NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 9: The Peerless Woman Lu Qingyi – Has the Little Loli Been Accepted as a Disciple by a True God?
The woman was dressed in blue, with bright eyes, pearly white teeth, and a tall, graceful figure. Her long legs were particularly striking. At this moment, her delicate face showed a hint of surprise. From a distance, she looked like a celestial being descended from the Ninth Heaven, ethereal and detached from the mortal world.
"Lin Yang, it's been a while. Have you missed me?"
Just as Lin Yang was momentarily stunned, the beautiful woman turned around and ran toward him, a charming smile on her face.
"..."
Lin Yang remained silent, his expression complicated as he gazed at the woman in green before him. Of course, he knew her. She was Lu Qingyi, the daughter of Lu Yuan, the Marquis of Zhennan, and the eldest daughter of the Lu family. She was also Lin Yang's childhood sweetheart!
Despite the opposing political stances of the Marquis of Zhennan and the Marquis of Zhenbei, their relationship had always been surprisingly good.
If the Lin family hadn't been destroyed in their previous life, and if Lu Qingyi hadn't died saving Lin Yang, perhaps their bond would have remained unbroken. But alas, fate is unpredictable...
"I'm not thinking about you. Brother Lin Yang is thinking about me!"
Before Lin Yang could respond, the little loli, Lin Qingyao, standing beside him, spread her arms and stepped forward protectively, her face filled with indignation.
"Hmph! (╯^╰) Brother Lin Yang is mine. Who dares to steal him? Not even if they offer me candied haws!"
She wouldn't allow it.
"Uh... you little rascal, trying to trick me again? Fine, I'll give you two sticks of candied haws this time."
Seeing the little loli standing guard in front of Lin Yang, Lu Qingyi sighed and smiled. Having known Lin Yang for so long, she was well aware of the little girl's personality.
"I want three sticks..."
Lin Qingyao rolled her eyes and held up a chubby finger.
"Yao'er, you've changed. You're not the sensible little sister you used to be," Lu Qingyi said, her tone teasing, as if to say, "I was wrong about you."
"Sister Qingyi, does this mean love fades away?" The little loli pouted, her eyes wide with mock sorrow, as if she had seen through the fickleness of the world.
"Qingyao, we can't be so greedy..." Lu Qingyi's lips twitched.
"I'm not greedy. This is the friendship price. From now on, anyone who wants to talk to Brother Lin Yang has to pay up first..."
Lin Qingyao suddenly had a brilliant idea: she could ensure a steady supply of candied haws by charging anyone who wanted to speak with Lin Yang. That way, she'd never run out.
...
Watching the two of them bicker back and forth, seemingly at odds but actually engaging in their usual playful banter, Lin Yang couldn't help but smile.
"Why don't you ask for my opinion first?"
"No time!"
"Don't want to!"
The two were too busy deciding the winner of their little contest to pay any attention to Lin Yang.
"..."
"Should I just leave, then?" Lin Yang muttered, dumbfounded.
"Uncle Ox thinks you should run for it," the big yellow ox beside him chimed in, its voice dripping with amusement.
"..."
Fifteen minutes later, peace was restored.
Little Loli Lin Qingyao was happily munching on three sticks of candied haws, while the beauty Lu Qingyi chattered away beside Lin Yang, her cold goddess demeanor nowhere to be seen.
The big yellow ox trailing behind Lin Yang couldn't help but feel a bit depressed. After all, it had been a single, golden ox for thousands of years!
Tianqi City was vast. For the entire afternoon, Lin Yang was dragged around by Lin Qingyao and Lu Qingyi, shopping for clothes and accessories, listening to storytellers, and even watching a stone-breaking performance...
They even dragged him to the Marriage Tree to have their fortunes told.
The fortune teller was a disheveled old man in a purple robe, lazily reclining on a chair with a wine gourd in hand. He looked utterly unreliable.
But when Lin Yang sensed the old man's cultivation level, his heart skipped a beat.
"A True God?" Lin Yang was stunned.
He couldn't believe it. This ragged old man, lounging lazily and drinking, was actually a True God? A being even more formidable than the Immortal Emperor at his peak!
Legend had it that all the powerful figures of the divine realm had withdrawn from the world, as if hiding from something. So why was this True God here in the lower realm of the Tianhuang Continent?
"Hello, old man. We'd like to have our fortunes told. Is that okay?" Among the group, Lin Qingyao was the first to step forward, greeting the old man politely.
The old man, seeing the little girl with her short legs, twin ponytails, bright eyes, and chubby hands, was so charmed that he nearly fell off his chair.
"Ouch, my old back..." the old man groaned in pain.
"Grandpa, are you okay?" The little girl ran over, concerned.
Despite having witnessed the horrors of the battlefield, the little loli still retained her pure kindness—a rare quality indeed.
"..."
Lin Yang couldn't help but twitch his lips. A True God, brought down by a fall? This was no way to fool a child.
"Grandpa fell and hurt his back. Unless I get a stick of candied haws, I might not be able to get up," the old man said, feigning despair.
"Ah? You need my candied haws to heal?" Lin Qingyao eyed him suspiciously.
"Yes, just one stick, and your grandpa will be up and kicking in no time," the old man said, his eyes full of hope.
"But after thinking about it, maybe it's better for you to stay lying down, old man. Brother Lin Yang says we should stay grounded and calm in life..."
The little girl clutched her candied haws tightly behind her back and spoke with a serious expression.
"???" The old man was speechless.
What happened to the belief in the inherent goodness of people? What happened to the idea that a little love could make the world a better place?
"Alas, the world is in decline, and people's hearts are no longer pure. Even a cute little girl has lost her conscience, watching an old man suffer without lifting a finger..." the old man lamented, heartbroken.
"Hey, don't cry, old man. Here, take one!"
Seeing the poor old man on the verge of tears, Lin Qingyao reluctantly handed over a stick of candied haws.
"Ah, I accept this as your apprenticeship gift. From now on, you are my disciple."
As soon as the little girl handed over the candied haws, the old man quickly took it and grinned at her.
"Brother Lin Yang, he... he tricked me!"
Terrified, the little girl ran into Lin Yang's arms.
"Don't be afraid, Yao'er. I'll protect you. I'll teach this old scoundrel a lesson."
Seeing the little loli frightened, Lu Qingyi stepped forward angrily, ready to confront the old man.
But at the critical moment, Lin Yang stopped her.
"Qingyi, don't be rude," Lin Yang said, pulling Lu Qingyi behind him. He then turned to the old man and spoke calmly, "Senior, don't you think it's a bit unrealistic to take my sister as your disciple based on nothing but a few empty words?"