Chapter 1577 - 1532: The Salted Fish Turns the Tables 3

Anning was counting the days until the female protagonist was supposed to arrive. By then, she could take a good look at what exactly this task system was.

But for now, Anning needed to meet the elders in her sect.

Many of these elders were of her parents’ generation, either senior brothers or sisters, junior brothers or sisters, and they had always taken great care of Anning.

Bringing along the Beauty Enhancement Pills and Youthful Elixir she had concocted, she leisurely walked up to the main peak of Chiyan Peak. Along the way, she received countless admiring glances, which she had become quite accustomed to.

Upon reaching the peak, Anning called out gently outside the grand hall, "Master, Ning’er has brought you something."

The grand hall doors opened without a breeze, and Anning walked in smiling.

Inside, she saw only one woman dressed in plain clothing sitting in the spacious hall.

This woman had her hair down, without any bun or adornments, and wore the simplest style of clothing.

She sat quietly without opening her eyes.

Anning shook her head and, walking behind the woman, lifted a strand of her hair. "Master, you’re not paying attention to your image at all. Even we cultivators should dress beautifully. Look at how good you look, so ethereal. If you dressed up, you’d surely be impressive. I really wonder what my parents were thinking, making someone as pretty as me your disciple."

Anning’s master, Fairy Zi Yun, opened her eyes with a hint of coldness. "Your cultivation hasn’t improved, but your chatter has increased."

Anning paid her no mind, knowing Fairy Zi Yun was cold outside but warm inside, doting on her the most. Otherwise, if she’d been lax in her cultivation all these years and focused only on dressing up beautifully, elders would have already lectured her.

"Ah, Master, don’t move; let me do your hair."

As Anning spoke, she conjured a jade comb, skillfully twisting Fairy Zi Yun’s long black hair into a lovely bun. She took two flower hairpins and a hairpin she’d crafted herself out of her Storage Bag and adorned her master with them.

Having done the hair, Anning moved in front of Fairy Zi Yun, with a flick of her wrist, laying out an array of cosmetics on the ground.

Regardless of Fairy Zi Yun’s expression, she proceeded to apply makeup, flicking her hand again to change her master’s clothing from a white robe to a green embroidered dress.

After finishing, Anning snapped her fingers, nodding with satisfaction. "Master, look how beautiful you are. From now on, don’t waste such a good appearance."

Fairy Zi Yun smiled helplessly.

She stood, pulling Anning’s hand, and vanished instantly to Cangyan Peak’s Liuyun Hall, the heart of the Cang Mountain Sect.

In the Liuyun Hall, several sect elders had already gathered. Seeing Anning enter, she immediately clasped her fists and greeted them. "Greetings to Sect Leader Master, to Junior Master Liu Yan, to Junior Master Qing Song, to..."

The sect leader of Cang Mountain Sect in this realm, Chi Hezi, smiled at Anning. "Ning’er, you came."

Anning approached with a smile, taking out a bottle of Beauty Enhancement Pills to give to Chi Hezi. "Sect Leader Master, you seem to have quite a few worries these days; it seems like there are wrinkles on your face. Take this, after consuming it, your skin will be smooth enough to squeeze out water."

Chi Hezi chuckled, helplessly accepting the bottle, tapping Anning’s head lightly. "You, you—you have talents, but you’re not putting them to proper use."

Anning pouted playfully. "Master, I just like to look pretty. With a face as stunning as mine, if I don’t dress up, wouldn’t it waste the face the heavens have given me? That would be a sin, wouldn’t it?"

Fairy Liu Yan approached, extending her hand to Anning. "You said you were going to give me a Youthful Elixir, didn’t you? Or have you forgotten?"

"Ah, even if I’d forgotten everyone else, I wouldn’t forget Junior Master Liu Yan." Anning obediently took out a Young Elixir. "I worked really hard to make this one; it’s better than the last. Junior Master Liu Yan, take it slow, don’t become too beautiful. If you surpass me in beauty, I’ll cry."

Liu Yan hugged Anning’s shoulders. "Little spirit, don’t worry. Even if Master eats a hundred Beauty Enhancement Pills and Youth Pills, I can’t surpass your beauty."

Anning patted her chest quickly, looking somewhat terrified. "Ah, what a scare. I’m just afraid Master, Master, and Masters will become more and more beautiful. One day, if any of them surpasses my beauty, I—that’ll be the end of me."

Chi Hezi was a serious person who usually had a stern expression, but he could still smile when seeing Anning.

He was smiling now, even more at the sight of Anning clinging to Liu Yan.

Zi Yun walked to Chi Hezi and said, "Did Master call us because Yuan’er is about to come out of seclusion?"

Chi Hezi nodded. "Yuan’er has been in secluded cultivation for over twenty years. A couple of days ago, I felt something; I estimate he’s about to emerge and overcome the Nascent Soul Tribulation."

"Then we should protect Yuan’er during the tribulation."

Zi Yun began considering how to help her nephew through the Nascent Soul Tribulation.

Chi Hezi nodded with a smile. "I must trouble you with this, Junior Sister. Also, we need to send people to the mortal world to recruit disciples; who should we send?"

Master Qing Song thought for a moment. "Let’s send Yichen and Susu. Yichen is a Golden Core Master, and Susu isn’t lacking either. They can take a few Foundation Establishment Stage disciples with them."

Chi Hezi thought it over. "Agreed, give them the flying ship."

Just as they finished discussing this, a rumbling sound came from the rear mountain.

Chi Hezi’s expression changed slightly. "Yuan’er is emerging from seclusion."

Then everyone either teleported or stepped onto their flying swords toward the rear mountain.

Of course, the elders teleported, and Anning rode a flying sword.

By the time Anning reached the place of secluded cultivation on the rear mountain, the elders had already arrived. Liu Yan was speaking to a man wearing a white robe, his hair held up high with a Jade Ring, with a cool and aloof demeanor.

Anning jumped off her flying sword, glancing at the man a few times. Then she said to Fairy Zi Yun, "Master, this senior brother looks so familiar. I think I’ve seen him before."

Fairy Zi Yun pulled Anning over. "This is your senior brother. You saw him when you were little."

Anning tilted her head, scrutinizing her senior brother.

The senior brother also looked Anning over, then smiled—a smile like the first thaw of snow.

"Master, this junior sister looks very familiar. She feels really close to me."

Chi Hezi patted his shoulder with a laugh. "Naturally, you should be close with your junior sister from now on."

Anning jumped over, trying to grab her senior brother’s hand.

Zi Yun grew tense. "Ning’er, you..."

She knew her senior nephew had a cleanliness obsession, and ordinary people couldn’t get close to him. She feared her senior nephew might get angry and hit her little disciple.

Who would have thought Anning would go over and grab her senior nephew’s hand directly, gazing at him with affection? "Senior brother, do you have a Daoist couple? I admire senior brother, so shall we become a Daoist couple?"

"You, you..."

Chi Hezi’s expression changed drastically.

Zi Yun, Liu Yan, and Qing Song all had a look of concern on their faces.

Especially Zi Yun, awkwardly explaining to everyone, "This little disciple of mine judges by appearances. Ning’er loves good looks the most, and senior nephew... is indeed quite handsome."

They all speculated that the proud disciple of their master would throw Anning out of the rear mountain—maybe even out of the Cang Mountain Sect. They were already thinking of ways to preserve Anning’s life.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, the senior nephew—who had always been indifferent and detached about everything—actually nodded. "Sure."