Could it be that I am the cruel villain?
Chapter 266 - 181: Dare You Respond If I Call You Senior Sister?

Chapter 266: Chapter 181: Dare You Respond If I Call You Senior Sister?

Sweat, just like that, flowed down.

"Do you recognize it?"

The tone was so filled with certainty, it bore not even the slightest hint of inquiry.

Although Yu Ying had returned to Heavenly Power Peak to stay for a while, she never inquired about the situation of her junior male disciple when she saw him; she had absolute trust in Jiang Feng, confident in her own judgment.

As for Yu Ying, she was not the type to take the initiative either. If you asked her anything, she would respond readily, but unless you asked, she wouldn’t utter a single word.

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t recognize it, but it’s a pity to waste the good intentions of that Little Saintess."

"I am guilty."

Finally, under immense pressure, someone chose to confess and seek leniency.

"No, that’s not true. I do recognize it."

An old face wrinkled like a bitter gourd.

It was like this when he and that crazy woman Yu Ying were traveling together; arbitrarily mentioning Cen Yueyue, no matter how much someone tried to maintain a nonchalant expression when parting, he truly didn’t want to let go.

"How did Senior Sister come to know of this?"

His face ashen, he certainly knew Liu Tangxi wouldn’t blame him, but... it was like the sensation of a kid getting caught by parents while having a secret relationship—not that the parents would scold you, but they would playfully mock you, making you unbearably embarrassed.

Leading Jiang Feng straight towards the exit, the young man walked a half-step behind, with Liu Xianzi only accompanying the young man for a leisurely stroll around the mountain top to familiarize him with the environment of Swordmaster Peak.

Had it been Yu Ying, she would have definitely brought up Yan Yurou by now, then mocked the person for his betrayal, breaking down his psychological defenses.

However, Liu Tangxi had no such malicious intent, choosing instead to seriously explain.

"Purple Cloud Palace is full of informants, and a mere wall separates Fengzhou from the Southern Border; any significant figure’s appearance is promptly reported to the sect. Yu Ying likely knew before I did."

"The Cen siblings are around the same age as you; in fact, when I got the news, I considered whether to introduce you to them or not. I’ve met Cen Yueyue; she’s bright and comes from a significant background, with a forthright personality."

"Moreover, Chief Cen is known as a gentleman throughout the Cultivation World, and becoming friends with Cen Yueyue would be a huge help to you and the sect in the future."

"After all, this year’s World Martial Arts Competition..."

She didn’t finish her sentence.

She did hold some private hopes, considering Cen Yueyue was indeed a promising young talent among the disciples of this generation. If they became friends, she wouldn’t have to worry too much about the competition.

Mentioning this to Jiang Feng now didn’t seem appropriate, so she continued, "This Scarlet Pill is quite rare across the entire Southern Border. If I hadn’t had contact with the Cen Family, I might not have recognized it myself."

"You have two elixirs accumulated in your body, to have such high-grade pills and more than one suggests that person holds an exceedingly high status within Cen Family Village; likely it would be the sibling pair."

"And she must have given you the pill willingly. You may have some trump cards up your sleeve, but trying to take something from her... well, it might take you another five years to catch up to her."

Lies don’t hurt people, it’s the truth that cuts like a sharp knife.

The smile that had just appeared on someone’s face immediately vanished.

"The first time I met Cen Yueyue was seven or eight years ago in the Southern Border while chasing down an Evil Cultivator. At that time, Aunt Yun had just extended an invitation for her to enter the discipleship of Swordmaster Peak, and Chief Cen held a similar view, considering the renowned reputation of our master, whose name as a Sword Immortal is known throughout the world."

"So I gave her a few pointers with a try-and-see attitude. To put it this way, in terms of talent, among your generation of disciples, likely none can surpass her."

One sentence was enough to prove the value of this Little Saintess from the Southern Border; even Jiang Feng had to agree when he first saw her in her mid-Core Formation stage at the age of eighteen, which had startled him.

"But her identity and personality are not suited for this path; she’s more fit to inherit the Southern Border’s legacy and ignite the Li Fire. So, after I taught her a few moves, I ultimately chose to leave, and later I heard she had become the new Saintess, recognized by the Li Fire."

Leisurely strolling, after taking a long walk outside, they returned to the courtyard and sat down in a pavilion by the cliff.

A thin layer of snow covered the ground, and as the candidates had all departed, the Array was deactivated, allowing the floating snowflakes to naturally spread.

But neither person sitting by the cliff seemed to fear the cold—one’s cultivation had reached a realm where they could ignore the harsh weather, while the other had not yet digested the fiery elixirs within, keeping the heat still piled up inside their body.

Trivial knowledge.

Jiang Feng had actually taken 2.3 Scarlet Pills.

He drank the chicken soup every night, Qiao Yuan did, Lin Jiangxian did too, except the little girl drank the most, while Liu Tangxi simply sat in the stone chair, staring intently at her own junior male disciple.

How to put it.

Her gaze carried a bit of blame, a bit of grievance, a bit of...

"Senior Sister, I’ve purchased a lot of ingredients along the way. I also brought back many local snacks and sweets, and on a day off, I even prepared a few portions. Here, please have a taste."

He was very thoughtful.

Immediately serving up a piece of dessert that looked quite appetizing on the table, these were all things he had prepared in advance, already prepared since his time in Qingshui County, and he had also purchased many snacks along the way.

Girls, after all, love sweets.

Satisfaction flickered in her eyes, and without a word, she picked it up. Jiang Feng, ever so attentive, passed her a silver spoon, an action he had performed countless times.

Yu Rou had been freeloading in his inn for over three months, with him serving her every day like an ancestor, displaying all of his eighteen culinary skills, short of volunteering to serve her in bed.

"Um."

Her eyes immediately went from reproachful to satisfied—it wouldn’t do for her, as the current eldest disciple sister, to take the initiative and ask what gift her junior brother had prepared for her.

Graceful in her movements, unlike the carefree manner she displayed the last time she drank, she held the silver spoon in her mouth and continued to tell Jiang Feng the story.

"Although Cen Yueyue is exceptionally talented, her personality is still too capricious. Usually, she wanders everywhere within the vast city, and now she’s even ventured out of the Southern Border range, probably causing a lot of trouble for her family."

"I’ve heard Aunt Yun mention that both her parents are at their wits’ end with this child; forcing her into cultivation makes her wail and cry, or pretend to cultivate in the Spiritual Spring, only to turn around and tattle to the old village chief."

"To have her truly concentrate on cultivation even five days out of ten is quite the feat, not to mention having to learn cultivation techniques, Gu techniques, and Daoist skills as well. But with her talent, it’s probably something she can pick up with just one glance."

"Oh, her current realm is probably not far off from Core Formation by now."

Liu Tangxi spoke slowly and indifferently, occasionally casting a questioning glance, not clear about Cen Yueyue’s current level—unaware that the disciple following behind her was so shocked his jaw was almost on the floor.

His face etched with disbelief, he even wondered if there was something wrong with his ears.

Really, he always felt sympathetic toward these two siblings, since both had formed their cores in their teens. Although Cen Zhuangzhuang hadn’t yet, it was likely he would’vealmost done so after this trip home.

So he had this preconceived notion, assuming that these two kids must have been forced by their families to stay indoors all day as children, being pressured into cultivation and filled with all sorts of complicated techniques, deprived of any childhood.

Just like his own school days, when he’d be at school from six in the morning until ten at night, even as an elementary student attending various afterschool programs, to the point where he barely had weekends by fifth grade...

And you’re telling me they practiced ’happy education’ at home?

Not even five full days of cultivation in ten? Spending every day playing outside? And despite not studying hard, she could still ace the test and become the Southern Border’s top scorer in the college entrance exams?

Scoring top in literature is one thing, but to be the champion in martial arts too?

What the hell is my cultivation for!

Once again, a man’s pitiful and bored sense of self-respect was trampled underfoot.

Now he finally understood why the senior sister’s evaluation of Cen Yueyue was of intelligent genius, while her evaluation of him was having exceptional talent.

The gap was indeed huge.

If that spoiled young lady seriously cultivated, she’d probably be at the Nascent Soul stage by now.

"Senior Sister guessed right, she is indeed in mid-Core Formation, but allow me to correct you, why couldn’t it be Cen Zhuangzhuang who sent me the Scarlet Pill?"

"Because you produced her item when you received that strike from Yan Fengchun. If that strike was a bit more powerful, you might have been forced to use this magic treasure. As for this magic treasure..."

"It’s Aunt Yun’s hairpin."

Case closed.

Yes, during both of their final moves in that clash, they had both gone all out, and the most powerful magic treasure he had was indeed this hairpin. It would have been his only trump card in case of failure.

His expression carried a hint of speechlessness. It turns out he had given himself away after all this running around.

With a flip of his hand, the ancient-style, somewhat dark golden hairpin was drawn out and he carefully examined it in his palm.

"Not bad, Luminous Cloudstrike."

"It was not originally a hairpin, but a weapon used by Aunt Yun in her youth. It was worn down to this state through countless battles. Not wanting to part with it, she had a master reforge it into a magic treasure."

"It makes one nostalgic that today, the Luminous Cloudstrike, which has slain countless demons, has become a hairpin."

He continued to eat while speaking. With her level of cultivation, she certainly wouldn’t get fat, but the youth was somewhat silent. It wasn’t the history of the hairpin that weighed on his mind but the sentiment behind it.

He sighed, then put the hairpin away, rubbing the sore spot between his eyebrows, not dwelling on the topic any longer but shifting the conversation.

"Speaking of which, Senior Sister, what you did yesterday in the square to prove I was qualified to join was not quite the right way to go about it. At least, give me a hint with your eyes to let me be mentally prepared. If I hadn’t been trained by you for so long, I might have been knocked senseless by the sheath of your sword."

Liu Tangxi didn’t continue to talk about Cen Yueyue’s issue. She very well knew her junior brother’s melancholy and replied instead.

"If you can’t take that strike, it might be best for you to return to Qingshui County early. With your level of cultivation, you should be able to command respect there."

"And, Senior Sister, you were too heartless in the square yesterday. She was sincere and eager to learn. And you were clearly willing to teach, so why didn’t you agree to let Bai Yu join the Mountain Gate?"

When Liu Tangxi reached this point, she happened to stuff the last dessert into her mouth and returned the silver spoon to the youth just the way it was.

"If you had only picked on the Qi Refinement cultivators along the way, barely snatching a few tokens, would you still have called out ’Senior Sister’ when standing at the front at the end?"

Got it.

So, the senior sister thought Bai Yu lacked sufficient aptitude, and was too cautious in his actions, only picking on those weaker than him—a lackluster performance that would hinder greatness. Accepting him might bring shame to Swordmaster Peak.

"...Senior Sister, dare I call you that and will you acknowledge it?"

"I daren’t, I find it embarrassing."

Pouting a little, the senior sister with the tongue as sharp as a knife but a soft heart simply said.

"If she’s willing to learn, I’m willing to teach. But I absolutely will not accept a disciple who brings disgrace to Swordmaster Peak."