Junior sister took first place again

The moment Senior Brother Feiyun stepped into the courtyard, the usual playful smile on his face receded like the tide.

He stood still on the bluestone slab, his black robe fluttering in the wind, his phoenix eyes staring at Ning Jiasheng, his gaze as sharp as a torch as if to see through her soul.

The appearance of a person who cultivates immortality remains eternal, and decades of time have left no trace on his face. Only the spiritual energy flowing through his body is more powerful than before.

"Ah Sheng, welcome back."

He pronounced these five simple words very heavily, and the ending tone was as clear as the sound of metal and stone colliding.

The thousand-year-old peach tree in the courtyard sensed the fluctuation of spiritual energy and moved without wind, scattering crimson petals all over the sky. A few petals happened to hover over his shoulders and were gently bounced away by the protective spiritual energy.

Ning Jiasheng looked at the three people in front of him - Senior Brother Feiyun was still as handsome as ever, but there was less of a carefree and unrestrained look between his brows.

Senior Brother Qingfeng's face was as calm as an ancient well, except for his eyes which had become deeper.

Senior Sister Li Huan was still as bright and radiant as ever, but her demeanor was more composed.

She suddenly felt her throat tighten, and all the greetings she had rehearsed countless times in her heart were stuck in her throat.

"Brother Qingfeng, Brother Feiyun, and Sister, I hope you are all well." She took a deep breath, folded her hands and raised them to her forehead, then solemnly bowed and performed a full sect salute. "I'm back again this time to trouble you."

The moment she bent down, Senior Sister Li Huan's wide sleeves moved without wind, and a soft spiritual power was lifted to her elbow, but was shattered by the spiritual power that suddenly burst out from Ning Jiasheng's body.

This ceremony was performed meticulously, even the angle at which the sleeves fell conformed to the most stringent sect etiquette.

"We are all family, why do you say that?" Senior Sister Li Huan reached out and pulled her up. Her cultivation as a grandmaster made this action irresistible.

Ning Jiasheng could feel the warmth from her senior sister's fingertips, as well as the subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy. "You are our junior sister. Your business is our business. Why be so formal?"

Senior Brother Feiyun approached, waving the unchanging white jade folding fan, and the black bamboo on the fan was swaying slowly.

He pretended to be relaxed and laughed, "What bad habits did you pick up out there, Junior Sister? Why weren't you so polite when you attacked me and used me as a training ground?"

Having said that, a hint of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

Senior Brother Qingfeng stood still like a pine tree. Among the several abbots, he was always the quiet one, but at this moment he took a step forward.

The moonlight flowed across the dark patterns on his blue robe, reflecting the traces of various runes.

"Junior Sister," he said, his voice a youthful timbre that matched his appearance, "Now that you have returned to the sect, we will take care of everything for you. I was very pleased to hear what you said to Immortal Lord Ji just now."

He paused, his brows furrowed imperceptibly, "But why are you doing this now?"

Ning Jiasheng looked at Senior Brother Qingfeng, who shouldn't have been here, and recalled what he said when they parted. Senior Brother Qingfeng was not among those who came to take over his position.

Seeing him appear here, Ning Jiasheng suddenly realized that Senior Brother Qingfeng was probably here for him.

There are not many ways to participate in the competition. What Ning Jiasheng can think of, his seniors can certainly think of as well.

Combined with what Senior Sister Li Huan and the others had said when she first met her, Ning Jiasheng knew that they had already made arrangements for her regarding her identity in the competition, and even prepared different plans for her to choose from when she returned...

The courtyard was silent for a moment, with only the rustling sound of peach blossoms falling to the ground.

Ning Jiasheng could feel three spiritual consciousnesses vaguely enveloping him, and concern, doubt, and worry weighed on his shoulders like a physical object.

She suddenly felt that the Nascent Soul in her Purple Mansion was trembling, and for a moment she wanted to give up her revenge plan.

"Brother Qingfeng," she raised her head and looked him straight in the eye, her voice as clear and cold as a jade chime, "I'm so overwhelmed with things to do in Yuhua Peak, and yet you've troubled me enough to come all the way here to help me. Isn't this enough of a courtesy from me?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across the eyes of the Qingfeng Peak Master, but he then regained his composure.

He raised his hand to adjust his cuffs, and this subtle movement revealed his inner turmoil.

"I know what's important and what's not. With the Xuanling Sect's strength, arranging an identity is just a small matter..."

"Yes, little Junior Sister," Senior Brother Feiyun suddenly leaned in, completely pushing Ji He aside. He snapped his folding fan shut and gently tapped her forehead. "What kind of outsiders do you think we are? Forget about a contestant's identity, even if you want the moon in the sky..."

"Two senior brothers and one senior sister." Ning Jiasheng suddenly interrupted him.

The sound was not loud, but it brought a sudden silence to the courtyard. She felt her nails digging deep into her palms, but she felt no pain.

She slowly raised her head, her eyes scanning every familiar face.

Over the years, she had thought of their voices, smiles and appearances in countless lonely nights and dreams.

And now, she is about to break this warmth with her own hands.

"It's not just this." Ning Jiasheng spoke word by word, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "It's also because I will do something at the Immortal Sect Conference, something that will bring big trouble to the sect."

The night wind suddenly became fierce, blowing up fallen petals all over the ground.

Ning Jiasheng's long hair fluttered in the wind, and a few strands flew into her eyes.

She reached out and pushed it away, the action carrying a sense of determination.

"Originally, I should have personally met with the Sect Master to confess my crime, but now I can only express my guilt here with a few words and a meaningless greeting."

The three peak masters stood in silence and exchanged glances with each other.

The clear sound of the night watchman's bell in the distance made the silence in the courtyard seem even more terrifying.

Finally, Senior Sister Li Huan took a step forward, and the moonlight stretched her shadow very long, just covering Ning Jiasheng.

"What do you want to do?" she asked directly, with no emotion in her voice.

Ning Jiasheng suddenly smiled. This smile was extremely beautiful, yet so cold that it was frightening.

"I want to," she said, her red lips parted slightly, and she spoke word by word, "kill someone."

Four words, full of murderous intent.