Chapter 58
Baek-Cheong’s eyes widened at Mong-Yo’s sudden appearance.
Thanks to her Eldest Brother introducing his Senior and Junior Disciples earlier, she knew that this woman was her Eldest Brother’s Eldest Sister and a cultivator who had reached the very Peak of the Mid Foundation Establishment Stage.
“When I see you in person, you’re even more petite and adorable.”
Mong-Yo lightly pinched and pulled Baek-Cheong’s soft cheeks with both hands.
Baek-Cheong helplessly gave way to that touch.
“Awoo… pwease let go…”
As Baek-Cheong let out a pained sound with her pronunciation slurring due to her pinched cheeks, Mong-Yo burst into a bright laugh and let go.
“Hoho, I’m sorry. You were just too cute. Feel free to call me Older Sister Mong-Yo.”
“Yes, Older Sis, sister Mong-Yo. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Baek-Cheong smiled awkwardly and took a step back.
Such an affectionate approach on their first meeting couldn’t help but feel burdensome to Baek-Cheong.
“Right, Cheong-A. Do you have any thoughts of joining our Biun Sect?”
Mong-Yo abruptly suggested joining the Sect.
Baek-Cheong asked back, doubting her own ears.
“Pardon? Me? In the Biun Sect?”
“Yeah! Your brother is there, and our Youngest, Jin-Wi, likes you so much too. If you come to the Biun Sect, I’ll buy you delicious spirit fruits every day and teach you the Cloud Riding Method. It would be so much fun to do your Training with your Older Sister, what do you say?”
Mong-Yo coaxed Baek-Cheong with a sweet and tempting voice, as if soothing a child.
It was a lighthearted invitation born of pure interest - she found the kid who had kept the Youngest Junior Disciple, Jin-Wi, in a daze for days to be cute and to her liking, and she wanted to keep her close and take care of her like a younger sister.
However, Baek-Cheong’s stance was different.
Although the narrow gate that countless cultivators risked their lives to cling to had opened wide before her eyes, to Baek-Cheong, a Sect was merely another name for hell - a place rampant with suffocating rules, strict Hierarchy, and Factional Strife.
‘I’d rather just mold pills in the Pill Refining Room.’
Baek-Cheong desperately racked her brain to find an excuse to refuse.
“Ah… The Biun Sect is such an incredible place, after all. If a lazybones like me, a Five Elements Spirit Root Holder with no Talent who only likes to play, were to go, I’d be kicked out in no time.”
She put up an iron wall, pretending as much as possible to be a Hothouse Flower ignorant of the ways of the world.
But Mong-Yo easily pierced right through Baek-Cheong’s iron wall.
“Aw, don’t worry. Even if our Biun Sect is a bit tough, your Older Sister will stick right by your side and protect you. I won’t let anyone touch our Cheong-Yi! Junior Disciple Baek Gyu will protect his lovely younger sister, too.”
Baek-Cheong’s insides burned at Mong-Yo’s persistent persuasion.
Just as she was squeezing her brain for a way to escape the situation.
“Eldest Sister, please stop. Can’t you see Young Lady Baek is troubled?”
As if to save Baek-Cheong, Jin-Wi stepped forward and stopped Mong-Yo.
“Oh my? What’s gotten into our Youngest to make him block my way?”
Mong-Yo looked back and forth between Jin-Wi and Baek-Cheong with an amused expression.
A mischievous arc was deeply drawn around her eyes once again.
“Just how did you sweet-talk our haughty Youngest Junior Disciple to make him lie sick in bed for days, calling only Cheong-Yi’s name? Won’t you secretly tell your Older Sister?”
When Mong-Yo asked Baek-Cheong with a wink, Jin-Wi’s face flushed red like a ripe apple once more.
“E-Eldest Sister! Why are you saying such mischievous things! I was simply deeply impressed by Young Lady Baek’s enlightenment!”
“Enlightenment?”
When Mong-Yo asked back in confusion, Jin-Wi couldn’t hold back and blurted out the sight Baek-Cheong had shown him a few days ago.
“Young Lady Baek’s Multi-Technique Deployment is practically divine. She unfolded five Basic Techniques of different attributes simultaneously without a single inch of error or strain. Her division of Divine Sense and delicate control of energy have become the goal I must spend my entire life chasing!”
Mong-Yo’s eyes grew round at Jin-Wi’s fervent praise.
Multi-Technique Deployment was something one wouldn’t dare attempt recklessly under normal circumstances.
Since it was an act that wasn’t recommended in the first place, it was closer to something unimaginable.
“What? Five Technique/Spells at the same time? Of different attributes?”
Mong-Yo stared intently at Baek-Cheong as if she couldn’t believe it.
She had discovered a fragment of an intriguing Talent in the child she had only considered a cute younger sister.
Now, her curiosity had spread beyond pure adoration for her cuteness into the inquiring mind of a cultivator.
“Cheong-A, is that true? How can your Qi meridians not get tangled? Could you show your Older Sister your multi-technique just once?”
Mong-Yo tightly held both of Baek-Cheong’s hands and pleaded earnestly.
At the sudden situation, Baek-Cheong bit her lip, inwardly resenting Jin-Wi.
‘Ugh, that clueless Heavenly Spirit Root Kid! He’s just making things worse for no reason.’
Baek-Cheong hastily pulled her hands away and waved them in denial.
“N-No! Senior Jin-Wi must have seen something wrong. It’s just a Minor Skill.”
She struggled to somehow escape the situation, but the water had already been spilled.
However, Jin-Wi’s excited voice and Mong-Yo’s persistent demands ended up drawing the attention of the other people nearby.
The small commotion that broke out in a corner of the Banquet Hall meant for socializing reached even the people of the Biun Sect.
“Hoh, multi-technique, you say. I am exceedingly curious to see what kind of Talent the prodigy of the Baek Clan, who deeply moved our Youngest Junior Disciple, possesses.”
Wang Sam, the Eldest Senior Disciple Brother of the Biun Sect, turned his attention and showed interest.
At that, the other Senior and Junior Disciples behind Wang Sam also looked over with eyes full of curiosity.
Only Baek Gyu sent a supportive gaze, as if it were only natural since she was his younger sister.
Soon, a situation was created where all the attention in the Banquet Hall was focused on Baek-Cheong.
“Haa…”
Baek-Cheong let out a deep sigh inwardly and stood up from her Seat.
Since things had turned out this way anyway, it was better to show them something moderate and end it quickly.
“I have no choice…”
She walked straight out into the middle of the Banquet Hall.
It was a stage with countless eyes focused on her, but due to the useless attention, she was only filled with annoyance.
“My skills are lacking, so I am worried I might offend the eyes of the many seniors here, but I will give it a try.”
Baek-Cheong laid the groundwork in advance and closed her eyes.
Then, she drew up the Five Elements Qi from her Dantian.
She detached only a portion of her Divine Sense and lightly divided it into five strands.
Using the divided Divine Sense, she managed the energy and operated it according to the Incantation.
Soon after, she opened her eyes and lightly raised both hands into the air.
Flame Projectile, Water Stream Art, Earth Wall Art, Wind Blade, Illumination Art.
They were the exact same five Basic Techniques she had shown Jin-Wi.
Without a doubt, five Technique/Spells of different attributes bloomed simultaneously from her hands.
There was absolutely no mishap of the different Techniques/Spells clashing with each other or her Qi meridians getting tangled.
It was a control as natural as breathing.
“Ooh…!”
At that, exclamations burst out from all over the Banquet Hall.
Most of them were exclamations coming from the elders of the Baek Clan who had only heard the news.
Meanwhile, the people of the Biun Sect also watched the sight with surprised eyes.
To deploy the mutually incompatible Five Elements Qi in a multi-layered manner while maintaining such a stable form was proof that the sturdiness of her Qi meridians and her Talent in handling Divine Sense were exceptionally outstanding.
However, the surprise of the Biun Sect people ended exactly there.
‘It is certainly an outstanding Talent… but in the end, it’s only at the level of handling Basic Techniques.’
Wang Sam watched with interest, but inwardly made his evaluation.
The other Senior and Junior Disciples also merely wore light smiles, as if watching a fascinating Feat.
They were prominent Prodigies in the Biun Sect to begin with, and when it came to Basic Techniques, they could replicate it right away if they set their minds to it.
Because Basic Techniques placed an absurdly low burden on the Qi meridians and Divine Sense, it was merely considered an excellent Minor Skill of a talented Qi Condensation Stage child.
That was why only Jin-Wi, who was young in age and low in realm, had his eyes sparkling with awe.
Baek Gyu was also simply delighted to see his pretty younger sister showing off her Talent, boasting to his Senior and Junior Disciples that she was his sister.
“Good, this should be enough.”
Baek-Cheong was satisfied with the atmosphere of a young child performing a Talent, and scattered the Technique/Spells.
She deliberately did not use the Baekju Dharma Tool or reveal an overwhelming display like the Ice Dragon Shatter.
If she wasn’t careful, she could be dragged off to the Biun Sect and forced to become a Disciple.
Soon, she left the elders' praises behind and returned to her Seat.
“Wow! Cheong-A, that was really amazing! Your Older Sister has completely fallen for you!”
Mong-Yo clapped her hands, approached Baek-Cheong, and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Even though you’re in the Qi Condensation Stage, your skill in handling Divine Sense is extraordinary. You’re so pretty and have such great Talent. I want to take you to Our Sect right this instant!”
Baek-Cheong broke out in a cold sweat at Mong-Yo’s sincere praise and persistent urging.
“Ah, ha, ha… Thank you. But a Sect is a bit… I’ll go visit and take a look around later when I have time.”
Baek-Cheong threw out an appropriate empty promise to somehow escape the persistent attention.
However, Mong-Yo eagerly bit into that empty promise.
“Oh my, really? It’s a promise! Your Older Sister will be waiting, so you absolutely have to come visit!”
Mong-Yo brought her face close as if demanding a definite answer.
At this, Baek-Cheong had no choice but to nod her head.
Meanwhile, Jin-Wi, who was watching from behind, couldn’t hide the way his face unconsciously brightened.
‘Ah… I feel like I’m really screwed here.’
Baek-Cheong broke out in a cold sweat at the promise that had been made in an instant.
It felt like an unexpected schedule was going to pop up out of nowhere.
She was already thinking up all sorts of excuses in her head.
‘…I didn’t say when I’d go, though.’
Baek-Cheong inwardly made up excuses that wouldn’t work in the slightest, and offered an awkward smile, like that.