Chapter 99 : Equally Important

Chapter 99: Equally Important

Xiao Ying followed her master as they had just stepped into the Rare Beast Pavilion when her gaze swept across the entire hall like that of the sharpest hunter.

In an instant, it precisely locked onto Long Tao.

The corner of her lips subconsciously tried to lift into a smile, yet before that curve could fully form, it abruptly stiffened—because she saw, on the other side, an overly dazzling golden figure.

Luo Yusi!

Those beautiful peach-blossom eyes first blinked in disbelief, as if confirming whether she had seen correctly.

Then they narrowed slightly, instantly filling with undisguised wariness, scrutiny, and a thick jealousy that almost seemed to condense into substance.

That gaze looked as though it wanted to burn two holes straight through Long Tao and Luo Yusi.

However, when her peripheral vision swept over Zhu Huaisu and Nan Yuchen, the tightly wound string in her heart loosened a little.

Fortunately, Young Master was not out alone with this golden giant spider.

There were others present—this was not a private world for two.

The situation did not seem quite so dangerous after all.

After clearly seeing everyone inside the shop, True Person Zhiying immediately put on a deliberately crafted expression of “surprise,” as if this truly were an accidental encounter.

She held Xiao Ying’s hand and walked forward with a smiling face, her voice bright as she spoke,

“Oh my! What a coincidence! I never imagined that bringing Xiao Ying out today to buy a spirit pet, we’d run into so many familiar faces at once.”

Yet everyone present, including the shrewd shopkeeper, knew perfectly well what was really going on.

With True Person Zhiying’s powerful divine sense at the Late Golden Core stage, she had likely already detected their presence the very moment she entered the Spirit Pet Market’s range.

This whole act of a “chance meeting” was clearly the result of precise timing—she had deliberately chosen to appear at this moment.

“Greetings, True Person Zhiying.”

Long Tao, Luo Yusi, Zhu Huaisu, Nan Yuchen, and even the shopkeeper all bowed in unison to this genius Golden Core cultivator.

True Person Zhiying, however, seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

Her gaze lingered pointedly on Zhu Huaisu and Nan Yuchen as she feigned anger.

“As for the others, we’ll set them aside for now—but you two! Didn’t I say long ago that when you see me, calling me Senior Sister is enough? Why are you still being so distant?”

Zhu Huaisu and Nan Yuchen wore troubled expressions, stammering uncertainly, unsure how to respond.

True Person Zhiying’s eyes narrowed dangerously, a faint chill seeming to radiate from her as her tone turned probing.

“You two little ones… don’t tell me you’re secretly muttering in your hearts something like, ‘You, Weaving Shadow, are already three hundred years old—what are you pretending to be young for,’ are you?”

“No, no, absolutely not! Senior Sister Weaving Shadow!”

Having their inner thoughts exposed in one sentence, the two were so startled that they hurriedly waved their hands and greeted her again in unison, their voices noticeably louder than before.

“Mm, that’s more like it.”

Only then did True Person Zhiying nod in satisfaction, saying with complete confidence, “Three hundred years old—for a Golden Core cultivator—that’s clearly still the prime of youth!”

She then pulled Xiao Ying closer to her side and introduced her,

“Come, Xiao Ying, let me formally introduce them to you. These two are the youngest disciples under True Person Mingzhu—Zhu Huaisu and Nan Yuchen. By seniority, you should call them Martial Uncles.”

Xiao Ying immediately performed a polite salute, her voice crisp and clear.

“Martial Uncle Zhu, Martial Uncle South.”

Zhu Huaisu and Nan Yuchen instantly understood that the spiritually radiant girl before them was the new personal disciple whom True Person Zhiying had exceptionally accepted not long ago, causing quite a stir within the sect.

What shocked them even more was that they could clearly sense her cultivation level—it was actually Qi Refinement Second Level! If they remembered correctly, she had entered the sect less than half a month ago!

The two exchanged an incredulous glance, yet kept their expressions composed and simply replied warmly,

“Xiao Ying, Martial Niece.”

True Person Zhiying was quite pleased with this friendly exchange and nodded.

She then also turned her gaze toward Long Tao and Luo Yusi, smiling at them as a greeting without saying much, before directly shifting her attention to the shopkeeper waiting nearby.

The shopkeeper, who had been left hanging the whole time, immediately seized the opportunity and stepped forward with a face full of smiles.

“True Person Zhiying, your timing couldn’t be better! The ‘Temporal Order Dragon Turtle’ you previously reserved was delivered to our shop just yesterday. It’s now in the final stage before hatching—its spiritual energy fluctuations are stable, and it can be taken away at any time! As for—”

His tone shifted slightly as he cast a teasing glance at Long Tao.

“This young brother here was just asking about time-type spirit pets as well, though he mentioned that the prices were rather steep. True Person Zhiying, you’ve truly gotten yourself a great bargain—this kind of opportunity is something others can only envy!”

Upon hearing this, True Person Zhiying raised her delicate brows and looked toward Long Tao with a hint of amusement, deliberately drawing out her words.

“Oh? Long Tao, you came to ask about time-type spirit pets? That is rare indeed… let me guess—don’t tell me… you were also planning to buy a spirit pet as a meeting gift for our Xiao Ying?”

The moment those words fell, Xiao Ying’s eyes instantly lit up.

She looked at Long Tao with eager anticipation, even temporarily forgetting the bit of jealousy she had felt toward Luo Yusi earlier.

Long Tao, on the other hand, was caught completely off guard by the sudden question.

Facing True Person Zhiying’s gaze that seemed able to see straight through people, and Xiao Ying’s burning expectation, he could only steel himself and answer honestly,

“Yes… I did have that thought.

But…”

He rubbed his nose somewhat awkwardly.

“I didn’t really have a concept of these kinds of spirit pets before. After coming here, I realized they’re simply far beyond what my current means can afford. So I thought I’d settle for something less grand—just a more ordinary but interesting little spirit beast, to help Xiao Ying pass the time.”

For reasons unknown, after hearing this answer, the smile on True Person Zhiying’s face instead grew even brighter.

A teasing glint flashed within her clear eyes.

She first gestured for the shopkeeper to go retrieve the reserved spirit pet, then gently stroked Xiao Ying’s hair as if soothing a pet, while speaking in a lightly mocking—but not malicious—tone.

“Sigh… Xiao Ying is now my personal disciple, after all.

No matter how lacking Weaving Shadow Peak might be, we certainly wouldn’t be short on material provisions for her.

And yet you still thought of buying a spirit pet to keep her entertained?”

She deliberately paused, her gaze sweeping over Long Tao’s plain disciple robes.

“Isn’t that really looking down on the family assets of Weaving Shadow Peak a bit too much?”

Even Zhu Huaisu and Nan Yuchen, standing to the side, felt that something was off.

True Person Zhiying’s attitude carried a strange sense of probing and… teasing? Moreover, from these few lines of dialogue, they keenly sensed that this newly accepted personal disciple of hers not only knew Long Tao, but that their relationship was far from ordinary.

That familiarity and closeness were clearly signs of old acquaintance.

“Master!”

Xiao Ying felt a little embarrassed by this and gently tugged on True Person Zhiying’s sleeve, speaking up for Long Tao.

“Just the fact that Young Master had this intention already makes me very happy! Please don’t talk about him like that.”

“All right, all right, I won’t say any more.”

True Person Zhiying readily conceded, yet sighed with feigned grievance, tapping Xiao Ying’s forehead with her fingertip.

“Anyway, in front of your ‘Young Master,’ you never take your master’s side.

Truly heartbreaking.”

“Huh? No… that’s not it!”

Xiao Ying hurriedly waved her hands, her cheeks slightly flushed as she explained anxiously,

“Master and Young Master… to me, they’re both equally important!”

Equally important?

Those four words were like a stone tossed into a calm lake, stirring no small ripple in the hearts of everyone present.

The one most shaken was none other than Nan Yuchen.

It wasn’t only because of Xiao Ying’s natural address of Long Tao as “Young Master,” but because she had placed her former master and her teaching benefactor—a Golden Core True Person—on the same level of importance.

For Nan Yuchen, who had grown up in a rigidly hierarchical main family, where human warmth was thin and cold, this was almost unimaginable.

In his understanding, in the mortal world, a master–servant relationship ending amicably and going their separate ways was already the best possible outcome.

A situation like Xiao Ying and Long Tao’s—where even after their statuses had diverged so drastically, such a deep bond was still maintained, even equating a former master with one’s own master—completely shattered his worldview.

The way he looked at Long Tao and Xiao Ying could not help but fill with a complex, indescribable astonishment, along with a trace of envy.

Zhu Huaisu and Luo Yusi also exchanged looks, clearly shocked by this layered relationship and Xiao Ying’s blunt declaration.

For a moment, a subtle silence fell over the shop—until the shopkeeper returned to the main hall, holding a special incubation box brimming with spiritual energy.