As the first light of dawn began to break, Chen Yin prepared to leave.
Before he could rise, a hand gently held onto him. He turned to see Luo Qiaoqiao looking at him pitifully.
"Can't you stay with me a little longer?"
"…Do you really have to leave now?"
Chen Yin looked at her. "Don't you want to watch the finals of the Heavenly Beauty Summit?"
Luo Qiaoqiao didn't reply. Instead, she pursed her lips.
Chen Yin understood. It wasn't that she didn't want to watch the finals.
She didn't want him to watch a final that included Shen Shuanglian but not herself.
"It's just a match," Chen Yin said gently, rubbing her head. "Once the tournament's over, you can still come and find me anytime, Sister Qiaoqiao."
Luo Qiaoqiao pouted dejectedly, lowering her head. But soon she lifted it again. "Fine, then."
"Just promise me you won't ditch me this time and sneak off without saying goodbye."
Chen Yin chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. "Of course not. Don't worry, I promise."
With that, Luo Qiaoqiao watched as Chen Yin's figure slowly disappeared into the distance, her eyes holding words left unsaid.
After a long pause, the system spoke softly:
[Don't overthink it. It's just five years. It's not like you won't see him again.]
[Look at how clingy you're being with him now—where's the slightest bit of a young lady's reserved elegance?]
"Five years isn't long." Luo Qiaoqiao scrunched her nose slightly in dissatisfaction. "If I don't cherish the time now, who knows if I'll get another chance?"
"And besides… who knows what that cold, blue-socked Shen Shuanglian might be planning? If I don't hold onto him tightly, what if she steals him away?"
[Well, that's true. That girl is also one of the Chosen], the system conceded. [So, are you going to watch her match?]
"Of course, I am."
Luo Qiaoqiao sprang to her feet, her dress swirling in a graceful arc.
"On one side, there's the blue-socked nuisance I've always despised. On the other, there's the irritating girl who deliberately picked a fight with me at the Wanxiang Pavilion."
"No matter who loses, it'll make my day." She grumbled with an evil gleam in her eye.
<+>
The morning light was soft and golden.
Outside a secluded hut, Yu Xiang gazed quietly at the mask in her hands.
On the bed behind her lay the neatly folded clothes from her days at Yushan Mountain. Now, she was dressed in a deep, elegant black outfit, with a veil and a bamboo hat by her side.
She held the delicate human-skin mask in her hands, her beautiful eyes reflecting a glimmer of light.
[…If the two of you really fight to the end, there's nothing I can do to help. That's just how the rules work for battles between the Chosen.]
The system continued to chatter on in her mind:
[But anyway, today's just a minor plot checkpoint. A brief encounter is enough—probe each other a little, but don't take it too far.]
[Especially don't reveal your identity. That would mess up the progression of the storyline.]
Yu Xiang remained motionless like a wooden statue, making it unclear how much she had absorbed.
The system sighed helplessly.
[My little ancestor, stop thinking about your senior brother. He doesn't even know who you are in this guise. As far as he's concerned, his beloved junior sister was eliminated in the first round.]
[If he does end up watching this match, it'll just be for entertainment. Don't take it personally. Remember, you're not his junior sister anymore in this identity.]
Yu Xiang nodded lightly. "...I understand."
But her expression left the system feeling uneasy. It sighed softly.
Sigh. Being a system isn't easy these days.
It had to tread carefully to coax its host while worrying that she might deviate from the script out of spite. A thankless job, really.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiang remained calm, her gaze fixed on the mask in her hands.
After a moment, she slowly donned the mask and stood up.
"…It's time to go," she murmured, her eyes lowered.
With the light of dawn as her backdrop, she put on the veil and bamboo hat, stepping out into the world beyond.
<+>
By the time Chen Yin arrived at the arena, it was already packed.
After all, this was the finals of the Heavenly Beauty Summit. Even though the epic clash between the Luo Shang Fairy and Frost Moon Sword Immortal had already taken place, it didn't dampen the excitement for the final battle.
However, the audience was predominantly chanting one name: "Frost Moon Sword Immortal."
While the mysterious "Fairy Yin Mengwan" had gained quite a bit of popularity during the tournament, she was still overshadowed by the illustrious reputation of Shen Shuanglian, who was at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.
The entire arena seemed to be enveloped by Shen Shuanglian's fanbase, with the crowd shouting her name from every direction.
...Senior Sister's popularity really is something, Chen Yin thought with amazement as he found a seat to settle in, waiting quietly for the match to begin.
As the crowd's excitement grew, a group of dancers took to the stage, their graceful movements reigniting the audience's cheers.
Chen Yin hadn't expected such a grand opening act with song and dance but found himself thoroughly enjoying the captivating performance by the fairy dancers.
The dances? Impressive.
After the performance, a faint mist began to drift across the stage, transforming the arena into a dreamy and ethereal scene.
Amid the haze, a voice suddenly rang out:
"Fellow cultivators of the immortal world!"
"Welcome to the finals of the Heavenly Beauty Summit, hosted by our Wanxiang Pavilion!"
As the mist cleared, a figure emerged—a dashing young man in luxurious robes, adorned with a purple-gold crown and jade ornaments, leisurely fanning himself with a folding fan.
"I am Wan Yunhai, the pavilion master of Wanxiang Pavilion. Greetings, my fellow Daoists." He gave a graceful bow, exuding an air of elegance and charm.
The moment Wan Yunhai appeared, the crowd erupted into high-pitched screams from female cultivators:
"Ahhh!!! Brother Yunhai!! Brother Yunhai, look at me!"
"Brother Yunhai, you're so handsome!!"
Amid the thunderous cheers, Chen Yin stared dumbfounded at the man on stage. After a moment, he finally managed to mutter:
"…What the hell?"
Even though the person on stage was now dressed in splendid attire, Chen Yin instantly recognized him.
—That's the same guy who was running the betting booth a few days ago.
The rumors about the Wanxiang Pavilion Master were endless in the cultivation world. It was said that this scholarly gentleman was notoriously flirtatious—a true ladies' man.
But this was Chen Yin's first time seeing the pavilion master in person.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that the amiable young man he had spent time with, who so adeptly promoted betting slips, would turn out to be Wanxiang Pavilion's master.
What puzzled him even more was that, besides himself, many others should have seen this "worker" earlier, yet no one seemed to notice or react now.
"Thank you all for your support in making it to this most spectacular final!"
Wan Yunhai's voice rang out smoothly. "Now, let us welcome our two fairies to the stage!"
At his cue, two figures gracefully stepped onto the platform, igniting another wave of frenzied cheers from the crowd.
<+>
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