Chapter: Chapter 296
Chapter 296: Don’t Call Me Sister
Chen An arrived at the outer sect without stopping.
He wasn’t looking for Mu Sanniang, but went directly to the outer sect’s office. The outer sect also had a nominal “Pill Hall,” similar in function to the inner sect’s, but it was greatly curtailed. There was no so-called alchemy room, nor even its own territory, but was built relying on the office.
When Chen An arrived, he seemed very familiar with the place.
There were also many outer sect disciples around. Some were there to pick up missions assigned by the sect, while others, like Chen An, came for the Pill Hall. Wealth, dharma, companions, and land. Cultivation never lacked the company of resources.
When these outer sect disciples saw Chen An, they would often cast a yearning glance, then quickly look away. Almost no one dared to approach him. The uniform robe symbolizing the inner sect that the boy wore prevented them from making any rash moves. However, some people were muttering to themselves: Why would a distinguished inner sect disciple like him come to the outer sect’s emasculated “Pill Hall” for no reason? There was nothing good here except the cheapest Qi-Gathering Pills.
Ignoring the furtive glances, Chen An walked in and found the deacon in charge. It was a woman. All deacons serving in the outer sect were once inner sect disciples. However, because their cultivation couldn’t keep up, and they had no further aspirations, they would generally be relegated to the outer sect to be deacons, which was quite leisurely. The woman’s surname was Gu. At the moment, she was looking down at the desk, handling matters. Chen An walked up and greeted her with a smile.
“Senior Sister Gu, busy today?”
The woman looked up. Upon seeing Chen An, not only did she not smile, but she frowned. As expected, in the next moment, the boy, without any delay, took out the small bottle of Qi Refining Pills and placed it on the table. He smiled.
“Senior Sister Gu, the usual.”
…
…
Feeling the trace of thin spiritual energy circulating in her body, Mu Sanniang’s mood also became a little joyful, following the gentle breeze. The first thing she noticed was that her body felt different indeed. It usually took about half an hour to get to the office, but now it took her less than ten minutes. She thought that when her younger brother came next time, he would surely be surprised. The corner of the girl’s mouth couldn’t help but curl up. She weaved through the crowd, quickly completed the paperwork, and then headed towards the Pill Hall. After becoming a Qi Refining cultivator, one could immediately receive a Qi-Gathering Pill. Although Mu Sanniang had never lacked Qi-Gathering Pills before, for ordinary outer sect disciples, this was an extremely precious item. She naturally wouldn’t waste this opportunity.
But as soon as she entered the Pill Hall, the girl’s steps involuntarily slowed. Because she saw a back ahead. The figure wasn’t tall, but it was a silhouette Mu Sanniang knew extremely well. It was her younger brother… She was stunned and slowed her steps, quietly moving closer. Her younger brother… What was he doing here? Mu Sanniang was confused. For some reason, she didn’t speak, but silently moved to the other side. The surging crowd effectively concealed her presence. In her ears, she heard her younger brother’s voice.
“Senior Sister Gu, the usual.”
The woman called Senior Sister Gu frowned and sighed helplessly.
“Junior Brother Chen, it’s not that I want to be nosy, but this is the seventh time you’ve come to exchange for Qi-Gathering Pills.”
“The efficacy of these Qi-Gathering Pills is not even a fraction of that of Qi Refining Pills for you. What’s the use of exchanging them?”
The woman’s voice was not loud, but with Mu Sanniang’s deliberate listening, she heard it clearly. Her body stiffened, and the hand hanging by her side quietly clenched. A bad feeling began to brew in the girl’s mind.
…
Not far away, the conversation between the two continued. The boy smiled indifferently.
“Senior Sister Gu, don’t worry about it so much, I naturally have my uses.”
The woman waved her hand impatiently, with a look of extreme disappointment. She spoke with great pity,
“Cultivation is not a child’s play. If you continue like this, you will only delay your own cultivation…”
But although the boy had a smile on his face, he only shook his head stubbornly. The woman, having no other recourse, reached out and took out something, placing it on the table as well. Mu Sanniang stood beside them, stunned, watching everything unfold. Her gaze was fixed on the desk. The thing the woman took out was very familiar to her. It was none other than the small bottle identical to the one in her cabinet at home. However, what was in that bottle were ten full Qi-Gathering Pills. The pills were pale white in color and had a faint glow. Mu Sanniang slowly lowered her eyes, her body trembling slightly. Those late nights, the boy’s words seemed to echo in her ears.
“Why are you asking about this again, Sister? Haven’t I explained it long ago?”
“It’s useless anyway, no point in having it…”
Whenever she asked, he would always speak with an indifferent tone and attitude. Mu Sanniang lowered her head, her palms clenched tightly. Her knuckles turned somewhat white from the excessive force.
…
…
Tonight, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse. In the evening, a wisp of thin mist lingers around the mountain peak. A small figure broke through the mist and moved rapidly. Arriving in front of the familiar small house, Chen An stopped and tidied his robe. He found that the girl had finally listened and wasn’t waiting outside, so a satisfied smile appeared on his face. He took a step forward and pushed open the room door. Unexpectedly, the room was pitch black, with no lamp lit. Chen An was slightly stunned. Before he could react, he felt someone rush at him from the darkness. However, he was all too familiar with the figure and didn’t resist. The girl ran straight into his arms, hugging him tightly. Chen An scratched his head, not knowing what was with her today, to suddenly do something like this…
“Sister…?” the boy hesitantly called out. But the girl in his arms only buried her head in his neck, not replying. After standing quietly for a while, Chen An suddenly noticed that the girl’s slender shoulders began to tremble slightly. Immediately after, a wet sensation came from his neck. It was a few crystal tears from the girl. Upon realizing this, Chen An became instantly anxious. His expression turned cold, and he asked in a deep voice, “Sister, did someone bully you?”
In the next moment, the girl seemed to freeze, then nodded slightly. Seeing this, Chen An felt a surge of anger, and the spiritual energy around him began to swell uneasily. He then frowned, forcing himself to calm down. He tried to ask in a gentle tone, “It’s okay, Sister, tell me, who bullied you, alright?” Hearing this, Mu Sanniang finally looked up. She pursed her thin lips, her eyes sparkling with crystal, clearly visible in the dark night.
“It’s my younger brother…” she said softly.
?
Hearing this answer, Chen An was stunned. He was about to say something more, but the girl had already hugged him tightly again. Her voice was faint and heart-wrenching.
“Don’t call me Sister.”
“Call me Sanniang.”
