"Senior Brother Shu, Senior Sister Su has been waiting for you outside the courtyard for a long time. Aren't you going to go take a look?"
In the inner sect disciples' courtyard, Shu Linyuan, who was responsible for teaching the inner disciples these past two days, was guiding a junior brother in the Foundation Establishment stage with his cultivation.
Hearing the voice, he turned his head to glance outside the courtyard and met Su Lingxi's pretty, delicate face.
He frowned, instinctively feeling a bit annoyed.
This Su Lingxi really was haunting him like a ghost. Ever since he returned to his courtyard, she had been chasing after him.
If she wasn't bringing him something to eat, she was bringing him something to drink.
In the past, he just felt that Su Lingxi was young and he should be a little accommodating.
So every time, he would smile and accept those things, but after going back, he would throw them to the koi fish in the pond.
He had achieved inedia long ago; besides fasting pills, he normally didn't eat any spiritual food at all.
What did she mean by sending all this?
Furthermore, if he wanted to eat, couldn't he make these things himself?
Did he need her to come and deliver them time and time again?
He hadn't found it this annoying before, but now, he felt truly bothered.
If it were Yuan Shu, would she be this annoying?
Shu Linyuan's thoughts drifted away, and Yuan Shu's breathtakingly beautiful face appeared in his mind.
Then, he couldn't help but think of the Cliff of Repentance, think of their intimate entanglements, and think of those seven days.
Shu Linyuan's hand, resting on the table, clenched slightly.
He couldn't forget. He still couldn't forget!
Even though he had already made it very clear to Yuan Shu that he would not go down the mountain to marry her.
But in his mind, everything about her kept appearing and playing on a loop.
That soft and enchanting voice, that hazy and seductive gaze, that incredibly wonderful body...
Shu Linyuan took a deep breath, his entire body trembling slightly involuntarily.
What was Yuan Shu doing at this time?
Why did it feel like an illusion that he hadn't seen her for a long time, when they had only been apart for an afternoon?
Why not go over and take a look?
See what she was doing?
As soon as the thought arose, Shu Linyuan shook his head and rejected it.
He had already made things clear to Yuan Shu. What would it mean if he went over now?
"Senior Brother Shu?"
A call from an inner disciple nearby brought him back to his senses after a brief daze.
"Mm, I'll go out and take a look."
Shu Linyuan stood up and walked out of the courtyard.
Sure enough, when Su Lingxi saw him, she hurriedly came forward to greet him, carrying a plate of fresh fruit cakes in her hands.
It was said that she made them herself.
Su Lingxi smiled very sweetly.
Although it was said that one shouldn't hit a smiling person.
But when Shu Linyuan remembered the bowl of plain water she had served Yuan Shu, pretending it was thick soup, an inexplicable wave of disgust rose in his heart.
This Su Lingxi was not as innocent and harmless as she appeared on the surface.
"Junior Sister Su, I appreciate your kindness, but I have already achieved inedia and do not eat mortal food. Please take these back."
Su Lingxi froze slightly. She had clearly asked about Shu Linyuan's preferences before specially making this.
He had also accepted everything she had given him before.
Why would he reject her today?
"Sixth Senior Brother, these are all made from spiritual plants, not ordinary mortal food."
She wanted to explain, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Shu Linyuan interrupted her, "I don't eat any spiritual food, no matter what it is."
"Junior Sister Su, instead of spending time pondering over these things, you might as well think about how to improve your strength. You have good talent, don't waste it."
With that said, Shu Linyuan ignored Su Lingxi and turned to walk toward the teaching room.
Behind him, Su Lingxi's expression twisted for a moment.
Her cultivation method was different from others.
Others needed to work hard in secluded cultivation to increase their spiritual power.
Ever since she discovered half a year ago that she could see male cultivators' affection levels toward her, and that the affection levels of her six senior brothers could directly affect her cultivation speed.
She gave up her previous hard cultivation and instead switched to capturing the hearts of her six senior brothers to increase their affection levels!
Everything had clearly been going so smoothly!
She had entered Qingyun Peak, replaced Yuan Shu, and become the favorite junior sister of the six senior brothers.
Her strength had also slowly improved through the senior brothers' ever-growing affection levels.
But for some unknown reason, ever since Yuan Shu came out of confinement at the Cliff of Repentance, Shu Linyuan had been giving her the cold shoulder.
She had stepped forward to talk to him several times, only to be impatiently dodged by him.
"Master, could it be that something happened during those seven days Yuan Shu was at the Cliff of Repentance?"
A fluffy white head suddenly popped up on Su Lingxi's shoulder, its bright black eyes darting around continuously.
Hearing this, Su Lingxi frowned and reached out to pet her spiritual pet. She suddenly remembered the day Yuan Shu left the Cliff of Repentance.
When she and Eldest Senior Brother entered the Cliff of Repentance, they saw Sixth Senior Brother looking panicked.
Could it be that before they went inside, something had happened between him and Yuan Shu?
Or perhaps Yuan Shu had spoken ill of her?
Which caused Sixth Senior Brother to have a problem with her?
Shu Linyuan was her hardest target to conquer.
After all, he and Yuan Shu originally had an arranged marriage from childhood and were closer than others.
She had also spent the most effort subtly intervening between the two, making Shu Linyuan develop a decent level of affection for her.
Previously, Shu Linyuan's affection level for her had clearly reached 32!
But now, this affection level had inexplicably dropped to 12, and there was even a risk of it continuing to fall.
The decrease in Shu Linyuan's affection toward her made her immediately feel a slowdown in her cultivation speed.
She had been confident she would enter the Foundation Establishment stage within a month, but now it seemed to be in jeopardy again!
"Xiaobai, follow Shu Linyuan secretly and see what's going on."
Su Lingxi rubbed her spiritual pet's head and instructed in a low voice.
Xiaobai nodded, its small body climbing down from the hem of Su Lingxi's clothes before vanishing into the shadows along the wall.
The communication jade talisman in her sleeve suddenly vibrated.
Su Lingxi's brow twitched. She took out the jade talisman and saw that the message was sent by Fifth Senior Brother Ji Yunzhao.
She raised an eyebrow.
Fifth Senior Brother Ji Yunzhao could be said to be the most obedient to her among all the senior brothers.
She didn't even need to say anything explicitly; just a look or a gesture, and Ji Yunzhao would deliver whatever she wanted right into her hands.
This included the high-level pills and magical artifacts that Ji Yunzhao had obtained from Yuan Shu!
Could it be that he got some good stuff again?
Su Lingxi's eyes lit up, and she immediately sent a message back to Ji Yunzhao.
Soon, Ji Yunzhao replied, inviting her to meet.
Su Lingxi raised an eyebrow. Was there really something good?
With that thought, Su Lingxi stopped paying attention to Shu Linyuan, turned around, and left the inner disciples' courtyard to find Ji Yunzhao.
...
"What did you say? You want me to return all those things from before?"
Su Lingxi was a bit dazed and somewhat in disbelief.
She knew very well just how much Ji Yunzhao liked her!
An affection value as high as 62, just a tiny bit away from reaching the level of "love"!
Over the past half year, he had given her many good things, including hundreds of high-level magical artifacts and hundreds of bottles of high-level pills.
She knew he liked her, so she took the items without the slightest psychological burden.
But she never expected that one day, he would ask her to give these things back!
"Junior Sister, I'm sorry, I don't want to do this either."
"But Eldest Senior Brother said that I must gather all these items within three days, or else he will report to Master and have me expelled from the sect!"
