Chapter 26 - Return to Sect

“Se-Senior Sister.”

Chen Fan only managed to utter those two words despite exerting all this strength. His gaze toward Qin Yao was slightly evasive, unsure of what to say.

Qin Yao had forced her heart to calm down, but when she heard Chen Fan, her heartbeat sped up again.

Chen Fan didn’t know how to face her, and she was also in a similar situation.

They had shared a bed last night, but they were just victims of circumstance; no love was involved. Now that the two were sober, they felt awkward.

“I...”

Qin Yao’s heart beat anxiously as she struggled to think of something.

Tell Chen Fan to forget about what happened before?

Tell Chen Fan that she did it to save his life and that he shouldn't dwell on it too much?

Chen Fan was also confused.

Almost simultaneously, the two raised their heads and locked eyes. Both of them trembled and immediately looked away, their faces flushed.

“Is it your pet?”

Qin Yao tried to regain her composure. Spotting the snowy-white monkey in her arms, she found the words to break the awkward atmosphere.

“Kiki.”

When the monkey heard Qin Yao calling it “Chen Fan’s pet,” it cried out in protest, unhappy.

“Mhm, it’s a little bit of a glutton,” said Chen Fan.

Since Qin Yao had taken the initiative to change the subject, Chen Fan also calmed his wildly beating heart down. The awkwardness had subsided, at least to some extent.

“Kiki.” Being labeled a glutton dissatisfied the snowy-white monkey even more. It screeched at Chen Fan, baring its teeth.

“It’s so cute.”

Qin Yao seemed to like the snowy-white monkey, constantly caressing its head. She suddenly raised her head and asked, “What’s its name?”

“Ugh... it doesn’t have a name.”

“Why don’t we call him Xiaobai then? Since it’s completely white, it suits him perfectly.” [1]

“Alright.”

“Kiki.”

“...”

The two engaged in conversation, seemingly having forgotten all that happened earlier.

“Chen Fan...”

“Senior Sister, I...”

At some point, their thoughts aligned, and they spoke up simultaneously but quickly stopped, falling back into silence.

“Senior Sister, I—” Chen Fan took the initiative to speak again but was interrupted by Qin Yao.

“There's no need to say anything more, Chen Fan. Let's pretend that nothing happened. It was just a dream. Alright, take Xiaobai. I'll be returning to the sect first. Don't follow me.”

It seemed like Qin Yao had truly forgotten everything as she calmly looked at Chen Fan. She handed Xiaobai to Chen Fan, turned around, and left.

Chen Fan chuckled bitterly as he watched Qin Yao leave. When he heard Xiaobai’s familiar laughter, he tossed him out and shouted, “Go follow Senior Sister and keep her safe. I'll skin you alive if she loses even a single hair.”

“Kiki.”

Xiaobai screeched twice in dissatisfaction and made faces at Chen Fan. Then, looking like a streak of white light, he swiftly jumped into Qin Yao's arms, eliciting laughter from her.

“Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I will take responsibility for you!” Chen Fan declared, his eyes gleaming with determination.

......

Spring Autumn Sect’s outer sect:

Noon marked the time for the monthly allocation of resources. The plaza of the outer sect was bustling with activity, filled with disciples receiving their share of primeval stones and hurrying back to cultivate. They needed to make the most of the remaining half month to enhance their cultivation and perform well at the Outer Sect Grand Competition.

The spacious plaza was crowded with people. Many disciples had set up stalls here to hawk their wares.

These wares included cultivation techniques, martial skills, elixirs, weapons, and even precious heavenly treasures.

The common currency used for transactions was primeval stones.

Even these hawkers were going all-out to perform better at the Outer Sect Grand Competition.

The disciples hoped to obtain greater rewards after performing well at the Outer Sect Grand Competition by selling these items in exchange for primeval stones and using them to cultivate.

Over a hundred stalls were set up, each attracting a crowd.

“How much are you selling this precious sword for?”

“How many primeval stones for these five Purple Spirit Fruits?

“...”

The stalls were filled with bargaining noises, creating a lively atmosphere reminiscent of a bustling market.

A teenager strolled along the mountain trail and arrived at the outer sect plaza with unhurried steps.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

He appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, with a clean and handsome face exuding an extraordinary aura. A faint smile graced his lips, radiating confidence and a noble temperament.

This teenager was none other than Chen Fan.

Now that he was back in the sect, he wanted to sell his harvest from the past two months in the outer sect plaza to earn primeval stones.

His cultivation had already reached the peak of the fifth level, just one step away from the sixth level. At the sixth level, his actual combat strength would be on par with seventh-level Qigong experts, allowing him to secure a spot among the top 100 in the Outer Sect Grand Competition and earn generous rewards.

However, advancing his cultivation became increasingly difficult due to his dantian being ten times larger than others and his primeval qi being exceptionally thick and robust. The amount of primeval qi required was substantial and would only increase as his cultivation progressed.

Chen Fan expected he would need forty to fifty primeval stones to advance to the sixth level of Qigong. However, he only had a dozen or so pieces with him currently, short by more than half.

However, obtaining primeval stones was a relatively easy task for him. He obtained many treasures from killing Liao Fan and the two Mountain River Sect disciples. While some were useless to him, other martial artists would definitely find a use for them.

People continually entered and left the plaza, but they all seemed shocked when they saw Chen Fan.

The current Chen Fan exuded a calm demeanor with a touch of carefreeness. There was no trace of the fear and cowardice that had plagued him in the past. It was as if he had been reborn as a completely different person.

However, they weren’t surprised by Chen Fan’s temperament. What surprised them was the fact that he had returned to the sect alive.

How was that possible?

Everyone in the entire outer sect knew Liao Fan was aiming for his life. Liao Fan had even offered a reward for anyone who could find Chen Fan in the Qingyang Mountain Range.

Despite escaping to the Qingyang Mountain Range, everyone believed that death was the only outcome for Chen Fan.

Unexpectedly, Chen Fan had returned safe and sound, with a newfound confidence and stability. It was simply unbelievable.

“This trash is actually alive. How is that possible?”

"Perhaps he hid himself in some remote cave as soon as he entered the Qingyang Mountain Range, making it impossible for anyone to find him."

“How audacious of him to come back to the sect. Hurry up and go inform Senior Brother Liao Fan.”

The crowd immediately began whispering among themselves.

Although Chen Fan’s temperament had changed completely, the others still saw him as the weak and worthless person he used to be.

Looks like they still have no idea Liao Fan is dead.

Chen Fan thought, sweeping his gaze at the crowd.

It made sense.

His reputation as “martial arts trash” was carved too deeply into the minds of others. Although he had done something shocking, killing Liao Feng and his gang, he couldn’t shake off people's negative impression of him.

Furthermore, even if they knew Liao Fan was dead, they would never think Chen Fan was the culprit. Instead, they would come up with various excuses, such as Liao Fan encountering powerful demon beasts while searching for him or simply chalking it up to bad luck.

“That’s good, too. Watch me shine so brightly at the Outer Sect Grand Competition that your dog eyes will go blind!”

Chen Fan smiled coldly inside.

At the Outer Sect Grand Competition, he would show these people who the real trash was.

1. Xiao Bai literally means Little White, and I will be changing Xiaobai’s pronoun from it to him since he’s named ?