"Cough cough~ I apologize for any inconvenience."
"Yanran expended too much energy during the recent exchange. Tianming, please take her away first."
Yun Yun's eyes flickered, swiftly suppressing the embarrassment on her face. She found a seemingly reasonable excuse, instructing Yun Tianming and Nalan Yanran to leave first.
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Yun Tianming swiftly lifted the still confused Nalan Yanran, disappearing from the sight of the crowd.
"The sect meeting concludes here today. I kindly ask all guests to grace us with their presence and join the evening banquet."
"Elder Yun Leng, please represent Misty Cloud Sect and entertain the guests properly!"
Yun Yun's latter sentence noticeably intensified in tone, carrying a sense of reproach both implicitly and explicitly.
Yun Leng's expression stiffened slightly. As the Grand Elder, nearly half of the bribes from the Mo Family ended up in his pocket. The actions of the other elders were largely influenced by Yun Leng's will. In everyday matters, Yun Leng, relying on his deep qualifications in Misty Cloud Sect, exercised almost all the powers equivalent to the sect master. In a sense, Yun Yun, the legitimate sect master, had been marginalized.
In the era to which Yun Tianming once belonged, Yun Yun's position as the sect master would have been taken down by Yun Leng long ago. However, Dou Qi Continent operated by a different set of rules.
Even if she were marginalized below, Yun Yun could effortlessly reclaim her authority with just a word. The reason was simple: she was the sole Dou Emperor powerhouse openly recognized in Misty Cloud Sect! In the face of absolute strength, the so-called intrigues and games of power were meaningless.
"Understood, following the Sect Master's orders."
Although reluctant, Yun Leng had no choice but to submit at this moment.
Yun Yun, not fond of festivities, did not stay for the banquet with the guests. With the graceful display of her azure Dou Qi wings behind her, she left freely.
"Is this the style of a powerhouse?"
Ya Fei looked at Yun Yun, who soared away, with envy on her face. Yun Yun didn't need to attend social events; she could go wherever she pleased, free to soar in the sky.
The Misty Cloud Sect's Sect Master's Residence, located at the highest point of Misty Cloud Mountain, was a towering solitary peak that reached straight into the sky.
With Yun Tianming and Nalan Yanran's strength, it was certain they couldn't ascend on their own, so Yun Yun had to use her Dou Qi wings to carry them.
At the peak, above cloud sea, stood a grand and majestic mansion. Upon landing, Yun Tianming immediately felt the air carrying a richer aura of heavenly energy than outside. Yun Tianming thought that being able to cultivate here would at least double his progress!
As the group entered the Sect Master's Residence, the interior was unexpectedly simple in decoration—desks, cabinets, incense burners, and exquisite swords hanging on the walls.
Yun Tianming curiously examined everything around, as the arrangement of a room often revealed the owner's temperament. After initial observation, he could tell that Yun Yun's daily life was quite monotonous. Essentially, aside from practicing, she seemed to spend most of her time reading, with no apparent other interests.
"Disciple's dullness has brought shame to the teacher, please punish Yanran!"
After Yun Tianming patiently explained along the way, Nalan Yanran finally realized the absurd misunderstanding she had caused!
According to the traditions of the Dou Qi Continent, great importance is placed on respecting teachers and following the righteous path. The solemn ceremony of paying respects to the teacher was almost turned into a ritual for the deceased by Nalan Yanran. Moreover, this happened in front of everyone, and it was not a simple mistake that could be easily overlooked. Even if Yun Yun had a broad mind and was not too concerned, Misty Cloud Sect would lose its reputation. Afterwards, there might be some ominous consequences with the Nalan Family!
Nalan Yanran suddenly felt more and more terrified. She immediately knelt down with a thud, offering a sincere and fearful apology.
"I'll let it go this time, but it should not set a precedent."
"Fortunately, the incident did not cause too much impact. Yanran, you should sincerely thank Tianming."
Yun Yun sighed.
When it came to the reputation of the sect, matters could be significant or trivial. Yun Yun would certainly not be petty and blame a child, but other members of Misty Cloud Sect might not be as lenient. The elders of Misty Cloud Sect, led by Yun Leng, have always advocated for an aggressive expansion plan for the sect. In case they used this incident as an excuse to trouble the Nalan Family, the situation could become uncontrollable.
"Thank you, Senior Tianming."
Nalan Yanran quickly expressed her gratitude to Yun Tianming. Just the thought of him holding her tightly made her teenage heart beat faster, and a faint blush appeared on her delicate face.
"Oh, it's just a small effort, no need to thank me."
Yun Tianming didn't even look at the shy girl. His attention was entirely focused on the mature and beautiful senior in front of him.
Perhaps Yun Tianming's gaze was a bit intense, and Yun Yun couldn't help but raise an eyebrow inquisitively, "Tianming? Do you have something on your mind?"
"Um, nothing. Actually, there is something."
Yun Tianming snapped out of his thoughts, reining in his heated gaze. Then, he earnestly asked, "May I inquire, Sect Master, where is the spiritual ground?"
"So, that's it. It's my fault for not explaining clearly."
"Yanran, Tianming, both of you, come with me."
Yun Yun led the two of them, familiarizing them with the surroundings inside the Sect Master's Residence. Finally, they arrived at a separate courtyard.
"This will be your residence from now on. You can choose your rooms freely."
The courtyard had multiple rooms, fully equipped with living facilities. They could move in without bringing anything; it was that convenient.
"Yanran junior sister, you go ahead and choose."
Although Yun Tianming had officially become a disciple of Misty Cloud Sect and was nominally the senior of Nalan Yanran, there was still a significant gap in their status. Nalan Yanran was Yun Yun's direct disciple and the future successor of Misty Cloud Sect.
"Alright."
"Then I'll choose this room."
Nalan Yanran didn't think too much about it; she felt it was a courteous gesture from Yun Tianming. She picked a room facing the east with a pear tree in front of the door because she liked flowers.
Seems quite similar to me.
A hint of nostalgia flashed in Yun Yun's eyes. The room Nalan Yanran chose was the one she had lived in when she apprenticed under Yun Shan, and the pear tree in front of the door was the one she had planted herself in her youth. Time had flown, and the small sapling she planted had grown into a lush tree. Nalan Yanran choosing her room might just be the destined connection between master and disciple.
"So, Tianming, what about you?"
Yun Yun's eyes flickered slightly, harboring a hint of a testing thought. In Yun Yun's view, as the eldest daughter of the Nalan Family and the future successor of Misty Cloud Sect, coupled with her outstanding facial features, any man with ambitions wouldn't overlook a woman with such a background. If Yun Tianming had ulterior motives, he would surely choose a room right next to Nalan Yanran's, aiming to be close to her!
"I'll take this one."
Yun Tianming carefully surveyed the surrounding rooms, ultimately choosing a relatively secluded room facing the southwest. From the exterior, the house appeared dilapidated and worn, but Yun Tianming paid no mind to it. In his previous life as a struggling laborer, he lived in cramped shared spaces in urban villages, where the living conditions were worse than a prison! Now, having an independent room was already a very decent arrangement.
"Oh? Are you sure?"
Yun Yun was quite surprised because the room Yun Tianming chose happened to be the farthest from Nalan Yanran.
"Yeah, Senior Tianming, this room looks quite old. How about choosing another one?"
Nalan Yanran had a favorable impression of Yun Tianming, and since they were close in age, she thought it would be good for them to be neighbors and look out for each other.
"No, I'm used to being alone."
Yun Tianming insisted on his choice. Whether the room was old or not didn't matter to him. The reason he picked it was because he noticed a large open space behind the room. He planned to apply the farming techniques he learned from the Outer Sect to cultivate medicinal herbs.
"Hmm."
Nalan Yanran pursed her lips, finally sensing that Yun Tianming seemed uninterested in her. This made the girl, accustomed to being adored since childhood, feel quite uncomfortable.
Observing the situation, Yun Yun nodded inwardly. Towards Yun Tianming, she always felt like she couldn't fully understand him. Despite his young age, he seemed unusually mature. If he had any ill intentions towards Nalan Yanran, her naive and sweet disciple might end up completely unaware and taken advantage of!
However, it seems she might have been overly concerned.
****
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