Chapter 108

Chapter 108: A Pair

The brocade-robed youth glanced at the screen and yawned: “She just logged off.”

The young cultivator looked discouraged: “Ugh, we missed her again. Next time we need to camp longer and move faster.”

The brocade-robed youth drawled: “Worry about your current problem first. People already recognize the face you’re wearing. Time to switch?”

The young cultivator snorted: “Is that hard?”

As he spoke, his features shifted at once into a fresh, fine-browed face that no one had seen before. This was not Disguise Arts. He simply had no fixed face. He belonged to the Demon Clan, the Flower Moon Liu Li, known as Everchanging Liu Li, also called Lord Liu Li.

Lord Liu Li slumped with gloom. [What a bad start. A truly bad start.] He clawed at his hair and shouted: “So annoying!”

Feng Xu watched with glee while toying with a jade ring; it was the entrance to the Spirit Market, and it was clearly higher grade than a Jade Token. He said with happy expectation: “Looks like this year’s Grand Sect Tournament will be livelier than usual. If I’m right, the little stall keeper will join. I can’t wait.”

Lord Liu Li narrowed his eyes: “Then I can buy talismans from her, right?”

Feng Xu replied: “She might not sell to you. Tuck away your tail, Demon Clan.”

Lord Liu Li sniffed: “As if you aren’t.”

Feng Xu lifted his brow and said proudly: “I’m different. I’m a very rich Demon Clan. For the sake of Spirit Stones, no one dares slight me.”

Lord Liu Li fell silent. [Fine, I’ll take on a rich demon like you any day.]

…

Ye Wan Wan and Bai Jian waited at the inn with the others for a full day before Xun Yin returned, smiling with six Spatial Pouches in hand: “Come on, kids, split the loot… ahem, I mean the compensation.”

Li Wan Zhi wore the look of someone saying see, told you so.

Xun Yin chuckled: “I planned to get some spirit herbs, but on the road, Spirit Stones are more practical and easier to carry.”

Li Wan Zhi opened a Spatial Pouch, went wide-eyed at the fortune inside, and could not help asking: “Senior Uncle, how did you do it? Did you just walk up and ask for money?”

Xun Yin shook his head, disapproving: “Inexperience. First, you list every one of their crimes. Then you question them from the high ground. After a tug-of-war, you ask whether they want to take back their disciple, or should we hand him to the Alliance.”

He added with a teaching tone: “If they care about face, they settle it with Flower Spirit Stones. Big sects usually care a little about face. That’s when you name your price. Then it goes smoothly.”

Li Wan Zhi nodded like crazy and started taking notes.

Xun Yin went on, warm but serious: “Remember, keep your momentum strong. You can toss aside your face. No matter what they say, bite down and demand Spirit Stones.”

He huffed: “When they start calling you senior and praising your noble bearing, it’s all a trick to lift you up so they can cut your price. People like that are lacking in virtue. Ignore them. If calling me senior is supposed to make me ask for fewer Spirit Stones, then I’ll call them senior and make them pay more.”

Li Wan Zhi bowed his head like a student: “Understood. Face is not important. Spirit Stones are important.”

Xun Yin beamed: “Exactly. And when needed, change your face. Masks are a must-have when you travel the rivers and lakes.”

Fang He An gave a thumbs up: “As expected of Senior Uncle.”

Li Wan Zhi echoed with worship: “As expected of Third Senior Uncle!”

Xun Yin laughed out loud.

A helpless voice came from the door before it even opened: “Third Senior Uncle, stop teaching the junior brothers bad habits. When Master comes back, he’ll have another headache.”

Bai Jian and Fang He An shot to their feet. Even Shen Nan Zhou’s body went taut. Fang He An dashed over and flung the door wide. A tall, handsome youth stood there in white robes.

He had a gentle, clean air, like fresh sunlight in winter. Just by standing there, he drew a neat and calm picture of a young gentleman.

Seeing Fang He An, he smiled and said: “Third Junior Brother.”

Fang He An yelped with joy and leaped into his arms: “Eldest Senior Brother!”

The youth caught him steady and laughed: “You’ve grown taller.”

Fang He An bounced like a happy monkey, a perfect copy of Li Wan Zhi, and reached to take the bundle off his back.

The youth stopped him with a smile: “No need. It’s not much. I’ll carry it. Junior Sister Bai, I’m back.” He smiled at Bai Jian, who lit up in return. His gaze landed on Ye Wan Wan, eyes bending with warmth: “And junior sister.”

Ye Wan Wan tensed without meaning to.

After he came in, the youth untied his bundle. Inside were two boxes of cakes and three strings of sugar figurines.

Fang He An clapped: “Eldest senior brother, you even brought us gifts.”

He said gently: “Yes. It’s my first time meeting new junior brothers and junior sister. I shouldn’t come empty-handed.”

Li Wan Zhi, suddenly very well-behaved, went to stand beside Ye Wan Wan and Bai Jian.

The youth handed one sugar figurine to Li Wan Zhi.

Li Wan Zhi took it, stiff with nerves.

The youth gave another to Shen Nan Zhou. Fang He An helped himself to the last one without being shy, then noticed the shapes were special, unlike the ones sold outside: “Eldest senior brother, is this me?”

The youth smiled: “Doesn’t it look like you?”

Fang He An leaned over to compare Li Wan Zhi’s and Shen Nan Zhou’s. Sure enough, all three were different. The sugar faces and brows matched each person’s air.

Fang He An cried in delight: “You went to learn a secret craft!”

Li Wan Zhi blurted in surprise: “Eldest senior brother made these himself?”

Fang He An puffed up: “Of course. His cooking is amazing, better than anything our senior uncles make.”

The two quickly began comparing figurines and even dragged Shen Nan Zhou into it.

Carrying the cakes, the youth stepped to Ye Wan Wan. She rushed to take them with both hands, flustered: “E-el… Eldest senior brother.”

He reached out and patted her head: “You’ve gotten a little thin.”

Bai Jian nodded hard: “Thin.”

The youth looked at Bai Jian next and said, teasing: “Hmm. Looks like you’re a tiny bit rounder than when I left.”

Bai Jian pouted, then hugged Ye Wan Wan’s arm and huffed: “Junior sister fed me.”

He chuckled: “All the more reason I should thank junior sister.” He set the cakes into Bai Jian’s hands and added, gentle and sincere: “But no matter how much Junior Sister Bai eats, she still looks good.”

Bai Jian’s eyes bent into smiles. She grabbed Ye Wan Wan to the side to open the gift. Inside the pretty wooden box sat all kinds of delicate pastries. Their own sugar figurines rested at the side.

Ye Wan Wan’s figurine was a well-behaved little girl with a painted smile.

Bai Jian lifted her figurine and bumped it lightly against Ye Wan Wan’s, saying with pride: “A matched pair.”

Ye Wan Wan looked at the sugar figure, then at the eldest senior brother chatting with Xun Yin, then at honest, happy Bai Jian. She moved her figurine to meet Bai Jian’s and murmured, soft as a breath: “A matched pair.”