Category: Transformed into a Female Villain, But Captured by My Beautiful Girl Disciples

25. Dual Spiritual Apertures?

“Name: Spiritual Technique [Sound of Heavenly Wind]

Rank: High

Category: Healing

Note: You know what group healing is, right? It’s that.”

The capricious system didn’t even bother with a more detailed description, simply stating the effect of the spiritual technique.

Concise and to the point.

“This is…?”

“This is something your master bought with a hefty sum!” Gong Yiling slapped the ancient-looking book in front of Qiu Shui. “Look at these words, Sound of Heavenly Wind. This is a high-level spiritual technique!”

Actually, it was a freebie.

Generally, inner cultivation techniques, as the foundation of cultivation, came with some basic martial or spiritual skills.

However, relying solely on these wasn’t enough. After all, cultivation techniques were for cultivating, not for fighting. That’s where independent martial and spiritual skills came in.

Healers and plant-based cultivators were rare, and their corresponding skills were even rarer.

Rare items were either priceless or unwanted junk. The Sound of Heavenly Wind that Gong Yiling had picked up belonged to the latter category.

Because this technique… required a top-tier healing cultivation technique to be effective. It had been popular in the Cloud Rainbow Sect in the past, but now it was practically useless.

“Once you master this, Qiu Shui might even be able to heal your master’s injuries.”

Qiu Shui held the manual, her heart filled with warmth.

“But the Young Palace Master isn’t much older than Qiu Shui…”

This girl was more concerned about their difference in status.

Gong Yiling chuckled and ruffled her hair.

Hmm… this soft, smooth hair was quite addictive to touch.

“What does it matter? Even if someone is older by a second, you should call them ‘sister.’ If they’re older by more, you can call them ‘master.’ If you don’t call me Master, I won’t give this to you.”

“Um… Mas…” Qiu Shui struggled to get the words out. “Master?”

Ah.

Hearing those words almost sent Gong Yiling into sage mode.

Ah, System, I think I understand why you created this master-disciple system.

Hearing a beautiful girl call her “Master” was incredibly satisfying.

It would be even better if she could have her penis back.

“Alright, you can read this later. Get some sleep first.”

Gong Yiling said, “I’ll come and get you and Chun Huai for dinner later.”

“Okay!”

After leaving Qiu Shui’s room, Gong Yiling intended to bring some food to Chun Lian.

But that girl was quite carefree.

She had gobbled down her breakfast, leaving the leftovers on the table, and was already fast asleep, snoring loudly.

Seeing this, Gong Yiling checked her affection level with Chun Lian. It was 100, but the reward required 200. She smiled wryly and returned to her own room.

She lay on the bed for a while, then opened her status screen to see if she was back to normal.

“Name: Gong Yiling

Gender: Female

Identity: Omitted

Physical Talent: A (E)

Spiritual Talent: S

Cultivation Technique Potential: ?

Potential Adaptability: ?

Current Cultivation Technique: Blood Orchid Soul Devouring Art (EX), ?

Note: With the meridians repaired, the host’s original cultivation technique has been restored, but cultivation needs to be restarted.”

Well…

It looked more normal than before.

But why were there still so many question marks?

“System, what’s with all the question marks?”

The aloof system was now more responsive. “Because there are remnants of a righteous sect’s cultivation technique in the host’s body.”

“Wasn’t it already dispelled?”

“To be precise, it was sealed.” The system explained in its cold voice. “The host’s meridians were severed before the cultivation was completely dispelled, leaving remnants of the technique within the host’s body.”

“The Taiyuan energy protected these remnants of true essence. By cultivating again, the host can obtain a second inner cultivation technique.”

A second inner cultivation technique… did that mean she had dual cultivation techniques?

This surprised Gong Yiling.

A cultivation technique was the foundation of one’s cultivation. Once chosen, it couldn’t be changed easily.

In other words, you could build elevators and install security windows on the foundation, but if you wanted to change the technique, you had to destroy the existing foundation and start over.

This process was called “rebuilding.”

Some cultivation techniques had limits. To break through these limits, one had to rebuild.

Rebuilding was painful and dangerous. A slight mistake could result in the complete loss of one’s cultivation, forcing a true restart.

Only a select few were born with dual spiritual apertures, allowing them to learn a second cultivation technique after mastering one.

These individuals were considered geniuses, destined to become rising stars in the cultivation world, highly sought after by the Hundred Paths Mountain, the Four Heavenly Kingdoms, and the demonic sects.

Unexpectedly… she was one of these rare geniuses with dual cultivation techniques.

“Then just tell me what the second technique is.”

Gong Yiling said, “My second technique is some kind of ‘secret art’ from the righteous path…”

“What ‘secret art’?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.” Gong Yiling’s lips twitched. “Aren’t you the system? Shouldn’t you know?”

“The host can try to recall the original plot.”

Recall…

Hearing this, Gong Yiling tried to remember the side story about Jiang Chenmo and Gong Yiling.

Initially, she thought she had simply forgotten something, but after carefully recalling the details, she arrived at the same conclusion.

She didn’t know.

She simply didn’t know.

The book never mentioned who Gong Yiling’s master was or what technique she learned in the righteous path. It only mentioned that the Sect Master of Ronghua Daoist Sect praised her talent.

“It wasn’t mentioned.”

System: “It wasn’t, was it?”

“No.” Gong Yiling nodded. “There was no mention of any specific technique.”

System: “Then there you have it. How can the host know something that wasn’t mentioned in the book? This part requires the host to solve the mystery, just like how you survived falling off that cliff.”

Great… the system was playing riddles again.

Fortunately, she still had her bloodline technique. As for the second technique… she would ignore it for now.

Calming down, she started circulating her cultivation technique, preparing to challenge the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment Peak.

But she quickly opened her eyes.

The surrounding spiritual energy… was too thin!

24. The Master-Disciple Affection Boosting Method

Although Gong Yiling still didn’t understand the purpose of this ridiculous system…

—Was it to help her become invincible? Or to help her seduce girls?

The former was worth considering, but the latter was a bit difficult.

The biggest problem was that she lacked the necessary equipment.

However, if the affection level simply represented the strength of a relationship, and the tasks weren’t meant to be taken literally, then it was understandable.

But regardless, the system was there, and if Miss Gong wanted the rewards, she had to play the gal game.

“Is Qiu Shui there?”

In the afternoon, Gong Yiling knocked on Yin Qiushui’s door.

“Yes, Young Palace Master, Qiu Shui is in her room.”

“Then I’ll come in.”

Gong Yiling opened the door and saw Yin Qiushui just getting out of bed.

The girl hadn’t slept all night, evident from the dark circles under her eyes. She looked particularly haggard, but her bright black eyes sparkled with surprise at the visitor.

“Young Palace Master, why are you here?”

“You and Chun Huai stayed up all night with me, without even having dinner. Of course I have to come and see you.” Gong Yiling smiled, holding up some pastries. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I bought some butterfly crisps and rice puffs. Will Qiu Shui give me the honor?”

Qiu Shui was momentarily speechless, standing there for a long time, surprised by her words.

“It seems I came at the wrong time. You look…”

“No, it’s not like that!”

Yin Qiushui quickly waved her hands. “Qiu Shui is just surprised!”

“Then will you eat?”

“Yes!”

A few minutes later, a selection of delicate pastries was arranged on the table.

After sitting down, Gong Yiling started browsing the available affection-boosting achievements… the less suggestive ones.

She remained silent, prompting the girl to steal glances at her while nibbling on the pastries.

The silence became slightly awkward.

“Um… Young Palace Master?” Qiu Shui finally spoke.

“Ah… yes?”

“Aren’t you eating?”

“I’m fine, not really hungry.”

“Oh…”

After a brief exchange, the master and servant, or rather, master and disciple, ran out of things to say.

Indeed.

Gong—the steel straight man—Yiling.

Except for discussing serious matters, she had no idea how to chat with girls.

So, her way of boosting affection was to buy food for others. In modern times, it would be equivalent to force-feeding someone milk tea.

It was that direct. What was wrong with being direct?

However, after a while, she felt the silence was inappropriate and asked, “Is it good?”

“Anything prepared by the Young Palace Master is naturally delicious.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

It seemed… they had run out of topics again.

“How about I feed you?”

“Pfft…” The awkward atmosphere was broken by Yin Qiushui’s laughter.

The girl covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “It’s just pastries, not anything else. And Qiu Shui’s status…”

“What does status matter?” Gong Yiling rested her chin on her hand, muttering nonchalantly, “Before coming to the Blood Orchid Palace, I was also an orphan, unloved by my parents.”

Hearing this, Qiu Shui was taken aback. “Young Palace Master… do you remember your past?”

“I’ve always remembered,” Gong Yiling said. “In fact, I’m half a member of the righteous path.”

Qiu Shui was curious about Gong Yiling’s past, but like others, she didn’t dare to pry.

Now that Gong Yiling had brought it up herself, the girl immediately put down her pastry and listened attentively like a model student.

“It’s not a good story.” Gong Yiling, understanding her intent, rubbed her head. “Do you really want to hear it?”

Qiu Shui nodded seriously. “Yes.”

Finally finding a topic, Miss Gong didn’t hold back.

From her perspective, these were stories about a third person, having little to do with her personally, so she remained emotionally detached.

But Yin Qiushui was different.

Especially when she heard about how Gong Yiling, in her eagerness to save someone, revealed her demonic powers for the first time and was subsequently reported by Jiang Chenmo, resulting in her meridians being severed, Qiu Shui’s eyes reddened.

Gong Yiling was only twelve years old at the time!

To her, the righteous sect was her home, and her fellow disciples were her family.

Being abandoned and even abused by her own family simply because of her background was a devastating experience.

But Gong Yiling showed no emotional fluctuations while recounting these events.

This made Qiu Shui feel even worse.

She had always thought her own life was the worst.

Forced to drift along, struggling to survive, even her only genuine affection tainted with a label of falsehood.

But the woman before her clearly hadn’t had it any easier.

“Is the injury the Young Palace Master wants that girl to heal the aftereffect of having your meridians severed?” Qiu Shui asked, trying to keep her voice steady, but her red eyes betrayed her emotions.

“Something like that.”

Gong Yiling picked up a pastry and held it to the girl’s lips. “I’m not even crying, why are you?”

“Qiu Shui… isn’t.”

“Then have another one.” Gong Yiling smiled, resting her chin on her hand. “Unless Qiu Shui thinks the pastries I brought aren’t good.”

“Absolutely not… Hmm?”

Before Qiu Shui could react, Gong Yiling popped the pastry into her mouth.

At the same time, the system notification sounded.

“Achievement completed: Fed Yin Qiushui. Affection level increased by 5 points.”

Yes!

Although she could have force-fed her, that would have been meaningless.

Gong Yiling was a practical person and didn’t like forcing others.

“…Mmm, thank you, Young Palace Master.”

Qiu Shui’s mouth was full, and she no longer looked like the cold and aloof girl from before. Her puffed cheeks made her look even cuter.

Gong Yiling suddenly felt like teasing her.

“Call me Master.”

Qiu Shui asked, puzzled, “Why… Master?”

“Because I am your master.” Gong Yiling said with a confident smile. “I taught you the cultivation technique, bought you pills for breakthroughs, and even bought you a secret manual… Oh, right!”

Miss Gong suddenly remembered.

She hadn’t given Qiu Shui the manual yet.

23. What the Hell is Affection Level?

“Completed achievement tasks are as follows:

1. Yin Qiushui has become a Core Formation cultivator.

2. Held hands with Yin Qiushui.

3. Seen Yin Qiushui in her undergarments.

4. Had skin-to-skin contact with Yin Qiushui.

Total affection level gained with Yin Qiushui: 15 points.

Current affection level with Yin Qiushui: -10 (Due to the Righteous-Demonic Opposition debuff, overall affection level is reduced by 100 points.)

Affection level required to trigger the next reward: 50 points.”

Wait a minute!

Gong Yiling could understand most of it, but the completed achievements were a jumbled mess.

Skin-to-skin contact? Holding hands? And why was this cultivation achievement system based on affection levels?

There was so much she wanted to complain about that she didn’t know where to start.

Then, she saw the incomplete affection tasks, which were even more absurd than the completed ones.

Things like kissing Yin Qiushui, French kissing Yin Qiushui, cooking a meal together, and even… sleeping together.

This system was crazy! Could she even do those things? Was she qualified? Did she even have the necessary equipment?

This wasn’t a cultivation achievement system; it was a gal game! Making her, a woman, pursue another woman was ridiculous!

“There are some normal options too.”

Just as Gong Yiling was speechless, the system chimed in.

Fine, there were a few.

Compared to the questionable achievement tasks, the normal ones, like reaching a certain cultivation level or becoming an elder/sect master, offered substantial affection rewards.

But compared to these long-term achievements, she could complete all the inappropriate ones within thirty minutes, given her current gender.

The disparity was absurd.

“I seriously suspect you gave this system to the wrong person. Can you change the tasks to something more suitable for a woman?”

“Does the host mean you want to get married?”

The system’s single sentence shut Gong Yiling up.

Marriage? Never in this lifetime.

She was a virgin who had never even held a girl’s hand before coming to this world, and now she was supposed to marry a man?

No way.

“Then it’s settled,” the system said, as if reading her mind. “This achievement system is tailor-made for the host. Even you cannot escape the ‘true fragrance’ law.”

“True fragrance my—”

“Mmm…”

Suddenly, the woman in front of her, who had been closing her eyes, let out a soft moan, rescuing Gong Yiling from her argument with the system.

It was the first time Yan Chuyue had performed such a long acupuncture session. The mental strain of over ten hours was undoubtedly immense, so even after finishing, she meditated for a few minutes before opening her eyes.

She saw Gong Yiling staring at her and coughed lightly, asking nervously, “How do you feel, Young Master?”

“It’s… alright.” Miss Gong’s eyes darted around uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong, Young Master?” Yan Chuyue noticed her awkwardness. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“Not really…” Gong Yiling looked down at her damp clothes, confirming her identity hadn’t been exposed, then pointed at Yan Chuyue’s clothes.

Yan Chuyue was confused until she looked down and saw her almost transparent dress and equally sheer undergarments. Steam practically erupted from her ears.

“Eeeeeeek!!!”

She instinctively tried to stand up and turn around, but she overestimated her physical condition.

The long hours hadn’t just drained her mentally; maintaining the same posture had numbed her legs.

As soon as she stood up, her legs gave way, and she stumbled forward, falling onto Gong Yiling.

What the—!?

Gong Yiling had no time to react before the girl landed on top of her. After a clattering sound, the girl’s hand landed on her chest, and her own hand landed on the girl’s chest.

Holy shit!

Was this the perfect scenario the system had mentioned? Except for her own gender being wrong, everything else seemed to be falling into place.

Just then, Qiu Shui and Chun Lian, hearing the commotion, opened the door, revealing a dramatic scene.

Four people, four expressions: astonishment, embarrassment, confusion, and utter bewilderment.

“What are you doing?”

Seeing Yan Chuyue on top of Gong Yiling, both disheveled and soaked, Qiu Shui’s heart skipped a beat, a strange feeling washing over her.

In that instant, she imagined various scenarios, completely forgetting that the Young Palace Master was actually a woman.

“Ah, we’re…”

Gong Yiling instinctively tried to push the girl away, but as she applied force, Yan Chuyue let out a soft moan that almost made the virgin sprout a penis out of thin air.

The soft, yielding sensation under her hand was unmistakably a girl’s breast.

—Holy crap, did I just grope the female lead?

Lost in this bizarre thought, Gong Yiling froze for a moment before quickly retracting her hand, blurting out an apology, “I didn’t mean to! I mean, I didn’t do it on purpose!”

However, after a long wait, she received a resounding slap from Yan Chuyue.

“Pervert!”

With that, Yan Chuyue scrambled to her feet, grabbed the white cloak from the table, and rushed out the door, disappearing down the hallway.

A moment later, Qiu Shui’s slightly reproachful voice came from the doorway, “Young Palace Master, that was really awful.”

“Notification: Yin Qiushui’s affection level towards the host has decreased by 1 point. Current affection level: -11.”

What the hell!

This affection level could actually decrease? And she hadn’t even done anything!

“Notification: Your actions can cause fluctuations in affection levels. The achievement system is not the only factor affecting affection levels. Please be mindful of your actions.”

Great.

It really was a gal game.

22. Foundation Establishment, Peak!

The man’s arm was slender and graceful, with a natural curve from shoulder to forearm, devoid of any excess flesh, yet not muscular.

Gong Yiling, accustomed to her own arm, didn’t think much of it. Yan Chuyue, however, couldn’t help but gulp.

This arm… it wasn’t just handsome, it was beautiful.

It was rare for a man to have such an arm…

Of course, now wasn’t the time to admire male beauty.

Yan Chuyue quickly composed herself and took out her silver needles from her Divine Physician’s space.

With a flick of her wrist, her movements were like a flurry of flowers in a rainstorm. Nine needles, under her masterful control, left afterimages in the air.

Gong Yiling didn’t feel much.

Yan Chuyue’s first needle seemed to temporarily block her pain receptors. The subsequent pricks only felt like mosquito bites.

Just the difference between a few mosquitoes and a swarm.

As time passed, the Taiyuan Heavenly Dao energy contained within the acupuncture technique gathered in her body, quickly repairing the meridians that had been tampered with.

The sabotage was actually quite simple.

The culprit had merely weakened the capacity of Gong Yiling’s meridians.

Under most circumstances, this wouldn’t be a problem. If Gong Yiling chose not to cultivate, her meridians would remain fine for the rest of her life.

But as the Young Palace Master of a demonic sect, how could she live such an ordinary life?

Once her cultivation increased to the point where her meridians couldn’t handle it, her true energy would burst forth, exploding her body from within.

Fortunately, the saboteur seemed to have anticipated this and hadn’t completely sealed her meridians.

When her meridians were about to burst, a severed meridian acted as a floodgate, releasing all her true energy, allowing her to survive, albeit without any cultivation.

Yan Chuyue’s task was to completely repair Gong Yiling’s meridians.

Although it sounded simple, it was strenuous work.

The Taiyuan energy needed to be guided by the user’s spirit, and mending severed meridians was far more complicated than weaving cloth. A slight mistake could render the entire meridian useless.

Yan Chuyue wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen, especially not to… the “male lead” the system had provided her.

For five consecutive hours, ten hours in total, they remained almost motionless.

Sweat soaked their clothes, revealing Yan Chuyue’s perfect figure despite her plain attire. The fake skin on her face became wrinkled, clearly a disguise.

In contrast, Gong Yiling, who had tightly bound her chest, was much more comfortable.

But Miss Gong had her own problems.

As her meridians were repaired, she felt her chest growing larger.

Yes, it was that magical.

Healing someone and enlarging their breasts in the process—what the actual fuck.

Her clothes, already tight, became even more constricting.

The thought of almost suffocating due to her large breasts made the virgin Gong want to bury herself alive.

—Eight hours later—

Qiu Shui and Chun Lian waited anxiously outside the door.

The food the waiter had brought had already been replaced once to ensure the Young Palace Master had a warm meal.

They waited from afternoon till the next morning, neither sleeping nor eating, looking exhausted.

Initially, Qiu Shui worried that something might have happened to the Young Palace Master inside, but sensing the comfortable aura of true energy emanating from the room, she could only wait patiently.

Finally, the meridian repair was nearing completion.

Yan Chuyue gently flipped her hands, manipulating the threads of Taiyuan energy from afar, then with a wave of her hand, she completed the final stitch.

With her meridians fully repaired, Gong Yiling felt true energy surging through her body.

This true energy flowed through her limbs and bones, a feeling of long-awaited nourishment.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, as if a long-closed door had been opened, leading her to a higher realm.

Foundation Establishment, Peak!

The moment her meridians were repaired, her cultivation soared to the peak of Foundation Establishment, just a step away from Core Formation.

“System notification: The host has completed the first part of the stage quest. Reward obtained: [A Delicious Encounter in Another World]. The reward will appear in the host’s hands upon confirmation.”

A Delicious Encounter in Another World?

What was that?

KFC? Edible KFC? Or just a single chicken wing?

Just as Gong Yiling was reeling from this bizarre reward, another even more ridiculous notification appeared!

“Long-term branch quest updated: My Little Brother (strikethrough) Disciple is Number One in the World!

Quest objective: Help disciple Yin Qiushui become the Sect Master of Shenqi Daoist Mountain (final goal)

Note: This long-term branch quest is optional. Its completion has no bearing on the main questline, but the system suggests the host consider pursuing it.

Note 2: Accepting this quest will unlock the Master-Disciple Achievement System. The disciple’s growth will grant corresponding rewards in the achievement system.”

Wait a minute!

Gong Yiling suddenly remembered something. “Didn’t you say that the system would unlock automatically when my disciple reached a certain stage? Why have the conditions changed?”

System: “Systems update, my friend. Is Windows XP the same as Windows 10?”

“Then what about the quests I’m already doing? You won’t reset them after an update, will you?”

“Don’t worry, the system updates aren’t that bad.”

“Wait… why does that sound so suspicious? Does that mean you will screw me over in other ways!?”

“The system refuses to answer this question.”

No matter what Gong Yiling asked after that, the system remained silent.

Finally, losing her patience, she said, “Fine, just activate the achievement system for me.”

The system finally responded, “Roger that.”

“Host Gong Yiling, disciple Yin Qiushui, achievement system binding… Success. The system has been activated.”

“The host has completed four achievements. Rewards and details can be viewed in the achievement system.”

Besides the system’s voice, when the achievement system unlocked, a cacophony of bells rang in her head, so loud she felt like her chest would burst open.

And to Gong Yiling’s surprise, the Master-Disciple Achievement System wasn’t what she had imagined at all.

I made a few edits to the previous chapters before updating this chapter, but most of it stayed the same. Only this name was changed significantly.

Guilao Jiu > Lord Nine

—

21. A Man and a Woman Alone

The inn they arrived at “happened” to be the one Gong Yiling had tricked people into going to.

It was currently surrounded by government troops because the First Prince’s men had been set up in the back alley by an unknown opponent. Seeing this, Gong Yiling invited Yan Chuyue to another inn for a detailed discussion.

After some wandering, they ended up back at the inn where Qiu Shui and Chun Lian were staying.

Yan Chuyue found the two girls familiar.

However, she had created over a hundred named characters in her book, and it was impossible to remember all their specific appearances.

Moreover, Qiu Shui’s attire was very different from a typical maid’s, so Yan Chuyue didn’t recognize her immediately.

For appearances in front of outsiders, Gong Yiling had given them different names:

Qiu Ming and Chun Huai.

“Qiu Ming, order some dishes and have the waiter bring them up later.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Chun Huai, you wait outside. I’ll discuss some matters with this young lady, and you can come in later.”

“Okay!”

The two girls were delighted to see Gong Yiling return so quickly. After receiving their orders, they left the room without a word.

Only Yan Chuyue and Gong Yiling remained.

“Young lady, let’s get straight to the point.”

Miss Gong was never one to beat around the bush. After pouring Yan Chuyue a cup of tea, she said, “You can tell me your three conditions for the Spirit Phoenix Broom.”

“Actually… I haven’t thought of them yet.” Yan Chuyue stuck out her tongue.

She really hadn’t.

The thing was, the timing of the Spirit Phoenix Broom’s appearance was too strange, so she couldn’t be sure if it was the same one from her book.

Since Jiang Chenmo could disappear, the broom could also be a fake. It would be great to obtain it, but it wasn’t a big loss if she didn’t.

She had simply seen someone so eager for it and decided to try and profit, never expecting this person to be the “male lead” the system had compensated her with.

“Then let’s talk when you’ve decided.” Gong Yiling didn’t mind.

She extended her right hand to Yan Chuyue. “I invited you here because I want you to examine my body and tell me what’s wrong with it.”

Yan Chuyue instinctively reached out, but then she paused.

“How did you know I could heal?”

“Don’t you know now?” Gong Yiling countered.

“That works too?”

“You don’t know, but this illness has plagued me for a long time. If I don’t find a cure soon, I won’t have much time left.”

Miss Gong started her act, sighing dramatically. “I’m grasping at straws. Fortunately, you really can heal.”

Yan Chuyue was completely fooled, or rather, convinced by Gong Yiling’s performance.

Jiang Chenmo needed treatment, and this person also needed treatment.

How interesting~

Confident in her abilities, especially with her cheat, Yan Chuyue said, “Let me examine you first.”

She took Gong Yiling’s wrist.

The touch felt strange.

The man’s wrist was smooth, tender, like polished jade. Her fingers brushed against his skin, and the pale pink turned a translucent red before quickly fading back.

It felt even more feminine than her own wrist.

“What are you doing?” Gong Yiling felt a shiver run down her spine.

Weren’t you supposed to take my pulse? Why are you caressing my hand?

Yan Chuyue realized what she was doing and quickly retracted her hand. “Ah, I’m sorry!”

Fortunately, her face was covered by a disguise, so Gong Yiling couldn’t see her blushing.

A maiden’s heart fluttering wasn’t an expression that should appear on the face of the strong female lead, Yan Chuyue.

However, when Yan Chuyue seriously began to take Gong Yiling’s pulse, her brow furrowed.

This man’s meridians… what was going on…?

No inner energy, no true qi. Did he just help her escape with no cultivation at all?

This thought made Yan Chuyue’s heart race.

“Young Master, have you… ever had your meridians severed?” she asked curiously.

“Yes, I was young and foolish and provoked a scumbag… Anyway, they were severed, and then my mother found a quack doctor, and they seemed to be reconnected but were severed again.”

Gong Yiling casually described this tragic experience.

Such resilience and open-mindedness were rare.

—Did I even write such a character in my book?

Yan Chuyue wondered inwardly, forgetting that a key character had a similar experience.

However, even if she remembered, she wouldn’t say anything. After all, one had a penis, and the other didn’t.

“Can you heal it?”

“Of course.” Yan Chuyue readily agreed. “Don’t worry, Young Master. Since you helped me, I’ll definitely cure you.”

“Hmm?”

What a strange thing to say. This female lead seemed a bit… naive?

“Ah, no.” Yan Chuyue realized she had misspoken in her excitement and glanced at Gong Yiling, relieved to see no strange reaction.

As the saying goes, those who draw running pigs may not have eaten pork. Gong Youyuan was a prime example of this.

The only men she had much contact with were her father and brother, whom she only saw during the New Year holidays in recent years.

She could write fantastical stories, but when it came to real-life experience…

Experience what? Ghosts?

“I mean…” Yan Chuyue mumbled, blushing, “For acupuncture, you need to take off your clothes.”

Gong Yiling asked boldly, “All of them?”

As long as it wasn’t her, a virgin, seeing someone else naked, it wasn’t a problem. Taking off her own clothes wouldn’t make her lose any flesh. No big deal.

“Take… take off everything!?” Yan Chuyue stammered.

In this small inn room, a man and a woman alone, and the man taking off all his clothes…

Was this young master so uninhibited? But handsome men were easy targets these days. He was so trusting, what if he was deceived!

Gong Yiling had no idea what was going on in Yan Chuyue’s mind.

Seeing her silence, she started to undress.

Just as she was about to reveal her undergarments, Yan Chuyue stammered, “No need… to take off everything. Just… one arm will suffice.”

“You should have said so earlier.”

Gong Yiling didn’t want to reveal her female identity so soon.

Hearing this, she readily rolled up her sleeve, revealing an arm that looked even less masculine.

20. A Different Yan Chuyue

“Where are they?”

The various sect spies, pretending to be passersby, were dumbfounded.

They had locked onto several unidentified men exiting the auction house’s main gate—as for why they didn’t guard the back, that involved complex game theory.

They had seen a petite young man in a white cloak approach their target, thinking they had a lead, but in the blink of an eye…

Where did they go!?

“It’s an Invisibility Talisman!”

Someone in the crowd reacted and hurriedly pulled out a Dispelling Talisman. But just as they were about to use it, several pieces of paper fluttered down from the sky.

One of them saw what was drawn on the paper and immediately started having a nosebleed.

Oh my…

This was too stimulating!!!

The drawing depicted two pigs engaged in a compromising position. Their plump bodies, pink skin, and suggestive poses depicted the unity of life, the highway of life.

A single page revealed the true desires hidden beneath a sanctimonious facade, a Freudian paradise of lust.

“There’s even this position?”

“Fellow Daoist, you don’t understand. This is called xxxx.”

“This Fellow Daoist seems quite knowledgeable about such matters. Why don’t you analyze the technique here?”

“What? Isn’t it just two pigs… Whoa!!!”

This absurd scene made Gong Yiling, the culprit, twitch her lips.

Although she knew from the description that the second effect of the anti-mother weapon would be visually striking…

But this was…

Too much…

“What did you draw?”

Yan Chuyue, hidden in the alley, blushed at the vulgar comments. “Why are they talking nonsense?”

“Just two pigs,” Gong Yiling replied honestly.

Considering her terrible drawing skills, what else could she draw? The second effect of the anti-mother weapon didn’t specify what qualified as lewd.

As long as the intent was there, anything could be lewd.

“Two pigs can make them react like this?”

“It means they’ve been cultivating for too long, and their suppressed desires for the great harmony of life have been suddenly awakened. They’re aroused by mere pigs.”

Gong Yiling tugged at Yan Chuyue’s sleeve. “Don’t tell me you want to take a look too?”

“No!”

“Then let’s go.”

…

…

Thanks to the “Doujinshi King” effect, they quickly escaped to a safe place using the Invisibility Talismans and removed their disguises.

Gong Yiling simply took off her cloak, while Yan Chuyue ducked into a corner and changed into a plain set of women’s clothes, her appearance still unremarkable.

“How did you know I was the one bidding against you for the Spirit Phoenix Feather?” Yan Chuyue’s voice changed subtly, different from both the first time and the recent encounter.

It seemed using voice recognition as an excuse wouldn’t work now.

“Intuition.”

“Intuition?” Yan Chuyue scrutinized Gong Yiling, frowning slightly. “Strange, does Jiang Chenmo have this kind of disguise…?”

Her latter words were so soft that Miss Gong only caught snippets: Jiang, disguise, something.

A random thought popped into Gong Yiling’s head: “Do you want to eat ginger with elephant?”

Yan Chuyue instinctively replied, “Elephants are protected animals.”

Protected animals?

This novel term sounded like something from modern times. But Yan Chuyue was indeed a transmigrator from modern times, so it was normal for her to say such things.

She decided to play dumb. “What are protected animals?”

“Uh… how do I explain this…?”

While trying to explain the concept of protected animals, Yan Chuyue was also pondering something.

Where was Jiang Chenmo?

According to the novel, she should have met a critically injured Jiang Chenmo two months ago, saved him with her healing technique, and started a budding romance.

And today, when she was being followed and surrounded by over a dozen sects, was supposed to be Jiang Chenmo’s second appearance.

However, something had changed, creating a subtle deviation between the world in the book and this world.

Jiang Chenmo was missing!

Although she didn’t care much about the male lead, the deviation from the original plot was puzzling.

That’s right.

The current Yan Chuyue wasn’t the original Yan Chuyue from the book.

Her real name was Gong Youyuan.

She still didn’t know why she had transmigrated here. Her last memory was of rushing a deadline.

Rushing, rushing, rushing the manuscript.

And then, she opened her eyes to find herself in the world of her own novel.

Initially, everything followed her plot, including outsmarting the evil sister, playing tricks on the stepmother, and so on. But one thing had deviated inexplicably.

The appearance of Jiang Chenmo.

However, the events she encountered hadn’t strayed too far from her expectations. It was just that the male lead had fallen into some unknown pit.

Today’s events were truly baffling.

First, the Spirit Phoenix Broom appeared at the auction when it shouldn’t have. Then, a mysterious person outbid her for it and helped her escape the dangerous situation that the male lead was supposed to resolve.

Could it be that there was a bug in the world, causing Jiang Chenmo to be killed by the Blood Orchid Palace? And to fix the missing male lead bug, the system sent this completely unknown person?

Thinking this, Gong Youyuan couldn’t help but glance at the person’s face.

Compared to the domineering and ruthless CEO-type male lead like Jiang Chenmo, she preferred this gentle and refined-looking man.

If this was the system’s compensation for her missing male lead, it was acceptable. The rest depended on whether he could surpass the male lead in her book.

Well, the male lead in her book was actually quite a jerk.

“What are you looking at?” Gong Yiling, seeing the girl staring at her face, wondered if she had something on it.

“Ah… nothing.” Yan Chuyue quickly shook her head, then remembered their previous topic about protected animals.

“Simply put, protected animals are animals you can’t eat.”

“…Is there any difference between that and no explanation?”

“That’s why I said ‘simply put.’ If I were to explain it in detail, I could write several pages for you.”

Gong Yiling: “…”

She couldn’t shake the feeling that this Yan Chuyue was… strange…

19. After the Auction

The auction concluded with Young Master Xuli’s extravagant purchase of eighty thousand taels, leaving everyone satisfied.

When Gong Yiling arrived to collect her items, accompanied by an attendant, she was met with applause.

“Thank you so much, Young Master!” The red-haired host and a white-haired elder rushed forward to express their gratitude. “If it weren’t for your generous assistance, this old man wouldn’t know how to handle the situation.”

“Assistance?” Gong Yiling feigned ignorance. “What assistance?”

“The auction house promised the master alchemist that the final price for that bottle of pills would exceed four hundred thousand taels. If it weren’t for your intervention, we wouldn’t have been able to fulfill our promise.”

Miss Gong was aware of this promise.

In the novel, after Young Master Xuli’s antics, it was Yan Chuyue who drove up the price to eighty thousand.

Different ingredients, same victim.

“You’re too kind, Elder,” Gong Yiling bowed. “I truly wanted to show my sincerity, but unfortunately, I didn’t bring enough money.”

“Oh…”

The auction house’s chief steward could tell just from the ornamental sword at Gong Yiling’s waist that it was worth at least a million taels.

Not having enough money was just an excuse. They all understood.

“However, regardless of your reasons, you have offended that jinx,” the chief steward said seriously. “They demanded the registration list for the special passage, but you didn’t seem to have come through that way.”

“In any case, please be careful.”

“Thank you for the warning.”

After exchanging pleasantries with the chief steward, Gong Yiling retrieved the bottle of pills and a red feather.

As she took the feather, the host stopped her.

“Young Master, this item is likely a fake. If you wish to sell it back to the auction house, we can make an exception and buy it back at the original price.”

Clearly, the auction house was looking for a way to express their gratitude.

“No, I’m not selling.”

No way!

This was the real deal. Why would she sell it? Not even for a hundred times the price!

“Then… please wait a moment.”

The host thought for a moment, then pulled out a large box from under her seat and placed it in front of Gong Yiling.

“These are ‘blind flow’ items and some unpopular sect items we’ve collected over the years. It would be inconvenient for you to take them all, so please choose a few as a gift from the auction house.”

Wow! Such a good deal!?

Gong Yiling was stunned.

Although over eighty percent of the “blind flow” items were fakes or useless, there were bound to be some genuine items.

She couldn’t distinguish the real ones, but… as long as she found the useful items mentioned in the book, wouldn’t that be enough?

“Then I’ll… just take a few.”

Feigning reluctance, she rummaged through the box and “randomly” picked a few “blind flow” items and an unpopular, unsold martial skill manual.

Then, she bid farewell to the auction house staff, entered a side door, took a detour, and exited through the restrooms near the front entrance. She rejoined her two maids waiting outside and left openly.

As for Young Master Xuli, she wasn’t worried at all.

Even with his resources, he would only suspect the one person who didn’t use the special passage. And if he investigated the purchasers of the VIP tickets, he wouldn’t find her.

After all, she had stolen her ticket.

Even if he found out about the stolen ticket, the First Prince’s men would take the blame.

It had nothing to do with her, right?

However, after leaving the auction house, Gong Yiling didn’t leave the area with her disciples.

She first asked Chun Lian for some normal talismans, then instructed the two girls to check into another inn, promising to join them later.

Qiu Shui was naturally reluctant.

“But Young Palace Master, you alone…”

“It’s alright,” Gong Yiling tapped her head gently with her closed fan. “Qiu Shui needs to focus on cultivating so you can protect this Palace Master.”

“Then… Young Palace Master, please be careful.”

“Why are you being so naggy like Chun Lian?” Gong Yiling chuckled. “And look, Chun Lian isn’t even worried.”

Hearing her name, Chun Lian stuck out her tongue sheepishly. “That’s because Chun Lian knows the Young Palace Master is the strongest!”

“See?”

Since things had come to this, Qiu Shui didn’t say anything more and left with Chun Lian.

Now then…

Gong Yiling took out a white cloak from her sleeve and put it on, then headed towards her destination.

—A relatively busy street not far from the auction house.

In fact, the auction was just a prelude.

The cultivators’ ultimate goal was to meet the wandering alchemist. They didn’t care who bought the pills.

After all, whether the auction house delivered the money or the alchemist sent someone to collect it…

The alchemist wouldn’t simply disappear.

Therefore, the streets near the auction house, seemingly bustling and normal, were actually filled with undercurrents and hidden agendas.

After waiting for a while, Gong Yiling spotted a plainly dressed young man in a bamboo hat and followed him.

When they were close enough, Gong Yiling spoke, “Young man, you’re being followed.”

Yan Chuyue, walking ahead, was startled but kept her voice steady. “By whom?”

“There are many who want to see you, or your master, through you. You should understand this.”

“And who are you?”

“Remember who you asked for three conditions earlier?” Gong Yiling smiled. “I can help you get rid of them. This help is purely voluntary and won’t count as one of the three conditions.”

They continued walking through the crowd.

Under the cover of the crowd, no one noticed their conversation.

“Why are you offering help?”

“This is the attitude of someone asking for a favor. It depends on your choice.”

“…” Yan Chuyue was silent for a moment, then nodded. “What do you want to do?”

“It’s simple.” Gong Yiling took out two Invisibility Talismans from her sleeve and handed one to Yan Chuyue. “You know what to do next.”

And just like that, in broad daylight, the two disappeared from the crowded street.

18. Full of Sincerity

Gong Yiling had no intention of bidding on such things.

However, the experience of casually throwing down fifteen thousand taels earlier had been exhilarating for Miss Gong, who in her previous life had hesitated even when buying KFC.

Honestly, as a member of the demonic sect, surrounded by righteous cultivators, many of whom she knew had skeletons in their closets…

As the Young Palace Master of the Blood Orchid Palace, she didn’t need a reason to mess with them.

“Fifty thousand taels of silver.”

“Fifty thousand two hundred.”

“Fifty thousand five hundred.”

“Fifty thousand eight hundred.”

“Sixty thousand!”

The price quickly soared past ninety thousand.

But it was at this point that the third-floor VIPs began to show their true colors.

“One hundred thousand.”

An elderly male voice raised the price by a significant margin.

It was Elder Chen Zizhi of Chongyun Daoist Mountain, whom she had seen earlier.

“One hundred and ten thousand,” another woman on the third floor bid.

“One hundred and thirty thousand.”

“One hundred and fifty thousand.”

“One hundred and eighty thousand.”

This was what having money looked like.

The two bidders seemed to be locked in a battle, pushing the price to one hundred and eighty thousand.

In reality, a single supreme quality Soul Returning Pill could fetch up to twenty thousand taels, putting the price of the entire bottle at around three hundred thousand taels.

And that didn’t include the added cost of building connections.

If one could gain the favor of the master alchemist, four or five hundred thousand would be acceptable.

“Two hundred thousand,” the woman continued to bid.

“Princess,” Elder Chen Zizhi seemed agitated. “The Heartflame Empire has its own court alchemist. Are you… making things difficult for this old man?”

But the woman, addressed as Princess, wasn’t backing down.

“The auction house has its rules. The highest bidder wins. Elder Chen, are you trying to make me look bad?”

“You…!”

Elder Chen’s face flushed with anger.

“In that case, I won’t hold back.” A dark look crossed his face. “Two hundred and fifty thousand taels.”

So far, the bidding was proceeding as described in the novel. And as expected, a third party was about to join the fray.

“Two hundred and fifty thousand and one tael.”

This bid stunned everyone.

Everyone else was bidding in increments of thousands, why was this person being so stingy?

But then the bidder continued, “Any further bidders will be killed without mercy.”

This arrogant tone and the implied threat shocked everyone, even the host, who looked troubled.

The speaker was Young Master Xuli.

Despite his arrogance, he had the backing to support it. His father was the Sect Master of Xuxuan Daoist Mountain, ranked eighth among the Hundred Paths Mountain sects.

Because he was born late in his father’s life, Young Master Xuli was doted on, and his father would protect him no matter what he did.

Although there were complaints within the Hundred Paths Mountain, Sect Master Xuxuan was a key figure in the fight against the demonic sects. As long as his son didn’t do anything outrageous like slaughtering an entire city, he could do as he pleased.

No one was happy to encounter this young master here.

However, not everyone would give him face.

“Twenty thousand taels per supreme quality Soul Returning Pill is not unreasonable. Young Master, are you looking down on the master behind these pills by only bidding two hundred and fifty thousand and one tael?”

A sudden deep male voice echoed through the hall.

“So what? Why should this young master respect a mere alchemist?”

“Young Master, you may be arrogant, but I am not. Therefore, I bid…”

Gong Yiling casually waved her fan and spoke into the speaking tube, “Three hundred thousand taels.”

“You…!”

Young Master Xuli’s voice was filled with anger. “Three hundred thousand and one tael.”

“Three hundred and fifty thousand taels.”

“Three hundred and fifty thousand and one tael.”

“Four hundred thousand taels.”

“Four hundred thousand and one tael.”

“Five hundred thousand taels.”

When Gong Yiling made this bid, Qiu Shui’s face paled.

She knew how much money the Young Palace Master had brought. This was clearly a reckless bid.

Unless she was planning to pawn her treasures.

“Young Palace Master, are you…?”

Miss Gong just smiled mysteriously at Qiu Shui’s question. “Don’t worry, this Palace Master has no interest in these pills. It’s just a little trick to annoy someone.”

“Huh…?”

“With such provocation, he won’t give up easily.”

“Does the Young Palace Master have a grudge against him?”

“A grudge?” Gong Yiling chuckled and shook her head. “No grudge. I just find him unpleasant. It amuses me.”

“Pfft…”

Qiu Shui couldn’t help but chuckle, unsure of what to say.

But Gong Yiling wasn’t causing trouble without reason. Sect Master Xuxuan was one of those who had ambushed her in the past. Naturally, she wouldn’t be polite to his son.

At this moment, Young Master Xuli finally made his bid, “Five hundred thousand and one tael.”

“Now that’s more like it, Young Master Xuli. I’ll accept your sincerity on behalf of the master alchemist.”

Gong Yiling broadcast these words through the speaking tube, and scattered laughter could be heard from outside.

Someone daring to challenge this arrogant young master was quite satisfying.

“However,” Miss Gong wasn’t done yet, “Six hundred thousand. Young Master Xuli, please part with these pills. Someone of your status probably doesn’t carry much money, right?”

“Eight hundred thousand!”

Young Master Xuli’s bid was impulsive.

Simply put…

He was enraged.

Gong Yiling’s last remark had infuriated him, causing him to lose control.

When he finally came to his senses, he realized he had spent eight hundred thousand taels of silver on fifteen mid-grade pills!?

With that money, he could have bought high-grade potential-enhancing pills of excellent quality.

“It seems Young Master Xuli is truly sincere!” Gong Yiling said admiringly. “Although I do have a request for the master alchemist, and I wonder if their medical skills are equally impressive, but…”

“Alas, my purse is light. Even after searching my entire person, I could only find around six hundred thousand. It seems I’ll have to find another way.”

She acted sincere, showing no sign of deliberately provoking him.

Meanwhile, Young Master Xuli was furiously ordering his subordinates,

“Have you found out yet? Who is that bastard?”

“We’ve obtained the registration list from the Yaoshan Auction House. Only one person in the third-floor VIP area didn’t enter through the special access passage. We’re still investigating the purchaser of that ticket.”

“Find out quickly! I want information by today!” Young Master Xuli’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. “If I find out who that person is, I’ll tear them to pieces!”

17. How Did I End Up Bidding Against Yan Chuyue?

As soon as the starting price was announced, the audience gasped.

One thousand taels was quite high.

Paying a thousand taels to hear a story, only to find it useless and lose five hundred taels to the auction house…

One would have to be either very rich or very foolish.

Wouldn’t five hundred taels be better spent on entertainment?

For a full thirty seconds after the price was announced, no one bid.

The atmosphere became awkward.

Just as the host was about to declare the item unsold, a deep male voice came from the third floor, “One thousand taels.”

It seemed there really were people with too much money or a damaged brain.

“One thousand taels once, one thousand taels twice…”

The host quickly started the three-call process, afraid the bidder might change their mind.

After all, the third-floor VIPs had the right to withdraw their bids on “blind flow” items.

But before the third call, a clear, cold female voice came from another direction, “One thousand five hundred taels.”

What?

Someone was actually bidding on this fabricated item?

This was a rare moment in the spotlight for a “blind flow” item.

Gong Yiling was equally surprised.

First, this item shouldn’t be here.

It was obtained by the male lead’s friend, the Third Prince of the Heartflame Empire, Shangguan Yunfeng. After failing to figure out its use, he had it sent to the auction house, hoping to earn a thousand taels for drinking money.

That’s why the starting price was one thousand taels.

However, according to the book, the male lead was seriously injured and came to Cloudmist City around this time. The Third Prince, upon hearing the news, left without setting a price for the item, so it was supposed to be sold at the next auction.

Could it be… that Jiang Chenmo wasn’t pursued by the Blood Orchid Palace and therefore didn’t meet Yan Chuyue?

And that wasn’t the only surprise.

The woman bidding against her was Yan Chuyue.

Even if the item appeared at the wrong time, Yan Chuyue shouldn’t be interested in it. Why was she suddenly bidding against her?

After all, only Gong Yiling knew that the Spirit Phoenix Broom was genuine, and that someone had used it to contract a Heavenly Venerable-level Spirit Phoenix three years later.

However…

Surprises aside…

Whether Yan Chuyue would become her enemy in the future was unknown, but Gong Yiling couldn’t let her have this item.

“Two thousand taels.”

“Three thousand taels.”

“Five thousand taels.”

“Ten thousand taels.”

Their bidding war quickly surpassed ten thousand taels, stunning everyone present.

A “blind flow” item, no matter how much it was hyped up, was still a “blind flow” item.

It was labeled as such because many people had been scammed by similar items. Now, it wasn’t just a matter of giving five hundred taels to the auction house, but five thousand.

“Fifteen thousand taels.” Gong Yiling frowned as she made the highest bid of the auction so far, muttering to herself.

If Yan Chuyue’s Divine Physician’s space reacted to this item, given her personality, she would spare no expense to obtain it.

In a battle of wealth, Yan Chuyue would likely lose, but creating this unnecessary conflict wasn’t a good idea.

“The lady opposite me,” she then tried a different tactic, “I know you’re looking for the Hundred Erosion Cold Spirit Flower. I also know where it is. If you would kindly withdraw your bid, I can tell you.”

The system was a useless fake cheat. Gong Yiling’s real cheat was her knowledge of the story’s progression, the solutions to all the secret realms, and the hidden locations of all the precious items.

She was more than happy to sell information.

But unexpectedly, Yan Chuyue replied,

“This young lady also knows where it is.” Her response was calm. “If the young master wants this young lady to withdraw, you’ll need to agree to three conditions.”

How did she know where the Hundred Erosion Cold Spirit Flower was?

Gong Yiling raised an eyebrow, closing her fan and tapping her cheek.

However, since Yan Chuyue seemed willing to give up the item, and three conditions from a stranger shouldn’t be too outrageous, she might as well try.

“What conditions?”

“We can discuss the conditions later. They won’t be too difficult for the young master. This young lady just wants everyone present to be witnesses, to prevent the young master from going back on your word and damaging your reputation.”

“Alright.”

Gong Yiling agreed indifferently, but inwardly, she was overjoyed.

This was like finding something you had been searching for without any effort.

She had been wondering how to get a chance to talk to Yan Chuyue privately, and now it had happened effortlessly.

Although the process wasn’t what she expected.

But this also reminded her that because things related to her had changed, a butterfly effect was inevitable, influencing subsequent events.

She couldn’t rely entirely on the book’s plot and needed to think several steps ahead.

“Fifteen thousand, to this young master.”

With Yan Chuyue’s withdrawal, Gong Yiling successfully obtained the special item.

Having achieved her goal, Miss Gong didn’t bid on anything else until the final item.

She ordered a feast and enjoyed a grand culinary celebration with Chun Lian and Qiu Shui in their private room, waiting for the auction to end so she could finally meet the true female protagonist of this world.

“The next item is the highlight of this auction, a full bottle of Soul Returning Pills.”

Although everyone knew the final item would be a top-tier mid-grade pill, the announcement of the Soul Returning Pill still surprised everyone.

Although classified as mid-grade, its effects were comparable to a high-grade pill.

It could stimulate the user’s potential, allowing ordinary people with unopened meridians to embark on the path of cultivation, and enabling cultivators to unleash several times their normal combat power.

Such an item, useful for both life-saving and boosting one’s family’s potential, was inherently valuable.

Moreover, it was supreme quality, and there was only one bottle, instantly igniting the desire of everyone on all three floors.

“This bottle contains fifteen pills, sold together. The starting price is thirty thousand taels of silver. Each bid must be no less than one thousand taels. Please begin.”

16. The Spirit Phoenix Broom

But her primary goal was to find Yan Chuyue, who had secretly come here from the Yan Estate.

Seeing that Qiu Shui seemed to have put aside her worries for the time being, discussing the pastries with Chun Lian, Gong Yiling walked to the window and looked through the thin gauze at the room opposite theirs.

According to the book, Yan Chuyue was in the eastern VIP room.

However, Yan Chuyue was no longer the helpless young lady she once was. Her new soul brought decisiveness, intelligence, and courage.

Getting close to her and asking for help with her condition wouldn’t be easy.

The first step was to attract her attention…

“Distinguished nobles, esteemed families, and reclusive sects, welcome to the Yaoshan Auction House.”

Just as Gong Yiling was pondering this, a voice finally came from below.

The auction house was a circular building like a colosseum, with a central stage, rows of ordinary seats surrounding it, and three levels of VIP rooms above.

An elegantly dressed woman on the central stage opened the auction.

“As you all know, this auction features some rare items.” The woman smiled. “And this time, we’ll be auctioning the items in a different order. The first item we’ll present is one that was originally intended for the finale.”

“A mid-grade, supreme quality pill, the Qi Condensation Pill.”

The woman opened the ink box in her hand, revealing a jade-like pill.

Surrounded by a seven-colored cloud of pill energy, the pill faintly emitted a golden glow.

Supreme quality was truly dazzling, even making a pill look like a precious gem.

Gong Yiling glanced at the projected image that appeared on the south wall, momentarily captivated by the pill’s brilliance.

“This Qi Condensation Pill can increase the success rate of cultivators advancing from Core Formation to Core Transformation. Even a top-grade pill can increase the rate by thirty percent, while a supreme quality pill can increase it by fifty percent.”

“Moreover, the supreme quality Qi Condensation Pill also has remarkable effects on Core Transformation cultivators, strengthening their foundation and nurturing their core.”

“Five pills will be sold together. The starting price is two thousand taels of silver. You can also bid using spirit stones of different qualities. Each bid must be no less than the equivalent of two hundred taels of silver.”

“Please begin.”

As soon as she finished speaking, someone immediately bid five thousand taels.

As the first item of the auction, this price had already set a new record for the Yaoshan Auction House.

But the price didn’t stop there.

“Five thousand two hundred.”

“Five thousand six hundred.”

“Six thousand taels.”

“Seven thousand five hundred taels!”

A booming male voice from below suddenly silenced the crowd.

Gong Yiling poked a hole in the window screen and glanced down, spotting a bald monk with a staff.

This guy should be the Tiger Stripe Monk, ranked on the villain list, who planned to follow Yan Chuyue after the auction for profit.

Gong Yiling’s eyes flickered, an idea forming.

“Ten thousand taels.”

The bid from the third floor stunned the monk, who had been confident of winning.

A look of annoyance flashed across his face, but he didn’t dare to act against the unidentified VIP on the third floor.

“This young master has bid ten thousand taels. Is there a higher bid?”

The woman had expected the bid to trigger another round of competition, but then she realized that this was likely the highest price for the Qi Condensation Pill. Ten thousand taels for five supreme quality pills was already a high price. Without further delay, she brought down the gavel.

“Ten thousand taels once, ten thousand taels twice, ten thousand taels thrice, sold!”

Got it.

Gong Yiling put down the speaking tube and winked at Qiu Shui.

This would help Qiu Shui break through her bottleneck and create the impression of a wealthy patron for Yan Chuyue, making it a worthwhile investment.

However, she had only brought around three hundred thousand taels of silver, plus a set of close-fitting soft armor for each of them, and some life-saving items she didn’t know how to use.

She needed to be careful with her spending.

“This young master has given our auction a good start, and I believe the items in this auction will not disappoint you. Next is the second item—”

For a long time after that, Gong Yiling didn’t bid on anything.

The magical weapons and armor being auctioned were practically scrap metal compared to what she had in the Blood Orchid Palace. If she wanted money, the armor they were wearing could be sold for millions.

As for martial skills that complemented cultivation techniques…

Chun Lian didn’t need them, Qiu Shui’s healing and plant-based techniques were too niche, and she herself didn’t know what she could learn besides demonic arts.

There was no point in buying useless things.

However, the appearance of one particular item made Gong Yiling’s heart skip a beat.

“The next item is a ‘blind flow’ item.”

A “blind flow” item was an item whose authenticity the auction house didn’t guarantee. The price wouldn’t be high, and if the buyer found it useless, they could sell it back to the auction house for half the price.

These items were usually auctioned during intermissions, mainly for entertainment and to calm the bidders down.

Of course, occasionally someone would get a genuine item, like the Nine Worlds Evil King’s sword.

The buyer had simply wanted a cheap sword for practical use, but the genuine artifact, after hundreds of thousands of years, had decayed and couldn’t even cut wood.

Such were the woes of buying authentic artifacts.

But Miss Gong recognized this item at a glance.

“This item is the Spirit Phoenix Broom, said to be able to summon the ancient divine beast, the Phoenix. Legend has it that over a hundred years ago, a general in the Four Kingdoms’ old capital used this item to summon a Heavenly Venerable-level Spirit Phoenix, sweeping away the invading demonic sect.”

Gong Yiling felt like she was suddenly being called out.

“But after that, this feather broom never appeared on the continent again until recently. Perhaps its destined owner is among you today.”

The host spoke dramatically, while the audience listened with amusement.

Despite the dramatic presentation, everyone understood the unspoken rule of “blind flow” items.

Could you trust infomercials? No. And that was the right attitude.

No one questioned or expressed curiosity. After the host finished her elaborate story, she announced the starting price with some awkwardness.

“Starting price: one thousand taels.”