Chapter 12: This Generation’s Master of Penglai Island Has a Serious Problem

A little master at seeking death.

Cheng Huan ultimately failed to grasp the function of the first Persona Card. But because Gu Chuan had helped her figure out the third one, she magnanimously forgave his insolence.

Gu Chuan was dragged aside by You Luan for a lecture. When he returned, his face bore obvious injuries, as if deliberately displayed to Cheng Huan so she would overlook his earlier transgression.

Cheng Huan said nothing; she didn’t even spare him a glance.

She had never thought highly of the Male Lead from the start. His training lacked rigor and focus, his mindset lacked positivity and ambition. Every day, he neglected his duties, scheming only about dual cultivating with the Female Lead. His personality was rash, impulsive, and utterly reckless, caring only for his own pride and whims. Such a person was fortunate to be the Child of Destiny. Without the Heavenly Dao propping him up, he would have been cannon fodder long ago.

Now, Cheng Huan could only accelerate Lu Qing’an’s progress toward her goal.

As for the Male Lead, she simply had to ensure he didn’t die. How he sought beatings and courted death—well, he was on his own.

For now, her priority was leaving this Retirement World as soon as possible, lest unforeseen complications arose.

The Male Lead of this world was all looks and no brains. Cheng Huan was genuinely worried he would get himself killed.

The previous expedition to the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss could have been entirely avoided. Mo Le Sect had deliberately set a trap to lure the Primordial Pavilion’s training squad. The Female Lead had planned to let the routed enemy go, but the Male Lead insisted on pursuing and capitalizing on their victory. As a result, Mo Le Sect drove them straight into the Abyss.

Because of that, the world’s main storyline Cheng Huan held underwent a clear deviation.

Since the Child of Destiny’s choices differed, the main storyline shifted accordingly due to those different choices.

As for the final fate of the Child of Destiny, it depended entirely on whether their decisions at life’s crucial junctures were correct.

If Cheng Huan hadn’t appeared at the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss in time to rescue them, this world would have already collapsed from the deaths of its Male and Female Leads.

After a brief rest, everyone prepared to head deeper into the Oracle Mystic Realm.

Their objectives were twofold: first, to destroy the possibility of the 100,000 Demon Cultists resurrecting; and second, to reach the Burial Ground at the center of the Oracle Mystic Realm for the Immortal Legacy.

Thus, all who came to the Oracle Mystic Realm ostensibly gathered under the guise of cooperating to solve the resurrection threat.

In truth, everyone’s real aim was the Immortal Legacy within the Burial Ground.

Cheng Huan declined the Wujian Temple Abbot’s invitation to travel together, instead walking over to the Primordial Pavilion’s ranks and walking side-by-side with Lu Qing’an.

This action convinced everyone all the more that the Penglai Island Master had taken a liking to Lu Qing’an.

The true meaning behind this “liking,” however, remained unknown.

Had she recognized Lu Qing’an’s talent and wanted to groom her as the next Island Master? Or had she taken a liking to Lu Qing’an’s appearance and wished to make her a plaything between the sheets?

The crowd remained silent, yet their expressions varied greatly.

Lu Qing’an cautiously watched Cheng Huan from the corner of her eye, hesitant to speak. “Are you still angry?”

Cheng Huan looked puzzled. “Angry about what?”

She guessed it might have something to do with Gu Chuan and waved her hand dismissively. “His words aren’t worth my anger. Rumors are a mix of truth and falsehood. Why should I care how every single person looks at me?”

“So, are you really bisexual?” Lu Qing’an asked.

Cheng Huan was about to deny it, but the words stuck in her throat and wouldn’t come out.

She immediately summoned the Little Hedgehog to investigate. It informed her that this was the Persona Card mechanism at work—she could not reveal any information about the Persona Cards to outsiders, or the Main System would forcibly mute her.

“…” Cheng Huan gave a massive mental eye-roll to the Main System. She had to think of another way to explain.

“What if it’s true? What if it’s false?” Cheng Huan feigned a cryptic, profound manner. “If you believe I am, then I am. If you believe I’m not, then I’m not.”

The words were circuitous and pointed to nothing substantial, but the Main System did not silence her.

Lu Qing’an’s gaze flickered. “I’ve heard accounts of people seeing you visit brothels and the Male Brothel in Ninggu Town. Is that a rumor I should believe?”

“That one you can believe. I did go there.”

Lu Qing’an’s eyes darkened. The hand gripping her sword tensed, veins faintly bulging. “Is… is that so?”

Cheng Huan nodded. “I’ve been everywhere on the Profound Nether Continent. Not just brothels and male brothels, but also wine houses, gambling dens, the Ghost Market, auction halls… I’ve visited them all. I just went to see the world. After all, I stayed on Penglai Island for far too long. Arriving on the Continent, didn’t I just have to roam around and have a good time?”

Lu Qing’an blinked. “Then why… why did you go to the brothels and… that other place? Don’t you know those places are…”

“Pure curiosity,” Cheng Huan said. “I saw the bustling crowds, men and women alike going in. On a whim, I went in to take a look. But the moment I entered, I was immediately scared off by the cheap incense and the sickeningly affected voices and mannerisms of the courtesans.”

Cheng Huan had been a hermit on Penglai Immortal Island for a very long time. Upon arriving on the Profound Nether Continent, she began a non-stop spree of sightseeing and eating. Later, once she learned the function of the second Persona Card, she basically never kept material possessions overnight, spending everything she could on the very day she acquired it.

Her daily life was therefore extremely colorful. One day she might be destitute, unable to scrounge a single Spirit Stone from her entire being, pitifully sitting with street beggars to beg for money. The next day, she’d be loaded with riches, scattering money like dirt, terrified it would all vanish come midnight. She’d even thrown Spirit Stones for fun from Changming Bridge.

Lu Qing’an let out a slight sigh of relief. “That’s good then.”

Cheng Huan recalled the function of her third Persona Card. Having shared a tent with Lu Qing’an last night, others would inevitably have wildly imaginative ideas about their innocent relationship.

During cultivation, a disturbed mind and spirit was the greatest taboo.

Cheng Huan didn’t care what the world thought of her, but Lu Qing’an might not be the same.

She was still young, still naively ignorant of the world’s cruelty. The tongues of people were the sharpest weapons, wounding invisibly.

Cheng Huan worried these rumors might affect Lu Qing’an’s mood during cultivation. She took the initiative to speak. “Do you have an extra tent?”

Lu Qing’an asked, “Why?”

“I won’t sleep with you tonight. You know my… reputation. If you stay close to me, people will inevitably gossip. Some might even think you’re my…” Cheng Huan shrugged, not finishing the sentence.

Lu Qing’an said calmly, “It doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t have an extra tent. You’ll sleep with me.”

Seeing her firmness, Cheng Huan expressed her concern. “These rumors and gossip… I fear they’ll affect your cultivation. If your mind and spirit are unsettled during cultivation, you could suffer Qi Deviation.”

“You’re worried about me?” Lu Qing’an looked at Cheng Huan, a tiny spark of light flickering in her eyes.

Cheng Huan nodded as if it were obvious. “Isn’t that nonsense? If I didn’t care about you, why would I worry about your cultivation?”

If your cultivation was affected, wouldn’t it delay her own early exit from this world?

Lu Qing’an’s heart trembled. The corner of her mouth lifted in a faint smile. “It’s fine. These rumors and gossip won’t affect my training. You don’t need to worry.”

Cheng Huan trusted the Female Lead’s mental fortitude. Her heart held only cultivation. “Good,” she said, reassured.

As everyone had suspected, they indeed hadn’t yet entered even the Outer Sect Grounds of the Oracle Mystic Realm.

Looking at the thick layer of white mist ahead, it was like a gargantuan wall standing between heaven and earth.

After the battle with the Blood Mist the previous night, the sight of such a dense fog made everyone’s heart skip a beat. They all stood on high alert, summoning their treasure weapons and Natal Swords to face a potential enemy.

No one knew what was within that cloud. If they encountered a fierce, pack-dwelling Spirit Beast like the Datura Serpent again, their current strength and numbers could not withstand another such blow.

After all, following the devastating battle last night, thoughts of retreat had already sprouted among the surviving cultivators. Many had used Teleportation Talismans to leave the Oracle Mystic Realm during the deep quiet of the night.

For this, those who stayed behind felt no blame or resentment. They did not seek out or settle accounts with those who had left on their own.

Each had their own ambitions. Fearing death was no crime.

Cheng Huan walked up to the edge of the mist. Seeing the crowd not moving, she asked, puzzled, “What are you all standing there dumbly for?”

“Penglai Island Master, this mist must surely conceal deadly peril!” someone cried out in panic.

“This is a Barrier,” Cheng Huan said. She reached out and touched the cloud. The mist looked dense but was actually quite thin. A flick of her fingertip dispersed it. “Inside lies the Outer Sect Grounds of the Oracle Mystic Realm.”

Seeing the mist brushed aside by Cheng Huan’s hand, and that her fingers suffered no erosion, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

But just as they were about to step into the mist, Cheng Huan added, “Although this Barrier holds no danger, it only permits entry to one person at a time. You cannot go in together.”

“What does that mean?” Someone panicked, their voice trembling. “Why can’t we go together? The Oracle Mystic Realm is fraught with danger! If we’re alone, won’t our lives be forfeit?!”

“That is the restriction of this Realm. It holds immense treasures, but also life-snatching dangers.”

Cheng Huan looked at the speaker, her expression indifferent. “The Immortal Legacy can only be claimed by one person. In that case, isn’t going to the Burial Ground alone the better choice?”

At these words, expressions shifted across the crowd. Eyes glinted, but no one whispered or exchanged glances like before.

After all, everyone who came to the Oracle Mystic Realm had their own selfish motives.

Having finished her explanation, Cheng Huan turned and walked to Lu Qing’an. She instructed, “Be extra careful once inside. If you feel afraid, just wait for me where you are. There’s nothing I can do to alter this Barrier.”

She couldn’t control the three layers of barriers within the Oracle Mystic Realm.

Lu Qing’an came back to her senses, surprised. “You altered my entry barrier yesterday?”

Now that she thought carefully, yesterday’s entry into the realm’s barrier had been far too calm and simple.

Cheng Huan replied, “I simply selected a safe barrier for you.”

“And… that meal, was that also you?”

“That was not,” Cheng Huan said. She couldn’t cook at all. “That barrier did it. That thatched hut was the dwelling of an Immortal, still bearing traces of his life before he passed.”

Lu Qing’an nodded. “Alright.”

Cheng Huan looked at the bruised and swollen-faced Gu Chuan. She walked up to him and, seeing his tense, guarded expression, sighed helplessly. “You too. Be extra careful.”

Gu Chuan frowned deeply. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Was this the weasel paying the chicken a New Year’s visit—no good intentions?!

Cheng Huan was truly afraid the Male Lead would deliberately seek death. She decided to simply raise her hand and tap Gu Chuan’s forehead. Irritated, she said, “This is my Primordial Spirit Mark. Should you face a life-threatening danger, it can save your life.”

Gu Chuan: “…”

This gesture from Cheng Huan baffled everyone. Just moments ago, she had shown such favor to Lu Qing’an. How was it that she was now showing such deep concern for Gu Chuan?

Could the rumor be true?

The gazes cast upon Cheng Huan grew subtly veiled and speculative. They hadn’t expected the Penglai Island Master to truly be bisexual.

This morning, the two had been glaring at each other fiercely, and now they were bound by a life-and-death attachment. What was this supposed to be?

Lovers’ tiff?!

The crowd’s expressions suddenly looked like they were chewing wax.

Lu Qing’an remained silent, her eyes deepening with a profound, unreadable light.

Gu Chuan felt a cool, refreshing current flow into his Spirit Sea, wrapping around his Golden Core.

Startled, he stumbled back two steps and stammered, “You… what are you doing?!”

A Primordial Spirit Mark meant stripping a wisp of one’s own Primordial Spirit Power and placing it within another’s body, using one’s own Spirit to protect that person.

This was essentially a life-for-a-life spiritual art.

Gu Chuan had thought Cheng Huan detested him to the extreme. He had not only been disrespectful but also wildly insolent towards her. Yet now, in the end, she was using a Primordial Spirit Mark to protect him.

Suddenly, Gu Chuan couldn’t understand this Island Master at all.

Could it be… she’s taken a fancy to me?

At this thought, Gu Chuan’s body gave a mighty shudder. He blurted out, “I won’t submit!”

“Stop blindly seeking death!” Cheng Huan shot him a contemptuous glare. Too lazy to explain, she tossed out these words and turned to enter the mist.

When the crowd saw Cheng Huan walk into the cloud without any sound emerging from within, they pondered for a moment. Some then stepped into the mist. Others let out a long sigh and turned to leave.

Gu Chuan touched his forehead. That icy sensation still seemed to linger. He murmured to himself, “She couldn’t really have taken a liking to me, right?”

“She won’t.”

Gu Chuan, deep in thought, was startled by the sudden voice beside him. He turned his head sharply. “Qing’an? What did you say?”

Lu Qing’an looked at him, enunciating each word clearly. “She won’t.”

Gu Chuan: “…”

Gu Chuan was just guessing; he wasn’t that narcissistic. “I just don’t understand why the Penglai Island Master would grant me a Primordial Spirit Mark?”

“I don’t know.” Lu Qing’an also didn’t understand the intent behind Cheng Huan’s actions.

But one thing she could guarantee: Cheng Huan absolutely had no feelings for Gu Chuan.

“She won’t like you.” Worried Gu Chuan might overthink it, Lu Qing’an repeated, “She definitely won’t!”

Gu Chuan: “…”

He got it, alright!

Was there any need to tell him over and over?