"Ah—!"
A sharp scream echoed through the grove. As she looked more closely, Belle's fear turned to anger. She swung her duster at him, "You nearly scared me to death! Skylar Loft, all you do is frighten people!"
"How can you cultivate immortality if you're so timid?"
"None of your business! Hmph!" Belle snapped, turning to continue down her path.
Skylar Loft could only follow behind helplessly, asking, "We agreed you wouldn’t take the Vitality Pill unless it was absolutely necessary. Why did you use it so soon?"
"Let me ask you—why did you give the monkey a Spirit-Absorption Pill?"
"He asked for it himself. What else was I supposed to do?"
"The Spirit-Absorption Pill clearly can't help him break through to the Spirit Channeling Stage! You nearly got the monkey killed." Belle pouted as she hurried along.
"Didn't I send Anna Yang over with the 'Living Pill Recipe'?"
At this, Belle stopped abruptly, and Skylar Loft nearly bumped into her.
Belle slowly turned around, squinting suspiciously at Skylar Loft, inching closer and whispering, "So, sending Anna Yang here was your plan all along? Was it premeditated?"
Under Belle’s intense gaze, Skylar Loft shivered, realizing he’d said the wrong thing. But it was too late to deny it now, and he couldn’t think of a good excuse.
Whenever Belle stepped forward, he would step back, guilt written all over his face.
"You did do it on purpose! You jerk, you jerk, you jerk, you jerk, you jerk!" Belle swung her duster wildly at Skylar Loft, driving him to flee with his arms over his head.
Watching Skylar Loft’s guilty expression from afar, Belle spun around and marched off, shouting, "I’m telling Master it was you who said the Vitality Pill would boost my cultivation! You’re the one who persuaded me to take it!"
"What?" Skylar Loft’s mouth twitched twice before he hurried after her. "Shh, shh! You can’t say that! You asked me for the Vitality Pill yourself. If you say that, Senior Brother will skin me alive!"
"Hmph, you’re the one who schemed against the monkey!"
"Hey, I watched you grow up! You’d betray your uncle for a monkey? That’s heartless!"
"That’s different, totally different! Ah—!" Belle spun around and screamed with her eyes shut.
Her shrill voice pierced through the entire grove.
For a moment, Skylar Loft was genuinely startled.
After shouting, Belle bit her lip hard, glared at him twice, then turned and continued on her way, pouting.
"Hey, hey, don’t go! You can’t go telling your master nonsense. Hey—Belle, dear ancestor, I’m begging you! You know what your master’s temper is like."
"I will say it! I will say it! Hmph!"
In the blink of an eye, they were back at Swallow Lane.
Pushing open the half-closed door, they saw a green lantern illuminating the room. Inside, Simon Stone and Anna Yang stared each other down, both looking ready to fight at any moment.
Seeing this, Belle didn’t have time to speak before Skylar Loft rushed in, "What’s going on? What’s going on? Harmony brings fortune, harmony brings fortune!"
Neither of them responded. Anna Yang shot Simon Stone a glare, "You don’t appreciate good intentions!"
With that, she turned and left, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.
Once Anna Yang was gone, Skylar Loft looked at Simon Stone eagerly, "What happened?"
"Ask her," Simon Stone replied coldly, then fell silent.
Skylar Loft glanced at Simon Stone, then at the slammed door, then back at Simon Stone. He hurried outside, muttering, "Weren’t they supposed to get along? Why are they fighting? Oh my goodness."
After Skylar Loft left, Simon Stone finally let out a long sigh, grabbed the pill Master Sage Subhuti had sent, and swallowed it in one gulp.
As soon as it entered his body, the violent, aggressive energy within him eased considerably.
He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged to adjust his breathing, and asked, "Are they all gone?"
"No, the mountain’s formation is activated at night, so it’s risky to leave. Besides..." Belle hesitated, lowering her voice, "I want to keep them here."
"Hmm?" Simon Stone cracked one eye open and looked at Belle. "Is that allowed?"
Belle pouted, rubbing her thumb nervously. "I don’t know. I’m worried about how to explain it to the senior brothers. We’ve never taken in any demons here before, so I don’t know if they’ll agree."
Simon Stone opened his eyes and gave her a subtle look.
"You mean... ask Uncle Sky Loft?" Belle’s eyes widened slightly.
"Isn’t he always hanging around with demons? Who else would we ask about this? If it doesn’t work out, just send them to Cloud Loft Pavilion."
"No!" Belle pouted, biting her lip and shaking her head. "I don’t want to talk to him right now. He schemed against you!"
"Then there’s nothing we can do." Simon Stone seemed to ignore the last part and closed his eyes again.
"How about..." Belle poked Simon Stone’s arm with her finger, grinning. "You talk to Master Sage Subhuti?"
"Me talking to him would be worse than you doing it. Besides, I really don’t want to deal with the old man."
"Then how about talking to Elder Sky? If he agrees, no one would dare object!"
"Him?" Simon Stone’s eyes widened at Belle.
"Look." Belle pointed at the open medicine box. "He sent this over today, so I don’t think he’s determined to fight you to the end. Why not take this chance to ask him for a favor? You give, he gives..." Belle mused, "Maybe you two can finally resolve things. It wouldn’t hurt you."
...
Skylar Loft tiptoed up behind Anna Yang, raised his head, straightened his chest, flicked his sleeves, and assumed a masterly air. Clearing his throat, he said, "Anna Yang..."
"Get lost!" Before he could finish, Anna Yang spun around and glared at him.
With that outburst, all of Skylar Loft's bravado evaporated, leaving him looking timid once again.
Anna Yang said coldly, "Becoming your disciple was my brother’s decision, not mine. Don’t think being my master means anything!"
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"I... I..." Skylar Loft pointed at himself, blinking for a long moment, unable to speak. He swallowed twice, but couldn’t swallow his pride, finally frowning with an innocent look, "Did you take the wrong medicine? What did I do?"
Anna Yang finally calmed herself and said, "That stinking monkey really is the worst!"
"What does his behavior have to do with me?" Skylar Loft suddenly paused, as if remembering something, and said seriously, "I have something to ask you: did you tamper with the medicine for Brother Wukong?"
Anna Yang didn’t bother to hide it. She shot him a look and said, "If everyone already knows, why ask? So what if I did?"
"Hey, you think you’re in the right? Do you know how many senior brothers are questioning me about this right now?"
"Then let them come to me." Anna Yang retorted coldly, turning to head for her cabin.
Skylar Loft, frustrated, pointed at Anna Yang and shouted, "What do you mean, let them come to you? They're your uncles! Get back here!"
Anna Yang didn’t come back, nor did she have any intention of doing so.
Helpless, Skylar Loft could only trot after her, muttering to himself that taking this disciple was the worst luck in eight lifetimes.
Before he could enter, he heard a loud bang—Anna Yang had slammed the door and bolted it.
"You—! You’re going too far!" Skylar Loft shouted at the door.
But Anna Yang ignored him completely, not even bothering to respond.
With no other choice, Skylar Loft turned away, sighing about how both he and Master Sage Subhuti were masters, yet the treatment they received was worlds apart.
As he turned, he saw a tall figure standing behind him.
The newcomer wore his hair in a high bun, had handsome, refined features, and was dressed in a white scholar’s robe layered with spotless silver armor.
His phoenix-shaped eyes were more exquisite than any woman’s.
Bathed in moonlight, he radiated a serene white glow. His face was expressionless, almost frosty, yet he carried an innate, commanding presence.
In the center of his brow was a strange, prominent eye.
He bowed respectfully, cupping his hands. "Skylar Loft, on behalf of my sister, Anna Yang, I apologize. She’s young and impulsive. Please don’t take it to heart."