"Second Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother!"
Lü Shaoqing glanced lazily at Xiao Yi. "What now? Don't you need to be cultivating?"
"Do you want Senior Brother to scold you later?"
"Heh," Xiao Yi chuckled playfully. "Second Senior Brother, I just have something important to tell you."
Ever since their meal together that night, Xiao Yi and Lü Shaoqing had grown much closer. Over the past few days, Xiao Yi had begun to understand her second senior brother better. She no longer felt afraid of him; in fact, she found it very comfortable and relaxed to be around him.
Lü Shaoqing sighed, "If you've got something important, go find Master. Don't bother me."
"Master's in seclusion cultivating; I don't dare disturb him."
"Well, I'm trying to sleep here, so don't bother me either."
Xiao Yi pouted. "Second Senior Brother, don't pull that with me."
"It's about Senior Brother. He's been sitting in that sword cave for days now. Is he okay?"
Lü Shaoqing shrugged. "Relax, he won't die. You'll get used to it. That's just how your senior brother is—he won't stop until he's perfected what he's working on."
Xiao Yi stuck out her tongue. "He's really that persistent?"
"Exactly. So, if I were you, I'd hurry up and cultivate. Especially focus on understanding sword intent—otherwise, you'll be crying when Senior Brother starts pushing you."
Xiao Yi's face paled. "You mean... Senior Brother still wants me to go into the sword cave?"
The memory of that terrifying sword intent from before made her shiver.
"Well, you could avoid going in."
Her eyes lit up. "Really? How?"
Lü Shaoqing smirked. "Why should I tell you?"
Xiao Yi leaned over and shook his hammock. "Second Senior Brother, please tell me! I'll even treat you to another meal."
"You still owe me one meal, though."
"Then I'll owe you two! How's that?"
Xiao Yi had spent enough time with Lü Shaoqing to know his weaknesses. She knew her second senior brother well enough now to realize that offering food was the best way to persuade him.
Lü Shaoqing grinned. "Alright, you said it."
Xiao Yi nodded eagerly. "Of course! Now tell me, what's the solution?"
"It's simple—understand sword intent, and you won't need to go into the sword cave."
Xiao Yi's face went blank. Sword intent wasn't something one could just comprehend on a whim. If it were that easy, she wouldn't be afraid of entering the cave in the first place.
"Second Senior Brother, you're joking, right? You can't just decide to understand sword intent."
Lü Shaoqing chuckled. "I'm not like you."
Xiao Yi protested, "This doesn't count! You're tricking me!"
"Hey, you promised, so now you owe me two meals."
"I don't agree!"
"Fine, if you refuse, I'll go ask your uncle or your father for it. Believe me, I will."
Xiao Yi was stunned. She knew Lü Shaoqing well enough to understand that he would absolutely follow through on his threat. She glared at him, pouting. "Second Senior Brother, you're so shameless!"
Lü Shaoqing wasn't the least bit offended. "There are plenty of people who think that about me."
"I'm not talking to you anymore."
"Great, then don't disturb my nap."
Xiao Yi was fuming. Dealing with this second senior brother of hers was like trying to catch smoke—no matter what she did, she always ended up frustrated. Instead, he had her wrapped around his little finger.
On a tree branch above, Little Red the bird chirped joyfully, clearly enjoying the spectacle. It flew down to perch on Xiao Yi's shoulder, chirping playfully as if mocking her.
Xiao Yi rubbed the bird's head, still pouting. "Even you're making fun of me?"
Little Red quickly fluttered back to the safety of the branches, evading her hand.
Seeing that Lü Shaoqing had indeed closed his eyes again, Xiao Yi continued to shake his hammock, grumbling, "Second Senior Brother, why don't you go help Senior Brother? He's been sitting there for days, and I'm worried something might go wrong."
"What could go wrong?" Lü Shaoqing replied without opening his eyes. "There's nothing to worry about."
He rolled over, turning his back to Xiao Yi. "And could you shake the hammock a little gentler? That's just the right speed."
Xiao Yi felt her frustration rise. She really couldn't communicate with her second senior brother; it was like they were speaking two different languages.
She was about to storm off when their master, Shao Cheng, arrived. Seeing Lü Shaoqing lounging about, Shao Cheng swung his sword, severing the ropes holding the hammock to the tree.
But Lü Shaoqing landed smoothly on his feet and looked at his master with a grin. "Master, have you found a new favorite and decided to discard me?"
"I'm still your second disciple, you know. Are you going to kill me just because you've got a new disciple?"
Shao Cheng scowled. "Stop talking nonsense! Your senior brother has been meditating in the sword cave for five days. Aren't you going to help him?"
"Help? How?" Lü Shaoqing shrugged. "You know Senior Brother's temperament—he doesn't like anyone interfering. Even if I go, he won't let me do anything."
"Besides, with him busy, shouldn't you be happy that he's not around to boss you around?"
"Or do you enjoy being scolded by him?" Lü Shaoqing teased.
Xiao Yi facepalmed. The disciples of Tianyu Peak were truly strange. The eldest disciple acted like the master, while the second disciple didn't hold back his casual disrespect for their master.
Under normal circumstances, a disciple like Lü Shaoqing, speaking so rudely, would have been expelled from the sect. But here on Tianyu Peak, it seemed to be a common occurrence.
Shao Cheng huffed. "Cultivation is like rowing against the current—if you don't advance, you fall behind. Your senior brother's strictness benefits everyone."
Xiao Yi's eyes sparkled with admiration. "No wonder Master is so wise—he's right!"
She felt her respect for her master deepen. This was exactly how it should be—a mentor guiding and pushing his disciples to improve, unlike her lazy second senior brother who spent all day sleeping.
Lü Shaoqing squinted suspiciously at Shao Cheng, circling around him with a scrutinizing gaze.
"What are you doing?" Shao Cheng asked, feeling uneasy under his disciple's watchful eyes.
Lü Shaoqing smirked. "Master, did someone take over your body?"
"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Shao Cheng snapped. "I've always been this serious. Are you just now noticing?"
"How else do you think I've managed to control a troublemaker like you?"
Lü Shaoqing glanced at Xiao Yi, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Ah, I get it now!"
"Haha, so that's it. With a new junior sister around, you're afraid she might become as 'brilliant' as us. You're scared, aren't you?"
"You're worried that once Junior Sister's strength catches up, you won't be able to handle her anymore."
"So, you're desperate to become stronger yourself, and you want Senior Brother back to help supervise you. Hahaha!"
Xiao Yi was stunned. Could that really be the reason?
Shao Cheng's face flushed red. "Nonsense! I'm worried about your senior brother, that's all."
Lü Shaoqing nodded exaggeratedly. "Oh, I understand. Totally get it, Master. No need to explain further."
He winked at Xiao Yi, and she finally couldn't hold back her laughter. Watching her master get so flustered was a rare sight.
Shao Cheng glared at Lü Shaoqing, his face still red with embarrassment. "You're impossible! Just go see what your senior brother is doing, and make sure everything is fine."
Lü Shaoqing shrugged, still grinning. "Fine, fine, but only because you asked so nicely."
He looked over his shoulder and muttered, "Lazy old man pretending to be all diligent now…"
Xiao Yi couldn't help but laugh. Though her second senior brother was often infuriatingly lazy and shameless, there was a sense of warmth and familiarity in their interactions.