"Haah..."
"Hssss..."
"Huh? Isn't this a bit revealing... Isn't this just a dudou with two extra pieces of cloth tacked on? Wearing this out in public would be an eyesore!"
"This one's even worse—it doesn't even cover the important parts! Fourth Senior Sister wears *this* for Fifth Senior Brother?"
"Wait, no... you're supposed to layer them..."
Rustling, rustling; hehe, hehe;
Since dawn, Jiu Jiu had been busy in her small tower, and by noon she finally stood before her own door, her delicate hand resting on the latch, yet unable to pull it open.
*Just going out for a little stroll!*
Yes, just a little stroll...
She took a deep breath, slowly opened the wooden door before her, and stepped out with her little blue-green embroidered cloth boots first.
In an instant, this mountain forest and pastoral land, shrouded by the great formation, gained an extra splash of color.
Several gazes turned toward her...
There were thuds and clatters: a maintenance disciple carrying water to the pill chamber dropped his shoulder-pole, another disciple weeding the flowerbed dropped his hoe, and a young girl holding several bottles of pills sent her tray flying...
"Ahem!"
Jiu Jiu cleared her throat, clasped her hands behind her back, took half a step forward, and instinctively puffed out her chest and lifted her chin, her gaze calmly sweeping across each location.
Several male disciples hastily lowered their heads, not daring to look, yet secretly raised them for another glance; a new young disciple who had only recently arrived on the mountain flushed red for reasons he couldn't explain.
*'It's really not a big deal—what does it matter what I wear?*
*It's not indecent or anything. It actually covers more than the short skirts I usually wear.'*
Jiu Jiu licked her lips with the tip of her tongue, her gaze carrying a hint of hesitation, but she quickly steeled her resolve. She casually summoned the large gourd she had nearly forgotten to bring out the door, shrinking it to a length of about ten feet.
She had originally intended to straddle it habitually, but remembering her current outfit—the light pink, seemingly weightless long skirt—she felt that straddling would look rather awkward.
So she gathered her skirt hem, crossed her jade-like feet lightly, and sat sideways on the front of the large gourd, then soared into the air...
No sooner had she flown out from Potian Peak than she saw a short Daoist with dark circles under his eyes treading on a white cloud, holding a book scroll in his hands, drifting leisurely toward her.
Jiu Jiu immediately stopped her gourd, boosted her voice with immortal power, and deliberately coughed twice:
"Ahem! Cough-cough!"
Jiu Wu, passing by, looked up and gave Jiu Jiu a polite smile. He bowed with the book scroll and descended toward the middle of Potian Peak.
Jiu Jiu froze for a moment, then rolled her eyes and continued forward on her gourd.
But Jiu Wu, who had already entered the great formation, suddenly tilted his head.
*'Just now... I think I saw... Little Junior Sister?*
*No, that can't be right. Little Junior Sister has worn the same few outfits for centuries—how could she suddenly switch to something like that?*
*I must have seen wrong.*
*Sigh, I've lost quite a bit recently. Fortunately, Senior Sister has finally gone into seclusion. At least I can recover my vitality.'*
With a sigh, Jiu Wu continued studying the scroll titled "Thirty-Two Methods for Strengthening Qi and Fortifying Energy" in his hands and walked toward his own small tower.
The moment he entered, the short Daoist caught a faint trace of fairy-like fragrance lingering in the air and couldn't help but shudder.
*A purely physical reaction.*
He was utterly devoted to his Fourth Senior Sister, his affection as steadfast as gold—absolutely not a shred of fear!
Jiu Wu then recalled his recent heroic performance and couldn't help but smile knowingly...
Ever since drinking the Poison-Dragon Wine that his Senior Nephew Li Changshou had brewed, his waist might have gone soft, but his confidence before Senior Sister had grown, their interactions as dao companions had become more harmonious, and his life of cultivating the Dao and seeking longevity had gained a bit more fun and color.
It was just... being pranked by that kid last time still left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth.
Jiu Wu pondered, sitting behind his desk, sinking into thought.
*Use his own methods against him?*
*Develop some pills similar to that wine, lure him into a trapped formation?*
*That kid might actually be able to hold back without making a fool of himself... Then, have Little Jiu help fan the flames?*
*No, no, that's no good—isn't that giving him a benefit rather than pranking him? If Little Junior Sister doesn't resist, we'd be losing out big time!*
*Playing mind games with this kid—well, those oaths do limit my options, but it does make things more interesting.*
"Just you wait, you little rascal. I *will* find your weak spot!"
......
"Really, the people I ran into on the road—all those strange looks they were giving me. Aren't they afraid of getting beaten up!"
As she flew to the airspace above Xiaoqiong Peak, Jiu Jiu's lips twitched and she couldn't help but mutter.
The large gourd slowly descended. She swept her immortal sense across Xiaoqiong Peak and discovered that Li Changshou was giving a lecture to Blue Ling'e.
She blinked lightly and deliberately concealed her aura fluctuations, wanting to see what kind of reaction this pair of senior and junior disciples would have if she suddenly appeared.
*They won't be frightened, will they?*
Jiu Jiu's delicate brows furrowed slightly, feeling somewhat resigned.
She tiptoed to the door of the thatched cottage. From a distance, she could already hear the clear, pleasant voice coming from inside:
"The spirit is boundless, the Dao manifests within; qi returns to the central sea, condensing in the primordial soul.
The most difficult part of this phrase is 'qi returns to the central sea.' The qi here is not the mana you cultivate, nor is it clear qi or turbid qi—it refers to that trace of innate vital energy you carry within yourself.
This is a treasure brought from the womb, extremely important for cultivators..."
Inside the cottage, Li Changshou sat in an armchair, his posture quite relaxed, while Little Ling'e sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, listening attentively.
Jiu Jiu sneaked to the doorway, spun around, raised her arms in a tiger-claw pose, and charged in with a shout of "Ura!"
Little Ling'e, who had her eyes closed in meditation, burst into laughter, while Li Changshou helplessly set down the scripture in his hands and looked at Jiu Jiu, who had suddenly changed her outfit, with a smile...
Jiu Jiu glared: "Why aren't you scared?"
"Aiyah! Scared by Senior Aunt!"
Little Ling'e let out a mock-panicked cry, but as she turned her head, her little mouth couldn't help but let out an exclamation of admiration: "Little Senior Aunt, how come you're suddenly... suddenly wearing a long skirt?"
"What's wrong? Is that not allowed?"
Jiu Jiu secretly observed Li Changshou's reaction while spinning a circle for Little Ling'e. Her skirt hem and hair swayed gently, filling the room with a faint fragrance.
Ling'e was also secretly watching her senior brother's reaction. When she saw him nodding with a smile, she felt somewhat relieved.
*As long as senior brother isn't dazzled.*
Ling'e smiled gently: "Of course it's allowed! Senior Aunt is already beautiful as usual, and now you're even more dazzling. Your humble disciple wouldn't even dare to share a cloud with Senior Aunt anymore."
Jiu Jiu blinked at Li Changshou: "Little Changshou, what do you think...?"
"Very nice," Li Changshou nodded approvingly.
When women he was on good terms with—like these two before him, his little junior sister and little junior aunt—suddenly changed into a new dress or added a new accessory, with that expectant, praise-seeking expression, as a man of class, he really shouldn't be stingy with compliments.
But considering the possible misunderstanding from yesterday...
Li Changshou added: "It's just that it might take some getting used to."
"Is that so..."
Jiu Jiu looked down at the outfit she had spent so long choosing, her expression slightly disappointed.
Beside her, Ling'e sighed inwardly.
*Senior brother really is still like this...*
*With a temperament like his, wanting to keep all karma at arm's length, getting close to him is truly difficult.*
*How troublesome.*
Ling'e quickly put on a faint smile and leaned in, whispering in Jiu Jiu's ear: "Is this the first time Senior Aunt has dressed like this?"
Jiu Jiu quickly replied: "Mm, yes, I suddenly wanted to change my style, that's all."
"Light makeup would be more suitable for this kind of outfit," Ling'e whispered a few more words in Jiu Jiu's ear. Jiu Jiu's eyes lit up, and she pulled Ling'e behind the screen partition.
Li Changshou shook his head slightly at the sight, picked up his book scroll, and continued reading. Listening to the whispers from the side, he pondered something, his expression unchanged.
Before long, amidst Ling'e's constant stream of compliments, Jiu Jiu emerged from behind the screen, looking triumphant as she gazed at Li Changshou.
"Well?!"
Li Changshou looked up, and his smile deepened.
The Little Senior Aunt before him seemed like a different person now—lightly powdered, delicately outlined brows, faintly blushed cheeks, and moistened lips. Her silk skirt and lined jacket, with phoenix-tail cloud patterns, added a touch of refinement to her previous charm, enhancing the natural femininity she possessed.
"Not bad," Li Changshou gave a thumbs up. "In all honesty, among the women I've seen, you'd definitely rank in the top three for beauty!"
"Really?"
Jiu Jiu blinked, and for some reason, the strange, subtle feelings that had been haunting her heart for the past few days quietly dissolved. Her mood became happy and relaxed.
"Of course it's true. Could Senior Aunt have misunderstood her own charm?" Li Changshou laughed. "Even without dressing up, Senior Aunt is already the admiration of many male disciples in the sect."
"Tch, that's nonsense," Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl slightly upward. She said lightly: "This Senior Aunt doesn't really care about such things—cultivating the Dao and seeking longevity is what truly matters.
Anyway, enough about that. Are you two still lecturing?
If not, let's play 'Battle the Great Spirit' together!"
Li Changshou said: "Lecturing is still a serious matter..."
"Senior Aunt rarely visits!" Ling'e immediately hugged Jiu Jiu's arm from behind. "Battle the Great Spirit!"
Li Changshou couldn't help but facepalm. *Coming seven or eight times a month on average counts as "rarely"?*
Jiu Jiu enthusiastically agreed: "Battle the Great Spirit!"
"Fine. Since you're both in high spirits, I'll find another time to make up the lessons for Ling'e later."
Li Changshou shook his head as the other two were already cheering and skillfully setting up low tables and cushions.
When they sat down, Jiu Jiu felt a bit awkward, so she borrowed Li Changshou's adjacent thatched cottage to change back into her most comfortable outfit: linen short shirt and short skirt, replacing the embroidered shoes with soft, comfortable special-made grass sandals, and wiping off the light makeup from her face.
These weren't ordinary grass, either—these were immortal herbs that Jiu Wu had painstakingly cultivated...
This felt much better.
Before stepping out of the thatched cottage, Li Changshou's words echoed in Jiu Jiu's mind...
*'You'd definitely rank in the top three for beauty!'*
Jiu Jiu's lips curled upward unconsciously as she muttered: "This guy—he really is outrageously bold. He actually dares to say things like that."
She pulled open the door and rushed toward the adjacent cottage like the wind. Before long, sounds of commotion erupted from within:
"Snatching the Great Spirit!"
"Double!"
"Super Double!"
"This round, the Great Spirit is Ling'e. Senior Aunt and I are both Small Immortals. Super Double, currently at twelve spirit stones."
"Hmph-hmph! Make your move, Little Ling'e!
This Senior Aunt has seventeen cards. Do you really think you can finish me off today?"