“All done. So, does this mean I can walk around with a Miaoshou Huichun Plaque and call myself a physician now?”
First, make people sick, then cure them yourself?
That really is a self-sufficient business model.
Chai Xianyun clenched her fists, still a bit unused to being in control of her body again.
“If you want, I can ask my brother to send you one.”
“That’d be great. Then I could say I’ve treated the eldest miss of the Chai Clan! My credibility would shoot right up.”
Chai Xianyun hadn’t expected Hua Jian to be so shameless.
She had obviously meant that as a jab, but Hua Jian just accepted it without a care.
People really can be invincible when they have no shame.
“By the way, where’s your cat?”
“…Lost it. Things were too chaotic back then, I couldn’t take it with me.”
At this, Chai Xianyun’s face was full of regret.
She had just managed to get that Shuanghua Lingmao to behave a little, only to run into people trying to kill her.
During the escape, she couldn’t bother with the kitten, so she simply tossed it somewhere.
By now, it probably ran far, far away and would never come back.
All those Spirit Stones were wasted, and she doubted she’d ever have that much pocket money again to buy such trinkets.
“Look on the bright side. Maybe it died on the spot?”
Hua Jian had barely finished when Linglong knocked her on the head.
Is this the time to say such things? Couldn’t she see Chai Xianyun’s face was so dark it might start dripping water?
“Since we’ve healed Miss Chai, we should take our leave.” Grabbing Hua Jian’s hand, Linglong felt it best to take her away quickly.
If Hua Jian kept talking, Chai Xianyun, who was originally a neutral party, might be forced into the enemy camp by her.
Chai Xianyun stood up at once, ready to see them out. She and Linglong really did think alike for once.
So, just like that, Hua Jian was politely shown out after crossing the river, and all talk of payment evaporated.
She didn’t even get a single Miaoshou Huichun Plaque. How rude!
“Let’s go?” Standing outside the Chai gates, Linglong tugged on Hua Jian’s hand.
“Sigh, alright, let’s go.”
Hua Jian had wanted to experience the customs and scenery of Tianbei City, but with Linglong by her side, she felt she couldn’t quite relax.
So she quickly came up with a plan: send Linglong back to Hudaosi, then go exploring on her own.
No sooner thought than done— after returning to Hudaosi with Linglong, Hua Jian first stopped by her own room to grab her Storage Pouch, which had previously been taken by Hudaosi, then left alone to wander the city.
The scenery in Tianbei City was very different from the cities Hua Jian had visited before.
There was no silver moonlight like Huiyue City, and it wasn’t as bustling as her hometown.
It looked like a small city with a foreign flavor.
The architecture here was different from other places in the Central Continent.
Since this was near the border with Beijing, the city showed a clear Beijing influence, with many buildings sporting that northern style.
If Hua Jian were to give a comparison, it looked a bit like those buildings from her previous life in Russia.
She even spotted a building that looked like a Church!
But this was the cultivation world—so what deity could be worshipped in a Church like this?
Curious, Hua Jian walked in and looked around, only to find that while it was indeed a Church, the atmosphere was different from what she expected.
A blend of styles, and the cultivators inside weren’t praying, but rather, respectfully bowing to a human-sized statue high up, like juniors paying respects to their Ancestor.
“Is this your first time here, little sister?”
A gentle voice drifted over from behind Hua Jian.
Turning around, she saw a white-haired woman in a pale blue robe, with a warm, kind smile that instantly inspired trust.
“Mm, who’s being worshipped here?”
“It’s an Immortal who lived a very, very long time ago. We don’t know her name, only that the current golden age of cultivation was created by her.”
The white-haired woman closed her eyes and answered reverently.
As she spoke, she pulled a thin Little Booklet from her sleeve.
“Would you like to join us, little sister? There are Spirit Stone benefits every month.”
Her earlier image had seemed so normal, but now it instantly shifted in Hua Jian’s eyes to a rural scammer trying to trick people into faith with eggs and rice.
How could there be people like this even in the cultivation world!
“I think…”
Before Hua Jian could say no, someone called out from the other side of the Church.
“Gan Feixue! Come here, quickly!”
“Sorry, sorry, little sister, wait for me—I’ll be right back.”
The woman called Gan Feixue shoved the Little Booklet into Hua Jian’s hands and hurried off, disappearing into the depths of the Church with the person who’d called her.
Hua Jian held the Little Booklet, but her gaze was fixed on the woman walking with Gan Feixue.
That woman looked familiar—wasn’t she the courtesan elder sister who’d once taught Hua Jian so many odd things?
The restaurant owner had said that the courtesan elder sister later went somewhere better.
Could it be…… here?
……
“Qian Feixue, you even dare to target our Huayagu people? Have you no shame?!”
Huaxinyuan had her arm hooked around Qian Feixue’s neck, gritting her teeth as she questioned her.
Even with Huaxinyuan—who was the Ling Emperor—gripping her, Qian Feixue didn’t show the slightest bit of fear.
She kept that gentle expression, as if this was just a friendly joke.
“My Ancestor is your Huayagu’s Ancestor too. A thousand years ago, we were family!”
Huaxinyuan instantly deflated. Whenever Qian Feixue mentioned her Ancestor, she had no way to keep pressing her.
In fact, in Wanhuagu, there were quite a few who believed in this Church.
Even some Elders held the attitude of “it doesn’t cost anything, might as well believe a little.”
After all, Immortals really could bless people, and these Elders were always dodging lightning tribulations—better to have someone in the heavens than no one at all.
“I really like that little sister. She’s fated to be with us.” Qian Feixue kept smiling.
“And the clothes she’s wearing—aren’t they Jade Pool style? Are you sure she’s one of yours from Wanhuagu?”
She didn’t know Wanhuagu was so generous as to send such a lovely girl into Jade Pool’s arms.
“You… none of your business! She’s one of us, that’s all! Anyway, let’s drop it—who do you support, Great Young Master or Second Lord Chai?”
“Honestly, I don’t like either of them. Isn’t there a better choice?”
……
“This thing’s just a storybook. So fake.” Flipping through the Little Booklet, Hua Jian only felt it’d make a great bedtime story for kids.
It was basically a myth!
How could such ridiculous things happen? Sure, all Immortals were overpowered, but this one was just too unbelievable.
Never losing a single battle since birth? Revered by both righteous and demonic cultivators alike?
Even splitting the heavens with a sword and stirring the Dao of Heaven? What nonsense!
Closing the Little Booklet, Hua Jian felt anyone who believed in this had to be crazy.
“Hua Jian! You’re here too?”
As she was thinking this, a voice full of delight sounded by her side.
That voice… Hua Jian turned and her expression became complicated. “Huan Rui?”
She felt like she should be asking, “Why are you here?”
She’d only come to Tianbei City because she was traveling with Linglong. But Huan Rui was from Huiyue City—why was she here?
Could something be happening in Tianbei City?
The more Hua Jian thought along these lines, the more she felt something was wrong.
Right now, there were three Venerables holed up in Tianbei City.
The demonic path would have to have a death wish to cause trouble here.
“Mm, did you get the Elder’s orders too?” Huan Rui sat happily beside Hua Jian, casually spilling what should have been a secret.
She still didn’t know the details, sincerely believing Hua Jian was a core disciple of Wanhuagu like Huaxinyuan, so she saw no issue with sharing such things.
The moment Hua Jian heard this, she became alert.
Elder? What were the Elders of Wanhuagu doing meddling here?
“Uh… not really. I’m still working on my own task,”
Hua Jian shook her head, saying she was still playing companion to Linglong.
“I see. But you really don’t need to get involved in this matter.” Huan Rui scratched her head a bit sheepishly.
After a pause, Hua Jian asked what task Huan Rui had this time.
Thinking of recent events, Hua Jian guessed Wanhuagu’s operation probably had to do with the Chai Clan.
Were they trying to interfere in the Patriarch Selection?
Hearing Hua Jian’s guess, Huan Rui was instantly surprised—no wonder she was a Core Disciple!
She figured out so much from so little information!
“Yeah, but this task is so hard. We haven’t been here long, and there’s no one inside the Chai Clan. Trying to make connections at the last minute just isn’t working.”
The reason Huan Rui had been lingering outside the Chai gates earlier was to try to find someone easy to approach.
But after a whole day, she’d made no progress. She’d come here with her shijie to rest a bit, only to run into Hua Jian again.
“Well, you’re really lucky. Why not try praying to the Immortal? Maybe she’ll answer your prayers!” Hua Jian stuffed the missionary Little Booklet into Huan Rui’s hands.
She’d never fall for it herself, but she didn’t mind tricking Huan Rui a bit.
“Stop teasing me, there’s no way I’d believe something like that.” Huan Rui flipped through the booklet and muttered quietly.
Her shijie hadn’t told her why they came to this Church, but she had a guess: this was probably a base for Wanhuagu.
And no one played mind games better than Wanhuagu.
Stuff like this was right up their alley—this Church had to be something they set up to trick the locals.
She wasn’t about to fall for it.
“Well, it’s free anyway. Believe a little, can’t hurt. If you need any help, you can always contact me,”
Hua Jian said as she stood, ready to look around elsewhere.
As for telling Huan Rui to contact her, that was just a casual offer.
If Huan Rui really did, then Hua Jian could use her requests to deduce Wanhuagu’s plans—like which Patriarch candidate they planned to support.
Then she could either help them, or expose Wanhuagu’s schemes.
“I still don’t know where you’re staying!”
“Hudaosi… Uh, you probably wouldn’t dare come there, right?”
The moment Huan Rui heard “Hudaosi,” she wore an expression of utter despair.
Wasn’t that obvious? Who would dare go there?
Not to mention, a major figure had just arrived in Tianbei City this morning, most likely staying at Hudaosi.
As a little Wanhuagu flunky, going to Hudaosi now would be suicide.
“This morning, a big shot arrived at Hudaosi. Since you’re staying there, do you know why they came?”
“I know a bit. It’s related to the Chai Clan Patriarch’s death.” Hua Jian gave a vague answer.
“Apparently, something from the Secret Realm is involved. That’s why a Venerable was drawn here.”
Huan Rui’s eyes lit up. So they weren’t here to cause trouble for them—what a relief!
That meant the Venerables shouldn’t stay long. Once their investigation was done, they’d leave, and Wanhuagu could act against the Chai Clan again.
For now, they’d pick a candidate to support, then wait for the Venerables to leave before making their move. Perfect!
“How about this? I’ll come here every other day. If anything happens, just tell me. I’ll see if I can help.”
“Mm!”
……
Huaxinyuan finished her secret talk with Qian Feixue and walked out from the back room of the Church.
As soon as she came out, she saw Huan Rui engrossed in the Little Booklet. She also caught a familiar floral fragrance by Huan Rui’s side.
No need to guess—Huan Rui had definitely spoken with Hua Jian.
Quickly walking over, Huaxinyuan snatched the Little Booklet from Huan Rui’s hands and reminded her helplessly, “What did I tell you before?”
Huan Rui blinked, unable to remember all the things Huaxinyuan had ever told her.
No wonder—Huaxinyuan had told her so much, she had no idea which rule she’d broken this time.