"Junior Brother Chen, it's been a while. Fancy meeting you here!"
The Yao Jingzhi of today was much more talkative and proactive than he had been that other day.
Chen Qingyang observed him. His Cultivation was still at the Essence Condensation Sixth Realm. Though his foundation had grown more solid over the past half-year, he still hadn't touched the threshold of a breakthrough.
'But... he's more than enough to deal with a minor Essence Condensation Second Realm cultivator like me.'
"Senior Brother Yao, you seem to be a great believer in coincidence. I, on the other hand, am not."
Seeing his intentions laid bare, a cold glint appeared in Yao Jingzhi's eyes. "Sometimes, being too clever isn't a good thing."
Chen Qingyang returned the cold smile. "Sometimes, wearing too many masks makes it easy to lose one's true self. That runs contrary to the True Skill our Tai Xu Sect seeks."
"You..." Yao Jingzhi couldn't believe this guy had seen his shameful display that day so clearly. "Heh! We haven't seen each other for a few months, and Junior Brother Chen has already broken through. How truly surprising!"
Chen Qingyang said, "Is that so? I've always been full of surprises, especially when it comes to being clever. I've never been one to lose in that department."
Unable to win the war of words, Yao Jingzhi's tone took on a more threatening edge. "Eloquent words are just that—words. If you put as much energy into your Cultivation, Junior Brother, you might be higher than the Second Realm by now. I advise you to be a little more humble."
Humility was nowhere to be seen on Chen Qingyang's face. "Haha, it seems the assignments here at Qingxu Temple are mostly managed by you, Senior Brother Yao?"
Yao Jingzhi simply replied, "I wouldn't dare claim that. I was merely dispatched by my Master and Senior Sister to welcome our junior and senior brothers, and... to assign tasks."
Chen Qingyang looked hopeful, almost as if he wanted to be assigned alongside him. "So, it seems I'll have to follow all of Senior Brother Yao's orders."
Yao Jingzhi ignored him and glanced over at Liu Tao. "And what might this junior sister's name be?"
Liu Tao didn't understand the full meaning behind their words, but she could feel the tension between them. She replied to Yao Jingzhi, "My name is Liu Tao. I am a long-time confidante of Junior Brother Chen."
"So, it's Junior Sister Tao. On which peak do you cultivate, and who is your Master?"
'This kind of person is shrewd.'
'If he wants to deal with Chen Qingyang, he'll make sure to learn everything about the people around him.'
Liu Tao didn't think about any of this and just answered as was customary, "I cultivate on the Four Golden Peaks. My Master is Master Yun Ci."
Hearing this, Yao Jingzhi paused for a moment, as if racking his brain to recall if a place like the Four Golden Peaks even existed in the Tai Xu Sect.
In the end, it seemed he couldn't remember it. "Hmm, I can't say I've heard of it. I'm from Sun-piercing Peak. I presume Junior Sister is familiar with it?"
Without waiting for Liu Tao's reply, he continued, "My Master is Zhou Jing Master, and my Master's Senior Brother is the renowned Miaoyou. With the Golden Core True Monarch of Sun-piercing Peak absent, all matters, great and small, are handled by my Master's Senior Brother, Master Miaoyou. You must have heard of him, Junior Sister?"
'So there's that layer to it. The man I see today is completely different from the one who stood before Master Miaoyou's disciple, Jian Yu. Now, he can't stop mentioning the Master's name.'
'It seems this Zhou Jing Master is quite poor at managing his subordinates, allowing his disciple to develop a divided loyalty—and toward his own Master's Senior Brother, no less.'
Liu Tao had never heard of such complicated matters. Seeing that he was at odds with Chen Qingyang, she simply gave the arrogant senior brother a soft "Oh."
For someone like Yao Jingzhi, this move was devastating. It was like a full-force punch landing on a wad of cotton.
He was stunned for a moment, then looked at Liu Tao with a cold smirk. "Fine. Perhaps these things are too distant for you, Junior Sister. It's normal that your... what was it... Four-something Peak... wouldn't hear news from Sun-piercing Peak. Still, I have a word of advice for you."
Liu Tao asked, "And what is that?"
"I see that Junior Sister is as beautiful as a flower, and your Cultivation is on the verge of a breakthrough. You have a promising future ahead. But you must not follow the wrong person. This junior brother is far inferior to you. If you encounter any problems in your cultivation in the future, Junior Sister, feel free to ask me. What do you think?"
Before Liu Tao could even speak, Yao Jingzhi added, "My Cultivation has often been guided by Master Miaoyou. I'm just one step away from breaking through to the Seventh Realm, and I've dabbled in all Seven Arts of Immortal Cultivation. When it comes to guidance, Junior Sister, you can rest assured."
'Today I've finally seen what kind of person this guy truly is. He flirts with every girl he sees and preys on junior sisters. If Master Miaoyou weren't a man, I would suspect he would have long since bent the knee and prostrated himself.'
'He acts one way in front of Jian Yu, another way with that woman at the Dao Field, and now that he's met Liu Tao, he's started wagging his tail again.'
He didn't say anything, just watched the scene unfold with great interest. Liu Tao spoke up: "My Master may not be as famous as Master Miaoyou, but she can break through two realms in a single night—a feat rarely seen in this world."
"She often tells us that in the grand scheme of the Great Dao, a person's life is finite, and their energy is limited. Rather than pursuing ten things and mastering none, it's better to focus on one. I imagine you, Senior Brother, are the very person she describes: a jack of all trades, and a master of none."
Rebuffed at every turn, Yao Jingzhi's face turned ashen.
'When you think about it, you find people like this everywhere. They're utterly sycophantic to their superiors and completely tyrannical to their subordinates.'
'This Yao Jingzhi must have tricked a lot of people with his slick words and good looks.'
"Heh... As they say, you can survive the calamities of heaven, but not the ones you bring upon yourself. With so many Great Daos to choose from, Junior Sister, you chose a narrow path. You'll have no one to blame but yourself!"