I've got plenty of senior and junior sisters—you'll love them."
"If they're all like you—dueling March every day and training endlessly—even if I can talk to them, what's the point?"
Yanqing didn't get irritated by Yunli's provocation; he stayed perfectly calm. Moving to March 7th's other side, he said, "Miss March 7th, as they say, the sword should flow with lightness. The sword arts of the Luofu are what truly suit you!"
"Besides, we've already worked together before—it'll be much easier to handle relationships!"
After speaking, Yanqing felt it wasn't enough. He braced himself—if it was for the Luofu, any sacrifice was worth it.
He lowered the pitch of his voice slightly, stretched it out, and said, "Pretty please, Senior Sister~~"
"Ehh~~"
Watching Yanqing act cute like that, Yunli got goosebumps all over. Her whole body tensed up in discomfort.
"Y-you're too…"
She was about to scold him, but when she looked up, her current disciple—March 7th—actually seemed to be enjoying it?!
This feeling is…
Before her rationality returned, March 7th's body was entirely immersed in the delightful sensation of reversed roles.
Seeing that, Yunli swallowed the words she'd been about to say.
No way she'd lose face now—if she couldn't win, she'd at least not lose in spirit. Bracing herself, she recalled the way she used to act spoiled around her grandfather as a child, and in a deliberately sweet voice said, "March Sis~~ come join our Zhuming, okay~? There are sooo many adorable girls there~~"
"Whoa—!" Yanqing shuddered from head to toe at the sight of the normally assertive Yunli acting that way.
He shot her a look of disdain. "You're overacting way too much."
Yunli immediately straightened her face and glared back. "I learned it from you."
Their gazes collided midair, practically sparking with static tension.
March 7th's rationality was slowly returning, but she still wanted to enjoy this moment a bit longer.
Two masters, one on each side, both calling her Senior Sister—that might never happen again in her lifetime.
Shopkeeper Sylvester leaned lazily against his chair, crossed one leg over the other, and set down his sunflower seeds, afraid even the slightest noise would break the scene.
For masters to lower themselves like this, begging for their disciples—that was one of the most beloved pastimes among the Xianzhou people. Truly a cultural treasure!
And he could completely understand what March 7th was feeling.
It was like in a boys' dormitory—those father-son duos of convenience: one sweet "Dad~" earns you a free meal, but the moment the food's in hand, those little rebels pretend it never happened.
Aboard the Astral Express, March 7th probably never experienced anything like this. After all, everyone on the train was proper—well, except maybe one person, who wouldn't mind going 'adrift half her life, never finding a true master' if the situation called for it.
Sure enough, Stelle couldn't stand it anymore after witnessing all that.
Her brows furrowed sharply as she glared at the three, furious.
This was too much—flirting right in front of me?
March, how could you! You've brought shame upon the Express!
As the sole security officer of the train, it was time for her to step in!
With one move, she broke Yanqing and Yunli's spell over March 7th.
Standing half a head taller than March, Stelle positioned herself firmly in front of her.
Yanqing and Yunli each held onto one of March's arms, watching curiously to see what she would do.
Then Stelle lunged forward, wrapping her arms around March's neck, practically hanging off her. Her head rested against March's chest, and because of their height difference, her calves dragged helplessly against the floor.
Then, lowering her voice, she cooed, "March Sis~~ don't leave me, okay~~?"
"My—huh?!"
March 7th snapped back to consciousness, jumping back with a start and breaking free from all three.
Landing on her feet, she pressed a hand to her chest, breathing heavily.
She looked utterly shaken, as if she had just escaped from a nightmare.
Wh-what did I just hear?!
Is that really the Trailblazer I know? Don't tell me she got possessed by some evil spirit?!
"Hmph!"
Stelle crossed her arms and proudly glared at the others, chin raised. "As long as I'm here, no one's corrupting March 7th's mind!"
You're the least human one here!
Yanqing and Yunli both gawked, eyes wide.
They had gone to extreme lengths already, and it felt humiliating enough. Yet Stelle effortlessly achieved what they never could.
"Ahem, ahem. I understand everyone's enthusiasm," Shopkeeper Sylvester finally spoke, stepping in to smooth things over with a smile. "But in the end, it should all depend on Miss March 7th's will. Aggressive competition benefits no one."
Having had enough entertainment, he chuckled again. "Still, this isn't a bad thing. It shows Miss March 7th is well-loved—the making of a true heroine may not be far off."
"Phew~" With full rationality restored, March 7th exhaled deeply.
She glanced down at the longbow in her hands, emotions churning.
She understood the hidden meaning in Shopkeeper Sylvester's words—both masters were her close friends, and even they couldn't help but lower themselves to win her over.
That meant she'd meet even more overzealous fans in the future.
She sneaked a glance at the Trailblazer.
Her mind wandered uncontrollably—if all my fans were like her just now…
Ehh~~
Now she understood why the legendary heroes were always said to leap across rooftops and vanish without a trace. Who wouldn't, with fans like these?