Caught red-handed, Yan Zhichuan looked up and met Zhan Yujie’s gaze. Moments later, she closed her eyes and promptly pretended to fall asleep.
The Heavenly Dao System flapped its wings and flew away, sneering coldly at Yan Zhichuan again and again. It was ready to watch how she would handle this.
“Yan Zhichuan.” Zhan Yujie frowned slightly, listening to the rhythmic breathing from her embrace. She believed that if she didn’t speak up, this junior sister of hers would truly sleep through heaven and earth.
Yan Zhichuan shrank back her neck. Uh-oh, full name— is Senior Sister angry? She cracked open one eye stealthily and glanced at Zhan Yujie. Seeing no chill or warmth in her expression, she shamelessly sat up as if nothing had happened. But her wrist was still gripped by Zhan Yujie, serving as damning evidence.
“Senior Sister, are you cold? Hungry? Have you broken through to the Nascent Soul Second Layer? Is your Dan Sand supply sufficient?” Yan Zhichuan fawned attentively, inquiring after her well-being.
Zhan Yujie let her beat around the bush until Yan Zhichuan’s voice trailed off. Only then did she calmly ask, “What are you doing here, Junior Sister?”
Yan Zhichuan’s eyes darted around.
What am I doing here? Borrowing money, of course! But Senior Sister had refused once before, saying it wasn’t quite appropriate.
Argh, caught red-handed. Time to spin my clever brain and come up with a brilliant idea.
“Saying it out loud would ruin it,” Yan Zhichuan said hesitantly.
Zhan Yujie raised an eyebrow. Worse than reaching into my robes? She’d sensed Yan Zhichuan’s approach the moment she made a move—it was clearly aimed at the Pill Jades. But judging by her demeanor, she had no intention of telling the truth. Her gaze darkened, and she uttered a single indisputable word: “Speak.”
“Fine.” Ever flexible, Yan Zhichuan surrendered immediately. Her eyes swept over Zhan Yujie’s face, suppressing some wandering thoughts before presenting a lie that wasn’t entirely fabricated. “I read a line in a storybook that puzzled me, so I came to verify it.”
“What line?” Zhan Yujie asked, though she regretted it the instant the words left her mouth. With the nonsense Yan Zhichuan reads, what could possibly be worth pondering?
Yan Zhichuan beamed, reciting in a lively, carefree tone: “The storybook said, ‘In this cold world, only Senior Sister’s embrace is warm.'”
Zhan Yujie: “…”
What an unnecessary question.
Yan Zhichuan even leaned in closer on purpose, lifting her free hand toward Zhan Yujie’s chest. Zhan Yujie frowned and clamped down on both of her mischievous hands. She shot Yan Zhichuan a glare. “Junior Sister, compose yourself!”
Yan Zhichuan blinked innocently. “Huh?”
Zhan Yujie gave up tussling with her. Her gaze drifted to the “IOU” Yan Zhichuan had dropped. “Junior Sister, what’s that?”
Yan Zhichuan yanked her hand free in a flash and stuffed the “IOU” into her sleeve with quick movements. She looked around. “IOU? What IOU?”
Zhan Yujie reached out and pinched Yan Zhichuan’s chin, forcing her shifty eyes to meet her own. Her lashes trembled slightly as she said coolly, “Taking without asking is theft.”
Yan Zhichuan’s skin reddened under the pinch. At the word “theft,” her body began to tremble. She pulled Zhan Yujie’s hand away and quibbled, “I did ask! You didn’t refuse, Senior Sister!”
The Heavenly Dao System chirped “Cheep cheep!” twice, issuing merciless mockery.
Struck by sudden inspiration, Yan Zhichuan straightened her back, feeling even more justified.
Senior Sister was awake the whole time—never fully in meditation!
She declared, “You were clearly awake, Senior Sister. If you didn’t want to lend it, you could have shaken your head, but you didn’t. Instead, you’re blaming me now… Waaah, I’m telling Master! You’re bullying me!”
Yan Zhichuan put on a grievance, wrapping her arms around Zhan Yujie’s waist and nuzzling wildly in her embrace.
Still fake-crying.
Zhan Yujie fell silent.
She couldn’t refute that.
Yan Zhichuan’s rubbing made her feel strangely uncomfortable all over. She pinched the back of Yan Zhichuan’s collar and hauled her upright.
Yan Zhichuan looked up at Zhan Yujie, her gaze sliding from her brows to her red lips, then to the half-exposed skin peeking from her loosened collar.
Still want to take a bite.
Zhan Yujie tucked in the wrinkled collar.
Yan Zhichuan’s stare was so blatant… truly too strange.
Is my junior sister getting sicker?
“What do you need the Pill Jades for?” Zhan Yujie broke the weird atmosphere.
Yan Zhichuan’s wandering thoughts snapped back, her intense gaze softening. She sat cross-legged in front of Zhan Yujie, propping her chin on her hands and tilting her head up. “To buy storybooks.”
Zhan Yujie’s face darkened.
She held back harsh words and asked patiently, “What for?”
Yan Zhichuan blurted, “To save the masses from dire straits.”
Zhan Yujie: “Speak plainly.”
Yan Zhichuan: “I think there’s something off about that Ruoxu. I’m buying up all her signed copies!”
Zhan Yujie paused before asking, “A hunch?” Nearly all the Daoists at the outpost were now focused on the temples and shrines—whether from Jiang Xuanji’s divinations or their own senses, the variant was most likely there. As for storybooks… only Yan Zhichuan would notice. Still, Zhan Yujie felt an inexplicable unease. After a moment’s thought, she took out some Pill Jades and handed them over.
Senior Sister’s lending me money?!
Yan Zhichuan lit up with joy. She threw her arms around Zhan Yujie and, following her inner craving, bit down on her shoulder through the fabric to express her gratitude. “Thank you, S—”
Before she finished, Zhan Yujie shoved her away.
Yan Zhichuan looked up, bewildered, at Zhan Yujie who had suddenly stood and retreated several steps.
What’s this about? I didn’t bite hard!
Yan Zhichuan bit her own hand with the same force and waved it at Zhan Yujie. “Doesn’t hurt.”
Zhan Yujie’s face flushed faintly. Is this about pain?
She opened her mouth to say something but, seeing Yan Zhichuan’s pure, innocent eyes, suddenly felt like she was making a fuss over nothing.
Why quibble with such a dim-witted junior sister?
Zhan Yujie exhaled deeply, smoothed her disheveled collar, and changed the subject. “No eating paper.”
Yan Zhichuan nodded vigorously. That paper tasted awful anyway—I don’t want it.
Zhan Yujie pointed at the door. “Out.”
Yan Zhichuan said “Oh” and paused at the threshold, noticing Zhan Yujie’s odd expression. She turned back. “Really doesn’t hurt.”
Zhan Yujie’s vision went black. She ground her teeth. “Scram.”
Yan Zhichuan shrank back and fled under Zhan Yujie’s icy glare. Back in the hall, she snatched the forgotten Pill Jades with greased-lightning speed and slipped away.
Zhan Yujie’s face flushed and paled as she watched her back. After silently reciting calming sutras several times, she returned to her meditation cushion to cultivate.
The Daoists guarding the outpost were at most Golden Core cultivators, and the passage only allowed Golden Core passage—but lurking Demon Cultivators were another story. If she could push her cultivation to Nascent Soul, their chances of success later would improve.
Meanwhile, Yan Zhichuan bolted straight to the bookshop with the Pill Jades.
Ruoxu Daoist wasn’t there pushing her book sales; she’d gone off with White Jade Capital’s Daoists. Without her, the shopfront was a bit quieter.
Yan Zhichuan didn’t hesitate and bought out all of Ruoxu’s signed copies.
If those “signatures” held curses, inscribing them would consume mana—Ruoxu couldn’t sign endlessly.
Zhan Yujie’s Pill Jades weren’t enough for the whole shop, but clearing out Tenfold Spring Charm‘s signed editions was more than enough.
Under the shopkeeper’s suspicious gaze—”You’re not reselling, are you?”—Yan Zhichuan paid nonchalantly. Then she tracked down those who’d already bought copies.
She planned to buy them back at a premium. Between money and books, some would choose cash. For those who didn’t, no problem—Yan Zhichuan had ways. She’d fabricate some dirt on Tenfold Spring Charm, hype up another popular author, and tell everyone the tide had turned. As for the die-hard fans—suicide mission; even heaven can’t save them.
“Where’d my Senior Sister get those Pill Jades?” Yan Zhichuan tugged at the Heavenly Dao System, her thoughts wandering.
Shouldn’t she be broke?
“Funds for errands,” the Heavenly Dao System replied. If it were Nine Abyss Sect’s Fu Shi, it wouldn’t give Yan Zhichuan a single coin either.
Yan Zhichuan said “Oh,” then added, “In that case, since it’s not her pocket money, I don’t have to pay it back, right?”
This is for the greater good.
Buying at the bookshop was easy, but prying signed collector’s editions from buyers took effort. Yan Zhichuan spent a full three days gathering the scattered copies.
When Jiang Xuanji arrived and saw the towering stack of storybooks with their dubious titles, her face stiffened.
No wonder the sect master’s sole true disciple has zero reputation on the continent. She’s a total backdoor slacker, right?
Not quite—she does have that divine alchemy skill. But no talent survives her level of squandering.
Doesn’t Nine Abyss Sect care?
Jiang Xuanji’s eyes betrayed her thoughts as she glanced at Zhan Yujie repeatedly.
Is this senior sister slacking on her duties?
Zhan Yujie: “…”
She read Jiang Xuanji’s look loud and clear.
She shot a chilly glare at Yan Zhichuan, who was sneak-reading a book, then composed herself. “Fellow Daoist Jiang, do these books have any issues?”
Jiang Xuanji’s face flushed crimson. She waved her hands. “Fellow Daoist Zhan, aside from Daoist scriptures, I have no interest in such things.”
Yan Zhichuan glanced at her solemnly. “Fellow Daoist Jiang, my Senior Sister wants you to check for curses. You Heavenly Balance Mansion folks with your mumbo-jumbo—are the experts at this. What were you thinking?”
Jiang Xuanji froze.
Damn, I misread that. Can I take it back?
Zhan Yujie seemed not to hear their exchange. She said calmly, “Trouble you, Fellow Daoist Jiang.”
Jiang Xuanji breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly pulled out her divination tool to work.
After the time it took for one incense stick to burn, Jiang Xuanji wiped sweat from her brow. “No issues.”
Yan Zhichuan jerked her head up. “Impossible. Fellow Daoist Jiang, is your Dao technique not refined enough?”
Jiang Xuanji: “…” She gnashed her teeth. “This poor Daoist may be unworthy, but I am the top true disciple of Heavenly Balance Mansion this generation.”
Yan Zhichuan pressed, “Last time I saw you, you were Golden Core First Layer. Still are? Really reliable?”
Damn, can’t argue that.
Jiang Xuanji’s vision dimmed. She barely steadied herself and said stubbornly, “I may not match Nine Abyss in combat, but in divination, Heavenly Balance Mansion yields to no one.”
Yan Zhichuan nodded casually.
She grabbed a book and started tearing out pages.
Jiang Xuanji didn’t know what she was doing and frowned in confusion.
A crack appeared in Zhan Yujie’s flawless icy facade. Mindful of the outsider, she didn’t speak aloud but sent a transmission: Junior Sister, forgot what you promised me before?!
Yan Zhichuan blinked blankly.
Senior Sister never said no tearing paper…
