"Eh? Oh, okay."
Xiao Lan was surprised by Elder Yan Yue's order, but she immediately agreed with a nod.
However, as she left, Zhiran could clearly see the confused look on her face as she glanced at him, along with Mei Xuan's, though she seemed to be quietly gloating.
"So... did you like what you saw?"
As soon as both girls vanished from the peak, leaving Zhiran alone, Elder Yan Yue asked again in a soft voice as she walked slowly toward him.
Her graceful movements made her long robe flutter, revealing glimpses of her impressive figure. But Zhiran was in no mood to notice.
'Damn, so she really noticed. What should I do?'
He thought anxiously, unsure how to reply. After all, he couldn't say he liked it, right?
Moreover, he thought she might have noticed the way his expression changed when he saw the butterfly tattoo.
What if that tattoo carried a secret or a connection related to her identity?
"Pftt... so you can tease those little girls but can't even admit what you just did? Why should I keep such a cowardly disciple in my peak?"
Seeing him remain silent awkwardly, Elder Yue suddenly laughed while mocking Zhiran.
Apparently, from the moment they came to this peak, she was paying attention to them.
So, looking at Zhiran, who seemed deflated, unlike his heroic self from before, she couldn't help but feel amused.
To be honest, even she was a little surprised that Zhiran chose her peak. After all, from any angle, it didn't seem like a good decision.
Someone who could condense Sword Intent so early was definitely a genius. If she weren't here for a mission, she would be happy to receive such a good disciple.
That was why she asked him to wait.
She wanted to see whether he was hiding any tricks or perhaps a spy sent by her rival. Of course, she also had another reason.
"I like it!"
"Hmm?"
Surprisingly, Zhiran didn't lower his head again or stay silent like a young disciple should, at least in her eyes.
Instead, the moment she called him a coward, he looked up and spoke without hesitation.
"Elder Yan Yue, of course, I like it. I'm a man, after all."
Mo Zhiran said, meeting the Elder's eyes without a trace of fear. The moment he realized she didn't notice his recognition of her butterfly tattoo, his anxiety slipped away.
Besides, he didn't like being called a coward to his face. And as someone who once followed the demonic path, he understood better than most how people like her thought.
If she were really angry, she wouldn't be joking like this. He half-expected her to rip his eyes out right then and there.
"Pftt... you've got some serious guts, confessing something like that. Aren't you afraid I'll punish you for your transgression?"
Sure enough, rather than being angry, Yan Yue was amused to hear such a straightforward answer from Zhiran's mouth.
"Transgression? Elder Yan Yue, forgive me if it sounded that way, but I truly don't have such feelings for you."
Mo Zhiran quickly looked as if he had just realized something and shook his head in a hurry, as though afraid she misunderstood.
"It's just that when a beautiful woman stands in front of me... well, it's hard not to react, isn't it? Please forgive me if that gave you a bad impression."
Although he looked innocent, his words were anything but. He was clearly fawning over his elder.
If Xiao Lan and Mei Xuan were here, they would probably be dumbfounded since this guy's audacity was really big.
"Tsk... tsk... such a glib tongue and restless mind. How did you manage to condense Sword Intent like this?"
Elder Yan Yue asked, genuinely surprised. As for her earlier suspicion that he might be a spy sent by her rival, she dismissed it immediately.
After all, someone so restless couldn't possibly be capable of careful scheming, right? At least for now, she thought so.
"But that is the truth."
Zhiran could clearly see that Elder Yan Yue wasn't angry at him. So, he just acted innocent while answering her.
Besides, he wasn't lying anyway, as she really was too hot.
Unfortunately, she was a traitor, and he would definitely stay as far from her as possible from today.
"Okay, no need to dwell on this issue. Since you've just joined, I won't punish your behavior. But nothing like this should happen again..."
Elder Yan Yue finished checking on this disciple and immediately returned to her cold and elegant self.
"Since you are the top disciple of this batch in the outer sect and have decided to join my sect, I cannot ignore your achievement. Take this as a reward and focus on your cultivation."
She tossed a ring to Zhiran, who caught it right away, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He did not expect a reward from a peak master like her.
"Now, go and meet Xiao Lan. She will guide you through the process of becoming an inner sect disciple."
"Just...don't forget to meet me before you leave for the Blood Mist Valley. Now go."
With that, she turned and walked directly beneath the huge lotus, sitting with her back to Zhiran just as before.
'Blood Mist Valley? That secret realm?'
Zhiran was confused earlier about why this Elder wasn't angry at him and even rewarded him, until he heard her mention the secret realm.
The very one where the quota to enter was the reward for the top ten disciples. If he recalled Elder Hua's words, he was going there after one month.
To be honest, Zhiran already decided not to go into that secret realm at all.
After all, that place was very dangerous, as even Elder Hua lost his life there while at the Peak of Foundation Establishment realm.
He would be a fool to go there like this, although it was a perfect place for him to harvest fresh brains.
'This will only make things messy. So that's why she was suddenly so nice. Is she planning to use me for some task in that place?'
Zhiran thought bitterly, looking at the elder's figure one last time before leaving the place.
He had just joined and was already about to be used by this traitor elder in her various schemes. If he didn't increase his strength soon, he might get implicated and die just like in his previous life.
'It seems it's time to collect some nice brains and raise my realm as soon as possible.'