Volume 1 Chapter 26: The Fickle Heart of the Protagonist
Tn: Edited at 5 / 16 / 2025
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Originally, Wang Shaoren had planned to let Feng Yudie stay in his cave residence for the seven days of the disciple selection event.
After all, the sect master had personally asked him to look after the girl.
And frankly, the shared dormitories were… not fit for even a dog.
Fifty people squeezed into a single room—if just one or two of them snored or had foot odor, the place would instantly become an unbearable swamp of stink and noise.
But now that even Master Qi had instructed him to find a "better place" for the two girls, Wang Shaoren figured he might as well go all the way.
So, he led them to one of the inner sect residences.
These were located halfway up Sky Cloud Peak, within a patch of rich spiritual land under the Profound Star Sect's domain.
The area had just been developed, with ten brand-new Sanheyuan (three-sided courtyard homes). Mature spiritual plants dotted the surroundings, the scenery was gorgeous, and the air thick with spiritual energy. Though unfinished—craftsmen could still be seen hammering away here and there—this was clearly high-tier living space.
These homes were originally meant for the top ten finishers of the disciple selection events.
Most outer disciples would instead be housed on other peaks, four to six people sharing a room.
Each Sanheyuan was outfitted with a high-quality alchemy furnace and a spiritual field capable of growing precious herbs. Even the soil had been brought in from a land of spiritual resonance, enough to support most of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's daily needs.
Once they arrived, Wang Shaoren descended with the two girls and turned to Feng Yudie.
"Feng Yudie, you can choose whichever of the ten homes you like. You'll stay here until you reach the late Foundation Establishment. After that, the sect will assign you land to establish your own cave dwelling."
"An entire house…"
Feng Yudie blinked in surprise, then glanced at the girl beside her—Pei Lengxue.
She bit her lip and smiled faintly.
—That means… we'll be sharing a house for quite a while, huh?
Waking up together. Eating meals together. Cultivating side by side…
When Junior Sister Pei tired of sword training, she could offer massages for her sore shoulders.
And when Junior Sister Pei wanted to bathe, well… she could help scrub her back—
"Ehehe… heh heh…"
Pei Lengxue gave her a look.
The kind you give a crazy person.
She turned to ask, "Elder Wang, since I'm just accompanying Feng Yudie as an attendant, am I really allowed to stay here too?"
"Only if Feng Yudie is willing. There are quarters on Lunar Spring Peak designated for attendants like yourself—"
"I'm willing!" Feng Yudie cut in immediately. "Lengxue, you'll stay with me, right? We can sleep together, cultivate together, eat delicious food together—it'll be great!"
"… …"
Pei Lengxue took one step away from her.
Over the past half-month, this girl had done everything in her power to please her. She even barked like a dog when they first climbed the mountain.
Pei Lengxue felt sure of one thing:
—This girl is doing all of this just to get close to my senior brother.
After all, her senior brother clearly adored his little junior sister. And if Feng Yudie wanted to marry into their sect family, she'd naturally need to win the junior sister over.
At that moment…
"Elder Wang?"
A voice called out from one of the nearby courtyard homes.
A girl, practicing swordsmanship in front of her Sanheyuan, paused her drills and walked over upon seeing them.
She was about the same age as Pei Lengxue and Feng Yudie—pink hair, golden eyes, four long ponytails, two in front, two in back. Her attire looked tailored and expensive.
She glanced over the two newcomers and frowned slightly.
"Elder Wang, why have you brought them here?"
"Ah…" Wang Shaoren scratched the back of his head, clearly awkward. He had bent the rules for the girls, after all.
"They're here under Master Qi's orders. He asked me to find them a better place to stay."
"Master Qi said so?"
The girl frowned deeper. Her tone turned serious.
"But that goes against sect policy. Only disciples who rank in the top ten of the disciple selection events are allowed to stay here."
"This… the two of them are bound to make it into the top ten," Wang Shaoren hesitated, then explained. "I just thought I'd let them settle in early. You know what those shared dorms are like."
The girl, however, remained unconvinced. Her brows furrowed further as she retorted, "The sword trial and body trial haven't even started yet. How can you be so sure they'll pass the disciple selection event?"
She was about the same age as Feng Yudie, but her presence was fierce and commanding. Her words left Wang Shaoren momentarily speechless.
"This…"
"Elder Wang, are they from some powerful family? Did they offer you bribes or something?" she pressed, narrowing her golden eyes. "You do know the sect's disciple selection event is held only once every five years, and rules are rules. If the Grand Elders catch wind of bribery, the punishment will be severe…"
Wang Shaoren let out a long sigh. He glanced back at the two girls behind him, then leaned forward and whispered, "Young Mistress, it's not just Master Qi—Sect Master herself also instructed me to take care of these two."
"Mother told you to look after them…?" the girl froze for a moment. She gave Feng Yudie and Pei Lengxue another long look, confusion deepening in her expression. "Why?"
"That… You'll have to ask the Sect Master yourself."
"… …"
The girl bit her lip, clearly dissatisfied. Still, she didn't argue further. She gave Feng Yudie and Pei Lengxue a fierce glare, then turned and stormed back into one of the courtyard homes.
Once she was out of sight, Feng Yudie leaned closer and asked curiously, "Elder Wang, who is she? She's really pretty."
"Pretty…" Wang Shaoren blinked, then answered, "Her name is Xiao Yunluo—the Young Mistress of the Profound Star Sect. You'll be fellow disciples from now on, so just call her Senior Sister Xiao."
Feng Yudie pursed her lips and nodded, but she couldn't help glancing toward Xiao Yunluo's Sanheyuan.
Then, as if catching herself, she quickly looked away and skipped back to Pei Lengxue's side with a grin, blinking her eyes playfully.
"Junior Sister Pei~ she's not as pretty as you~"
Pei Lengxue stared blankly. "I don't even care. Why are you bringing that up?"
"Oh, you don't care? That's great! Phew—" Feng Yudie let out a sigh of relief, then broke into another round of giggles. "Hehehe~ heh heh~"
By now, Wang Shaoren had gathered his thoughts and resumed leading the two girls further in, explaining as they went, "Each Sanheyuan comes equipped with a high-grade alchemy furnace. You'll also find spiritual fields for growing herbs. Normally—"
… …
After settling Feng Yudie and Pei Lengxue into their new home, Wang Shaoren returned to the academy. He sat in meditation for a while within a Spirit Gathering Formation, resting his mind.
As dusk fell and the written test of the disciple selection event concluded, he was summoned by Qi Baishi to help with grading.
Well—"help" was putting it kindly.
In truth, nearly ten thousand answer sheets were left for him to score alone.
Qi Baishi would only glance at a select few that caught his interest.
For Feng Yudie's exam, he gave her a 95—deducting five points solely because her handwriting was messy.
But for Pei Lengxue…
He gave a perfect score.
Even though Wang Shaoren had expected both girls to score highly, a full score was completely unexpected.
In all the past disciple selection events for the Profound Star Sect, not a single person had ever received a perfect mark on the written test.
After all, essay-style questions on cultivation philosophy had no clear right answers—not like arithmetic or astrology. A score often depended on the grader's mood.
Wang Shaoren hesitated for a long time, then couldn't help but speak up:
"Master Qi, isn't giving a perfect score a bit… much? I mean, the answer was flawless, yes, but maybe dock a point or two, just to keep things fair?"
Qi Baishi set his book down and shot him a side glance.
"Hmph. I graded it. If anyone has a problem with the score, they can come and complain to me in person."