Chapter 102: The Former Fiancé!

As Senior Sister carried her through the barrier of the Spirit Beast Garden, Ji Jiuxuan felt a wave of admiration. To be someone capable of "listening to strings to inquire of spirits"—she truly lived up to the name. By manipulating spiritual energy directly, she bypassed the need for sword flight, hovering effortlessly in mid-air through the sheer mastery of her craft.

"Curious about my relationship with He Lingsang?" Yao Zhaoxi looked down at the little junior sister in her arms, her eyes filled with tenderness.

Having spent the past two days with her Senior Sister, Ji Jiuxuan had begun to grasp her temperament. While she appeared somewhat cold and detached, she was genuinely kind.

"I am curious," she nodded, her eyes bright with inquiry. "May I ask?"

"He is my former fiancé."

What a connection! Yet, the situation didn't quite add up. The atmosphere between Uncle-Master He and her Senior Sister, coupled with how familiar Senior Sister was with the Spirit Beast Garden, felt nothing like a broken engagement. Moreover, if she remembered correctly, the *Gossip Records* mentioned that He Lingsang had feelings for her mother, Qi Yanwei.

Meeting the girl’s inquisitive gaze, Yao Zhaoxi had no intention of hiding anything. Her voice remained indifferent, as if she were discussing something mundane.

"The Yao and He families are old friends. Back then, He Lingsang had someone else in his heart and wanted to call off the engagement. I didn't mind, so I agreed." She found it somewhat amusing. "We’ve known each other since childhood; calling off the marriage actually turned us into rare, good friends."

Over the years, she had few friends, and He Lingsang was certainly one of them.

Ji Jiuxuan was stunned. Arranged marriages between cultivation families were common, but cultivators lived with more freedom than those in the mortal realm.

"Then does Senior Sister have someone she likes?"

"No." Once she finished speaking, Yao Zhaoxi touched down. "Your hobbies, little junior sister, are just like your Second Uncle-Master’s."

Taking this as a compliment, Ji Jiuxuan laughed. "Then I shall go visit Second Uncle-Master for a chat another day." She recalled how he had once sent her an entire storage bag filled with gossip novels; she had been dumbfounded at the time. It seemed the Senior Sister’s assessment was correct—that was truly his hobby. The contents, however, were quite entertaining.

"We have arrived." Looking at the clearing surrounded by Silver Frost trees, she saw many glowing clusters containing the eggs of Moon-White Rabbits floating under the moonlight.

Ji Jiuxuan recognized the location of her Moon-White Rabbit instantly. Pointing to it, she said, "Senior Sister, that is Moon-White."

The energy within the cluster holding Moon-White was becoming increasingly powerful, and she could even sense its emotions—it was filled with joy.

Yao Zhaoxi gazed at the surroundings, memories of the past surfacing. To condense a Moon-White Rabbit with a Moon-Bud Heart, Qi Yanwei had dragged her here to work day and night. They had exhausted their spiritual energy, but time ran out, and they eventually had to give up and seek other methods.

"Very well." With a sigh, she channeled her spiritual energy. The Listening String Zither appeared before her, shimmering with a brilliant blue light. She sat cross-legged, cradling the zither, and as her slender, jade-like fingers plucked the strings, points of light appeared in the air. The melody flowed, exceptionally melodious in the silent forest.

Under the moonlight, the shimmering lights danced, and even the surrounding Silver Frost trees rustled their leaves in pleasure. The blue light surged into the cluster, slowly seeping inside. Ji Jiuxuan felt Moon-White’s joy intensify.

When the entire cluster turned a deep blue, Yao Zhaoxi finally stopped. She stood up, waved her sleeve, and tucked the zither away. "It is done. Let it absorb the energy on its own."

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Yao Zhaoxi was in a clearly good mood, patting Ji Jiuxuan’s hair. "No need to be so formal with me. I am your Senior Sister, after all. If you ever need anything in the future, just tell me." She figured their Master would only take the two of them as disciples, so she ought to cherish her little sister—especially since she was so adorable. "Come, let me take you for a tour."

For the rest of the time, Ji Jiuxuan was taken through the entire barrier, seeing every spirit beast within the Xuantian Sect’s garden. Fortunately, Yao Zhaoxi had sealed both of their auras, making them invisible to the beasts; otherwise, a scene even more chaotic than the Beast Taming Sect would have surely unfolded.

Over the next two days, Ji Jiuxuan hid away in the Lecture Hall, studying the materials Zhou Guangsheng had specifically assigned before her departure. Soon, the two days passed.

"Ah Jiu, here, take this. If you see anything you like, don't hesitate—buy it." Before they set off, Min Chengjun handed her another storage ring, this one filled with not only daily necessities but also a vast amount of spirit stones.

Ji Jiuxuan stared at the contents, speechless once more.

"If anything happens, seek out your Little Uncle-Master. Remember to use his token if you encounter trouble." This was the little girl’s second time traveling far from home, and since he wasn't accompanying her, he couldn't help but worry.

Ji Jiuxuan nodded and smiled. "Don't worry, Uncle-Master. If I truly run into trouble, I will certainly use it."

Her storage space now held two tokens: one from her Second Uncle-Master and another given to her by her eldest uncle before he returned to the Ji family.

"This is our Qi family token. Keep it, Ah Jiu. Having an extra path means extra protection." Standing nearby, Qi Shuoyuan handed her a jade-colored token with the character 'Qi' formed by a formation in the center.

Liang Province was relatively close to the Qi family’s ancestral home. Although his second disciple’s influence was widespread, he feared that in an emergency, it was best to have options.

"Don't worry, Master. I will protect Ah Jiu well," Nie Xingyuan said, bowing to Qi Shuoyuan with a solemn expression.

Meng Jiao followed suit. "Don't worry, Ancestor. I will certainly protect our Junior Sister as well."

"Very well, very well. I leave Ah Jiu in your hands."

Not until Ji Jiuxuan boarded the flying ship with her Little Uncle-Master and the others, watching the Xuantian Sect fade into the distance, did she finally have the leisure to look at the ship's interior. She looked around curiously, noting that the layout was almost identical to the one her Second Uncle-Master had used before.

"Do you like it?" Nie Xingyuan stood nearby and asked with a smile, seeing her examine the ship. He produced two more flying ships, each the size of a palm, which would only expand to their full size when triggered by spiritual energy. One of them looked exactly like the one they were currently riding. "I’ll give you both."

These ships were incredibly valuable, and he was giving her two!

"Uncle-Master, one is enough. One is more than enough." If one were properly maintained, it could last a lifetime, so Ji Jiuxuan spoke frankly.

"Take them. I crafted them myself. I made so many different kinds, I didn't know which one you’d like." He pressed both into her hands and laughed. "Use one for daily travel and keep the other as a spare."

Ji Jiuxuan did not refuse. She had fully accepted her family in this world, and she kept their kindness in her heart, hoping to repay them tenfold. "Thank you, Uncle-Master!"

The three of them traveled together, and with Meng Jiao there to liven things up, the atmosphere was quite relaxed. Aside from completing the assignments set by her Master and practicing sword forms at designated times, Ji Jiuxuan enjoyed the journey. Her Senior Sister even brought out many fun things to play with, and had it not been for her Little Uncle-Master announcing their arrival in Liang Province City, she might have forgotten the passage of time entirely.