Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 761 Who Will Lead the Way?
“What do you mean by a strange relationship? I only learned about this younger sister a month after I arrived in Shenjing.” Pei Ye switched the sword in his hand. “She is the head of Shenxiao Dao, whom Grandpa Yue knew when he was young. Yin’er is his disciple. We had never met before.”

“I see.” Li Piaoqing didn’t really pay attention to the words “Shimei”; she was more interested in the affectionate title “Yin’er.” “—What about your ability to float a sword beside you? That’s so amazing.”

"Haha, I just learned this from a senior this morning." Pei Ye released his grip, and the sword floated beside him. "True Qi Technique [Sword Tassel], you see, I don't need to spend any effort controlling it, and the sword and I are one. If anyone tries to steal my sword, I'll wake up the moment I open my eyes."

"Who stole your sword?" Li Piaoqing smiled and poked the jade tiger that floated over with her finger. "It's amazing, like the work of a sorcerer."

“However, it’s a bit too eye-catching.” Pei Ye smiled and picked it up again. “I only know this one move. I don’t know if I can learn the rest. It’s said to be a secret technique of the East Sea Sword Furnace.”

"You used it when you first came to the pool, and everyone said you looked like an immortal."

"Sigh, don't keep bringing this up." Pei Ye still finds it hard to accept the name "Pei Ye Fan Club".

Li Piaoqing smiled and said, "Actually, it's nothing. I was startled at first, but then I remembered that there are many people in Bowang City who like me, but they just haven't formed any 'Li Piaoqing Fan Club'."

Pei Ye was taken aback, then remembered: "Oh right, when I joined the martial arts school, you were there to teach swordsmanship, and everyone welcomed you."

"Mmm." The girl held the sword with both hands behind her back and said gently, "People who cannot cultivate always yearn for swordsmen, because they think it is romantic and trustworthy. No matter how illusory and shallow it may be, it is still a kind of love, which is better than conspiracy, hostility and resentment."

“There are already too many of the latter,” she said.

“…That’s right.”

The two then walked to the entrance of the courtyard and saw the woman in the yellow dress standing by the gate.

He Yaoyao dared not get too close to the courtyard gate, for fear that people coming in and out would notice her; she also dared not go too far from the courtyard gate, for fear that Pei Ye would not see her when he went out and would lose her. Being left alone in an unfamiliar place was simply a nightmare.

She dared not follow them into the building, because she didn't know any of the people inside.

When Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing walked over, they saw the woman standing gracefully and quietly three zhang to the left of the courtyard gate. There was a patch of pale yellow flowers that was similar in color to her skirt. She stood in the densest part, like an excessively tall yellow flower.

There was no pavilion here, so she held a small sword manual in front of her face and looked at it intently.

The location was brilliantly chosen; if one were to pass by the courtyard gate normally, they would hardly notice her.

But her eyes were clearly sharp; as soon as Pei Ye turned around, she immediately put down the sword manual, as if afraid that the young man would miss her.

But the next moment, upon seeing the girl in the green dress beside the boy, she was startled and seemed to want to cover her face with the sword book again.

But Pei Ye had already addressed her: "True He Master".

He Yaoyao stiffly put down the sword manual: "Young Master Pei..."

She looked at the ethereal blue dress beside the boy, and Li Piaoqing looked back at her with a smile.

"This...this..."

Pei Ye extended his hand to introduce: "This is my good friend Li Piaoqing from when I was in Shaolong Bowang. She is also the head of Yufei Mountain. She came to Shenjing with Tianshan. Piaoqing, this is He Yaoyao, the true disciple of Xudao Mountain. She is the third in the Hefu school and is very powerful. I was just asking her about sword principles."

Li Piaoqing smiled and bowed: "Master He, I have long admired your name. I just saw you on the terrace."

"I... this is the first time I've met you." He Yaoyao clasped her hands in a fist and bowed deeply. "He Yaoyao, the unworthy disciple of the Sect Leader of Xudao Mountain, conveys my master's greetings to Sect Leader Li!"

Li Piaoqing was startled and quickly waved her hand with a smile.

He returned the bow deeply.

Pei Ye said, "At this time, you should carry the person you are meeting for the first time."

"Oh." He Yaoyao blushed, but didn't recite it again.

Pei Ye said, "I'm leaving Tianshan Villa in a bit. Are there any troops from Xudao Mountain in the garden? I'll take you there."

He Yaoyao shook her head: "I came by carriage myself."

She hesitated for a moment: "If you're not taking me back to the Sword Cultivation Academy, then just take me to the gate. I can go find the coachman."

“I’ll take you…” Pei Ye paused, then smiled, “I might be back late this afternoon, and there won’t be any swords to discuss at the Sword Cultivation Academy… You can’t stay at the Sword Cultivation Academy, can you?”

"I can stay overnight, it's fine."

Pei Ye was stunned: "The main problem is... there's nowhere for you to stay."

He Yaoyao seemed to only realize it at this moment, and her face turned red: "Oh."

"Why don't you want to go back to Xudao Mountain?" Pei Ye seemed to understand.

“Because many people come to visit where I’m staying… I have to come out to meet them if I’m there,” He Yaoyao said softly, her head bowed.

Li Piaoqing thought for a moment and smiled: "Master He, why don't you stay here for a few days? I'll ask Tianshan to send an invitation to your sect, saying that we'd like you to come and teach swordsmanship."

"..."

“Although there aren’t many acquaintances here, the disciples of Tianshan won’t bother you,” Li Piaoqing said. After thinking for a moment, he added, “If Master He doesn’t mind, I can also be an acquaintance of yours.”

"Ah... thank you, Sect Leader Li."

Li Piaoqing smiled, and the group headed out of the courtyard together: "I'll take Master He to a secluded little pavilion to rest first."

He Yaoyao looked at her gratefully.

"How did He Zhenchuan and Pei Ye meet?" Pei Ye asked He Yaoyao as she walked by, holding a kitten.

He Yaoyao recalled for a moment and said honestly, "We met at the Liuzhen Inn outside the city, had a meal together, and stayed overnight."

Pei Ye quickly interjected, "In different rooms."

He Yaoyao looked at him blankly and said, "Yeah."

Li Piaoqing laughed: "Don't pay attention to him, I don't know what he's thinking."

"..." Pei Ye stared at her.

The Tianshan Villa was indeed very large, but the young girl knew the way well and led He Yaoyao to a very quiet little pavilion. Just by looking at the location, one could feel that no one would disturb them. Every time they walked deeper into the secluded area, Pei Ye saw He Yaoyao's expression relax a little more, until finally she felt as relaxed as if she had arrived home.

Pei Ye had never seen such a carefree and easygoing temperament in this woman before. He suddenly understood why she was called "Huang Yunxian" (Yellow Cloud Fairy). Perhaps the only things that suited her to be with her were solitary peaks, idle clouds, and wild cranes.

Li Piaoqing leaned against the pavilion door and chatted with her for a few words. Then he called over a servant and gave him instructions to settle the true disciple of Xudao Mountain.

Then the two went to the garden and returned to their seats in the Sword Cultivation Academy. The place was bustling with people, and many people subconsciously avoided Pei Ye when they saw his face, while others smiled and nodded.

Li Tishui had already left, leaving Pei Ye a note saying goodbye. Jiang Yin'er, however, remained where she was. Many people had come to see her. Although the young woman wasn't as timid as He Yaoyao, she was just as quiet. At this moment, as a true disciple of Shenxiao, she was probably forced to stand surrounded by six or seven people. Pei Ye could hardly imagine how chaotic her thoughts must have been, so he left Li Piaoqing at the edge and walked to the outer perimeter to stand, watching the young woman.

As expected, Jiang Yin'er spotted him immediately. After exchanging a few pleasantries and bringing the conversation to a close, she said formally, "Brother, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I'm coming right now."

When everyone turned around and saw the tall, stern-looking young man with no expression, they all looked on in understanding. Jiang Yin'er ran a few steps to Pei Ye's side.

The two left their seats in the Sword Cultivation Academy. Pei Ye tilted his head and smiled, "Master Jiang, what have I been waiting for you for? You lied to escape. I'm going to report this to your master."

Jiang Yin'er glared: "Brother, you seduced me."

"What did I entice you with? I was just standing there for a moment. I never expected that Master Jiang, who 'would never deceive his master,' would be so insightful."

Jiang Yin'er was easily embarrassed, and when he finally caught her in a small act of dishonesty, her face flushed red, and she said with slight annoyance, "Brother, don't ask me to practice swordsmanship anymore."

But as soon as she finished speaking, she noticed a strange girl in a blue dress smiling at her from under the tree ahead. She then realized that the boy had brought her this way in the first place.

She reacted faster than He Yaoyao, immediately composed herself, and turned to look at the boy first.

"I came to say goodbye and to rescue you," Pei Ye said, gesturing with his hand. "I'm going out with someone now. You'll return to the Sword Cultivation Academy by yourself tonight. Don't wait for me."

"……Oh."

Li Piaoqing raised his sleeves and clasped his hands in greeting: "I have long admired the name of Jiang Yin'er, the Little White Dragon."

Jiang Yin'er raised her hand blankly, and Pei Ye said somewhat embarrassedly, "This is Li Piaoqing, the head of Jade Jade Mountain. We have some business to attend to."

Jiang Yin'er was slightly startled, but returned the greeting and said, "Sect Leader Li, I have also... long admired your name."

Li Piaoqing smiled and nodded, but glanced at Pei Ye.

Jiang Yin'er looked at this beautiful young woman. At first glance, she seemed lively, but upon closer inspection, she was sharp and intelligent. Her expressive eyes revealed a quiet and serene demeanor.

At this moment, she realized that she couldn't hear the girl's thoughts about herself, and she was quite surprised.

“I am far away in Shaolong, and I’m afraid I don’t have any great reputation,” Li Piaoqing said. “I haven’t seen Pei Ye for a long time, and I’m sorry for taking up his afternoon and interfering with your sword practice.”

Jiang Yin'er quickly shook her head: "No, no, we don't actually train together much. We just often go to the same sword arena. Headmaster Li can occupy it for as many days as he wants."

Li Piaoqing smiled and said, "Why would I take up a few days of his time? He still needs to practice his swordsmanship and fight the Feather Scales."

Jiang Yin'er blushed slightly: "I...I don't know what to do either."

Because she couldn't hear her own thoughts, Jiang Yin'er felt an extra interest and fondness for this girl. She looked at her with some curiosity. If her brother hadn't said he had something to do, she would have really wanted to get to know her.

In Li Piaoqing's view, this pure and innocent Taoist girl gave off a different feeling.

Since she acquired the Heart-Transmitting Candle and the Quail Head, the beliefs and memories of most people have been separated from her by only a thin veil.

She rarely opened it to look, not because it was time-consuming and laborious, but because she firmly believed that people's thoughts not only guide their words and actions, but that words and actions, in turn, profoundly shape their thoughts.

If you get used to casually peering into the depths of other people's minds and then watching their words and actions with a smile, you will gradually lose your reverence for human beings and think of yourself as another noble species.

Because she possessed the Heart Candle, Li Piaoqing was well aware that she could see these subtle hidden dangers. She was indeed more accustomed to using it to analyze herself and repeatedly review her memories.

Even so, even though the telepathic candle couldn't capture people's superficial thoughts and feelings, she understood others far more easily than before. She had become much more sensitive to emotions; whether someone had a flawed obsession was like touching a foreign object beneath smooth silk to her—each person's shape was different.

Pei Ye had very deep fissures, and touching them made her heart clench. The surrounding area was full of sharp or hard bumps that were practically prickly to the touch.

But he also possessed the most blazing candle sword, like a raging fire.

It's hard to imagine how such a heart could behave like an ordinary person on a daily basis; perhaps it's thanks to the quail's head.

Aside from the bottomless fissure, her own shape was very similar to Pei Ye's, also covered in scars and ruggedness. However, instead of pus oozing from each wound, she burned with bright flames.

This is a very rare state, and Li Piaoqing seems to have seen the same potential in this Taoist girl today.

Her heart candle was so pure it was breathtaking; the color of heart poison was almost impossible to find. Only purity was innocence, and only with firmness was it a candle sword. That heart candle was deeply rooted, as sharp and strong as a sword.

Li Piaoqing could almost foresee the torment this pure heart would inevitably suffer in the future, but at the same time, she also saw its unyielding will.

So at this moment she quickly understood why the boy's affection for this "younger sister" was so obvious. She reached out with some pity and gently patted her shoulder.

Jiang Yin'er was somewhat surprised and gave her a blank smile.

Pei Ye said, "Alright, I'll go back to the Sword Academy tonight to take care of some things—you can go to that small building over there to find Cui Zhaoye and the others, so you don't have to be disturbed here."

Having mentioned "Li Piaoqing" to the girl a few times before, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable with the two of them standing together, and couldn't help but dismiss her again.

"I understand." Jiang Yin'er actually wanted to chat with this Sister Piaoqing for a bit more, but seeing her brother's awkwardness, she obediently left.

"You must take good care of this younger sister from now on," Li Piaoqing said, watching the girl's retreating figure.

“I know.” Pei Ye understood what she was talking about.

Now that only the two of them were left, he felt much more relaxed. The two of them strolled out of the garden together. He used to think that it would be awkward for him and Piao Qing to be together again, but now he realized that it would be awkward if there were other people involved.

He still enjoyed spending time alone with the girl, even just walking around without saying a word.

Li Piaoqing probably felt the same way. The two of them left the villa and headed north along the street without calling for a carriage.

The sky was getting warmer, tinged with patches of golden yellow. The area was bustling with people, a mix of vendors packing up and those setting up.

"Shenjing is really beautiful. But I was exploring by myself the other day without a guide, so I didn't know what many places were for, and I made some embarrassing mistakes." Li Piaoqing smiled.

“If there’s anything you don’t recognize, I’ll tell you. I haven’t been to the south much, but I’m quite familiar with the east and west parts of the city.”

"Yes, that's why I brought you here to show me the way."

"I don't necessarily know where you're going, but we can ask around."

Li Piaoqing laughed: "You must know that Layman Qi said you just came from there this morning, which is why he asked me to find you for directions."

"..."

"I'm going to the Xiuwen Hall to visit Prince Jinyang. If you don't want to go in, just lead me to the entrance," the girl said earnestly.

She looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes, but Pei Ye was truly frozen in place.

(End of this chapter)