Chapter 12: Ch 12 - Have you seen enough?
Second Upadate.
-For real?!-
-You're backstabbing me like this?-
Yino rushed to the main hall, but was dumbfounded by the scene before him.
He first looked at Yuyan, who met his gaze with a knowing smile and her lips curling with hidden meaning.
Yino then looked at his father, the celestial official who was usually busy with state affairs. Now, the latter nodded slightly, his eyes showing rare approval as he looked at his prodigal son.
"Yino, you've done well this time."
"Hurry and thank your future Senior Sister"
Chensheng stood with his hands behind his back, his experienced and serious eyes hinting from behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
As his words fell, many elders in the mansion also nodded silently giving their approval.
Only Yino stood at the door with a gloomy expression.
-Wait, how did I wake up to suddenly calling her Senior Sister?-
In all his years at the Grand Tutor's Mansion, this was the first time Yino had been praised by all the elders at once.
He once again cast a suspicious glance at Yuyan, but the white-robed maiden stood gracefully, chest out and stomach in, with an expectant smile on her face, as if she had long been prepared for the young man to kneel and accept her as his master.
She must have praised Yino in front of the family elders!
She even looked proud of it, and Yino was supposed to thank her!
Everything seemed so natural, including Yuhe's frustrated expression beside them.
But the key point was—
-Had anyone asked for my opinion?-
If he hadn't misheard earlier at the door, Yuyan had clearly and politely said that she would consult the Seventh Young Master's wishes first.
But after Yino pushed open the door and entered, it seemed all the elders had ignored this matter.
It was just like what the Pleasure witch had said last night about an invisible hand.
No matter what Yino chose, in the end, he would inevitably be sent to the Wuji Sect!
"I am unworthy, thank you for your tolerance, Senior Sister Mo."
With a thud, unable to withstand the pressure of the elders' gazes, Yino finally succumbed and knelt before the white-robed maiden to accept her as his master.
But just at this moment, the golden-haired girl from the corridor burst in.
"Mo Yuyan! What are you up to?"
"You clearly look down on our Yino deep down. Yesterday you were still cold and putting on a sour face, but now you're pretending to agree to take Yino up the mountain!"
"A weasel paying New Year's respects to a chicken, you're up to no good!"
Her voice was loud and her tone sharp. Her light golden phoenix eyes pierced through the crowd of disciples, aiming directly at the white-robed maiden standing with her hands behind her back.
Yuyan turned to look, her previously smiling celestial face inevitably turning cold under Xinyao's barrage of accusations.
It was nothing personal, this girl just didn't mince her words.
Last night she had shouted so loudly, Yuyan had pretended not to hear.
But unexpectedly, now that she had agreed to take on a disciple, Xinyao still wanted to scold her, and in such a crowded setting...
"Xinyao, mind your manners!"
In the hall, a white-haired elder stood up and reprimanded her sternly.
Although he was elderly, he had the authority of a higher realm. With just one command, Xinyao couldn't withstand the pressure, her jade legs trembling slightly under her skirt.
Xinyao had a straightforward personality. She gritted her teeth, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster, clearly showing an attitude of preferring death to submission.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Chensheng on the platform sighed and intervened to break up the confrontation between the elder and the young girl.
"Third Elder, please calm down. Xinyao is just concerned about our Yino."
Chensheng said calmly.
A moment later, he turned back to the Third Elder, a silver glint flashing behind his glasses—
"Third Elder."
"Let's not make ourselves a laughingstock in front of the Immortal maiden."
His tone was still cultured and elegant, his speech slow, but as a celestial official in his prime, he had the authority and power no less than an elder.
Just one look was enough to make the angry elder calm down considerably.
The elder recalled Xinyao's special status, closed his eyes and sighed, unwilling to say more.
Chensheng relaxed his stern demeanor, put on a smile, and spoke to the girl below in a much gentler tone:
"Xinyao, don't be willful anymore."
"You and Yino are no longer children."
His tone towards the girl was actually more like coaxing a child.
After all, Xinyao's identity was very special, and many elders in the Grand Tutor's Mansion didn't know much about her.
As Yino's father, although Chensheng sympathized with Xinyao, now in the hall, he could only remind Xinyao in a tactful way.
There were too many complex forces in the Great Dragon Dynasty, and many inside stories that couldn't be fully explained.
The cooperation between the Grand Tutor's Mansion and the Wuji Sect was actually a form of protection for Yino.
At least in a righteous Immortal sect, he could stay away from the secular world and avoid being caught up in the overt and covert struggles of the imperial court.
"I... I can also be responsible for teaching Yino cultivation..."
The girl knew she was in the wrong, and her uncle had already given her face, but she still bit her lip resentfully.
"Xinyao, you can't bear this responsibility. Moreover, don't you have your own work to attend to?"
Chensheng shook his head, still maintaining his composure.
Although his tone was much gentler than the other elders, his patience with Xinyao was also diminishing as time passed.
The overwhelming pressure made Xinyao's confidence dwindle, and her voice grew smaller and smaller.
"But... I'm worried that Yino will be bullied when he goes to the Wuji Sect..."
She looked at Yuyan and the other Wuji Sect disciples with lingering dissatisfaction.
The white-robed maiden's beautiful eyes flashed, and she naturally pursed her lips into a smile, showing goodwill:
"Now that I've accepted Yino as a disciple, he is my junior brother. By my side, no one in the Wuji Sect would dare to bully him."
With these words, Xinyao was at a loss for words, falling into complete silence.
She looked at Yuyan in disbelief, not understanding what had happened last night. It seemed that overnight, the disdainful and aloof immortal maiden had become gentle and caring towards Yino.
Yino himself was also pleasantly surprised.
But he didn't know what to say either, after all, the mansion was full of important people negotiating, and he, as the chess piece being traded, couldn't interject.
Or rather...
Except for Xinyao, neither the Grand Tutor's Mansion nor the Wuji Sect really cared about his opinion.
But just when Yino had given up hope, the white-robed maiden holding a sword in her arms smiled and returned the choice to him:
"Young Master He, what do you think?"
"Me?"
Yino raised an eyebrow, initially wanting to say he didn't agree.
But on second thought, his eyes met Yuyan's gaze, and memories of being protected by Yuyan last night flooded his mind.
"Young Master, do you think you would be bullied in the Wuji Sect as my junior brother?"
"Well, it's hard to say."
Yino smiled awkwardly, feeling the pressure Yuyan was putting on him.
Rationally, he did owe Yuyan a favor from last night, but when it came to protection, Yino didn't really believe Yuyan would have the time to look after him once they were in the Wuji Sect.
After all, in the original story, Yino was left to fend for himself in the Wuji Sect.
"Is that so? It seems Young Master still lacks a sense of security."
Yuyan said generously with a smile.
She stepped forward lightly, took out a jade pendant from her sleeve, and handed it to Yino:
"This is the token of Ranmo Peak."
"Wear it, and you will be my junior brother, allowed to ascend Ranmo Peak. If you encounter danger outside, I will come to your aid promptly and protect you completely."
"... Thank you, Senior Sister..."
The desire for treasures from his previous life in the game made Yino instinctively accept the jade pendant with a shocked eyes.
He hadn't expected Yuyan to directly give him the Ranmo Peak token in front of everyone just to win him over.
He was all too familiar with this jade pendant!
In his previous life when playing Fallen Immortal, Yino had received a jade pendant gifted by the Senior Sister after completing a main storyline quest, which also granted him permission to ascend Ranmo Peak.
However, Ranmo Peak itself didn't have much to offer. Every time he reached the top of the mountain, he would just click on Yuyan to trigger a dialogue, listen to a few cryptic but deeply resentful lines from this enigmatic Senior Sister, and that would be it.
Compared to the barren place that was Ranmo Peak, the [Get Out of Jail Free Card] was the true value of this jade pendant!
When players were on the brink of death, they could use the pendant to summon Yuyan to save them.
And Yuyan's combat power was unparalleled in the early and mid-stages of the main storyline.
However, the chance to call Yuyan for help was only once, after which the pendant could be thrown into storage to gather dust.
In the game, the reason Yuyan gave the pendant to the protagonist was simple: the protagonist was born with a holy sword physique, the future hope of the Wuji Sect's sword dao, so she gave him a life-saving charm to prevent assassination by opposing forces.
But such a precious treasure, she had easily given to Yino?
Now Yino felt indebted and found it hard to refuse.
"—Have you seen enough?"
At some point, Yuyan's mature voice asked with an intriguing tone.
Yino snapped back to reality. Although he had been staring at the jade pendant, he was kneeling before the Immortal maiden to accept her as his master, and from this low angle, he could also see a pair of silver stilettos faintly visible beneath her celestial robe.
After all, in the cultivation game from his previous life, it was quite reasonable for celestial maidens to wear various styles of high heels.
"Don't misunderstand, I was just looking at the jade pendant."
Yino withdrew his gaze and explained helplessly.
But Yuyan raised an eyebrow, looking at him with curiosity: "I was also talking about the jade pendant. Is there something wrong?"
"Alright, you win." Yino felt even more embarrassed.
Yuyan gestured: "If you've seen enough, please put it on."
"Wearing my jade pendant also means you're willing to follow me up the mountain."
Yuyan stood with her arms crossed, holding her sword, looking down at Yino through the valley between her breasts.
Although her words were clearly about the jade pendant, for some reason, Yino now felt like he was being watched to put on a pet collar.
Yino hesitated.
Looking at the jade pendant in his hand, he suddenly felt more confident and secure, thinking it might even be possible to have a bout with the story's protagonist at the Wuji Sect.
At some point, Yuyan narrowed her cold eyes and took a step forward.
She took the jade pendant from Yino's hand, leaned forward, and helped the young man tie it around his neck.
After that, under the pretense of adjusting Yino's clothes, Yuyan brought her red lips close to his ear and whispered:
-[Yino, I advise you to settle down and submit to me early.]-
-[After all, your father has already entrusted you to me in private. From now on, your life in the Wuji Sect is under my control.]-
Beneath the maiden's seemingly gentle and beautiful face, her eyes reflected a hint of coldness.
This was the first time Yino had been threatened by her up close.
But thinking carefully, she had shown her dark side quite a bit last night too.
This was very different from Yuyan's image in the game!
At least when Yino played Fallen Immortal in his previous life, throughout the early and middle stages of the game, he had never seen Yuyan reveal her true face as a bad woman.
-Oh well, at least I got a free life-saving charm.-
-When I encounter an inevitable death scenario later, I can still cling to Yuyan's thigh.-
Yino nodded silently, analyzing the pros and cons.
Seeing that the young man had finally become obedient, Yuyan smiled.
Then, her smile faded as she turned to look at the golden-haired girl not far away.
Xinyao's phoenix eyes stared straight at the immortal maiden, finally at a loss for words, giving up the fight.
Yuyan understood and turned to address the elders seated in the hall—
"It seems everyone has no objections."
"Respected elders, Master of the House."
"In three days, I need to preside over the entrance examination for new disciples at the Wuji Sect."
"If you have no other concerns, I won't stay any longer today and will take Junior Brother Yino up the mountain to formally join the sect as soon as possible."
She said politely, her hand on Yino's shoulder, her gaze sweeping across the Grand Tutor's Mansion.
Naturally, the elders had no objections.
At this point, Yino had gained an advantage and indeed couldn't be fussy anymore.
Seeing this, Yuyan patted the young man's back:
"Go pack your things. I'll give you three hours to say goodbye to your family."
"After three hours, I'll be waiting for you in the carriage at the front gate."
The white-robed maiden stood with her hands behind her back, giving instructions with an impressive air.
But just as Yino turned to leave, she secretly transmitted a message through her mind—
-[Yino, pack a few chess manuals and hide them in your bundle.]-
-[These forbidden books are not allowed by the Master in the Wuji Sect. If you can help with this, when we return to Ranmo Peak tonight, this immortal will surely not treat you poorly.]-