I returned the woman a polite smile and said, "Well, we're on the same footing."
The woman curled her lips, looking amiable, but there was a strong sense of gunpowder in her eyes.
Gu Yuan didn't look at the woman's current expression. Instead, he directly introduced her to me. Her name was Dan Zhu. Just like me in my previous life, she was also a spirit - locking sachet.
However, she was different from me. She hadn't experienced reincarnation. She was a real sachet that had cultivated a spiritual body, while I was a sachet that failed to cultivate a spiritual body. To put it bluntly, maybe I was just not motivated enough in my previous life, so after reincarnation, I was just an ordinary mortal.
Dan Zhu looked arrogant. She gracefully stood next to Gu Yuan, shoulder to shoulder. They seemed to be very familiar with each other, making me feel like an outsider.
However, I didn't show my discomfort on my face. I still wore a polite smile.
Although I felt a bit uncomfortable inside, I had to swallow my grievances. I still had to maintain my grace.
However, none of my actions escaped Gu Yuan's eyes. Seeing Dan Zhu getting too close, he leaned towards me and put his arm around my shoulder. He said, "This is Lan Lan. I hope Fairy Dan Zhu will take good care of her in the future."
No wonder she was so arrogant. It turned out she was a fairy.
Dan Zhu curled her lips and gave Gu Yuan a charming smile. "Of course. I will definitely take good care of her in the future." As she spoke, her eyes swept over me frivolously, and then she looked at Gu Yuan with a coquettish smile.
"Let's go home." Gu Yuan didn't notice Dan Zhu's actions. He took my hand, and we all went back to the hall together.
As soon as we entered, Ji Xiang, knowing that he shouldn't have taken me on that adventure, knelt on the ground with a "thud". This sudden kneeling startled me.
I joked with him actively, "What are you doing? Do you want to be sworn brothers with me? Do I need to kneel down too?"
"Sorry, little sister Ma. It was my fault that almost cost you your life. Please punish me, Third Master. I'm willing to accept any punishment, except being expelled from the hall."
After what happened with Bai Qi last time, I was really afraid that Gu Yuan would blame him. I quickly spoke up for Ji Xiang, "It was an accident. I really liked that house, so he wanted to help me get rid of the evil things inside. Who would have thought that his good intention would turn out badly."
Gu Yuan's face remained expressionless. He stared at Ji Xiang with cold eyes and didn't say a word.
Instead, Dan Zhu beside him butted in, "When a celestial being in the hall makes a mistake, does he need to plead guilty in front of so many people? Is he trying to avoid punishment?"
"The affairs of our hall don't need Fairy Dan Zhu to worry about." I stood beside Ji Xiang and said coldly.
"Miss Lan Lan may not know. Gu Yuan has already promised to let me join the hall. So today, I'll have to trouble you to write my name down. I'll be a main - hall celestial being, second only to Long Lin."
When Dan Zhu said the words "main - hall celestial being", there was a strong sense of arrogance. The way she looked down on us because she was a celestial being from above really annoyed me.
I didn't even look at her. Instead, I turned to look at Gu Yuan. Gu Yuan didn't say much. He said to Ji Xiang, "Go back and accept your punishment. Don't let it happen again."
Ji Xiang quickly kowtowed. I wanted to pull Ji Xiang's arm, but he shook his head slightly at me, signaling me not to defend him anymore. Then he disappeared in a flash.
"Gu Yuan, you..." I was a bit anxious. Before I could finish my sentence, Gu Yuan interrupted me.
"Lan Lan, stop making trouble. Write Dan Zhu's name on the hall's memorial tablet."
I frowned and stood still, biting my lips. I was extremely reluctant. I didn't know where I was making trouble. It was clearly this woman who was deliberately provoking me.
Even Bai Ling'er, who was watching from the side, could see it. She stepped forward and pulled my arm. She said, "If you're unhappy, just rebel against him. You're the master of the hall. Whether to accept a celestial being or not is up to you. The grand master of the hall is at most like an elder. He can only give advice. Whether to adopt it or not depends on you. You don't need to be afraid of him. I'm on your side."
I thought she had come up with a good idea, but it turned out to be a bad one. And she looked so serious, not like she was joking at all.
Dan Zhu wasn't angry when she heard this. It seemed that she already knew in her heart that I wouldn't refuse. With a smile in her eyes, she walked up to me in small steps and took out a jade hairpin from her head and handed it to me.
"Take it."
Generally, only celestial beings from above are accepted as main - hall celestial beings. When a main - hall celestial being joins the hall, they must leave a token at the memorial tablet of the hall as proof. If they want to leave, they just need to take back the token.
Last time, Long Lin left the bracelet he gave me as a token.
This time, it was Dan Zhu's hairpin.
Dan Zhu stood opposite me, with her back to Gu Yuan. Her lips curled up arrogantly. I really wanted to kick her out.
Finally, Li Hua came over, took Dan Zhu's hairpin, and pulled me aside. She said, "The Third Master must have his reasons for doing things. Go and write Fairy Dan Zhu's name down quickly."
There was nothing I could do. Even though I was extremely reluctant, I still had to give Gu Yuan face. I reluctantly took the hairpin, put it at the hall, and wrote Dan Zhu's name on the memorial tablet.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my room to rest." I bypassed Dan Zhu and walked up to Gu Yuan and said.
Gu Yuan curled his lips and said, "Okay. We'll go and look at the house in a few days. And I'll help you send those two souls away. You don't need to worry about it. Go back and rest early."
I originally wanted to ask if he wasn't going back to rest so late.
Dan Zhu walked in front of me again and said, "Yes, it's really late for a mortal at this time. Sister Lan Lan, go back and rest quickly. Gu Yuan and I still have some things to talk about."
I looked at Gu Yuan with expectation in my eyes, hoping that he would go back with me. But Gu Yuan just nodded at me, signaling me to go back to my room first.
Since Gu Yuan had spoken, I had no choice but to go back to my room reluctantly.
Lying in bed, I couldn't fall asleep. I watched the clock on the bedside ticking. Time was passing by second by second.
It was already past three o'clock at night, and Gu Yuan still hadn't come back.
Just thinking about him being with Dan Zhu made my heart ache. It wasn't that I didn't trust Gu Yuan. I just felt extremely uncomfortable for some reason.
I sighed on the bed and just couldn't fall asleep.
Suddenly, the light in the room came on. I thought Gu Yuan had come back. I excitedly sat up from the bed, only to see Bai Ling'er pushing the door open and coming in.
"What, are you disappointed to see me?" Bai Ling'er had already noticed my strange expression.
"No. I just didn't expect you to come to me on your own initiative. Do you have something to tell me?"
I got out of bed and sat on the sofa.
"Seeing that you can't fall asleep, I came to thank you."
I thought I had misheard. Was this something Bai Ling'er could say? She actually said "thank you".
"In this world, besides my grandma, you're the first person who was willing to risk your life to save me. We can be considered to have a life - and - death friendship. It was my fault before. I made you get whipped. From now on, I'll protect you with my life."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Do you also want to be sworn sisters with me?"
"Don't you want to?" Bai Ling'er tilted her head and asked.
"Sure, I do. From now on, we'll take care of each other. You don't have to always keep a straight face. It would be much nicer if you smiled."
Bai Ling'er curved her lips and pretended to be disdainful. She looked really beautiful when she smiled.
"Come with me." She took my hand and pulled me towards the door.
"Where are we going?"
"Third Master Liu hasn't come back so late. Don't you want to know what he's doing with that 'fox spirit'?"