Did the Top-Ranked Girl Get Exposed Today? [HoloVerse] - Chapter 24

Thanks to the flower-delivery commission and the completed mountain deity side quest, Feng Xiaoxiao had leveled up to 37 with the experience gained.

All her attributes had improved, with the most significant boosts being her attack power and healing abilities.

[Personal Panel]

Player Name: Xiaoxiao Yue
Current Class: Flower Guardian
Personal Title: None
Level: 37 (A Rookie Sprouting Claws and Feathers)
Equipped Skills (Unlocked): Bell Chime, Budding, Life Summon, Heaven and Earth Resonance, Snowfield Pure Land, Willow Branch Nectar…
Attributes: Attack 2500↑
Health: 8000 (Achievement Bonus)↑
Defense: 250↓
Agility: 250

So many 250s.

Feng Xiaoxiao closed her personal panel and took a moment to reply to private messages.

Her current account only had two friends added: one was her cheap master she met right after leaving the beginner village, and the other was her gossip-loving friend.

Ignoring the flood of friend requests with red notifications after the world announcement, Feng Xiaoxiao checked the message from Top Fan of Shang Xianyue.

[Friend Channel]

[Sword Dream] Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: !!!
[Sword Dream] Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: You two, something’s up.
[Flower Guardian] Xiaoxiao Yue: Don’t overthink it. She’s my master, just helping me with quests and leveling up.
[Sword Dream] Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: Really? I don’t believe it.
[Sword Dream] Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: You two, something’s up.

At the same time, Di Xiang was checking her private messages.

[Mutual Annoyance Family] (Current Group Chat Friends: Danhuang Liuxinbao, Wang Mo, Xian Yun)
[Guardian Light Top Rank] Danhuang Liuxinbao: Tsk tsk tsk. @Di Xiang
[Healer’s Realm] Xian Yun: Tsk tsk tsk. @Di Xiang
[Guardian Light Top Rank] Danhuang Liuxinbao: You two…
[Healer’s Realm] Xian Yun: You two…
[Celestial Feather] Wang Mo: @Danhuang Liuxinbao @Xian Yun One more try, don’t sleep at the respawn point.
[Guardian Light Top Rank] Danhuang Liuxinbao: The guild leader isn’t even helping with dungeons anymore. Life feels meaningless.
[Healer’s Realm] Xian Yun: @Wang Mo My hands are worn out, my flowers have withered. Bu Ranchen should compensate me for emotional damages.
[Healer’s Realm] Xian Yun: If she died two fewer times, we’d definitely clear it.
[Celestial Feather] Wang Mo: Don’t talk about our sponsor like that.
[Guardian Light Top Rank] Danhuang Liuxinbao: How much did she give you?
[Celestial Feather] Wang Mo: 5,000 gold, 250 more than you.
[Healer’s Realm] Xian Yun: Vengeful Capricorn.
[Celestial Feather] Wang Mo: Are you talking about yourself?
[Celestial Feather] Wang Mo: @Di Xiang Are you free now? Come save us.

Thanks to Wang Mo’s interruption, the two busy with the dungeon had no time to further gossip about Di Xiang’s situation.

Rejecting Wang Mo’s dungeon request and ignoring other friends’ messages, Di Xiang sent a disciple application to the lowest-level player in her friend list.

[System Prompt] Player [Di Xiang] has sent you a disciple application. Will you go to Qingyue Palace to become Di Xiang’s disciple?

Feng Xiaoxiao was busy dealing with the nosy Top Fan of Shang Xianyue when Di Xiang’s message suddenly popped up, perfectly solving her urgent problem.

[Friend Channel]

[Sword Dream] Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it! There must be something going on between you two!
[Sword Dream] Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: Otherwise, why would she choose you out of all the newbies in the game to be her disciple?
[Flower Guardian] Xiaoxiao Yue: It’s just a coincidence.
[Flower Guardian] Xiaoxiao Yue: I’m busy now, bye.
[Sword Dream] Top Fan of Shang Xianyue: What are you busy with?
[Flower Guardian] Xiaoxiao Yue: Becoming a disciple.

…

Ignoring the other side’s Top Fan of Shang Xianyue trying every which way to dig up gossip, Feng Xiaoxiao clicked confirm. Amid the rippling sea of flowers under the boundless night sky, she quietly waited for Di Xiang to appear.

She didn’t have to wait long. From the other end of the white and blue flower sea, a figure slowly approached, her pure white dress fluttering and ink-black hair tracing the wind’s path.

Di Xiang, accompanied by the Frostmoon Fox, traversed the flower sea, bathed in the light of the newly risen cold moon, and stopped before Feng Xiaoxiao.

“Let’s go.”

She reached out her hand to Feng Xiaoxiao.

Startled for a moment, Feng Xiaoxiao hesitated before placing her hand in Di Xiang’s palm. The other gently held it, but only for an instant before letting go, as Feng Xiaoxiao was helped onto the Frostmoon Fox.

Her fingers curled restlessly as she stared blankly at the fox’s snow-white fur.

As usual, Di Xiang rode her sword while Feng Xiaoxiao rode the fox. They retraced their path through layers of clouds, and before long, specks of dark green emerged, the scenery of Qingyue Palace below was now clearly visible.

Arriving here once again, an elegant woman in a blue robe presided over the master-disciple ceremony for Feng Xiaoxiao and Di Xiang.

Leading the two into the main hall’s private area, the once bustling hall now held only Feng Xiaoxiao and Di Xiang.

The elegant woman in blue robes was named Cao Qing, one of the administrators of Qingyue Palace, responsible for players’ master-disciple and sworn sibling processes.

Holding an ancient scroll, she watched as two lines of golden script rose from it, the game names of Feng Xiaoxiao and Di Xiang.

The golden characters flew into the air, shimmering brilliantly under the hall’s bronze lamps. Beside Di Xiang’s game name appeared the character for “Master,” while next to Feng Xiaoxiao’s was the character for “Disciple.”

Cao Qing addressed Di Xiang: “As a master, are you willing to impart knowledge, teach skills, resolve doubts, share all you have, and guide the way toward righteousness?”

Di Xiang nodded. “I am willing.”

Cao Qing turned to Feng Xiaoxiao: “As a disciple, are you willing to choose her as your mentor, respect your master, and strive diligently without cease?”

Feng Xiaoxiao nodded. “I am willing.”

As their words settled, a master-disciple registry appeared in Cao Qing’s hands. The golden script in the air descended onto the first page of the registry, inscribed with:

Xiaoxiao Yue became Di Xiang’s disciple on X year, X month, X day, at X hour.
Di Xiang took Xiaoxiao Yue as her disciple on X year, X month, X day, at X hour.

[System Notification] You have successfully become Di Xiang’s disciple! The master-disciple function has been unlocked. Increasing your master-disciple level will grant exclusive rewards! Daily teachings have been activated, completing them will yield abundant experience and master-disciple points!

The master-disciple registry was divided into two volumes. Cao Qing handed one to each of them, smiling as she said, “This extraordinary registry will automatically record the daily interactions between master and disciple, with shared content.”

Feng Xiaoxiao took it and flipped through it. Apart from their ceremony that day, the rest of the pages were blank.

The master-disciple ceremony was nearly over, reaching the stage where the master presents the disciple with a token of the sect.

Feng Xiaoxiao was also curious about what token Di Xiang would give her.

In a flash of light, Di Xiang removed the butterfly ring forged from moonlight from her finger. The ring transformed into an icy blue, translucent butterfly that fluttered down to land on Feng Xiaoxiao’s fingertip.

“For you.”

Her words were concise.

It was a precious ring, a testament to her past glory, a guide for the journey ahead, and the very ring she had worn when Feng Xiaoxiao first saw her outside the beginner’s village.

If it were any other in-game item, Feng Xiaoxiao would have accepted it without a second thought. But Di Xiang had given her this particular ring.

Even someone as oblivious as her knew the ambiguous meaning behind one person giving another a ring.

Feng Xiaoxiao gazed intently and attentively into the other’s eyes, trying to discern Di Xiang’s true intentions.

Di Xiang calmly accepted Feng Xiaoxiao’s probing gaze, her expression unchanged, as if she simply intended to give the ring on her finger to Feng Xiaoxiao as a token of apprenticeship.

Was she overthinking it? Or was Di Xiang just unusually oblivious?

Regardless, Feng Xiaoxiao tossed the ice-blue butterfly back to Di Xiang. A glimmer of light flashed through the air, and Di Xiang instinctively caught it, holding it in her hand.

Feng Xiaoxiao spoke with earnest concern, “Things like rings, which carry vows and promises, shouldn’t be given away so casually.”

She sighed and shook her head, looking somewhat helpless.

“Even though you’ve officially become my master now, judging by your current behavior, there’s still a lot you need to learn from me.”

Feng Xiaoxiao straightened up, her expression serious and righteous.

“This is the first lesson I, as your disciple, will teach you: don’t just give things away randomly!”

Di Xiang: “…”
Di Xiang: “……”

Her expression was like raindrops falling into a pond, stirring ripples for a moment before settling back into calm.

She let out a soft sigh but said nothing more about Feng Xiaoxiao’s refusal.

Instead, she compromised and pulled another item from her backpack.

“This is a golden-tier ‘Flower Guardian’ weapon I obtained from a dungeon run not long ago. I don’t need it, so you can have it.”

It was a small bell tied with crimson tassels.

This time, Feng Xiaoxiao accepted it. She casually stored her old green-quality bell in her backpack to dismantle it and attached the new bell from Di Xiang to her waist.

When she flicked it with her finger, due to the Flower Guardian class trait, the bell only made a sound when controlled. Normally, it remained a silent accessory hanging at her waist.

It was a bit like Di Xiang herself, she rarely spoke unless necessary.

Feng Xiaoxiao’s thoughts wandered. Maybe it was because she and Di Xiang weren’t very familiar yet. Perhaps Di Xiang was lively and talkative in private with close friends?

Like someone who appears aloof and elegant in public but is actually cunning and reserved behind the scenes…

Feng Xiaoxiao shook her head, dismissing these strange thoughts.

With the bell accepted, the apprenticeship was more or less complete.

A cutscene played, showing Di Xiang and Feng Xiaoxiao standing together in the main hall, answering Cao Qing’s three questions. Under Cao Qing’s witness, Di Xiang presented Feng Xiaoxiao with the apprenticeship token, and a special bond lit up in both of their status bars.

The scene zoomed out, revealing the lush, misty mountains as Feng Xiaoxiao and Di Xiang stepped out of the Qingyue Palace gates, gazing down at the vast landscape below.

When the cutscene ended, the surroundings were bustling with people. The two had left the main hall and returned to the courtyard outside.

Above the bright red lacquered doors, an elegantly carved plaque still bore the same flamboyant characters: “Qingyue Palace.”

Was that it?

Feng Xiaoxiao was still a bit dazed. It had been faster and simpler than she’d imagined.

Her status bar now displayed a new buff: “Master and Disciple, One Heart.” As long as she and Di Xiang were in the same party and not too far apart, they would gain bonus experience and “Master-Disciple Points” when completing quests or dungeons together.

These points could be used to increase their master-disciple level. Different levels unlocked different items in the exchange store.

At Level 1, they could only exchange small gifts for each other. By Level 4, they could acquire exclusive master-disciple outfits: a flowing green robe with wide sleeves and a white jade lotus crown for the master, and a sleek, practical green outfit with a matching hair ribbon and bell-adorned ends for the disciple.

Using her only 100 Master-Disciple Points, Feng Xiaoxiao exchanged for five paper cranes from the store and gave them to Di Xiang.

[System Notification] You have received 5 paper cranes from your disciple [Xiaoxiao Yue]. Current master-disciple level: 200/1000 (Level 1).

Several paper cranes fluttered around Di Xiang before perching, one on each shoulder, one atop her head, and two remaining airborne, refusing to land.

Di Xiang glanced at Feng Xiaoxiao, who innocently caught the two hovering cranes. With playful mischief, she blew against their paper wings, watching them flutter away as a sly grin spread across her face.

Minutes later, Feng Xiaoxiao, now adorned with five identical paper cranes, calmly mounted the Frostmoon Fox and took flight.

[System Notification] You have received 5 paper cranes from your master [Di Xiang]. Current master-disciple level: 400/1000 (Level 1).

Since the world announcement appeared, Di Xiang’s private messages had been incessant, and Feng Xiaoxiao’s friend requests were equally overwhelming.

Simultaneously, both lowered their heads to check their private chats, finding messages from the same person.

[Friend Channel]: Player [Juan Wang] has sent you a friend request. Accept?
[Friend Channel]: Your friend [Juan Wang] left a message: Emergency! Come quickly!