Every year, the two elders come to the Maple Leaf Plaza for a few days, enjoying the cool autumn breeze and watching the maple leaves dance in the wind, savoring the unique atmosphere of fall.

They sit under the maple trees, sipping tea, and enjoy a moment of peace in this secluded corner of the sect.

"Elder Sister, do you smell that strange odor?" Ninth Elder asked as she wrinkled her nose.

Third Elder didn’t pay much attention and shrugged. “It’s probably some wild spirit beast that’s left its waste behind. This area is a bit remote, so it’s not surprising to see wild beasts around.”

“Oh!”

But as they walked closer, the smell grew stronger and more unbearable.

Third Elder used her Turtle Breathing technique to stop breathing, while Ninth Elder raised a protective barrier to keep the foul air out.

Both of them were experienced and seasoned in all sorts of troubles, so this minor inconvenience didn’t affect their leisure time. But the moment they turned the last corner, their relaxed mood vanished without a trace.

"Where... where are the leaves?"

"Ninth Sister, did we take a wrong turn?"

Third Elder stared at the bare maple trees in front of them and the filthy, stinky mess under them, stunned. This was far from what she had imagined.

Ninth Elder pointed at a sign nearby, which clearly said "Maple Leaf Plaza."

"Third Sister, are we stuck in an illusion?"

Third Elder shook her head. As an expert in illusion realms, there was no way anyone could trap her in a mirage without her noticing.

"If it's not an illusion, then what happened to the leaves on the trees? And what is this thing beneath them?"

"How could such a beautiful scene turn into this? Is this still the Xuantian Sect that I know?"

"Look, there are two junior disciples over there. Let’s ask them for answers!"

Third Elder immediately teleported over, with Ninth Elder following closely behind.

Qin Yu and Li Zhengtong had been working hard and sat down beside the Maple Leaf Plaza to take a short break.

Qin Yu was telling Li Zhengtong a dirty joke when suddenly, two beautiful women appeared out of nowhere, startling him so much that he immediately shut up.

Third Elder spoke first, "I ask you two, what happened to the leaves on the maple trees here? Why are they all gone?"

"Two elders, a cold front passed through this year, and it caused the maple trees to shiver, shaking all the leaves off."

Li Zhengtong began to speak seriously, making up a completely fabricated explanation—this was something Qin Yu had taught him for situations like this.

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Qin Yu facepalmed. He was almost in despair.

‘Brother, you need to know who you're fooling!’

‘These two may not have any visible pressure, but they can suddenly appear right in front of us. They must not be ordinary people. Are you seriously trying to make them believe this nonsense? Are you trying to get us killed?’

Sure enough, after Li Zhengtong finished speaking, Third Elder and Ninth Elder exchanged strange glances, as if asking, "Are you stupid, or do you think we're idiots?"

Qin Yu immediately stepped in to smooth things over.

"What seniors? Have you ever seen such young seniors? If I’m not mistaken, you two must be inner sect sisters, right?"

Ninth Elder’s lips curled up slightly, "You really know how to talk."

The two elders immediately recognized Qin Yu. He was the same mischievous boy from the recruitment ceremony, the one who had a rather unforgettable incident with feces.

Suddenly, the two elders turned to look at the mess on the Maple Leaf Plaza, then turned back to stare at Qin Yu.

‘Third Sister, I think the Sect Master’s judgment was wrong. Even if this guy is just a servant disciple, his potential shouldn’t be underestimated. I can’t believe Second Brother said this guy was a good prospect, though his talent was a bit lacking.’ Ninth Elder sent a message to Third Elder.

‘Don’t jump to conclusions. Let’s hear what he has to say first.’

Third Elder turned to Qin Yu and asked, “What happened to the leaves here?”

Qin Yu spoke truthfully, “Sisters, we used sticks to shake the leaves off the trees.”

‘Third Sister, he really is a little troublemaker! He actually destroyed all the leaves!’ Ninth Elder immediately relayed the message in her mind.

The faces of both elders darkened, especially Third Elder, who looked like she was about to explode at any moment.

Qin Yu wasn’t worried at all. In fact, this was exactly the result he wanted. The angrier they were, the easier it would be to handle.

Qin Yu took out his acting skills, which he had honed in front of his teacher, and began his solo performance.

"Two senior sisters, you don’t understand the hardships we’ve been through."

"We had no choice but to do this," Qin Yu said with a troubled expression.

“You see, we have to clean the Plaza twice a day, and we only finish late at night. If the leaves kept falling from the trees, not only would it make the cleaning even harder, but it would make the ground even dirtier.”

"Eventually, we made the wrong decision and used those cold sticks to make these beautiful, lively, wind-dancing ‘little spirits’ fall before their time."

"But as soon as we did it, we regretted it."

"Every time we see the senior brothers and sisters come to see the leaves only to be disappointed, my heart hurts terribly."

"How could I be such a jerk? How could I bear to harm such beautiful and enchanting maple leaves?"

“We could have worked a few more hours, but losing these lovely leaves... How much would it affect the Plaza? How much would it affect the entire Xuantian Sect?”

"Because of my selfishness, I ruined the beautiful scenery here. I am truly selfish."

Qin Yu’s speech was full of emotion, and he was just one step away from shedding a few tears—if he had the right kind of eye drops.

“Stop with the act!”

Seeing Qin Yu’s exaggerated performance and over-the-top lines, Third Elder was speechless.

However, Qin Yu’s words seemed to strike a chord with Ninth Elder, especially when he described the leaves as "little spirits dancing in the wind," which awakened some of her youthful sentiment.

"So, you’re saying that because of all this filth on the ground, you had no choice but to shake the leaves off the trees?"

Qin Yu quickly seized the opportunity, suppressing his expression, "Yes, senior sisters, that’s exactly it!"

"And where did all this filth come from?"

Qin Yu sighed, "This story is a long one... It all started when we first entered the sect..."

Third Elder interrupted, "Make it quick!"

"Alright! It’s the outer sect disciples from the Beastmaster Peak. They brought spirit beasts here and fed them some pills."

"They didn’t just let them relieve themselves here in the Plaza, but wherever servant disciples have to clean, those spirit beasts make it their toilet."

Third Elder asked, "These outer sect disciples really have no shame. How long has this been going on?"

"It’s been like this for a while now."

"You didn’t stop them?"

Qin Yu shrugged, "We tried, but we got scolded. My buddy got beaten up."

"Two senior sisters, we’re just lowly servant disciples. How could we possibly challenge the outer sect disciples?"

Third Elder’s forehead veins began to bulge.