The second the question was asked, Ji Xian can feel the eyes of countless people directed at him. He can sense the pressure coming from the people of the Serene Yang Sect. He can feel the curiosity of the ladies of the Ardent Yin Sect. The actions of these two highly profiled Sects also garnered the attention of the people in the city, causing more than a hand full of individuals to stop and turn.
Ji Xian was unmoved. He faced Xia Lihua and bent his body, even more, his face almost paralleled to the ground.
“I will listen to your instructions, Young Lady.”
His words immediately made Xia Lihua the new center of attention, similar to Ji Xian, she wasn’t affected, remaining calm. Strangely, the girl with the dark crimson hair never moved her gaze away from Ji Xian.
Xia Lihua pinched her chin with her fingers while a cute frown appeared on her face. She looked like she was struggling to make a decision. Her adorable expression made men and women alike blood to rush.
It was a shame that no one present was able to feel the fluctuations coming from her spiritual sense. If they could, then they would see that she was sending a massive amount of messages to Ji Xian, giving him an earful.
“What do you think?” She asked after calming down.
“I think your temper is pretty bad and you've done a pretty good job at hiding it so far. As expected of someone with such excellent acting skills. Then again, I should’ve seen the signs. Looks like you have only acted gentle and nice to seduce me. This really explains your fierce fighting style. Thanks to you, I've learned new ways to curse someone. Also you…”
Xia Lihua’s breathing became noticeably heavier hearing Ji Xian's endless chirping.
Taking a deep breath, she held back the urge to throw a punch and said, “I meant what do you think about this girl.”
“Oh, she’s very pretty, on par with you.”
"…"
Xia Lihua was speechless. The conversation has digressed strangely and she wasn’t sure how to continue. She meticulously examined the girl with dark crimson hair and was skeptical of Ji Xian’s claim.
She has a petite figure. The robe she was wearing looked a size too big for her but it only made her more graceful. Her silky hair stopped at her shoulders with a few strands hanging over her red phoenix eyes. With a pair of soft, perfectly curved eyebrows and gentle pink lips, she gave off an innocent vibe.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
While Xia Lihua usually doesn't care about appearances. She admits that the girl in front of her is pretty, but only on the same level as Guo Xinyi. Xia Lihua is well aware of her own attractiveness so she couldn’t help but question Ji Xian.
“Looks can be deceiving, am I not an example of one?” Ji Xian replied as his eyes shined with a clear subtle light.
At this point, a couple of seconds has passed and Xia Lihua felt she needed to speak.
“I apologize Miss…”
“Hong Tian. My name is Hong Tian.” The girl said. She briefly looked at Xia Lihua before returning her focus to Ji Xian.
“Miss Hong Tian, I don’t think it’s appropriate for my useless servant to stay with you. It also looks like the group behind you thinks so as well. This idiot servant of mine has been with me for so long that he has grown quite attached to me, if he strays too far, he might take his own life.”
Ji Xian can feel the strange looks of the people around him. The men sneered in disdain with a hint of jealousy while the women have no idea what to make of this.
Xia Lihua turned to Guo Xinyi and asked, “Senior Guo, can I stay with you along with my foolish servant.”
“This… fine.” Guo Xinyi looked at the pleading Xia Lihua and reluctantly agreed.
Hong Tian smiled gently at Ji Xian, “You can find me if you ever change your mind.”
Her words caused a commotion and people glared at Ji Xian. The Serene Yang Sect is famous in Mortal Desolate Haven and their disciples are treated with high prestige. Although Hong Tian’s identity is a mystery and caused some confusion as to why the Serene Yang Sect would accept a female, seeing a servant getting the favor of a beauty in a top sect made people angry with jealousy.
If it wasn’t because Ji Xian was traveling with the Ardent Yin Sect, who ranked even above the Serene Yang Sect, and the fact these people don’t wish to offend the Lord of Solitude City, they would’ve attacked him right there.
Arriving at East Solitude Inn, Guo Xinyi checked into the rooms.
She gathered all the disciples into her room along with Ji Xian and Xia Lihua and properly introduced them to her disciples.
“These are our Sect inner disciples. Although to the common people the All Desolate Competition is considered a huge event, the top ten sects only consider it as a casual exchange. Usually, in this competition, we would only send one of our Chosen to tag along with the inner disciples.” She explained.
“Bing Yi.”
A girl who looked eighteen to nineteen with a cold expression took a small step forward.
“She is the Chosen who will lead the disciples in this competition.”
Xia Lihua greeted Bing Yi.
Their exchange was incredibly awkward. And the reason for that? Simply because Bing Yi didn’t know how to address Xia Lihua!
Guo Xinyi calls her Sister, as an equal, so technically, Bing Yi is considered a junior, but Xia Lihua keeps referring to herself as a junior in front of Guo Xinyi. This created a dilemma as Bing Yi wasn’t sure if she should address her as Senior or Sister.
In the end, due to Xia Lihua's unclear origins, she decided to call her Senior Xia.
Ji Xian, who hated this kind of formalities, got a good laugh out of this after seeing her flustered appearance.
“Senior Guo, Why do you only send one Chosen?” Asked Xia Lihua.
“There isn’t much difference in strength between the top ten sects. Whether you send one or ten Chosen, there is little difference. Of course, this doesn’t apply to the Arcane Mountain. Our main goal with this competition is simply to attract talent.”
Suddenly, Guo Xinyi slightly narrowed her eyes and looked at Xia Lihua with a weird expression.
“Sister Xia, I’ve been wondering all this time, but what exactly is your cultivation?”