Junior Sister Yun lowered her head and looked at his palm.
It was a crescent-moon-shaped hairpin, silver-white all over, shimring with a soft sheen under the moonlight.
She stared at the hairpin and suddenly felt a sharp sting in her nose.
She reached out, picked up the hairpin, and clenched it tightly in her palm.
Junior Sister Yun did not dare raise her head.
She was afraid that if she did, he would see how red her eyes were.
“Senior Brother,” she said in a muffled voice, “you’re too good to .”
It felt too good. She felt as though all of this were a dream, and she was afraid it would vanish the mont she woke up.
The fingers holding the hairpin tightened a little more.
Seeing that she was only holding the hairpin and doing nothing with it, Lu Fengmian asked, “Why don’t you try wearing it?”
Junior Sister Yun shook her head.
Lu Fengmian froze for a mont, then suddenly understood.
“You didn’t know how to put it on?”
Junior Sister Yun was slightly stunned, then nodded.
Lu Fengmian understood.
He recalled Junior Sister Yun’s background. Her childhood had been unfortunate, and she had always lived a lonely life. Who would have taught her how to comb her hair and wear a hairpin?
That elusive master of hers? What could anyone possibly expect him to do? One might as well have expected the spirit beasts guarding the mountain range to know how to do hair.
Thinking about it carefully, when he had first transmigrated here, he too had been completely at a loss with this head of flowing long hair. In his previous life, he had only ever ruffled his hair casually before heading out. How could he possibly have handled sothing like this?
Fortunately, the system had promptly tossed him a copy of 《One Hundred Hairstyles Guide to the Cultivation World》, so in the end he had not beco the sort of person whose hair looked like a bird’s nest.
He sighed, then reached out and took the hairpin from Junior Sister Yun’s palm.
“Sit here.” He pointed at the stone stool in the courtyard.
Although Junior Sister Yun was sowhat puzzled, she still obediently sat down.
Lu Fengmian walked behind her and reached out to remove the old wooden hairpin from her hair.
Her glossy black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, falling over her shoulders and slipping through the gaps between his fingers.
Junior Sister Yun’s body stiffened slightly.
“Don’t move.” Lu Fengmian’s voice ca from above, carrying a trace of a gentle smile.
He picked up a strand of hair, his fingers deftly threading through the silken strands.
Moonlight poured over them. The courtyard was utterly quiet, with only the rustling of wind passing through the bamboo leaves.
Junior Sister Yun sat on the stone stool with her back to him, motionless.
Lu Fengmian’s movents were very gentle, as if he were afraid of hurting her.
Very soon, a beautiful coiffure had taken shape in his hands.
The crescent-moon hairpin was inserted at an angle into her hair. Its silver-white glow intertwined with the moonlight, making Junior Sister Yun appear much softer and more graceful.
“All done. Take a look.”
Lu Fengmian stepped back, then as if performing magic, pulled out a small bronze mirror from his sleeve and handed it to her.
Junior Sister Yun raised her head and looked at herself in the mirror.
Her hair had been arranged with great refinent, the hairpin set at a slant. Moonlight fell across her face, making her look gentle and moving.
She lifted a hand and lightly touched the hairpin with her fingertips, feeling that this object was astonishingly similar to Senior Brother himself, like an immortal from within the moon.
“Well? Are my skills decent?” Lu Fengmian asked with a smile.
“It’s beautiful,” she said softly.
Lu Fengmian nodded in satisfaction.
He raised his head and looked toward the sky; the moon had already sunk westward, and the night had grown deep.
“It’s getting late,” he said. “Go rest early. You must be very tired today.”
Junior Sister Yun stood up and nodded.
Lu Fengmian turned and walked toward the courtyard gate. The moonlight stretched his shadow long across the bluestone slabs.
Junior Sister Yun stood where she was, watching that shadow move inch by inch toward the gate.
Just as he was about to step out of the courtyard, he suddenly stopped.
“Oh, right.”
He turned his head, his gaze falling on her, a faint smile on his face.
“Next ti, don’t practice swordsmanship in the middle of the night, all right?”
Junior Sister Yun froze.
Before she could even react, that moonlight-like figure had already vanished beyond the courtyard gate.
The night wind brushed gently past, stirring her newly styled hair and making the crescent hairpin sway slightly.
She stood there for a long ti without moving.
Then she lowered her head and looked at the girl in the mirror, looked at the hairpin, looked at the moonlight spilling over her shoulders.
The wind was still blowing.
The corners of her lips lifted slightly.
She thought, tonight’s moonlight was truly beautiful.
*
Early the next morning, Lu Fengmian went out.
It had been too late last night, so he had only casually placed a piece of soft cloth beside the Ink Jade Flood Dragon’s pillow. The little fellow had not been picky. It had curled into a ball and slept sweetly.
But he could not let a dormant dragon cub with an ancient bloodline sleep on a pillow every day; he had to go to the Spirit Beast Garden and get so suitable supplies.
He walked along the mountain path toward the Spirit Beast Garden. The morning breeze brushed across his face, and the sunlight was just right.
Then he noticed that sothing was off.
The disciples passing by were all looking at him with strange expressions.
How should those looks be described? They were filled with longing and curiosity, and hidden within that curiosity was excitent.
Several disciples spotted him from afar and imdiately huddled together, whispering and gesticulating animatedly. When they saw him turn his head, they hurriedly lowered theirs and pretended to be discussing the path of cultivation.
Lu Fengmian: “……”
He lowered his head and looked at himself: a moon-white brocade robe, hair bound up with a jade crown, and a cloud fan in his hand. Everything was impeccable.
In the sea of consciousness, he silently asked, “System, has my persona collapsed?”
【Detection result: The host’s current image conforms to the standards of the “Perfect Senior Brother.” No abnormalities detected.】
Then why were they looking at like that?
【Reason unknown. Suggestion: Host should investigate personally.】
Fine, forget about it for now. He quickened his pace, deciding not to dwell on it any further.
They soon arrived at the Spirit Beast Garden.
The mont Lu Fengmian stepped through the gate, he felt those gazes again, only even stronger this ti.
Several servant disciples who were cleaning the beast sheds saw him, and the brooms in their hands ca to a halt as they stared at him blankly.
Not far away, two young disciples in inner sect robes were feeding spirit beasts. The instant they saw him, their eyes lit up at once, then their expressions beca extrely complicated.
He understood people’s admiration, but where had that resentnt co from?
Just as Lu Fengmian was about to look for the steward and ask for directions, a figure suddenly dashed out from inside.
“Oh! Little Disciple Lu!” Elder Sun bead, his smile so brilliant it seed capable of outshining the sun. “Co in, co in, co in! Why didn’t you say you were coming? I could’ve made so preparations, maybe even held a welcoming banquet or sothing!”
Lu Fengmian hurriedly waved his hand. “Martial Uncle, you are too courteous. There’s no need to trouble yourself. I just ca to pick up a few things.”
“Pick up what?” Elder Sun’s eyes lit up. “Pick up what? Go ahead and say it! Anything in the Spirit Beast Garden, you can take away!”
As he spoke, he enthusiastically ushered Lu Fengmian inside.
Left with no choice, Lu Fengmian could only follow him in.
As he passed by that group of disciples, he could clearly feel those gazes becoming even sharper.
Elder Sun noticed it too. He stopped, turned around, and the smile on his face instantly changed into sothing else.
“What are you looking at?” he asked sternly. “Is your work finished? Have you learned how to care for spirit beasts? Have you practiced spiritual energy communication?”
The disciples collectively shrank their necks.
Before Elder Sun had even finished, he pointed at Lu Fengmian and said, “Look at your Senior Brother! He could calm Lord Fuzhu, he could summon an ancient dormant dragon! Now look at all of you…”
Before he could finish speaking, the disciples had already covered their ears and scattered in all directions like frightened birds and beasts.
“Enough, enough, Master! We’re going to start working!”
“Heading out right now, right now!”
“Goodbye, Senior Brother!”
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