“A’Yuan, what’s wrong?” Qin Gou half-crouched down, placing his hands on Qin Yuan’s shoulders. Shangguan Ju also looked on with concern.
“I… it’s probably an old injury acting up. Shangguan, hurry and find a cultivator from your Star-Shifting Pavilion who has a healing Spirit Tool for me.” Qin Yuan gave Shangguan Ju a deep look.
“Alright, I’ll bring them here right away.” Shangguan Ju, without hesitation, leaped into the air and vanished.
Only then did Qin Yuan look at Old Qin, her eyes red and filled with shame and guilt. “I was wrong, Father. Actually, I’ve known about Binghu’s idiotic ideas for a long time.”
At this moment, Qin Gou realized that A’Yuan just wanted to send Shangguan Ju away. He immediately reached out and said, “If you have something to say, get up first and then we can talk properly.”
“But I…” A’Yuan’s face showed hesitation.
“Then are you making this father have to use force?” Qin Gou immediately, without any preamble, scooped up Qin Yuan, who was kneeling, into his arms. He said with a gentle smile, “Hurry up and stand properly. You’re all grown up, and your old father is still carrying you. What if outsiders see? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”
Qin Yuan then stood up straight obediently, her little face flushed as she bit her lip. However, Old Qin’s unexpected actions had momentarily diluted the tears and worries that were about to fall.
“Wench, have you known Shangguan for a long time?” As he asked, Qin Gou used his Spiritual power to carefully clean the dust from A’Yuan’s skirt.
“Mm, Shangguan, she’s one of the few friends A’Yuan has.”
Qin Gou suddenly realized, “If that’s the case, then you really should try to persuade her. If something goes wrong with this matter, it could cost that Binghu girl her life!”
“Yes, yes, yes, A’Yuan will definitely properly…” Qin Yuan’s little face was pale, but she only got halfway through her sentence before she suddenly froze, incredulous. “You mean, you’re willing to let A’Yuan try to persuade her to turn over a new leaf now?”
“Of course. If you can truly make Fellow Daoist Shangguan have a change of heart, then my work will be easier, won’t it?” Qin Gou said earnestly. He was a man who disliked trouble. If A’Yuan could persuade Shangguan Ju on his behalf, he would naturally be happy to let her do it and would also have an explanation for Shangguan Xiu’s earnest efforts.
Qin Yuan immediately nodded her little head with determination, as if she would absolutely not fail his expectations. “Don’t worry, Father. A’Yuan will do her best to make Shangguan sober up quickly. I absolutely… won’t trouble you anymore!”
“Isn’t that good? Wench, why were you so agitated just now?” Qin Gou spread his hands.
Qin Yuan clenched her small fists, full of self-reproach. “Of course it’s because this kind of matter actually required Father to personally intervene. That’s too improper.”
Qin Gou couldn’t help but chuckle, “Silly girl, isn’t Shangguan your friend? So, even if it’s just for A’Yuan’s sake, it’s only right.”
“Father!”
Qin Yuan immediately covered her little mouth, so moved she could not express herself. Qin Gou’s increasingly tall figure completely filled her vision. He was so magnanimous and so doting and affectionate towards her. He was truly the best father in the world.
Qin Gou also smiled indifferently and gently stroked Qin Yuan’s long hair. He thought that his daughter A’Yuan was good in every way, except that she was sometimes too self-disciplined and extremely filial, which occasionally overwhelmed him. But this was ultimately a happy problem. With such a daughter, what more could he ask for?
At this moment, the air was filled with the warm atmosphere of paternal love and filial piety.
…
At noon, several Giant Spirit Boats appeared in the sky above the Star-Shifting Pavilion.
Soon after, Shangguan Xiu came out to announce that the Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers candidate Saintess selection ceremony, presided over by several immortal maidens from the Hidden Immortal Absolute Beauty Tower, would be held in advance due to a change in route.
Old Qin soon noticed that, apart from their small group of outsiders, all the female disciples of the Star-Shifting Pavilion had been looking forward to this so-called candidate Saintess selection ceremony for a long time and were extremely excited.
He was not very familiar with the selection process for the candidate Saintess, but it was said that the Star-Shifting Pavilion was only one of several sects participating in the selection. This indirectly proved the powerful strength of the Hidden Immortal Tower and the endless benefits of becoming the Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers.
And with the mindset of broadening their horizons, Qin Gou and his group naturally appeared at the scene.
Below the ceremonial platform, the crowd was bustling, and voices were roaring. But when a blue-robed immortal maiden appeared, the entire venue fell silent in an instant.
Seeing this, the blue-robed immortal maiden took out an ancient scroll from her Nas and raised it high, her clear voice reaching everyone’s ears.
“The ceremony will be held within this Grand Profound Immortal Concealment Diagram. However, the Saintess selection is by no means a child’s play. Only those with pure hearts among those present will be recognized by the Hidden Immortal Map and allowed to enter! Benevolence, courage, and genuine kindness are all indispensable. Even if one is not ultimately chosen as a candidate Saintess, but is merely recognized and enters the diagram, they will receive a Glorious Pill after the ceremony as encouragement.”
“As for those who know they are insufficient, you may leave now.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Gou couldn’t help but show a look of surprise.
Directly rewarding a large number of Glorious Pills with such generosity was truly a grand gesture.
He had never heard of such a profound magic artifact that could directly measure a person’s heart!
And if he thought about it carefully, of the people around him, who could take this opportunity to get a Glorious Pill for free…
Little Gambler Li Yuanzhen, he loved her dearly, but based on the criterion of a pure heart alone, Old Qin knew this dog girl had no chance.
As for Ao Banwei, benevolence and genuine kindness were a given, but courage was the difficulty for Little White Dragon.
Qisi, that wench, should be able to do it.
His precious pearl, A’Yuan, absolutely must be able to!
As for Qin Gou himself and Liang Tiantian, let alone being excluded by gender, even if Young Master Liang were to summon his Natal Spirit Tool and transform into a virgin maiden’s jade body, he probably wouldn’t stand a chance?
A moment later, only a very small number of cultivators voluntarily withdrew.
Seeing this, the blue-robed immortal maiden lightly nodded her head and calmly said, “Then, the candidate Saintess selection ceremony officially begins.” With that, she lightly tapped the ancient scroll in her hand, and a massive painting slowly unfurled on the ceremonial platform, emitting a brilliant Immortal Radiance.
One by one, the female cultivators of the Star-Shifting Pavilion, their bodies shimmering with white radiance representing ‘recognition,’ instantly vanished without a trace, entering the Hidden Immortal Map.
“It’s a pity that this ceremony is held within specific magic artifacts. Well, we can’t watch anymore.” Qin Gou waved his hand dismissively, intending to leave. “Qisi, A’Yuan, you two can stay. Even if you’re not interested in the position of candidate Saintess, I understand how valuable a Glorious Pill, which nourishes beauty, is to female cultivators.”
As soon as he finished speaking.
A dazzling pure white light lit up beside Qin Gou, causing him to quickly turn his head. What he saw left him completely dumbfounded.
“Little, Little Gambler you!”
“A’Qin, look at this humble Daoist… Pure? Benevolent? This is amazing!” Li Yuanzhen’s whole body was bathed in flowing radiance, her beautiful eyes wide, her expression one of utter shock, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Qin Gou’s astonishment was no less than Li Yuanzhen’s, but he couldn’t help but shout with a mix of laughter and tears, “Why are even you so surprised!”
