Ying Huanhuan: "This is my senior brother!"

Chapter 122 Ying Huanhuan: "This is my senior brother!"

Seeing this, Lan He suddenly reached out and gently grasped her hand, which was placed at her side.

The hand was slightly cool, soft and boneless, with a small, curled-up creature in his palm, trembling slightly like a startled jade rabbit, but it did not pull away.

Qingzhu paused slightly, then turned her head away, pretending to look at the night sky. But a blush crept from her earlobe to her cheek, standing out clearly in the moonlight.

Lan He turned his head to look at her. Under the moonlight, her aloof and peerless face was tinged with a faint blush, making her even more beautiful than the moonlight itself.

He said softly, "You know, when I first saw you in the manor, I thought, how could there be such a person in this world, as beautiful as a painting, yet as cold as ice."

Ling Qingzhu glanced at him slightly to the side, but said nothing.

Lanhe continued, "When we met again in this bamboo forest, I thought to myself, 'If only I could see you a few more times.'"

He paused, then tightened his grip on her hand slightly: "Later, I realized that just looking at her wasn't enough."

Ling Qingzhu's fingers curled slightly in his palm.

She finally turned her head and looked at him. In the moonlight, his clear, cold eyes rippled slightly, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

She spoke softly, her voice lower than usual, carrying a gentleness she herself hadn't even noticed: "When did you—become so eloquent?"

Lan He smiled, looking at her earnestly, his eyes reflecting the moonlight and her figure: "It's not just talk, it's the truth."

Ling Qingzhu stared at him blankly, her clear, cold eyes flickering slightly, as if some emotion was quietly melting away.

Lan He gazed at her intently, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke, his tone much more serious than before: "Miss Qingzhu, although it may be presumptuous, I still wish to ask a question—"

He paused, then spoke gently and frankly, enunciating each word clearly: "Have you ever felt even a flicker of attraction towards Lan He?"

After he finished speaking, the bamboo forest seemed to become even quieter.

Ling Qingzhu froze, as if she had never imagined that the young man in front of her would ask such a question. She stared blankly at the young man in white, at the moonlight reflected in his eyes, and at herself reflected in them.

A blush crept across her cool and aloof face, deeper and more intense than before, spreading all the way to her ears and neck.

She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and after a long while, she spoke in a low voice: "I—I don't know—"

Her voice was soft, yet it carried a hint of confusion and helplessness she had never felt before.

She really didn't know.

From childhood, everything she received told her that she was the young master of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, the successor of the Supreme Induction Technique, and the future of the sect. Her path had already been predetermined, and her heart had to be as still as water, allowing no deviation whatsoever.

But this person kept appearing before her, disturbing her peace of mind time and time again.

The abruptness of their first meeting, the swift figure during their battle in the bamboo forest, and today on the battlefield, that white-clad figure fluttering in the wind, slaying countless enemies—

She didn't know what it was.

All she knew was that when he held her hand just now, she didn't want to pull it away, and now that she heard him ask that question, her heart was beating so fast that it frightened her.

Ling Qingzhu looked up at him. In the moonlight, her clear, cold eyes shimmered with tears, both bewildered and tender: "Master said—the Supreme Induction Technique requires undivided attention and must not be troubled by emotions. As the young palace master, I especially cannot—"

""

Before she could finish speaking, Lan He suddenly interrupted her: "Qingzhu."

He looked at her, his gaze open and honest, and asked a question no one had ever asked before: "In all these years at the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, has anyone ever used this technique to achieve reincarnation?"

Ling Qingzhu was slightly taken aback, then shook her head and said softly, "—No."

Lan He smiled, a smile that seemed especially gentle in the moonlight: "Since the path of ruthlessness is blocked, why not try the path of compassion?"

Ling Qingzhu was stunned, her eyes rippled with emotion.

Lan He continued, "Just because our ancestors couldn't do it doesn't mean you can't. Rules are made by people, and those who make the rules may not understand the Supreme Response Technique better than you."

He reached out and gently took her hand again; her small hand felt slightly warm in his palm.

Under the moonlight, he spoke each word earnestly and sincerely: "Qingzhu, I love you."

Ling Qingzhu froze, her clear, cold eyes suddenly widening, the ripples turning into a raging storm.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that her throat felt blocked by something. A blush surged across her cold and aloof face, spreading from her cheeks to her ears, and from her ears to her neck, making her breathing somewhat disordered.

After a long while, she finally found her voice, which was as soft as if she were dreaming: "You—how dare you—"

Looking at her like this, Lan He's smile deepened: "Because it's you, I dare to."

"If Your Highness is dissatisfied, you are welcome to discuss this with my Sect Leader."

"If any of the elders of your esteemed palace who are at the Profound Realm are dissatisfied, they are welcome to come and find me."

He slightly raised his chin, a smile playing on his young face in the moonlight, yet he commanded respect: "I, Lan He, am not talented, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve that can silence you elders."

Seeing his expression, Ling Qingzhu finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

On that aloof and peerless face, a smile bloomed like a night-blooming cereus under the moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful. She tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth, but found that she couldn't, so she simply let it rise.

"You're so arrogant!"

Her voice carried a hint of reproach, but her clear, cool eyes were filled with an unprecedented tenderness and joy.

As Lanhe looked at her and smiled, something in his heart seemed to be gently touched, making him feel incredibly tender.

Ling Qingzhu gazed at him, her eyes shining with an unprecedented brilliance in the moonlight: "When you asked me just now, I didn't even know what I was thinking."

She paused, her voice soft yet firm: "But now I know."

"What I like is the person in front of me, Lan He, who is spirited, outspoken, and has a youthful vigor."

Lan He was stunned, then his eyes welled up with indescribable joy. He could no longer hold back, took a step forward, and gently pulled her into his arms.

Ling Qingzhu stiffened slightly, but did not struggle. Instead, she slowly raised her hand and wrapped it around his waist.

Moonlight spills down, the bamboo forest is quiet, and two figures embrace tightly.

After a long while, Lan He released her and looked down at her. In the moonlight, her cool and aloof face was tinged with a faint blush, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

He finally couldn't resist, slowly lowered his head, and kissed her.

"Um----"

Ling Qingzhu trembled slightly, letting out a very soft moan, like a startled fawn. Her hand pressed against his chest, but she couldn't muster any strength, and in the end, she could only gently clutch his collar.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

Ling Qingzhu lowered her eyes, her cheeks flushed like the sunset, and even her breathing became erratic. She didn't dare look up at him, but buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled: "You—you're being insolent—"

Lan He looked down at her, his eyes filled with tenderness. He gently stroked her hair and whispered, "Hmm, I was being presumptuous."

Ling Qingzhu raised her head and glared at him, but her once clear and cold eyes were now glistening with tears, and all traces of her former majesty were gone; instead, she seemed to be acting coquettishly.

Looking at her like this, Lan He couldn't help but lower his head again.

"Still so insolent—"

Ling Qingzhu's voice grew softer and softer until it was completely swallowed by the moonlight.

The following day, at the Prince of Zhan's residence.

In the bamboo forest, two figures nestled together, sunlight filtering through the bamboo leaves and casting dappled shadows on them.

Lan He leaned against the bluestone, and Ling Qingzhu gently rested her head on his shoulder. Neither of them spoke, but they quietly enjoyed this rare moment of peace.

Suddenly, Lan He's brow twitched slightly. He had already forged his primordial spirit, and his perception far surpassed that of ordinary people. No movement of the wind or grass within a hundred feet could escape his spiritual sense. At this moment, a familiar aura was hopping and skipping towards the bamboo forest.

He gently patted Ling Qingzhu's shoulder and whispered, "Someone's coming."

Ling Qingzhu was slightly taken aback, but then understood. The two tacitly separated a little, one sitting upright and the other lowering her eyes to straighten her clothes. The gentle smile on her face also faded a bit, and she returned to her usual coldness and composure.

A moment later, Ying Huanhuan's voice came from outside the bamboo forest: "Senior brother! So you were here!"

She skipped in, a hint of grievance on her face: "Senior brother, you gave my sister a Tribulation-Crossing Pill, why didn't you give me one?"

Since the battle of Tianbei City, Ying Huanhuan has been completely convinced of her senior brother's abilities. Nirvana Reversal Slash against Life Profound, even the leaders of the Yuan Sect fell to his sword—if she didn't acknowledge such a senior brother quickly, when would she?

So now when she calls him "senior brother," it comes out so naturally and with such confidence.

Lan He coughed lightly, trying to make his voice sound natural: "It's just a Tribulation-Crossing Pill, right? Take it."

He casually took out a pill that emitted a warm glow from his Qiankun bag and handed it to Ying Huanhuan, his tone tinged with helplessness: "This pill is rare. Go find your sister to help you refine it, don't dawdle here."

Ying Huanhuan took the pill, her eyes sparkling, but she stood still.

She glanced at Lan He, then at Ling Qingzhu who stood silently with her eyes down, and then at the subtle distance between the two of them. A hint of suspicion appeared on her small face.

"Senior brother————"

She tilted her head and blinked, "What were you doing just now?"

Lan He remained expressionless and said calmly, "Admire the bamboo."

Ying Huanhuan then looked at Ling Qingzhu, her tone noticeably less enthusiastic, after all, this was the one who had defeated her sister: "Young Palace Master Ling, what about you?"

Ling Qingzhu raised her eyes, her cold face revealing no emotion: "The same."

"Same?"

Ying Huanhuan frowned, blinked, and felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She looked at the two of them suspiciously, then suddenly said, "Young Master Ling, why are your ears red?"

Ling Qingzhu remained expressionless: "I just had a sparring session with Young Master Lanhe, and my blood and qi are a little turbulent. I also had a sparring session with my senior brother, and my blood and qi are just turbulent."

Ying Huanhuan's gaze towards Ling Qingzhu suddenly held a complex expression. Such a figure had actually emerged from the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace—

Although she is not as talented as her senior brother, she is indeed exceptionally gifted.

"In that case, I shall take my leave."

Ying Huanhuan snapped out of her daze, put away the pills, and turned to leave. Suddenly, she remembered something and turned back, saying, "By the way, Senior Brother, Senior Lan Zhan is looking for you. He wants you to go to his study."

Lan He nodded and said, "I understand, you can go now."

Ying Huanhuan said "Oh," turned around, and skipped away from the bamboo forest.

Once her figure had completely disappeared at the end of the bamboo forest, Lan He and Ling Qingzhu exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief.

Lan He smiled wryly, "This little girl has a very keen sense of smell."

Ling Qingzhu's lips curved into a faint smile. She didn't speak, but a faint blush lingered at the base of her ears.

Meanwhile, Ying Huanhuan returned to her older sister Ying Xiaoxiao's room, plopped down in a chair, rested her chin on her hand, and looked thoughtful.

Ying Xiaoxiao was flipping through an ancient book when she looked up at her and asked, "What's wrong? You seem distracted."

Ying Huanhuan didn't answer, but murmured, "Sister, I have a question for you."

-

"Um?

""

"Under what circumstances would a man and a woman admire bamboo together?"

Ying Xiaoxiao paused slightly in the ancient book in her hand, looked up at her sister, and a knowing look flashed in her eyes.

She gently closed the book and said calmly, "Naturally, we'll be Daoist partners."

Ying Huanhuan's eyes widened immediately, and she jumped up from her chair.

"What?!"

The expression on her little face changed from shock to disbelief, then from disbelief to anger, and finally her whole face turned red.

"That vixen, Ling Qingzhu!"

She gritted her teeth, her fists clenched so tightly they cracked: "She actually—she actually kidnapped my senior brother!"

Ying Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow slightly: "Your senior brother?"

"yes!"

Ying Huanhuan, with a self-righteous air, began pacing back and forth in the room, "Senior Brother Lanhe is the young sect leader of our Dao Sect, the hope for the revival of the Dao Sect! Our Dao Sect has been around for so many years, and it's not easy to have a Senior Brother Lanhe. Father has been happy for him for so long—"

She grew angrier as she spoke, her pace quickening: "That young master of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace actually dared—dared to use his beauty to seduce my senior brother!"

"She must have resorted to such underhanded tactics because she couldn't beat my senior brother in the sparring match. No way, I have to go and get him back!"

As she spoke, she turned and was about to rush outside.

Ying Xiaoxiao reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist: "Stop."

Ying Huanhuan struggled, "Sister, don't stop me!"

Ying Xiaoxiao looked at her and said calmly, "What are you going there for? If Junior Brother Lanhe truly likes her, what good will it do for you to go?"

Ying Huanhuan was stunned, and the anger on her face froze.

"But—my Dao Sect—"

Ying Xiaoxiao sighed, pulled her to sit down in a chair, and softened her tone: "Don't worry. Senior Brother Lanhe has already joined my Dao Sect, and he can't possibly run off to the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace. Whether his body is here or his heart is somewhere else is his own business."

She paused, looking at her younger sister's still somewhat unwilling face, and gently shook her head: "Besides, Ling Qingzhu is the young palace master of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace. In terms of status, appearance, and talent, how is she not a match for Junior Brother Lanhe? What are you so anxious about?"

Ying Huanhuan opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't say a word.

Yes, he's the young palace master, good-looking, and powerful too—

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and her lips trembled: "But—but I always feel that Senior Brother is from our Dao Sect—"

Ying Xiaoxiao couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to rub her head: "Silly girl, a person isn't an object, how can they belong to anyone? As long as he has Daozong in his heart, that's enough."

Upon hearing this, Ying Huanhuan slowly lowered her head.

For the first time, she realized that some things couldn't be changed by getting angry or anxious.

But----

She pursed her lips, a sudden surge of competitive spirit welling up inside her.

If Ling Qingzhu can do it, why can't I?

Senior Brother Lanhe is so outstanding, having achieved Nirvana and Severed Life, even the entire Yuan Sect commander fell to his sword. Isn't it normal for someone like him to be liked?

She clenched her fists, and her fighting spirit rekindled in her eyes.

What Ling Qingzhu can do, she can do too.

At worst, I'll just try a little harder!