"Did you just visit Elder Qiao?" Lian Rougang's voice carried a melodious quality as she and Ji Wuye descended the stone stairs, the sunlight filtering through the cherry blossom tree and casting dappled patterns on the path before them.

Ji Wuye turned his gaze towards his Senior Sister, noticing the spark of curiosity that danced across her usually serene features. Her almond-shaped eyes, a warm shade of hazelnut, were now alight with an animated interest he had seldom witnessed.

"Yes. Did Senior Sister want to become Elder Qiao's disciple?" Ji Wuye responded with an amicable smile, having already discerned the thoughts behind her inquiry.

A gentle breeze tousled Lian Rougang's midnight tresses, carrying with it the crisp, invigorating scent of mountain air tinged with hints of delicate and subtle fragrance from the cherry blossom tree.

Seeing her like this, refreshing somehow, made Ji Wuye forget the tense moment and serious conversation he had with Elder Qiao earlier.

"Yes! Elder Qiao is the only woman who has managed to become an Elder at such a young age. Most of the female disciples admire her, but for me, it's Senior Sister Li." Lian Rougang's voice took on an uncharacteristically high-pitched, spirited cadence as she explained.

Her words tumbled forth with an enthusiasm seldom seen, her gestures fluid yet animated like those of an excitable newly joined young disciple, a stark contrast to her usual composed grace.

Ji Wuye smiled upon hearing her, but when she mentioned the name of 'Li Rong,' his smile stiffened. Just as he was about to speak, his crimson eyes, gleaming with an otherworldly luminescence, detected several figures approaching from the distance.

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Their blue martial robes, tailored close to the body, stood in stark contrast to the flowing hanfu-inspired garments of Kunlun's disciples.

"Sister Lian?" One of the men called out. He was a burly figure, slightly shorter than Ji Wuye's towering stature, with broad shoulders that strained against the fabric of his robes.

His rugged features were adorned with a neatly trimmed fade hairstyle, the thick central part left to fall rakishly across his brow. As he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Lian Rougang, his lips curled into an amiable, if somewhat foolish, grin.

"Thank you for your guidance yesterday. Without you, we would have been lost on our way to Kunlun," he spoke, his gratitude evident in the warmth of his tone.

"It's a pleasure to help you," Lian Rougang responded, her melodious voice carrying the warmth of a welcoming hostess.

A gentle smile graced her lips as she turned her gaze towards the rest of the men lingering behind their apparent leader. "How about you all? Are you comfortable with your accommodations? We try to offer the best hospitality to Kunlun's guests."

Her words seemed to break the trance that had befallen the group, captivated as they were by her ethereal kindness and beauty. They blinked rapidly, snapping back to reality as if waking from a dream.

"Y-yes! The b-bed is really comfortable, especially—" one of them stammered, his cheeks flushing crimson as he abruptly cut himself off.

"I can't thank Sister Lian enough, my dee—" another began, only to hastily swallow his words, averting his eyes bashfully.

"You all have a wonderful place," a third managed to mumble, the words tumbling out in an incoherent rush.

A chorus of stutters and mumbles filled the scene as the flustered men struggled to maintain their composure, utterly disarmed by Lian Rougang's heavenly presence.

The faint, melodious chuckle that escaped her lips only deepened their embarrassment, casting a rosy hue across their features.

"I'm glad," Lian Rougang replied, her serene smile unwavering. For her, such reactions were commonplace; nearly everyone she encountered was rendered awestruck by her ethereal grace—everyone, that is, except one person...

"Sister Lian, do you have—" The leader of the group, the young man with the neatly trimmed black hair, began to speak, but Lian Rougang smoothly cut him off with a polite gesture.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot. This is my Junior Brother," she said, her smile taking on a fond, affectionate quality as she stepped aside slightly, allowing Ji Wuye, who had been standing behind her, to step forward into full view.

The group's expressions, which had been a comical blend of foolish grins and abashed shyness, suddenly froze as they laid eyes upon the figure before them.

Ji Wuye's tall, imposing stature was accentuated by his flowing white tresses and strikingly handsome features, lending him an almost otherworldly, immortal-like presence. But it wasn't his appearance alone that left them stunned and frozen in place.

"Du Chen?" The words slipped from the mouth of the group's leader, his formerly amiable expression twisting into a glare of pure venom as he fixed Ji Wuye with a piercing stare, daggers shooting from his narrowed eyes.