Bab 3: Scum Shizun
"Yue Qingyuan?" Yang Qinghui repeated, surprised. The sect leader wants to see me? "About what?"
Meng Ping shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know anything else. Only that your presence is urgently required at Qiong Ding Peak."
Yang Qinghui sighed. "Very well. I'll head there soon. You three – "she waved at three of the disciples Zhuang Hao had been speaking to – "see that Meng Ping is comfortable while he waits."
"Yes, shizun." All three bowed.
Yang Qinghui turned on her heel and headed back inside. Then she paused.
"Hao'er?"
He appeared at her elbow.
"Would you like to accompany me to Qiong Ding Peak?"
Zhuang Hao blinked in surprise.
"OOC! OOC! 15 B-points deducted."
"Uh, I mean… You will accompany me to Qiong Ding Peak."
Recovering quickly, Zhuang Hao bowed. "As you wish, shizun."
"Good, good. One other thing – don't I have… personal servants or something?"
The idea of dressing herself properly in those complicated clothes, never mind doing her hair, was… daunting, to say the least. Normally, she just wore sweat pants and old t-shirts.
Zhuang Hao hesitated. "Well, shizun… You sent them away a few days ago, saying you didn't need them fussing over you."
"I did?" Oh my god, Yang Qinghui! You kicked them out without a thought to their fortunes?! "I didn't mean to. Can you get them back?"
"Um… Unfortunately, they've all already returned to their families."
"I see." Even though she hadn't been the one to do it, Yan Jiayi's insides twisted with guilt.
Zhuang Hao bowed even lower. "Shizun, I confess I gave them each a piece of jade from your reserve so they could support themselves. Please punish me however you see fit."
Oh, thank God. You're a good kid, Hao'er!
But to avoid another OOC, Yang Qinghui simply made a noncommittal noise, and continued walking.
Zhuang Hao hurried to catch up, seemingly shocked that no punishment had befallen him.
"Are there any servants able and willing to become my personal attendants?" Yang Qinghui asked as they returned inside.
"I will find two immediately." Zhuang Hao bowed and hurried away.
A few minutes later, Yang Qinghui was joined in her room by two maids, who bowed deeply and introduced themselves as A-Tian and A-Rong.
"What would you like to wear, Master?" A-Rong asked. She was the shorter and plumper of the two, with a pretty, round face and kind eyes.
"What would be appropriate to meet the sect leader?" Yang Qinghui wondered aloud.
"If I may, Master," A-Tian, the taller maid, spoke up, pulling a set of robes from the wardrobe, "Dark blue and light grey are our Peak's colours. Perhaps this outfit would be best."
She held up the robes: a light grey inner robe that would likely reach Yang Qinghui's knees, with long sleeves; a midnight blue outer robe that would cover up to her elbows; and a dark blue and silver belt to sit around her waist. The sleeves of the outer robe were embroidered with bold silver flowers – orchids, Yang Qinghui recognized.
That looks so nice… Yang Qinghui reached out and touched the outer robe: the fabric was wonderfully soft against her fingers. It must be real silk!
"This will do well," she decided.
A-Tian helped her dress, and tied the belt securely around Yang Qinghui's waist as A-Rong brushed Yang Qinghui's hair.
Yang Qinghui felt like chatting with the maids, but was pretty sure that would be out of character. So she held her tongue and let A-Rong arrange her hair.
"Don't make it too complex," Yang Qinghui instructed, struggling to not add a 'please'. "Leave most of it loose."
A-Rong obliged, securing Yan Qinghui's hair out of her face with some silver flower ornaments, and leaving the rest flowing down her back.
Yang Qinghui wanted the makeup to be simple, too. She'd never really gotten into makeup back in her old world. It just wasn't her thing.
A-Rong lightly powdered Yang Qinghui's face and applied a small bit of eyeshadow, then asked Yang Qinghui what she thought.
Yang Qinghui examined herself in the bronze mirror. She felt beautiful. The midnight blue suited her; the square collars of the robes exposed a small amount of cleavage; the grey inner robe didn't surround her legs entirely, leaving two slits that exposed her muscled thighs. She looked feminine, and yet ready to fight.
"Well done," she told the maids. "You may go, but tell Zhuang Hao to come see me."
They curtsied, and left.
Yang Qinghui spent a few more moments twirling in front of the mirror, posed heroically with Sui Gu, and pulled on a pair of knee-high grey boots before Zhuang Hao appeared at her doorway. He was wearing a different outfit, mostly light grey but accented with midnight blue.
"Are you ready to leave, shizun?" he asked.
"Yes. Let's go." She dismissed Sui Gu, and it disappeared. That is so cool!
---
They travelled by carriage, which surprised Yang Qinghui. She'd thought they might fly on their swords, and had been looking forward to that. The carriage itself was empty save for a sitting cushion and a jar of water.
"Is there no wine?" she'd asked Zhuang Hao. He'd only shot her a disappointed look.
Lu Ying had waved goodbye from the platform until the carriage disappeared into the forest, after promising Zhuang Hao to be good and train hard while they were away.
Now, in the carriage, Yang Qinghui spoke to the System.
"Alright. Tell me everything there is to know about Yang Qinghui. I think I remember Airplane briefly mentioning her… but she was only every a very minor character."
"Yang Qinghui is Peak Lord of Zui Xian Peak, which is ranked ninth out of twelve. She is the second oldest Peak Lord of Cang Qiong sect after Yue Qingyuan."
Yang Qinghui nodded thoughtfully. "What's my reputation like?"
"She is known as a moody, reclusive drunkard who dislikes everyone and everything but drinking and training. She is not particularly cruel, merely rude."
"Wonderful." Sighing, Yang Qinghui asked, "What about my relationships with the other Peak Lords?"
"She has no friends among the other Peak Lords, as she does not associate with them often."
"Hmm. How'd I ever get chosen as Peak Lord if I'm so "moody"?"
"Yang Qinghui is a very powerful fighter. She is particularly well known for being one of the only still-living people to defeat a bashe."
"…Okay, that's impressive," Yang Qinghui had to admit. Those giant snakes were dangerous. "But bashe are pretty rare, anyway. Most people don't even get a chance to fight them."
"Since becoming Peak Lord, however, she has delegated most work to her disciples."
Yang Qinghui sighed. "Of course. Alright, what else is there?"
"Yang Qinghui is a neglectful master, and has not taught Zhuang Hao much at all in the past four years since he has become her disciple."
Yang Qinghui groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I have got to do that beginner mission."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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