After hearing that his family background was quite good, yet she was still so decisive in wanting to part ways with him, Jun Shu couldn’t help but feel even more favorable towards Qin Wanwan.
“Miss, you don’t need to be so polite.” Jun Shu smiled. In the past, this smile was charming and elegant, but now it appeared particularly kind. He looked at Qin Wanwan gently, “Miss, you saved me, and that is a kindness as heavy as a mountain. I, Wuming, am not an ungrateful person, so expressing my gratitude is only right.”
“So who are your enemies?”
Jian Xingzhi noticed Jun Shu’s eyes were glued on Qin Wanwan, so he quickly moved a stone and sat between them, blocking Jun Shu’s gaze. Propping his chin up, he looked at Jun Shu and said: “My friend, I observed the muscles and veins in your body, and it seems you once had a cultivation base. But now, with your current appearance, it seems you’ve been forcibly drained of your cultivation, am I right?”
Jun Shu immediately denied upon hearing this: “No, it’s not that. I made a mistake during my cultivation and was forced to disperse all my cultivation myself, so that I can improve in the future.”
If Jian Xingzhi could tell that he had once had cultivation and even speculate about his level, it wouldn’t be difficult to guess his past strength. If they were to learn that his enemies were in the Tribulation stage, they might not be willing to take him in.
Jun Shu thought to himself, then coughed lightly and spoke, “I was also taken advantage of by some petty people during my cultivation process. If it hadn’t been for that, how could those who haven’t even reached the Golden Core stage possibly hurt me?”
“I see,” Jian Xingzhi nodded. “Then may I ask, which sect do you belong to, Fellow Daoist?”
“I am the legitimate son of a wealthy merchant in Lecheng,” Jun Shu, pressed by Jian Xingzhi’s constant questioning, began to fabricate a story, “If it’s convenient, perhaps you could give me a messenger bird to send word. Once my family comes to fetch me, I will leave immediately and won’t cause any trouble for you. Although my family is just a merchant, we are quite wealthy…”
“Stop with the nonsense,” Cuilu raised her hand and tossed a messenger bird to Jun Shu, “Tell your family to hurry up and come take you away.”
Jun Shu could tell from Cuilu’s tone that she was impatient. He held back his resentment, took the messenger bird, and bowed like an ordinary mortal: “Thank you, Lady Daoist.”
“This Fellow Daoist is seriously injured, it would be better for you to rest early.”
Xie Gutang noticed Cuilu had an issue with Jun Shu and quickly spoke up to ease the tension. Cuilu snorted coldly, and Qin Wanwan gave Nan Feng a glance. Nan Feng put down the chicken wings, stood up quickly, and said, “Grandpa, let me take you over there.”
Grandpa!
Hearing this word, Jun Shu felt his blood boiling. He couldn’t help but feel more resentful towards Shen Zhiming who absorbed his spiritual energy.
He suppressed his emotions and followed Nan Feng into the nearby tent.
Once Jun Shu had left, everyone realized that the excitement was over, so they scattered and returned to their own tents to rest.
Qin Wanwan dragged her tired body into her tent and collapsed onto the bed. As soon as she lay down, she felt someone sitting cross-legged beside her. She was so scared that she shrank behind, only to see that it was none other than Jian Xingzhi.
“Master?”
Qin Wanwan was at a loss: “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to discuss something important with you.”
Jian Xingzhi spoke seriously, and Qin Wanwan was momentarily taken aback by the words ‘something important’. She immediately sat up straight: “Master, can you tell me?”
“This guy we saved tonight,” Jian Xingzhi pondered for a moment, “Once he restores his cultivation, he’ll probably look like…”
“No need to say more.”
Qin Wanwan immediately raised her hand and stopped Jian Xingzhi from speaking: “My heart is already set in stone.”
When they first met, he was already a hundred-year-old man. Qin Wanwan felt that it would be very difficult for her to fall in love with this man later.
“Is there really no chance at all?” Jian Xingzhi asked, still hoping to negotiate. Qin Wanwan quickly shook her head.
She thought for a moment and said: “It’s not just that there’s no chance at all. Even if there were no problems on my side, there probably wouldn’t be any chance on his side either.”
“What do you mean?”
“Today, when he was talking about crushing his enemies to ashes, who do you think they were?”
Qin Wanwan reminded him, and Jian Xingzhi immediately showed a look of realization. She then gave him an analogy: “Let me put it this way. The relationship between us and Wuming right now is like… you are Jian Xingzhi, and I am the Lady of Jishan, and we are both here.”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi opened his eyes wide, and the feeling of suffocation hit him immediately. Qin Wanwan spoke seriously, “Let’s say we didn’t know each other’s identities and lived together for a while. Do you think the Lady of Jishan could fall in love with you? Or that you could fall in love with the Lady of Jishan?”
“Absolutely impossible!”
“Exactly,” Qin Wanwan nodded. “Being able to be friends is already being magnanimous. To talk about falling in love—how can that be easy?”
This analogy struck a chord with Jian Xingzhi, and he nodded in agreement: “You’re absolutely right. It seems we must give up on this affection branch. Let’s escort him back, at least we’ll earn 500 points.”
“We can only wait and see for now. But Master,” Qin Wanwan suddenly remembered, “Is he really the one who dispersed his own cultivation?”
“Nonsense,” Jian Xingzhi scoffed. “Who could disperse their cultivation like this? Unheard of.”
“What cultivation level was he before?”
“Nascent Soul.”
“Then what kind of person could drain a Nascent Soul so thoroughly?”
Qin Wanwan furrowed her brows, and Jian Xingzhi pondered for a moment before speaking: “There are two possibilities. One is that the other person took advantage of him when he was unprepared, which could be anyone. The other is that the person is much stronger than him. Even with a Nascent Soul resisting with all its might, someone capable of draining all his cultivation would have to be at least at the God Transformation stage or higher.”
“Then saving him…”
Qin Wanwan hesitated, a sense of worry creeping in. But as she thought about it, she realized that this wasn’t just about completing a task anymore. This world was closely connected to her Immortal parents, and these system tasks seemed to be some kind of guidance. She couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
Seeing her concern, Jian Xingzhi patted her shoulder in assurance and said, “Don’t worry, even if it’s a Tribulation stage, your Master can handle it.”
“Master,” Qin Wanwan smiled bitterly, “With the state of your Sea of Consciousness, you should better stop using your Divine Sense. Focus on cultivating properly.”
“Are you looking down on me?”
Jian Xingzhi’s expression showed disbelief: “Let me tell you, back when I was in the Immortal Realm…”
Before he could finish his sentence, footsteps suddenly sounded outside. Jian Xingzhi instinctively shut his mouth, crouched down, and held his breath, although he wasn’t sure what he was hiding from.
“Wanwan.”
Xie Gutang’s voice sounded from outside. Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi exchanged a glance. Jian Xingzhi subtly tilted his chin toward the door. Qin Wanwan quickly got up and stepped out of the tent: “Brother Xie?”
As she spoke, Qin Wanwan saw Xie Gutang standing at the entrance, carrying a food box.
“You haven’t eaten much tonight and have been busy all the time,” Xie Gutang said, handing her the food box. “I roasted some wild rabbits and made porridge. Eat a little before you sleep.”
Qin Wanwan hadn’t expected Xie Gutang to bring her food. She was stunned for a moment, then reacted and hurriedly took the porridge handed over by Xie Gutang and thanked him, “Brother Xie, you’ve gone through so much trouble. Thank you.”
“You’ve always liked to eat, so it’s only right that I leave some for you. I’ve also given some to Nan Feng.”
“What about Master…”
“I just went to the Senior’s tent,” Xie Gutang frowned. “He wasn’t there. He might have gone off to cultivate.”
“Mm,” Qin Wanwan nodded. “You don’t need to worry about him. Go rest, he doesn’t like to eat much anyway.”
“Okay.”
Xie Gutang smiled: “Then I’ll leave first.”
After saying that, Xie Gutang didn’t ask anything more and simply took his leave. Qin Wanwan watched him walk away, then looked down at the food box. Unable to help herself, she called out, “Brother Xie.”
Xie Gutang stopped at the sound of her voice, turned around, and looked at her. “What is it?”
“You…” Qin Wanwan hesitated, then asked, “Don’t you have anything you want to ask?”
“Hmm?”
Hearing her words, Xie Gutang seemed puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and sincerely complimented her, “The dance tonight was beautiful.”
Xie Gutang didn’t smile often; he was usually quite indifferent. So when he suddenly smiled like that, it felt exceptionally sincere.
Qin Wanwan suddenly felt a bit shy and didn’t dare look at Xie Gutang. She stammered, “I… I wasn’t talking about that. It’s just, after all we’ve done tonight, you didn’t even ask what we were up to…”
“Is it something bad?”
Xie Gutang understood what she was implying and directly interrupted her. Hearing his words, Qin Wanwan quickly shook her head and denied: “No, we won’t do anything bad.”
“Then why should I ask?”
Xie Gutang responded with a question, his gentle eyes fixed on Qin Wanwan: “The reason I came down the mountain to escort the two of you is because I trust your character. Since we are friends, if you prefer not to speak about it, I won’t pry. If you need help, I’ll be there.”
“But I…” Qin Wanwan felt a twinge of guilt hearing Xie Gutang’s words, “I haven’t been able to help you with anything. It feels like I’ve been the one asking for your help all along…”
“You have helped.”
Xie Gutang spoke up, and Qin Wanwan looked at him in puzzlement. He looked at her seriously and said, “Within the secret realm, regardless of your own future, you helped everyone with the best of your ability. I, Xie Gutang, am truly grateful for that.”
“Ah,” Qin Wanwan recalled, feeling a bit embarrassed. “It– was just a small thing.”
“I cultivate the Sword of Conscience,” Xie Gutang said, his expression showing a hint of melancholy: “In the past, I haven’t had many friends. This is the first time I’ve truly interacted with someone. If I’ve offended you in any way…”
“You haven’t offended me,” Qin Wanwan waved her hand, “Daoist Xie is very good, extremely good.”
Xie Gutang was surprised for a moment. After a while, he chuckled and turned to gaze at the bright moon. “It’s getting late, and the food should be eaten while it’s hot. I’m going to rest now.”
Saying this, Xie Gutang bowed and took his leave. Qin Wanwan stood at the door, watching him walk further away, until Jian Xingzhi lifted the curtain and poked his head out, calling to her, “Still watching? Aren’t you going to eat?”
Qin Wanwan snapped back to her senses and nodded. She brought the food box into the tent as Jian Xingzhi quickly urged her, “Hurry and open the box, let’s share it. I want to eat too.”
As he said that, Jian Xingzhi opened the food box himself and began sharing the food with Qin Wanwan, eating together.
As he ate, he casually discussed with Qin Wanwan, as if he wasn’t bothered: “Oh, I forgot to tell you, when you danced today, Xie Gutang’s favorability increased by one point, and I gained ten points.”
“Really… really?”
Qin Wanwan was surprised. Jian Xingzhi glanced at her sideways and said, “Have a little more confidence in yourself. That Wuming one, he just saw you today and his favorability reached 40.”
“So high?”
Qin Wanwan was quite surprised. Jian Xingzhi nodded while nibbling on a rabbit leg, “You have a really beautiful face, and your temper is good too. Everyone likes you.”
Qin Wanwan smiled at the compliment. Jian Xingzhi lowered his head, took a bowl, and poured half a bowl of porridge. He then urged Qin Wanwan: “You should settle on someone you like soon and see who you can develop feelings with. I think Xie Gutang is not bad. He has good character and is a sword cultivator. We sword cultivators may not excel in everything, but we’re definitely strong. His sword intent is pure, and he has a bright future for ascension.”
“Oh,” Qin Wanwan nodded cautiously, “Master, even you think Xie Gutang is good?”
Jian Xingzhi paused for a moment, holding the bowl. He replied in a muffled voice, “Mm, but what’s most important is that you like him. Finding someone you like is more important than anything else.”
After saying that, Jian Xingzhi put down the bowl: “Forget it, your tent is too small, it’s stuffy. I’m going outside to meditate.”
Jian Xingzhi stepped out of the tent as soon as he finished speaking, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he sat at the entrance of Qin Wanwan’s tent, guarding it like a door god.
With Jian Xingzhi keeping watch, Qin Wanwan felt extremely at ease. She sat cross-legged in the tent, thinking for a moment. She realized that what Jian Xingzhi said made sense. She needed to figure things out sooner, confirm her goal, and quickly gather all the points related to the emotional storyline, so that Jian Xingzhi could gain the strength needed to help her.
Qin Wanwan thought for a moment and recalled a Heart Method from Jishan.
This technique was originally meant to cultivate one’s state of mind. Through it, a person could observe their own distractions in the mind, such as…
The person they like.
This Heart Method had been of little use to her in the past, as her mind had always been empty and calm. However, now it seemed like the perfect time to give it a try.
Qin Wanwan wasted no time. She sat cross-legged and began to operate the Heart Method.
She closed her eyes and entered her Sea of Consciousness. After activating the method, she looked around, only to find that it was the same as before—white mist surrounded her, and the space felt empty, as though there was nothing at all.
She focused her mind on the thought of the “person I like” and began to wander through the mist. She wasn’t sure how long she had been walking, but eventually, she vaguely saw a figure in the distance.
Seeing the figure, Qin Wanwan was filled with excitement and quickly rushed to catch up.
The figure was unclear in the thick fog, only vaguely visible as a silhouette. It might not even be a full profile. The person’s frame was slender, holding a long sword, his wide sleeves fluttering in the wind.
Qin Wanwan ran quickly towards the figure. The surrounding fog grew thicker and thicker, and she pushed herself to chase after it. Just as she was about to get close, she heard a soft call: “Beicheng.”
Qin Wanwan suddenly opened her eyes and saw Jian Xingzhi frowning. “What are you doing? What kind of Heart Method are you using? Your Sea of Consciousness is all over the place—don’t you feel it?”
“Oh,” Qin Wanwan hadn’t fully recovered from the image in her Sea of Consciousness. She desperately tried to recall the details, feeling a bit disoriented, as she reassured Jian Xingzhi, “I’m fine.”
“It’s good that you’re fine,” Jian Xingzhi nodded, then showed a pleased expression: “I have some good news to tell you.”
“Hmm?” Qin Wanwan was curious.
Jian Xingzhi said mysteriously, “Just now, the system went crazy and suddenly gave me 100 points.”
“Such a good thing actually happened?” Qin Wanwan was shocked. Jian Xingzhi nodded.
“I asked it just now, but it wouldn’t talk to me. I think it might have malfunctioned.”
Jian Xingzhi speculated seriously, and Qin Wanwan quickly told him, “Then stop asking about it. What if the system suddenly comes back to its senses and takes the points back?”
Jian Xingzhi was frightened by Qin Wanwan’s speculation and nodded, deciding not to mention it again, “Let’s go, we should hurry to Huangcheng. This Wuming is probably a troublemaker, so it’s best not to linger on the road.”
Qin Wanwan responded, and Jian Xingzhi quickly helped her wash her face and rinse her mouth. After earning the basic daily points, he took Qin Wanwan and led her out.
Seeing that Jian Xingzhi no longer mentioned the 100 points, 666 finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
It was fortunate that Jian Xingzhi didn’t ask anymore, or else 666 wouldn’t have known how to explain to him why those 100 points were given to him.
[Mini Theater]
Jian Xingzhi: “So what are these 100 points for?”
666: “The gifts from fate have always been clearly priced.”
Jian Xingzhi: “Speak human language.”
666: “Have you been feeling short of breath, tight in the chest, or irritable recently?”
Jian Xingzhi: “A little bit.”
666: “Medical expenses, go see a doctor.”
Jian Xingzhi: “So you can also get medical expenses reimbursed for completing tasks? Your system offers pretty good benefits.”
666: “You… As long as you’re happy.”
