Chapter 11

“Jiang Jiang?” Lu Yaotiao noticed Jiang Yiguang’s abnormality; her expression was exactly like she’d seen a ghost. But Lu Yaotiao believed deeply in the Mystic Sect and didn’t imagine things were so dire. Her gaze swept past the woman and across the passing crowd, and with a trace of confusion, she murmured, “Don’t see Fu Juan though?”

It would be nice to see Fu Juan now. Although the female lead’s fortune had temporarily plummeted, no matter what, it was a trial the creator had designed for her. This terrifying ghost lady was clearly an excellent whetstone. As for an irrelevant person like herself, it was best to withdraw early from this complicated and chaotic world. Jiang Yiguang grumbled inwardly. Her heart was pounding wildly. Seeing that the ghost lady made no strange moves, she suppressed her inner unease and forced a smile at Lu Yaotiao. “It’s nothing.”

Jiang Yiguang’s mind gradually calmed, but the calm didn’t last long. As she tugged Lu Yaotiao and hurried towards the shop exit, the ghost lady followed them. She smiled slightly at Jiang Yiguang and politely said, “What a coincidence, meeting again.” When Jiang Yiguang looked over nervously, she curved her eyes and added, “Thank you for showing me the way yesterday.”

If she hadn’t heard Fu Juan say she “couldn’t find the person,” she might have believed the ghost lady’s words! Goosebumps erupted all over Jiang Yiguang, but her face showed little expression. She could even respond with remarkable composure, returning the smile and saying, “You’re welcome.”

In Lu Yaotiao’s eyes, the exchange between Jiang Yiguang and this somewhat familiar woman was all silent looks and unspoken messages. She didn’t have the leisure to probe the relationship between this strange woman and Xie Qingdu. Instead, she feigned sudden realization and winked at Jiang Yiguang, teasing in a whisper, “A romantic prospect?”

Jiang Yiguang felt completely numb. Romantic prospect, her foot! She was clearly targeted by something unclean! Why wasn’t the True Form Chart of the Five Peaks working? And that damned system that promised to bring her happiness—why was it playing dead again at this critical moment?

“May I invite you for a cup of tea?” the woman asked again. Before Jiang Yiguang could answer, she smiled self-deprecatingly and said, “I know it’s a bit forward, but—”

“Yes!” Jiang Yiguang cut her off abruptly. She was afraid that refusing would anger the ghost lady. Not looking at the ghost lady’s expression, she feigned calmness and said, “But my friend has other matters to attend to.”

“Huh?” Lu Yaotiao uttered, bewildered. Her gaze darted between Jiang Yiguang and the woman before she threw a knowing look and chimed in, “Sorry, I really do have urgent business.”

The woman responded faintly, showing little interest in Lu Yaotiao.

Jiang Yiguang’s palms were sweaty. The ghost lady was indeed targeting her—that was good, at least Lu Yaotiao wouldn’t be dragged into this.

Across the street was a quiet, secluded teahouse.

Compared to a tranquil environment, Jiang Yiguang preferred liveliness. But when the ghost lady glanced towards that teahouse, Jiang Yiguang knew she had no other choice. She followed the ghost lady silently, inwardly guessing her intentions. The magical artifacts her mother had prepared were all on her person; no matter how you looked at her, she didn’t seem like a suitable target for ghosts to approach. Wait—if she was a ghost, how could she show no reaction to the magical artifacts? Could she be human? Had she misunderstood? But why would a stranger try to strike up a conversation with her? After learning her Charisma Points were in the “hated by humans and dogs” bracket, Jiang Yiguang didn’t believe anyone would be drawn to her without reason, even if she considered her looks to be on par with others.

The fragrance of tea curled in the air.

Jiang Yiguang was never one to calmly savor tea; now, with a suspected “ghost lady” sitting across from her, she found it even harder to settle her mind. She just stared blankly at a painting of flowing water in the teahouse, inscribed with the four large characters for “The Highest Good is Like Water.”

The woman introduced herself first: “My surname is Xie, given name Chaoyun.”

Jiang Yiguang froze. A moment later, she snapped back to attention.

The line she had read in the ancient texts last night instantly surfaced in her mind: “Empress Wenzhao, née Xie, taboo name Chaoyun.”

A faint smile surfaced on the woman’s pale cheeks. Her deep, profound eyes seemed to see right through Jiang Yiguang’s thoughts. She added, “From Yangxia, Chen Commandery.”

Jiang Yiguang: “!” That was an ancient place name; modern people would never introduce themselves like that! She wanted nothing more than to stand up, shake her sleeves, and leave, but her trembling legs were completely weak, as if held in place by some unseen force. She steeled her nerves and said with forced calm, “You… you were looking for me about something?”

Xie Chaoyun asked again, “Are you investigating the South Mountain Fox Immortal Temple?”

Alarm bells blared in Jiang Yiguang’s mind. She hastily shook her head in denial. “I’m not a disciple of the Xuanzhen Dao Court.”

Xie Chaoyun seemed thoughtful. After a moment, she said, “But you carry magical artifacts on you.”

Without blinking, Jiang Yiguang lied, “I spent a lot of money to buy them.” This ghost lady was proactively asking about the “South Mountain Fox Immortal Temple”—could it be related to the recent romantic misfortune? If she truly was that person, it would be over a thousand years, wouldn’t it? How could the Xuanzhen Dao Court allow such a great ghost to roam the mortal realm?

Xie Chaoyun smiled, unconcerned by Jiang Yiguang’s lie. She simply asked with concern, “If the culprit is found, how will she be dealt with?”

Jiang Yiguang frowned. That wasn’t for her to decide. The Xuanzhen Dao Court had its own laws for punishment. If someone had died, it wouldn’t just be a life sentence.

Xie Chaoyun said, “You don’t need to be afraid.”

Jiang Yiguang glanced at Xie Chaoyun.

The woman sitting across from her had a pale face and gracefully arched brows, truly possessing the air of a noble lady from a great family.

If she were human, Jiang Yiguang would have appreciated her beauty properly. But if she was a ghost—the fact that she hadn’t fled in terror was already a testament to her courage.

“I don’t know.” Jiang Yiguang’s four-word answer was exceedingly sincere and confident.

Xie Chaoyun laughed without any temper. “That’s alright.”

Jiang Yiguang didn’t quite understand those words at first. But when she saw the figures of Fu Juan and Wang Xuanming appear, she suddenly understood.

So, her real target wasn’t the wine, but something else entirely.

She was just bait to lure Fu Juan… or a hostage?

As Jiang Yiguang’s thoughts drifted aimlessly, a “ding” sounded, and that scam of a system came online.

【Detected that the Host has fallen into a dangerous situation. Now, three choices are provided:

A. Loudly shout Fu Juan’s name and order her to save you. (Daoist Skill Points +3)

B. Take out a magical artifact to save yourself. (Intelligence Points +5)

C. Do nothing. (Physical Strength Points +2)】

Jiang Yiguang: “…” From the moment she met “Ms. Xie” until now, at least ten minutes had passed. Who exactly did this system serve? Why did it only detect danger after Fu Juan appeared? Was there a similar plot point in the original story? Given “her” feelings for Fu Juan, she would definitely have chosen option “A,” right? Doing that might cause trouble, but the reward was three Daoist Skill Points! That was more than her previous three choices combined.

After some internal struggle, Jiang Yiguang chose “C.” She straightened her back and sat upright, her gaze resting on Fu Juan for a moment before dropping to the tea bowl, where ripples were spreading in circles.

There was no wind in the teahouse, and the table was as steady as Mount Tai.

The “Qi” had changed.