An Lingran was a woman of simple character.
She had been that way since childhood, and she remained so even now.
Therefore, once she confirmed that He Qiu possessed almost no talent for cultivation, she did not intend to be mysterious about it.
It was better to bring the problem into the light and discuss it openly.
“You should know that with your current talent and strength, you simply do not match our Xueyin Lineage.”
“Junior Brother, I hope you will conduct yourself well and recognize your status.”
For the sake of her father’s reputation, An Lingran felt she was being quite subtle by not explicitly mentioning the “engagement” or “herself.”
She believed she was preserving the dignity and face of her young junior brother.
If this junior brother had any self-awareness at all, he should know that he was not qualified to become a Cultivation Partner with the Primordial Saintess.
Even if An Lingran appreciated her junior brother’s refined temperament, one was an immortal and the other a mortal.
The gap in their cultivation was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.
Forcing themselves to be together would only result in a tragedy where the joy of the moment led to a bitter parting.
Thus, An Lingran had to speak harshly today.
She might earn her junior brother’s resentment because of it, but this was the only way to effectively discourage him.
The outcome would be better for both of them.
‘Yes, hate me. Loathe me just like this…’
Watching her junior brother’s handsome brows knit together, An Lingran nodded slightly, expecting him to despise her for her words.
What she did not expect, however, was his response.
“Yes, Senior Sister is absolutely right.”
He Qiu lowered his head with a hint of guilt, his fingers tightening into a fist.
He did not show a single trace of resentment toward his sharp-tongued senior sister.
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
‘Indeed, the rumors about me being a “privileged connection” these past few days have already affected the reputation of the Saintess’s Xueyin Lineage.’
‘However, even so, Senior Sister Lingran still disregarded the gossip of outsiders to personally come and speak with me face-to-face. Doesn’t this also prove that Senior Sister Lingran hasn’t completely given up on me?’
‘If she truly hated me, she wouldn’t have taken the initiative to come talk to me. She should have avoided the suspicion and ignored me, her junior brother.’
Therefore, He Qiu believed that although his senior sister appeared cold and detached, as if she did not belong to the mortal world, her heart was not as indifferent as the rumors suggested.
It was simply that her way of expressing kindness was different; she used mockery and sarcasm to spur him on.
As for “conducting yourself well” and “recognizing your status,” she was likely urging him to cultivate seriously so he would not truly tarnish the reputation of the Xueyin Lineage…
“Junior Brother will definitely devote himself to cultivation in the future. I will strive not to embarrass Senior Sister or Master, and I will prove myself worthy of the Xueyin Lineage!”
In order to not let his senior sister’s good intentions go to waste, He Qiu cupped his fists and made a serious promise.
His expression and tone were exactly like those of a spirited youth vowing to get into a top university.
An Lingran’s beautiful eyes widened slightly, her heart stirred by her junior brother’s determination.
‘He… isn’t discouraged?’
‘Instead, he made such a firm promise to cultivate diligently in the future.’
‘Does this junior brother value that engagement so much? Does he want to marry me that badly?’
‘He is still young and reckless, which is why he is so blindly optimistic about the future…’
It seemed her verbal prodding was not enough; she needed to deliver a more practical blow.
With this thought, An Lingran changed her approach.
She reached into her sleeve, pulled out an ancient cultivation manual, and gently pushed it across the table toward He Qiu.
He Qiu blinked and carefully picked up the manual to examine it.
A moment later, the youth’s dark pupils dilated, and his hands even began to tremble as he struggled to hold it steady.
This — !
Although he could not understand a single character written in the ancient book, He Qiu’s keen “sixth sense” told him that this item was incredibly old and of extremely high quality!
It was very likely a priceless treasure!
‘Could this be the legendary “starting with a god-tier technique and V10 status”?’
‘No way… could it?’
On their first meeting, his senior sister was giving him such a valuable gift?
This was a bit too kind.
Did she have other motives, or did she truly just want to help him progress as his senior sister?
Lightly stroking the cover of the ancient book, He Qiu suppressed the various thoughts in his mind and swallowed hard.
“Senior Sister, this is…”
“This is a common introductory technique. Consider it a required course for disciples joining the Xueyin Lineage.”
“You said… common?”
He Qiu was stunned.
This thing was considered common?
Could it be that the Xueyin Lineage’s foundation was so deep that this kind of technique was not even worth mentioning?
“Yes, very common.”
On the other side, An Lingran began to lie through her teeth without a hint of shame.
“This technique is a required course for every generation of Xueyin disciples. Usually, one month is enough to learn it. It is very introductory, very basic…”
“Junior Brother He Qiu, Master saw that your talent is not particularly outstanding, but your attitude is upright and motivated. Therefore, he specifically instructed me to give you a relaxed time limit of three months to comprehend it.”
Under He Qiu’s suspicious gaze, An Lingran’s fair, jade-like hands began to sweat nervously.
She had never been good at lying.
But this time — for the sake of her future, to discourage her blindly optimistic junior brother, and to ensure that neither of them would lead a tragic life — she made an exception and lied.
This technique was called the *Fine Snow Sword Manual*.
It was a rare technique prized by the Xueyin Elder and was by no means an introductory manual that a newcomer could master in one month.
Even she, the Primordial Saintess with her Dual Spirit Veins, had spent a full seven years of study before she finally attained enlightenment!
It could be said that this *Fine Snow Sword Manual* had accompanied An Lingran throughout her entire childhood.
When she was seven years old, her master, An Daosheng, had ordered her to study it.
No matter how hard she worked, she could never fully grasp the manual.
It had evolved into a lingering childhood nightmare for her.
‘It’s so annoying! I can’t learn it at all!’
Thus, by bringing out the secret *Fine Snow Sword Manual* today, An Lingran had truly set her mind on her goal.
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