When night fell, Lang Cui and Lu Yao, the youngest out of the five who was to come to Kunlun Mountain came to Fengyu Courtyard. The disciples under the Demon Venerable Xue Chuyao were raised and disciplined together, naturally, affection came like fish to water. Furthermore, Hong Lin, despite the icy façade she donned was the most affectionate towards the younger disciples. Most of the younger disciples liked to stay with her, and the elder disciples always praised her for being sensible.
"Shijie, Master finally allows you to step out of Ziyue Valley. Let me tell you, there are a few places that can compete with Ziyue Valley with sheer beauty," Lu Yao eagerly spoke to Hong Lin. "I don't know about Kunlun Mountain, but it should be pretty! They say it's brimming with aura."
Lang Cui handed Hong Lin a set of writing materials as well as parchment. "Forget about the scenery! Now that the senior brothers and sister will finally come to Kunlun Mountain, then those arrogant Immortals should start quaking in their shoes. Those lot thinks they're so important and powerful that they forget that our tribes are just in a stalemate."
Who didn't know that because of the promotion of their princess as the present Heavenly Lord's side consort, the immortal clan of Dafang Mountain, the Xuyang clan, was arrogant and arrogant, believing that they were untouchable as long their princess shares the Heavenly Lord's bed?
In her past lives, when Hong Lin read these kinds of people, she didn't think much of it, believing she would not encounter such brainless people. But her life continues to surprise her, and here was one now right in front of her very eyes. She'd thought that those kinds of things wouldn't exist here, as they were literally in charge of keeping the Realms from crumbling over, but hey, guess there was just really incompetent little shits around.
At this point, she just didn't have enough energy to care.
"But it's great that Qi Shijie is here!" cheered Lang Cui. "The meals in Kunlun Mountain are so bland and watery. They say to live like a Buddha, well I don't want to be a Buddha! They are not afraid of making people skinny through starvation."
Hong Lin smiled lightly. "We are to stay in Kunlun Mountain for five thousand years. Although we are not in Ziyue Valley, we should still continue with the things that Master taught us," the two nodded seriously. To be honest, for Lang Cui who already had been to Kunlun Mountain, the only thing he was worried about was the food.
Since being taken under the Master's wings, Lang Cui was used and used to the meals cooked by his senior sisters. They were fragrant and scrumptious, so unlike the meals served in Kunlun Mountain where people only knew how to meditate and meditate, recite Buddhist scriptures all day long and live strictly within the rules. Although their Ziyue Mountain also has a lot of rules, their Master allows them to be wilful from time to time.
At least this time, it wouldn't feel like he was about to die of hunger as he looked at the days left before they could return to Ziyue Valley with tears in his eyes. Ah, Shijie, if you knew about our hardship…
"Um!" Lu Yao nodded. "I have packed my cauldron and a lot of refining materials. Hope Shixong and Shijie can assist our studies!"
"A Cui, why did you bring so many seeds?"
Lang Cui pouted. "Shijie, the meals there are so bland. Going to the mortal realm to buy ingredients is exhausting, and those arrogant children take away the best ones. It's also exhausting to deal with them. Five thousand years is a long time, since my last visit there, I have made up my mind to not bother with them too much. I'm afraid that my skin will gain wrinkles!"
"Alright, it's late now. Tomorrow, we will go to Master to acquire our robes," that man was so conscious of appearances, and naturally sent school uniforms made from the best brocades. If he could, he would string them with jewels from head to toe. Who is poor? Certainly not this Demon Venerable!
Hearing her words, the two looked at the pendulum clock and was startled. It is indeed late! The two sweated anxiously. One of the rules in their Ziyue Valley was to never disturb their seniors when they did not call for them. This is for good reason. One time, the seventeenth disciple, Xiang Diao, carelessly broke into the furnace room where Hong Lin was refining a pill. Luckily, with great efforts in their Shijie's side, there was minimal backlash that happened and Xiang Diao got away lightly - he actually begged for more strokes.
"Just say that I called you here to ask about some things since you attended the lecture once. Along the way, you happened to meet A Yao and also brought her here," don't ask why the Demon Venerable is so eager to follow these rules. Aside from the dangers of backlash, he wanted his disciples beautiful and beautiful, with no bags under their eyes and no sallow expressions. Beauty is power, he says. Sometimes, they wonder who their Master learned from.
Since Hong Lin is someone who has mild insomnia, Lu Yao mixed an incense for her first to aid her sleeping before leaving with Lang Cui. Perhaps it is also due to the exhausting affairs that day, Hong Lin was able to sleep a few minutes after they left.
::
Morning came in Ziyue Valley.
As expected, the five who were about to be sent to Kunlun Mountain were called. Xue Chuyao smiled upon seeing the bright faces of his disciples. While they sat obediently in the Hall of Pillars, his mind kept turning to which colour and silk would suit best to display the grandiose of his Ziyue Valley.
"Will Demon Venerable Chang Zi also send her disciples this time?" Xiao Feng, the third disciple, and the Second Senior Brother asked. Twice, he'd attended the lecture, once with the First Disciple, Meng Lan. Meng Lan, their Da Shijie, despite the gentle and beautiful face she had, the same could not be said for her temper. Seeing the immortals arrogant, she declared she would not attend another lecture. This same scenario played out the same when he went again with the Second Disciple, their Da Shixong, Wu You.
Thinking back now, he wondered why he didn't do the same thing as his senior brother and sister did. Sigh, perhaps he was really very soft-hearted.
"Putting that matter aside. I have only ever let my disciples go to Kunlun Mountain two times, and in those two times, your Da Shixong and Da Shijie were furious when they came back and never returned there since," his ruby red eyes were disdainful and full of contempt. "Just in case you think you should be in your best behaviour, you're wrong. Now our Demon Tribe and the Celestial Tribe are in a stalemate, it's okay to hit back," the peach blossom eyes thinned. "Would be even better if you can shut them up permanently."
"Our Demon Tribe, especially my Ziyue Valley disciples are not vegetarians. Those immortals have gotten so complacent, thinking we've gotten so well-behaved," Xue Chuyao secretly sighed in his heart. His First and Second Disciples were strong, but they let their emotions guide them. Though they had the strength, they think it isn't worth their time to deal with pests that are weaker than them. "And yes, three of Chang Zi's disciples will go."
"Disciple understands."
Lu Yao then perked as if remembering something, and spoke. "Master, do we really need to wear those masks that the Shixong and Shijie wore when they went to Kunlun Mountain in the past lectures?" there was a trace of disgust in her expression, which displeased Xue Chuyao.
That mask is a precious disguising artefact he painstakingly made for them, okay? Why does this smelly girl seem so ungrateful? "Xiao Shiqi," upon seeing the displeased expression, Lu Yao pouted. She was so beautiful, her Shijie was so beautiful. Why should they hide their faces as if their appearance can frighten ghosts themselves? "The outside world doesn't even know my appearance."
Hai Tao hid the smile playing on his lips behind his fan. He often privately wondered whether their Master had indulged himself in too many fantasy novels. "Master, don't scold Seventeenth. Our Seventh and Seventeenth are so beautiful. Naturally, they would be unwilling to cover up such a blessing."
"Shiqi, it's also for your own protection. There are so many scumbags outside Ziyue Valley. Not everyone is like us, what if they deceive you?" Lang Cui appeased Lu Yao. Their Seventeenth was someone who has only been out of the Valley under the protection of her Shijie and Shixong. How could she know the real horrors of the outside world?
"Exactly!" exclaimed Xue Chuyao, slapping his fan against the palm of his hand. "Besides, you can't break the tradition. I tell you, you can't show your face until I show mine. See if I don't beat you with the paddle if you do," Lu Yao was frightened and nodded, immediately remembering just how much their Master stood by his promises.
Later, when they received the masks, Lu Yao still howled. She was someone who easily forgets miscellaneous things, and forgot the appearance of the mask worn by Ziyue Valley's disciples outside. It was really ugly and ugly - at least, it looked like this to her. Every inch of the upper half of their faces was covered. The steel extended till their jawline to hug it, leaving only their mouth and a little bit of skin around them to be visible.
No wonder people think that the disciples of Ziyue Valley have appearances that can frighten the ghosts themselves! With a mask like this, it's just equivalent to telling people that their faces cannot be seen under any circumstances.