Chapter 24 The Second Master!

"Cough, cough. You are Xiao Ming, aren't you?" Luo Hongyi suppressed the myriad thoughts in her mind and said in a gentle tone, "I heard from Junior Sister... Peak Master Luo, that it was you who helped her detoxify. I haven't had the chance to thank you in person yet. This time, you stepped forward again; it can be said that your contributions are truly significant!"

Xiao Ming's expression was respectful. He gave a slight bow, his attitude neither servile nor overbearing as he replied, "Vice Sect Master, you are too kind. These are merely my duties as a Disciple."

Beside him, upon hearing her Senior Sister mention the "detoxification" incident again, a faint blush instantly spread across Luo Li's exquisitely beautiful cheeks. Those unbearable and intensely shameful scenes of the "detoxification" flooded her mind uncontrollably. It made her feel as if her whole body were a heating pad, beginning to warm up slightly. She grumbled inwardly, "Senior Sister, why do you keep bringing this up! And besides! This Wicked Disciple... you even want to thank him? You don't know..." A wave of intense shame and a strange, indescribable feeling intertwined, making her wish she could find a crack in the ground to hide in. At this moment, she dared not look at Xiao Ming and could only feign composure, turning her head away to pretend she was inspecting the surroundings.

Seeing the slight flush on her Junior Sister's face, Luo Hongyi assumed she was feeling unwell. She hurriedly took her hand and, feeling the abnormality in her Junior Sister's body temperature, asked with concern, "Junior Sister, is something the matter?"

Gazing at the concern in her Senior Sister's eyes, Luo Li steadied herself and feigned calm. "Yes, Senior Sister, do not worry. It is likely because I just had a Breakthrough and haven't fully mastered my cultivation yet. A moment of meditation should suffice!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Hongyi felt relieved. Looking at the composed Xiao Ming beside her, thoughts raced through her mind. This child's Cultivation Technique was bizarre, his potential astonishing, and he seemed to hold a great secret. She had to bind him firmly to her chariot. If she offered ordinary rewards, it would likely fail to catch his eye and instead appear stingy.

Thinking of this, she smiled brilliantly, a smile that seemed to make the very heavens lose their luster. "Xiao Ming, you have made such a great contribution; I cannot fail to reward you! However, I suspect ordinary rewards would not interest you."

Her gaze then swept over the slightly moved Luo Li, and she said loudly, "Very well, I shall grant you special permission to enter the top floor of the Modian Pavilion for three days of study! Furthermore, you are permitted to enter the Heavenly Demon Blood Pool to soak for three hours!"

When these two rewards were announced, a flash of surprise crossed the beautiful eyes of Luo Li beside them. One had to know that the top floor of the Modian Pavilion housed the Sect's most core Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals, accessible only to those who had made immense contributions to the Sect or were among the top ten on the heavenly demon ranking. As for the Heavenly Demon Blood Pool, it was an even greater treasure for tempering the Physical Body and solidifying one's Foundation. It was said that only those on the heavenly demon ranking could enter, and even then, only for one hour. Do not underestimate this mere hour; its effects were comparable to several years of hard Cultivation! This reward was truly substantial.

Xiao Ming was shocked and overjoyed. Currently, he lacked Cultivation Techniques, and the Modian Pavilion was exactly what he needed. He bowed deeply. "This Disciple thanks the Vice Sect Master for her generous reward!"

Luo Hongyi nodded with satisfaction. "This is what you deserve. I hope you make good use of this Opportunity and do not fail the expectations of me... and your Revered Master."

Immediately, she changed the subject, looking at Xiao Ming with burning eyes, her tone solemn. "Xiao Ming, I observe that you are gifted and possess a resilient Heart-Nature. If I am not mistaken, you also possess some... special Physique. However, if you remain at Heartless Peak, my Junior Sister has always been solitary and dislikes excessive disturbance from outsiders. I fear that in the long run, your lack of guidance will inevitably bury your talent."

As soon as these words were spoken, Xiao Ming didn't feel much, but Luo Li immediately bristled. A wave of displeasure and an inexplicable emotion surged into her heart, as if something that belonged to her was about to be snatched away by someone else.

'Senior Sister... how could she do this?' Luo Li felt dissatisfied and couldn't help but pout. The sight was incredibly adorable.

"Senior Sister, how can you snatch people away right in front of me? I dislike disturbance from outsiders? But this Wicked Disciple... this Wicked Disciple..." She had just wanted to say "What kind of outsider is he?", but the words stuck in her throat. She realized that deep down, she didn't know when she had stopped viewing Xiao Ming as an "outsider" who could be given away at will.

Luo Li was fuming, tinged with a bit of chiding and urgency. She even grabbed Luo Hongyi's arm and shook it gently.

"Senior Sister..." This call carried the coquettish tone of a young woman, forming a sharp contrast with her usual cold image. Xiao Ming was mesmerized; he had never seen his Master like this. This scene also left Luo Hongyi stunned.

"Senior Sister, how can you say that!" Luo Li's peach-blossom eyes held a hint of grievance and dissatisfaction. "Xiao Ming is, after all, a Disciple I personally took in. How can you poach him right in front of his Master? Besides, when... when have I ever neglected his guidance?"

Luo Hongyi was left somewhat amused yet bewildered by her Junior Sister's rare, almost coquettish posture. But she was slightly startled internally: 'Junior Sister's reaction today... is truly abnormal. She is actually acting coquettishly with me over a Disciple?' Her beautiful eyes swirled, scanning back and forth between Luo Li's slightly nervous face and the silent, respectful Xiao Ming beside her, as if trying to discern something.

After a while, she pinched Luo Li's cheek and softened her tone. "Junior Sister, Senior Sister is not poaching him; I am merely cherishing talent. This child is gifted and has a Heaven-Defying Physique; he is the future of the Sect. If he stays at your Heartless Peak, the resources of a single peak are ultimately limited. If he comes to me, he can use the resources of the entire Sect at his will."

"No!" Luo Li blurted out, her voice higher than usual. Realizing she had overreacted, a faint blush spread across her cheeks, but she remained firm, her tone possessive and domineering. "My... my Disciple, I will teach him myself! You don't need to worry about what you just mentioned! Senior Sister, you are not allowed to have designs on him!"

Saying this, she even turned slightly, warning Xiao Ming with a glare as if to say, "If you dare agree, you are dead!"

Xiao Ming took all of this in, laughing inwardly. He naturally understood that while his Revered Master was fierce and cold on the surface, she had already begun to accept him in her heart. The only lingering issue was perhaps the "that" incident, which put pressure back on Xiao Ming.

Facing the gaze of the two women, he bowed deeply and calmly, his tone respectful yet firm.

"Thank you for your kindness, Vice Sect Master. Having access to the Sect's resources at will is indeed an supreme honor for this Disciple."

But immediately, he changed the subject, his gaze falling upon his Revered Master, Luo Li, with deep and meaningful eyes.

"However, I am a person of habit; I do not like changing places casually. This Disciple feels that Heartless Peak... is quite good. Revered Master..."

He paused deliberately, looking at Luo Li's side profile as she tried to maintain her composure, and said, "...is also quite good."

These few simple words, falling into Luo Li's ears, were like a red-hot stone thrown into the already turbulent lake of her heart. An inexplicable heat surged uncontrollably to the top of her head, and even her fair neck began to flush slightly.

Luo Li was terrified. She dared not look at that Wicked Disciple, nor let her astute Senior Sister see her current abnormality. She could only desperately maintain her turned posture, stiffening her back and puffing out her proud chest, attempting to use this forced composure to cover up the panic in her heart.

Listening to Xiao Ming's words, Luo Hongyi raised an eyebrow slightly. These words sounded... ordinary? Was it just a Disciple's recognition of his Revered Master? Perhaps the boy was indeed nostalgic, or simply did not want to move?

But she felt something was strange. The atmosphere seemed subtle, yet Xiao Ming's words were indeed airtight, leaving no room for criticism.

Luo Hongyi stopped dwelling on it. The expression on her face shifted from her initial inquiry and testing to appreciation and recognition.

"Not bad, quite good." She looked at Xiao Ming, then glanced at Luo Li, who was still looking away for some reason. "In our Heavenly Demon Sect, it is the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak. Using any means to survive is fine. But I still hope my Disciples have principles and a bottom line. They should not be petty people who forget righteousness for profit and return kindness with enmity. If one day he betrays the Sect for Cultivation Techniques or resources, he will be able to turn against the Sect for even greater benefits later! Such a person, no matter how high their talent, is a wolf that cannot be tamed!"

These words were filled with Killing Intent, brimming with the coldness and reality of the Demonic Path. Luo Li also felt a chill in her heart, finally understanding the deeper meaning of her Senior Sister's words earlier.

Luo Hongyi's gaze returned to Xiao Ming, her tone softening, her appreciation evident. "You... are very good! You know very clearly what you want, and even more rarely, you have maintained your own bottom line. Compared to your talent, this is what I value even more."

She then smiled warmly at Luo Li. "Junior Sister, you have taken in a good Disciple. He is a talent worth molding, worthy of our joint efforts to Cultivate."

Hearing such unreserved praise from her Senior Sister, Luo Li first felt a surge of pride, as if she herself had been praised. Look, this was Luo Li's Disciple! Even her Senior Sister, who looked down on everyone, praised him so highly!

But as soon as this joy emerged, an extremely discordant scene intruded into her mind: on Heartless Peak, on the Black Blood Jade Throne, that Wicked Disciple acting domineering, overstepping his bounds, and "bullying" her thoroughly inside and out...

'Bottom line? What bottom line does that Wicked Disciple have?' She cursed that Wicked Disciple hundreds of times in her heart, then quickly lowered her eyes, fearing her Senior Sister would see something amiss.

Luo Hongyi, decisive and swift, spoke directly. "Xiao Ming, from today on, you are simultaneously a Disciple of myself and Peak Master Luo."

As she spoke, she flipped her wrist, and a bright red token engraved with the character 'Hong' appeared in her palm. She pushed it toward Xiao Ming. "This is the token for my sleeping quarters. In the future, if you have any matters, you may use this token to enter the palace and seek me out at any time."

Beside her, the moment her Senior Sister produced the token, Luo Li's delicate body stiffened almost imperceptibly. Her Senior Sister gifting the token was clearly a sign of her high regard for Xiao Ming. Logically, she was also Xiao Ming's Revered Master and could not show nothing, otherwise, wouldn't it seem like her behavior was strange?

But at the thought of handing her own sleeping quarters token to that Wicked Disciple... she hesitated. It meant that from now on, that Wicked Disciple could legitimately enter her sleeping quarters at any time... Thinking of that scene... a heatwave mixed with fear and shame surged, making her mood, which had just calmed down, restless once again.

"Senior Sister is absolutely right." Luo Li suppressed her churning emotions and slowly recovered the strictness and dignity of a Revered Master. As Luo Hongyi finished speaking, she also took out an ice-blue jade tablet emitting a faint chill from her sleeve. The jade tablet was engraved with a cold, clear "Li" character. Her gaze drifted, not daring to meet Xiao Ming's eyes, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremor. "This... this is the token for my sleeping quarters. You may enter and leave freely with it. If you need to ask for guidance in the future... you may also come to find me."

The moment she handed over the token, she felt as if she had personally torn open the last line of defense.

Xiao Ming took both the red and blue tokens, feeling their distinct auras. A trace of an imperceptible arc curled at the corner of his mouth. He bowed slightly and said solemnly, "Thank you, two Revered Masters. This Disciple will certainly live up to your expectations!"