"What are you doing, little San Dong?"
Qinghe poked her head out slightly, looking curiously at San Dong who was hugging a small tree.
Strictly speaking, Qinghe and San Dong weren't exactly familiar with each other before. When she first arrived, Qinghe had been roped into being a porter and wood processor by Chu Xingchen.
When Chu Xingchen was around, Qinghe naturally had to stay put and work, unable to move freely.
When Chu Xingchen left back then, Qinghe was actually quite happy. After all, within this sect, aside from Chu Xingchen, Qinghe didn't fear anyone.
After all, Li Yingling had treated her politely back in Chizhou, and Li Xingtian invited her to meals every few days.
She, Qinghe, at most slacked off a little. Those two would probably just turn a blind eye.
As it turned out, Qinghe had thought too much. Li Yingling didn't even need Li Xingtian—she had Qinghe completely under her thumb with just a few words.
Indeed, the disciple taught by that black-hearted brat was just as black-hearted.
During that period, Qinghe was thoroughly exploited. Li Yingling had even suggested that since she was at the Nascent Soul stage, why bother sleeping? Better to work all twelve hours of the day.
After all, at the Nascent Soul stage, one didn't need to sleep or eat.
Truly a heaven-chosen invincible working flood dragon.
Qinghe was dumbfounded on the spot. She tried using age as an excuse—although she was older than all of them, if you counted by flood dragon years, she was still a child!
The result was naturally that Li Yingling abandoned the idea, otherwise Qinghe would have been plotting her escape that very day.
Working during that time was truly just working.
Aside from being able to chat with a somewhat foolish snake, Qinghe was basically on the road to work the entire time. San Dong during that period was also a little supervisor who had dutifully reported on Qinghe.
If San Dong wasn't so tiny and pitifully weak, Qinghe would have given her two punches.
Naturally, they didn't interact much.
Only during this period, although Bai Laolao had left, Xie Lingyu hadn't departed. The spiritual energy here, though not as abundant as Tianyan Sect, was actually still decent. Moreover, Xie Lingyu had now restored the provision for personal disciples from back when Tianyan Sect existed, so the spirit stones for cultivation were naturally not lacking.
Perhaps because Zhuji Peak without Bai Xuanling was lifeless and dull, or perhaps because Lingyu also enjoyed the cheerful atmosphere here, Lingyu had already stayed for over two months.
Taking advantage of this, Qinghe naturally wanted to have her fun at Wanhua Ridge.
Aside from cultivation, he wandered around the vicinity with Chu Xingchen.
Occasionally they would spar a bit. Qinghe went to watch twice but discovered this wasn't really sparring—it was clearly just Chu Xingchen humoring Xie Lingyu.
After watching a few times, she lost interest.
So she went to find others to play with, but unfortunately Li Yingling, Li Xingtian, and Lin Luoyu were all in cultivation.
Cui Hao was interesting, but he would manipulate Qinghe. She only had herself to blame for being fooled by Cui Hao.
Earning spirit stones was fine, but voluntarily walking into a scam? That wouldn't do.
Qinghe wasn't actually a foolish Qinghe.
If she wanted to play, she'd find someone whose brain wasn't quite sharp. That way, Qinghe would naturally become the main character of the group.
There's a saying that goes well—better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
If she couldn't be the smart one among smart people, then she'd be the fool among fools!
Thus, after Qinghe intentionally interacted with San Dong, she discovered that San Dong was actually quite interesting—at least easier to fool than that green snake.
San Dong's eyes were slightly closed as she answered gently:
"Listening to the voice of the tree."
Qinghe was startled by these words. She also tilted her head and fell silent for a moment. After confirming she couldn't hear any sound at all, she slowly spoke:
"San Dong... are you hearing things?"
San Dong released her hands and turned to look at Qinghe. "Although this tree hasn't completely become a spirit yet, it already possesses the foundation to do so. I happen to be a flower spirit, and between us spirits there is spiritual communication. Although there's no sound, I can know what this tree wants to express."
Qinghe's curiosity was piqued by these words, and she asked in rapid succession: "Then what does this tree want to express right now? Does it want water or fertilizer? I heard fertilizer is stinky poop—does this tree want to eat stinky poop?"
"This tree doesn't eat that!" San Dong hurriedly shielded the tree behind her, afraid that the curious Qinghe would actually dump manure on it. "It has moonlight, that's enough!"
"Oh..." Qinghe nodded as if she understood, then continued asking: "Then what did this tree tell you?"
San Dong hesitated for a moment, then honestly confessed:
"It might be sleeping... it didn't say anything."
Qinghe didn't continue pressing, but her expression became somewhat subtle as she reached out and gently patted San Dong's little head:
"Then you continue. When that tree talks to you someday, tell me then."
San Dong nodded with a determined expression: "Don't worry, if it says anything, I'll tell you first thing."
Qinghe nodded as well, then turned and left without hesitation.
Right now... Qinghe suddenly felt a bit afraid.
If she stayed with fools for too long, would she also become a fool?
Although he'd be fooled by Cui Hao... but wasn't there another saying—you learn from your mistakes.
Staying alert while being fooled by Cui Hao, then coming back to be the king of fools wasn't bad either.
Qinghe waved her hand grandly and decided to go find Cui Hao to play with—and by the way, ask if there were any good projects.
The spirit stones he'd earned with Cui Hao before had been mostly squandered at the Tianyan Sect cafeteria.
At the small pond.
"Third Senior Sister, how about brewing a cup for your junior brother?" Cui Hao fed fish food to the fish, then turned his head to look at Chen Baiqing sitting on the stone chair.
"Look at how your junior brother has raised these fish for you—they even have more strength to perform their tricks now."
Chen Baiqing's gaze shifted slightly: "In the time I was away, these fish have been replaced at least once, haven't they?"
"Hmm? What nonsense is Third Senior Sister talking about? Aren't these fish all the same?"
"Do you want me to call a few fish up here to confront you?"
Cui Hao was stunned by these words. He looked at Chen Baiqing, unable to determine for a moment whether Third Senior Sister was serious about this.
After all, ever since witnessing the fish's grilling technique, having fish come up to confront him... that didn't seem impossible either.
Cui Hao looked at the scrutiny hidden within Chen Baiqing's calm eyes.
Hmm... better not to talk tough.
If he ended up losing the confrontation with the fish, he'd have another piece of embarrassing history. Cui Hao didn't want to end up like his second senior brother for the time being.
"How did Senior Sister know?" Cui Hao smiled with a hint of cowardice. "Could it be that Senior Sister memorized every fish's pattern?"
Chen Baiqing's tone was indifferent:
"Just testing casually."
Cui Hao's expression instantly became rather difficult to describe. However, whether Third Senior Sister's "just testing casually" was actually casual or not was hard to say. After all, it might have been prepared to use against him the
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next time he talked tough.
Fishing enforcement—Master knew how to do it, so there was no reason Third Senior Sister wouldn't.
Better to assume Third Senior Sister had memorized every fish's pattern.
"Baiqing, Cui Hao!" Qinghe walked over quickly, her face filled with delight. "You're both here. Qinghe came to play with you."
Chen Baiqing's gaze had just turned toward Qinghe when a violent fluctuation of spiritual energy came from the direction where Eldest Senior Sister was in secluded cultivation.
At that moment, both Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao's gazes hurriedly turned toward that direction.
"Eldest Senior Sister has emerged from secluded cultivation."