Chapter 14: Hints and Implications

Before long, Wang Baiying had escorted Lu Liqian to the entrance of Li Qingyun's bamboo cottage.

"Senior Sister Lu, this is the place!"

He was about to step forward and lift the door curtain when Lu Liqian stopped him.

Lu Liqian had returned to her usual cool and detached demeanor. She gave a light wave of her hand and said, "Junior Brother Wang, you may go. I have some things to discuss with Junior Brother Li Qingyun."

Wang Baiying's expression stiffened slightly, and a flicker of jealousy even crossed his eyes.

He cast one last longing glance at Senior Sister Lu before obediently turning to leave — though his steps were noticeably slow and dragging.

It seemed as though he was hoping to catch a snippet of whatever Senior Sister Lu could possibly have to talk about with that dullard who did nothing but sit in meditation all day.

A faint, satisfied smile tugged at the corner of Lu Liqian's lips.

Then, with graceful, lotus-like steps, she gently knocked on the door.

"Junior Brother Qingyun, are you in?"

Her voice rang out like a clear bell, naturally carrying a hint of playful aloofness —

Yet today, unusually, that aloofness was tempered with a noticeably softer, more gentle quality.

Inside the cottage, Li Qingyun's expression showed a trace of surprise.

"Senior Sister Lu, someone with such a strong personality — actually taking the initiative to come find a good-for-nothing junior brother like me? How unexpectedly warm of her."

Since stepping into the first level of the Qi Refining Stage, Li Qingyun's senses had grown remarkably sharp. He had, of course, already heard the conversation and footsteps outside long before she knocked.

He stopped his meditation, suppressed the surging tide of Dharma Power within him, and walked over to open the door, his expression one of mild curiosity.

Besides, he had been sitting in meditation for quite a while, and the constant flow of Dharma Power had left his meridians aching and swollen — a short break was just what he needed.

"Please come in, Senior Sister Lu. What brings you here?"

Li Qingyun pulled open the door and was greeted by the sight of Lu Liqian standing outside in her flowing white robes, strikingly beautiful. The radiance of her jade-like skin and the silver bangles on her slender arms were almost dazzling.

Judging purely by appearances, this senior sister — who was really only two years older than him — was undeniably captivating.

But after their brief encounter at Lu Nanling's residence, his instincts told him it was best to keep his distance from her.

"So, how are you settling in back here on the rear mountain, Qingyun?"

Lu Liqian noticed that Li Qingyun seemed a little reluctant to meet her gaze directly, and felt a quiet satisfaction stir within her. A smile played at the corner of her lips as she stepped into the bamboo cottage with an air of composed elegance.

Her eyes swept around the room in a quick, appraising glance.

"Please have a seat, Senior Sister. I've only just arrived at the temple, so the room is rather bare — I'm afraid I have nothing to offer you."

Li Qingyun brought over a bamboo chair for Lu Liqian to sit on.

It was a little awkward — he had just arrived and truly had nothing to offer a guest. Lu Liqian had come all this way on her own initiative, and he couldn't even offer her a cup of tea.

Fortunately, Lu Liqian seemed to have become considerably more gentle today, without the veiled sharpness she had shown in the main hall.

A soft smile graced her fair features, and she spoke with an understanding air, teasing lightly, "I didn't come all this way just to beg a cup of tea from you, you know."

"Qingyun, when I first saw you yesterday, I felt an immediate connection. I happened to be passing by just now, so I thought I'd stop in and see how you were doing…"

Under Li Qingyun's somewhat bashful gaze, she reached up and tucked a strand of hair back from her forehead — a graceful, unhurried gesture.

"Mm, I've been hearing that people are already saying you spend all day buried in meditation. Are you running into any difficulties with your cultivation?"

"As it happens, I'm in a good mood today — so I thought I might offer you a few pointers…"

Lu Liqian spoke in a soft, gentle voice — a little reserved, yet warm, maintaining just the right degree of distance.

"Then I would be most grateful, Senior Sister. There are indeed a few things I've been puzzling over!"

Li Qingyun smiled slightly and produced the small booklet, opening it to the passages he had marked with questions and beginning to ask about them.

A senior sister coming to offer guidance on her own initiative — it was an opportunity not to be wasted!

"These are all quite straightforward…"

Lu Liqian leaned in to look, her skin luminous as snow, a faint, alluring fragrance drifting from her — enough to send a subtle ripple through Li Qingyun's heart.

But Li Qingyun quickly reined in his wandering thoughts and reminded himself: she had not come with good intentions. Stay alert.

Lu Liqian did genuinely begin to explain, her slender, fair fingers tracing over the pages of the booklet from time to time. At one point, seemingly by accident, her fingertip brushed against the back of Li Qingyun's hand.

A faint blush rose to her jade-like cheeks, as though she were a little flustered — the picture of innocent charm.

Her insights were deep, her cultivation well-developed, and what she explained was far more detailed than anything in the booklet.

Under Lu Liqian's patient guidance, the questions that had been clouding Li Qingyun's mind cleared away like mist parting before sunlight, and he felt a sudden, illuminating clarity.

Although his cultivation currently relied entirely on his "golden finger" — the mysterious Dao Effigy that appeared in his mind and cultivated on his behalf — the gaps in his theoretical understanding of cultivation were something he would need to fill sooner or later.

He was eager to learn, hoping to develop his own genuine comprehension and insight into the Dao and its techniques.

"Many thanks for your guidance, Senior Sister. Everything feels so much clearer now…"

When Lu Liqian had finished her thorough explanation, Li Qingyun rose and gave her a sincere bow.

Whatever purpose this Senior Sister Lu had in approaching him so proactively, her instruction had been real and substantive — it had genuinely helped him, and that deserved his gratitude.

Of course, that was where it would end. Even if she harbored other, less wholesome intentions, he was not someone who could be easily manipulated. He would keep his distance accordingly.

"That's enough for today. If you have questions in the future, you're welcome to come find me at Listening Wind Cottage — as long as I'm free!"

Lu Liqian was clearly pleased with Li Qingyun's response.

She rose, and her close-fitting white robes swayed, accentuating the graceful lines of her figure.

The bamboo cottage was dim, a faint fragrance drifting through the air. She seemed to stretch without thinking — her arms extending elegantly, her silhouette slender and perfectly proportioned, radiating the vibrant beauty of youth.

"What are your plans going forward, Junior Brother? You may be diligent, but there are no fewer than two hundred disciples like you on the rear mountain. Do you know how the most successful among the Dao Affinity disciples of the past managed it? Some lucky ones pursued relationships with elite disciples within the temple — and their quality of life and standing rose dramatically as a result…"

She seemed to be hinting at something, and flashed Li Qingyun a shallow smile — bright and enchanting.

Then, without waiting for his reply, she gave a light sway of her slender waist and walked out of the bamboo cottage in a few graceful steps.

From where Li Qingyun stood behind her, the sight of her elegant retreating figure was genuinely pleasing to the eye.

His gaze warmed, and a look of admiration spread across his face as he followed her out to the doorway.

"Take care, Senior Sister!"

Lu Liqian glanced back over her shoulder. Seeing the look of admiration on this new junior brother's face — the same look she saw on so many disciples within the temple — a trace of self-satisfaction swept across her jade-like features.

"Wind, come to me — become one with me!"

She called out softly, and the Dharma Power around her began to stir.

The mountain winds drifting between the nearby forest cottages immediately surged toward her, setting the surrounding maple trees swaying back and forth.

A swirling vortex of wind coiled around her, tossing her dark hair and billowing her white robes, making her look more ethereal than ever.

"I'm off!" With a light tap of her foot, she shot upward into the air in an instant.

A flash of white, and the wind carried her away — she vanished into the hazy mist and the fading evening glow.

This wind-riding technique was fluid and natural, executed with considerable finesse. Li Qingyun, still standing with his head tilted back in admiration, felt a genuine pang of envy.

He thought to himself: he had already cultivated over three furnaces of Dharma Power — it was time to choose one or two suitable techniques to practice.

Living in a world where demons and monsters ran rampant, he needed to master some techniques as early as possible to serve as a foundation for his own protection.

"After I push my body to its limit in this afternoon's meditation session, I'll head to the Scripture Repository and take a look. If the price is right, I might as well copy down a few more…"

Li Qingyun withdrew his gaze from the distance and lowered his head slightly in thought. His eyes were clear and calm — not a trace of the admiration and warmth he had shown toward Senior Sister Lu remained.

"I truly can't figure out what she could possibly want from me."

Lu Liqian's sudden visit and unsolicited goodwill struck Li Qingyun as deeply suspicious. The cautionary example of that scheming woman Cui Wan'er was still fresh in his mind.

Everything he had shown just now — every expression, every reaction — had been nothing more than playing along with Senior Sister Lu, matching her performance beat for beat.