Chapter 795: Who Can Out-Brag Us From Now On?

Li Yingling gave her doll a second look, then asked:

“I seem to remember Master saying something about these — that a doll is cutest when it’s half real and half not. Before, I thought Master was talking nonsense. Looking at it now, maybe he had a point.”

Li Xingtian reached out and took his doll, studying it for the longest while — perhaps deciding that its faintly pressed-shut lips looked a touch fierce — and then stroked them with his finger, as if he could coax an actual smile out of those sealed lips.

“I’m glad Eldest Senior Sister likes hers.” Chen Baiqing, at precisely the right moment, topped up Li Yingling’s tea.

Li Yingling’s curious gaze drifted to the bag. “There must be one of Master too, right? What does it look like?”

The words had barely left her mouth before she shook her head. “Never mind. It’ll be far more fun when everyone sees them together.”

Roasting something feels best while the novelty is still fresh.

For instance, telling Cui Hao to his face that his doll was ugly and not dashing in the slightest.

Or that Master’s doll was trying far too hard to look profound.

Looking first and complaining later would make the whole thing feel deliberate.

Satisfied, Li Yingling cradled her doll up and stored it away in her spatial ring.

As for Qian Qing’s business, she chose to send a message jade token to Yuankong first, asking how he wanted to handle it, while also relaying the news to Master.

After all, if it came right down to it, the matter had little to do with her.

For the time being, the sect would be the one feeding a mortal martial artist it had taken in — not a single spirit stone would come out of her own pocket.

In the end, Li Yingling’s gaze settled back on Chen Baiqing.

However you spun it, this was still her own junior sister. If the girl annoyed her, well — that was only ever temporary.

Besides, if her junior sister’s thinking and conduct had been off, then as Eldest Senior Sister she naturally bore some responsibility too. She would simply have to coach her more carefully in future — a responsibility Li Yingling was willing to own.

Li Yingling tucked the doll into her spatial ring, her tone much lighter now:

“This matter isn’t water under the bridge yet, little Baiqing. You violated the Sect Management Regulations. When we get around to it, your punishment won’t be light either — and you’d best be prepared to properly taste a Ten-Complete Great Tonifying Pill.”

Chen Baiqing’s eyes went faintly puzzled as she looked at Li Yingling:

“The Sect Management Regulations? I don’t believe I broke any of those?”

Li Yingling’s tone was natural and absolute. “Of course you did. Master and I have been adjusting, supplementing, and revising the sect regulations all along. You clearly never bothered to study them properly.”

Chen Baiqing recalled for a moment, then answered:

“I’ve memorized the regulations every time they were updated. The last new one should be from ten years ago — after Cui Hao dragged San Dong off to sweet-talk Yanyun out of her spirit fruit, Eldest Senior Sister added a clause forbidding anyone from taking the sect’s Grand Guardian out to swindle food, swindle drink, and swindle spirit stones, and forbidding anyone from coaxing the Grand Guardian into doing bad deeds.”

“If Eldest Senior Sister doesn’t believe me, I can recite the whole thing from the top right now.”

Li Xingtian listened and gazed at Chen Baiqing quite awestruck. Truly worthy of being Third Junior Sister — she had actually memorized the Sect Management Regulations, the ones that got rewritten every other day, and remembered the reasoning behind each amendment this clearly.

Unlike him. When Eldest Senior Sister pulled that threat, all he could do was eat the loss of genuinely not remembering.

Li Yingling hadn’t expected Chen Baiqing to have actually memorized them either. She immediately added:

“Master and I are about to release a newly revised edition! Aimed specifically at you for deceiving your Eldest Senior Sister!”

“A version that’s about to be revised… I suppose that works too.” A sweet smile bloomed on Chen Baiqing’s face. “But surely new rules can’t govern old business? If they could, Cui Hao ought to have swallowed several hundred bottles by now, right? Could he go first?”

“Several hundred bottles? Then does anything truthful ever come out of Cui Hao’s mouth?”

Chen Baiqing looked entirely earnest. “Cui Hao likes to season the truth with little extras. When he works with me, that’s exactly what he does. He really does need some strict new rules to rein him in.”

Li Yingling waved a helpless hand. Sometimes she truly had no idea what to do with this Third Junior Sister.

Normally obedient to a fault — but when she was being infuriating, she far surpassed even Cui Hao.

Chen Baiqing could see that Eldest Senior Sister’s anger had mostly burned itself out, so she said softly:

“If Eldest Senior Sister genuinely feels that Baiqing was wrong, and wishes to punish me with a Ten-Complete Great Tonifying Pill, then Baiqing will take it without a word.”

Li Yingling deliberated for a moment, then chuckled:

“Forget it. The pills Master refines aren’t exactly anything nice. I won’t feed you one this time — and I hope that in future, this Eldest Senior Sister never has to personally feed you one either.”

Chen Baiqing blinked knowingly, a playful smile curling across her face.

Li Yingling huffed again at the sight, then got to her feet. “Baiqing, take Qian Qing and find her a room first. She’s been on the road the whole time — she should rest. Leave the matter of Yuankong to me.”

Qian Qing had been savoring her tea, still marveling inwardly that immortal tea really was something else, when the arrangements reached her ears. She hurriedly rose to her feet:

“Many thanks, honored immortal masters.”

Chen Baiqing stood as well. Since Eldest Senior Sister had given her a task — since she had begun putting her to work — the earlier matter was, by that, officially closed.

She gestured for Qian Qing to follow her.

Qian Qing bowed once more, then fell into step behind Chen Baiqing.

Watching them go, Li Xingtian felt his mind ease a little. Frictions like these were best kept out of the sect — and besides, when the two of them quarreled, he never knew whom to back, since somehow both of them were right.

This was how it should be. When real trouble came, everyone in the sect could face it together, with no grudges in their hearts.

Central Continent, Great Thunder Temple.

Today the great gates of the Great Hero Hall stood wide open, its jade walls carved with coiling dragons and twining flood dragons.

Arhats and Bodhisattvas ringed Great Thunder Temple, softly chanting the True Sutra of Myriad Virtues; with each phrase that fell, Buddhist lotus flowers bloomed into being.

Seven-colored auroral light streamed down from the heavens, setting the golden rooftops of Great Thunder Temple ablaze.

Twenty-seven Buddhas stood in ranks to the left and right, at their head the Honored Buddha Runan, and every Buddha wore a solemn expression.

Great Thunder Temple had not staged a spectacle this grand in a thousand years. Even when the seat of Honored Buddha changed hands back then, there had been none of this fanfare.

And this time, it was all to welcome two visitors.

Beneath the auroral light, at last someone set foot upon the gold-thread merit carpet — a carpet unrolled so long it vanished into the distance.

Chu Xingchen stepped onto it slowly. Xie Lingyu stood at his side, and the two walked forward in perfect step.

Runan had long been waiting there in person. The face he gave his guests was generous to the absolute utmost.

Chu Xingchen took in the auroral light before him, the gently smiling Runan up ahead, the Arhats and Bodhisattvas whose chants birthed lotuses — then he glanced sideways at Xie Lingyu, whose expression was wound so tight she clearly dreaded a single misstep in such a solemn ceremony.

“What a production. First time I’ve ever seen a welcome ceremony this big. Have to say it — the Honored Buddha really knows how to make a guest feel important.” Chu Xingchen pitched his voice extremely low. But naturally, Xie Lingyu caught every word with perfect clarity.

By the same token, the crowd of Tribulation Transcendence bigwigs opposite them heard it perfectly clearly as well.

Xie Lingyu rested one hand lightly on her sword hilt, and with the other, gave Chu Xingchen a light tap.

Chu Xingchen behaved as though he hadn’t understood the hint, and went on in a low voice:

“I still have Image-Recording Stones on me. Let’s capture two shots — the Buddhist sect rolled out a welcome this grand for the two of us. From now on, who’s going to out-brag us?”

Listening to this, Xie Lingyu tried her hardest to keep her expression intact.

It had to be admitted — what Chu Xingchen said really was tremendously tempting.

Xie Lingyu didn’t know whether her own expression had changed, but she saw with perfect precision the smile being stretched onto Runan’s face begin to stiffen.