"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
From an elegantly decorated private room in the attic, a crisp and resolute refusal rang out.
The girl slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet, her face filled with indignation. She turned to leave, declaring, "Even if I, Ji Zidian, were to die—to jump from the top of Dragon Head Peak, I would never, ever team up with a disciple of the Divination Sect!"
Watching the girl, her fists clenched as arcs of purple lightning crackled and popped around her, Xiao Qingyu sighed helplessly. "Sister Ji, please, calm down! Don't be so agitated!"
"How can I not be agitated?" the purple-haired girl said angrily. "My father told me that countless ancestors of our Thunder Sect died on Demon Sea Island! That includes his own master, his grandmaster, and countless of his dearest friends and relatives. While that blood debt can't be blamed entirely on the Divination Sect, they bear at least half the responsibility."
"Our Thunder Sect and the Divination Sect will have nothing to do with each other, for all time. The fact that we don't take our anger out on their disciples, or propose that their sect be disbanded, is the absolute limit of our tolerance. As a True Disciple of the Thunder Sect, how could I possibly go on a trial with Wang Xiu?"
With that, she glared at Xiao Qingyu. "Sister Qingyu, your Sect Leader's lineage at Dragon Head Peak was also cheated badly by the Divination Sect! The old Sect Leader sacrificed himself on Demon Sea Island. As the Sect Leader's most valued disciple, how can you get entangled with Wang Xiu of the Divination Sect! Aren't you afraid of making the Sect Leader angry?"
Xiao Qingyu couldn't help but smile wryly. "I know you're very agitated, but... but please, just calm down for a moment."
"Sister," she continued, "before I met Brother Wang Xiu, I didn't have a good impression of the Divination Sect either. But the Divination Sect is one thing, and Brother Wang Xiu is another; you can't lump them together. This all happened eight hundred years ago, before he was even born. It isn't right to hold that old grudge against him."
After much persuading, Xiao Qingyu soothed Ji Zidian and got her to sit down again. "Sister Ji," she said with a smile, "you're only pushing Brother Wang Xiu away because you don't know how wonderful he is. Once you get to know him... I guarantee you'll like him."
Ji Zidian: ???
Heh! How ridiculous! Those mystics from the Divination Sect are nothing but charlatans. The moment they see you, they say something like, 'Your brow is dark; a great misfortune is upon you.' Only a ghost would like that kind of person!
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
"Come in."
As the door to the private room swung open, the sneer on Ji Zidian's lips slowly froze.
At that moment, the early morning sun shone upon the white-clad figure, bathing him in a soft halo. Exquisite features, a perfect face, and an indescribable air of melancholy and solitude—it all combined into a deep allure that left the girl momentarily mesmerized, her heart skipping a beat.
But she quickly snapped out of it.
Pah! So what if he's handsome? He's still just a charlatan. Who does he think I am? As the little princess of the Thunder Sect, I'm not some star-struck fool who loses her composure at the sight of a handsome man. Thinking of tricking me with your looks? Not a chance! No matter what you say, I won't believe a word of it!
On the other hand, Ji Zidian's beauty also exceeded Wang Xiu's expectations.
The girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with skin as fair as jade, a high-bridged nose, and a teardrop mole next to her purple eyes. Her delicate features carried a certain boldness. She projected an air of valiant grace and cool arrogance, yet it wasn't off-putting. In fact, it only added to her unique charisma. Her waist was slender enough to be encircled by a single hand, yet her figure was surprisingly curvaceous for her age.
She wore the attire of a female True Disciple of the Thunder Sect: a white robe adorned with intricate purple patterns, giving her a mysterious and noble look. Her hair wasn't the usual black but a vibrant purple, with straight bangs that fell just to her eyebrows, accentuating her already exquisite features and making her face seem even fairer and more beautiful. The rest of her hair cascaded down to her waist, swaying like willow branches in a gentle breeze and inspiring a strange sense of longing.
"You must be Senior Sister Ji Zidian," Wang Xiu said with a gentle smile that seemed to make the sunlight itself more colorful. "I see that your forehead is full and auspicious, your brow glows with light, and your beauty could make fish sink and birds fall, eclipse the moon and shame the flowers. A celestial aura bursts forth from the crown of your head! One look is all it takes to see you are a person of great destiny, blessed by heaven with endless fortune. Your fate is noble beyond words, truly noble beyond words!"
Ji Zidian: ???
After a long silence, she pursed her lips. "For a charlatan from the Divination Sect, your face-reading is surprisingly accurate."
"Indeed!" Xiao Qingyu shot Wang Xiu a playfully reproachful glance, a half-smile on her face. "Brother Wang Xiu, your readings are so very accurate."
Those lines... He didn't even bother to change a single word. He used them on me, and now he's using them on Ji Zidian. I guess he really doesn't consider me a stranger at all! What a little rascal.
"But don't think you can win me over with a sweet tongue," Ji Zidian said, lifting her chin and crossing her arms. "For hundreds of years, the disciples of the Thunder Sect and the Divination Sect have kept to their own. No matter what honeyed words you use, I will not be swayed."
Wang Xiu sighed. "Actually, I invited you to team up not to curry favor, but because I have a difficult problem."
Hmph! Ji Zidian frowned and turned her head away. "What problem?"
Junior Sister Ling'er, I'm so sorry!
"Senior Sister Ji," Wang Xiu began, "do you think my Spirit Turtle Peak and the Divination Sect are a trap?"
Ji Zidian replied, "Yes."
Wang Xiu continued, "Then what if someone shamelessly begged to jump right in?"
"Ah?"
"And what if that person was a genius with a Superior Spiritual Root?"
"Who?"
"My new Junior Sister, Jiang Ling'er. She has a Superior Water Spiritual Root, and she's dead set on joining the Divination Sect."
"Oh?"
"Up on Seeking Dao Peak, the senior brothers and sisters from all the branches pleaded with her for two whole days, but she wouldn't budge an inch!"
"Whoa!"
"So I thought I might find another chance to persuade her."
"And how would you do that?"
"I was thinking that if we traveled together, I could ask you, Senior Sister, to... to brag... I mean, to discuss at length how powerful the Thunder Sect is and how formidable its legacy is. Then, you could unleash your supreme Thunder Technique to annihilate some demons and really show off in front of Junior Sister Jiang Ling'er. Perhaps then she might see the error of her ways and turn back from the brink."
This...
Looking at Wang Xiu's sincere expression, Ji Zidian was suddenly in a difficult position. In principle, as a disciple of the Thunder Sect, she should have absolutely nothing to do with the Divination Sect. But Wang Xiu was indeed very...
Pah! But this man's goal is to save that girl, Jiang Ling'er, from a life of misery. He's actually trying to do a good deed. After all, while a Superior Water Spiritual Root is nothing compared to my own, it's still an exceptional talent. In the Thunder Sect, it would guarantee her a spot in the Inner Gate. If her comprehension is high enough, she could even compete to become a True Disciple. If I could recruit such a talent for the Thunder Sect, it would be a significant boost to our younger generation's strength.
Sigh...
A conflicted look appeared on Ji Zidian's beautiful face. The Divination Sect had certainly presented her with a dilemma.
"Senior Sister Ji," Wang Xiu said, his face a mask of earnestness and innocence, "do you think we could... could we possibly go with you?"
Ji Zidian's fists clenched and unclenched. She clenched them again, then sighed in resignation. "Oh, go on then!"
PFFT.
On the other side of the room, Xiao Qingyu, who had been sitting quietly with a cup of tea, couldn't suppress a playful smile.
Just as I thought. With a face like that and a silver tongue to match, even I can't help but be charmed by him. Using them to fool Junior Sister Ji is a total mismatch. This one's in the bag.