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  • Devilish Disciple [Transmigration] 68

    Chapter 68: “Little Crybaby”

    Half a month ago, a joyous occasion was supposed to take place on Mount Chao Yao.

    Two of the mountain’s revered ones were to be wed, and representatives from various immortal sects arrived to offer their congratulations.

    However, on the eve of this joyous event, Cangming Revered One, one of the betrothed, secretly left Mount Chao Yao without a word, without even a letter of explanation.

    Her departure was so discreet that only when a disciple went to Chaoxi Pond to deliver her wedding attire did they realize she was gone.

    On the wedding day, with the bride missing, the guests were stunned.

    Some were amused, some offered condolences, and some felt that Mount Chao Yao had made a fool of them.

    They hadn’t received a satisfactory explanation for the Demon Bone incident.

    And then, regarding the Heavenly Gate, Mount Chao Yao’s attitude had been incredibly hostile.

    Now, having traveled a great distance for this joyous occasion, they were told the wedding was canceled because the bride had disappeared?

    —Weren’t they being treated like fools?

    Although Cangming Revered One’s reputation in the human realm was tarnished, she was still one of the Three Revered Ones of Mount Chao Yao, the only god currently residing in the human realm.

    Such a marriage, without her consent, even under duress, wouldn’t have been approved by Qingxuan Revered One or the Mount Chao Yao disciples.

    When the various sects arrived, they were told that Cangming Revered One had no objections and the entire mountain was celebrating.

    If she had no objections, and the disciples were celebrating, why did she suddenly flee? And where could she have gone?

    The answer was obvious.

    —Didn’t she have a disciple, a Demon Lord now, in the Demon Realm?

    She had stubbornly insisted on sending the Demon Bone to the Demon Realm, and now that the Demon Bone had become the Demon Lord, she chose to flee to the Demon Realm on the eve of her wedding, right when all the immortal sects were gathered on Mount Chao Yao.

    This was a deliberate act of defiance, a blatant mockery!

    Cangming Revered One was clearly siding with the demons, showing no respect for the immortal sects!

    Besides this speculation, other rumors circulated.

    Some said that she had been forced, that Lingyao Revered One had come to Mount Chao Yao for her.

    Now that her reputation was tarnished and she was injured, he wanted to force her into marriage, and she had no way to resist.

    Others said that she didn’t escape on her own, that her disciple, the Demon Lord, had taken her—because someone claimed to have seen a dark cloud of resentment on the horizon the day before the wedding.

    But without proof, the immortal sects didn’t accept these explanations.

    Regardless of the reason, they had traveled a great distance for nothing, only to witness a farce.

    Everyone turned to look at Weisheng Xuanzhu.

    They expected some kind of explanation, some reaction, from the groom whose bride had run away.

    But he simply said indifferently, “So be it.”

    As he spoke, everything red within sight instantly froze, then shattered into countless ice shards as he turned and left.

    Silence fell upon the crowd.

    There would be no explanation; no one dared demand one from the Kun Peng Monarch of the North Sea.

    So, everyone turned to Qingxuan Revered One, who hadn’t left yet.

    She shrugged and said, “Why are you looking at me? It’s not my wedding.”

    Then, she muttered, “Why did he have to freeze my flowers too…”

    So rude!

    Si Qinglan had always known that Weisheng Xuanzhu was rude.

    As a flower that bloomed in sunlight, she naturally wouldn’t bicker with a fish from the cold, dark depths.

    But this time, his rudeness was excessive.

    She knew he had liked Li Yu for a long time, but that wasn’t an excuse to use such underhanded methods!

    Normally, anyone who dared to be this disrespectful on Mount Chao Yao would be expelled.

    But this situation was different; she couldn’t defeat him, so she chose to feign ignorance and endure.

    After Li Yu left, Si Qinglan had expected Weisheng Xuanzhu to confront her, knowing she was involved.

    But she waited anxiously for days, until all the other sects left, and the mountain gate was closed again, yet he never came.

    She thought about it, the more she thought, the more uneasy she felt. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore and went to Qingke Hua, tracking Weisheng Xuanzhu’s aura until she found him.

    She pushed open his door with a forceful surge of spiritual energy—at least, the sound was loud.

    Not breaking down the door directly was her being polite!

    But before she could even enter, a wave of icy coldness assaulted her, forcing her to strengthen her protective barrier.

    He was cultivating, the frost and snow in the room swirling around him in a strange pattern, like a rotating nebula.

    “Weisheng Xuanzhu!”

    As her angry shout echoed, the frost and snow instantly vanished.

    He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm and emotionless as he looked at Si Qinglan.

    “Something the matter?” he asked indifferently.

    As if nothing had happened.

    Si Qinglan frowned. “Don’t you…know what you did?”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “If it’s about Li Yu, there’s no need to discuss it.”

    Si Qinglan: “No need to discuss it? After causing such a scene, such a huge embarrassment, you’re just dismissing it?!”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “You were the one who let her go. If I don’t dismiss it, how do you expect me to hold you accountable?”

    Si Qinglan faltered. “You…you knew all along?”

    He didn’t answer, just asked in return, “If you didn’t want this to happen, why interfere?”

    Si Qinglan was speechless.

    He had never confronted her, so she assumed he hadn’t suspected her involvement.

    Or perhaps he had, but was too ashamed to confront her, since he himself was also responsible.

    She hadn’t expected him to not only know about her actions, but also be so…unapologetic.

    Si Qinglan frowned, her expression shifting. After a moment of silence, she asked, “You’re holding me accountable?”

    “Shouldn’t I?”

    “After what you did, you’re holding me accountable?” Si Qinglan was so angry she almost laughed. She entered the room, erected a soundproof barrier, and shouted, “You know what you did to Li Yu! I didn’t release her; you drove her away!”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu didn’t speak, just stared at the furious Si Qinglan.

    “How could you do this?! How dare you!” Si Qinglan continued angrily. “Taking advantage of her like that, even if you have her now, what do you truly have? A soulless puppet, is that what you want?!”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Yes.”

    Si Qinglan: “…”

    Yes? He actually said yes?

    Si Qinglan suddenly felt like she didn’t know him at all.

    “Weisheng Xuanzhu, I considered you a friend! We’ve known each other for over three thousand years! When you’re in hibernation, I even have my disciples guard your resting place! How could I not have known you were this kind of person?!”

    “Thank you for your trouble,” Weisheng Xuanzhu replied indifferently, “But I didn’t need it.”

    Si Qinglan laughed in exasperation. “If I did something like this, I’d be so ashamed I’d want to hide. And you’re just sitting here, acting like nothing happened!”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Don’t worry.”

    Si Qinglan: “…”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “I’ll leave when the time comes.”

    Si Qinglan: “What do you mean?”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “I read that letter. I left it there, hoping you would see it.”

    Si Qinglan’s eyes widened in surprise.

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “The news of the wedding spread far and wide; Mu Tao would definitely come to take her away. If you discovered it in time, the Demon Bone wouldn’t set foot on Mount Chao Yao.”

    Si Qinglan: “And if I didn’t?”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Then we would fight. She would be taken away either way.”

    Si Qinglan was confused, her brow furrowed. She couldn’t understand his motives.

    Was he…trying to get them together?

    Had he also noticed their relationship…?

    But Li Yu’s letter was filled with resolute determination; she was clearly prepared to go to the Demon Realm alone.

    If he wanted to help them, why not just…not interfere?

    Si Qinglan: “Tell me, why…why are you doing all of this?”

    “This isn’t something you can interfere with,” Weisheng Xuanzhu said in a low voice. “Si Qinglan, for the sake of our long acquaintance, I won’t involve Mount Chao Yao, and I won’t harm you. Don’t dig any deeper.”

    Si Qinglan: “What are you talking about?!”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Just go.”

    Just go? How could she possibly be at ease?

    His words were increasingly strange. What did he mean by “not involving Mount Chao Yao,” “not harming her”?

    And if she did dig deeper, what would she find?

    Si Qinglan was momentarily confused, then she seemed to understand. “You didn’t just…want her? No, you never wanted her! She left, and you didn’t even react… What…what are you planning?”

    “…”

    Seeing his silence, Si Qinglan stepped closer, her brow furrowed, her voice filled with suspicion. “You did something to Li Yu, didn’t you? You’re using her to harm Mu Tao!”

    “…”

    “What’s your goal?!” she demanded. “To eliminate the Demon Bone for the human realm? Or something else…”

    Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Knowing these things will benefit neither you nor Mount Chao Yao.”

    Si Qinglan: “…”

    Should she continue questioning him?

    The answer seemed dangerous.

    He was willing to manipulate even Li Yu for this; perhaps this truly wasn’t something she could interfere with.

    But could she just…stand by and watch?

    “Weisheng, we’ve known each other for so long, is there anything we can’t discuss openly?” Si Qinglan said softly. “Perhaps…we can help you.”

    She received no answer, only silence.

    The kite outside the window soared high in the sky, like a free bird.

    But Si Qinglan suddenly felt that everything she knew, everything she was familiar with, was trapped, bound by an invisible force.

    Nothing was truly free, not even her.

    She chuckled humorlessly and nodded. “Fine, I won’t interfere, I won’t get involved anymore! Come and go as you please, do whatever you want, just don’t ask me to clean up your mess…”

    “After you’re all gone, I’ll pretend I never knew any of you!” Si Qinglan said, dispelling the soundproof barrier and leaving without looking back.

    They were all heartless, she thought.

    Just leave, and take that damn Lamp with you, before it explodes on her mountain!

    After they were all gone, she would turn Chaoxi Pond and Qingke Hua into her personal garden!

    Such a waste of space!

    As she fumed, she saw the human woman Li Yu had brought back.

    She was flying the kite, the little black bird by her side.

    Her bell-like laughter echoed in the otherwise quiet world.

    Always bringing back trouble, good riddance…

    Although she didn’t want to be involved, a wave of worry washed over her.

    Perhaps she should find a way to send a message to the Demon Realm.

    Li Yu, Mu Tao, don’t fall for his trap!

    Mu Tao hummed a tune from Mount Chao Yao, gently brushing Li Yu’s long, dark hair with a sandalwood comb.

    Her master’s usual hairstyle was simple, not adorned with elaborate accessories.

    She had tried many hairpins but couldn’t find one worthy of her master.

    In the end, she could only tie a soft blue ribbon around Li Yu’s hair, adding a few simple pearl ornaments.

    “Why am I even bothering? Master looks beautiful no matter what.”

    She leaned her chin on Li Yu’s shoulder, her cheek against hers, and looked at their reflections in the mirror. “What do you think, Master?”

    “It’s good,” Li Yu replied, her voice emotionless.

    “Master has never combed my hair before. Can you…do my hair today?”

    “Okay.”

    Mu Tao happily helped Li Yu up, sat down before the mirror, removed her orange-red ribbon, and placed it in Li Yu’s outstretched hand.

    Her long hair cascaded down her back. Li Yu stood behind her, picked up the wooden comb, and started combing her hair, her gaze lowered.

    Her movements were rough, not gentle at all, pulling at Mu Tao’s hair, making her wince.

    But her complaints were ignored; Li Yu would pause momentarily after each wince, but her touch didn’t soften.

    And after finally combing it smooth, she gathered all the hair and tied it into a messy, thick ponytail with the ribbon.

    Mu Tao puffed out her cheeks, frowning at her reflection. After a long moment, she muttered, “Master, this isn’t…pretty…”

    “It is,” Li Yu said.

    “How is it pretty?”

    “It is.”

    “…”

    Mu Tao took a deep breath and used a spell to redo her hair.

    She stood up, pouting. “Master is just humoring me!”

    Li Yu: “I’m not.”

    A flicker of disappointment appeared in Mu Tao’s eyes.

    She took the comb from Li Yu, placed it on the dressing table, led Li Yu to the bed, and sat down beside her.

    “Master, someone will bring some wedding attire later, you can try them on and choose whichever you like.”

    Li Yu: “Okay.”

    Mu Tao smiled and kissed her forehead.

    Li Yu looked at her, a faint smile on her lips.

    No surprise, no anxiety, no attempt to avoid the contact.

    This was rare and precious, and Mu Tao couldn’t help but wrap her arms around Li Yu’s neck, nuzzling against her.

    Her master’s scent, the scent she craved,

    Every bit of it intoxicating.

    “Like a little puppy,” Li Yu said.

    Mu Tao, hearing this, gently nibbled on Li Yu’s lips as punishment.

    A soft moan escaped Li Yu’s lips.

    Mu Tao looked at her, but Li Yu’s eyes were unfocused.

    Mu Tao paused.

    How boring…

    She bit down harder.

    Another soft moan.

    The faint taste of blood brought her back to reality.

    She quickly released Li Yu, her heart pounding, pulling away slightly.

    A spot of blood appeared on Li Yu’s pale lips.

    Like a plum blossom blooming in the snow, a stark contrast, yet strangely beautiful.

    Mu Tao gently touched Li Yu’s lips with her thumb, smudging the blood.

    “Does it hurt, Master?”

    “No.”

    “I didn’t mean to.”

    “It’s fine.”

    Mu Tao bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears, but they fell anyway.

    Li Yu reached out and gently wiped them away with her sleeve.

    “Don’t cry, it hurts me to see you cry.”

    A sharp pang in Mu Tao’s heart made the tears flow even more freely.

    It was all fake…

    Just the spell’s control.

    There were only two things Li Yu needed to do.

    —Obey her and be kind to her.

    Orders superseded instinct.

    Mu Tao knew Li Yu wasn’t truly unconscious, that she would remember everything when she woke up.

    Lingyao Revered One must have controlled Master like this too.

    He also wanted her master this way.

    How could her master be happy?

    The moment she regained consciousness, she would try to escape.

    She had escaped Lingyao Revered One; would she escape her too?

    Mu Tao couldn’t understand, or perhaps she didn’t dare to think about it.

    She felt like a thief, stealing these precious moments.

    And stolen things were always returned eventually…

    Mu Tao’s heart ached, and she grabbed Li Yu’s hand. “Don’t…don’t wipe them anymore.”

    Li Yu paused, then continued wiping her tears.

    “Why…why can’t I stop them?” she asked, her voice soft, a mix of confusion and gentle persuasion. “Mu Tao, don’t cry anymore, your eyes are all swollen.”

    Why was this happening? She was being comforted for doing something wrong.

    Mu Tao didn’t understand, her heart aching.

    “Master!” She couldn’t help but throw herself into Li Yu’s arms, burying her face against her chest, her voice choked with tears. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

    Li Yu gently patted her back.

    Mu Tao repeated her apologies, as if hoping they would reach Li Yu’s heart.

    She had apologized countless times, her throat dry, her tears soaking Li Yu’s robes.

    Then she asked timidly, “No matter what I do wrong, Master…won’t abandon me, right…?”

    “I won’t,” Li Yu replied, gently stroking her hair.

    Mu Tao’s voice was muffled against her chest. “Really?”

    Li Yu: “Mm.”

    Mu Tao shook her head slightly. “…That’s a lie.”

    Li Yu: “It’s true.”

    Mu Tao: “…”

    Li Yu: “Seeing you cry…hurts me.”

    Mu Tao froze, then forced a smile, her eyes still red. “Then I won’t cry anymore!”

    Li Yu pinched her cheek gently.

    This small gesture made Mu Tao feel a flicker of hope.

    She looked up at Li Yu, searching for a spark of genuine emotion in those blue eyes, but they were unfocused, distant.

    What was she expecting? This was her own doing.

    Her master was here, obedient, even kind to her.

    Every word, every tear, acknowledged.

    Mu Tao gently caressed Li Yu’s face, her tear-filled eyes fixed on her.

    She told herself to be happy.

    This wasn’t a bad thing; her master would always be with her.

    But…

    Was this truly…her master?

    She tilted her head, a blank look in her eyes.

    Not yet, she couldn’t undo the spell yet.

    She needed more time.

    After their wedding, when everyone knew about their relationship, no one would dare covet her master anymore.

    Then, she could truly have her master, without any pretense.

    “Master, wait a little longer, just give me a little more time…”

    “Wait for what?”

    Mu Tao played with the sash of Li Yu’s robe, avoiding her gaze. “Wait for me…to marry you…”

    Wait for me to marry you, wait for you to truly belong to me.

    I’ll undo the spell; then you can punish me however you want.

    She would only make this mistake once.

    She wouldn’t make any more mistakes.

    “Master said yesterday that you would marry me, you won’t…go back on your word, right?”

    She carefully took Li Yu’s hands in hers. “You wouldn’t lie to me again, right?”

    “Right.”

    “Then…say it again?”

    “I’m waiting to marry you,” Li Yu said with a smile.

    “Words are meaningless!” Mu Tao thought for a moment, then, shaking Li Yu’s wrist, listening to the soft chiming of the bells, she said playfully, “Write it down, Master, and leave your fingerprint!”

    Li Yu frowned slightly. “Where would I find paper and a brush?”

    Mu Tao immediately stood up. “I’ll go find some!”

    She hurried out of the room, like a little rabbit.

    The door remained open, the barrier still active.

    Li Yu leaned against the doorframe and waited.

    Mu Tao quickly returned.

    “Master!” She took Li Yu’s hand and led her to the table.

    With a flick of her wrist, a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, along with bright red ink paste, appeared on the table.

    “I’ll grind the ink for Master!” Mu Tao poured some water into the inkstone and carefully started grinding the inkstick.

    Li Yu watched as the ink darkened, then picked up the brush.

    She looked at Mu Tao, her eyes unfocused. “What…what should I write?”

    Mu Tao thought for a moment. “Just write, ‘I sincerely want to marry Mu Tao.’”

    Li Yu nodded and clumsily wrote the sentence on the paper.

    —I sincerely want to marry Mu Tao.

    “Finished,” she said, looking up. “Should I leave my fingerprint now?”

    “No, no.” Mu Tao frowned, looking at the messy handwriting, both surprised and displeased. “That’s not how you write it, Master!”

    Li Yu: “Why not?”

    Mu Tao pointed at the sentence. “—’I sincerely want to marry Mu Tao.’ This ‘I’ isn’t clear, who knows who ‘I’ refers to? If you try to deny it later, I won’t have any proof!”

    Li Yu thought for a moment, discarded the paper, and wrote it again.

    —Li Yu sincerely wants to marry Mu Tao.

    This time, Mu Tao’s frown deepened.

    She looked at Li Yu, her eyes reddening. “You wrote it wrong again, Master!”

    Li Yu: “What’s wrong?”

    Mu Tao: “Your name, you misspelled your name! Are you doing this on purpose?”

    Li Yu looked confused. “It’s correct.”

    Mu Tao: “No, it’s wrong!”

    “It’s not wrong!” A hint of impatience appeared in Li Yu’s eyes. “That’s how you write it.”

    Mu Tao: “…”

    Li Yu: “…”

    Mu Tao persisted, “Look again, Master, are you sure it’s not wrong?”

    Li Yu tilted her head, examined the characters carefully for a long moment, then said, “Oh, it seems I did make a mistake.”

    “Then write it again, Master.” Mu Tao sniffled, placing another sheet of paper before her.

    Li Yu picked up the brush and thought for a long, long time, until Mu Tao was almost in tears again, then she finally wrote, her gaze unfocused,

    —Li Yu and Mu Tao’s bond is not just that of master and disciple. Li Yu sincerely wants to marry Mu Tao.

    She pressed her finger into the ink paste and stamped her fingerprint beneath the messy handwriting.

    She looked up at Mu Tao, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “Is that better?”

    Mu Tao: “…”

    Li Yu: “Why do you still look unhappy?”

    She seemed to think for a moment, then playfully smudged some of the red ink paste on Mu Tao’s nose. “Little crybaby.”

    Mu Tao’s eyes widened.

    For a fleeting moment, there was a spark of clarity in her master’s gentle eyes.

    Li Yu wiped the remaining ink paste on the discarded papers.

    Then, her voice no longer as emotionless, she said, “Keep this safe. I’m only writing such an embarrassing thing once in my life.”

    That fleeting expression, that tone, as if they had never truly existed.

    When Mu Tao looked again, she only saw the usual vacant stare.

  • On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives 208

    Chapter 208: You’re Messing With My Disciple?

    Qingying carefully lifted her head from his embrace and peeked at him before quickly looking away.

    “That… that guy… I hope he’s really dead.”

    She changed the subject. “Who knows how many points he has? What if he has another one of those life-saving things and escapes?”

    “He escaped.” Chen Yin said calmly.

    “What?!”

    Qingying’s eyes widened in surprise and frustration. “Damn it! He got away! It’s all your fault! If you weren’t busy being lovey-dovey with me, we could have caught him!”

    She shifted uncomfortably in his arms.

    Chen Yin glanced at her sideways. “If you keep moving, we might start a fire.”

    It was true. With Qingying’s voluptuous figure pressed against him, any movement could ignite his desire.

    He didn’t have that much self-control.

    Her body was soft and supple, like a warm, enticing jelly, drawing him in, her every touch making his breath catch in his throat.

    Qingying, realizing this, blushed and protested, “How long are you going to hold me like this?!”

    “Depends on my mood.”

    “What if you’re always in a bad mood?”

    “Then I’ll hold you forever.”

    Qingying was both amused and exasperated by his response. After a long silence, she sighed.

    “Alright… I’m not blaming you.”

    “I’m just… used to it.”

    “Used to me always assigning you the most dangerous tasks?” Chen Yin frowned. “Is that why you think I’m using you?”

    Luo Luo wasn’t a strong fighter, but her ability to access the void was useful.

    And Nan Xiaoxiang was completely defenseless.

    So, the most dangerous task – protecting them – always fell to Qingying.

    Every time, she would silently face the greatest danger, holding off their enemies until she was on the verge of death.

    And afterward, she would always demand compensation, but never actually take anything.

    Qingying bit her lip, her eyes downcast.

    “I… I know that’s not true now.”

    “I just thought you valued my combat experience.”

    “Since I’m already shamelessly clinging to you, I might as well be useful.”

    Chen Yin, annoyed by her words, gently nibbled on her ear.

    “Ouch!”

    “There’s more where that came from.”

    “What?” Qingying’s eyes widened in alarm. “C-can’t you give me a break? I’ve been through enough today!”

    Chen Yin didn’t reply and started healing her wounds, his arms still wrapped around her.

    The warmth of his spiritual energy flowing into her body was soothing and comforting, easing her tense muscles and calming her frayed nerves.

    She felt her eyelids growing heavy.

    “Actually…” she mumbled sleepily, “my injuries aren’t that bad… That guy’s System ability is dangerous, he can nullify spiritual energy. You should have gone after him.”

    “Don’t worry,”

    Chen Yin said softly, looking down at her, “I’m not that kind. I won’t let anyone hurt my woman and get away with it.”

    Hearing the words “my woman,” Qingying’s eyes fluttered open, then closed again.

    “…But he escaped.”

    “Did I ever say he could?”

    Qingying finally understood.

    He had let him escape on purpose.

    Her last shred of doubt vanished, and she finally succumbed to exhaustion, falling asleep in his arms.

    Chen Yin held her close, afraid to wake her, until her breathing became slow and even.

    Finally, he heard her soft, mumbled words, a stark contrast to her usual cold and aloof demeanor:

    “Chen Yin…”

    “I protected them… this time…”

    “Don’t… call me an idiot anymore.”

    “Praise me… just once… please…”

    Chen Yin looked at her sleeping face, her slightly swollen eyes, her pink cheeks, her delicate nose.

    Under the soft moonlight, he gently kissed her cheek.

    “Good girl.”

    “You’ve worked hard.”

    Several mountains away, in a hidden cave…

    “Damn it!”

    Fu Zhe slammed his fist against the wall, creating a large crater.

    His eyes were filled with rage and resentment as he glared in the direction he had come from.

    “Chen Yin!”

    Two Life Substitution Puppets and a Heaven Returning Rejuvenation Pill.

    All his accumulated points, gone.

    He had paid a heavy price.

    “You’re going to die!” he gritted his teeth.

    A calm voice suddenly came from behind him:

    “Fu Zhe, what happened?”

    “Divine Son,” Fu Zhe reported, his voice filled with frustration, “we didn’t know Chen Yin was there. Our plan to frame the Wu Xuan Cave has failed! I don’t have time to go back and silence those three sects. Our plan has been exposed.”

    The Divine Son closed his eyes and remained silent.

    Fu Zhe was nervous. Had he failed? Would the Divine Son punish him?

    But the Divine Son simply said, “It’s not your fault. Since Chen Yin is there, the Wu Xuan Cave is no longer safe. Return immediately.”

    Fu Zhe nodded, but his eyes were still filled with resentment.

    After the communication ended, he slammed his fist against the ground again.

    “Damn you, Chen Yin!”

    “Next time I see you, I’ll—”

    “You’ll do what?” A childish yet arrogant voice suddenly came from the cave entrance.

    Fu Zhe’s eyes widened in shock.

    Ye Huang, his eyes cold and hard, and Wan Yunhai, his demeanor elegant and refined, stood at the entrance. Before them stood a small girl in a large, flowing robe, her voice strangely mature.

    “I heard,” the little girl said, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes, “that someone has been bullying my disciple?”

    “That’s unfortunate for you.”

    “Because I’m here to bully you!”

    Fu Zhe’s blood ran cold as he recognized them.

    “Yu Ling! Wan Yunhai! How—”

    Before he could finish his sentence, his System, sensing the mortal danger, activated a teleportation talisman.

    A faint light enveloped him.

    But the moment it appeared, Fu Zhe realized he couldn’t feel anything.

    Not his System, not his spiritual energy, not even his own body.

    His senses were gone. He couldn’t even tell if he was alive.

    Even his System’s ability to nullify spiritual energy was useless.

    It was as if his System, before this girl, was nothing but a joke.

    He was trapped, frozen in time.

    “Trying to leave?” Master sneered.

    “Anyone who bullies my disciple should contact the crematorium.”

  • Transformed into a Female Villain, But Captured by My Beautiful Girl Disciples v2c24

    24. The Power of Bloodlines 

     

    “A coincidence?”

    Qiu Shui raised an eyebrow and smiled calmly. “Your Highness seems to be in high spirits. Are you planning to lead a crusade against the Flame Python in the central area, ridding the world of this menace?”

    Shangguan Qingyun knew there was no point in pretending. His face darkened as he asked, “You detected the Thousand Miles Fragrance?”

    “What do you think?”

    Qiu Shui pointed at Lu Xinyao’s sleeve, a large piece torn off, clearly ripped away.

    That piece of cloth was currently tied to a demonic beast whose tail was on fire, desperately running towards a water source.

    The Thousand Miles Fragrance Shangguan Qingyun smelled came from that beast.

    As for Lu Xinyao, Gong Yiling had used a talisman to mask her scent.

    Yes, even scents detectable only with special antidotes could be completely erased by a talisman.

    This type of talisman was also known as the “Anti-Spying Happy Talisman.”

    Of course, Qiu Shui and Lu Xinyao didn’t know how Gong Yiling knew about the Thousand Miles Fragrance.

    In Gong Yiling’s own words, it was “a man’s intuition.”

    “So you set a trap after discovering you were being followed?”

    Shangguan Qingyun stopped Young Master Xuli from acting, then turned back and asked, “And the barrier to the central area? You removed it around the same time?”

    “Your Highness is truly inquisitive,” Qiu Shui replied. “Without such preparations, how could we lure you into our trap?”

    Shangguan Qingyun burst out laughing.

    “Interesting. I thought I was dealing with two unknown wildflowers, but it turns out they’re rare treasures hidden beneath the snow.”

    He sneered at the demonic beasts surrounding Qiu Shui and Lu Xinyao, true essence gathering in his palm, his Profound Void aura erupting.

    He didn’t understand why the beasts were helping them, but the situation was clear.

    There was no need for assassins.

    Since his intentions were exposed, he would act personally.

    Young Master Xuli shared the same thought.

    But his intentions were more… lascivious. He licked his lips and said, “Brother Shangguan, you only want the girl with purplish-red hair, right?”

    “Then may I have the pleasure of… tasting the black-haired one?”

    Shangguan Qingyun frowned. “As long as they’re dead, do as you please.”

    “Compared to the living, I find the dead more… appealing.”

    With that, they both attacked.

    They thought the demonic beasts were just a disorganized rabble, easily dealt with.

    But they were wrong.

    These beasts, who should have been easily defeated, possessed incredible regenerative abilities. They couldn’t be killed.

    Initially, they thought it was the beasts’ own ability, but then they realized…

    It wasn’t the beasts’ self-healing, but a cultivator skilled in healing arts.

    There was a healer present?

    Shangguan Qingyun noticed the unique aura of Qiu Shui’s healing arts and frowned.

    Perhaps he needed to reconsider this girl’s value.

    However, they had underestimated the situation.

    Even as Profound Void cultivators, they were at a disadvantage in this chaotic battle. They couldn’t even kill a single beast, and the number of beasts…

    Was increasing.

    Why were these demonic beasts obeying the two girls?

    The answer lay ten minutes earlier.

    After Gong Yiling took out the barrier-breaking talisman, the scent-masking talisman, and various other items from her… pocket…

    The two girls were still puzzled about how they could defeat so many assassins, plus two much stronger cultivators.

    But Gong Yiling gave them a cryptic answer.

    “Why do you think I led them to the central area?”

    “To have the demonic beasts there deal with them?” Qiu Shui asked. “But… how can we be sure they’ll help us? And finding so many beasts in such a short time isn’t easy.”

    “I never said we needed to find them.” Gong Yiling’s reply was puzzling. “We can make them come to us.”

    “How?”

    “Others can’t do it, but you can.” Gong Yiling looked at Lu Xinyao. “If I’m not mistaken, your demonic bloodline is not ordinary. If used correctly, attracting those beasts shouldn’t be difficult.”

    “What!?”

    Her words shocked the two girls.

    How did she know about Lu Xinyao’s bloodline?

    “Don’t worry, I have my ways. Not everyone can know her secret.” Gong Yiling shrugged. “Now isn’t the time to question how I know. The question is, are you willing to listen to me and take a gamble?”

    “Whether we can defeat those two depends on you.”

    Hearing this, Lu Xinyao almost guessed her identity.

    Who else had the same aura as Big Sister and knew about her demonic bloodline?

    This was a blatant hint. The woman before them could only be Gong Yiling.

    But since Big Sister didn’t want to reveal herself, Lu Xinyao didn’t say anything. After agreeing, she released her bloodline aura in the central area.

    Whether it was the Heavenly Phoenix Fox Demon bloodline or the even stronger Phoenix bloodline, it was like a summoning call to ordinary demonic beasts.

    In the demonic beast world, where bloodline determined everything, the aura of a high-level beast, or even a divine beast, was a rare and powerful force.

    So, all the beasts in the central area would instinctively gather, awaiting the commands of this bloodline’s owner.

    Even if the owner didn’t look like a demonic beast, even if they looked almost human, they would still obey.

    Just like now.

     

  • The Delicate Female Lead Only Wants to be Loved by the Villainous Young Ladies 325

    Chapter 325: The Unwilling Headmistress

    Winona stood before Adele, looking down…well, not quite down on her. She was only slightly taller than Adele, but Victoria was truly tall, with long, light blue hair and a graceful figure, like a princess from a sea kingdom. And this woman was practically the heroine of the magical world in that era, flirting with girls and building a harem everywhere.

    Her presence immediately caught Adele’s attention until the Headmistress’s disapproving gaze snapped her back to reality.

    “H-Headmistress…” Adele held Xiao Ai, pretending to be obedient. If she hadn’t used that Wind Slash, and if Xiao Ai hadn’t gotten carried away and used a seventh-rank tornado, then she would indeed have been obedient. Obediently practicing magic here, even during the holidays. She could be considered a good student. But now…

    “Who is she, Adele?”

    “Sh-She…she’s my distant cousin!”

    “She’s Adele’s little sister, meow.” This was their pre-arranged answer, regardless of whether Winona would believe it. Adele believed it herself, and First Snow chimed in.

    Winona’s expression could be summed up as “Are you kidding me?” She had never seen a distant cousin who looked almost exactly like the person, as if they were carved from the same mold. This usually only happened between mothers and daughters…right? But Winona glanced at Adele and couldn’t imagine this girl being so young yet having such a big daughter. That would mean Adele was…taken advantage of when she just started menstruating…

    No, wait, did Adele look like someone who had experienced physical and mental trauma in the past!? It would be more likely for her to traumatize others. So Winona guessed that the girl before her must have a questionable background. However, Adele already had enough secrets, being her student and the girl First Snow liked… Sigh, in short, even if Winona sensed something, she would choose to turn a blind eye.

    So she snorted, reluctantly accepting Adele’s answer. Then Adele took the initiative, trying to divert Winona’s attention from Xiao Ai. So she asked, “This…lady beside the Headmistress, who is she? Such a beautiful big sister!”

    “What a sweet-talking little sister~” Victoria’s gaze remained fixed on Adele’s face, almost never leaving. Even the somewhat thick-skinned Adele couldn’t help but blush. Being stared at by a beautiful girl was like that.

    Winona glanced back at Victoria, her expression complicated. She didn’t know whether she should keep Victoria’s identity a secret. At least, she wanted to. But Winona cared more about Victoria’s opinion.

    Victoria, however, had already introduced herself with a smile, “My name is Victoria. And you are, little sister?”

    “Victoria?” Such a familiar name… Adele touched her chin with her finger and thought for a moment. Wasn’t that the protagonist of the novel Victoria’s Secret she had been reading recently!? The naturally sociable Adele immediately said with a smile, “That’s a nice name, the same as the protagonist in a novel I’m reading!”

    “Is it Victoria’s Secret?”

    “Eh, you’ve read it too!?”

    “Not really, but I saw it on Winona’s bookshelf…”

    The Headmistress suddenly interrupted, her voice panicked, “Ahhh! Th-That’s a book I confiscated from a student!”

    “V-Victoria, please believe me, I haven’t read it!” Winona hadn’t expected to overlook this. Although she hadn’t let Victoria discover the room full of Victoria-related collectibles she had accumulated over the years, she had forgotten to check the bookshelf in her office. She didn’t know when that book had gotten mixed in there!

    Victoria didn’t really care about such things. She was quite open-minded, evident from the fact that she had been pursuing lesbian relationships in the homophobic, feudal magical era. So she tacitly didn’t expose Winona’s lie. And she said to Adele with a rather proud tone, “Is there a possibility~ that I’m the Victoria described in the book?”

    Adele burst out laughing, “Pfft! You? You’re Victoria!?”

    “Haha, how is that possible? Victoria lived so long ago.”

    “If you were her, I would…” Adele suddenly stopped. The girl was smart and quickly noticed something wrong with Winona’s expression. And Victoria asked curiously, “You would what~?”

    “I-I would immediately call you Teacher Victoria!” Adele was adaptable, a true heroine. Even though she was shocked, not understanding how a character from a book like Victoria could be alive in the modern era! Or was she not alive until now, but resurrected in the modern era? Anyway, judging by Winona’s expression, it seemed to be true.

    Even First Snow meowed in surprise, “Meow! Then aren’t you the one Xiao Wei likes…mmmph!”

    Winona cast a silencing spell on her. First Snow felt like her mouth was glued shut, unable to open, and could only let out muffled sounds. The cat-girl looked at Headmistress Winona resentfully. And the Headmistress’s cheeks were flushed an indescribable shade of red.

    Adele pulled Xiao Ai, or rather, Little Red Riding Hood Xiao Ai, behind her. Although the Headmistress didn’t seem to suspect anything about Xiao Ai, it was better to hide her for now. And Adele answered Victoria’s question, “M-My name is Adele. I’m Headmistress Winona’s student, currently in my first year.”

    “I’m here today to practice magic…please excuse my poor skills.” Adele acted very humble because she knew that the little bit she had practiced was definitely child’s play in the eyes of Winona and Victoria. However, Xiao Ai was different. She could learn and even enhance the magic Adele used just by watching. Adele had planned to work hard and become a powerful mage to protect Xiao Ai in the future. But now it seemed like Xiao Ai could easily become a powerful mage and protect her instead!?

    Damn it, I said I didn’t want to be a kept woman, but why is this being shoved down my throat! But when Xiao Ai truly became a powerful mage, she should still listen to her, right? She shouldn’t have a rebellious phase. She wouldn’t rely on her power to disobey Mama and do those things to her, right? Definitely not! Adele thought confidently.

    Unaware that Xiao Ai, still in “mind-reading” mode, suddenly lowered her head, blushing guiltily.

    “Adele is such a diligent and studious student. I heard from Winona that it’s the student holidays now.”

    “Even using your holiday time to study magic.”

    “Ehehe, it’s nothing~” Adele looked happy to be praised.

    Winona’s lips twitched. Didn’t she know what Adele was usually like? And today, of all days, she let Teacher Victoria see her reformed side. But she was her student, and the girl First Snow liked, so Winona couldn’t expose her, could she? So she just said, “You’ve improved a little,” and didn’t say anything more.

    She also lifted the silencing spell on First Snow. The cat-girl still looked at her with puffed cheeks. I haven’t settled the score with you for stealing my key, Winona thought. Adele doesn’t even come home after returning. A married cat is like spilled water.

    Victoria quickly became familiar with Adele and the others. As described in the book, the woman had a strong affinity. But Winona felt a bit uncomfortable watching from the side. She had been meticulously arranging and taking care of Teacher Victoria’s daily life these past few days, but the total amount of words they exchanged was less than what Adele had just chatted about!

    I’m so unwilling!

  • Sickly Girl Doesn’t Die in Zombie Simulator 140p2

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty: Two Jealous Jars p2

    Although ham could indeed be eaten raw, for Lin Jiayao, who was relatively weak, eating a lot of raw ham was very unfriendly to the stomach.

    So when conditions permitted, it was better to cook it before eating.

    It was just that when Lin Xiwan started the fire and added some dead building-trees on the side of the road, Huayibai hid far away.

    Even those white mycelia, after feeling the flames, were preparing to spray spores to extinguish the fire. Later, it was Huayibai who stopped them, and those white spores did not continue to fall.

    It seemed that Huayibai and the white mycelium were frightened by the fire before, so that they were still afraid when they saw the fire now.

    But the fire didn’t last long. After slicing and grilling the ham, Lin Xiwan put out the fire.

    Seemingly worried about rekindling, a small mass of white mycelium moved over and sprayed white spores to completely cover the ashes.

    During the meal, Lin Jiayao even didn’t know where she got a bottle of Coca-Cola worth two blood crystals, opened it, and shared it with her sister.

    After eating and drinking, it was time to rest.

    Lin Xiwan was thinking about devil training. When she asked her sister, she heard that her sister wanted to take a nap. She did not carry her sister to the university where the seed bank was located, because it was too far away.

    She directly found a villa nearby, cleaned a bed in it, and put her sister on it.

    And Lin Xiwan herself, after waiting for her sister to fall asleep, told Huayibai to accompany her sister, and she went out to look for “training equipment”.

    It could be said that there were no living zombies in Kun City, and it was quite difficult to find a fight.

    While Lin Xiwan was still struggling with how to train, Lin Jiayao had already started to choose a zombie to log into.

    Of course, this time Lin Jiayao did not choose to control Goldie to sweep Wisconsin, but controlled Mask according to the original plan.

    One aspect was to see Mask’s B-rank form, and the other aspect was that Lin Jiayao also wanted to know what happened on the seaside… that is, Yangzhou City.

    Fuzhou City was the city closest to Yangzhou City, and it was also quite close to the seaside.

    If she could see the situation in Fuzhou City, she could also have an idea of the situation in Yangzhou City and the seaside.

    Lin Jiayao could be considered to have seen big storms in Dongying, and felt that the situation in China would at least not be worse than Dongying.

    After choosing Mask as the login object, Lin Jiayao slowly closed her eyes.

    Slowly, the silence around her and Huayibai’s gentle breathing disappeared, replaced by a burst of blurred water sounds.

    “Gurgle—”

    Lin Jiayao tried to move her legs, but was surprised to find that her legs had become fewer.

    Although the legs had been reduced to six before, Lin Jiayao had gotten used to it. Unexpectedly, after evolving to B-rank, Mask’s legs were reduced by two more.

    In terms of strength, it was indeed much stronger than before…

    Lin Jiayao slowly opened her eyes and looked at the darkness in front of her.

    “Gurgle—”

    If Lin Jiayao remembered correctly, the last Extraction Point was a parking lot of a building.

    And now, this dimly lit parking lot was completely filled with sewage.

    At this time, Lin Jiayao’s vision was also very interesting.

    She couldn’t see anything in the dark, but as she manipulated her legs to keep waving, the water waves swayed, and everything around her gradually had a specific model in her mind.

    Except for the lack of color, she could even feel many internal structures through vibration.

    Relying on the feedback of these vibrations, the appearance of Mask in the water gradually constructed in Lin Jiayao’s brain.

    This was… Mask’s body after evolution?

    Mask’s body had undergone great changes compared to the previous three-meter-tall body.

    The biggest change was that Mask no longer had only one head… but had half a strange upper body.

    Why was it strange?

    Mask’s head, jaw, and even spine were back, but there was no skin from the spine down.

    And further down, there were two rows of ribs connected to the spine… No, rather than ribs, it was more like two pieces of bone spurs that were clinging together like a reptile.

    Inside these bone spurs were countless dark red, slightly glowing blood crystal threads filled with energy. Each blood crystal thread inside was condensed with powerful energy.

    These clusters of blood crystal threads pulsated rhythmically in the ribs, like two hearts.

    Some blood crystal threads that were not completely surrounded by the ribs drooped down through the gaps in the bones, fluttering slightly with the water flow, like flowing blood.

    The “things” that Lin Jiayao had just tried to move as legs were actually skinless hands, which were the same as human hands, but made of bones.

    It was just that these white bones were also entangled with those blood threads.

    If it weren’t for the slight red light emitted by those blood threads, Lin Jiayao would definitely think they were densely packed iron wireworms… very creepy.

    “Gurgle—”

    And Mask’s face seemed to have completely regressed to the appearance of the pale woman’s head when Lin Jiayao had just evolved Mask, and even a head of white hair had returned.

    After seeing herself, Lin Jiayao also gave up the idea of using her hands to swim upwards.

    Mask, which had evolved to B-rank, looked even less oppressive than when it was C-rank…

    Although it looked like this, Lin Jiayao, who had gradually figured out Mask’s abilities, her heartbeat began to accelerate.

    No… she had to get Mask to her side quickly… No, at least she had to get it to A4’s side.

    Mask had never been a zombie that relied on fighting alone. Although its bones were hard enough, its strongest ability was to manipulate the bodies of others as weapons.

    Whether it was the D-rank period with only one head, or the C-rank period that became like a human-headed jellyfish, its strongest strength still had to rely on others to exert.

    And this evolution to B-rank was really running towards this characteristic.

    “Goo—”

    The blood crystal threads on Lin Jiayao’s body, like muscle fibers, emitted a faint light. Even if her body didn’t move, it still supported her body and floated upwards.

    Soon, she followed the exit of the parking lot, dragging a large number of blood threads and “floating” out of the water.

    The moment she came out of the water, Mask’s bones began to twist and deform, and all the blood threads exploded, entangled on her body as connection points of the bones to provide energy.

    Soon, a strange flying bird made of bones and blood threads flapped its wings, dragging long blood threads and soaring into the sky.

    “Rumble—”

    In the violent rainstorm, a dazzling lightning flashed across the sky.

    The lightning exploded in mid-air, and also illuminated the night sky, allowing Lin Jiayao, who had already taken off, to see everything around her.

    The heavy rain was washing the entire city. The sewers in most parts of the urban area had been paralyzed, and the entire city was in a state of being flooded.

    “Rumble…”

    A muffled sound came from afar, and the whole earth shook, which also made Lin Jiayao look over.

    This was…

    Even though she had seen the huge waves in Dongying, Lin Jiayao was still a little dumbfounded when she saw this scene.

    Just looking in the direction of Lin Jiayao towards Yangzhou City, the river between them had completely disappeared, replaced by a huge rift valley.

    It was as if something had broken a piece of biscuit here, breaking a crack.

    Rivers and rainwater were constantly rushing towards the bottom of the crack, like a waterfall… This real scene like 2012 made Lin Jiayao feel a little shocked.

    Damn… something really happened…

    Lin Jiayao quickly looked at the Extraction Point. The four Extraction Points still marked different directions, but no matter which direction she went, the distance of 20km~30km on it was not enough for Lin Jiayao to withdraw from Fuzhou City.

    In any case, stay away from that crack first…

    Just when Lin Jiayao had this idea and was about to flap her wings to turn around, the ground shook again.

    “Boom—!”

    In the picture formed by Lin Jiayao’s Bone Spike Lurker, a huge creature suddenly leaped out of the huge rift more than ten kilometers away.

    “Woo—”

    A terrifying howl resounded throughout the city. A huge creature hundreds of meters long, covered with bone scales and shaped like a ray, soared into the sky and pounced in Lin Jiayao’s direction.

    It seemed to be a hunter who had noticed the revived Mask and locked onto its prey.

    B-rank! That zombie devil ray was B-rank!

    Damn… It was more than ten kilometers away, how could it jump over…

    Even though this huge zombie fish leaped up with a long tail bone and a terrifying momentum, it was too far away from Lin Jiayao’s direction, and it was impossible to catch up…

    “Buzz—”

    The ray that took off in the distance opened the black scales on its body in the air, making a buzzing sound of energy accumulation.

    Lin Jiayao could clearly hear this sound through the ultra-long-distance Bone Spike Lurker.

    This?

    “Boom—”

    The huge zombie ray sprayed blood-red flames all over its body. The entire triangular fish head was like the arrowhead of an arrow, flying spirally towards Lin Jiayao with fiery spray.

    “Holy shit!!!”

    Looking at the ray rushing towards her like a rocket after ejecting from the water, even Lin Jiayao couldn’t help but curse.

    What the hell was this?

    A mutated ray zombie that lived in water and controlled fire?

    Did this mutate in an underwater volcano?!

    In any case, the speed of the other party’s devastating rush, running was definitely useless.

    Several hundred-meter-tall buildings along the way were directly cut in half by the impact of the “flame arrow”, and the vibrations and roars were endless.

    And Lin Jiayao also quickly used Bone Spike Lurker to sweep around and quickly identified a building.

    Due to the flooding, many zombies were driven into the building or to high places by the water.

    And the place Lin Jiayao was aiming at was a building with three C-rank zombies fighting each other.

    “Whoosh—”

    She tightened her bone wings, and her body bones and blood threads changed again, like a missile head with a tail wing, smashing into that building.

    The two Hunters and one Sprinter who were fighting on the second floor of the building seemed to have not noticed the “missile” that was rapidly approaching them.

    “Rumble—”

    The sharp “missile” transformed by Mask directly slammed into the outer wall of the building, and the rubble flew in the rainstorm.

    But the wall seemed to have not received any damage, as if Mask’s attack did not even pierce the cement outer wall.

    But the roar of fighting inside stopped.

    From inside the building, at the location where Mask hit the wall, several curved bone spurs burst out.

    The three mutated zombies were directly pierced by these bursting bone spurs, and the bones and blood crystal threads were constantly pouring into their bodies.

    “Roar… roar—”

    The two Hunters were constantly making muffled roars. Their bodies were constantly expanding under the support of bones and blood crystal threads, and sharp bone spurs and blood crystal threads composed of claws slowly drilled out of their arms, replacing their original hands.

    And that Sprinter, the muscles of the whole body were constantly swelling under the injection of blood crystal threads, until the muscles of the whole body buried the entire head, and the two thick arms were probably half a meter in diameter each, drooping arms, fists could touch the ground.

    They were all greatly enhanced by bone spurs and blood crystal threads.

    “No… not enough… not enough…”

     

  • Dear, it’s time for your medicine! 291

    Chapter 291: Athena’s Unease

    Ah!

    Athena’s scream echoed through the cave.

    Even with her strength and composure, the sight of Muse had startled her, forcing her to retreat until her back hit the cold stone wall.

    She almost didn’t recognize him. If not for the axe and his signature messy hair, she would have thought it was someone else.

    Muse was a madman.

    His title, Muse the Mad, wasn’t unearned. His face was usually dark and flushed, but now it was pale and bruised, his lips almost black.

    That alone wouldn’t have frightened her. It was the things on his skin.

    His face was covered in blisters, small as sesame seeds and large as peanuts, clustered like a honeycomb, leaving no skin visible.

    The sight filled Athena with disgust and revulsion, goosebumps erupting on her skin.

    She remembered the First Hero, Jie Luo, mentioning phobias like claustrophobia, acrophobia, and trypophobia… was this trypophobia?

    She suspected Muse’s current appearance would be a textbook example.

    Muse stirred in his sleep, scratching at his skin.

    Pop, pop, pop…

    Blisters burst, releasing a clear, viscous fluid.

    That was the source of the stench of decay.

    It made Athena even more nauseous.

    She couldn’t believe Muse had become this… thing.

    She had never been close to him. They were members of the same Hero Squad, but that was the extent of their relationship. Now, his appearance made her want to flee, to put as much distance between them as possible.

    What had happened to him?

    Was he sick?

    Fighting back her nausea, she flicked a small fireball at his hand, bursting a few blisters.

    Muse, startled by the burning sensation, sat up abruptly, reaching for his axe.

    Despite his weakened state and unsteady movements, his combat instincts were ingrained. He was instantly ready for a fight.

    Even in his weakened state, he exuded a ferocious aura.

    He relaxed his grip on the axe as he saw Athena: “Athena, it’s you. You’re finally here… cough… cough…”

    His voice surprised her. It was raspy and dry, as if his throat was clogged with something.

    He broke into a violent coughing fit, spitting a dark glob of phlegm onto the wall.

    Athena felt even more nauseous, barely suppressing her revulsion: “Muse, are you sick?”

    Muse managed a weak smile: “Lately… I haven’t been feeling well… damn it… probably just a cold.”

    “And these blisters… I’ll have to visit the church for healing later.”

    Just blisters? As he stood up, his bare chest was as covered in blisters as his face.

    Was this some kind of skin disease?

    She had never seen anything this severe.

    “Let’s get this over with and leave this damned place,” Muse said, his voice raspy.

    The once ferocious berserker was now weak and frail, a shadow of his former self.

    “Although my healing magic isn’t as potent as the church’s… I can still try to heal you. It might make you feel better,” Athena offered.

    “Really? Thanks,” Muse said, accepting her offer. While he didn’t like her, he wouldn’t refuse any relief from the itching and pain.

    Athena’s face was still pale, her unease intensifying.

    She felt a deep sense of foreboding.

    Steeling herself, she waved her staff, casting a healing spell on Muse.

    It was a mid-level water spell, one of the few that could heal injuries.

    It couldn’t cure diseases, but it could at least mend his broken skin.

    As for the disease itself, the Holy See’s Holy Light magic or the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess’s specialized potions might be effective.

    After a moment of hesitation, she used a Holy Light scroll, bathing Muse in a soft glow.

    His voice improved slightly, the blisters seeming to shrink.

    The combined healing magic had helped, but he would need more potent treatment from the Holy See or specialized potions from the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess for a full recovery. While Athena had some potions with her, she didn’t know what ailed him, and potions weren’t to be used indiscriminately.

    Muse swung his axe experimentally, the blade whistling through the air. He seemed to have regained some of his strength.

    A grin spread across his face: “Thanks, Athena!”

    Despite his dislike for her, his gratitude was genuine.

    He pointed towards a section of the cave wall: “There’s the chamber… that damned magical barrier is blocking the entrance. I can’t break it.”

    Athena sent a fireball towards the indicated spot, revealing a dark purple barrier.

    That must be the magical seal.

    Taking a deep breath, she walked towards it. She wanted to unlock the barrier, retrieve Jie Luo’s soul fragment, and leave this unsettling place. While they were alone, a lingering sense of dread clung to her.

    Muse’s condition had improved, but the stench emanating from him was still unbearable, so she maintained her magical shield.

    Crackle… crackle…

    As she approached the barrier, her shield flickered, as if something was colliding with it, burning in the heat.

    Her brow furrowed, her vigilance increasing.

    “Can you… unlock it?” Muse asked impatiently.

    He couldn’t wait to leave this place.

    But Athena didn’t rush. She peered through the barrier…

    A stone slab covered in tiny runes, blackened and corroded. A skeleton, clearly having suffered greatly before death. Jie Luo’s soul fragment, set in a ring on one of the skeletal fingers.

    A glass vial containing a dark red liquid.

    A strange skull…

    Metal tools inscribed with unfamiliar runes.

    A clay pot… filled with writhing black worms.

    The stench of decay was overpowering.

    The scene within the chamber was unsettling. Was the skeleton that of an alchemist? Or a potion master?

    Regardless, the materials within seemed strangely out of place.

    Especially the writhing black worms in the clay pot… how could they still be alive after all these years, while the skeleton’s flesh had long since decayed?

    The pot seemed to contain something else as well, a faint, dark aura emanating from it.

    The strange objects within the chamber seemed to draw Athena’s attention even more than Jie Luo’s soul fragment.

    “Athena, what are you waiting for? Unlock the barrier!”

    Seeing her inaction, Muse grew impatient. What was she doing?

    Snapping out of her trance, Athena suppressed her unease and began studying the barrier.

    It wasn’t particularly powerful, but it was cleverly designed. The entrance was linked to traps within the chamber. Fortunately, Muse had refrained from using brute force. Destroying the entrance would have triggered a chain reaction, obliterating the entire chamber.

    And potentially destroying Jie Luo’s soul fragment.

    After some manipulation, the dark purple barrier flickered, then vanished with a crackling sound.

    Muse cheered, rushing into the chamber without waiting for Athena.

    His eyes, fixated on the soul fragment, didn’t notice the chamber’s true color, now revealed: a sickly green mist filled the air.

    As he entered, the mist clung to him, turning him a ghastly green…

  • After Failing to Find Immortality 223

    Chapter 223: The Ju Xuan Advisor, The Lofty Mirror of Justice

    As they stepped out of the county office, the constables stared at the street in stunned silence.

    The cries and screams had vanished, replaced by an eerie quiet.

    The dozen or so demons and ghosts that had gathered were gone, leaving behind only traces of ash and the remnants of their destructive Yin energy, a stark reminder of their presence just moments ago.

    “…Unbelievable.”

    Several constables murmured, their faces pale, their minds still reeling.

    They had never imagined that the terrifying battle they had been dreading would end so abruptly, so anticlimactically.

    And it was all thanks to…

    …this seemingly ordinary scholar.

    “Officers, those murderous demons and ghosts have been eliminated. Now, we just have to deal with these ghost practitioners who were aiding them.”

    Lin Tianlu smiled and tugged at the belts he was holding.

    Several men and women lay scattered on the ground at his feet, their ages varying, their faces bruised and swollen, groaning in pain. They had clearly been thoroughly beaten.

    The belts he held were their own, used to bind them.

    “Magistrate Ma will decide how to punish them.”

    “Thank you for your assistance, Master Lin. I won’t forget your kindness.”

    The magistrate bowed deeply. “And I won’t be lenient with these criminals. I’ll bring justice to their victims.”

    “Thank you, Master!” The constables also bowed, their faces filled with gratitude and relief.

    The crisis in Anshi County had been resolved, even if it wasn’t by their own hands.

    Lin Tianlu handed the belts to a constable, then turned to Magistrate Ma. “But you made a slight oversight, Magistrate.”

    “Hmm?”

    The magistrate’s expression turned serious.

    “Could it be that those demons and ghosts—”

    “It was a trap. There’s a mastermind behind this, someone who can conceal their presence and control those demons and ghosts.”

    Lin Tianlu smiled enigmatically and glanced at the wall across from the county office. “Now that those demons are gone, he should be making his appearance soon.”

    The moonlight was bright, like scattered stardust.

    The gentle autumn breeze seemed to freeze, only the shimmering light remaining.

    The constables’ bodies stiffened, their expressions frozen, their hearts filled with a nameless dread.

    What… what kind of monster was coming?

    “—I never thought someone would interfere with my plans.”

    A cold and menacing voice echoed through the air.

    A handsome man, holding a folding fan, materialized on the wall, his figure like a wisp of smoke. He had the refined aura of a nobleman, but also a terrifying presence that made the constables lower their heads, their faces covered in cold sweat.

    “For mere constables and a scholar to defy me… you’ll pay for your insolence.”

    He traced the edge of his fan with his finger, a sinister smile on his lips, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light. “Especially you, scholar. You dare to stand before me without bowing? You have some nerve.”

    A wave of oppressive Yin energy washed over them, cracking the ground beneath their feet.

    “So you’re the one causing trouble in this county.”

    But Lin Tianlu remained calm and unfazed by the pressure, a smile on his face. “Judging by your aura, you must be someone important.”

    “To withstand 30% of my power without flinching… you’re quite arrogant.”

    The man, who called himself Fan Qi, sneered and waved his fan dismissively. “But I am Venerable Qi, an advisor to Prince Pei, and a member of the Luo Xing. Either title is enough to make you kneel before me. If you don’t want to die a painful death, beg for mercy now. Perhaps I’ll spare you for your defiance.”

    His words made Magistrate Hua’s face pale.

    He had only become a demon half a month ago and knew little about the Luo Xing.

    But Prince Pei… as a former government official, he knew him well.

    “Prince Pei? The Luo Xing?”

    Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment. “I’ve heard of Prince Pei, a powerful nobleman. As for the Luo Xing… we’re ‘old friends.’ Your mention brings back memories.”

    Fan Qi’s eyes narrowed. “You, scholar—”

    “Master Lin, Prince Pei is incredibly powerful. Although his influence in Xima Prefecture is limited, his resources are far beyond ours.”

    Magistrate Hua lowered his voice, his tone urgent. “It’s said that his Ju Xuan Estate is filled with talented individuals, and those who hold the title of ‘Venerable’ are far above me in rank. Ordinary people should kneel before them.”

    “I see.”

    Lin Tianlu nodded, understanding the situation.

    Fan Qi overheard their conversation and sneered.

    “You’re quite knowledgeable for a mere magistrate. You haven’t disappointed me. If you pledge your loyalty to the Ju Xuan Estate, I might spare your life. I can put in a good word for you with the prince. You might even get promoted.”

    “I have no desire for promotion.”

    Magistrate Hua took a deep breath and bowed respectfully. “I’m just curious, Venerable Qi, why would you come to such a small and insignificant town? And why did you say those things earlier?”

    Fan Qi’s sneer widened. “Can’t you see?”

    Magistrate Hua’s expression remained calm as he bowed again. “Please enlighten me, Venerable One.”

    “Just look around. The chaos in Anshi County… was orchestrated by me.”

    He smiled cruelly, closing his fan and tapping it against his palm. “Prince Pei’s son is visiting Xima Prefecture. As an advisor of the Ju Xuan Estate, I naturally have to prepare a suitable gift. The Luo Xing members stationed here are quite weak. They followed my instructions without question…

    And it seems they’ve done a good job. The entire town is in chaos, the Yin energy swirling, ripe for the taking. With proper manipulation, I can use the Human Soul Repository to create something truly valuable.”

    Magistrate Hua clenched his fists, his voice low and menacing. “You caused so much suffering and death… just for a gift to the prince?”

    “Tch, that’s why I dislike coming to these backwater towns. Not only are the mortals foolish and ignorant, but even those with education and official positions are equally stupid, like uncivilized apes, spouting naive nonsense.”

    Fan Qi’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold and arrogant indifference.

    “Even without the prince’s visit, it’s my right as a member of the Luo Xing to collect my ‘dues.’ And you, a mere mortal, dare to question me?”

    He raised his hand and pressed down. “Kneel!”

    Hum—!

    A wave of oppressive energy descended upon them.

    The constables’ eyes bulged, their bodies creaking under the immense pressure. Magistrate Hua, already weakened, collapsed to his knees.

    “You should exercise more, Magistrate. You shouldn’t be so easily brought to your knees.”

    A mocking laugh echoed through the air as the pressure suddenly vanished.

    The constables, confused and disoriented, checked their bodies, wondering if they were injured or hallucinating.

    Magistrate Hua blinked, then turned to see Lin Tianlu standing beside him, a gentle smile on his face, his hand supporting his arm.

    “Master Lin…”

    “Step back, Magistrate, and take these officers with you. You might get hurt. And I wouldn’t want you to get any dust or debris in your eyes.”

    Lin Tianlu smiled and patted the shoulders of the other constables. “Officers, take the magistrate back inside. It’s late, and it’s not good to have so many people standing outside. It might cause unnecessary panic.”

    “…Huh?”

    The constables were stunned.

    But they were experienced fighters, and they quickly regained their composure, helping the magistrate back into the county office, their eyes wary, watching Fan Qi for any sudden movements.

    But they didn’t realize that Fan Qi was equally surprised.

    “—What’s going on?”

    Something was wrong.

    Seeing the constables retreat, Fan Qi wasn’t worried. With his cultivation, he could easily destroy the entire county office with a wave of his hand, burying everyone inside.

    But what truly puzzled him was…

    His Yin technique had been effortlessly dispelled.

    It wasn’t a powerful technique, just a simple intimidation tactic, but even Evil Spirits would kneel before him. Yet this scholar had neutralized it so easily.

    “You… you were hiding your true strength?”

    Fan Qi’s voice lowered, his tone menacing.

    He had observed the battle in front of the county office earlier.

    Although those demons and ghosts weren’t particularly powerful, their strength was more than enough to deal with those constables. And even if this scholar could defeat them, his cultivation shouldn’t be much higher than the Crimson Demon realm… at least, that was what he had assumed.

    After all, the difference between realms was vast, especially between the Evil Spirit and Crimson Demon realms, a seemingly insurmountable gap.

    He knew most of the Crimson Demons in the Fengchen Kingdom, and he had never seen this scholar before.

    If he had known, he wouldn’t have revealed himself so readily.

    “I thought the Luo Xing had stopped operating in Xima Prefecture.”

    Lin Tianlu slowly closed the gate of the county office and turned around, a faint smile on his face. “I didn’t expect to encounter another one so soon.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “A while ago, I met a Soultaker during a Path of the Netherworld ritual. Yu Hanyi, I believe. He seemed to be a prince? We made an agreement. The Luo Xing wouldn’t cause any more trouble in my territory.”

    Lin Tianlu’s smile faded. “But it seems he can’t control all his subordinates.”

    Fan Qi was confused. “What are you—”

    His expression suddenly froze.

    “A prince… Are you talking about Prince Yu?!”

    “I believe so.”

    “…”

    Fan Qi was speechless, his mind reeling.

    After a moment of silence, he forced a smile and bowed slightly. “I never expected to meet the renowned Master Lin Tianlu. I apologize for my lack of respect. I haven’t—”

    “Enough with the pleasantries.”

    Lin Tianlu waved his hand dismissively, his smile fading. “Why don’t you tell me how many innocent lives you’ve taken in this town?”

    “…”

    Fan Qi’s smile vanished, his eyes flickering. “Master Lin, do you really want to make an enemy of me? I admit I was blind and ignorant, not recognizing your true identity. I apologize. And I won’t cause any more trouble in Anshi County. Let’s just forget about this and—”

    “Do you see that plaque above the county office?”

    Lin Tianlu interrupted him, pointing at the golden plaque hanging above the entrance. “Do you recognize those words?”

    Fan Qi glanced at the plaque, his face darkening.

    ‘Justice Prevails’

    “Even if you’re more powerful than the heavens, those vengeful spirits clinging to you… they won’t let you escape.” Lin Tianlu’s gaze was cold and piercing. “Are you ready to face judgment?”

    “I…”

    Fan Qi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

    Then, with a flash of light, he vanished, splitting into dozens of blurry afterimages that scattered in all directions, trying to escape!

    “Farewell, Master Lin!”

    Ghostly figures appeared, their wails and screams echoing through the air, a swirling wind obscuring their escape.

    “…”

    Lin Tianlu sighed softly and raised his hand, the heavy plaque above the county office flying towards him, landing firmly in his grasp.

    “You despicable wretch… you deserve to die!”

    He spun around and hurled the plaque, the heavy wooden board, seven feet long, soaring through the air like a meteor.

    It tore through the air, shattering the Yin energy and the ghostly illusions, until it struck its target, a single, desperate scream echoing through the night.

  • My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 59

    Chapter 59: I Want to Go to School With You

    Uncle Seuss’s estate had grapes year-round. Jiang Xue didn’t know the specifics of how they were cultivated, but she remembered him saying “feel free to pick any grapes in the garden” during her last visit.

    It was the same this time, even Xie Xitong, an outsider, took a bunch of ripe grapes.

    Fresh grapes didn’t last long, and Jiang Xue was thinking of other uses for them.

    Like making grape juice for Xiao Luo, or asking Sister Cheng to make them into preserves, or even baking them into raisins for snacks and baking.

    As she mentally planned the fate of the grapes, she snipped them with her scissors.

    Xiao Luohan followed beside her, holding the basket. After observing for a while, she knew that Jiang Xue had a good eye, picking only the best-looking grapes.

    But Jiang Xue wasn’t completely confident. A few bunches made her hesitate. Instead of picking them immediately, she first picked a grape and tasted it.

    “Although there are differences within a bunch, since they grow together, the taste shouldn’t be too different.” After explaining, she peeled the grape in her hand. “Want to try?”

    Xiao Luohan was about to reach out when the juicy grape was brought to her lips.

    “Thank you.” She didn’t refuse, lowering her head and gently taking a bite.

    A warm, moist softness brushed against Jiang Xue’s finger. It was just a momentary contact, but it made her shiver.

    But she quickly recovered, covered the faint mark left by Xiao Luohan with her thumb, and quickly wiped it away, lest Xiao Luo feel embarrassed.

    But the ripples from that moment still lingered in her heart.

    As she walked towards the next bunch of grapes, she felt like she was floating.

    Fortunately, despite feeling lightheaded, she remained composed and filled the basket with high-quality grapes.

    Xiao Luohan also peeled and tasted a few. They were sweet, sour, and juicy, and would probably be delicious no matter how they were prepared.

    They returned to the house with the basket of grapes.

    Uncle Seuss, who was feeding apples to his horse, smiled at the sight of their “bountiful harvest.” “A-Xue, if you’re free during the summer vacation, bring Xiao Luo here to help me pick grapes and make wine. I’ll pay you double!”

    “Okay!” Jiang Xue readily agreed, then explained to Xiao Luohan after entering the house, “That was just polite talk, not a binding agreement.”

    Worried that Xiao Luohan wouldn’t understand, she added, “My uncle casually asks whenever he feels like it, and I, being happy at the time, would also casually agree. But we’ll deal with it when the time comes. Everyone understands that.”

    Although life went on as usual every day, plans never kept up with changes. Sometimes it was due to unexpected events, sometimes whims, and sometimes sudden work or school arrangements.

    “It’s the same with everyone else in the family. Only truly important matters are repeatedly emphasized. Don’t feel too pressured,” she further explained.

    Xiao Luohan thought about it and agreed—as for how to interact with her new family, she would consider it when she met them. There was no rush.

    Uncle Seuss’s kitchen was fully equipped for processing fresh grapes. Jiang Xue sorted the grapes according to her plan: some for juicing, some for baking, some for preserves, and some for Xiao Luohan to deal with as she pleased.

    While the juicer and oven were running, Xiao Luohan sat there, staring at her portion of grapes.

    “I want to make them into a mixed drink, like milk tea,” she said after a moment. “Do you have any recipes for that? And how should I process the grapes?”

    “Yes, of course,” Jiang Xue washed her hands and searched for related videos. “Some videos have recipes, some don’t. If you prefer text and pictures, you can search in another app.”

    Jiang Mei, coming downstairs during her work break, saw the two girls together, surrounded by a cutting board, a fruit knife, a muddler, and a shaker. A large glass of sparkling purple grape juice had already been filtered and placed next to a lemon, ready to be used.

    She didn’t interrupt their enthusiastic exchange, only taking a picture and sending it to her two mothers.

    【Sword: Getting along well.】

    Not only were they getting along well, but they also shared the workload and took care of each other.

    Ms. Jiang simply replied with a thumbs-up emoji, but Ms. Wei was overjoyed.

    【Cai Wei: [cat holding a heart.gif]】

    【Cai Wei: Both my babies are so well-behaved!】

    She truly liked Xiao Luohan.

    During the process of making the drink, Jiang Xue took care of the tasks that required more strength, while Xiao Luohan was responsible for picking grapes, slicing lemons, and controlling the amount of juice, ice, lemon slices, soda water, and other ingredients.

    In the end, it was Jiang Xue who drank the resulting iced grape soda. Xiao Luohan said that her health was poor and cold drinks would upset her stomach.

    “Then I have to ask Dr. Qi to come more often,” Jiang Xue said, holding the cold glass. “Today’s grape soda is so delicious. It’s a pity you can’t drink it!”

    “No rush, there will be opportunities in the future,” Xiao Luohan smiled faintly, recording her thoughts and the process in the phone’s notes app.

    The notes app was truly a good thing. She was an ordinary person, only having read a few more years of books than others. Even with her “photographic memory,” there were too many things to learn, so it was best to write them down.

    Seeing her open the notes app, Jiang Xue remembered that there were still some speculations she hadn’t shared with her.

    But those speculations still lacked concrete evidence. Even if she could explain her thoughts, they wouldn’t necessarily be the truth.

    It was better to just look at the results. Good results were all that mattered.

    If Xiao Luohan became curious, she would find a way to explain it when she asked.

    With their flight scheduled for 10:00 AM tomorrow, both went to bed early tonight.

    But Jiang Xue couldn’t sleep. She was thinking about where Xiao Luohan would stay after she went to school.

    There was an empty seat next to her. Her deskmate rarely came to school anymore, barring any major events. But she wasn’t sure if Si Ling allowed non-students to audit classes.

    This was something she had never looked into. After much thought, she could only discuss it with her older sister.

    【Sword: Ms. Jiang already asked the Si Ling administration today. If it’s just listening to lectures, you just need to inform the teacher, but ‘auditors’ aren’t allowed to take exams.】

    In Xiao Luohan’s case, according to current regulations, she could only take the college entrance exam for adults, and before that, she had to obtain a high school equivalency diploma from a relevant institution.

    【Sword: But you should still ask Xiao Luo what she wants. School is also a small society. If she doesn’t want to interact with too many people for now, she can stay at home.】

    Jiang Xue immediately told Xiao Luohan.

    Xiao Luohan was reading an English novel borrowed from Uncle Seuss, with a translation app open on her phone, looking up unfamiliar words.

    Due to her frail health since childhood, she had spent most of her life indoors, mainly reading and drawing. She had unconsciously developed a photographic memory.

    She had already considered the things Jiang Xue was thinking about several times. After listening, she said without hesitation, “If it won’t trouble you, I would like to go to school and attend classes with you.”

    She wasn’t incapable of socializing, but due to her status and health, besides her mother, elder sister, the late Empress, and the palace servants and eunuchs, she had barely any social opportunities.

    Although school was also a “small society,” at least the students at Si Ling Foreign Language School had the same goal, and besides studying, they rarely needed to worry about other things. Even if they joined the student council or clubs and became leaders, they had to step down in their senior year. Relatively speaking, it was a pure environment suitable for transition.

    “Of course it won’t trouble me!” Jiang Xue immediately perked up. “But you should wait a day before coming to school. I need to clear the empty desk next to mine. I’ve been using it as storage since my deskmate went abroad!”

    “It’s alright, I can help you tidy up,” Xiao Luohan said. “I can tidy up the bedroom and study, so a desk is no problem.”

    Jiang Xue was speechless.

    She actually wanted Xiao Luo to study in a clean and organized environment from the start, but since Xiao Luo was willing to help, she couldn’t refuse her kindness.

    After all, for Xiao Luo, this was probably also part of “repaying her kindness.” Perhaps by doing these chores, Xiao Luo could fulfill her insistence on “repaying her kindness” sooner.

    “Okay, then we’ll go to school a little early that day,” she agreed, then remembered something else. “By the way, where do you want to sleep on school nights?”

    “The rent for the apartment is paid until the month of the college entrance exam. I usually sleep there, so I can sleep in a little longer in the morning. The downside is that it’s definitely not as comfortable as home, and the bed is smaller…”

    Although they could squeeze together—that night when Xiao Luohan came over as a cat and then turned into a human, they had slept together—the space was small, and they couldn’t stretch out, so the sleep quality might be affected.

    “I’ll go with you,” Xiao Luohan said after carefully considering the pros and cons.

    Not wanting to trouble Jiang Xue’s family was one reason, and another was that she didn’t want Sister Cheng to work harder.

    High school students left early and came home late, with morning and evening self-study at opposite ends of the day. If she lived separately from Jiang Xue, Sister Cheng would have to make two trips.

    Even though she had sent Shizhu away before crossing over, and had seen her safely arrive at her mother’s side in a dream, even entering the service of the late Empress’s maternal family, Xiao Luohan still felt guilty towards her.

    Shizhu would have wanted to witness her going to Jiang Xue’s world, but she had still sent her away for her safety, without explaining the reason beforehand, afraid that Shizhu wouldn’t leave if she knew.

    They hadn’t even said a proper goodbye.

    “Don’t worry about troubling us!” Jiang Xue said, sensing her thoughts. “Your health is poor now. Until Dr. Qi gives you the all-clear to stop taking your medicine, it’s best to maintain your usual schedule.”

    She remembered that Xiao Luohan usually went to bed before Xu Shi (7-9 PM). Her sleep schedule had been disrupted these past two days because of the severe cold. Sleeping more during the day meant staying up later at night, and she would definitely have to adjust after returning home.

    “Sister Cheng and I plan to pick you up from home every day during dinner time at school, or you can have dinner with me and then go back. Anyway, you don’t have to stay up late with me for evening self-study. There are no classes to attend at night.”

    Sitting up straight, Jiang Xue looked into Xiao Luohan’s eyes and said seriously, “Only this matter is non-negotiable for now. I apologize! I’m very afraid of Dr. Qi.”

    Her tone was much firmer, but Xiao Luohan felt more at ease.

    This family and Dr. Qi were all sincerely thinking about her well-being. They respected her habits and tried their best to give her the best possible experience as soon as she arrived.

    “Okay, okay, we’ll discuss the details with Sister Cheng when we get back. It’s time for bed!”

    Jiang Xue’s words interrupted her thoughts. The next second, a light purple, candy-shaped pillow was placed in her arms.

    “I asked my uncle to find this… cough, it’s Wei Mommy’s old pillow. I’ll hug the blanket tonight, and you can hug this.”

    Xiao Luohan: …

    That wasn’t necessary.

  • Friend(GL) 117

    Chapter 117: Outside the Door

    Yao Zhao was choosing her milk tea flavor, her head lowered, when she heard Song Chenyue beside her exclaim, “Huh?”

    Yao Zhao turned, “What’s wrong?”

    Song Chenyue said, “I think I just saw Dr. Zhou’s mother.”

    “Auntie?” Yao Zhao said, “Where?”

    Song Chenyue said, “At the restaurant across the street.”

    There were many restaurants near the school, one after another. Song Chenyue had met Yu Qiao when she and Yao Zhao went to visit Zhou Tianzui at the hospital, so she recognized her. Yao Zhao said, “She’s alone?”

    “No, there’s someone else with her.” Song Chenyue said. The other person was wearing a mask and dressed inconspicuously, so she didn’t recognize them. Yao Zhao said, “She must have something to discuss.”

    Song Chenyue said, “Probably, but Dr. Zhou is really amazing.”

    Yao Zhao lowered her head, waiting for her milk tea, “Amazing how?”

    “Think about it,” Song Chenyue said, “after everything she went through, she still became a doctor, and that incident at the hospital, she even helped, I heard family has a huge impact on a person, if I were Dr. Zhou, I think I would be messed up.”

    Yao Zhao said, “Me too, probably.”

    “That’s why she’s amazing.” Song Chenyue said, “It makes me so angry that people are still criticizing her online.”

    Yao Zhao smiled.

    Song Chenyue turned and poked her waist. Yao Zhao told her to stop it, playfully pushing her back. At the entrance of the milk tea shop, the two girls played around, the cold wind from outside turned warm by the heater, blowing towards the people entering the restaurant across the street.

    Yu Qiao hadn’t expected Wu Xiulian to ask her to meet, but she wasn’t surprised either. What could they possibly talk about, besides Zhou Tianzui and You Ruxu? She walked ahead, Wu Xiulian following her, and entered a small private room, a room for eight, the staff member, seeing only the two of them, smiling, “Would you two prefer a table in the main dining area?”

    Wu Xiulian said, “No, thank you.”

    The staff member, sensing they had something private to discuss, tactfully left.

    The door closed. Wu Xiulian called out, “Sister.”

    “Just say what you want to say.” Yu Qiao said, “I don’t deserve such respect.”

    Wu Xiulian said, “You always deserve my respect.”

    Yu Qiao looked at her.

    She had a strong impression of Wu Xiulian, You Ruxu’s aunt, her privileged background, her respectable job, someone Yu Qiao usually wouldn’t interact with, and didn’t want to now, “Did You Ruxu ask you to come?”

    “Xu Xu doesn’t know I’m here.” Her tone was respectful, a respect that made Yu Qiao uncomfortable, a deference tinged with apology. Yu Qiao said, “Then she didn’t tell you that Xiao Tian broke up with her?”

    Wu Xiulian paused.

    She really didn’t know, but thinking of You Ruxu’s recent state, she nodded: “I guessed.”

    “Then what are you doing here? Playing mediator?” Yu Qiao said, “We’re not exactly close, are we?”

    Wu Xiulian said, “I’m not here to mediate, I’m here to apologize.”

    Yu Qiao looked at her.

    Wu Xiulian said, “My sister had a daughter, named You Ruxu, who died when she was very young. Later, they adopted a child, Xu Xu, they didn’t even change her name, my sister wanted her to live as You Ruxu, to become the daughter she had lost. Xu Xu was very obedient, she knew she was just a replacement, but she was happy. I asked her once, ‘Xu Xu, are you upset?’ And she said, ‘Aunt, I’m not upset at all, I have a family now, I’m happy.’”

    “She’s always been like that, always so careful, so cautious, at our home.”

    Yu Qiao’s lips trembled slightly.

    Wu Xiulian continued, “Xu Xu’s life with her mother wasn’t easy, her father gambled, drank, abused them, they were always hurt, her world was filled with pain. It’s not that she couldn’t differentiate right from wrong, she was just too young, she didn’t intentionally accuse Reporter Zhou…”

    Yu Qiao interrupted, “What are you trying to say?”

    Yu Qiao asked, “Trying to gain my sympathy? I don’t care about her past, I don’t want to know what she suffered. I agreed to the anonymous interview, that’s already more than enough. I don’t mind telling the whole world who she is.”

    Wu Xiulian said, “Of course you could, you have every right to, but I know, the reason you didn’t, is because you pity her.” Wu Xiulian looked at Yu Qiao, “You might sound heartless, but you didn’t do it, you saw how hard she worked as a reporter, risking her life, she’s been trying to atone all these years…”

    “I said, I don’t care!” Yu Qiao’s voice rose slightly, her face grim, her tone cold. Wu Xiulian said, “Then do you care about that work journal?”

    Yu Qiao looked at her sharply: “What do you mean?”

    Wu Xiulian said, “She came to Jindu when she was in seventh grade, she went to the apartment where she and her mother used to live, she also went to that man’s apartment.” The third person who fell from the rooftop, You Ruxu hadn’t known back then that he was the one who assaulted her mother. They lived in the same complex, a dilapidated building. After the incident, the owner left the country, and the apartment remained empty, no one dared to live there. Later, it was marked for demolition, so no one went there anymore. It was in that man’s apartment that You Ruxu found the notebook, tucked inside a book. She didn’t know if Zhou Qiming had lost it while investigating there, if someone had mistaken it for the man’s notebook, or something else, but after finding the notebook, she learned the truth.

    “Xu Xu had a high fever when she came back, she sent the notebook to a reporter.” Wu Xiulian finished, and Yu Qiao stared at her, “Sent it to a reporter?”

    Wu Xiulian said, “I intercepted it, behind her back.”

    You Ruxu never knew, thinking the notebook was lost at the TV station, misplaced among all the other packages. So, she had contacted that reporter, repeatedly explaining that it was a notebook, a work journal. Yu Qiao, looking at Wu Xiulian, was speechless.

    “What did you say?” Yu Qiao’s eyes were red, her gaze towards Wu Xiulian filled with fury.

    Wu Xiulian said, “I said, it was me…”

    “Why did you do that?” Yu Qiao said, “Why did you hide it?!”

    Wu Xiulian, facing her accusations, looked guilty, “My sister had just lost her daughter a few years before, I didn’t want her to lose another child, I was afraid Xu Xu couldn’t handle it…”

    “Yes, you were all afraid she couldn’t handle it, what about us?” Yu Qiao said, “We could just die, and it wouldn’t matter?”

    Wu Xiulian said, “I asked someone to check on you afterwards, they said you had moved, it had been so many years, I…”

    Yu Qiao raised her hand and slapped Wu Xiulian hard across the face.

    Wu Xiulian looked up at her.

    Yu Qiao’s eyes were filled with hatred, “The past? Who said anything about the past? You did? I knew it, how could You Ruxu do such a thing? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!”

    “Xu Xu didn’t know.”

    “I don’t care if she knew or not!” Yu Qiao roared, “How dare you even show your face in front of me?!”

    Wu Xiulian said, “I know you hate me, you can hate me, but Xu Xu really didn’t know, she kept looking for that notebook, for years.”

    “Looking for years?” Yu Qiao’s anger turned into laughter, tears streaming down her face, “Looking for years, so she could get into Xiao Tian’s bed? She felt guilty, so she had to make Xiao Tian suffer again? She knew who I was, yet she still shamelessly enjoyed my care for three years, right in front of me?!” Yu Qiao’s voice rose, “Do you know what I thought when I found out who she was? I wanted to die! What have I been doing all these years? What have I allowed Xiao Tian to do? Your family is respectable, untouchable, and what about us? We just deserve to be wronged? To be ridiculed and judged? To live in shame?”

    Wu Xiulian said, “I didn’t think that.”

    “You didn’t think that, but that’s exactly what you did!” Yu Qiao glared at her, “It’s one thing to be incompetent, but to be so shameless!”

    She turned to leave. Wu Xiulian instinctively reached out to stop her. Yu Qiao pushed her hand away, sending Wu Xiulian stumbling against the door. Her eyes filled with hatred and disgust, “We can’t afford to be associated with your family! And tell You Ruxu, to show some respect!”

    Yu Qiao stormed out of the restaurant.

    Without even touching her food.

    As she passed by the milk tea shop, Song Chenyue saw her walk past, she was about to say something when Yao Zhao asked Zhou Tianzui, “Dr. Zhou, have you gone back to work?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Not yet, I’ll be going back after the New Year.”

    You Ruxu, sitting beside her, picked at her food, her appetite gone.

    Zhou Tianzui, however, seemed to be enjoying her meal, finishing her noodles, drinking her milk tea, casually asking Yao Zhao about school, about her life, her demeanor calm and relaxed. You Ruxu, holding her chopsticks, took a few hesitant bites. Yao Zhao, noticing she hadn’t eaten much, asked, “Sister, is it not to your liking? Should I order you something else?”

    You Ruxu said, “No, thank you, this is fine.”

    Zhou Tianzui also looked over, her expression unreadable.

    You Ruxu’s grip on her chopsticks tightened.

    She just, couldn’t be as calm and composed as Zhou Tianzui, those words, let’s break up, echoing in her ears like a curse, those words, you’re not more important than my mother, you don’t like me that much, and I don’t love you that much either, how could she say them so casually? Didn’t she know how much You Ruxu loved her? You Ruxu’s eyes burned, she looked down, listening to Zhou Tianzui tell a joke, Song Chenyue and Yao Zhao laughing, while her own throat tightened, her vision blurring.

    “I’m going to the restroom.” Zhou Tianzui said with a smile, “You guys eat first.”

    Yao Zhao nodded, taking a sip of her milk tea.

    After Zhou Tianzui left, she said to Song Chenyue, “Dr. Zhou is so funny, I used to be so scared of her…”

    The voices seemed to fade in and out. You Ruxu lowered her head, her eyes watering. She grabbed a tissue, not wanting to lose her composure, and stood up, “I’ll also go to the restroom.”

    Yao Zhao paused, “Oh, okay.”

    She scratched her head, watching You Ruxu leave, and said, “Is Sister not feeling well today?”

    Song Chenyue said, “Seems like it.”

    You Ruxu couldn’t hear their whispers. She walked quickly, wanting to be alone, not wanting to go to the restroom, not wanting to see Zhou Tianzui, not wanting to see that unfamiliar coldness in her eyes, she felt scared. Someone walked towards her, and You Ruxu turned to avoid them, then realizing where she was, she was standing in front of the restroom.

    She heard the sound of someone retching.

    Zhou Tianzui was throwing up, everything she had just eaten, along with the harsh words and suppressed emotions. She leaned weakly against the toilet, her hands supporting her weight, her eyes closed. She flushed the toilet.

    Her stomach empty, her body also felt empty. She went to wash her face, looking at her reflection in the mirror, and forced a smile.

    Her reflection blurred into You Ruxu’s image.

    Looking at her with surprise.

    Looking at her with disbelief.

    She had been so vulnerable, and what she had received wasn’t a comforting embrace, but a breakup. Zhou Tianzui’s hands paused as she washed her face, the cold water flowing through her fingers, a chilling sensation. She looked down, then suddenly chuckled softly.

    After a few seconds, she turned off the faucet, turned around, opened the door, and You Ruxu was standing outside.

  • The Saintess Has A Showdown 181-182

    Chapter 181: The Future Overlord of the Sea Region

    The massive, sharp ice spike loomed larger and larger in the Snow Fox girl’s eyes, her mind and body frozen in terror.

    However, at the very last moment, a dreamlike purple aura spread outwards, freezing time and space.

    A shimmering, translucent purple star materialized, the temperature in the ice chamber plummeting instantly.

    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

    A layer of even colder, purple ice enveloped the massive ice spike, freezing it in midair. It lost its momentum, then fell to the ground with a soft thud, shattering into fragments.

    Seeing this, the Crystal King’s eyes widened.

    A blue-haired woman now stood between them, ripples of water swirling around her.

    Her sudden, inexplicable appearance stunned everyone present.

    The spirit energy radiating from her was even colder than the icy cave itself, her soft, blue hair flowing like liquid water, occasionally phasing through her clothes.

    Six neatly arranged teardrops shimmered on her face, her cold, teardrop eyes filled with sorrow and pity.

    Gong Lianyue, the Sorrowful Saintess…

    She glanced at the scene before her, then, without a word, walked towards the unconscious Shui Puxing, ignoring everyone else.

    Seeing this arrogant woman casually walk past, as if it didn’t even exist, the Crystal King bristled, the icy spikes on its body vibrating, the air around it freezing.

    A mere Dead Sea Stage human Spirit Master, ignoring it completely.

    Gong Lianyue walked right past the massive, deep blue Water Element, less than half a meter away, her gaze not even acknowledging its presence.

    [Battle Technique – Deep Blue Slaughter]

    Seeing her so close, the Crystal King lashed out, its fury erupting, firing a seemingly weak ice spike.

    Before the spike could even fully form, it exploded into countless icy shards, a sudden, devastating attack.

    Even a spirit beast of the same rank would be severely injured by such a surprise attack, let alone a frail human.

    As the blue-haired girl was about to be engulfed by the icy rain, Shui Yue’er and the others turned away, unable to watch.

    Swish!

    The next second, the blue-haired girl’s body flickered, then vanished like a burst bubble.

    Like a thin stream of clear water, Gong Lianyue reappeared several meters behind the Crystal King.

    Her feet lightly touched the water’s surface, scattering ice dust.

    Her long blue hair swirling, she continued walking, reaching the unconscious Shui Puxing and placing a delicate pill in her mouth.

    “What…?”

    The Crystal King stared in disbelief, its voice raspy, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

    What was that? What kind of spirit technique had this woman used, allowing her to evade its attack so easily?

    Meanwhile, Shui Yue’er and the others watched in stunned silence, their hearts pounding.

    The Sorrowful Saintess, facing the terrifying Crystal King, had moved with such effortless grace, as if she were simply taking a stroll.

    Realizing it had been toyed with, the Crystal King’s rage intensified, its spirit energy surging, as if unleashing a thousand years of pent-up fury.

    Boom!!!!

    Boom, boom, boom!!!

    A terrifying wave of deep blue spirit energy erupted, shaking the entire ice cave, sending the girls tumbling to the ground.

    At the same time, layers of thick ice crystals, like impenetrable armor, formed around the Crystal King’s body.

    “Damn Sea Concubine Palace Spirit Masters! Don’t interfere with my plans! I will destroy the Snow Fox clan and then gather enough power to become the Overlord of the Sea Region!!!”

    Within seconds, the Crystal King’s body had grown to several tens of meters tall.

    Its massive, monstrous form filled the cave, casting a dark shadow.

    Giant, sharp ice spikes protruded from its body, its heavy armor shimmering, its aura far more terrifying than before.

    Having transformed into its combat form, the enraged Crystal King lashed out, its fist striking towards the blue-haired girl, the ice crystals on its body spinning rapidly.

    A flurry of ice shards, its massive arm blocking all escape routes, a guaranteed hit, an attack that would kill both Gong Lianyue and Shui Puxing!

    Bang!!!!

    A deafening crash, and a massive hole appeared in the icy wall.

    A few seconds later, as the dust settled, the Crystal King stared at the empty space, a drop of cold sweat trickling down its face.

    Behind the massive ice giant, the expressionless, blue-haired girl gently placed Shui Puxing beside the other four girls.

    Then, Gong Lianyue turned, her cold gaze fixed on the Crystal King.

    Under that terrifying gaze, the Crystal King felt its spirit energy freezing.

    Impossible! It was destined to become the Overlord of the Sea Region! How could it be intimidated by a mere human?!

    “…”
    “…”

    Time seemed to freeze, all movement ceasing.

    A terrifying aura, a bone-chilling dread, spread outwards, the energy fluctuations of three spirit beasts appearing around the blue-haired girl.

    The bulky, purple Ice Spirit, which had arrived earlier, began to shed its skin, a graceful, alluring, purple, star-like, female figure emerging from its mouth, like a ghost escaping its host.

    And from the void, an ice coffin materialized, its lid slowly creaking open, revealing a pair of pale, delicate hands, radiating an icy chill.

    Well, that was a rather… dramatic entrance…

    Finally, above the Sorrowful Saintess, a pair of pink, heart-shaped butterfly wings unfurled.

    A small, adorable, pink figure descended, landing on the blue-haired girl’s shoulder and yawning languidly.

    [Saint-rank – Ice Soul Cold Star]
    [Saint-rank – Frost Snow Woman]
    [Saint-rank – Sacred Water, Lover]

    “You said… you wanted to become what, again?”

    Gong Lianyue tilted her head, looking at the motionless Crystal King, her voice cold and indifferent.

    Chapter 182: The Terror of the Sorrowful Saintess

    The Crystal King, a high-rank spirit beast. Since its birth, it had sensed the immense power within itself, a power far surpassing the weaklings of the Ice Plains.

    Water Elements were its toys, Ice Spirits its playthings, and Snow Foxes its babies.

    Sensing their weak spirit energy, the Crystal King knew it could crush these low-rank spirit beasts effortlessly.

    If it hadn’t been for that one time it foolishly attacked a Snow Fox little sister, attracting the attention of the Snow Fox older sister, and then attacking the older sister, attracting the Snow Fox mother and aunt, and then the Snow Fox grandmother, ancestor, princess, and finally, the Snow Fox Emperor, it wouldn’t have been trapped in this icy prison for over two hundred years.

    High-rank spirit beasts were symbols of power!

    The Crystal King had once believed its strength and power were absolute, that it could end a life with a flick of its wrist, reveling in its superiority, a feeling of supreme bliss.

    However, reality was harsh. It wasn’t at the top.

    “You said… you wanted to become what, again?”

    Facing the blue-haired girl, her voice cold and indifferent, the Crystal King felt its consciousness dragged into a viscous sea, its memories flashing before its eyes.

    Time stretched and distorted, a single moment feeling like an eternity, yet less than a breath.

    And its eyes, perhaps blurred by tears, couldn’t clearly see the three spirit beasts before it.

    Not because of the tears, but because of the overwhelming aura emanating from them, an abyssal presence that shattered its pride and confidence, its once powerful spirit energy reduced to a faint flicker.

    A completely different level of power!

    An insurmountable gap, a predetermined hierarchy.

    This was… a Saint-rank…

    The Crystal King’s icy body began to melt, water dripping onto the ground.

    As the young girls watched in shock, its oval-shaped body slowly bent, assuming a kneeling position, its head bowed, its eyes unfocused.

    “I said…”

    “I want to form a contract with one of you.”

    The moment its knees touched the ground, the Crystal King understood.

    High-rank spirit beasts had limits. Saint-rank spirit beasts did not.

    It might never reach the Saint-rank, but it could serve a Spirit Master alongside a Saint-rank spirit beast. What an honor!

    A few seconds later, as the Crystal King trembled, the Ice Soul Cold Star, as if toying with it, placed a hand on its head, stroking it gently.

    “Don’t be so nervous. Choose one.”

    Hearing Gong Lianyue’s calm voice, the Crystal King was moved to tears.

    It immediately turned to the Snow Fox girl it had intended to kill earlier. The probability of a human and a spirit beast producing spirit beast offspring was 99.99%, while the chance of producing a humanoid, beast-eared hybrid was only one in ten thousand.

    This Snow Fox girl was clearly a treasured member of the Snow Fox clan. By contracting with her, it might have the opportunity to fight alongside a Saint-rank companion!

    Sensing the Crystal King’s eager gaze, Shui Yue’er blinked in confusion.

    Sea Concubine Palace, Ice Plains

    Pop!

    The beautiful, heart-shaped bubbles burst as Gong Lianyue returned with the five missing Sea Concubine Palace disciples.

    Seeing the high-ranking officials of the Sea Concubine Palace gathered amidst the snowy landscape, the girls were startled.

    Especially the Snow Fox girl, who, before she could even open her eyes, was tackled by the Water Emperor’s soft and fluffy Snow Fox Princess, which proceeded to nuzzle and lick her enthusiastically.

    “Then I’ll go back to my cultivation…”

    Seeing their curious gazes, not wanting to be questioned about what had happened, Gong Lianyue turned and vanished in a flash of pink light, carried away by the butterfly wings.

    With the Sorrowful Saintess gone, the Six Concubines, having lost interest, also dispersed, their mission accomplished.

    Bai He lifted the unconscious Shui Puxing and carried her back, her expression a mix of worry and annoyance, barely resisting the urge to slap her.

    She knew it had been Shui Puxing’s idea to venture so deep into the Ice Plains.

    Still, she should thank Gong Lianyue later. This could have been a disaster…

    A mandatory mission, requiring the mobilization of the entire palace, had been effortlessly resolved by the Sorrowful Saintess.

    Meanwhile, Shui Yue’er, the Snow Fox girl, still lying on the ground, gazed dreamily in the direction the blue-haired girl had disappeared, then turned to Shui Yingge, the Water Emperor, who had just approached.

    “Mom, can you defeat the Sorrowful Saintess…?”

    Shui Yingge: “?”

    Had this child lost her mind? Had she actually believed the rumors about the Sorrowful Saintess defeating the Nether Empress with a single move?

    Rumors were just rumors. If they angered the Nether Empress, there would be consequences.

    Later that night, the Sea Concubine Palace announced the punishment for the ten girls who had ventured too deep into the Ice Plains:

    Two weeks of confinement until the eve of the Ranking Battle, a fine of 10 spirit crystals each, and Shui Puxing, the instigator, fined 100 spirit crystals.

    The Six Concubines and the other senior instructors, who had wasted their time searching, would also be compensated, the resources naturally deducted from Shui Yingge, who had issued the mission.

    While the Sea Concubine Palace dealt with this trivial matter, a different kind of panic was brewing within the Pool of Hidden Secrets.

    Initially, after breaking free from the ice, they hadn’t fully grasped the current situation in the Sea Region. However, after half a month, the Pool of Hidden Secrets Spirit Masters finally understood what they were facing.

    The Sorrowful Saintess, rumored to be able to defeat the Nether Empress with a single move, had also severely injured three of the Wind Realm’s Emperors a month ago.

    And a legendary Water Element, wielding a demonic blade, had ravaged the Wind Realm, leaving it a desolate wasteland.

    Speaking of legendary beings… that was the same level of power that had trapped the Pool of Hidden Secrets in ice for a thousand years!

    Having finally escaped their icy prison, they now had to face another, even more terrifying, “legendary” being…?

    Amidst this fear and panic, the Ranking Battle was fast approaching!