During his ti at the Dragon Palace, Yino had promised to take Yunjin out for so fun, so he specifically requested three days off from Changli to skip cultivation. During the day, he wandered around the capital with Yunjin whenever he had nothing better to do.
Back at Wuji Sect, Yunjin was a total workaholic. She was the sect's most popular guide for newcors, well-regarded by both young disciples and elders alike.
As a result, whenever the sect had organizational work to do, the elders dumped it all on Yunjin. And whenever young disciples ran into trouble, they'd all co running to Yunjin for advice.
So over the past few years, whenever Yino wasn't around, Yunjin spent practically every day working, working, and more working.
Now that they were finally out on a trip, Yino planned to help Yunjin cut loose for once.
They ate their way from the roast duck restaurant in the southern district all the way to the stewed pork in the northern alleys, caught a Nezha shadow puppet show on West Street, and then drank authentic old capital soybean milk on East Street.
Yino lied to Yunjin, telling her this was the legendary milk tea that old capital natives loved to drink first thing in the morning.
Yunjin believed him. She lifted the cup and downed it in one go, then imdiately spat it right in the shopkeeper's face.
Yino quickly pulled out money to compensate the owner, but Yunjin's face had turned bright red. She grabbed Yino's sleeve, insisting he try this authentic milk tea too.
Yino turned and ran. The girl chased him for eight whole streets.
But still...
On the way back to the Dragon Palace at sunset, Yunjin was all smiles. Holding Yino's hand, she said she hadn't been this happy since their last trip to the Western Region.
Back at the palace, Yunjin was dragged off to the little garden by Nina to tell stories.
Funny enough, back in Western Province City, Yunjin and Nina had actually t once before.
Now reunited at the Dragon Palace, even though their statuses were worlds apart, the two equally innocent girls hit it off unexpectedly well.
Nina loved hearing Yunjin talk about the fun things she and Yino did during the day.
And with such a rare kindred spirit, Yunjin naturally shared her stories with enthusiasm, from recent adventures around the capital all the way back to her wonderful experiences with Yino in the Northern Snowy Village years ago.
Every ti, Nina would pull up a little stool and sit beside her, listening with rapt attention as Yunjin stood under the peach tree spinning her tales.
This was so much more interesting than those boring ancient texts her master had left for her to read!
Without realizing it, the mighty dragon empress was becoming Yunjin's little fangirl...
While the two girls had their tea party, Yino's first stop after returning to the palace was always the lakeside pavilion in the back courtyard to check on Yuyan.
When Yuyan finished cultivating, Yino would chat with her for a bit.
If Yuyan was busy cultivating, Yino would sit beside her and discuss things with Changli instead.
After that...
When darkness fell, Nina would quietly appear at Yino's door, clutching a stack of morials.
Then, the mont Yino opened the door, the little dragon empress would throw herself into his arms with a pout, begging him to teach her how to review these morials.
Though...
Nina looked all pitiful and distressed, but really she was just shoving the stack of morials into Yino's arms.
Yino never refused.
After all, even though this dragon girl had no real power, she was still the current Empress of the Central Plains and the old Dragon Emperor's most beloved daughter.
Yino had a shorthand for her: Little Rich Girl.
He definitely wanted to sell favors to the Little Rich Girl, he had his eye on those ancient imperial artifacts the old Dragon Emperor had passed down to her, hoping that if he made her happy enough, she might lend them to him for a few days.
The two of them always worked late into the night by lamplight.
After finishing the last morial, the white dragon girl would excitedly raise her hands and stretch…
"Wow! Yino, you're amazing!"
"You finished in no ti what takes a whole afternoon!"
"And those comnts and suggestions you guided on before, Master gave them all high praise! She even sent down many of your proposals without any revisions!"
"Thanks to you, Master's complinted several tis lately for finally getting it!"
Her face bead with both the relief and joy of finishing tomorrow's howork early, as well as genuine recognition and even admiration for Yino's abilities.
At so point, by the flickering candlelight, Nina suddenly found the young man sitting at the table no longer seed like such a bad guy. Instead, he looked like a refined scholar well-versed in the classics.
"As expected of the young master from the He mansion!"
"Yino, you're so capable, why don't you stay at the Dragon Palace and be my Advisor!"
"Master would be the Grand National Advisor, and you'd be my private advisor! During morning court I'd listen to the ministers' opinions first, then co ask you privately, and finally submit everything to Master for final approval!"
The dragon girl fantasized aloud, but when she snapped back to reality and looked at Yino's face, it all seed perfectly achievable, not difficult at all.
Yino looked at her and shrugged with a smile.
"But I don't want to be an Advisor."
"Then what do you want to be?"
Nina blinked, surprised that even such a position second only to the emperor didn't appeal to Yino.
But quickly, she rembered Yino was a cultivator.
Maybe...
His dreams lay not in these four walls, but in wandering the world and saving the people, like when he'd stepped up to save the Demon Abyss in the Western Region?
At this thought, Nina couldn't help pressing her cherry lips together, feeling a surge of respect.
But just then, Yino said lightly:
"I want to be the Emperor."
"Hah!?"
Hearing this, Nina froze.
She looked down at her dragon empress robes, then blinked innocently. "But Nina's already the emperor. If you take Nina's position, what would Nina be? A concu…"
Nina was saying this perfectly seriously when she suddenly caught herself mid-word, shocked by what had almost slipped out.
She froze for a mont, her dragon eyes simultaneously noticing the slight upturn of Yino's lips and the playful greed in his gaze.
Instantly, the dragon girl's face flushed red:
"Ahhh! How shaless! In your dreams!"
"I've treated you with such sincerity, and you actually want to usurp the throne! You're even thinking about my..."
Nina started stamring.
Yino raised an eyebrow, propping his face on his hand with feigned curiosity. "Thinking about your what?"
"M.. My throne, of course!"
Nina huffed indignantly, jabbing Yino's nose with her finger.
Yino couldn't help but laugh. In the candlelight and moonlight, he quietly observed the young girl before him, the one who in the original ga always put on a serious adult facade and never dared show outsiders her girlish side.
"I never said what I was thinking about. That was just your imagination."
He smiled.
Nina glanced at him, her face sohow turning even redder.
"Shaless! I have morning court tomorrow, I'm not wasting ti bantering with you! I'm going to bed!"
She scolded him again as shaless, then hugged her stack of docunts and scurried away.
"Close the door on your way out~!"
Yino couldn't help calling after her.
He sat there for two seconds, figuring Nina had already run far off, and got up to close the door himself.
But the instant he reached for the handle, Nina suddenly popped out from outside.
Nina, clutching her stack of morials, poked her head around the doorfra and glared at Yino with her round face all puffy and aggrieved.
"Do I look like I have hands to close the door with?!"
She complained indignantly.
But complain as she might, the girl still beat Yino to it, lifting her leg from beneath her robes, hooking her toe on the door's edge, and pulling it shut with a bang, sealing Yino inside.
"I kindly invited him to be my private Advisor..."
"And this big jerk wants to usurp my throne instead!"
Muttering her grievances, the dragon girl ran off in a huff.
Three days of fun passed in the blink of an eye.
Yino planned to escort Yunjin back to Wuji Sect, but was stopped by Nina just in ti.
Everyone turned to see the white dragon girl holding a bundle of immortal-grade spirit pills, her face reluctant as she grabbed Yunjin's hand and tried to convince her to stay at the Dragon Palace for a few more months to cultivate together.
Yunjin...
She was Nina's second friend in life besides Yino.
Nina couldn't bear to see Yunjin leave. After all, she was going back to Wuji Sect to cultivate anyway, wouldn't it be better to stay at the Dragon Palace where Nina could personally teach her?
anwhile, Yunjin had grown up in a small mountain village and had never seen such a mountain of rare spirit pills in her life.
Yunjin instinctively wanted to decline, but was persuaded by Yino.
Yino leaned close to her ear and coaxed her several tis. Finally, Yunjin decided to send a letter ho to Wuji Sect and her grandmother, then stay at the Dragon Palace to cultivate for a few more months.
With Yunjin staying, the dragon girl's face imdiately lit up with her usual radiant smile.
However, while Yunjin wasn't leaving, Yino's leave from Changli had ended.
He had no ti to fool around with the two girls anymore. Taking advantage of the early hour, he headed alone to the lakeside pavilion where he'd arranged to et Changli.
This was where Yino had spoken with Changli in the Liuli Illusion Realm.
Now, a month later, Yino finally sat across from Changli in the real world.
Every conversation between master and disciple felt like sitting at a crossroads in life.
This inexplicably familiar yet tense atmosphere made Yino shift uncomfortably as he held the red tea infused with Li Fire energy.
Compared to righteous cultivator like Ye Chaerin and Yuyan who traditionally drank green tea, Changli had always preferred black tea, and the kind with sugar and milk, no less. In so ways, it was closer to the milk tea beverages Yino drank in his previous life.
"Have you been enjoying yourself these past few days?"
Changli took a sip of red tea. Thinking of sothing, her vermilion lips curved aningfully.
Yino nodded obediently.
Changli lowered her lashes and continued, "It must have been hard on you, tutoring Nina on reviewing morials every day."
"..."
Hearing this, Yino was briefly stunned, though his surprise didn't last long. Soon enough, he nodded as if it had been expected. "Not at all. Nina's my senior sister now. I've got free ti anyway, selling her so favors never hurts."
"Yino, you're probably the most clever and worldly disciple I've ever had."
Changli propped her face on her hand, gazing at Yino with a touch of sentint.
In her mind floated images of his mother's stubborn temperant and gloomy face.
"Don't take offense..."
"Over the years I've seen plenty of problem children. You're the first disciple who doesn't need constant worry."
She mused to herself.
After a mont of silence, Changli snapped out of her thoughts.
She tapped the table with her red-painted nails, her beautiful eyes gradually deepening as she adopted a more serious posture:
"Yuyan told you're planning to seek opportunities at Jianlan Sect next spring and sumr?"
"Yes."
"Regarding Jianlan Sect's heavenly secrets, I still cannot reveal too much. However, since you are my disciple, I'll give you a secret treasure. When you arrive at Jianlan Sect, you'll naturally understand its mysteries."
She spoke lightly, summoning a jade sword token from her sleeve.
The mont it appeared, Yino felt a familiar sword intent.
This is... a lost relic of the Primordial Sword Ancestor?!
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