In the center of the cluster of young women, Shi Qingjun was nibbling on fruit, completely unaware that the aura-concealing Xu Changâan was watching her secretly.
Familiar.
Xu Changâan stared at Shi Qingjunâs elegant motions, his gaze lingering on her face for a long time.
In truth, he hadnât realized that Shi Qingjun was the "Senior Sister Shi" who had spoken with him in the past, since back then, Shi Qingjun had appeared to him in the form of a young girl. Thus, in Xu Changâanâs mind, Senior Sister Shi was a girl, while the Shi Qingjun before him was a mature woman with a graceful figure and serene eyes.
This is Shi Qingjunâs true appearance.
Yet Xu Changâan still recognized her.
Xu Changâan thought his memory was quite good.
His usual responsibility was only a small section of young women in the Three Officials Rock area on Muyu Peak, but the girls on Muyu Peak who were famed and had some skills, he remembered well, including their names, preferences, and to some extent, their hobbies.
The reason, of course, wasnât because he found those girls attractive, but for Yun Qian.
Understanding these girls allowed him to better assist Yun Qian in her cultivation, using them as mirrors to help Yun Qian avoid detours... Moreover, he wanted to see which girls were suitable to become Yun Qianâs friends, all of which required consideration.
He hadnât initially considered that Wen Li would teach Yun Qian, so the girl he settled on was someone he had selected, someone on Muyu Peak who had a good relationship with him and was gentle â Senior Lu.
So Xu Changâan was very knowledgeable about the girls on Muyu Peak, and the girls there carried a unique aura, one that outsiders couldnât emulate. So, in her eyes, whether a girl was from Muyu Peak could be identified almost at a glance.
"..."
Xu Changâan watched from afar as Shi Qingjun ate fruit, and then... he removed the Glazed Jade from his waist, placing it in his palm and examining it closely for a moment.
Even though he understood Muyu Peak, Xu Changâan still didnât know whose "mark" this Jade Pendant was. He pondered over it but got nowhere, even after asking Steward Fang.
The reason he considered this Jade Pendant a mark was because he hadnât acknowledged a master before, so those who valued him would first give him a Jade Pendant, indicating âthe flower already has an owner.â Whether they would truly take him as a disciple later depended on his performance.
In reality, since he started wearing this Jade Pendant, indeed, no one wanting to be his master came to bother him.
But Xu Changâan still didnât know who the owner of this Jade Pendant was, so he instinctively felt that perhaps the person wasnât from Muyu Peak, or rather... did not often stay there.
He was actually very grateful to the other party, as after having it appraised, it was indeed beneficial for cultivation. However, an awkward situation had now arisen.
He was âpre-selectedâ by Li Zhibai.
His fingers lightly rubbed the smooth patterns on the Jade Pendantâs surface, and Xu Changâan sighed softly.
Choosing a master between Li Zhibai and a stranger was no choice at all.
So, he was destined to disappoint the Senior who had given him the Jade Pendant, but gratitude was still necessary, so Xu Changâan had always wanted to meet the Senior in person, respectfully bow, and return the Jade Pendant.
But he didnât know who the person was.
However...
Xu Changâan had a guess in his heart.
The woman who helped and cared for him and had never appeared before... he only remembered one person.
Coincidentally, the place where he met the person wasnât Muyu Peak, but Celestial Bright Peak. However, her robes bore Muyu Peakâs embroidery, perfectly aligning with his speculation.
And when he met her, she was probably dressed in red, with a veil covering her face.
At that time, Lingyu fell from the sky, and a Heaven-Reaching White Jade Thunder Tribulation struck down. Just then, this woman walked over, handed him an umbrella, and told him not to use Spiritual Power to shield himself from the rain.
Xu Changâan didnât understand at the time, but now he realized that the woman knew no one could shield against the heavenly rain, so she gave him an umbrella.
And later... when he went to return the umbrella, he unexpectedly saw the red-robed girl somehow fall into the muddy water on the ground; not only was she disheveled, but she also fainted. It was then her veil came off, letting Xu Changâan see her face.
Quite exactly, it was the person eating fruit from afar.
The other party surely meant well, as until now, no outsider knew he could withstand Lingyu, and the Glazed Jade at his waist coincidentally was also red. Moreover... he could vaguely feel the Spiritual Qi inside the Glazed Jade become active when facing Shi Qingjun, as if it originally belonged to her.
With all the clues compiling, Xu Changâan was already seventy percent sure that the woman eating fruit outside was the mysterious Senior from the Chaoyun Sect who had gifted him the Jade Pendant and âpre-selectedâ him.
"..." Thus, Xu Changâan hesitated, momentarily unsure of what to do.
Whether it was the well-meaning reminder or the gifted Jade Pendant, he absolutely should give thanks.
But this was a brothel; he couldnât easily approach to speak. Also... if such a Senior was inside listening to opera, why had neither Li Zhibai nor Zhu Pingniang mentioned her even once?
Could it be she wanted to hide her identity and not be seen by others?
After all, she had always been mysterious, and she used to wear a veil...
But to call this Senior low-key, she was also able to mingle with the courtesans easily. Xu Changâan watched in disbelief as a young girl fed a segment of orange into Shi Qingjunâs mouth.