Although Pei Lengxue intended to avoid looking at her senior brother and that vixen as they chatted and had tea, she couldn’t resist stealing a glance. It seemed like they were having a pleasant conversation, and her senior brother had a smile on his face.

And then, in her inability to control her strength, she had blown up the wooden post.

Now the stone floor around the wooden post was cracked, resembling lightning strikes.

Ye Anping, hearing the noise, hurried over. Looking at the mess, he couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed that her Shadowleaf Sword Art had just broken through another level.

The secret sword technique of the Shadowmoon Sword Sect could turn leaves into swords at the third level, and it had proven effective against Wu You during their previous encounter.

At the fourth level, one could wield spirits as swords.

The cracks on the floor were undoubtedly caused by her channeling spiritual energy, indicating that she was approaching the fourth level.

Was this enlightenment?

In the game, it took nearly twenty years for the head disciple of the Shadowmoon Sword Sect’s secret technique to progress from the third to the fourth level. But here, his junior sister had already reached the fourth level at the age of fourteen.

Ye Anping hadn’t expected her to adapt so quickly, realizing he had indeed chosen the right technique.

The breakthrough would undoubtedly consume a significant amount of spiritual energy. Ye Anping quickly stepped forward to help Pei Lengxue adjust her breathing.

However, as he approached, he noticed that her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had been crying.

“Junior sister, why are you suddenly crying?”

“I’m not crying!! Sniff—” Pei Lengxue sniffed, turning her head and vehemently denying, “I’m not crying!!”

“Your eyes are as puffy as rice dumplings.”

“I really didn’t cry! Sniff, sniff—”

Pei Lengxue looked at Ye Anping, quickly wiped her eye corners with her elbow, and then couldn’t help but open her arms and pounce into Ye Anping’s embrace, burying her face in his chest.

“I’m not crying!”

“… …”

Ye Anping didn’t understand what was going on with her, but since she was crying so miserably, he could only gently pat her back to comfort her.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Your senior brother is here, don’t cry. You’re fourteen years old, why are you acting like a child?”

“I really haven’t cried.”

Pei Lengxue held onto Ye Anping tightly, as if trying to give him a bear hug. In an instant, Ye Anping felt like his kidneys and spine were groaning.

“Junior sister, wait, wait!!” He hurriedly tried to pry Pei Lengxue’s hands away. “You’re about to break your senior brother’s waist!!”

At this point, Feng Yudie also approached, looking at the cracks on the floor and the scattered wooden posts. She appeared confused and asked, “Hmm? Young Master Ye, what’s this?”

However, for some reason, just as Feng Yudie began to speak, Pei Lengxue’s grip suddenly tightened.

A “crack” sound was heard, and Ye Anping quickly opened his mouth to take a breath. He knew that his waist was probably fractured.

“It’s nothing. Miss Feng, you should go back and rest.”

Feng Yudie hesitated for a moment, envying Ye Anping a bit. She wished she could be hugged and coquettish like Pei Lengxue, but considering what Ye Anping had said earlier, she knew that she would be able to spend every day with Pei Lengxue in the near future. She would have plenty of chances to be hugged, so there was no need to rush things.

“Well, I’ll go back now.”

“Don’t forget the things we discussed.”

“Don’t worry, I always keep my promises.”

After watching Feng Yudie leave, Ye Anping sighed in relief. He looked at his junior sister, who had buried her face in his chest, and asked, “Junior sister, what’s going on? My waist almost snapped because of you. Your sword technique breaking through shouldn’t make you so happy that you break my waist too.”

Pei Lengxue slowly lifted her head, resting her chin on his chest.

“Senior brother— sniff—”

Seeing her tears and snot smeared on his clothes, Ye Anping helplessly lifted the hem of his garment and wiped her face.

“You’re crying like a kitten. Don’t you remember what senior brother said? ‘A person tears are not to be shed lightly; tears can’t solve any problems, strength can.'”

“Yeah, I remember.” Pei Lengxue nodded sweetly and used Ye Anping’s clothes to wipe her tears again. “Senior brother, is Feng Yudie prettier than me?”

“Prettier?”

Ye Anping was momentarily stunned, suddenly realizing that Pei Lengxue had reached an age when she cared about her appearance.

He chuckled, understanding her thoughts. “Are you feeling insecure because you think you’re not as pretty as her?”

“No, I just…”

“In senior brother’s eyes, you will always be the most beautiful in the world.” Ye Anping patted her head reassuringly. “Didn’t senior brother always praise you as the most beautiful girl in the world?”

Hearing this, Pei Lengxue finally felt at ease. She leaned her forehead against his chest and smiled, lips pursed.

“Alright, let’s meditate. Senior brother will help you adjust your aura. Your sword technique just broke through, and it must have consumed a lot of spiritual energy. By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Okay.”

Pei Lengxue nodded, then obediently sat cross-legged, her back exposed to her senior brother.

Feeling her senior brother’s palm on her back, radiating a comforting warmth, her heart gradually calmed.

“Junior sister, I asked you a question before. Do you remember what ‘Dao Heart’ means?”

“I remember.” Pei Lengxue answered immediately. “Dao Heart is about turning evil into good, transcending human desires, and upholding divine principles. The essence of heavenly principles and the faith of righteousness. Upholding benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Integrating knowledge and action, cultivating the innate moral sense in all matters.”

Ye Anping was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected her to remember it so clearly. He had mentioned it casually to her when she was young.

“You actually remember. I thought you had forgotten?”

“Even though I don’t understand its meaning, when senior brother said to memorize it, I did.”

“Have you remembered it well? That’s a perfect answer.”

“A perfect answer?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow.”

… …

On the other hand, back in her room, Feng Yudie lay on her bed and thought about the two things Ye Anping had just told her. The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. She had a nagging feeling that she had somehow been taken advantage of by that person. She tossed and turned but couldn’t find peace to rest.

“Xiaotian, do you think that Young Master Ye… is a bit strange?”

『Strange, though he’s a bit strange, but….』 Xiaotian floated in the air, resting its head on a cloud. Hearing her words, it looked over and smiled. 『I actually quite like him..』

“You like him?”

『He has a good heart, and his knowledge about the entrance exam of Profound Star Sect suggests he has an extensive network. That’s quite remarkable for a young teenager. Most kids his age are still playing with mud. Plus, he has dual spiritual roots and reached the third level of Qi Refining at the age of fifteen. If he had a Heavenly Spiritual Root, his cultivation would be far beyond yours..』

“Is he bribing you with snacks or something?”

『He can’t see me. If he could, I wouldn’t mind showing him some heavenly scriptures. But have you not noticed something?.』

“What?”

『The sword technique his junior sister practices isn’t ordinary. I rarely see a Qi refining stage cultivator use spiritual energy so skillfully. It’s probably a secret sword technique of the Shadowmoon Sword Sect or an ancient sword art..』

Xiaotian drifted to Feng Yudie’s side and patted her shoulder.

『Yudie, building a deeper connection with him won’t harm you at all..』

It was the first time Feng Yudie had heard Xiaotian speak so positively about someone other than Ye Anping. She was a bit surprised, but when she thought about Pei Lengxue, she found herself agreeing with its assessment.

“It’s true. After all, he’s Miss Pei’s senior brother, and in the future, he’ll be my brother-in-law. I should manage our relationship better.”

『Brother-in-law….』 Xiaotian was stunned, then took a deep breath and kicked Feng Yudie’s forehead directly with its foot. 『Yudie, you brat!! If I had more strength, I’d definitely smack your butt until it’s swollen..』

Feng Yudie completely ignored Xiaotian’s punches and kicks, instead wearing a dreamy smile. She reminisced about how Pei Lengxue had practiced her sword skills earlier, imagining herself being held and teased by her. “Miss Pei is so cool~~ I really want her to hold me and play around~~ Hehehe! Hehehe…”