Chapter 59: A Fickle Favorability Score
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Lan Zi Yu’s refusal came so swiftly that Ye Cong Xin froze in surprise.
“Little Junior Sister, I truly need it urgently!”
Lan Zi Yu steadied Ye Cong Xin, crouching slightly to meet her eyes directly, his brows knit tightly together.
After a brief pause, his expression relaxed, and his tone became lighter. “How about this, Little Junior Sister? If you can’t find it, I’ll help you look! Did you leave it in your dwelling or in your storage space?”
His gaze was so direct that it felt like he might storm into Ye Cong Xin’s dwelling any second and turn it upside down.
Ye Cong Xin felt a chill in her heart. It seemed Lan Zi Yu wouldn’t give up until he achieved his goal this time.
Feigning weakness, she closed her eyes and massaged her temples. “Second Senior Brother, I’m feeling unwell. Please, let me rest for a moment.”
“Alright, but don’t take too long,” Lan Zi Yu replied, his tone cooperative, but his mind ablaze with impatience.
How had he not realized before how troublesome his Little Junior Sister could be? She didn’t even know where her belongings were!
And to top it off, the Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute wasn’t even hers—it was something she was merely holding onto. Could she have actually lost it?
If that’s the case, how could Little Six ever forgive him?
In the span of a few breaths, hundreds of thoughts raced through Lan Zi Yu’s mind.
Even with her eyes closed, Ye Cong Xin could feel the searing intensity of his gaze, practically burning through her.
Irritated, she decided to let Lan Zi Yu stew a bit longer. When he seemed on the verge of losing his composure, she finally retrieved the Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute at a deliberately slow pace.
“Second Senior Brother, I found—”
Before she could finish, Lan Zi Yu snatched the flute from her hands. His thumb ran over the surface of the flute in a familiar motion as he burst into laughter. “Found it! Found it!”
“Little Six, I’m coming!”
Clutching the flute like a madman, Lan Zi Yu dashed off.
Ye Cong Xin gritted her teeth, nearly shattering them in frustration.
“System, show me Lan Zi Yu’s favorability score.”
[Ding! Lan Zi Yu’s current favorability score: 60 points.]
“What?”
Ye Cong Xin accidentally knocked over the wine jug on her table, her face pale with shock.
Yesterday, his score had been 70. How had it dropped by 10 points in such a short time?
Was it because she made him wait?
Her regret was almost tangible. She had gambled her pride against Yu Zhao’s and fought over the Starry Sky Stone in the Dragon Roar Valley Secret Realm. Because of that, Lan Zi Yu’s favorability score had already fallen from 80 to 70.
She hadn’t even figured out how to restore those lost points, and now, another 10 had disappeared.
Does he have some kind of problem?
Ye Cong Xin’s fury was nearly explosive.
Lan Zi Yu was notoriously stubborn and temperamental. If something didn’t suit him, he would immediately turn hostile.
To earn his favorability, she had humbled herself time and again, going out of her way to accommodate him. She hadn’t dared utter a single word of defiance in front of him.
She had thought her days of suffering were coming to an end, only for all her efforts to fall apart.
Her volatile emotions triggered a relapse of her old ailment. The suffocating feeling returned, pressing down on her chest like a heavy weight.
Clenching her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms, she worked to steady her breathing.
“System, check the favorability scores of the other people on Lone Moon Peak.”
She reminded herself repeatedly: losing one task target was not the end of the world.
There were others she could choose from.
[Ding! Fang Cheng Lang’s current favorability score: 70 points.]
[Ding! Cui Jue’s current favorability score: 70 points.]
[Ding! Quan Ye’s current favorability score: 65 points.]
[Ding! Master Qing Yan’s current favorability score: 50 points.]
Noticing that the favorability scores of others hadn’t fluctuated significantly, Ye Cong Xin was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she realized she’d only heard the names of four individuals.
“System, why didn’t Su Ming’s favorability score appear?”
A bad premonition crept over her.
[Ding! Su Ming’s favorability score has fluctuated greatly, and the final value cannot yet be determined.]
Ye Cong Xin gritted her teeth. “What’s his lowest favorability score?”
[Ding! Su Ming’s lowest favorability score is 20 points.]
Her body swayed, and she had to grip the edge of the stone table to steady herself.
20 points?
20 points!
The last time she’d seen a number like that was when she first met Su Ming and the others.
People often say a woman’s heart is as inscrutable as the depths of the sea.
But to Ye Cong Xin, men’s hearts were no less unfathomable.
She couldn’t understand why Su Ming’s favorability score fluctuated so wildly.
If it ultimately settled at 20 points, it would effectively render this task target invalid, making all the time and effort she had spent on him a complete waste.
“Why? Why!”
Ye Cong Xin swept everything off the stone table and collapsed onto it, sobbing uncontrollably.
…
“Senior Brother Fang! Senior Brother Lan!”
“Greetings, Senior Brother Fang! Greetings, Senior Brother Lan!”
“Good day, Senior Brothers!”
…
Disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect quickly bowed and retreated when they encountered Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu, who both wore grim expressions. No one dared to engage them in conversation.
The matter of Yu Zhao being expelled from Master Qing Yan’s tutelage had become the hottest topic in the sect, pushing Lone Moon Peak into the spotlight.
Although no one knew exactly how Fang Cheng Lang and the others felt about it, the stern looks on their faces made it clear their mood was far from pleasant. Naturally, the disciples steered clear, fearful of provoking their wrath.
Once the two left, the disciples who had been scattered around the area quickly gathered together and began whispering.
“Senior Brother Fang and Senior Brother Lan seem really angry. That doesn’t make sense. Now that the ‘rat droppings’ Yu Zhao is gone, Lone Moon Peak shouldn’t have anyone dragging them down.”
“But I heard from some senior sisters who were out training that Yu Zhao wasn’t as bad as the rumors made her out to be. She even saved the Grand Senior Sister.”
“I hadn’t heard that. But judging from the direction Senior Brother Fang and Senior Brother Lan are heading, it seems like they’re going to the Inner Courtyard. Could they be looking for Yu Zhao?”
“No idea. Want to follow them and find out?”
“Let’s go!”
They exchanged glances, curiosity eventually winning out. Stealthily, they began tailing Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu.
Other disciples noticed the growing crowd and, upon learning they were following the senior brothers to the Inner Courtyard, eagerly joined in. The group grew larger and larger.
…
Inner Courtyard.
Xiu Luo was practicing body techniques in an open space.
Her spiritual roots were a mix of fire, wood, and earth, with earth taking the lead. This gave her overwhelming strength and defensive advantages.
When choosing cultivation techniques, she prioritized ones that maximized these strengths. Body techniques were one of them.
Though she was petite and delicate, with slim limbs that appeared frail, every movement she made produced a terrifying series of sonic booms in the air.
“Hm?”
Just as she was warming up, Xiu Luo’s expression shifted. She abruptly stopped, squinting into the distance.
The terrain at the mountain’s base was flat, with no tall buildings obstructing her view. As an ardent admirer of Master Qing Yan, Xiu Luo immediately recognized the two figures walking toward the Inner Courtyard.
Muttering to herself, she said, “What are they doing here?”