Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

Before the morning mist had dissipated, a large ship broke through the waves, its draft extremely deep, slowly cleaving through the shimmering ripples.

Three masts stood tall and imposing, their sails billowing and rustling in the wind.

The sea breeze stirred, lifting Chai Xiaomi's long hair; the soft strands tangled and lashed against Wu Li's cheek.

Two strands of hair clung restlessly to the tip of her small nose, tickling her as if something was gently scratching her. She tried to raise her hand to brush away the unruly strands, but both her hands were firmly held by the boy in front of her.

She rushed back just before the ship set sail, and she was still slightly out of breath.

The two leaned against the railing of the boat, as the sunlight gradually peeked out from the sea.

In the dim morning light, Wu Li lowered her head and poured out fine medicinal powder from a small porcelain bottle, carefully applying it to the abrasion on her palm.

"Hands out, don't move." He said sternly, "You trip and fall even when you're walking. Are your eyes on the back of your head?"

"No," she blinked, a smile curving her lips, "it's grown on you."

"Lili, how can you be so handsome? You're exactly my type. I've discovered I have such good taste; I picked a gem of a husband for myself at first glance."

The girl's voice was soft and sweet, like waves crashing against his heart, making him lose his senses.

He knew full well that it contained a hint of cunning and manipulation.

But damn it, he just falls for it.

He wanted to say a few more words of reprimand, but he held back.

"My charming young man, come here and give your sister a kiss~~~" While he was looking down, Chai Xiaomi deliberately leaned close to his bright red earlobe and teased him even more.

She referred to herself as "elder sister," putting on airs, but her voice was sweet as if it were soaked in honey, soft and charming, which created a strange contrast.

Wu Li took a deep breath and remained silent.

He pursed his lips, trying his best to appear focused on pouring the medicine powder.

But with a sudden tremor of her fingertips, the small porcelain bottle shuddered, and most of the powder spilled out, landing in her palm in a white flake.

Chai Xiaomi chuckled, "Young man, your hands are shaking quite badly. Now that you're a disciple of the Jingming Platform, you mustn't let your Dao heart be disturbed."

All she could do was tease her younger brother in broad daylight and show off her verbal skills.

Once the candles are extinguished at night, she no longer has the final say.

Wu Li was speechless at the phrase "disciple of Jingmingtai". He gathered the spilled medicine powder back into the porcelain bottle and showed utter disdain for the title: "What Jingmingtai? It has nothing to do with me. I only agreed to be its disciple because I felt sorry for that white cat."

Chai Xiaomi immediately corrected her, "No, no, you can't call it 'White Cat' anymore, you should call it 'Master'."

One call was already his limit. The boy slowly lifted his eyelids and squeezed her fingers: "Mimi, do you want me to put chili water on you?"

"I think this powder of yours is made of chili peppers, it's fiery and pungent." She pouted, dissatisfied. Fine, don't yell then.

He gritted his teeth and continued applying the medicine, but with an incredibly light touch.

Seeing the several cuts and light red marks on her fair palms, a wave of regret washed over me.

If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have gone with her, or gone on this trip myself.

"Why are you making such a face?" She looked at his focused expression and gently shook the hand he was holding.

"I'm really afraid you'll fall and kill yourself one day. You don't even watch where you're going, and you don't even care about the hem of your skirt. Next time you go out, should I pave the road for you like a cotton field?"

"..." Chai Xiaomi paused for a moment, already used to his unconventional way of expressing concern. "I didn't fall on purpose. And I already said, it wasn't my skirt that tripped me, it was just that the ground was too slippery, and there was a lot of moss."

"The street leading from the dock to the Illusionary Sound Pavilion is wide and paved with large cobblestones. Where did this moss come from?" Wu Li's fingers, which were applying medicine, suddenly paused. His gaze sharpened slightly as he tentatively asked, "Could it be that what you went to retrieve isn't at the Illusionary Sound Pavilion?"

Chai Xiaomi's heart skipped a beat.

Wu Li is often too clever, so clever that Wu Li is sometimes hard for Wu Li to handle.

He can easily find a loophole in a casual, unguarded remark.

But she couldn't tell him where she went or what she did before she left.

Otherwise, the scolding you receive might be worse than a fall.

She had just found an excuse to brush it off when Old Ji's kind voice descended like a savior from heaven—

"My disciple!"

Wu Li's ears were as if they were plugged with cotton, and he didn't move an inch.

Chai Xiaomi reached out and flicked his earring, making a soft, delicate sound, and whispered, "Hey, I'm talking to you."

The white cat, its fur fluttering in the wind, thought it hadn't called out clearly enough, so it cleared its throat and called out, "Wu Li Na."

Chai Xiaomi blinked: "It's you I'm calling."

Wu Li calmly put away the small porcelain bottle before speaking: "My name isn't Wu Li, it's Li Li."

"..."

Chai Xiaomi gave Lao Ji an awkward smile.

"You little brat!" The white cat's fur bristled like a hedgehog. On the very first day it took on this apprentice, it had a premonition that its lifespan would be cut short and its days were numbered.

Seeing that Wu Li wouldn't listen to reason, it rolled its eyes and changed tactics: "Little Xiaomi, I have a secret to tell you—"

Before the words had even finished, the boy turned, lifted his leg, and took a step—all in one fluid motion—and was right in front of the white cat in the blink of an eye. A gentle smile played on his lips, and his eyes narrowed slightly: "Master, you were looking for me?"

Chai Xiaomi's mouth was halfway open when she froze, "?"

The white cat was clearly taken aback by this sudden "obedience," and only after a moment of stunned silence did it regain its master's dignity, flicking its whisk: "Come with me to the bow of the ship, and let's talk about life."

Wu Li's smile widened: "Yes, Master, let's go, Master."

After saying that, he grabbed the white cat by the tail, picked it up, and left.

The white cat lifted its four paws off the ground, swayed twice in the air, and cried out, "Ouch!"

Chai Xiaomi watched the departing figures of the person and the cat. The person walked with composure and elegance, while the cat was swayed and bewildered in the wind, with three huge question marks slowly rising above its head.

Jiang Zhiyu, holding a freshly washed apple, emerged from his hiding place.

He walked over to Chai Xiaomi, suspiciously examining the two figures that had walked away, and asked, "Xiaomi, don't you also feel something's off?"

Chai Xiaomi didn't say anything, but silently extended her hand.

Jiang Zhiyu understood immediately, broke the apple in half, and handed one half to her.

The two stood side by side, munching on apples while engaging in a serious academic discussion.

Chai Xiaomi took a bite of her apple and asked indistinctly, "Old Ji is your master, you know him best, it wouldn't be able to cast spells or anything like that, would it?"

Jiang Zhiyu pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "The number of people who want to become my master's disciples could circle the Central Plains three times over. Even if Wu Li is exceptionally talented, and my master values ​​talent, he wouldn't resort to underhanded methods for him, would he?"

The last "ba" sounded somewhat hesitant.

Seeing Chai Xiaomi's mysterious gaze drift over, he immediately straightened his back: "Absolutely not! Master hates those evil and crooked paths the most. It is devoted to good and will never touch evil."

"Most importantly... if it commits evil deeds, it will never be able to ascend to immortality in this life, and will only be a cat for the rest of its life."

Chai Xiaomi slowed down her movements as she ate the apple.

"Actually, Master was quite pitiful. My father told me that when it first turned into a cat, many of its fellow disciples gossiped and mocked it, saying it wouldn't even be able to hold a sword in the future. Master never paid any attention to them, focusing solely on learning its skills and only wanting to save all living beings."

His gaze drifted to the sea, and his voice carried a barely perceptible sigh.

"After its master ascended to heaven, all of Master Jingming Taizhong's peers took shortcuts to attain enlightenment, killing their relatives, severing their emotional ties, and undergoing tribulations, each one faster than the last. Only Master still adhered to Master's words, relying on accumulating merit to slowly endure the process."

"This is the most arduous and the longest road."

Chai Xiaomi didn't say anything, and took another bite of the apple.

As I chewed, I suddenly felt a little uneasy.

Therefore, it seems that Lao Ji taking Lili as his apprentice was a risky decision for him, and it must have been a decision he made after struggling for a long time.

From this day forward, they will be bound by cause and effect. Whatever Lili does in the future, its master will have to bear a share of the responsibility.