I saved the entire sect by playing idly by letting things fall apart.

When they met that personal disciple, they could hear the whispers of several female cultivators present, with the Azure Water Sect members being the most excited.

Miao Miao let out a soft sigh, "I haven't seen a normal man in a long time."

The men present all felt they were being subtly insulted.

Mu Chongxi asked incredulously, "Is she saying we're abnormal? Junior Sister?"

"Yes." Ye Qiao replied perfunctorily, pushed his head away, and looked at this disciple. It's no wonder that the disciples of the Biyue Sect were excited. To be fair, this disciple from Penglai named Yue Qing'an was indeed quite good-looking.

Her features were exceptionally refined, and she was also remarkably friendly towards them.

Qin Huai scoffed lazily, "Hypocritical."

Having dealt with such people since childhood, he simply couldn't understand how the female cultivator from the Azure Water Sect could be captured so easily.

Liu Yun clapped his hands suddenly, "Ah, yes, yes, I think so too." He was the only male cultivator in the Biyue Sect. As soon as this disciple from Penglai arrived, all three of his junior sisters except for the eldest sister went over to observe the disciple. How could he stand it?

Driven by envy, jealousy, and hatred, Qin Huai and Liu Yun began to gossip about Yue Qing'an.

Jealousy really can change a person beyond recognition.

Yue Qing'an was born with good looks and had a more approachable personality than the other disciples, so she naturally gained the favor of many disciples. Ye Qiao only went over after most of the disciples had joined in the fun.

"Hello," Ye Qiao greeted him. "Ye Qiao, a direct disciple of the Changming Sect."

"I've heard so much about you." He blinked slightly and smiled gently at her.

I was worried that Ye Qiao and the others would destroy Penglai because of their capricious behavior.

But so far it seems to be okay.

Well, Ye Qiao was also a superficial person, and she developed a slight liking for him.

"Want to chat?" Before Ye Qiao could bring up the topic, Yue Qing'an took the initiative to steer the conversation. Ye Qiao looked at him and, to be honest, he was quite good at reading people.

In this respect alone, she's much better than her senior brothers!

After she nodded, Yue Qing'an led her to a quiet place suitable for chatting. Various spiritual plants were scattered all over the island, and many places of residence had been built on the island. Nestled against the mountains and by the water, the fairy herbs swayed gently amidst the swirling clouds and mist, making it look just like a fairyland.

"Holy crap, what kind of charm does this protégé possess that can win over someone as heartless as Ye Qiao?" Duan Hengdao's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw Ye Qiao follow Yue Qing'an away.

"Well then," Mingxuan drawled, "Junior Sister's spring has arrived?"

"No," Xue Yu said. "I advise you to think carefully before you speak, because Senior Brother has come down from the tree."

"Oh." Mingxuan, who had been squinting and looking lazy, opened his peach blossom eyes slightly. "That's good. You're finally down." After all, the senior brother was genuinely lazy.

"But the eldest brother went to sharpen his knife."

"ah???"

"Holy crap, holy crap, calm down, senior brother."

*

Still unaware of the farce that had ensued, Ye Qiao followed Yue Qing'an into their residence, casually touching a spiritual plant leaning against the window. "Do you know where there are more spiritual plants?"

They came here to seek opportunities or to bring some spiritual plants to refine pills. Ye Qiao didn't need that, but the others did, and as the leader, she had the most basic sense of responsibility.

Yue Qing'an: "I'll draw it for you in a bit."

Seeing that Ye Qiao didn't intend to speak first, he started by saying, "I went to your Changming Sect after leaving the island."

"What are you going to Changming Sect for?" Ye Qiao asked, her voice slightly raised.

Yue Qing'an did not hide anything, "Our predecessors in Penglai once cast a divination."

"Your sect's Yun Que will have all sorts of powerful figures who will destroy the cultivation world for her sake."

That's why I wanted to see who this person really was.

I had never had the chance to leave the island before, but after hearing that Yun Que had been captured, I took this opportunity to meet her.

Ye Qiao paused for a moment, then asked, somewhat surprised. Had Peng Lai been aware of this all along?

He smiled at her noncommittally: "Our predecessors have made calculations, but you should know that we never interfere in such matters."

"Besides, even if the cultivation world is in chaos, only the powerful cultivators will get hurt. If the sky falls, won't those people be the ones to hold it up?"

This is a consistent concept among those secluded places.

They wouldn't care at all unless the fire burned them.

"Oh." Ye Qiao stared at him for a moment. "So—you're a superior being from Penglai Island?"

Indeed, he was right. Only some powerful beings would be affected. The novel never mentioned any powerful beings who sacrificed themselves to save the world, but countless people lost their lives in order to quell the turmoil.

To Ye Qiao's surprise, it turned out that the reclusive masters in the cultivation world were not unaware of the matter, but rather chose not to interfere.

"..."

"You don't need to mock me like that." He still smiled at her.

"We will also lend a helping hand in times of chaos."

"Moreover, sacrificing some highly skilled cultivators to maintain the safety of the cultivation world is, in my opinion, the simplest solution."

well.

Ye Qiao was once again certain that the two had different ideologies.

"Since your predecessors have already foreseen this, hasn't anyone considered solving the problem at its root?"

He gently shook his head: "Rashly intervening will only cause trouble."

Ye Qiao had nothing to refute about this; Xie Chuxue had killed so many times without any effect.

He sensed Ye Qiao's dissatisfaction and gently explained, "Letting things develop unchecked would only result in the sacrifice of some highly skilled cultivators, but ultimately, a good outcome would be achieved. Therefore, we didn't take any precautions or offer any warnings."

For Penglai, a good outcome is enough.

Ye Qiao: "So you guys are learning deduction..." She curled her lips into a smirk: "Learning nothing?"

They've calculated everything, but they won't say anything.

Faced with Ye Qiao's somewhat mocking tone, he casually gave an example: "Your Changming Sect also has an elder who is skilled in divination? Even if he foresaw it, he wouldn't tell you. We never interfere lightly."

He undoubtedly loved the cultivation world and all living beings, otherwise he wouldn't have cultivated the Path of All Living Beings.

In his view, sacrificing some highly skilled individuals to save more people was the most correct course of action.

A predetermined fate can easily be changed, which can easily lead to chaos.

She remembered that many predecessors sacrificed themselves in the novel, but it didn't mention in detail who they were, and now the development of the story is becoming increasingly unpredictable.

The demon and monster races are up to no good. They came to Penglai to consult them and see if they could find a way to break the deadlock.

As it turned out, this mentor actually told her that even if he had foreseen it, he wouldn't say it.

"Alright." Ye Qiao respected his idea: "So, sacrificing those powerful beings will protect the cultivation world?"

"It might also cause decades of turmoil in the cultivation world." Yue Qing'an lowered his eyes and pondered, "But whether it's the result calculated by our predecessors or the result I've calculated, sacrificing them is the best choice."

"You'd better not interfere," he even advised Ye Qiao, "I can't see your destiny."

If she intervenes, the situation will become unpredictable.

This disciple from Penglai Island was indeed an exceptionally stable person. No matter what sarcasm or rebuttal she made, he remained calm and even maintained that smile without the slightest fluctuation.

It makes you feel like you're punching cotton, leaving you with a sense of powerlessness and frustration.

"Are there any people I know inside?" Ye Qiao paused for a few seconds before asking the question that concerned her the most.

"Yes." His voice was gentle, but unlike Xue Yu's, one could easily detect a sense of superior arrogance in his tone.

She had only ever sensed this arrogance from the direct descendants of aristocratic families.

He paused, then added, "In the future, or perhaps in the not-too-distant future, many powerful beings will be sacrificed."

"What can your intervention change?"

Ye Qiao was somewhat dazed by his words. "Is this how you cultivate your Dao of the Common People?"

Okay, there are no bad people in the Path of the Living, and he is indeed not a bad person either, but this concept is contrary to Ye Qiao's.

"You're also from the Path of the Common People, aren't you?" Yue Qing'an looked at her with a smile. "It's said that the Path of the Common People has a history of people sacrificing themselves for their righteous cause. I think they're very foolish."

Sometimes it would be better not to interfere.

Unlike those people, Yue Qing'an still cherished his life.

God knows why he would practice this path.

Ye Qiao was offended. She looked at him and asked, "Do you want to fight?"

He smiled and advised her, "I think you sword cultivators should sometimes learn to control your emotions, instead of displaying a barbaric style all day long."

The two cultivated the same path, but there was no mutual respect or appreciation between them; in fact, he looked down on Ye Qiao somewhat.

Ye Qiao was the same.

But Yue Qing'an is undoubtedly a rational person.

He was able to suppress his dissatisfaction with her and thus have a peaceful conversation with her.

After his mocking "barbarian," Ye Qiao immediately took action.

"Thank you for your praise, congratulations. Now you will not only see the savage sword cultivator, but also the savage me." Ye Qiao clenched her fist without warning and punched him in the face with lightning speed.

Even with Ye Qinghan, Ye Qiao never took the initiative to fight him.

He is the first.

Yue Qing'an dodged to the side, slightly embarrassed as he avoided her first punch. He was somewhat surprised by her speed, after all, according to outside information, she seemed to be only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

"I've long heard of Penglai's divination abilities; they're incredibly skilled and have never been wrong—" Her voice was clear as she suddenly leaned closer to him. Under the young man's astonished gaze, she swung her fist again, smiling, "Did you foresee that you'd get beaten up today?"

Yue Qing'an: "..."

Yue Qing'an certainly wouldn't sit and take the beating, and even fought back. However, Ye Qiao was skilled in martial arts, and after only a few seconds of brief fighting, she was firmly pinned to the table by Ye Qiao's grappling technique.

A class that's not even a mage, at best a support class, has to fight assassins?

You're dreaming.

She punched him in the stomach with her second punch, and Yue Qing'an almost vomited bile from the blow.

He could no longer hold back his smile.

I should have known better than to talk nonsense.

*

"Ye Qiao!!!"

"You beat up Penglai's personal disciple?"

Elder Zhao was on the verge of losing his mind.

Why?

Her cultivation level is enough to allow her to run rampant in the cultivation world, but it doesn't mean she can beat up Kuku whenever she sees someone she doesn't like.

With her like this, will she still be able to have fun with her other close associates in the future?

"It's enough that you're acting arrogantly in the South China Sea."

Modifying someone else's magical artifact on the Dragon Clan's territory is only possible because the Dragon Clan has a good temper.

Even they dared not be too presumptuous in Penglai's territory; Ye Qiao had only been on the island for a few days when he personally passed on his skills to Hammer.

"We don't have so many problems in the South China Sea. As long as we're strong enough, we can pretend we didn't see anything." The little prince was left at the Changming Sect, and he was so bored he was practically growing hair.

He then chimed in with a rebuttal.

Elder Zhao: "What good is it for her to be riding high in the South China Sea? Penglai is not the South China Sea."

"Why is it useless?" The young prince, sitting idly in the main hall of the Changming Sect, called out in a clear voice, "Our dragon clan is willing to offer a hundred years of loyalty for this."

As he spoke, Ao Li let out a couple of self-deprecating laughs: "In our South China Sea, it's bound to be the South China Sea's tyranny, with Ye Qiao as king."

"That mere Penglai Island, if their disciple is disobedient, just kill him."

Qin Fanfan: "???"

As soon as he uttered this antisocial statement, Xie Chuxue began to clap her hands in a seal-like frenzy.

Elder Zhao gave her an unfriendly glance, and Xie Chuxue obediently lay on the table like a chicken again.

The young prince was shouting encouragement, and in an instant, the few people who were originally as quiet as chickens became energetic. Mu Chongxi suppressed a smile and said, "Ah, right, right, the South China Sea is rampant, Ye Qiao is the king."

Mingxuan: "Your Ye Qiao is repeatedly outrageous."

Xue Yu: "Your Ye Qiao shines brightly."

Elder Zhao: "..."

Xie Chuxue was already pounding the table, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. These three were quite the comedians, and they were even trying to use this method to cover up Ye Qiao's beating up of the Penglai Chief. The effect was indeed impressive; Qin Fanfan was completely speechless.

And so, the reprimand ended there.

*

Ye Qiao was locked in a room alone. Penglai was furious and frantically sent jade slips trying to get an explanation from Changming Sect. However, every word they said was slowly and evasively brushed off by Xie Chuxue, who was good at playing the game of Tai Chi. "Next time, definitely next time, trust us. We will teach her a lesson when she comes back."

Penglai was furious. Seeing that Changming Sect had no intention of punishing Ye Qiao, they personally put her in confinement.

That night, Ye Qiao was locked up alone. Bored, she prepared to call her sword spirits out for a stroll, but instead, she was greeted by a series of prison visitors.

However, she didn't go to prison.

From Chengfeng Sect to Yueqing Sect, everyone offered insincere words of comfort.

Ye Qiao: "..."

After facing a series of relatives who claimed to be visiting but were actually gloating, they finally encountered someone who was a little more normal.

"I'm here to comfort you." Song Hansheng lowered his long eyelashes slightly to avoid her surprised gaze, and after a long while, he spoke softly, "Although you don't seem to need it."

Even Song Hansheng couldn't say for sure who was more unlucky between the two.

You know, Penglai disciples are always fawned over wherever they go. Suddenly, a disciple from another sect came and beat him up. The elders could only give him a verbal reprimand and couldn't punish Ye Qiao in any way.

Who would punish a genius?

Similarly, if Ye Qiao were to be beaten up, Penglai would only try to smooth things over.

The two were about the same age, and whoever lost would suffer the loss. No matter how angry they were, they could only swallow their anger and resentment.

Ye Qiao was genuinely bored. Fine, she thought, she'd be locked up then. She'd been to the forbidden area at least five times already. She glanced at Song Hansheng and said, "I'm in a bad mood." She should have beaten him a few more times if she'd known she wasn't going to beat him up and instead locked him up.

After Ye Qiao finished speaking, the next second her eyes fell on a piece of spirit jade.

With a gentle flick of light in front of her eyes, she immediately perked up.

Without saying a word, he gently handed the jade pendant to her.

Clearly, Song Hansheng had mastered the key to quickly improving her mood.

Ye Qiao subconsciously reached out and grabbed the jade pendant. The ice-blue crystal had been polished into a jade pendant, its bright color suggesting it was a rare, top-grade spiritual jade, something that could not be found on the market.

She really enjoys being friends with rich people.

"You're such a good person."

Her praise was sincere, and Song Hansheng raised the corners of his lips, becoming slightly smug.

The two got along very well for a while.

Not long after Song Hansheng went to visit him in prison, several members of the Changming Sect also came to observe from outside.

To be honest, they were all surprised that Song Hansheng would go, and that he unusually refrained from making sarcastic remarks.

Mingxuan clicked his tongue in amazement: "Su Zhuo, Song Hansheng also comforts you?" This scene is too rare.

Does Song Hansheng also give gifts to comfort people?

No one would believe it if it got out.

"Him?" Su Zhuo was slightly taken aback, then said indignantly, "Whenever I don't do something well, he just calls me useless."

Su Zhuo only learned today that Song Hansheng, with his personality, could actually comfort people.

"To be honest," Su Zhuo clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, "he disgusts me."

Damn you, Song Hansheng! You're playing double standards!