Once this thought arose, Qin Wanwan shivered. In that instant, the kind faces of her parents also turned grotesque.
She swallowed hard, raised her hand to brush her chest, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Then, she quickly reached out to 38 to seek some comfort: “38, do you know my parents?”
“I’ve heard of them.”
38 admitted it frankly, and Qin Wanwan quickly asked, “From where did you hear about them?”
“From you.”
38’s answer left Qin Wanwan speechless. After thinking for a moment, 38 added a few more words to encourage her: “Actually, we’re all just workers here. We only find out the reasons for our tasks in the end. If you’re worried about your parents, then complete the task to ascend as soon as possible. Once you ascend, if anything happens to them, you’ll have the ability to save them, right?”
Qin Wanwan was greatly encouraged when she heard this, and she quickly took the chance to ask, “Is there a shortcut to ascension?”
“Yes,” 38 said casually, “Earn points, lots of points. The more points you accumulate, the more golden fingers you can exchange for. With golden fingers, do you still need to worry about ascension?”
Qin Wanwan felt that 38’s words made perfect sense. She quickly opened her page to check and found that the points for her new task had been credited.
Her total score had already reached 5535 points! Staring at this huge amount, Qin Wanwan felt a surge of hope for the future.
Find the White Dragon Jade, accumulate points, exchange for golden fingers, find more White Dragon Jade, and open the Gate of Immortality!
After ascending, find her parents!
Qin Wanwan set her goal, thought of Jian Xingzhi inside the room, and quickly went to find him. She decided to temporarily put aside her hatred and unite with him in the same cause, to ascend together as soon as possible.
She trotted to Jian Xingzhi’s door, and as soon as she stepped inside, she saw Xie Gutang and Nan Feng walking out behind the doctor.
Nan Feng went to see the doctor off, and Qin Wanwan turned to look at Xie Gutang. “Daoist Xie, how is my Master?”
“He’s fine now,” Xie Gutang replied, his face showing some exhaustion. “Your Master faced the tribulation with you. When two people undergo the lightning tribulation together, the intensity doubles. Senior drew most of the lightning to him, and his body couldn’t fully withstand it. But he’s been stabilized now. Miss Qin, don’t worry. A few more days of rest, and he’ll be fine.”
Qin Wanwan was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. She thought back to Jian Xingzhi’s words during the lightning tribulation, “I have no other way except beating you”, and for a moment, she felt a surge of emotion.
She forced a smile as if nothing was wrong, then quickly turned to look at Xie Gutang. “Daoist Monarch Xie, what about you? You must have been injured as well, right?”
Xie Gutang didn’t expect Qin Wanwan to be concerned about him at this moment. He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “I’m fine. A few days of rest, and I’ll be good as new.”
“Then you should rest quickly,” Qin Wanwan said. After a moment’s hesitation, she took off an earring, raised her hand to inscribe a spell on it, and handed it to Xie Gutang. “If you need anything, just call me. I’m sorry for causing trouble to Daoist Monarch Xie this time.”
Xie Gutang stood there holding the earring in a daze. After a moment, he finally came to his senses and gave an embarrassed smile: “Thank you for your concern, Miss Qin.”
“No need to thank me. From now on, you can just call me Wanwan.”
Hearing Xie Gutang address her politely, Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but smile as she thought about how they had become life-and-death companions. “I’ll call you Brother Xie then.”
“Okay.”
Xie Gutang didn’t refuse and, and called out in a dignified manner: “Wanwan.”
“Brother Xie, go and have a rest,” Qin Wanwan said, thinking that Xie Gutang was also tired, and waved her hand, “I’m going to see my Master.”
With that, Qin Wanwan turned, pushed open the door, and entered the room.
As soon as she entered, Qin Wanwan saw Jian Xingzhi standing by the window, his hair flowing loosely, hands clasped behind his back. He looked like a sage, deeply immersed in some profound thought.
Qin Wanwan was startled by him, and after regaining her composure, she stuttered, “Master… Master, what are you doing standing there?”
“Just now,” Jian Xingzhi said in a low, almost distant voice, “I gained two points in my mind.”
“Ah?”
“What did you and Xie Gutang do?” Jian Xingzhi turned around and looked at Qin Wanwan with a serious, scrutinizing gaze.
Qin Wanwan didn’t know why, but for a moment, she felt guilty as if she was a student caught in a secret crush by the homeroom teacher. Then she quickly realized how silly that analogy was. Taking a deep breath, she mustered up her courage and said with an open expression, “I gave him an earring, so we can facilitate communication.”
“Earring?” Jian Xingzhi frowned, “Why did you give him that?”
“Then should I give him a handkerchief next time?” Qin Wanwan hesitated. “If I want to stay in touch, I need a physical object as a medium for the spell. Last time, you gave me a banana, and since I didn’t have anything else suitable, I had no choice but to give him the earring.”
Jian Xingzhi choked for a moment, then thought for a while before concluding, “Carry more fruit with you from now on.”
Qin Wanwan: “…”
Sick.
“Master,” Thinking of Jian Xingzhi’s outstanding performance in the thunder tribulation, Qin Wanwan decided to be more filial today. She hurriedly walked over to Jian Xingzhi’s side to help him, “The wind is strong, don’t stand here and get a cold. Please, sit down.”
Jian Xingzhi was helped by her to sit down, his expression gloomy. Qin Wanwan looked him up and down and asked, “Master, are you feeling alright?”
“Nothing to worry about.” Jian Xingzhi was in a terrible mood, his tone very aloof. Qin Wanwan poured him some tea. He took a sip, holding the cup, and slowly spoke, “What did you just talk about with Cuilu?”
Hearing Jian Xingzhi’s question, Qin Wanwan hid the relationship between herself and the couple from the Upper Realm. She relayed everything Cuilu had said. Jian Xingzhi listened, his brow furrowing. “It seems this world is closely connected to the Immortal Realm. We must ascend as soon as possible if we want to uncover the truth.”
Qin Wanwan nodded quickly after hearing his words.
That’s right, ascend as soon as possible, and find her parents.
“However, the presence of the two seniors from the Upper Realm that year did confirm one thing.” Jian Xingzhi said, and the topic took a strange turn.
Qin Wanwan looked up, confused, and asked blankly, “What thing?”
“I came to this small world,” Jian Xingzhi clenched his fist, “It really has something to do with Jishan people!”
Qin Wanwan: “…”
At this moment, she didn’t dare to speak.
But after thinking for a moment, she still couldn’t help but argue, “Not necessarily. Look at how much you and Lin Yanzhi resemble each other. Have you ever considered that you two might be brothers separated for many years?”
“That’s not important. What matters most right now are two things.”
“Which two things?”
“Beicheng,” Jian Xingzhi stood up, with his hands behind his back, and walked to the window again. Basking in the moonlight, he gazed at the sky, pretending to be in a deep thought: “Do you know what I saw in the Heart Demon Tribulation?”
“What?”
Qin Wanwan poured herself some tea and took a sip.
Jian Xingzhi’s tone was filled with sorrow. “I saw you were, seducing me.”
“Pfft——”
Qin Wanwan spit out a mouthful of tea. Jian Xingzhi turned around and looked at her seriously: “It seems the Charm Insect really does have an effect on me. We must pull out this insect as soon as possible to avoid breeding Heart Demons in our hearts.”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan frantically nodded. One hand wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, while the other raised in a ‘stop’ gesture towards Jian Xingzhi. She quickly warned him: “Master, those are nothing but illusions. You mustn’t develop any improper thoughts about me. I can’t fight you, but if you really try anything, that would bring disgrace to our sect!”
“Good.”
Jian Xingzhi nodded, he walked to Qin Wanwan, and took her hand. Qin Wanwan stared at him nervously, and saw Jian Xingzhi writing a series of runes on her palm, before biting his finger and letting a drop of blood fall onto her hand.
“This is the Lianxin Array I promised you,” Jian Xingzhi looked up at her, “If I lose control and do something to you, you don’t have to worry, just kill me.”
[T/N: Lián xīn fú (连心符), literally translated to Heart-linking Charm/Array. It is often used in Chinese cultivation novels to represent a bond or connection between people, especially in romantic or deep emotional contexts.]
With this array, Qin Wanwan’s sense of security increased greatly. She withdrew her hand from Jian Xingzhi’s and calmed her emotions: “Then Master, what else did you see besides me?”
“Beside you, I also saw the Lady of Jishan, Qin Wanwan!”
Jian Xingzhi gritted his teeth and said: “I saw her spreading everything that happened to me in this small world everywhere, turning me into a laughingstock in the Immortal Realm, and being ridiculed by everyone! It’s simply an unforgivable crime!”
As he spoke, Jian Xingzhi slammed his fist on the table. Qin Wanwan, holding the teacup, watched as the table shattered into fine ash, scattering away as the wind blew.
She listened to Jian Xingzhi’s words, and the touching feeling she felt previously disappeared.
She felt that she was still too kind, too easily moved, and not creative enough. Jian Xingzhi, on the other hand, was quite imaginative. His idea was actually pretty good. She had made up her mind—starting today, she would record everything he said and did. After ascending in the future, she would turn it into reels and spread them everywhere.
Jian Xingzhi said, his tone growing increasingly agitated, “I can’t stay in this world much longer. Qin Wanwan has become my Heart Demon. If the Heart Demon continues to grow, it will be detrimental to my Dao. I need to ascend quickly, return to Jishan, and take revenge on her and settle this grudge!”
“Oh, alright,” Qin Wanwan calmly took a sip of the tea and looked up at him. “Then, I wonder what Master plans to do next? Matters of ascension can’t be rushed, can it?”
“I thought about it. We need to accumulate points quickly.”
Jian Xingzhi shared the plan he had been thinking about all night with Qin Wanwan: “When I have enough points, I can exchange them to transfer some of my cultivation in the Immortal Realm over to you. As long as my cultivation is intact, I’ll dig up all the White Dragon Jade for you. Then, you will be able to ascend immediately, right?”
“Master is so great,” Qin Wanwan said expressionlessly, “Then how can we quickly accumulate points?”
“I’ve already looked into it,” Jian Xingzhi said confidently, “The points from completing tasks are too low. We still need to focus on the affection branch.”
“Ah?”
Qin Wanwan was a bit confused, so Jian Xingzhi moved a chair over to explain to her: “It’s like this—Qin Wan’s fate is that of a woman destined to have a harem, great opportunities, and everything. If we do tasks, we can only earn a small amount of points, but for the romantic storyline, we can open up many different emotional branches.”
Qin Wanwan listened attentively, Jian Xingzhi took out a small notebook from his sleeve: “I’ve compared the numbers. Look, when I completed the tasks seriously, like the tasks in a Guicheng, I only get 1,000 points after finishing it. But if you spend half an hour alone with Xie Gutang, I can get 100 points. Now, if you work on ten emotional branches at the same time, spending half an hour a day with each person, wouldn’t that give you 1,000 points? Do we still need to do tasks? With one main quest a day, we could quickly gather enough points for my cultivation. As long as I have half of my cultivation back, all those like Shen Zhiming and Jun Shu, I can take care of them for you.”
“Master,” Qin Wanwan looked at Jian Xingzhi and almost wanted to applaud him, “You’re a genius when it comes to collecting points.”
“This is the part where I need your cooperation,” Jian Xingzhi said seriously. “What do you think?”
“I think,” Qin Wanwan pondered for a moment, “Isn’t it a bit unethical to toy with someone’s feelings?”
“That’s true too,” Jian Xingzhi thought for a moment, then came up with a solution, looking at her with bright eyes, “Then why not just let others toy with your feelings instead?”
“Toy… toying with my feelings?” Qin Wanwan couldn’t comprehend what he said.
“Don’t let them develop feelings for you, but rather, you will develop feelings for them,” Jian Xingzhi explained to her. “Then you can learn how to do it in the most heartless way—fall in love first, then sever it. We can save points and ascend to the Upper Realm, a win-win situation. How about that?”
“The most heartless way…” Qin Wanwan frowned. “You mean those people who kill their partners to attain their cultivation?”
“You don’t have to necessarily kill them,” Jian Xingzhi explained again, “You just need to be strong and learn to let go.”
“What if I can’t let go?”
Qin Wanwan’s question left Jian Xingzhi stumped. He thought for a moment, then, still a bit confused, asked, “How could you not let go? Is love really more important than cultivation?”
Qin Wanwan asked with hesitation: “What if it is?”
Jian Xingzhi fell silent again. He began to seriously consider this “what if.” The two of them were now trapped in a stalemate.
Qin Wanwan also pondered for a moment. Recalling that her parents’ lives and deaths were still uncertain, she gritted her teeth and said, “Alright, let’s do it this way.”
Jian Xingzhi looked up in surprise, seeing Qin Wanwan making a firm decision: “I will treat it like having a love affair. I will take the initiative and find someone I like. I’ll be serious about it—I won’t toy with him, and he won’t toy with me. Even if it fails, at least I can earn more points.”
“Good!”
Jian Xingzhi was delighted to hear her speaking and realized that he could get more points. He nodded in encouragement and said: “Master will help you find someone with good character, someone you may like. With high cultivation and good looks. If it works out successfully, it’ll be great. If not, at least you’ll get the points.”
“Yes!”
Qin Wanwan nodded firmly.
Jian Xingzhi raised his hand. “Come on, let’s work hard to return to the Immortal Realm and conquer Jishan!”
“Come on!”
Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi slapped their palms in a high-five, their hearts filled with a burning desire to fight and strive forward.
“Okay, Master, you need to rest, so I will leave first.”
Seeing him in a good condition, Qin Wanwan was about to leave when Jian Xingzhi called out to her: “Wait.”
Qin Wanwan turned back curiously and saw Jian Xingzhi spreading his hands: “You gave Xie Gutang an earring, right? What about me?”
“I live next door to you,” Qin Wanwan pointed to the room next door. “Just call out to me when you need me.”
“I don’t want to. Why does he get something but I don’t? Let me tell you, a Master is like a father for life. I have to have what he has. You can’t forget your Master just because you found a husband.”
Jian Xingzhi urged her: “Give me one too.”
Qin Wanwan had no choice but to raise her hand to remove the other earring.
Jian Xingzhi stood up: “I don’t want any earrings.”
“Then what is it that you want?”
Qin Wanwan was a little annoyed. Jian Xingzhi walked in front of her, looked at her up and down for a moment, then reached out and snatched away her hairpin.
Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Qin Wanwan froze for a moment, then saw Jian Xingzhi put his two fingers together and drew a few strokes on the hairpin. A magical seal lit up, and he shook the hairpin playfully as he said, “I’ll be at your service, anytime.”
Qin Wanwan: “…”
“Childish.”
Muttering a curse under her breath, she turned away.
Jian Xingzhi sneered softly, then tucked the hairpin into his chest pocket.
Traitor.
[Mini Theater – 1]
Jian Xingzhi: “Let’s work hard for points. How about we draw a few more affection branches?”
Qin Wanwan: “Okay!”
Jian Xingzhi: “Alright, then go ahead and search, and I’ll help you choose.”
Qin Wanwan: “I like this one.”
Jian Xingzhi: “This one won’t do. His cultivation is too low.”
Qin Wanwan: “That one?”
Jian Xingzhi: “That one won’t work either. Doesn’t look half good.”
Qin Wanwan: “How about you pick one for me?”
Jian Xingzhi: “I thought about it, except for me, no one else is good enough for you.”
Qin Wanwan: “I don’t want any points…”
[Mini Theater – 2]
Jian Xingzhi: “I saw two people in my Heart Demon Tribulation.”
Qin Wanwan: “Who are they?”
Jian Xingzhi: “The first one is you, Gu Beicheng, you are the one I love.”
Qin Wanwan: “Oh.”
Jian Xingzhi: “The second one is Qin Wanwan, the Lady of Jishan! She is the one I hate.”
Qin Wanwan: “Oh.”
Jian Xingzhi: “What do you think of my Heart Demon Tribulation?”
Qin Wanwan: “No, I’m just curious, if you know Qin Wanwan is also me, what would you think?”
Jian Xingzhi: “…”
[Mini Theater – 3]
Jian Xingzhi: “Wow, the points gained from affection branches are so high, how about we create a few more?”
Qin Wanwan: “Oh.”
Later —
Reporter: “May I ask, what insights does Daoist Monarch Suíhéng have about life?”
Jian Xingzhi: “The gifts fate bestowed have long been marked with a heavy price. Everyone, don’t be tempted by small bargains. Back then, I sold my disciple for points, but who knew that disciple would become my wife? Those points, turned out to be compensation…..”
