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A month later, I saw Chu Xi again.
She had lost a lot of weight, her waist was even more slender, and she appeared incredibly light and graceful. From a distance, I spotted Li Hong, and she hurriedly ran up to him; when she got closer, she fell silent, her little face turning as red as an apple. She looked so charming and endearing.
Li Hong found it amusing and said with a smile, "Junior sister, there's no need to worry. It's all in the past; as long as you're safe, that's what matters."
Chu Xi blushed and gave a slight bow. "Last time was all my fault for being reckless. I won't do it again. You're right; improving one's skills depends on personal affinity; what's suitable for others may not be suitable for me. Anyway, if I have any problems in the future, I'll ask you for advice, senior brother." At this point, she revealed her familiar mischievous smile. "You mustn't keep secrets from me then."
"Of course not," Li Hong chuckled.
Chu Xi took out a delicate White Jade Bottle from her pocket and handed it to him. "This is for you. Consider it a token of gratitude."
"What is this?" Li Hong uncorked the bottle, and a wonderfully elegant fragrance wafted out, one that felt very familiar.
"It's Forget-Me-Not Butterfly."
The small jade bottle was exquisite, and the Forget-Me-Not Butterfly essence inside presented a faint crimson hue through the translucent white bottle. It indeed looked precious and beautiful. Li Hong smiled and tucked it into his sleeve while thanking her.
Chu Xi said, "The day after tomorrow is my birthday, and I'd like to invite you and Senior Brother Chuxiong to play at Feiying Stream. Will you come?" She tilted her head with an expectant expression.
Li Hong had nothing planned for the day after tomorrow; however, going out with a beautiful young girl was something he had never experienced before. His face felt slightly warm as he hesitated and said, "Does your master know? She can be a bit..." He didn't want to elaborate further and decided to stop there.
"Don't worry; I've already informed my master. Although she doesn't say it out loud, I know she's grateful to you. After all, I'm her most beloved disciple," Chu Xi giggled, sticking out her tongue and making a funny face. In the sunlight, her face was fair and rosy, incredibly adorable.
Li Hong readily agreed but began to ponder how Ling Xiangzi, his Master Uncle, could be grateful to him? It would be great if she didn't come over to scold him instead. However, since she had given him a gift, what should he give Chu Xi for her birthday?
********
He spent the entire day lost in thought about the gift issue. While rummaging around in the Small Pavilion, Li Hong despairingly realized that the only personal item he had was that bottle of Forget-Me-Not Butterfly that Chu Xi had given him yesterday!
Everything was provided by the Nine Li Sect: books, writing materials, furniture, clothing, bedding, and food. To put it bluntly, even the underwear was supplied by the Nine Li Sect. There was nothing that could be considered personal property or a birthday gift for Chu Xi.
After dinner, Li Hongyu started to feel anxious. He repeatedly told himself that his junior sister Chu Xi surely did not care about the formalities of birthday gifts, so it would be fine not to give one. However, he couldn't convince himself with that reasoning.
The oblivious Chuxiong finally noticed Li Hong's unusual behavior. After asking for clarification, he panicked as well. "Oh no! How could I forget about the birthday gift! Luckily you reminded me, big brother. What are you planning to give? Why don't we just... heh heh, count me in as well and say it's from both of us..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Li Hong kicked him hard on the calf and rolled his eyes. "If I had thought of what to give, would I still be in a panic now?"
Once those words were spoken, the tense atmosphere in the Small Pavilion intensified. They rushed around the building in a frenzy but ultimately despaired when they found nothing suitable.
"What are we going to do?" The brothers exchanged worried glances.
Just then, a loud voice came from outside: "Old Six! Old Seven! What are you doing? Fifth Senior Brother is here to see you!" As soon as the words were spoken, Chu Gang jumped off his Flying Sword and entered the Small Pavilion.
Li Hong quickly offered him a seat.
It had been a month since Chu Gang had last been seen; today he unexpectedly showed up. Could it be? Li Hong's eyes lit up.
Chu Gang got straight to the point with a smile. "I went down the mountain this time and had quite a harvest. Here are two Fire Origin Pills and two Washing Marrow Pills—both are excellent items that are perfect for your current cultivation level. Take them!" He raised his hand and tossed two small jade bottles over.
Li Hong caught them and opened one. The Fire Origin Pill was bright red and looked stunning; it emitted a fragrant aroma with a fiery essence swirling at the bottom of the bottle—it was truly beautiful. It would surely be beneficial for anyone cultivating the Li Fire Scripture. The Washing Marrow Pill was pale yellow and had a somewhat strange smell with a faint odor.
After chatting for a while, Chu Gang stood up. "I still need to go deliver some elixirs to Old Eight and Old Nine." He jumped in front of Chuxiong and thumped him on the chest. "Next time, I'll come looking for you to spar!" With that, he flew off on his sword with a hearty laugh.
Li Hong watched as his figure disappeared into the treetops and couldn't help but smile. Fifth Senior Brother was straightforward and easy to get along with; he had no hidden agendas at all. He solemnly tucked both small jade bottles into his robe.
Chuxiong looked eagerly at Li Hong and saw him putting everything away without sharing any. He couldn't help but feel anxious. "Big brother, you should at least give one to me!"
Li Hong chuckled and waved one of the small bottles in front of him before putting it away again. "We have gifts now! Tomorrow let Junior Sister Chu Xi choose for herself and see which one she wants. The rest will be for us brothers."
"Oh." Chuxiong scratched his head and muttered, "Fifth Senior Brother is generous, but I didn't expect you to be even more generous. What if Sister Chu Xi wants all four? That would really hurt."
"Hurt what! The gift issue is finally resolved!" Without paying attention to Chuxiong, he walked straight back to his room and closed the door. Li Hong felt pleased, thinking that Fifth Senior Brother was a timely help.
*******
Early the next morning, Li Hong urged Chuxiong to get up and wash up. After finishing breakfast at the Dining Hall, they waited at the Clearing in front of the Three-Story Pavilion. After waiting for a while without seeing Chu Xi, many people began to notice their unusual situation.
Time was running out, and many Disciples of Jiu Zhu Peak had gotten up, passing by in groups of three or five, whispering and pointing at them. Li Hong usually kept a low profile, rarely appearing in public except during meals, and seldom interacted with the disciples of Master Uncles. Seeing this situation made him regret even more; had he known Sister Chu Xi would arrive so late, he should have come out later.
Just as he felt uncomfortable, a small black dot appeared in the sky, growing larger—a Wingless Ship flew over the mountains, heading straight for Nine Vermilion Peaks.
Chu Xi jumped off the Wingless Ship and happily ran over, giggling, "Did you wait long? It's all Sister Chu Yan's fault. She said I had to dress up nicely to meet Senior Brother, so we ended up taking so long."
Perhaps because it was her birthday, Chu Xi looked exceptionally beautiful. She wore a light gauzy white outfit with a silver long coat over it. Li Hong recognized this long coat from when he first saw Chu Xi; it was very thin and semi-transparent silver that shimmered with iridescent colors, making her look extraordinarily beautiful. He hadn't realized it then, but now he could clearly sense that there was spiritual energy flowing through this long coat. It turned out to be a magical treasure.
As the mountain breeze blew, the magical outer garment shimmered unpredictably, its corners fluttering and revealing a rose-red belt and matching rose-red boots underneath. Her skin was like jade, her black hair flowing in the wind, adorned with an exquisite silver hairpin shaped like floral branches. Chu Xi truly stood out.
Seeing Li Hong admiring her, she gracefully twirled around and said sweetly, "This is the Silver Moon Robe my master gave me; it's the only one in the entire Nine Li Sect! It's a protective garment of artifact level—pretty, right?"
"Showing off again while inadvertently selling out your senior sister," a delicate white hand reached over to affectionately pat Chu Xi's head.
"This is my Third Senior Sister Chu Yan; she's my best friend. We're going out to have fun today," Chu Xi said with a smile as she introduced Chu Yan.
Li Hong stepped forward to greet her.
She was a gentle and kind-hearted beauty who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen but was likely older than that. With an elongated face and delicate features, she spoke softly and politely. Even when Chu Xi teased her, she didn’t seem upset at all. It was clear she had a good temperament.
After exchanging greetings among the four of them, Li Hong took out two small jade bottles from his pocket. "Sister, today is a special day for you; this is a small gift from Chuxiong and me. Please accept it."
Chu Xi uncorked the bottle and took a sniff, immediately exclaiming in surprise, "Fire Origin Pill and Washing Marrow Pill? These are great items. Thank you, brothers!" She was very happy and quickly tucked everything into her sleeves.
Enhancing her abilities was something Chu Xi had been longing for, and this gift was indeed to her liking. Li Hong was also pleased.
Chuxiong felt a bit reluctant, but quickly dismissed the feeling. The fleeting look of reluctance on his face caught Chu Yan's attention. This good-natured girl smiled and patted Chu Xi's head, saying, "You really are not being polite. Perhaps your two brothers saved these pills from their master to give to you as a gift."
"No, no, these are gifts we got from elsewhere for our junior sister. You can keep them for yourself or give them to someone else," Li Hong firmly denied while subtly tugging at Chuxiong's sleeve. Chuxiong immediately puffed out his chest.
Chu Xi giggled, "Then I will accept them! It's getting late; let's go. By the way, have you two greeted Spirit Stone?"
"Of course," Li Hong told a little lie. Spirit Stone had gone out, so there was no chance to greet him.
The four of them chatted and laughed as they approached the "Wingless Ship," ready to board when a White Shadow rushed over.
Chuxuan, panting heavily, grabbed the ship's railing and said eagerly, "I heard that Chu Xi is going to have a good day at Feiying Stream. Can I join you?"
Chu Xi was taken aback, clearly not expecting Chuxuan to be so bold as to ask directly. She had never liked Chuxuan, and without hesitation, she flatly refused, "No way, maybe another time." With that, she cheerfully urged Li Hong and Chuxiong to board the ship.
Chuxuan's expression immediately darkened. Li Hong, uninterested in wasting words with him, jumped onto the "Wingless Ship." Chu Yan quickly formed a hand seal to activate it, and the "Wingless Ship" slowly ascended into the sky, turning eastward.
Chuxuan stood there dazedly watching the sky before suddenly spitting in frustration and turning away.
From above, Li Hong saw everything clearly and asked Chu Xi, "Why didn’t you let him come along?"
Chu Xi scoffed dismissively, "Every time he comes here, he clings to people and talks nonsense. Half of what he says is bad-mouthing you. I don’t like people like that."
Bad-mouthing? Li Hong thought about it and felt displeased as well. The rift had long been established; although they were now considered fellow disciples under the same master, their relationship was quite poor. He even instigated Old Nine Chu Liang against him, causing Chu Liang to ignore him completely now. To think he would still speak ill in front of Chu Xi, what a petty person!
Chu Xi laughed cheerfully, "Why bother with such people! As long as we are happy ourselves!"
The "Wingless Ship" rose higher and higher, with a gentle mountain breeze blowing, revealing the beautiful scenery of the lush green mountains. The shadows in my heart gradually dissipated. Chu Yan stood steadily at the bow of the ship, elegantly directing its flight with hand seals, her movements exuding an indescribable grace. Li Hong's heart stirred as he smiled and asked, "Last time it was Sister Chu Yan who took you to Golden Lantern Gorge, right?"
The "Wingless Ship" required at least the Initial Stage of Caution cultivation to operate, which Chu Xi did not possess.
Chu Xi stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "Last time I was afraid Master would blame Sister, so I specifically asked her to leave that Wingless Ship in Golden Lantern Gorge to clear my name. I didn't expect you to see through it at a glance. Shh! It's a secret; you mustn't tell anyone." She made a gesture with her finger, as white as jade, near her lips.
Chu Yan smiled slightly at the bow of the ship, clearly acknowledging it.
Chuxiong had been wanting to speak but couldn't find the opportunity. At this moment, he finally couldn't hold back and said, "Chu Xi, didn't you say you brought a lot of food? I don't see any!"
Chu Xi giggled mischievously and replied, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed; you'll find out soon enough."
Chuxiong looked puzzled. When Li Hong heard Chuxiong only thinking about food, he felt a bit annoyed too. However, after glancing around the Wingless Ship and seeing it was empty inside, he realized Chuxiong had a point—there was nothing in the cabin. Seeing the little girl being mysterious made him curious as well.
As they joked around, the Wingless Ship slowed down and descended lower, landing gently in a secluded gorge surrounded by mountains.
Li Hong looked around and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a beautiful view!"
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