Jiang Fanās mouth twitched as he hurriedly put on his clothes.
He cracked open the secret room, slipped through, and quickly closed it again.
Liu Qingxian chuckled, "Afraid Iāll see how messy it is inside?"
"Donāt worry, Iām not interested in your private life."
Jiang Fan said nothing.
He wrapped an arm around Liu Qingxianās shoulder, leaning half his body against her.
Liu Qingxian blushed slightly, feeling a bit awkward.
How peculiar.
Since Jiang Fan came back, he seemed much more affectionate with her.
It was the second time he embraced her; he was always so reserved before.
Yet, she secretly enjoyed the closeness with Jiang Fan, though her words were sharp as she hummed:
"What, Yun Shang that vixen canāt satisfy you anymore?"
"Trying to take advantage of me?"
Jiang Fan said, "No."
"My legs are weak, help support me a bit."
Liu Qingxian nearly fumed with anger, her willow eyebrows arching.
She elbowed Jiang Fan in the stomach.
But in the end, she couldnāt bear it, changed to supporting him, and gritted her teeth, "Bastard! You can only get intimate with her at noon."
"Because sooner or later, youāll die on her stomach!"
The Great Hall.
Master of Ten Thousand Tribulations Holy Temple, Qiong Tower Master, and the dean of the Madhouse, Sanqian Shangren, both with dark expressions, glared silently at Song Lingyu who was sitting opposite them.
"Ahem." Song Lingyu coughed awkwardly, muttering, "I didnāt mean to pawn Hua Wuying, but at the time I couldnāt gather enough Sky Ascending Pills to redeem her."
"Now Iāve gathered them and came right away, didnāt I?"
She felt a bit anxious.
Originally, she wanted to redeem Hua Wuying quietly so that no one would know she had pawned her.
Unexpectedly, when exchanging Spirit Grass obtained from the Demon Continent for Sky Ascending Pills with a lord of the Six Departments, she let it slip.
Then the news spread like wildfire; in just half a day, from disciples to the Heart Demon Venerable, everyone knew.
Her master pawned a disciple, such a ridiculous act directly aroused the Heart Demon Venerableās furious wrath.
She was called over and scolded thoroughly.
Qiong Tower Master, as the Hall Master managing the sect, and Sanqian Shangren, as the dean handling her level of Eight-Orifice Nascent Soul, were also summoned.
They were harshly rebuked.
Today, upon learning Jiang Fan was back, they were sent to quickly redeem Hua Wuying.
The Ten Thousand Tribulations Holy Temple couldnāt afford to lose such face!
Sanqian Shangren said with a dark face, "Why didnāt you tell us earlier?"
"If youād told us earlier, weād have sold everything to redeem Hua Wuying!"
"A master pawning a disciple, this is unheard of!"
"If it gets out, our Ten Thousand Tribulations Holy Templeās reputation will be ruined!"
Qiong Tower Master, also with a dark face, said, "Hua Wuying is such a promising talent."
"At just seventeen, sheās already reached the Ninth Layer of Core Formation, the strongest prodigy of our Ten Thousand Tribulations Holy Temple."
"Sheās pawned at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, could her days be good?"
"The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a newly established sect, lacking opportunities to break through to Nascent Soul themselves, how could they have any extra for her?"
"Isnāt this wasting Hua Wuyingās time?"
Hearing this, Song Lingyu felt full of remorse.
Covering her face, she said, "I was wrong."
"I must have been blind with greed, to exchange my disciple for treasures."
"My poor disciple, still in the Ninth Layer of Core Formation, serving like a slave at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."
"When I bring her back, I must compensate her well."
At that moment.
Outside the Great Hall, a slim girl in a floral dress was joyfully chasing a little dragon, a small brown-red beast, and a little tiger running by.
All three looked towards her, only catching sight of her back.
Sanqian Shangren showed a hint of surprise, "Isnāt she just a teenager?"
"Yet she has the cultivation of a Four Apertures Nascent Soul!"
"How is that possible?"
Qiong Tower Master was also amazed, "When she turns twenty, sheāll easily be among the top of the Taicang Eighteen Sons."
"No, even at the top of the Taicang Eighteen Sons, itās no challenge!"
"She unquestionably is the first Proud Daughter of Taicang State!"
"Incredibly, she was born in the small Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion!"
"But... doesnāt that back look a bit like our Ten Thousand Tribulations Holy Templeās Hua Wuying?"
Bang!
A dull sound echoed.
Qiong Tower Master and Sanqian Shangren glanced over to see Song Lingyu shockingly sitting upright.
The abrupt and intense movement knocked the chair underneath her to the ground.
She stared in disbelief at the girlās back, saying, "That... thatās Hua Wuying!"
How could a teacher not recognize their disciple?
Bam! Bam!
Qiong Tower Master and Sanqian Shangren stood up in shock, their chairs also falling over.
Their eyes widened in astonishment.
Qiong Tower Master asked, "You didnāt mistake, did you?"
"This fellow cultivator of Four Apertures Nascent Soul is our Ten Thousand Tribulations Holy Templeās Hua Wuying?"
Sanqian Shangren swallowed and said, "Donāt talk nonsense."
"Hua Wuyingās aptitude is high, but not to this extent."
"Three months and she leapt from the Ninth Layer of Core Formation to Four Apertures Nascent Soul? How could she accomplish that?"
Song Lingyu slapped her thigh and ran out directly.
She yelled from afar, "Wuying, Wuying my disciple!"
Playing with the Rebellious Guy, Little Qilin, and Little Tiger, Hua Wuying stopped when she heard the familiar voice.
Upon turning around, she saw Song Lingyuās familiar face.
She hesitated for a moment on the spot.
A flood of grievances and heartache surged uncontrollably in her heart.
How long had it been, how long?
She thought her master abandoned her at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.
Thinking this, tears burst forth as she ran, lifting her skirt, into Song Lingyuās arms, crying bitterly:
"Master! I thought you didnāt want me anymore."
Song Lingyu also felt overwhelmed with sadness, guilt consuming her as she caressed Hua Wuyingās head, "Wuying, Iām sorry. Your master is incompetent, letting you suffer grievances outside for so long."
"How... how have you been getting by all this time?"
Imagining Hua Wuyingās mistreatment at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Song Lingyuās heart ached terribly.
Hua Wuying, sobbing, said:
"Master, do you know how Iāve been these days?"
"When I broke through to Nascent Soul, Jiang Fan protected me."
"At the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I ate top-level Spirit Fruits from the Heavenly Realm, drank heavenly nectar Spiritual Liquid."
"When cultivating, I enjoyed the top-level resources of Taicang State, either from the Heavenly Mountain Battlefield or spoils Jiang Fan brought back from the Divinity Transformation Venerable."
"For questions, I could ask the Ice and Fire Demon Lord of the Heavenly Human Two Declines."
"When not cultivating, I played with Little Tiger, Rebellious Guy, and Little Qilin."
"No one scolded me here, no one made me work; around me were kind pretty sisters, affable and humorous brothers, and a gentle and elegant Pavilion Master."
As she spoke, the tears stopped.
She blinked and said, "Iām, Iām living a heavenly life here."
"What am I crying for?"
Song Lingyu was also dumbfounded. What kind of heavenly life is this?
Being pawned at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and living such an unbelievable life?
She even wanted to pawn herself there and retire on the spot!