I Just Won't Play By The Book

"Crackle!"

A breeze blew by and two sparks exploded in the campfire, startling Liu Zijin, who had just lifted the curtain and stepped out of the tent.

"Why aren't you sleeping yet?" Jiang Beiran asked as he put down the straw hat in his hand and turned around.

Liu Zijin, who had already prepared what she was going to say while inside, replied, "I really can't sleep, so I thought to come out to keep watch with you, Brother, for a while. I'm considering it practice for the future."

As soon as Liu Zijin said this, three options popped up in front of Jiang Beiran's eyes.

[Option One: "Well, are you hungry? Do you want to have a snack?" Completion reward: Yangming Divine Incantation (Earth Grade Low Tier)]

[Option Two: Take out a short stool for Liu Zijin to sit beside. Completion reward: Technique of the Five Spirits and Ghosts (Black Grade Middle Tier)]

[Option Three: "Since it's practice, then you should practice getting used to being alone first. It just so happens that I have something to do, so I'll leave you to it." Completion reward: Random basic attribute point +1]

Quickly choosing Option Three, Jiang Beiran put the straw hat into the storage ring, then stood up and said to Liu Zijin, "Since it's practice, then you should practice getting used to being alone first. It just so happens that I have something to do, so I'll leave you to it."

[Chosen Quest completed. Reward: Physique +1]

"Eh…?"

Before Liu Zijin could react, she found that Jiang Beiran had already disappeared into the night.

'It seems that Brother really dislikes me…'

Sighing, Liu Zijin sat down on the small chair where Jiang Beiran had been sitting just now, with some mixed feelings in her heart. She was a little upset, but it seemed that she also kind of liked how the senior Brother was so cold.

Not long after, the tent curtain lifted again and the three Sisters of the Yu family poked their heads out in turn and asked:

"Where is Brother?"

"Went back to his tent?"

"Did you get lectured, Sister Zijin?"

Shaking her head, Liu Zijin turned back and said, "Brother said he happened to have something to do and left me alone to keep watch."

"I see…" The three Sisters sighed regretfully at the same time. "Brother is really mysterious."

…

Meanwhile, Jiang Beiran had come to a bit of woods. Just now when he had passed by, he noticed a few good medicinal herbs there. He had originally thought about coming back to pick them some other time, but now he had the opportunity.

He carefully picked a crow-dipper and put it away, and when he got up to look for the next herb Jiang Beiran could not help but feel a pang of emotion inside.

In the past, when he took those new junior Brothers out for the trial, he usually had to find the opportunity to leave the team every day to try and trigger the options. However, this time with these five Sisters, he did not have any trouble with that. He could trigger the options every two or three sentences, and many of them were at least of Earth Grade. Simply put, it could be considered a very dangerous situation.

This also made him more and more determined to stay away from beautiful Sisters, because he believed that were there any male disciples in the team this time, he would definitely have taken up several Yellow Grade, or even Black Grade quests by now.

Two hours later, having coaxed Fang Qiuyao and the rest back into the tent, Liu Zijin stared at the campfire and yawned. She was thinking about how keeping watch at night was not an easy job, as it was really tiring and boring.

"Go back to sleep if you are sleepy. I'll keep watch for the rest of the night."

Seeing the senior Brother who had suddenly appeared in front of her, Liu Zijin blinked and was stunned for a moment before saying, "Brother, you're back? Are you done?"

"Yep." Jiang Beiran nodded his head.

"Then I'll trouble you with keeping watch, Brother," Liu Zijin said as she stood up and walked to the tent, lifting the curtain. However, just before she walked in, she couldn't help but turn back and shout, "Brother."

"Speak," Jiang Beiran answered without looking back.

"No… it's nothing. Good night, Brother."

"Mhmm, good night."

…

At 7:45 in the morning, Jiang Beiran extinguished the campfire, then woke the Sisters up. It must be said that youngsters were energetic. Even though the five Sisters stayed up late yesterday, they still got up as soon as they were woken up, and all of them were glowing and radiant.

After packing up the tent, the group of six set out again on the journey back to the Sect.

"Clang! Clang!"

"Sister, you go first!"

"Hmph! None of you can run away today!"

…

Just as they walked into a stretch of woods, Jiang Beiran suddenly heard sounds of fighting not far off.

Liu Zijin and the girls naturally heard it too but did not make any move, because they had encountered such a situation when they went to Jifu Village. At that time, their senior Brother had not had any intention of helping and had quickly taken a detour.

So, this time they just looked towards the place where the fighting sounds were coming from.

"Let's go over and take a look," Jiang Beiran said.

"Eh!?" The five Sisters froze in unison and looked at their senior Brother with an incredulous expression. However, they found that Jiang Beiran had already rushed off in the direction of the fighting noises.

The five looked at each other while lamenting in their hearts that the sun had apparently risen in the west. They then hurried after him.

The reason why Jiang Beiran had suddenly decided to meddle in this kind of irrelevant matter was entirely because two options appeared in front of him when he heard the noises.

[Option One: Leave. Completion reward: Three Major Swamp Gas (Black Grade Low Tier)]

[Option Two: Track the fighting noises and go over to help. Completion reward: Random basic attribute point +1]

The fighting noises were not far from Jiang Beiran and his group. In a flash, they reached the place and saw two groups of people already fighting each other.

Using his mental power to investigate, Jiang Beiran found that the most powerful one in the two groups was only at the third level of the Qi Refining Period, so he said to Liu Zijin and the other girls, "Go separate them. I'll stand guard for you all."

"Yes!" the five of them answered then drew their swords at the same time and entered the crowd.

"Who are you!?" a burly man dressed in a grayish-white shirt with a blue turban shouted.

"Liu Zijin, Disciple of the Sect of Returning Hearts!" Liu Zijin replied while parrying a knife with golden silk and large rings, standing guard in front of an injured girl.

"This has nothing to do with your Sect of Returning Hearts, so don't come and meddle in our business!" the burly man said as he struck at Liu Zijin with a stick. However, Fang Qiuyao easily parried it with a move known as "Floating Lights and Fleeting Shadows."

Seeing that the newcomers were fairly capable, the burly man could only shout, "Liu Zijin of the Sect of Returning Hearts, is it. Very well, there's beef between us now. Just you wait!" After saying that, he swept across with his long stick, took a step back, and said, "Brothers, retreat!"

"Yes," several other people answered and withdrew from the battle. They followed the burly man deeper into the woods.

When the figures of the burly man's group had completely disappeared, a man in a green shirt who was among the people they had saved bowed to Liu Zijin and said, "I am Gu Qingyue of the Sect of Skies and Clouds. Thank you for your help in this time of crisis. We are deeply grateful for your kindness."

Then several other people also put away their weapons and thanked Liu Zijin.

Just when Liu Zijin was about to return the salute, she suddenly heard a 'clang' sound from behind and looked back in shock and confusion.

"This is called a 'dart of looking back.' Next time, when the enemy has retreated, keep an eye out. They may not really have left." Jiang Beiran put his sword down after he finished speaking, bent down, and picked up a four-pronged dart with two pointed ends and a bulge in the middle. He handed it to Liu Zijin and said, "It's a nail dart. You can keep it as a souvenir."