Chapter 24

Upon becoming a Personal Disciple, she had already received a precious magical treasure from Feng Xiwu. But Liuli had yet to present her own apprenticeship gift. She took out the prize from this Sect Grand Tournament, intending to offer it as her gift.

Naturally, it wasn’t as valuable as the Water of Supreme Goodness Pot, but it had more commemorative significance.

Feng Xiwu, however, pushed the prize back to her. “You keep this. Why don’t you tell me instead how you managed to trap Liang Tianguang.”

At this, Liuli couldn’t help but smile with a hint of pride.

“Actually, it was nothing. I just added starch to the water.”

Starch existed in this era. Liuli had made a special trip to the kitchen, asking the Outer Sect disciples who helped with cooking to prepare several large buckets of starch for her. Mixed with water, it became a non-Newtonian fluid.

Simply put, a non-Newtonian fluid is strong when met with strong force, and soft when met with soft force. The harder Liang Tianguang attacked the starch solution, the harder the starch solution itself became.

Of course, to prevent Liang Tianguang from seeing through the “soft when met with soft” property and finding a weakness in the starch solution, Liuli had constantly used her techniques to control the water prison, making the “soft” moments act “hard,” so that Liang Tianguang believed the starch solution was impenetrable throughout.

Occasionally, Liuli would tire and control the water prison to dodge Liang Tianguang’s attacks, letting them land on the talisman-created cage. Once she recovered, she would use the water prison to take over for the cage again.

In this way, Liang Tianguang was trapped tight inside the prison.

Because this world lacked the concept of Newton, Liuli told a small lie, saying she had accidentally discovered the starch fluid’s properties while cooking.

Feng Xiwu seemed quite interested after hearing this. She had Liuli prepare a basin of starch fluid on the spot. She struck it with her hand—the starch fluid vibrated violently but still absorbed her attack. Immediately after, however, the fluid emitted cold air and froze solid into a block of ice…

Feng Xiwu said, “Not bad. But it still needs improvement.”

Liuli stared at the basin of starch ice, carried it into the kitchen, and conveniently used it to make a fruit-flavored cold cake.

…

Liuli packed up her entire small courtyard on Peach Blossom Mountain, preparing to take her belongings and move to Parasol Tree Mountain.

When she was leaving, Liang Tiantian clung to her waist, crying. Unable to do anything else, Liuli simply brought Tiantian along with her.

Liuli had thought she would be living with people like Junior Sister Little Feng and the others. After all, there were only those two courtyards on Parasol Tree Mountain. But when she arrived with Liang Tiantian, she saw a small courtyard had appeared right next to Phoenix Perch Residence, as if by magic.

Feng Xiwu had built her a residence in just half a day. Liuli’s brain short-circuited for a moment, and she sighed emotionally, “If this were Earth, she’d have a monopoly on developers, contractors, and interior decorators.”

Happily, Liuli became neighbors with Feng Xiwu.

She even put up a plaque for her own small courtyard, engraved with three large characters: “Liuli Residence.” She had asked Feng Xiwu to do the engraving, as Liuli’s own calligraphy skills were too embarrassing to present.

.

Liuli discovered that whenever Feng Xiwu appeared, Tiantian became as shy and timid as a little kitten. When Liuli went to Phoenix Perch Residence to water the flowers, Tiantian never followed.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of my Shizun?” The newly upgraded Liuli had changed her address from “Perfected One Feng” to “my Shizun” every chance she got.

Liang Tiantian sat on the swing in the courtyard, swaying back and forth. She cast a subtle eye-roll at Liuli, seemingly speechless at Liuli’s one-hundred-percent trusting attitude towards Feng Xiwu.

“Senior Sister, isn’t it normal for me to be afraid of her?”

“My Shizun is actually a very good person.” Liuli squeezed next to her, blowing rainbow farts while swinging with her little sister. “She’s so beautiful, so gentle and kind. You’ll see once you interact with her more.”

Hey, are you online? Look at my idol, aaaahhhh she’s so stunningly beautiful! She’s so hardworking and talented, how can such an amazing person exist in this world!!!

Just like every young girl immersed in idol-chasing, Liuli simply couldn’t restrain her desire to promote her favorite!

Liang Tiantian’s expression froze slightly. After listening to Liuli’s ten-minute-long barrage of praise, she finally couldn’t help but say:

“Senior Sister, I think… Perfected One Feng… is probably not quite the same as what you imagine.”

What, innocent and pure? Righteous and kind? Whether there were other agreements between the two of them, Liang Tiantian wasn’t sure, but on this one point, she saw it crystal clear:

On the day of the final, Senior Sister Liuli had agreed to Feng Xiwu’s rule in front of everyone, clearly cutting off her own path of retreat.

While the onlooker sees the game better than the player, Liang Tiantian had always felt Feng Xiwu would definitely take Senior Sister Liuli as a disciple. If she truly didn’t want to, why would she tolerate Senior Sister’s frequent trespassing and disturbances on Parasol Tree Mountain again and again?

Even letting Liuli cultivate directly in the Meditation Room on Parasol Tree Mountain… It was a foregone conclusion. Only Senior Sister Liuli herself couldn’t see it clearly.

Liuli didn’t grasp her meaning but instead nodded in agreement. “You’re right. How could an individual of such profound depth as Shizun be easily seen through by me? Don’t worry, spending time together day and night, we’ll get to know each other better!”

Liang Tiantian: “…Ah.”

…

Having achieved her wish for a time, Liuli was beside herself with joy. Yet she hadn’t forgotten the troublesome matters amidst the good news.

Long Jingxing had finally woken up. The news that his Spiritual Root had been crippled and could not be healed had spread.

Though Liuli didn’t want to see him, Liang Tiantian still had some old friendship with him. So Liuli went with Tiantian to visit him.

Upon seeing Long Jingxing, Liuli couldn’t help but be startled. It had only been a few days, but the once ambitious, spirited, and well-mannered young man had turned into a gloomy, dejected shell of his former self.

Seeing Liuli arrive, Long Jingxing seemed to try to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it.

It was over. The rift between them was now completely irreparable.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Liuli exchanged a few polite greetings with him before quickly taking her leave. She then saw Ye Zhenzhen.

Ye Zhenzhen had her arms crossed, staring up at the sky, her eyes vacant, lost in thought.

In passing, Liuli offered her some comfort as well. “Don’t be too sad. Perhaps Senior Brother Long will recover later on.”

Contrary to her usual combative demeanor, Ye Zhenzhen shook her head gently. “It’s not about that.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m just thinking,” Ye Zhenzhen frowned deeply, “how did he turn into this… this dispirited, cynical shell.”

Liuli: …

Ye Zhenzhen’s tongue is truly venomous.

Ye Zhenzhen continued, “Forget it. He needs some time.”

“As long as you’re happy,” Liuli said, and she meant it.

Soon, the news of Long Jingxing’s crippled Spiritual Root reached his hometown. His legendary fiancée sent a letter of annulment. Long Jingxing suffered yet another blow. Dazed and gaunt, he wasted away rapidly in just a few short days.

In the original storyline, Xue Liuli would have accompanied Long Jingxing back home. Then, the plot of Long Jingxing being humiliated by his fiancée and Xue Liuli standing up for him would unfold. During this time, Xue Liuli and Long Jingxing’s relationship would have advanced by leaps and bounds, laying a solid foundation for Xue Liuli’s future as the “Empress.”

But Liuli didn’t want to be an “Empress.” Liuli tilted her head up and whistled at the sky.

Annulment? Long Jingxing? You’re looking for Xue Liuli. What does that have to do with me, Liu Li?

If she had that spare time to accompany Long Jingxing back to his hometown, she’d rather figure out a way to upgrade and strengthen the Heavenly Martial Sect’s defenses, protecting against a future invasion by the Devil Sect.

Liuli thus pretended to know nothing about it. She heard that the one who went in her place was Ye Zhenzhen.

She had wanted to advise this stubborn, lovestruck girl, but to each their own. Even knowing clearly that Long Jingxing had ambiguous relationships with many girls, Ye Zhenzhen remained unwavering in her devotion. So, let her be.

However, the original plot clearly stated that after Long Jingxing fell into his low point, Ye Zhenzhen changed her attitude and saw him as dirt. Why did it look like she hadn’t given up yet?

Liuli attributed this to the butterfly effect caused by her own transmigration.

Paying no further mind to Long Jingxing’s side of things, one day, Liuli found an excuse and secretly slipped towards the Back Mountain Forbidden Area.

Forbidden Areas—every sect, clan, or small organization had one. Usually, they were used to imprison criminals or store treasures.

Liuli wasn’t familiar with the paths here, only knowing there were guards near the Forbidden Area.

Sneaking in was going to be truly difficult.

If she hadn’t recalled these past few days that the Devil Sect was able to successfully invade the Heavenly Martial Sect because Long Jingxing inadvertently revealed a loophole in the Back Mountain Forbidden Area, Liuli wouldn’t have wanted to go through all this trouble.

She couldn’t just bluntly say, “I’ve read the book, everyone here is just a character, don’t mind me.” Liuli could only pretend she had discovered it unwittingly.

Holding her breath and concealing her aura, Liuli glanced left and right. Huh? Why didn’t she see any guards…

Whatever. This area was secluded and desolate; normally, no one came here. Since there were no guards, Liuli carefully stormed right in.

Inside Radiance Tower.

Ripples suddenly appeared across a suspended mirror. Xue Meiniang paused, knowing someone had trespassed again.

Looking up, he saw that this time, the trespasser was none other than his troublesome daughter.

The mirror faithfully captured Liuli’s every move—she was strolling around inside as if window-shopping, looking here and peeking there.

He had no idea what she was trying to find.

Normally, if Liuli wanted to wander around the Forbidden Area, so be it. It wasn’t a big deal. But these past few days, several people were being confined within the Forbidden Area…

Just as Xue Meiniang thought this, he saw in the mirror that Liuli had run head-on into three black-clothed men.

“…”

This daughter of his—sometimes her luck was frighteningly good, and other times, it was as if she was specifically targeted by the heavens. Such a huge Forbidden Area, and she actually managed to bump into them!

Xue Meiniang immediately notified the guards, asking them to make a trip inside the Forbidden Area.

On the other side, Liuli, knowing absolutely nothing, stared at the three black-clothed men who had appeared before her. She paused, then asked, “Are you guys lost too?”

Ever since she’d stepped into the Forbidden Area, Liuli had lost her sense of direction. Her cultivation was also suppressed, causing her to lose track of her path as she walked.

She guessed this was due to an array set up in the Forbidden Area. She tried a Barrier-breaking Talisman, but still couldn’t see the paths clearly. By now, she was already regretting this somewhat, but she couldn’t leave either.

The three black-clothed men were of varying heights, all men. Liuli secretly nicknamed them by height: Big Black, Middle Black, and Little Black.

The Three Blacks exchanged glances, communicating with their eyes. They seemed to have reached a decision.

Big Black adjusted his collar, smiled, and cupped his hands in greeting. “This Junior Sister here, did you also accidentally wander in?”

“Yes.” Meeting people while lost was absolutely wonderful.

“So did we.” The four of them fell into step, walking together. Big Black probed, “Junior Sister, what’s your name?”

Liuli answered very naturally, “My name is Tang Shishi.”

Tang Shishi…

“Junior Sister Tang, which path did you come in from just now? We’ve been trapped here for a long time and have forgotten the way. Maybe if you think back, we can all get out!”

“It seems like it was this way…” Liuli scratched her head, walking along with the Three Blacks.

On the way, they chatted, all amicable and harmonious.

Little Black seemed to casually ask, “Junior Sister, do you know a Senior Brother named Long Jingxing?”

Liuli’s expression didn’t change. “I’ve seen him from a distance a few times, but I’m not very familiar with him.”

“I wonder what place he got in the Inner Sect Grand Tournament?”

“You don’t know?”

Big Black hurriedly covered. “We’ve been trapped for so long, we missed the Inner Sect Grand Tournament. What terrible luck.”

“Ah, I see. Senior Brother Long is very powerful. He got first place!”

First place?! That wasn’t what the Hierarch said… The Three Blacks exchanged glances.

“Then, may I ask what place Junior Sister got?”

“I wasn’t so good, my ranking was too far back… too embarrassed to say.” Liuli almost blushed.

“Ha ha, Junior Sister, though young, your cultivation is already exceptional. Don’t fret over temporary wins or losses. By the way, Junior Sister, do you know the Sect Leader’s daughter, Xue Liuli?”

“Of course I do,” Liuli said without batting an eyelid.

“Can you tell us about her?”

“Of course.” A hint of pity appeared on Liuli’s face. “Let me tell you, if you ever meet Xue Liuli, you must take a detour!”

“Why is that?”

Liuli mercilessly criticized: “This Xue Liuli person, no good, no good at all. She relies on being the Sect Leader’s daughter, arrogant and domineering, committing all sorts of evils. Whenever she sees us girls who are prettier than her, she robs us of our jewelry and pretty clothes. Heavens, countless young maidens have suffered under her evil grasp! Ah, by the way, have you heard of Ye Canghai’s granddaughter, Ye Zhenzhen?”

Little Black quickly nodded. “Heard of her, heard of her.”

“Just because Ye Zhenzhen is good-looking and admires Long Jingxing… she was actually, actually—by her—Ai!”

At this point, Liuli finally couldn’t continue. She covered her face and sighed. “It truly makes the listeners grieve and the witnesses weep!”

Little Black: “…She’s that vicious?”

Liuli nodded heavily, then shifted her tone. “I’ve heard that Xue Liuli secretly cultivates Devil Arts, which is why her cultivation grows so fast, frighteningly fast. Too bad she has a Sect Leader for a father. None of us usually dare to provoke her, let alone accuse her without evidence.”

Devil Arts?!

This news was truly shocking. Little Black quickly asked, “This matter is of grave importance. Could Junior Sister elaborate in more detail?”

“Huh? Don’t you know?” Liuli showed a fitting amount of surprise and looked curiously at Little Black. “Which Perfected One are you Senior Brothers apprenticed under?”

“We are under Immortal Pan Yue. Immortal Pan Yue lives in a remote place; we rarely leave the mountain and aren’t clear on many matters.”

Little Black fabricated for himself a master who was an unremarkable Nascent Soul Perfected One.

“That explains it,” Liuli said with sudden realization, and continued her tale. “Honestly, not many people know about this. It’s fate that I met you Senior Brothers today, so I’ll tell you. But when you get out, you absolutely must not say it was me, Tang Shishi, who told you.”

“Naturally, naturally. Junior Sister, please tell us quickly!”