Chapter 132 Thunderfire Sect

Next to the girl stood Bai Tianjiao, looking completely stunned. His hair was messy, his face smeared with dust, and bits of grass clung to his clothes. He had a dazed, shocked expression.

Miao Yunyou walked briskly over, first giving Bai Tianjiao a quick glance to check that he had no visible injuries—he was only frightened. Only then did she feel a measure of relief.

Temporarily ignoring the unfamiliar girl, Miao Yunyou’s mind raced, thinking about how to cover up the lie she had just told. After a brief hesitation, she forced a small smile at Bai Tianjiao, her tone carrying a touch of awkwardness: “…If I told you we were rehearsing a large-scale live program, and it was just a tiny equipment malfunction, would you believe me?”

Bai Tianjiao was silent for a second. “…Do you take me for a fool?”

Miao Yunyou silently rolled her eyes in her mind: Honestly, bro, you really don’t look all that bright…

As a top-tier celebrity, Bai Tianjiao was indeed very handsome, but how to put it… that look in his eyes—it was very clear, very transparent.

The kind of gaze that seemed innocent and naïve, easily read at a glance.

Clearly a kid who had been spoiled by his parents growing up.

In short… not very clever.

Bai Tianjiao furrowed his brow, thinking carefully for a moment. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, then as if he’d suddenly figured something out, he asked: “I get it. You didn’t actually have a fireworks permit, did you? That explosion just now… it wasn’t a malfunction. You set off the fireworks on your own and accidentally caused an incident. Afraid we’d find out, afraid the authorities would punish you, so you made up this excuse, right?”

Miao Yunyou: “…”

Hilarious. A fireworks permit? She had never even heard of such a thing!

Still, it was actually a workable excuse.

At this moment, Miao Yunyou felt grateful for our strong and peaceful country.

The “bomb” had gone off right in front of them, and most people would just think it was fireworks. Some might even pull out their phones to record it.

Given the situation, Miao Yunyou could only nod and admit it: “Yes, that’s right. You caught us—my apologies.”

She quickly organized her words, continuing to make up a story, trying to sound sincere: “You know, our resort usually has a lot of visitors coming and going, so we never have time to rehearse a large-scale live program. It just so happened that your crew had booked the place privately, and with no other guests around, we took the opportunity to practice. We wanted to give you a surprise, but… well, an accident happened. The fireworks went off a little early and startled you. I’m really, truly sorry.”

Bai Tianjiao stared at Miao Yunyou for a long while, as if judging whether she was telling the truth. After a moment, he asked honestly and bluntly: “So… does this mean I caught you in a little lie?”

Miao Yunyou was speechless. It was the first time she had heard someone openly say something like “caught you in a lie” so straightforwardly—it was almost absurdly blunt.

“Uh… I guess so. And… what are you gonna do about it?” she asked, giving up pretense.

After all, he was a rich top-tier celebrity; it was unlikely he’d dare overreach with an ordinary small business owner like her.

Bai Tianjiao hesitated for a moment, scratched his head, then gave a shy smile. His tone softened noticeably, even carrying a hint of caution: “It’s nothing, really… it’s just… I have a friend who really likes small, furry animals—especially the rare or unique ones.”

“I saw the leopard cats at the back of your resort in a video before—they look really cute. And they seem to especially like you. Could you have one cooperate with me and record a short video? I want to send it to my friends.”

Hearing this, Miao Yunyou let out a huge sigh of relief. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. She quietly thought to herself: As expected, he’s not asking for the moon—at most, it’s just a small request involving a cat.

She quickly nodded, her tone cheerful, a sincere smile spreading across her face: “Of course, no problem! It’s nothing! Once I finish handling things here, I’ll get right on it. I’ll make sure that leopard cat cooperates with you and records the cutest video, alright?”

After she had bought every type of cat treat online, the highly intelligent leopard cats were warming up to her more and more.

Bai Tianjiao brightened up: “Thank you! When I go back, I’ll definitely tell my fans about your place.”

Miao Yunyou replied casually, “Ah, thank you, thank you.”

Afraid that Bai Tianjiao might change his mind, she quickly turned to Wei Zijun beside her, her tone full of instructions: “Come on, Zijun, escort Mr. Bai back to the lodging area. Make sure he gets there safely. Be careful on the way, understand?”

Wei Zijun nodded slightly, his tone respectful and firm: “Yes, Sect Leader.”

Then he turned to Bai Tianjiao, gesturing politely and speaking gently: “Mr. Bai, please follow me.”

Watching Bai Tianjiao finally leave, Miao Yunyou’s heart finally eased, and she took a moment to check on her own people.

That’s when she realized they looked pretty miserable.

Except for Luo Xinglan, whose combat level exceeded everyone else’s and still looked elegant, the rest of them were covered in dirt and soot.

Literally—face and body covered in black dust, hair messy and tangled with dirt and bits of grass. Some even had burnt patches in their hair, curling awkwardly, looking completely disheveled.

Miao Yunyou’s eyes instinctively fell on A-Ning, focusing on his hair.

That had been styled by a Southern Province satellite TV stylist—long silver hair, smooth and flowing, with delicate braids. Absolutely stunning.

And now it was all ruined!

Such a waste!

Chu Ningshuang whispered beside her: “This little girl’s martial arts are average, and she isn’t particularly strong, but she carries a lot of thunder and fire, as well as smoke bombs. They’re extremely powerful and can block vision.”

Miao Yunyou glared angrily at the girl tied up on the ground.

In the age of cold weapons, this is practically on par with firearms—that’s just cheating!

No wonder she had left all these top fighters covered in dust and looking defeated.

Miao Yunyou was furious. She crouched down, removed the cloth from the girl’s mouth, and snapped, “What’s your situation? Who sent you?”

The girl coughed harshly as the cloth was removed, her throat burning with dryness and pain. She lifted her head, staring coldly at Miao Yunyou, her gaze full of stubbornness and anger. Her voice was strong and resonant, tinged with pride: “I do not change my name, nor my lineage. I am Lei Lingyin of the Thunderfire Sect!”