Perform a Bit

When Song Yao returned to her room, two wine jars lay on the floor.

Chen Qingqiu seemed to be even more drunk, asleep with her head resting on the table.

The Beiyao Sect had always maintained strict rules, training its disciples to be like emotionless killers. As the sect's Saintess, Chen Qingqiu was particularly rigid.

Yet here she was, not only coming to her room to cry, but even ending up spending the night drunk in her room.

Song Yao closed the door, took off her cloak, casually found a blanket to drape over Chen Qingqiu, and shook her head with a sigh.

Looking at her old acquaintances under a new identity after her death always made her feel like they were quite different from before.

But that was normal; people changed.

It was just that the direction they were changing in was a bit strange.

She climbed into bed, and before she could think any further, she drifted off into a deep sleep.

...

The next day at noon, Song Yao was awakened by a knock at the door.

When she opened her eyes, the room was already empty.

The tea set on the table was neatly arranged, the overturned wine jars on the floor were gone, and not even a trace of the smell of alcohol remained.

There was only a note pressed under her pillow: “I apologize for losing my composure while drunk last night.”

Song Yao rubbed her eyes and casually cast a spell to burn the note.

Crying a little was considered losing composure while drunk?

Then what did it count as when she used to get drunk and accidentally blow up her master's house?

Did that make her a freak?

The knocking grew louder. She got out of bed, changed her clothes, wrapped herself in her cloak, and walked out.

Ming Ran and Cheng Yue were standing at the door. Seeing her open it, they let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Seventh Senior Sister, are you alright?”

The midday sun was intense, making Song Yao squint. “I'm fine. What's wrong?”

Ming Ran said with slight anxiety, “We've been knocking for nearly an hour. If you hadn't come out, we were going to break in!”

Cheng Yue nodded. “Are you feeling unwell? Why were you sleeping so deeply?”

Song Yao yawned. “Maybe the sweet osmanthus wine was a bit strong, and I went to bed late last night.”

She didn't care much, but looking up and seeing their worried expressions, she suddenly realized.

Before, to get out of her studies, she had widely publicized the fact that she was in poor health due to her missing soul.

This was no secret in the Nine Saints Hall.

The two of them must have misunderstood.

Song Yao waved her hand. “I'm really fine. What are we doing now? When are we returning to the sect?”

Seeing that her complexion was relatively healthy, the two of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ming Ran said, “We're heading back the day after tomorrow. There's a discussion banquet this afternoon. It's supposed to be an opportunity for disciples from various sects to exchange ideas on spells and swordsmanship, and to chat about poetry and prose. We have to go too.”

The cultivation world loved holding these kinds of baffling social gatherings.

If it had been the Song Yao of her past life, she would have definitely made a grand show of herself, stepping all over her fellow disciples and even the entire younger generation of the cultivation world.

This life, however...

Song Yao took half a step back, looking listless. “Actually, I'm starting to feel a bit unwell now. Can I skip it?”

Ming Ran grabbed her arm and dragged her out, her face full of excitement. “How can you not go? You're the champion of the Myriad Bones Forest trial! Of course you have to go show off! Come on, let's go.”

Song Yao struggled. “Can't we keep a low profile? Those who stand out too much die fast. I speak from experience.”

Cheng Yue silently followed behind. “The Ninth Elder said we can't be absent. The Beiyao Sect is very good at keeping up appearances, so we have to show them some respect, or else it'll give people something to talk about.”

Song Yao was dragged along, half-resisting.

Fine.

Since it involved the sect's interests.

She had to go whether she wanted to or not.

The discussion banquet was held in a lakeside courtyard on the back mountain of the Beiyao Sect. Surrounded by mountains and water, a bluestone path wound through a dense bamboo forest, making the environment peaceful and elegant.

Chen He and Jiang Jin were waiting halfway. Seeing the three of them, they smiled. “You're finally here. Let's go in and take a seat.”

Just as Song Yao was about to reply, she caught sight of the Ninth Elder chatting with someone under the shade of a willow tree nearby.

After a moment's hesitation, she turned back and said to the others, “You guys head in first. I'm going to say a few words to the Ninth Elder.”

Chen He replied, “Alright.”

Jiang Jin paused for a moment, then stepped forward to follow Song Yao.

Seeing her approach, the Ninth Elder's slightly stern face softened, and a smile broke through. He said to the person beside him, “This is the one I was telling you about, our newest young disciple from the Nine Saints Hall. And the one behind her is her senior brother, who is already at the Golden Core stage.”

Beside him was the Great Elder of the Fenghai Tower. Hearing this, he gasped in admiration. “This is truly a case of the young showing great promise. In our sect, kids this age haven't even figured out how to gather qi properly.”

As Song Yao and Jiang Jin drew near, they heard the Ninth Elder laughing heartily. “Well, it's not that exaggerated, but they are indeed a bit more promising than other kids. Besides, their cultivation level is nothing; this little girl's swordsmanship is what's truly impressive.”

With that, he chin-gestured toward Song Yao. “Come on, Lin Mu, show the senior a little something.”

Song Yao: “?”

She reminded him, “I'm a pill cultivator.”

The Ninth Elder realized. “Oh, right, right, you're a pill cultivator. Jiang Jin, you perform a bit.”

Jiang Jin: “...”

He hesitantly gripped his hilt, looking unsure whether to draw his sword.

The Great Elder of the Fenghai Tower laughed and came to his rescue. “Alright, alright, it's not the New Year. Don't make the kids perform. They probably have something to say to you. I'll head back first. Come over to my courtyard for tea later.”

As he spoke, he nodded to the two of them, turned around, and walked away with large strides.

The Ninth Elder still had a delighted look on his face. “I forgot to praise you properly yesterday. To think you actually won first place—you've really made this old man proud! You should have seen how furious Feng Qing was! Once we return, I will definitely reward you well!”

Only after he finished showering them with praise did he remember to ask, “Isn't the discussion banquet about to start? Why are you looking for me?”

Song Yao had already had her Fourth Junior Brother transmit the news back to the Nine Saints Hall yesterday, but she figured she should also let the Ninth Elder know.

She said straightforwardly, “I've gathered information on Fifth Senior Sister.”

The expressions of both the Ninth Elder and Jiang Jin changed slightly.

The Ninth Elder gestured for them to step closer and set up a barrier. “You found news of Tangtang?”

Song Yao replied, “Yes. Fifth Senior Sister was handed over to the Yong'an Tower by the Wen family. Her exact whereabouts are currently unknown.”

Jiang Jin frowned. “I've been with the Wen siblings all this time. Where did you get this information? Could it be fake?”

The Ninth Elder fell into thought upon hearing this. “It is indeed possible that it's a fake rumor put out on purpose. How reliable is it?”

Song Yao said, “Ye Chang'an told me. Fourth Senior Brother was present. It's ninety percent reliable.”

The Ninth Elder was taken aback. “Old Fourth was there? Then there's no need to doubt it. If he says it's true, it won't be false.”

As he spoke, however, his brow furrowed even deeper. “This makes things rather troublesome. Why would the Yong'an Tower get involved in this...”

He cut himself off halfway, then turned to look at Song Yao. “Alright, you've worked hard on this, Little Seven. I will handle the rest with the other elders. Don't worry too much about it, and just focus on enjoying the discussion banquet.”

Song Yao nodded, but beside her, Jiang Jin asked urgently, “Is there really nothing else we need to do? Maybe the Wen siblings know more than they're letting on?”