When Lu Qingyun had returned to his abode, it was already late at night.
He had thought that no one would be able to see his wretched state. But he was wrong.
Lie Xingyuan was still up and the moment that he had returned, she was at his side hastily. "Senior brother, where did you go? What has happened to you? You look-"
"I'm alright. I was just out looking for some inspiration for my martial improvement." He said melancholy.
"Shall I prepare a bath for you?"
"Xingyuan, please take a good rest. I will be alright…" With that he had left for his room.
Lie Xingyuan sighed quietly, "What has happened to the two of them?"
When Qin Keqin had returned to the abode, her eyes were red and so were senior brother now…
Something had happened and it looked pretty serious.
She tried to recall the events that led to this state.
Firstly, Qin Keqin had left with Fairy Jade Light…
Secondly, Senior Brother had followed after her…
Thirdly, Qin Keqin had returned with a redden eyes as though she had been crying…
Fourthly, Lu Qing had gone to look for her in the practice chamber and then he had suddenly disappeared…
Fifthly, next Qin Keqin was now where to be seen…
Sixthly, Senior Brother had returned with a depressing and heartbreaking look…
She was soon gasping, "Don't tell me…"
Senior Brother had finally proposed to Qin Keqin that he had liked her but Qin Keqin was upset that he had broken their master-disciple protocol.
Why did Senior Brother have to choose this day to propose to sect leader? It was because she was too beautiful today and was like a peerless goddess. Therefore Senior Brother could not suppress his sentiments for her any longer.
That was why sect leader had returned in such a hastily manner and Senior Brother Lu Qingyun looked like he was in hot pursue of her to explain things?
But sect leader could not listen to his explanations and therefore Senior Brother had left hastily. He must have been so heartbroken that he had left to find a place to quiet down.
But from his earlier expression, it seemed that he had not got over his heartbreak…
Lie Xingyuan sighed softly, "Senior Brother, you have only sect leader in your heart but do you know that she is actually the Great Saintess Fan Yuqing? You and she are impossible to be together…"
When Lu Qingyun had returned to his room, he had quietly leaned his back against the wall. His mind was heavy with extreme sorrow.
"If he returns then Keqin will be very happy…"
"One day Keqin may regret her decision to be with me…"
"Therefore I cannot be selfish. If I really love Keqin then I must also consider her future happiness…"
He was trembling hard and once again his heart began to ache uncontrollable.
For that man who was able to make a great saintess like Keqin to shed her tears for him, he must be someone who was truly important in her heart. Therefore he could only give her up…
All of a sudden Yan'Er had appeared and her face was wet, "Master…"
Lu Qingyun was startled by the sudden appearance of Yan'Er. It was because she was not supposed to appear unless he had said so. "Yan'Er, why are you crying?"
Yan'Er shook her head sadly, "It is not Yan'Er who is crying but Master. You're crying in your heart. Why did you want to give up on Big Sister Keqin? If you are so unwilling to give her up then why did want to hurt yourself?"
Lu Qingyun looked away before he replied in a sad and bitter voice, "Big Sister Keqin is a peerless goddess. She should be with the one that is most compatible to her. A lowly good-for-nothing cultivator like me is not fit to be with her…"
Then he looked at Yan'Er with a sorrowful look as he recalled the words of the old man who claimed to be a fortune-teller, "And I will bring upon her a great calamity. It is better that I stay away from her instead."
Yan'Er muttered curiously, clearly not understanding. "A great calamity?…"
Lu Qingyun nodded quietly, "It is for her own good…"
–
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When Qin Keqin had returned with the Heaveness to the hideout, Feng Minyue and Xuan Danfeng were already waiting for her.
"Sister Saintess Yuqing, welcome back." Feng Minyue greeted her with a soft sigh before she added. "Please…forgive us. I hope that we can continue to be sisters."
Xuan Danfeng smiled nonchalantly, "Since she is already back then everything is already alright."
The Heaveness said quietly to Qin Keqin, "I shall leave you to your sisters." With that, she had left the room.
Qin Keqin laughed softly as she looked at Feng Minyue and Xuan Danfeng, "Of course we are still sisters. Do you want to hear about what happens today?"
Feng Minyue smiled, "That you have become the top beauty in New Empyrean City? In the entire Nine Celestial Fraternity, Sister Saintess Yuqing is already the top beauty. Being the top beauty in New Empyrean City is nothing at all."
"Minyue, are you envious of me? Danfeng as well?"
Xuan Danfeng chuckled, "Of course I am envious. I am the most beautiful maiden in New Empyrean City. They should nominate me instead."
"No, you're not." Qin Keqin protested immediately. "You look like a ghost actually…"
Xuan Danfeng: …
"A beautiful ghost," Feng Minyue added with a gentle smile.
Qin Keqin laughed softly, "That isn't all. Don't you want to hear what exactly happens today? And do you know how many interesting people that I had met today? And my Yun'Er, he was so impressive today as well…"
Feng Minyue and Xuan Danfeng took a quiet glance at each other. It seemed that Qin Keqin had returned to her usual old self.
"I was at the Clear Sky Pavilion today. But let me tell me about this Qiuxiang Huan first…"
Xuan Danfeng laughed along with her, "So it does seem that quite a few things had happened today. I've also many gossips to share with you as well."
Feng Minyue nodded, "I think that even if we chat for three days and nights, it won't be enough. Yuqing, why don't you stay around for a few days with us?"
Qin Keqin chuckled, "That is my intention too!"
"Wait! Hold it, hold!" Xuan Danfeng immediately said hastily.
"What's up with you?" Qin Keqin growled softly.
"I need to get my wines! How can we not drink in an occasion like this?" Xuan Danfeng was laughing jovially as her bewitching eyes looked at the two of them.
"This is so typical of Danfeng." Qin Keqin muttered, "But who is paying the tabs? Surely you are not thinking of taking the wines that are meant for our customers?"
Xuan Danfeng laughed softly and whispered, "Since the Heaveness is here, she shall be the one that will be paying the tabs."
Qin Keqin rolled her eyes with a sly smile, "I've almost forgotten about her. In that case, I want to have the divine fruits from the Eastern Divine Realms too."
Feng Minyue almost got the shock of her life, "Yuqing, that is a little too wasteful. We should save the divine fruits for later…"
It was so typical of Fan Yuqing/ Qin Keqin to be a hundred times more wasteful than Xuan Danfeng. Together the two of them were spending all their cultivation resources as though it was like free flowing water.
Xuan Danfeng laughed, "Minyue, don't be so horrible. You should relax a little. We can always get more of these divine fruits later and of course, more wines too."
Qin Keqin was nodding, "That's right. Maybe we can even swindler the old Heaveness for some immortal fruits as compensation…"
And later throughout the night, the three sister saintesses continued to chat delightfully with one another.
In another room;
The Heaveness of course had sharp ears as she looked at Lie Qing, "This Yuqin is too much. She dares to call me old. How outrageous and she is even thinking of swindling me."
The Heavenly Temptress smiled as she played with her nails. "Well, I find that there is nothing wrong with that. She looks more like us than her parents."
The Heaveness smiled weakly. Indeed. She had spent more time with her than her parents who were always not around. As a matter of fact, Fan Yuqin had never seen her parents for more than ten times in her entire lifetime and each meeting had only lasted less than an hour.
In her heart, Fan Yuqin was like her daughter and she had actually watched her as she grew up. In fact, she was the one who had crafted the Divine Sword Jade Light to be given to her.
She still remembered that the day Fan Yuqin had received the divine sword, she was so delighted that she said. "This divine sword is my most precious sword from the Heaveness. I'll always treasure it and will never abuse it."
In fact, she had never been known to use the divine sword at all even when she was in trouble.
Fan Yuqin aka Fan Fuqing/ Qin Keqin had said back then, "But if I were to give this divine sword away in the future then that person will be the most precious person in my heart."
That was the reason why when the Heaveness was in trouble, the first person that she had come to look for was actually this 'daughter' of hers.
And that was also the reason why Fan Yuqin knew of her cards so well and could even be disrespectful to her.
The Heavenly Temptress looked quietly at her before she said, "Before I've my own daughter, I don't know why you are willing to spend so much time on Yuqin instead of your own cultivation. Among all the great goddesses, your cultivation progression is quite slow. With your lofty status, do you really care about any material wealth and spirit stones? You're doing it because of her, because in your heart, she is your daughter, am I right?"
The Heaveness lit a faint smile and did not say anything. Instead her spirit perception was at the on-going conversations between Yuqin and her sister saintesses, as Yuqin was describing what she had experienced excitingly to her sister saintesses.
Yuqin was happily telling them, "Guess what I'm going to tell you next? That Ye Jing is going to be re-delegated to be my junior sister. I am going to be her senior sister soon! Can you imagine the shock that will be in her face that can't be wiped away? I can't wait for her to call me Senior Sister Yuqing *soft chuckle* while I call her my Junior Sister Ye Jing…"
The Heaveness lowered her glances to smile in her heart, "I will rather take you in as my own daughter and not my protégé…"