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

15. First Time at the Auction House

After obtaining the tickets, Gong Yiling immediately took her two maids, or rather, her two disciples, to the Central District’s bustling area, specifically the Yaoshan Auction House.

Gong Yiling was currently dressed as a young Daoist priest who had just descended from one of the Hundred Paths Mountain sects.

Yin Qiushui and Chun Lian were also dressed by Miss Gong in wide-sleeved, halter-style ruqun. Their already exceptional looks, combined with the elegant aura they had cultivated through their practice, made it difficult for anyone to recognize them as maids.

Guards were stationed at the entrance of the Yaoshan Auction House, meticulously checking the tickets of everyone entering.

Of course, some cultivators could enter through a separate VIP lane, reserved for renowned families, sects, and members of the four kingdoms’ royal families.

While waiting in line, Gong Yiling spotted several prominent figures entering through the VIP lane, their appearances matching the descriptions in the book.

For example, Elder Chen Zizhi, the Third Elder of Chongyun Daoist Mountain; Su Liqiu, the Young Valley Master of the renowned Huifang Valley Refining Sect; and the delegation from the Heartflame Empire, dressed in clothes embroidered with red roses.

While pondering which other famous figures might appear, Gong Yiling smoothly passed the ticket inspection and registered her disguised identity on the guest list.

“Guan Yilin, Guest Elder of Yinquan Daoist Mountain, and two disciples.”

Since the ticket she had acquired was a premium one, upon entering the auction house, two guards escorted her to a private room on the third floor.

The room was spacious and bright, elegantly decorated, with tea, wine, and pastries, comparable to the halls in her palace.

“If you need anything, please pull the thin rope on the desk. For bidding, use the speaking tube on the desk. The auction will be projected onto the south wall,” the guard explained respectfully. “Also, this room is enchanted with a permanent soundproofing talisman. Unless you use the speaking tube, no sound from inside will be heard outside.”

“Young Master, do you have any other questions?”

“No.”

“Then I shall take my leave. I wish you success in acquiring what you desire. Please.”

The guard bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

There were about twelve or thirteen minutes left before the auction officially began.

Gong Yiling casually picked up a pastry from the table and took a bite, her eyes widening in surprise.

The food in the Blood Orchid Palace was edible, but not particularly delicious.

This pastry, however, was a burst of flavors—the aroma of osmanthus, the sweetness of honey, and the tanginess of hawthorn—like a dessert from a five-star hotel.

“Try this!” Gong Yiling eagerly shared her discovery with her two “disciples.”

Chun Lian immediately followed suit, her star-like eyes shining even brighter. Qiu Shui, however, simply picked up the honey hawthorn cake and asked, puzzled, “Young Palace Master, did you secretly leave the palace just for this auction?”

Her concern was understandable.

On the day she entered the palace, under the pretext of thanking her father’s remaining relatives, she had sent out some of the money Gong Yiling had given her, along with a rough sketch of Gong Yiling.

Although appearances changed over time, the portrait still bore a six or seven-out-of-ten resemblance to Gong Yiling. Yin Qiushui was worried that someone might recognize her, causing trouble.

“That’s part of the reason,” Gong Yiling said, her mouth full. “But this Palace Master is actually looking for someone.”

“Looking for someone?”

“There’s someone who can solve some problems for this Palace Master, but if I ask directly, they probably won’t come, or even hide somewhere. So I had to sneak out.”

Having Yan Chuyue go to the Blood Orchid Palace to treat her was a delicate matter.

The Yan family was a prominent and influential family in the Heartflame Empire, second only to the royal Shangguan family.

Because of this, the Shangguan and Yan families had arranged a marriage between Yan Chuyue and the First Prince, the future emperor.

However, Yan Chuyue’s parents later died in a mysterious disaster, and she was left in the care of her aunt. Her aunt, however, wanted her own daughter to become the future empress, so she treated Yan Chuyue poorly and often slandered her.

With her reputation tarnished, no apparent talent in martial arts, and no family to protect her after her parents’ death, the engagement was broken off about two months ago.

Well… that was a bit of a tangent.

In short, the Yan family was a righteous and prominent family, and Yan Chuyue was only a fifteen-year-old girl.

Persuading her mother and the others in the palace would be a problem.

“After the Young Palace Master’s problems are solved, will you return?” Qiu Shui still wanted to know how long she planned to stay outside.

“Why so many questions, Qiu Shui?”

“Qiu Shui is just…” Yin Qiushui was anxious but didn’t know how to express it, so she lowered her eyes and said softly, “Just worried that someone might harm you while you’re outside…”

Was she worried about her?

A playful smile appeared on Gong Yiling’s lips. “Isn’t Qiu Shui here?”

“Huh?”

“Qiu Shui is now a Core Formation cultivator at the Great Completion stage. Protecting a helpless weakling like me should be easy, right?” Gong Yiling patted her head casually. “Do a good job, Heroine Qiu Shui, and this Palace Master will give you a promotion.”

“What about Chun Lian?” Chun Lian asked, not to be outdone.

“Chun Lian,” Gong Yiling said, waving her fan, “Chun Lian will be in charge of feeding the horses and… flattering me.”

Chun Lian immediately protested. “No way! Chun Lian wants to stay by the Young Palace Master’s side. The Young Palace Master is the best!”

“Then no promotion for you.”

“Is that how it works?”

Listening to Gong Yiling teasing Chun Lian as usual, Yin Qiushui remained silent, her heart in turmoil.

Gaining Gong Yiling’s trust was her original goal, but now it had become something she couldn’t shake off.

She didn’t know if she was afraid or guilty.

“Alright,” Gong Yiling smiled and rubbed Qiu Shui’s head. “Qiu Shui, just stay by this Palace Master’s side with peace of mind. This Palace Master will handle everything else.”

“…Okay.”

Qiu Shui might not fully understand her words.

But Miss Gong wasn’t planning to return immediately after this, partly for the sake of these two girls.

She had never heard of the Seven Treasures Universe Talisman Secret Art – SP, and Qiu Shui’s cultivation would progress better outside the Blood Orchid Palace.

Besides, she also needed to find where Qiu Shui’s mother was and resolve Qiu Shui’s worries.

There was a lot to do.

14. Cloudmist City

Time flew by.

Two months passed like a fleeting dream, seemingly in an instant.

But for Gong Yiling, rediscovering the motherly love she had once rejected, and checking on the progress of her two “disciples” every now and then, brought her joy.

Her only complaint was experiencing menstruation as a man.

Those days were something she still didn’t want to revisit.

Although it was normal for someone her age, for some reason, while others experienced a light flow, hers was…

Well, let’s just say it looked like she had been attacked again. The sheer volume was alarming.

However, aside from these unpleasantries, everything else was satisfactory.

Whenever she had free time, Gong Muzhi would have meals with her, stroll around the Blood Orchid Palace, and even join her in causing minor mischief, resulting in Ghost Lord Nine’s “precious darling” being destroyed seventeen or eighteen times.

Not only did their mother-daughter relationship become closer, but Gong Muzhi also treated her daughter’s two maids much better.

Just like that, the two months of preparation passed, and Gong Yiling knew what she had to do next.

That night, the light in Gong Muzhi’s room stayed on late.

But the Palace Master of the Blood Orchid Palace had already lost her battle against sleep, dozing at her desk.

Gong Yiling quietly opened the door and gently draped a light green robe over her thinly clad mother, then placed a letter on her desk.

“Mom, I have something to do. I need to leave for a while.”

Looking at her mother, who seemed nothing like a demonic sect leader when they were together, she couldn’t help but lean down and perform her mother’s favorite gesture.

Forehead to forehead.

After doing this, Gong Yiling took a deep breath and turned to leave.

But just then—”Remember to come back soon…”

Her mother’s words surprised her, and she turned back to look.

The figure at the desk was just muttering in her sleep, a silly smile on her face.

“Remember to come back soon… Mother will draw you a hedgehog.”

So it was just sleep-talking?

Gong Yiling couldn’t help but smile, gave a soft “mm-hmm,” and left the room.

The next morning, a strange cry echoed from Gong Muzhi’s room.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!”

Miss Gong’s letter to her mother contained only a few words:

“The world is so big, I want to go out and see—Written by Gong Yiling”

…

…

Two days later, Cloudmist City, Heartflame Empire.

The cities in the novel were largely based on Gong Youyuan’s imagination of ancient cities.

Square city walls enclosed grid-like streets and houses, lined with antique Tang-style wooden buildings.

Walking through the streets, watching ordinary people in coarse linen clothes and richly dressed cultivators or nobles, felt like stepping into a fantasized ancient era.

And on this day, a major event was about to take place at the Central Auction House in Cloudmist City.

It was said that a mysterious wandering alchemist had entrusted his disciple to sell some pills he had refined in his spare time.

These pills, after appraisal, were all mid-grade, supreme quality.

In the novel, pills were classified as low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, top-grade, Venerable-grade, Dao-grade, Immortal-grade, and Divine-grade. Each grade was further divided into five quality levels: flawed, ordinary, good, perfect, and supreme.

Supreme quality pills were extremely rare due to their difficulty in refinement. Alchemists capable of producing such pills, even low-grade supreme quality, were highly sought after by major families and sects.

These mid-grade supreme quality pills should, in principle, be the work of a master alchemist or above.

This explained why the appearance of these pills caused such a sensation.

After all, it was a wandering master alchemist. Gaining their favor would be incredibly beneficial.

However, the news of the auction was released in advance by the Central Auction House to generate hype. Knowing it would attract a large crowd seeking pills and the alchemist, they started pre-selling tickets a week ago.

The ticket prices skyrocketed, becoming incredibly scarce. Even offering hundreds of times the original price wouldn’t guarantee a ticket.

Of course, for some, this wasn’t a big problem.

In an inn, a waiter delivered a note to a black-clad man drinking wine.

It read: “The First Prince says, plans have changed. Come to the back alley quickly.”

The man frowned, threw down a few copper coins, and left the inn. He walked through a small path and arrived at a deserted back alley.

There, a man in white Daoist robes and a bamboo hat stood, fanning himself, seemingly having waited for a long time.

“Which division are you from?” The man in black asked, sensing something amiss.

“Heartflame Empire, Purple Fire Gold Banner Guards,” the man replied in a low voice.

“Do you have proof of identity?”

“Are you worthy?”

“You!” As the man in black was about to speak, vines suddenly sprouted from the ground, binding him tightly. The thick vines constricted his neck, quickly causing him to lose consciousness.

“Well done~”

Gong Yiling gave a thumbs-up to Qiu Shui, who was hiding in the corner, then walked over to the unconscious man and searched him, finding a small purple-blue booklet with the words “Central Auction House” on it.

“That’s it.”

She placed the booklet inside her clothes, smiling and clapping her hands. “The Black Armored Guards of the Heartflame Empire are nothing special.”

However, Chun Lian, standing beside Qiu Shui, couldn’t help but ask, “Is it okay to steal other people’s things?”

“Chun Lian, who do you think this Palace Master is?”

“The Young Palace Master of the Blood Orchid Palace.”

“Then does this Palace Master need to care about right or wrong, good or bad?”

“…It seems, not.”

Gong Yiling walked over to her and lightly tapped her head with the handle of her fan.

“You little fool. Besides, this guy also stole the invitation from someone else.”

“Wow—” Chun Lian rubbed her head, pouting. “How did the Young Palace Master know that?”

“Your Young Palace Master’s vast powers are not a recent development. Why ask?”

Gong Yiling smiled and turned away, dismissing the question with a simple sentence.

In the novel, the First Prince of the Heartflame Empire, also Yan Chuyue’s former fiancé, Shangguan Qingyun, upon hearing about the miraculous pills, sent the Black Armored Guards to buy tickets.

Learning of the exorbitant prices, the First Prince had them steal a ticket from a scalper, which was the one she now possessed.

So, in a sense, this was a righteous theft.

13. The Seven Treasures Universe Talisman

This “surprise” wasn’t surprising at all.

Gong Yiling stared dumbfounded at the glittering gold filling the room, feeling like she had been launched into the stratosphere.

Oh my god…

What was going on!?

“Um, Young Palace Master, I don’t know if…”

Chun Lian, like a child who had done something wrong, fidgeted, holding the brush Gong Yiling had given her. “But Chun Lian seems… unable to change it back.”

What was happening?

Miss Gong was stunned.

She was sure she had kept the anti-mother weapon, and Chun Lian clearly had an ordinary talisman brush that came with the talisman paper.

The girl hadn’t used any special ink and didn’t have any true energy. How did she do it!?

“Did… you do all this?” Gong Yiling quickly closed the door.

This was the third time something like this had happened in just a few hours.

“Yes…”

“How did you do it!?”

“I just copied the Young Palace Master’s drawing… and then it worked.”

This phrase could be applied universally.

For example:

“How did you get a perfect score on the test?”

“It was alright. The big questions were a bit difficult, but I just did what the teacher said in class.”

“How did you solve this puzzle?”

“I just followed the clues step by step. It was just a matter of solving a quadruple puzzle.”

Only the listener knew how infuriating this phrase was.

Because the speaker was always oblivious to their own exceptional abilities.

But overthinking it was useless. Better to see what this girl was all about.

“System, her information.”

“Okay.”

Instantly, a new status screen appeared in her mind.

“Name: Chun Lian (Real name unknown)

Gender: Female

Identity: Unknown

Physical Talent: E-

Spiritual Talent: E-

Cultivation Technique Potential: EX

Potential Adaptability: Seven Treasures Universe Talisman Secret Art (EX)

Cultivation Technique Learned: None (Seven Treasures Talisman inheritor, doesn’t require any cultivation technique. Can comprehend the path of a talisman master independently.)

Estimated Cultivation Limit: None (Note 1)

Note 1: The Seven Treasures Universe Talisman Secret Art is a Heavenly Dao technique, impossible to learn through conventional means. Those who possess this aptitude can progress smoothly on the path of a talisman master, eventually becoming a Grandmaster. However, they need to find the Seven Treasures Universe Talisman Secret Art – SP to convert this art into cultivation.

Additional Note: Before finding the Seven Treasures Universe Talisman Secret Art – SP, the cultivator cannot learn any other techniques, but talisman drawing will almost never fail. Drawing talismans consumes mental energy, with no other side effects.”

Gong Yiling: “???”

Seriously, when she played card games, she always got terrible draws, only getting SRs even with ten-pulls, never an SSR.

Now she was suddenly overflowing with SSRs.

And the most ridiculous thing was…

The hidden expert was her maid, and she was the clown!?

She had to cheat with an anti-mother weapon to draw talismans, while this girl could do it with a few casual strokes.

Looking at Qiu Shui and Chun Lian’s stats, then at her own, Gong Yiling wanted to cry.

Why was the gap between people so huge?

Feeling dejected, Gong Yiling took out the anti-mother weapon, grabbed some talisman paper, and drew identical strange symbols on them, like scribbles.

“Dispel!”

With a delicate cry, she threw the Restoration Talismans around the room.

With her intervention, the room returned to its normal state.

In Chun Lian’s eyes, this was incredibly impressive.

“As expected of the Young Palace Master!” The girl’s eyes sparkled with excitement, almost dropping her brush. “Chun Lian knew the Young Palace Master would have a way.”

Gong Yiling couldn’t help but smile wryly.

This girl probably didn’t know that her talent in talismans far surpassed her own. In terms of pure talent, no one in the world could compare.

They were both protagonist-level existences.

“With practice, this is nothing for you,” Gong Yiling patted her shoulder, still smiling wryly. “Maybe I’ll need your protection in the future.”

“That’s impossible.” Chun Lian shook her head vehemently. “The Young Palace Master is the most powerful person in the world!”

“Then who’s more powerful, this Palace Master or the Palace Master?”

“That must be…” Chun Lian instinctively wanted to say the Young Palace Master, but then she realized something.

The Young Palace Master was setting her up again!

“Chun Lian doesn’t know!” She quickly changed her answer. “As long as Chun Lian doesn’t know, the Young Palace Master can’t trick Chun Lian!”

“You…” Gong Yiling chuckled and rubbed her head. “I’ll make a list of common talisman patterns for you. You can take it back and look at it. Come to this Palace Master if you want to learn.”

“But outside, never tell anyone about your ability, not even your other sisters, understand?”

“Yes!” The auburn-haired girl nodded seriously, her face beaming with joy.

“If there’s nothing else, you can go now.”

“Okay~~~”

Chun Lian skipped out of the room happily, leaving Miss Gong alone to recall which talismans would be most effective for self-defense.

Before dinner, she drew several commonly used talismans in a small booklet and slipped it into Chun Lian’s arms when she came to call her for dinner.

“Thank you, Young Palace Master!”

Gong Muzhi happened to see this, but when she asked what it was, Gong Yiling replied confidently, “It’s a little secret between girls. Mother doesn’t need to worry about it~”

Gong Muzhi responded with a slightly disappointed “Oh…”

She had the same dejected expression as a girl being rejected by the boy she liked.

“It’s just Chun Lian’s sudden interest in drawing. She showed it to me and asked for my opinion on her talent.”

Gong Yiling replied helplessly.

“Oh, drawing? Drawing is good!”

The master of changing expressions suddenly became cheerful again because her daughter was willing to share these little things with her.

“Actually, to tell you the truth, your mother was also a drawing expert when she was young.”

“Then why did Mother stop drawing?”

“They all said the cats I drew looked like dogs, but I clearly drew a hedgehog.” Gong Muzhi pouted. “Then I lost interest.”

Well… this statement contained a lot of information. To summarize:

Her mother was terrible at drawing, just like her.

12. A Physical Examination

Shortly after, the door opened.

Qiu Shui, emerging from within, seemed like a different person.

The Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Sound Technique, classified as EX by the system, had clearly brought about a dramatic change in her appearance and demeanor.

Qiu Shui’s brownish-gray hair now shone brightly, and the traces of years of toil had almost vanished.

Her skin was fairer and smoother, and her eyes sparkled with clarity.

More importantly, a unique fragrance emanated from her, a floral scent that was more refreshing and natural than any flower’s.

Indeed, she was worthy of the system’s assessment as a potential Divine Venerable. Her beauty, her aura, her potential—she was a top-tier prospect.

“Young Palace Master.”

Qiu Shui immediately bowed to Gong Yiling. “Qiu Shui has completed a full circulation of the technique.”

“How do you feel?” Miss Gong couldn’t help but scrutinize her, asking curiously.

“In reply to the Young Palace Master, Qiu Shui’s cultivation seems to have reached a bottleneck.”

“A bottleneck?”

Gong Yiling asked, puzzled.

The Foundation Establishment stage was the most basic level of cultivation. Cultivators shouldn’t encounter bottlenecks between the initial, small success, great success, and completion stages.

Could it be because of the technique?

As she pondered, she placed her fingers on Qiu Shui’s wrist.

Miss Gong naturally knew nothing about taking pulses.

She was just pretending, while secretly asking the system to open Qiu Shui’s status screen.

“Name: Yin Qiushui

Current Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage, Great Completion.”

Seeing the words “Great Completion,” she almost spat out blood.

What the fuck!

This girl had only cultivated for a few days, and she had already reached Great Completion of Foundation Establishment?

At a normal pace, reaching small success would already be considered good.

Was this the legendary power of unparalleled talent and technique?

This girl should be the protagonist!

“Young Palace Master, is Qiu Shui…?” Yin Qiushui was unsure of her own progress.

Seeing Gong Yiling speechless, she thought she had disappointed her.

“Come in first.”

Gong Yiling cautiously looked around, worried that someone might covet Qiu Shui’s current cultivation level, and quickly pulled her into the room.

After pushing Qiu Shui onto the bed, Gong Yiling blurted out, “Take off your clothes.”

“Take… take off?” Yin Qiushui’s eyes widened in surprise.

Take off… her clothes?

But she remembered the Young Palace Master being quite averse to seeing her naked.

“Yes, take them off.” Gong Yiling looked at her seriously, confirming the order.

Since it was the Young Palace Master’s order, Yin Qiushui quickly began to undress.

As the girl’s clothes slipped off one by one, Gong Yiling quickly stopped her when she was down to her last layer.

Any further would be inappropriate for children, and devastating for a virgin.

“Turn around.”

“Okay.”

As Yin Qiushui turned around, Gong Yiling saw a faint, shimmering image on her smooth, white back.

A nine-colored deer strolled leisurely through a grassland under a serene sky, a picture of natural harmony.

“So it’s really like this…” Gong Yiling instinctively reached out to touch the image.

But before her hand could make contact, the nine-colored deer, as if sensing something, suddenly lifted its head and started running around on the girl’s back.

Hey, you’re running away!

Miss Gong couldn’t tolerate this.

As a result, Gong Yiling rolled up her sleeves and started tracing the deer’s path on the girl’s back.

To avoid scratching the girl’s delicate skin with her nails, Miss Gong used her fingertips, tracing the image like she was drawing.

Yin Qiushui had no idea what the Young Palace Master was doing, only feeling the sensation of her fingers moving across her back.

Compared to the earlier application of medicine, this felt much more ticklish. Not daring to ask what Gong Yiling was doing, Yin Qiushui could only endure the strange sensation.

Until…

Miss Gong seized the opportunity and poked the image with her finger, causing it to vanish.

At the same time, Yin Qiushui shuddered and let out a gasp, “Mmm!?”

After this sound, Miss Gong suddenly realized what she had been doing, and Yin Qiushui turned around, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

Her face was flushed, and her lips were pursed as if she wanted to speak but didn’t know what to say.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing!”

Gong Yiling jumped off the bed reflexively, turned her back, and coughed awkwardly. “It’s just, I, this Palace Master was just checking your body, nothing else, ahahaha, ahahaha, haha, ha…”

Hearing this, Yin Qiushui also turned around, clutching her clothes. Usually calm, she was now at a loss for words.

“If there’s nothing else, then this Palace Master will… take my leave.”

The slightly awkward atmosphere prompted Gong Yiling to flee the room, closing the door behind her.

“Phew…” She let out a long breath, finally calming down.

However, recalling what had just happened, a thoughtful look appeared in her bright, dark eyes.

That image wasn’t there for no reason.

The nine-colored deer was the sacred beast of the Cloud Rainbow Sect. After the sect’s destruction, it had lived alone in the Nine Heavens Realm.

Legend had it that when the destined one who could learn the Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Sound Technique appeared, the nine-colored deer would return to their side and revive the glory of the Cloud Rainbow Sect.

The image of the nine-colored deer would appear on the destined one’s back, the only proof of their identity.

And this destined one… was actually Qiu Shui?

As Gong Yiling walked back to her room, she pondered the implications of this.

The Cloud Rainbow Sect was destroyed by several demonic sects because the Heavenly Sound Technique imbued cultivators with righteous energy, which countered many demonic arts.

That day, she had simply chosen the most reliable-looking technique for Qiu Shui, never expecting a maid to become the destined one.

If Qiu Shui really formed a contract with the nine-colored deer in the future, her identity would become very awkward.

Whether she belonged to the righteous or demonic path was a serious issue.

“It seems I need to be more careful about giving out cultivation techniques in the future.”

Although she didn’t regret giving Qiu Shui this hot potato, it was still somewhat troublesome.

Muttering to herself, Gong Yiling opened her door.

Then, a golden light shone upon her.

At that moment, Gong Yiling felt like she had endured eighty-one tribulations, and Buddha was standing before her.

—Notification: Chun Lian has become your disciple. You can view her current information at any time.

Chapter 11. The Cheating Way of Talismans

Gong Yiling’s plan was simple.

Other physicians in this world might not be able to undo what that person did to her body, but one person definitely could.

Yan Chuyue.

That Divine Physician’s space seemed even more absurd than a Divine Venerable’s inheritance. Her Nine Palaces Heavenly Return Acupuncture, combined with the various medicinal formulas in her space, could pull you back from the gates of hell as long as you had a breath left.

In the early stages of the novel, Yan Chuyue was able to use that acupuncture technique to reconnect Jiang Chenmo’s severed meridians. Naturally, she could also solve Gong Yiling’s problem.

However, after healing the male lead, Yan Chuyue had a fortuitous encounter, stumbling upon the Heavenly Dragon Spring in some remote valley and cultivating there for two whole months.

It was impossible to meet her now. The most likely time would be two months later, in Cloudmist City of the Heartflame Empire, one of the Four Heavenly Kingdoms.

The auction in Cloudmist City would be the first time Yan Chuyue’s pills would shock the entire Heartflame Empire.

Well, it was a standard trope in female-lead novels.

This meant she had two months to prepare for her trip.

With that, Gong Yiling took out the [Rebellion Against My Flamboyant Mother].

Its information appeared in her mind:

Name: Rebellion Against My Flamboyant Mother

Acquisition Method: Quest Reward

Item Level: EX

Attack Power: 0

Defense Power: 0

Innate Skill [Unlimited Firepower Trial Version]: Talismans drawn with this pen, no matter how ugly, will take effect on the nearest target without consuming the user’s true energy. However, drawing Heaven-grade or higher talismans will consume health, and their duration will be reduced to 5 minutes. Use with caution.

Innate Skill [Doujinshi Artist’s Pride]: Lewd drawings made with this pen will attract intense attention, inflicting a Focus Reduced to 0 penalty on all cultivators, regardless of realm—ineffective against men in sage mode.

Active Skill: Requires the user to shout “Rebellion Against My Flamboyant Mother,” forcibly rendering the user’s mother unconscious.

Description: A birthday gift from an artist’s daughter, hoping her mother would return to her roots and let her play tile-matching games on the drawing tablet.

Simply put, it was a brush that didn’t need ink.

Although it wasn’t a beam cannon, it could draw one.

To test its effectiveness, Gong Yiling had someone bring her some talisman paper.

Talismans were imbued with true energy through the drawing of ancient runes, producing special effects.

These talismans were like disposable magic crystals in games, providing defense, offense, support, and various other strange effects.

Although the power and duration of talismans below Heaven-grade were limited, they were sufficient for Gong Yiling, who had no true energy.

She thought for a moment, wrote “I want to become a man” on the paper, and then she became a single dog.

There was no rune for “I want to become a man,” but due to the pen’s special effect, it activated the closest available effect.

Besides that…

Gong Yiling drew a lightning bolt on the paper, tossed the talisman, and watched as a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, turning an apple tree into charcoal.

Soon, Ghost Lord Nine’s roar echoed through the courtyard, “Who burned my precious darling!?”

By then, the destructive Miss Gong had already escaped to another location to test other offensive talismans.

Her antics caused chaos throughout the Blood Orchid Palace, but no one suspected Gong Yiling.

Who would dare? They’d face the iron fist of motherly love!

Of course, Miss Gong wasn’t inherently destructive. She was simply testing the effects of the talismans and how quickly she could draw them.

By evening, she placed the remaining talisman paper on the table with satisfaction and drank a warm glass of milk.

“What’s this?” Chun Lian, unaware of what the Young Palace Master had been up to all day, asked curiously.

“These are talismans,” Gong Yiling explained casually to Chun Lian. “You can draw on them and turn stone into gold. Pretty cool, huh?”

Hearing about gold, Chun Lian’s interest was immediately piqued, her face lighting up.

“Can it really turn into gold?” The girl blinked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“I’ll draw one for you, and you’ll see.”

Gong Yiling then drew a Gold Transmutation Talisman.

As a special type of support talisman, its runes were extremely complex.

To illustrate its complexity, Gong Youyuan had created a character with over a hundred strokes and included an illustration.

Of course, the author had given the protagonist a backdoor.

And what was this backdoor?

Gong Yiling simply wrote “79Au” on the talisman paper, and it shimmered with golden light.

She threw the talisman at her wooden table, and it instantly turned gold.

—Real, pure gold.

“Wow!!!”

Chun Lian, who had never seen such a thing, was flushed with excitement, her eyes full of stars. “Young Palace Master, you’re so amazing!”

“Ahahaha—”

Miss Gong scratched her nose awkwardly.

Actually…

This special method originally required a large amount of special ink, and the effect only lasted for a day, far inferior to the original Gold Transmutation Talisman.

Moreover, the special ink itself was very expensive, usually used for practicing calligraphy and showing off.

But who cared? She had successfully shown off.

“How do you draw that? Can Chun Lian do it too?”

“Anyone with the potential to become a talisman master can do it,” Gong Yiling patted her head. “If Chun Lian wants to learn, this Palace Master can teach you.”

“Really!?”

“You don’t believe this Palace Master?” Gong Yiling looked at the time, figuring Qiu Shui’s cultivation should be complete. She placed a different brush on the table and smiled at Chun Lian.

“This Palace Master will go check on Qiu Shui. You practice drawing the Gold Transmutation Talisman. I’ll teach you when I get back.”

“Okay!” Chun Lian was overjoyed and picked up the brush to start practicing before Gong Yiling even left the room.

Gong Yiling smiled and shook her head as she left.

This girl…

Walking through the palace now, the atmosphere was much livelier. Many people bowed respectfully to her along the way.

Gong Yiling arrived at Yin Qiushui’s door and knocked.

10. Rebellion Against My Flamboyant Mother

On the way, Gong Yiling racked her brains for an opening line. It wasn’t until Gong Muzhi pulled her into her room, pressed her into a chair, and took her pulse that she snapped back to reality.

Her mother must have noticed something.

“What’s going on…?” Gong Muzhi frowned. “Where’s your cultivation?”

I’d like to know where it went too! I feel as fragile as glass right now.

“Maybe it went on a spontaneous trip,” Gong Yiling replied seriously.

“Nonsense!” Gong Muzhi scolded her with rare seriousness, continuing to examine her. “Your eight extraordinary meridians are clearly repaired. How could your cultivation disappear for no reason…?”

“How about asking the person who repaired my meridians?”

“That person? He was a spy, trying to cause trouble in the palace while repairing your meridians. I killed him after he finished.”

Gong Muzhi puffed out her chest proudly. “See? Your mother is sharp as a tack.”

What!?

Gong Yiling’s right eyelid twitched.

She felt like she had stumbled upon the truth.

“Then, my wise and mighty mother, did you find out what he was trying to do in our palace?”

“No. I don’t care what he was doing. He could do whatever he wanted. I fed him to the tigers anyway.”

Hearing this, Gong Yiling understood.

That righteous cultivator must have done something to her meridians while repairing them, leading to her current state.

—System notification: You have discovered the truth. The first task objective has been updated. Reward obtained: Rebellion Against My Flamboyant Mother. The reward will appear in your hands when you confirm receipt.

Wait a minute, what is this reward?

Shouldn’t it be called “Rebellion Against My Flamboyant Father”? How did it become “Mother”?

Although it seemed her mother had inadvertently screwed her over.

A healer with ulterior motives obviously wouldn’t properly heal her. They must have done something to her meridians.

But who could guess how a scatterbrained person thought?

Like her mother, who believed Ultraman Taro was stronger than Ultraman Seven simply because Taro had two horns and Seven had none.

—No one understood Ultraman better than her.

Of course, she still needed to find time to examine this “Rebellion” thing. Clickbait titles were everywhere these days. Who knew if this system was messing with her.

Composing herself, Gong Yiling decided not to let her mother know that she was the reason for her current powerlessness.

She shrugged, feigning indifference. “Well, I’ll find a physician to take a look. Anyway, I have you, my mother, as my support.”

“What kind of talk is that?” Gong Muzhi poked her forehead disapprovingly. “Those righteous wastes are watching you with thousands of eyes. And the Outer Battlefield will open in four years. Aren’t you interested?”

The Outer Battlefield…

It was the best training ground for young cultivators. Ancient Heavenly Venerables, Immortal Mansion, Saint Venerables, and Divine Venerables had fought against demons from other realms there.

Countless powerful figures had fallen there. Although their remains were buried and decayed by the endless wind and sand, their spatial rings and the Venerable Mansions formed after the death of Saint Venerables and above became the most precious treasures in the Outer Battlefield.

Every ten years, when the continent and the Outer Demonic Nest drew close due to some fluctuating force, a passage would open between them.

This passage was the Outer Battlefield.

At that time, top experts from the Hundred Paths Mountain, the Four Heavenly Kingdoms, and the Five Demonic Abysses would bring their most promising disciples there.

In short, it was a chaotic free-for-all where the strong fought and the weak scavenged.

And four years later, in the Outer Battlefield, was when the Young Palace Master of the Pear Blossom Blood Orchid Palace, one of the Five Demonic Abysses, would make her first appearance in the novel.

She imagined herself dominating the battlefield, beating down those arrogant righteous disciples.

That feeling… she had to be able to achieve it!

Suddenly, Gong Yiling felt herself being lifted into the air, followed by a shout:

“Ling’er Awakening Technique!!!”

“Boom!!!”

Caught completely off guard, Gong Yiling was slammed into the ground by her mother’s Earth Throw, seeing stars.

Before she could even understand what happened, she heard Gong Muzhi ask cheerfully, “Is Ling’er’s cultivation back!?”

Motherfucker!

The girl’s face flushed red.

What was this “Rebellion Against My Flamboyant Mother”?

Was it what she thought it was?

Could she fire a full-powered beam at this stupid woman?

“Are… you… messing… with… me?”

“Huh?”

Seeing Gong Yiling’s furious expression, Gong Muzhi happily ruffled her hair. “Is my dear daughter feeling better now?”

You—

Gong Yiling instinctively wanted to bring out her anti-mother weapon, but then she understood.

Was her mother worried she was putting too much pressure on herself and deliberately created this diversion?

Seeing the slight awkwardness in her mother’s eyes, the anger bubbling inside her dissipated.

“I feel better.” Imitating her mother, she ruffled her mother’s hair. “Thank you, Mother.”

Although her methods were a bit absurd, she was used to it, considering her own mother.

Receiving her daughter’s approval made Gong Muzhi overjoyed. A wide smile spread across her face, her eyes crinkling in enjoyment.

This scene looked more like sisters than mother and daughter, with Gong Muzhi being the younger sister.

“If my dear daughter feels unwell, tell Mother. And Mother will definitely find a way to solve your body’s problem, so you’ll always be the best little Ling’er~”

Hearing these words, Gong Yiling’s nose tingled.

I won’t let you die.

She made this decision unconsciously.

The novel only briefly mentioned Gong Muzhi’s assassination and death from her injuries. She couldn’t imagine how heartbroken and furious Gong Yiling must have been.

Even without the task, she would do her best to prevent that unbearable outcome, for that Gong Yiling, and for herself.

“At worst…” Unaware of the subtle shift in her daughter’s emotions, Gong Muzhi continued, her words becoming increasingly thoughtless, “I’ll just seduce the Sect Master of the Medicine Sect on Daoist Mountain and have him treat my daughter.”

“Absolutely not!” Gong Yiling immediately said seriously. “He’s a sanctimonious, lecherous old pervert!”

“Eh? How do you know? Did something happen?”

“Anyway,” Gong Yiling patted her mother’s shoulder, speaking earnestly, “I’ll find a way to solve my body’s problem myself. But you absolutely cannot go to that Medicine Sect Master, understand?”

It seemed to be the first time she had scolded her daughter.

But Gong Muzhi just paused, then quickly returned to her cheerful, beautiful self.

“Okay, I’ll listen to my daughter!”

9. Yin Qiushui’s Secret

The woman before her was actually her target.

Yin Qiushui’s mother was just a woman her father had a fling with, eventually abandoning her.

Years later, her supposed grandfather found them, offering a way out of their difficult life.

If she infiltrated the Pear Blossom Blood Orchid Palace and made a significant contribution, he would take them into his sect and protect them. Even if she were discovered and executed, her mother would be safe for the rest of her life.

It was a life-or-death mission, but Qiu Shui accepted without hesitation.

In this world, she and her mother could die in a monster attack or be assaulted by bandits.

For her mother, who had raised her with great difficulty, Yin Qiushui had to do this.

The identity her grandfather arranged for her was a maid who had lost her parents and was taken in by Gong Yiling.

She remembered the tasks her grandfather gave her before they parted:

Secretly relay information about the Blood Orchid Palace’s activities.

Assist in killing Gong Yiling.

Assist in killing Gong Muzhi.

…And so on.

However, when she saw someone about to kill the Young Palace Master, whom she had served for two years, she instinctively stepped forward to protect her.

And seeing the Young Palace Master now shielding her, Yin Qiushui’s heart was stirred.

Only three women had ever been kind to her: her mother, Chun Lian, who shared a similar fabricated background, and Gong Yiling.

“Qiu Shui is my person. Who dares touch her?”

Miss Gong, emboldened by her fiercely protective mother, acted boldly.

Although Qiu Shui was indeed a spy… it was none of her business. If anyone was going to suffer, it would be the Blood Orchid Palace and other demonic sects. Besides, Qiu Shui hadn’t done anything yet!

“Yes, my dear daughter is right!”

At this moment, Ghost Lord Nine, bruised and swollen, stood up again and said angrily to the mother and daughter, “Palace Master, how can you listen to this girl’s one-sided story?”

“This woman’s cultivation technique is clearly a righteous sect’s technique. Since they refuse to reveal its origin, aren’t they spies!?”

Refuse to reveal?

Gong Yiling turned around, puzzled. “Don’t you all know? Why not say it?”

“Young Palace Master… Sister Qiu Shui was worried that telling you would cause trouble for you,” Chun Lian answered tearfully.

Cause trouble for her? Worried about her?

Gong Yiling couldn’t help but pat Qiu Shui’s head, her eyes filled with a warm smile. “Alright, this Palace Master isn’t afraid of trouble. This isn’t something that will cause trouble.”

“Listen up, Uncle Ghost.”

Gong Yiling said with her back to them, “This Palace Master taught Qiu Shui her cultivation technique. If you think anyone who practices a righteous sect’s technique is a spy, then is this Palace Master a spy?”

“You?” Ghost Lord Nine frowned. “How could you…”

But then his expression suddenly changed.

Four years ago, someone had delivered a dying Gong Yiling to the gates of the Blood Orchid Palace, briefly informing the guards of her identity before disappearing.

Upon seeing the child, Gong Muzhi recognized her as her daughter and carefully nursed her back to health, repairing her meridians. She named her Gong Yiling and appointed her as the Young Palace Master.

She seemed to have recovered, but the girl refused to talk about her past, and whenever the topic was brought up, she would become mentally unstable and lash out.

Gradually, no one dared to mention it again. However, one thing was certain: Gong Yiling had once been a disciple of a righteous sect, with traces of Daoist cultivation in her meridians. Perhaps her bloodline power erupted, leading to her current state.

“Does anyone else have any objections?” Gong Yiling asked. “If not, this Palace Master will take these two with me.”

At this moment, although she was still inwardly cowardly, she had to act arrogant and assertive, leaving no room for argument. Grab the girls and run.

This was something the female lead in the book often did. Essentially, pretend to be a cactus when you’re actually a scallion, so no one would dare mess with you.

So, while Ghost Lord Nine was stunned, Gong Yiling grabbed the two girls and headed for the door. By the time they were outside, her face was red.

Carrying a person in each hand was really fucking heavy.

“Alright, can you two walk by yourselves? This Palace Master can’t carry you anymore.”

“Pfft… yes.”

“Then let’s go back to the room, to Qiu Shui’s room.”

Once in Qiu Shui’s room, Gong Yiling applied medicine to their wounds.

She initially wanted to use the Golden Sore Balm for simplicity, but the two girls firmly refused—the pills were too precious, and they would feel uneasy accepting them.

However, after switching to topical medicine, Chun Lian was the first to experience the ultimate “refreshing” sensation.

Simply put, Gong Yiling’s touch was not gentle.

She had little experience with touching girls’ bodies, and both Chun Lian and Qiu Shui were attractive fourteen-year-old girls in the prime of their development.

The injuries on their backs and arms were easy to handle, but when it came to their chests, Gong Yiling quickly covered her eyes, inching her hand forward.

When she touched Chun Lian’s body, the soft sensation made her flinch, almost jumping in place.

If she touched a wound, well, you know.

Finally, Chun Lian offered to apply the rest of the medicine herself, and Gong Yiling sighed in relief.

She had offered to apply the medicine, but she was doing such a terrible job. How pathetic!

Gong Yiling smiled wryly and turned to the next person.

Qiu Shui was much more considerate. She used her true energy to heal the flesh wounds on the front of her body and turned over, allowing Gong Yiling to properly fulfill her duties as master.

Considerate, intelligent, cute, and patient.

And most importantly, this girl had the potential to reach the Divine Venerable realm! Divine Venerable!

The more Gong Yiling looked at her, the more she liked her, and the more she resented Ghost Lord Nine for almost ruining a potential future ultimate trump card.

“Thank you for today, Young Palace Master,” Qiu Shui said, tears welling up in her eyes, trying hard to suppress her voice.

“You’re welcome. You saved me yesterday, and today you were beaten because of me.” Gong Yiling dropped the formal address, speaking more casually. “Next time something happens, just blame it on me, regardless of whether I’m involved. After all, my mom is the Palace Master.”

“This…”

“What ‘this’ and ‘that’? My principle is simple: treat me well, and I’ll treat you well.”

Having finished applying the medicine, Gong Yiling stood up and clapped her hands.

Just then, Gong Muzhi, who had been standing at the door unnoticed, spoke, “Ling’er, come out for a moment.”

Uh oh… did her mother hear her selling her out?

8. Who Dares Touch Them?

“Ling’er, my precious Ling’er, wuwuwuwu—”

Even without Gong Yiling’s memories, she knew who would call her that.

Held in a warm embrace, listening to the incomprehensible whimpering, Gong Yiling didn’t struggle. Images from long ago flashed through her mind.

Their mother was a quirky woman.

She would fight with her daughter over cotton candy, argue with her son about which Ultraman was stronger, until both their faces were red.

She showered both children with love, expressing her maternal affection in a simple and direct way—hugs and kisses.

This kind of motherly face-washing was a common occurrence in her son’s memories, almost a daily ritual after coming home from school.

A month after that incident, their mother would still wait for him on his way home from school, wanting to talk, but his harsh words would always leave her teary-eyed, covering her face as she walked away.

Now, this embrace felt seven parts familiar, and the woman’s voice resembled his mother’s.

But the hug was getting tighter and tighter. If it continued, Gong Yiling felt she might… suffocate!

“Mom…”

Gong Yiling finally managed to squeeze out the word.

Hearing her daughter’s weak voice, Gong Muzhi’s heart ached even more.

She should have taken her daughter along. Then she wouldn’t have been injured by the assassin and become so weak.

Thinking this, Gong Muzhi tightened her embrace.

Ugh—I’m dying!

“Ling’er, my dear Ling’er, it’s all Mother’s fault, wuwuwuwu…”

“Stop crying! I’m being suffocated!”

A strong survival instinct forced Gong Yiling to roar in a voice as exasperated as a man whose penta-kill was stolen.

“Ah?”

Gong Muzhi froze, releasing her grip. Gong Yiling collapsed, her head hitting the table with a thud. The pain made her jump up, grimacing.

This mother and daughter were truly alike in their clumsiness!

“Ling’er, weren’t you stabbed?”

“No!”

“Then what’s the bloodstain on your chest?”

Bloodstain?

Gong Yiling looked down and noticed a large, blood-red mark on her clothes that she hadn’t noticed last night.

“Oh, that’s Qiu Shui’s. She took a sword blow for me.”

“Qiu Shui took a sword blow for you?” Gong Muzhi frowned.

This contradicted her earlier assumption. “Wasn’t it Qiu Shui colluding with outsiders to hurt you?”

What the hell was going on… wait!?

Gong Yiling suddenly remembered something.

She had taught Qiu Shui the cultivation technique, but no one else knew. Qiu Shui should still be cultivating. If someone discovered a Blood Orchid Palace member practicing a righteous sect’s technique, with only Chun Lian’s testimony…

“Mom, where is Qiu Shui now?”

“Being interrogated and tortured in the main hall…”

Before she could finish, her daughter rushed out of the room like the wind. Confused, she could only follow, calling out, “Ling’er, the main hall is that way! You’re going the wrong way!”

…

…

In the main hall of the Blood Orchid Palace, several cultivators in red clothes and blood-red masks stood around.

Two figures wearing half-oni masks held flaming whips, glaring at the two women kneeling below.

It was Qiu Shui and Chun Lian.

Upon receiving news of Gong Yiling’s assassination attempt, the Law Enforcement Hall and the Vice Palace Master immediately returned with Gong Muzhi.

Gong Muzhi naturally went to check on her daughter first and happened to see Qiu Shui cultivating a righteous sect’s technique in the room.

Then, a fantastical version of the story unfolded in their minds.

After that, both Qiu Shui and Chun Lian were captured and interrogated.

Having awakened from their cultivation state, Qiu Shui and Chun Lian consistently denied involvement in the attack. However, when asked about Qiu Shui’s technique, both clearly knew something but refused to speak.

Covered in wounds from minor tortures, they were about to face the Inferno Whip, a major punishment.

“I’ll make you pretend, you damned righteous spies!”

If the Inferno Whip struck them, the powerful true energy within it would instantly take half their lives.

At this critical moment…

“Stop!”

A woman’s voice rang out from outside the hall, but it was too late to stop the executioners.

—System prompt: Do you want to activate Master-Disciple Skill: Master is Awesome?

What the hell is this?

In desperation, Gong Yiling could only activate the skill by default. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Qiu Shui and Chun Lian.

Holy shit!

System, I’ll fucking kill you!

This shitty skill just made her take a hit for Qiu Shui?

Qiu Shui at least had some cultivation and a healing technique. But if she took this hit, she would be sent straight to the King of Hell.

However, just as the whip was about to strike her, the true energy flames on it suddenly extinguished, and the entire whip dissipated into nothingness.

Huh? What was going on?

As Gong Yiling wondered, a black figure, like a bolt of black lightning, rushed towards the masked man and delivered a swift kick.

Right to the target.

“You dare whip my daughter? I’ll beat you to death!”

“No, it’s the Young Palace Master who ran there. I couldn’t stop in time!”

“I don’t care. You hit my daughter, so I’ll hit you.”

“Boss, you can’t be this unreasonable!”

“In this palace, I am reason.”

“I think we can stop now.”

“I don’t care what you think. I care what I think.”

This sudden turn of events left everyone dumbfounded, including Gong Yiling herself, who couldn’t help but rub her nose.

She didn’t know what to say, only hoping that the uncle, who seemed to be called Ghost Lord Nine, would be alright.

…

…

About three minutes later, Gong Muzhi finally let Ghost Lord Nine go, turned back to Gong Yiling, pinched her face, pinched her shoulders, rubbed her head, her still youthful and beautiful face full of worry.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No.” Gong Yiling sighed, both exasperated and amused, and finally hugged the woman who had just beaten up the Vice Palace Master for her.

“That’s good, that’s good.” Gong Muzhi reproached her in a mournful tone, “What’s wrong with you, child? What if Mother had arrived a moment later and you were hurt?”

“Then they wouldn’t have been able to touch my lifesaver.”

Gong Yiling released her hug, turned around, bent down, and patted Chun Lian and Qiu Shui on the shoulders. “I’m sorry, this Palace Master was late.”

Then, she stood up and declared to everyone present, her voice full of power,

“I dare anyone to touch these two girls!”

7. What Do You Call a Godly Status Screen?!

Disciple… what the hell!?

Although she taught Qiu Shui the technique, they didn’t have a formal master-disciple relationship. How did Qiu Shui become her disciple?

Confused, Miss Gong called out to the elusive system in her mind several times.

Not even a fart in response. This system was a useless piece of junk that couldn’t even communicate.

“Then can you at least show me her detailed information?”

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, an image appeared in her head.

The image detailed Qiu Shui’s basic information:

“Name: Yin Qiushui

Gender: Female

Identity: Granddaughter of Yin Tianchou, an elder of the Shenqi Daoist Mountain Sect, one of the Hundred Paths Mountain sects.

Physical Talent: E

Spiritual Talent: S

Cultivation Technique Potential: EX

Potential Adaptability: Healing (EX), Plant (S), Wind (B)

Current Cultivation Technique: Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Sound Technique (EX)

Estimated Cultivation Limit: Divine Venerable Realm.”

Holy shit!

Gong Yiling’s eyes went wide.

What the hell was this?

The cultivation levels in this world were Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Core Transformation, Return to Origin, and Profound Void. Most people could establish their own sects upon reaching the Profound Void realm. About half of the smaller sects on the Hundred Paths Mountain were led by Profound Void cultivators.

Above that were Soul Origin, Earthly Nether, Heavenly Soul, Heavenly Venerable, Immortal Mansion, Saint Venerable, and Divine Venerable.

The leaders and grand elders of the core sects on the Hundred Paths Mountain could reach the Heavenly Soul realm. Heavenly Venerable and Immortal Mansion realms only existed in a few reclusive sects that had been established for tens of thousands of years. Divine Venerable realm was practically unheard of.

In the original novel, Qiu Shui was a marginal double agent character, with nothing remarkable except her willingness to die at Gong Yiling’s hands.

So, that Yin Tianchou had treated a rare gem like a piece of scrap metal and thrown her away as a double agent.

Dude, you played it real smooth, real smooth!

“Um, Young Palace Master…?” Chun Lian, looking bewildered, couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Qiu Shui, she…?”

“Don’t worry, she’s out of danger,” Gong Yiling said, rubbing Chun Lian’s head and curving her eyebrows into crescent moons. “And not just out of danger, but much more than that.”

“Huh?”

Seeing Chun Lian’s confused blinking, Gong Yiling thought… should she find a cultivation technique for this girl too?

She just didn’t know what type of technique would be suitable for Chun Lian. If only she could see her stats in advance…

“Hint: The host currently has not transcribed any suitable techniques for Chun Lian. There may be opportunities in the future. The host need not waste effort now.”

Oh ho.

So you are alive?

Gong Yiling raised an eyebrow and thought, “Then what about mine? I should at least be able to see my own, right?”

“Yes.”

As soon as the words fell, another image appeared in her mind.

“Name: Gong Yiling

Gender: Female

Identity: Daughter of Gong Muzhi, current Palace Master of the Pear Blossom Blood Orchid Palace.

Physical Talent: A (Currently E)

Spiritual Talent: S (Currently E)

Cultivation Technique Potential: ?

Potential Adaptability: ?

Current Cultivation Technique: None

Estimated Cultivation Limit: ?

Remarks: Currently in an abnormal state. All attributes are lowered. Unable to detect any information related to cultivation techniques.”

Gong Yiling: “…”

What the actual fuck.

So many question marks, are you trying to sing “Little Kid, Don’t You Have Many Question Marks?”

Although her base stats weren’t terrible, her current debuffed state was like being reborn with a cheat system only to be banned by the officials.

Could it be that she was destined to become a god-level support like Wang Yuyan?

But that didn’t make sense… Gong Yiling in the novel was ridiculously overpowered, able to fight two Heavenly Venerables at once without losing ground. She only died because a top-tier Immortal Mansion expert ambushed her.

Why was she so weak now?

Whose fault was it? Was it her problem?

“So, I have a question.” Taking advantage of the system’s current responsiveness, Gong Yiling asked seriously, “She’s my disciple. So what?”

“When Qiu Shui’s cultivation reaches a certain level, the host will unlock the Master-Disciple quest tree, with generous rewards, fair and square.”

“Can you give me a more specific level?”

“…”

Silence.

Okay, it seemed some aspects of the system needed to be explored on her own.

Like a tsundere girl stripping naked and lying in bed… cough, maybe that’s not a good analogy, but you know what I mean, you know what I mean.

During her conversation with the system, Qiu Shui seemed to have completed a minor circulation of true energy. Her true energy began to gather in her dantian and spread to her limbs, a sign of successful Foundation Establishment.

“Chun Lian, have someone take her back to her room. Remember to prepare a bath for her. After the body purification begins, some dark stuff might be expelled.”

Chun Lian nodded immediately. “What about you, Young Palace Master?”

“I have some matters to attend to. I’ll return to my room first.”

Gong Yiling said this and walked towards her room, ignoring Chun Lian.

What she wanted to do was simple: find a private place and try out all the cultivation techniques she knew.

After all, she had a hundred and three thousand grimoires in her head, well, not that many, but she knew quite a few of the higher-level and top-tier techniques from each sect.

So, for the entire night, like a diligent student, she recited everything from the alphabet to the multiplication table, from the names of inspiring Chinese figures to the posthumous titles of all the emperors of the Han dynasties.

Then, with dark circles under her eyes, she looked at her haggard reflection in the mirror and gloriously greeted the dawn.

“Yawn…”

Having stayed up all night, Gong Yiling couldn’t help but yawn widely.

She had unknowingly pulled another all-nighter.

Smiling wryly, she rubbed her eyes, stood up, and opened the door, intending to check on Qiu Shui.

But just as she opened the door and took a few steps, a figure dressed in black suddenly rushed towards her at a speed exceeding the second cosmic velocity, grabbed her, and crashed into the room with her.

“Crash, bang, boom!”

The furnishings in the room were scattered everywhere, and Gong Yiling felt her face being squished between two incredibly soft, nosebleed-inducing masses.

A pleasant female voice rang in her ear, “My dear Ling’er, are you alright!?”

6. The Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Sound Technique

For a moment, Gong Yiling suspected that Qiu Shui and the assassin were working together, deliberately creating a distraction.

But… when the sword was pulled out and Qiu Shui groaned, collapsing into her arms, the spreading bloodstain on the young woman’s abdomen ignited a surge of anger in Gong Yiling’s heart.

Regardless of anything else, this girl was the first person in this world to show her kindness and swear eternal loyalty…

How dare this assassin!

However, the assassin also seemed startled at having stabbed Qiu Shui.

This brief moment of hesitation gave Gong Yiling a chance.

Although she was just an ordinary science student, her father had a friend who was a retired soldier and had taught her some self-defense techniques.

Gong Youwei would practice whenever she had free time, which was one of the reasons she felt she could afford to stay up late and abuse her body.

Now, the distance between her and the assassin was only a single body length, minimizing the advantage of cultivation level.

She could do this!

Gong Yiling immediately let go of Qiu Shui, chopping at the assassin’s neck with one hand—a feint.

Her main attack was a precise strike with her right hand to the assassin’s sword-wielding wrist.

The next moment, her feint was blocked, but the assassin’s sword, as planned, was now in her hand.

However, the sword was not something her current body could easily wield. Gong Yiling had to settle for the next best thing, attempting to slash at the assassin’s right hand.

Unfortunately, she had underestimated the role of cultivation.

As the assassin reacted, a surge of powerful energy erupted from their body, sending her flying backward, landing near a light source.

“Damn it…!”

Gong Yiling clutched her grazed wrist, biting her lip as she glared at the assassin.

This look made the assassin pause, murmuring, “Liu Sujin, is that you?”

Liu Sujin?

The assassin’s out-of-the-blue words puzzled Gong Yiling.

But she quickly realized that this was the name Gong Yiling used while studying at Daoist Mountain.

Only fellow disciples and elders from that time would know this name.

Wait…

The book mentioned that Jiang Chenmo was being pursued by the Blood Orchid Palace, seriously injured, which led to his encounter with Yan Chuyue.

Could it be that Jiang Chenmo was being pursued because he tried to assassinate Gong Yiling in the middle of the night?

Did all of this happen on the same night?

“Are you Jiang Chenmo?”

These words clearly startled the assassin. Before he could respond, Chun Lian’s panicked voice rang out, “Assassin! Catch the assassin!”

Hearing this, Jiang Chenmo knew he had missed his best opportunity, and this Young Palace Master wasn’t as helpless as rumored.

Without another word, he quickly retreated, disappearing into the night.

Damn you, Jiang Chenmo, how dare you hurt my person!

Gong—”Kill the male lead, steal the female lead”—007, who already had no good feelings toward the male protagonist, spat on the ground and rushed to Qiu Shui’s side.

At this moment, Chun Lian also ran over, her face pale. “Chun Lian was lying just now. There’s no one else in the inner hall except for the cook and two kitchen helpers. He won’t come back, right?”

“Well done! I doubt he’d dare to return!” Gong Yiling praised Chun Lian and immediately checked Qiu Shui’s condition.

Jiang Chenmo’s sword attack was infused with true energy. While the wound could be treated with medicine, the damage from the true energy required someone who could manipulate true energy to help dispel it.

Damn it!

Why was she a blank slate?!

By the time someone arrived after Chun Lian called for help, Qiu Shui would probably be dead.

“Young… Palace Master… are you… alright…?” Qiu Shui struggled to open her eyes, forcing a bitter smile.

“Don’t speak. This Palace Master has a way to save you.” Gong Yiling frowned, thinking about what to do.

Logically, as an engineering student, she was helpless in this situation. Unless Yan Chuyue was here right now, Qiu Shui was doomed.

But…

Gong Yiling’s eyes darkened.

Someone dying to save her was something Gong Yiling absolutely couldn’t bear.

But what could she do, how could she… wait!

What she saw during those two fatal all-nighters now offered a glimmer of hope.

In this world, to learn an inner cultivation technique, one needed to know the complete oral formula and possess the corresponding talent.

Inner cultivation techniques were the foundation of cultivation, and their quality directly determined how far a cultivator could progress.

In the book, Youyuan had provided the complete formulas for the rare cultivation techniques in the afterword.

And she…

Seemed to remember a few of the more ridiculous-sounding ones.

Thinking of this, she calmed down, took the Golden Sore Balm that Chun Lian had hurriedly found, and fed it to Qiu Shui.

Then, she calmly said to the injured girl, “Qiu Shui, this Palace Master has only one way to save you, but it depends entirely on your fate.”

“If you have anything else you want to do, promise this Palace Master that you absolutely will not die.”

Qiu Shui looked at Gong Yiling with complex emotions and nodded slowly.

“Then repeat after this Palace Master. I’ll say a line, and you repeat it.”

“Okay…”

There were only a handful of cultivation techniques in the world that could heal true energy injuries during cultivation.

And the one she remembered was among the most profound, a lost secret technique of the extinct Cloud Rainbow Sect.

Known as the foremost among the lost classics of the Five Rare Scriptures, the Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Sound Technique.

“Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Chlorine, Argon, Potassium, Calcium…”

That’s right, the oral formula for this technique was the periodic table of elements. Who knew if her sister had chosen the most absurd option between classic and nonsensical.

And most of what she remembered were such strange things.

But now wasn’t the time to worry about such matters.

After reciting the entire formula, nothing happened to her, but Qiu Shui began to exhibit some strange changes.

The girl’s face turned red, then orange, then yellow… basically replicating the colors of the rainbow.

Her aura also began to change, and just a few seconds later, signs of true energy circulation appeared in her body.

Seeing this, Gong Yiling finally relaxed.

It worked.

But suddenly, that mechanical voice and some words appeared in her mind.

—Host has unlocked the Master-Disciple function. You can view detailed information about your disciple, Yin Qiushui.

…Huh?