Although Hong Lingyan was reluctant, she still left the training ground after Ling Xiaoyou had learned the ‘Meimeng’ spell.
After all, she was the boss of the Ghostly Grievance Department.
Even if she often slacked off, the piled-up matters that needed handling still had to be dealt with.
They wouldn’t decrease because she slacked off—if anything, they would only grow.
Watching Hong Lingyan’s figure leave, Ling Xiaoyou couldn’t wait any longer.
She opened her System Panel, ready to use her Golden Finger right away.
I’m laying my cards on the table, no more pretending!
I’m the Little Pen Immortal with a Golden Finger!
It’s just a mere spell—watch me max out its proficiency in minutes!
With that thought, Ling Xiaoyou was about to click the ‘Mastery of Ten Thousand Arts’ function on the System Panel.
Suddenly, her finger froze. Her cute eyebrows raised in confusion as she looked at the number of Happiness Points displayed in the lower right corner of the System Panel.
Eh?
I remember I had 4.34 Happiness Points before, right?
2 points came from Li Yarou, and the remaining 2.34 were accumulated by myself over time.
Ling Xiaoyou carefully reviewed her memory and nodded her little head, feeling no errors.
But if her memory wasn’t wrong…
Ling Xiaoyou stared at the Happiness Points.
The value wasn’t the 4.34 she remembered—it was…
14.34!
Where did the extra 10 Happiness Points come from?!
Don’t tell me my original Happiness Points gained sentience and learned to create new companions (Happiness Points) on their own?!
No, no, no, that’s too absurd no matter how you think about it. Definitely impossible.
But if it’s not such an absurd possibility, then what’s going on with these Happiness Points?
I don’t recall doing anything special—so why did so many Happiness Points suddenly appear?
Ling Xiaoyou fell into deep thought.
Suddenly, a light flashed in her mind.
She remembered that hateful Bai Shuanglian.
She recalled the persistent smile on her face when she did those shameful and despicable things to her.
No way it could be that person, right?
Could that person really provide so many Happiness Points?
No, I refuse to believe it! It can’t possibly be because of that perverted exorcist!
Logically, Ling Xiaoyou knew it was very likely Bai Shuanglian’s doing.
But emotionally, she didn’t want to believe it.
After all, Bai Shuanglian had done those things to her!
And if Bai Shuanglian really carried so many Happiness Points, then for the sake of efficiency, wouldn’t she have to cling to her just to harvest Happiness Points?
Just imagining doing such shameful things with Bai Shuanglian for the sake of Happiness Points made Ling Xiaoyou’s face flush red.
She shook her head in a hurry.
Are you kidding me!
There’s no way I, Ling Xiaoyou, would ever submit to Bai Shuanglian!
Even if I died penniless, died outside, or jumped from here—I wouldn’t accept even a single bit of Happiness Points from Bai Shuanglian!
Absolutely not!
Never!
Strengthening her resolve in her heart, Ling Xiaoyou looked again at the lower right corner of the System Panel, at the Happiness Points.
The characters for Happiness Points shimmered faintly, as if System-chan was reminding her to hurry up and use them.
But…
Ling Xiaoyou had just sworn she’d never take even a single Happiness Point from Bai Shuanglian.
So what about this extra 10 points?
She couldn’t possibly return them, right?
Never mind whether Ling Xiaoyou could find Bai Shuanglian—she didn’t even know how to return Happiness Points.
So…
Should she use them?
The moment the idea appeared, it rooted itself in Ling Xiaoyou’s mind like a sapling sprinkled with bone meal, quickly growing into a towering tree.
She furtively glanced around, as if checking to see if Bai Shuanglian would suddenly pop up and accuse her of using Happiness Points gained from her.
Though Ling Xiaoyou knew perfectly well it was impossible—after all, Bai Shuanglian couldn’t reach the Underworld, and she didn’t even know about the existence of the System on her own body.
Still, she acted on instinct.
But soon, Ling Xiaoyou realized how silly her actions were.
And why should she feel guilty in the first place!
Clearly, these Happiness Points were rightfully hers!
She paid a price for them!
Even if that price was paid involuntarily…
That doesn’t change the fact that they belong to her, Ling Xiaoyou!
Thinking this, Ling Xiaoyou immediately felt justified.
That’s right—why should I be guilty?
If anyone should be guilty, it’s Bai Shuanglian, that villain who’s done nothing but bad things!
She clicked on the ‘Mastery of Ten Thousand Arts’ function.
Instantly, all the spells and techniques she knew appeared on the System Panel.
Phantom Dash (Expert)
Yin Wind Step (Mastery)
Wandering Soul Shuttle (Mastery)
Shadow Escape Technique (Mastery)
Guo Huo (Integration)
Shadow Ball (Integration)
Meimeng (Entry Level)
Looking at the spells she knew, Ling Xiaoyou fell into thought.
She actually had so many at the Mastery level, and even one at Expert…
Wasn’t she a bit too strong?
As expected of me!
Ling Xiaoyou thought proudly.
The System’s proficiency levels for spells are divided into Entry Level→Integration→Mastery→Expert→Transcendent→Peerless→Unprecedented.
Hmm, very standard levels for a fantasy web novel. Still, it’s clear and easy to use.
That’s why, even though the system’s level names can be customized, Ling Xiaoyou never bothered to change them.
After feeling proud for a moment, Ling Xiaoyou looked at the + signs behind each spell level.
Because this was her first time using the function, she wasn’t very familiar with it, but she understood that the + surely meant ‘add points.’
Ling Xiaoyou was curious.
Are the Happiness Points needed to enhance a spell the same at every level?
Or does the cost increase with each level?
Driven by curiosity, she clicked on the + sign next to the only Expert-level spell, Phantom Dash.
She was instantly stunned.
“Wha…what the—?!”
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands…
“Ten thousand Happiness Points—why don’t you just rob me!!!”
Ling Xiaoyou felt her little hand tremble.
All the Happiness Points she’d painstakingly accumulated weren’t even a thousandth of ten thousand.
Even adding the points gained from Bai Shuanglian only made it up to one-thousandth.
And that was just the cost to upgrade Phantom Dash from ‘Expert’ to ‘Transcendent’.
She didn’t even dare imagine the cost for higher levels.
With trembling hands, Ling Xiaoyou closed the upgrade interface for Phantom Dash.
Fine, fine, I won’t upgrade anymore.
Can’t I just honestly upgrade Meimeng?
There’s no way Meimeng costs that much too, right?
If it does, I’ll seriously punish you, System-chan!
Ling Xiaoyou took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then opened the upgrade interface for Meimeng.
Then she let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness, it’s just ten points. I have just enough.”
She said, but her expression quickly became strange.
If it weren’t for the Happiness Points from Bai Shuanglian, she definitely wouldn’t have enough for this upgrade.
So should she thank her?
But the whole reason for upgrading the Meimeng spell was to deal with Bai Shuanglian…
Ling Xiaoyou shook her little head.
She didn’t want to think about these things anymore.
Right now, she just wanted to finish upgrading her spell and go home to rest.
The sheer number of Happiness Points needed for Phantom Dash had drained her spirit.
She clicked the upgrade option.
A soft white light flashed over the ‘Entry Level’ rank, and it instantly changed to ‘Integration’.
At that moment, an endless flood of knowledge surged into Ling Xiaoyou’s mind.
But there was no discomfort—only the pleasant sensation of gaining more knowledge.
“Mmhm~”
She couldn’t help but let out a soft hum, then hurriedly covered her mouth in embarrassment, worried that someone might have heard her.
But fortunately, there was no one else in the training ground, and the place was soundproof.
So her voice didn’t reach anyone else.
This let Ling Xiaoyou relax.
Next, a proud and delighted smile curled at her lips.
“Hmm hmm hmm, spell upgrade complete. Bai Shuanglian, just wait to be toyed with by me!”