You have successfully trolled Qiu Honglei for 233 Rage points!

It was obvious that she respected her master greatly, and was upset with Zu An’s crass depiction of her master.

“What? A woman?” Zu An immediately became much more interested.

I’m awake now!

“How old is your master? Is she pretty? Has she ever married before?…” Zu An bombarded her with an unending series of questions.

Qiu Honglei’s mouth fell open.

She was both furious and humiliated. “You! How dare you have such thoughts about my master?!”

You have successfully trolled Qiu Honglei for 100 Rage points!

“What do you mean?” Zu An obviously wouldn’t admit to it. “Aren’t you the one inviting me to join your sect, and yet you can’t even tell me such basic information? How can your offer be considered sincere?”

Qiu Honglei was just about to faint. This man kept running circles around her! However, his words made some sense as well. Zu An was going to learn about these things sooner or later anyway, so she might as well tell them to him first, as an expression of her sincerity. As such, she said, “I don’t know exactly how old my master is. From looks alone, she could be my older sister, but I’m pretty sure she’s much older.

“Master’s appearance… Of course she’s extremely beautiful, but not many people have seen her true appearance. Whether or not you will have that opportunity will depend on your luck.

“As for marriage, as far as I know, my master has never married before. She has always remained single. However, she seems to always be thinking about someone.”

...

Zu An sighed after he heard her description. “I suddenly have the urge to meet your master now, especially after hearing everything you said. Even so, your master is still a pervert.”

Qiu Honglei frowned. “Why would you say that again?”

You have successfully trolled Qiu Honglei for 135 Rage points!

Zu An laughed. “Men aren't the only ones who can be perverts. Why else would she take in a charming, handsome, confident man like me as her disciple?”

Qiu Honglei was momentarily speechless.

Meanwhile, on the roof, Solitary Ice sneered. Heh, I guess I was too worried. Given this brat’s nature, he’ll meet a tragic end even without me lifting a finger!

Qiu Honglei quickly said, “There’s something I must warn you about. You absolutely cannot let your mouth run in front of my master. Master is extremely strict. She condemns those who violate the sect’s rules to execution. If you offend her, I won’t be able to save you.”

Zu An laughed, not seeming to care one whit. He said, “Don’t worry. She might be like that to others, but there’s no way she’ll treat me like that.”

Qiu Honglei just stared.

She didn’t even know what to say anymore. Why did he seem in such great need of a good ass-whooping today?

“Oh, right. How are you related to that Lu Sanyuan fellow? I thought that he was your sect master at first,” Zu An asked curiously.

Qiu Honglei replied, “He is the sect master’s junior, as well as my martial uncle.”

Solitary Ice shook his head. The lady saint really was telling this man everything! Just what did this guy do to make her behave in this fashion?

Hmph, women are all unreliable. They’re usually so cool and elegant, but they go crazy the instant they meet a man they like.

I’m going to report this to the sect master once we get back for sure. This woman is going to be the end of us one day!

He had to tell his brothers back at the sect to stop their bootlicking as well. The girl of your dreams already has a man. No matter how many more licks you give, you’ll get absolutely nothing in return.

The two inside continued to chat, oblivious to him and his thoughts.

Zu An sighed. “What is your sect really called? Why do the people of this world call your sect the Devil Sect? Do you guys have anything to do with the demon race?”

He couldn’t help but think of Yun Yuqing. If they were related, then they might just all get along.

Qiu Honglei shook her head. “We have nothing to do with the demon race. We call ourselves the Holy Sect, but the people of this world do not understand our philosophy. They often use the name Devil Sect to slander us.”

Zu An gave a surprised exclamation. “Then what is your philosophy?”

Qiu Honglei explained, “Throughout successive generations, the imperial court has harbored the belief that cultivation is reserved for the rare few who have the talent for it. Once a person becomes a cultivator, they can completely alter their fate and enjoy the glory and splendor offered by the world. However, because the powerful noble clans usually inter-marry, their children will always have a higher chance of having a talent for cultivation. If this persists, the chances that anyone of common descent would develop a talent for cultivation will continue to dwindle…”

“The sect master believes that all humans are equal, and that cultivation shouldn’t be something enjoyed by the select few—rather, everyone should be granted that right. This is what she has continued to proclaim, and she has never stopped researching ways to allow ordinary people to cultivate. However, the mainstream practitioners within the world of cultivation refuse to accept this, so they view it as an evil and blasphemous path.” As she spoke, Qiu Honglei grew more and more fired up, until she was filled with righteous indignation.

Zu An clicked his tongue in amazement. “I didn’t expect your master to have such a wonderful belief.”

Qiu Honglei was stunned. She didn’t expect him to agree with these beliefs. She grabbed his hand joyfully. “Is that really how you feel? You aren’t saying it on purpose just to make me happy, are you?”

Zu An’s tone grew strange. “It really is a noble way of thinking. Why would I lie about that?”

“My master will definitely like you!” Qiu Honglei was so happy that she began bouncing up and down like a little child.

Zu An was stunned. He had never seen Qiu Honglei like this before. After all, she always walked around exuding a devastatingly beautiful aura, as though every single man was dancing within the palm of her hand.

Only now did he really get the sense that she was just a young teenage woman.

Qiu Honglei suddenly noticed his gaze. “What are you looking at?” she said awkwardly, her face turning slightly red.

“I’ve never seen you so happy before,” Zu An said with a sigh.

“But of course! It’s rare to meet someone who can sympathize with our beliefs! In the past, everyone immediately avoided us after hearing what we had to say. Even if they did say something positive, it was usually because of my appearance, and they would usually say these things just to please me.” A field of stars seemed to dance within Qiu Honglei’s eyes, flickering with a beautiful radiance.

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” Zu An said, dousing her enthusiasm. “Even though this is a noble ideal, you’re going against the common belief. There’s no way this can end well.”

After all, they were just kidding themselves. Why did all those cultivators work so hard? It was clearly in pursuit of glory and splendor, power and authority! How could they possibly allow anyone in the world to cultivate?

Leaving aside the major clans for a moment, not even ordinary cultivators would agree to such a view. They work so hard to turn their lives around through cultivation, and just as they are about to form their own distinguished clan, you turn around and announce that everyone in the world can cultivate now? It’ll feel like a slap to the face!

Qiu Honglei’s smile slowly faded. “I know how difficult this is as well. However, even with that knowledge, we will still forge a path forward. That is the depth of our conviction.”

Her eyes sparkled, and Zu An couldn’t help but feel a great sense of admiration.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Solitary Ice sneered. Which one of those who joined their Holy Sect wasn’t full of such idealistic thoughts in the beginning? Unfortunately, ideals alone were worthless. It was common knowledge that the most glorious path in this world was to increase one’s one strength, grow rich and enjoy life’s pleasures! As for the rest of it, that was for the sect master to worry about.

Our lady saint seems to be quite an intelligent person, so why does she sound like she’s being serious?

Could it be that girls with large chests are all…

A snow-white horsetail whisk suddenly wrapped around his neck. He was given a sudden fright, and instinctively tried to resist, but the horsetail seemed somehow alive. It sank its strands into his neck, and the blood within his body was quickly siphoned away through these very strands.

The snow-white whisk became bright red. Solitary Ice struggled frantically, but his body swiftly grew weaker. He didn’t even have the strength to sound an alarm, let alone put up a struggle.

He saw the flesh on his arm wither away at a visible rate, until only a layer of skin left.

A sudden horror crept into his soul, but his consciousness had already sunk into darkness.

A brief moment later, a seductive daoist nun appeared on the roof. She put away the horsetail whisk. The color gradually drained out of the whisk, entering her body through the handle.

“The taste of blood is truly scrumptious.” The daoist nun had an intoxicated look on her face. She looked downwards, a dangerous glint flickering within her eyes. “It seems like I’ve caught a big fish this time.”