Good heavens, is this still Shiyu?
She’s actually learned how to raise the price on the spot?
Ao Tian stood shocked on the spot, unable to believe it.
“Why? Is that not allowed? You were the one who taught me!”
Ji Shiyu gave a huff.
There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Ever since she met a certain someone, she had been scammed miserably.
Yun Liu nodded, his eyes glowing with approval.
This was the first lesson he had given his apprentice: If you are good at something, you must never provide your services for free.
Of course, if the Little Yellow Hair were a bit more ruthless and had the courage to directly seize the complete Extreme Destiny, he would have appreciated her even more.
Setting the Bond Quest aside, there were benefits to saving Xiao Xinran.
If the first volume’s Female Lead were to die abruptly right now, many quests would likely become dead ends.
Thus, Yun Liu held up a single finger, treating it as returning a favor.
“One condition. It cannot exceed my current capabilities.”
“Two!”
Ji Shiyu’s eyes widened as she took a step back.
Yun Liu remained silent for a moment before nodding.
To this Master and disciple duo, life had a price, and Miss Xiao was currently worth that much.
“There’s no time to lose. Speak. It would be best if you didn’t challenge my bottom line.”
What was meant to come would eventually arrive.
Yun Liu could guess what kind of demand the trashy Yellow Hair would make with his toes.
It would be nothing more than something lewd, like crawling into the same bed for some seamless detoxification.
After all, using a flesh-and-blood body to lure out a Gu worm was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
How could she let it pass?
However, Ji Shiyu’s cowlick swayed as she thought for a while.
She quickly found her answer and said with extreme seriousness, “The first condition is… is that you are never allowed to renew your engagement with Xinran!”
“…That’s it?”
“Ye — Yeah! Is that not enough?”
Just as Ao Tian began to look at Ji Shiyu in a new light, thinking the silly girl had finally grown up, the Little Yellow Hair immediately gave herself away for nothing.
Both the man and the bird stared at her with strange looks, this silly girl who claimed to be so clever.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure!”
“Fine. Let me confirm one more time. You are referring to the engagement, right?”
“That’s right!”
Ji Shiyu’s small face was flushed.
She was righteous, bold, and passionate, as if she were giving Yun Liu some kind of firm response.
She didn’t want to watch Xinran die, but she didn’t want to lose her Master even more.
To defend her own Blessed Fate and continue enjoying that affection, this was the only way she could think of.
Yun Liu let out a chuckle and shook his head, delaying his answer.
He simply assumed Ji Shiyu still had designs on Xiao Xinran.
Seeing how the two had been inseparable lately, she likely wanted to completely eliminate any chance of old flames rekindling to secure the Extreme Destiny.
Furthermore, this condition was very subtle.
It only said he couldn’t renew the engagement.
It didn’t say they couldn’t fall in love, engage in Dual Cultivation, or draft an entirely different marriage contract.
“What? Is this request too much? Or are you regretting it and wanting to go back to being the Xiao Family’s Son-in-law?”
Ji Shiyu took a peek at him, feeling uneasy.
For the first time, she felt she was being a bit cunning.
It was more than just cunning; it was downright despicable.
She didn’t dare to compete fairly and was taking advantage of someone’s precarious situation!
But whenever she thought about the possibility of losing in the future, her chest felt painfully tight.
“It’s not too much. It’s just a bit of a waste. I promise you. What about the second one?”
Yun Liu shrugged, hinting that there were many things within his power — like a Heaven-Grade Knot Ginseng Pill.
Ao Tian let out a wail and foamed at the mouth, finally unable to laugh.
Shiyu clearly could have taken the opportunity to make a more unreasonable demand to gain the upper hand in this Trial of Fate, perhaps even crushing Xiao Xinran and the other fox spirits!
And yet, she only dared to act spoiled with her Sworn Father, forbidding him from getting back together with his ex-wife…
Ji Shiyu quietly breathed a sigh of relief and let out a sneaky smile, secretly rejoicing.
She had no idea that a true opponent would never appear in the form of an enemy.
“Er, I haven’t thought of the second one yet. I’ll tell you once I have! Come on, what do I need to do to save her?”
The Little Yellow Hair swallowed hard, her expression solemn as if she were prepared for a heroic sacrifice.
“Bite your finger and stick it in her mouth.”
Ji Shiyu nodded and followed his instructions.
She endured the pain to bite her index finger, and while baring her teeth, she poked it between Xiao Xinran’s delicate red lips.
She turned her head away, not daring to look.
Was her blood the cure?
This scene reminded the young girl of a familiar story.
The two of them were working together like Ji Menqing and Yun Jinlian; it was hard to say who had the ghost in their heart.
“Wake up, Big Brother Xiao, it’s time to take your medicine…”
Hearing Ji Shiyu’s quiet muttering, which sounded like a prayer, Yun Liu found it a bit funny.
He raised his hand and rapped the Little Yellow Hair on the head.
“Idiot, it’s the other way around!”
“Oh, oh! You should have said so earlier. I bled all that for nothing.”
Ji Shiyu clutched her forehead.
She used a sword to cut Xiao Xinran’s finger and cautiously took it into her mouth.
“Mmph… If I die, I won’t let you two accomplices off even as a ghost!”
The young girl uttered a muffled curse, her resentful gaze fixed on Yun Liu and Ao Tian like a discarded, silly child.
The smell of blood was pungent.
Before she could react, a foul, hot stream surged into her mouth, as if attracted by living flesh.
Ji Shiyu grimaced with nausea but didn’t let go.
Before long, she was gasping for air, her skin burning hot.
She clenched her teeth, her body drenched in sweat.
She felt a clear stream erupt from her Sea of Consciousness and Spiritual Platform, and her body was subsequently enveloped in a layer of golden light.
“Nngh!”
The Plum Blossom Spots that had already climbed up to the young girl’s cheeks quickly receded down her neck, dissipating at a visible rate until they completely vanished from her body.
Xiao Xinran’s furrowed brows relaxed, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Upon waking, she saw a nearly exhausted Ji Shiyu in a daze, biting her hand.
“Ji… Shiyu?”
Xiao Xinran let out a soft moan and fainted again.
Ji Shiyu let go.
Her face was already pale.
She wiped away the blood and immediately pulled up her sleeves to check carefully, fearing she had been infected.
Obviously, her hands alone weren’t enough to reassure her.
Without a word, the young girl began to unbutton her clothes.
She hurriedly took off her Cloud Robe and spun around in front of a mirror wearing only her underwear.
Startled, Yun Liu quickly turned around.
This silly child was far too lacking in self-awareness!
Thighs, lower back, chest… Ji Shiyu confirmed there were no Plum Blossom Spots anywhere on her body and finally felt relieved.
“Whew, as expected of me. I’m perfectly fine.”
“Didn’t I tell you? We of the Feng Family Troupe have sturdy bodies.”
As soon as Ao Tian finished speaking, a thud was heard.
Ji Shiyu fell straight backward.
It seemed the exertion had been significant.
***
Yun Liu draped a cloak over Ji Shiyu and carried her back to her room.
He called for Qin Cha and Miss Lin to look after Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran respectively that night.
These two silly girls had truly worked hard this time.
When the two heard that Xiao Xinran was saved, they felt a weight lift from their shoulders.
As soon as Qin Cha entered the room, she discovered that Junior Sister Ji wasn’t wearing any clothes.
By the time she wanted to question that unscrupulous Master, he was already long gone.
Yun Liu made his escape, strolling through the Sundial Immortal Mansion while worrying about the Princess.
Following the Shengyu Festival, the Royal Court was under lockdown, with no one allowed in or out.
Jing Tan’er had not returned to the Divine Radiance Sect, missing the Inner Disciple Grand Competition for the second half of the semester.
In a few more days, they would have to return to the Sea of Clouds.
‘I wonder how Tan’er is doing…’
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