Chapter 59: Senior Sister? Why Are You Also…

After the madam led the others out, the private room finally quieted down.

“Young master…”

Luo Xing turned at the sound. Er Ya stood there, clutching the hem of her skirt, shy and timid as she looked at him. “That… I…”

Compared to their first meeting, she no longer looked so ragged.

Her old cloth dress had been replaced with a little goose-yellow skirt. Her once tangled, dry hair was now neatly combed, tied into two childlike buns with ribbons of the same color. With her round, soft pink cheeks, she seemed even more pitifully sweet.

Just like before, Luo Xing caught a faint, clean fragrance from her. But this time, the [Scent Detection] skill didn’t react…

Seems it only works the first time. Still can’t exploit the bug.

“It’s fine. Come sit.” Seeing her nervousness, Luo Xing smiled and patted the stool beside him. “Don’t be too tense. Just like last time.”

Er Ya bit her lower lip and nodded, flustered. “Mm…”

She actually had so much to say—she wanted to ask if she looked pretty now, if he came specially to see her today, and…

She wanted to tell him she had a name now. She was no longer called Er Ya. She was now Chu Ying…

She had so many things to say, so many questions to ask. But when she saw Luo Xing, all those words got stuck in her throat. In the end, only a soft “Mm” escaped, so quiet she couldn’t even hear it herself…

It didn’t matter. As long as he came, as long as she could see him, that was the happiest thing for her.

As for the name…

Er Ya was fine too. If he liked calling her that, then she was Er Ya.

Just like last time, after Er Ya sat down, Luo Xing told her to eat and drink as she pleased.

In his eyes, this girl was like an adorable little animal, and the first instinct people have toward cute animals is to feed them.

Watching something cute puff out its cheeks with food was truly a delightful sight.

While Er Ya ate, Luo Xing casually asked about her situation over the past couple of days.

Perhaps because of the low-grade Spirit Stone he gave her last time, the madam had been taking good care of her. She not only arranged a private room for her and provided good food and clothes, but even assigned a personal maid to attend to her. It was almost like she was a young lady.

Er Ya told Luo Xing that she had never experienced such days before—it felt like a dream.

Hearing this, Luo Xing was sincerely happy for her, but at the same time, he couldn’t help hoping she really did have talent.

Because then, she might be able to leave this place. Maybe he could even bring her into the Xuantian Sect, even if only as an outer disciple…

It wasn’t that he was overflowing with saintly compassion. It was just that a small kindness at the bottom of his heart compelled him to think this way.

He might not be able to change this world, nor save all the pitiful people in it. But at least he wouldn’t let the world change him. He would help where he could.

“Young master? Young master?”

“Huh… hmm?”

Luo Xing snapped back to reality and smiled. “What is it?”

“Nothing…” Er Ya considerately poured him a cup of tea. “Young master… do you have something on your mind?”

She had seen that look on his face before. The older sisters at Zhenyue Tower would stand by the windows late at night or sit on their beds lost in thought with that very expression…

“It’s nothing…” Luo Xing shook his head. He subconsciously reached out to pat Er Ya’s head, but then stopped himself, as if remembering something, and lowered his hand. “I just… never mind…”

The way Luo Xing pulled his hand away made Er Ya feel a little dejected. She secretly picked up a lock of her hair by her temple, smelled it, and sniffed again…

It wasn’t greasy…

It didn’t stink either…

She had washed it so many times with soap, didn’t she?

…

Luo Xing didn’t stay long. After chatting with Er Ya for a bit, he handed her a few protective talismans and prepared to leave.

Those talismans were given to him by his elder sister, Luo Han. They were basic protective charms with no restrictions—just toss them out and they would work.

“Young master?” Although she was happy and excited to receive something from him, Er Ya couldn’t help asking out of curiosity, “Why… why are you giving me these?”

“Think of it as a small gift.” Luo Xing smiled. “Keep these on you. If you ever run into any bad people, just toss them out.”

Luo Xing didn’t dare tell her the real reason. If he straight-up told this little girl that someone might come to capture her, it would probably scare her half to death.

Of course, he wasn’t certain that Er Ya had a Spirit Root. If he were, he would have taken her back to the Cheng Mansion to protect her immediately.

He had to wait until Hong An returned to confirm. Otherwise, bringing a little girl from a place like this… the others might not say anything, but he wasn’t sure about his sister Luo Han. She might misunderstand…

Tch…

Maybe he could ask Zhao Chengyun to arrange something, get her a special…

No, the royal family’s suspicions hadn’t been cleared yet. That might be like throwing a lamb into the tiger’s mouth.

Right as Luo Xing was mulling over these matters, someone suddenly bumped into his shoulder.

“Ah! My apologies…”

“It’s fine…”

Luo Xing was about to tell the person who bumped him that it was okay, but when he looked up, his eyes widened.

The person who collided with him was a young man—at least in appearance—wearing a long robe with flowing hair, a jade crown, and a handsome face.

When the other saw Luo Xing, he also looked shocked at first, but quickly composed himself. “Ahem… I apologize, kind sir. I did not intend…”

“Senior Sister…” Luo Xing’s forehead creased with a few black lines. “What are you doing here?”

Seriously?

He thought Hong An was already an exception. Now even Dai Zifu…

Dai Zifu: “…”

Yes, the one who looked like a handsome young gentleman was actually Dai Zifu disguised as a man.

“You saw through my disguise?” Dai Zifu was puzzled. “How did you tell?”

Back in the sect, no one had ever noticed—not even her master.

…

Meanwhile, at the Xuantian Sect, Cloud Mist Peak.

“This is so unfair!”

Chen Anqi sat cross-legged in front of her alchemy furnace, crying in frustration. “Why can’t I go on this training mission? Master, you’re unfair!”

Wah! This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be alone with my little junior sister!

“Shut your mouth.” Pei Qingshuang looked up at her with distaste. “You can’t even refine a first-grade pill, and you want to go out on a training mission?”

“Then why can little junior sister go?”

“She’s almost refining second-grade pills! Are you comparing yourself to her?”

“What about Senior Sister then?!”

“Don’t mention her!”

Just thinking about her eldest disciple gave Pei Qingshuang a headache.

The girl was always busy with who knows what. She didn’t practice alchemy, didn’t train hard, and…

And she always walked around in men’s clothing right in front of her. Pei Qingshuang was starting to feel like she didn’t want to acknowledge that disciple anymore.

Pei Qingshuang deeply regretted accepting these two rebellious disciples as her personal students.

Just because they had superior-grade Spirit Roots?

Now look!

She was stuck with both of them!

Keeping them around was vexing, and taking them out was embarrassing…

Such a headache…

…

“Disguise technique?” Luo Xing twitched at the corner of his eye as he looked at Dai Zifu. “Senior Sister, this disguise of yours… who did you learn it from?”

You changed into men’s clothes and put on a hair crown, and that’s a disguise?

You didn’t even bind your chest!

I’d have to be blind not to notice!

“I figured it out myself.” Dai Zifu looked down at her own outfit, her calm face full of confusion. “Strange. Why can’t anyone else see through it, but you can?”

When she came in earlier, the madam and the girls all called her “Young master”…

Luo Xing: “…”

Are you really that clueless? Do you think people in a place like this tell the truth?

Here, as long as you spend money, they’ll call you anything—‘Young master’ or even ‘Grandpa’ without hesitation.

“You… forget it…” Luo Xing decided not to argue. “Anyway, why are you here?”

“I…” Dai Zifu was about to answer, but then she seemed to think of something and swallowed her words. Instead, she turned the question back on him. “Why I’m here… how about you tell me why you’re here first, Junior Brother?”

Luo Xing: “…”

Oh, crap.