Yao Ranran already knew Pei Xianqiao had something she had to say, which was why she asked like this.
She truly was curious.
Pei Xianqiao, as the female lead, facing the annihilation of her clan and the innocent villagers of Dongxi Village who were dragged into ruin because of her—how could she brush aside that blood-soaked reality and still have the leisure to come seek her out just to talk about Shen Yuefu?
Yao Ranran simply stared straight at her.
Pei Xianqiao's pupils shrank. She clutched her head in both hands as if forced to remember a past she did not want to recall.
"You're talking nonsense! I didn't come here to discuss Brother Fu with you!"
Pei Xianqiao shouted at her.
Yao Ranran frowned slightly, her gaze drifting past her toward Shen Yuefu's cold face.
This really was like the scene of a melodrama.
At this rate, the male lead would surely misunderstand her. Especially since Pei Xianqiao's eyes brimmed with tears, ready to fall.
"Yao Daoyou, I only came to clear things up between us. As for you pretending to be me, I let that go long ago. Wuxiang Sect is such a fine sect, you really shouldn't leave it…"
Pei Xianqiao forced her tears back, speaking with effort to keep calm.
Yet her trembling voice betrayed the grievance in her heart.
Yao Ranran drew back her gaze and looked into Pei Xianqiao's tear-filled eyes. "Pei Daoyou, I want to leave Wuxiang Sect not because of you."
But because the Eastern Wilderness offered far too many spirit stones!
"If she wants to leave, let her." Shen Yuefu stepped forward beside Pei Xianqiao, his voice cold.
"Fu… Elder Shen?" Pei Xianqiao froze, dazed. "You… why are you here?"
Yao Ranran had no patience to listen to the male and female lead's dialogue. She said leisurely, "Then I'll be going."
She turned on her heel and left.
Shen Yuefu pressed his lips together, his gaze deepening.
This woman really wasted no time with hesitation.
Pei Xianqiao stared blankly at her receding figure.
Just like that… she left?
"Yao Daoyou, where else can you go after leaving Wuxiang Sect? Do you plan to rely on the Yu family's power? Yu Weifeng is not a good man!"
Ignoring Shen Yuefu's attempt to stop her, Pei Xianqiao chased after her.
At the foot of the mountain, Tang Xiangyin and Zhou Lili, who had been waiting, caught sight of Yao Ranran.
They ran up excitedly. Hearing the voices behind, Tang Xiangyin asked curiously, "Fairy Ranran, what did she whisper to you?"
Yao Ranran frowned at the sight of Pei Xianqiao catching up. "It seems she doesn't want me to leave Wuxiang Sect."
"What?!" Tang Xiangyin and Zhou Lili's faces were full of disbelief.
"Yao Daoyou, I sincerely wish to reconcile, that's why I wanted to speak with you here!" Pei Xianqiao panted softly.
Tang Xiangyin immediately spread her arms to block Yao Ranran, angry. "Pei Daoyou, I thought you were a good person, but why are you stopping our Fairy from leaving Wuxiang Sect?"
"That's right! We're about to leave here, why are you delaying us?!" Zhou Lili's face flushed with anger.
If this were Biluo Sect, she would definitely teach this girl a lesson!
All this waiting, just for her to say that?
What was so secret about it? She could have just asked whether Fairy Ranran wanted to stay. If Fairy said no, then that would be the end of it! But no, she had to stall for so long!
So infuriating!
Just as Pei Xianqiao was about to think Tang Xiangyin and Zhou Lili had lost their minds, Nie Rong flew in hastily.
His escape light swept down in a rush of wind, landing before Yao Ranran.
"Master, how could you leave Wuxiang Sect without informing your disciple!"
Shock flashed in Nie Rong's eyes when he saw Yao Ranran's face.
Sensing Shen Yuefu's aura nearby, he quickly steadied himself again.
"Master, you didn't forget your disciple, did you?" Nie Rong looked at her pitifully.
Yao Ranran replied, "Of course not. I knew you'd come running on your own."
"Haha, Master truly understands me!"
"Elder Nie… you… you actually took Yao Daoyou as your Master?" Pei Xianqiao stared in surprise.
Nie Rong puffed up proudly. "That's right!"
Zhou Lili's eyes rolled, then she snapped in a sweet voice, "Pei Daoyou, Fairy Ranran is Elder Nie's Master. How can she remain in Wuxiang Sect as some nameless little disciple? You keep trying to stop her from leaving—are you afraid she'll make her mark in the outside world?"
"What? Little Pei girl, you actually harbor such filthy intentions?" Nie Rong widened his eyes, then hurriedly waved his hands. "Let's go, let's go, we mustn't be dragged down by Wuxiang Sect!"
He promptly pushed Yao Ranran and the two girls away.
Pei Xianqiao's chest rose and fell with fury. What were these people even thinking? She clearly meant well for Yao Ranran!
"Junior Brother Nie is sick. Pay him no mind." Shen Yuefu walked to her side, his tone cool.
Pei Xianqiao stilled, her gaze lingering on him with tenderness. "Elder Shen, Elder Nie is a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn. How could he possibly be sick?"
"He is injured in body, but the problem lies in his mind. That is what we call illness." Shen Yuefu answered faintly.
Pei Xianqiao's eyes widened in confusion, wanting to ask more.
But a cold wind brushed her cheek, and the ethereal figure before her was already gone.
"Then…" The words she had yet to speak vanished into the air, dissipating into silence.
"…Brother Fu, have you become even colder?" she whispered with a sigh.
…
At Wuxiang Sect's mountain gate.
"Fairy Ranran, Fairy Ranran, are you Fairy Ranran?"
A young child came running toward them, eyes sparkling as he looked up at Yao Ranran.
Yao Ranran nodded with a hint of curiosity. "How do you know me?"
"Someone said the most beautiful Fairy in Wuxiang Sect is Fairy Ranran. He told me to give this to you!"
The boy handed her a small box.
She accepted it, and the boy quickly turned and ran away.
"Who sent this child?" Nie Rong didn't chase, but instead left a trace of divine sense on the boy as he ran off into the distance.
Tang Xiangyin and Zhou Lili were both curious. "Fairy, what did he give you?"
"Oh, a bracelet. Looks pretty valuable!" Tang Xiangyin exclaimed.
Yao Ranran turned the bracelet in her hand, her fingers brushing the delicate engravings on the silver band. Her gaze froze for a moment.
The storage bracelet Yao Yanliu had given her—Han Huijun would never get it back.
Because it had already returned to her hand.
"A storage bracelet? Why would someone send Master such a thing?" Nie Rong frowned in confusion.
Yao Ranran glanced around. The disciples of Wuxiang Sect hadn't noticed. She quickly put the bracelet away and made a silencing gesture.
"We'll talk later."
She already had a guess as to who was behind the child.
To locate her so precisely… clearly, she was being watched.
Returning to the Eastern Wilderness now would not be so simple.
Yao Ranran lifted her gaze to the north. Was the Holy Maiden about to make her entrance?