131 – Gathering (II)

Looking at Reverend Carefree with a smile, Xue Qilin thinks he is a little humorous.

“Oh, you have such an ethereal aura, Young Lady!”

Noting her gaze, Reverend Carefree turned to look at her, and then immediately exclaimed.

“It’s really a pity that fate didn’t brought us together sooner! If you weren’t from Merak Temple, I would take you in in a heart-beat.”

He said to himself regretfully.

“I don’t want to be a Daoist…”

Xue Qilin muttered in a low voice and rolled her eyes.

As an Earth Realm martial practitioner, Reverend Carefree should have heard Xue Qilin’s complaint from this distance. However, whether he’s being deliberate, or doesn’t care, he just asked as if nothing happened: “Young Lady, may I ask your name? Who is your teacher?”

“I…”

Xue Qilin just opened her mouth subconsciously, and then immediately realized that she doesn’t know how to introduce herself appropriately. She gave Qi Qiqi a “take over for me” look. Seeing this, Reverend Carefree turned his attention to Qi Qiqi.

Still smiling politely, Qi Qiqi didn’t expect Xue Qilin to kick the ball to her so suddenly. Chocking on her own breath, she coughed a few times.

“Temple Master Qi, are you okay? Did you catch a cold?”

“I’m, I’m fine!”

Qi Qiqi waved her hands, and at the same time glared at Xue Qilin. The lass shrugged to express her innocence.

Merak Temple’s Temple Master sighed, then raised her forearm, put her fingers together, and inclined her palm to point at Xue Qilin.

“This is our Ancestor.”

“Ancestor?”

In a daze, Reverend Carefree gazed at Qi Qiqi and Xue Qilin back and forth, unable to wrap his head around it. The other Earth Realm martial practitioners who have surrounded them by now exchanged looks, unable to react.

Suddenly, a sweet fragrance entered Xue Qilin’s nose.

“Young Ancestor, you startled them. It seems that the looks you are so proud of only amount to this much.”

Sarcastic as always.

Xia Xue who walked behind Xue Qilin at some point in time spoke teasingly.

“Yo, how do you know they aren’t astonished by my enchanting looks?”

“Maybe…” Xia Xue stroked her chin and uttered, “They were startled by your shamelessness.”

As the two bickered, someone reacted.

“‘Natural Disaster’?”

The person who uttered this question is a brawny man dressed in burlap clothing.

With the rugged clothing and the wine gourd hanging from his waist, he looks like a disciple of Beggar’s Union you read about in novels. In fact, he should really be a disciple of Beggar’s Union – the world’s No. 1 gang.

Xia Xue got close to Xue Qilin and leaned on her back.

“Hey, don’t push it.”

Feeling uncomfortable, Xue Qilin didn’t notice a corner of Qi Qiqi’s face twitch slightly, nor did she detect the emotionless gaze Shui Yun’er cast her from a distance.

“Why, are you shy?”

Xia Xue propped her chin on Xue Qilin’s shoulder.

“Although it may go in one ear and out the other, but let me tell you, he is Beggar’s Union’s Branch Protector Jiang Shan. He is someone rater hopeful of advancing to the Heaven Realm.

Who knew that instead of “go in one ear and out the other”, Xia Xue’s words didn’t even enter Xue Qilin’s ears. Her mind is only preoccupied with the soft feeling coming from her back.

Has this Little Xue become a lot closer to me ever since that time she got drunk? Xue Qilin is a little troubled. Even if it’s Qi Qiqi, she rarely has such intimate contact with her.

“Yes, she is our temple’s Ancestor.”

“Although I don’t like this title very much, but yes, that’s me.”

Qi Qiqi gave a dignified and reserved nod, and Xue Qilin added in a muffled tone.

When they got their answer, the Earth Realm martial practitioners kept quiet at first, and then in the next moment expressed their surprise in different ways – facial expression, movement, sound.

They must not have expected Xue Qilin who recently grew famous to appear here. After all, Martial Realm Trial by Fire is held for Human Realm and Earth Realm martial practitioners. There has never been a Heaven Realm martial practitioner taking part in it. At least as far as they know.

“Entertaining a distinguished personage unawares, I didn’t realize that the fairy in front of me is the famous ‘Natural Disaster’ Senior Xue!” Reverend Carefree clasped his hands, an apologetic look on his face, “Excuse me for my lack of manners! I’m honored to meet you!”

This Reverend Carefree has a way with such flashy words! Xue Qilin doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“You’re too polite! Nice to meet you!”

She didn’t forget to reply. At the same time, she extended her right hand to shake Reverend Carefree’s hand.

“Senior Xue… what does this mean?”

Reverend Carefree glanced at the fair, exquisite hand in midair, at a loss for what to do.

After a moment, Xue Qilin patted herself on the forehead.

In fact, it’s not popular to shake hands here… She smiled embarrassedly and clasped her hands clumsily.

“Temple Master Qi, doesn’t this go against the established practice?”

Leaning against a wood pillar not far away, a man wearing black clothing and a black mask, with only his eyes exposed, suddenly chimed in. Due to the mask, his voice is a bit indistinct.

“My Ancestor doesn’t intend to participate in the trial by fire. She has some other business here, and just so happened to travel together with us.

The man in black sneered.

“Has some other business here…”

“I don’t think Senior Xue means to interfere with the trial by fire – right, Temple Master Qi.”

Jiang Shen appears to help smooth things over. But in fact, he’s putting pressure on Qi Qiqi. Aware of this, Xue Qilin raised her eyebrows unhappily, feeling that Qi Qiqi is being bullied.

However, despite being the one implicated, Qi Qiqi is still smiling.

“Of course.”

“Okay, let’s not mention this anymore!”

Reverend Carefree finally spoke up with a bitter expression, which ended the topic.

As for the man in black, looking like he has no intention of pursuing this any further, he closed his eyes without a word.

“I need to point this out to you as well, this person is from Shadow Gate.”

This should be the simplest introduction that Xue Qilin heard since coming here.

But that’s no wonder. The people from Shadow Gate are all assassins. Since they are assassins, they naturally need to keep their identity secret. This being the case, it’s not surprising that Xia Xue doesn’t know the other party’s detailed information.

“But you mustn’t touch him! Who knows if that person from Shadow Gate isn’t watching from somewhere nearby!”

“No way?”

When she thought that that viper-like Shadow Gate’s Gate Master may jump out and bite her at any time, Xue Qilin shuddered at once.

“Who knows, right? Perhaps in the next moment…”

As she spoke, Xia Xue poked Xue Qilin in the waist.

“Ah!”

Startled, Xue Qilin jumped up and exclaimed subconsciously.

Everyone’s stunned gazes focused on her.

“Senior Xue, did something scare you?”

Blinking his eyes in surprise and doubt, Reverend Carefree gazed at Xue Qilin.

“It’s nothing, I was just bitten by a bug.”

Xue Qilin made something up on the fly.

Going along with it, Xia Xue spoke, “Well, our Young Ancestor is afraid of bugs and the like.” Xia Xue sighed, “For a majestic Heaven Realm martial practitioner to fear things like that is really disturbing.”

She’s really quite something! Clenching her pearl-white teeth secretly, Xue Qilin glanced at Xia Xue and found that she has a teasing expression on her face.

At this time, Reverend Carefree leaned forward a little and directed the conversation to the topic that has been weighing on Qi Qiqi’s mind.

“That said, Temple Master Qi, have you noticed anything abnormal?”

“Revered Carefree, are you referring to the martial demons?”

Revered Carefree released a long sigh.

“Sure enough, Temple Master Qi, you encountered the same situation.”

Then everyone talked about this anomaly and expressed their opinions.

“You haven’t met any martial demons either?”

Xue Qilin asked Xia Xue while turning her head.

Suddenly, a soft feeling came from her lips.

Finding her lips touching Xia Xue’s cheek, Xue Qilin quickly turned her head to face forward.

Apparently unaware that Xue Qilin has kissed her, Xia Xue spoke in a solemn tone, “We haven’t, no one has.”

“Is it really that odd?”

“Well, according to reason, it’s impossible not to meet any martial demons. If it were only a few people, than that could still be barely explained. But it seems that no one has met any martial demons. This situation is no longer odd, but weird.”

While listening to Xia Xue, Xi He’s face flashed in Xue Qilin’s mind.

Is it her doing? Xue Qilin furrowed her eyebrows.

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