Lin Huanhuan looked at the young girl before her, dressed in a pale blue cloud-patterned long dress, her features delicate and refined. Raising an elegant eyebrow, Lin Huanhuan said irritably, “Why are you here again? I don’t remember inviting you, did I?”
Ye Jinxi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked Lin Huanhuan up and down, making her expression grow a bit unpleasant. Only then did she tease,
“Everyone outside is saying you inherited the full memories of some ancient great one. Looking at you now, your aura is a bit wilted, but you have changed a lot. Still, your core hasn’t changed at all. Seems those rumors are exaggerated.”
“Hmph!” Lin Huanhuan snorted coldly. “Those people are always idle and bored, what nonsense do they keep spreading all day? So what if I’m just a little more diligent than before? Do I have to look like I’ve seen a ghost for everyone?”
Ye Jinxi chuckled and said, “Since ancient times, nothing is more lamented than the fall of a hero or the return of a prodigal. You belong to the latter. Besides, everyone’s impression of you is too deeply rooted. It’s no wonder they react this way.”
“Flattering me is useless. I won’t be happy.” Lin Huanhuan lifted the corner of her lips, speaking indifferently. Then she changed the subject, “Enough with the small talk. Now, tell me why you’ve come to see me.”
“Let me be clear—our relationship isn’t that good. If you want my help, I won’t help you. That’s just how I am. Even if you beg, it’s pointless!”
Lin Huanhuan sprawled herself on a nearby chair, her expression icy, like a solitary snowflake atop a mountain peak.
“So heartless? I thought we were at least friends.” Ye Jinxi didn’t treat herself as an outsider at all. She sat down nearby, poured herself a cup of tea, and took a gentle sip. “Your reputation has improved so much lately. I thought your temper would be better too, but I see it’s just the same.”
“Flattering me is useless. Haven’t you heard, ‘A leopard cannot change its spots’?”
They chatted idly for a few more lines. Lin Huanhuan saw that Ye Jinxi still had no intention of leaving, as if she planned to stick around all day, and felt a headache coming on. She waved her hand in exasperation. “Alright, alright, I surrender! It’s my bad luck to have provoked you, okay? Hurry up and tell me what you came for.”
“Can’t I just visit you for fun?”
“Spare me. That’s even scarier.” Lin Huanhuan propped up half her face with her hand, speaking calmly.
“I do have something to ask you.” As soon as Ye Jinxi finished speaking, she saw Lin Huanhuan shoot her a knowing look. Slightly annoyed, she stomped her foot. “You just happened to guess right this time! Next time, I’ll come pester you every day until you go crazy!”
Just as Lin Huanhuan was feeling a bit lucky, she shivered at those words. ‘If the heroine comes to play with me, the yellow-haired villain, every day, and the male lead finds out, won’t he grind my bones to dust?!’
‘This is supposed to be a Dragon-AoTian power fantasy novel, not a cuckold drama. I’ll die a miserable death.’
Imagining herself being turned into minced meat, Lin Huanhuan hurriedly said, “I believe you, I believe you! You have other things to do, so let’s not do this, alright?”
Hearing this, Ye Jinxi instantly noticed something. ‘Lin Huanhuan seems really afraid of this—why? There must be some connection…’
Although curious, Ye Jinxi pretended not to notice to avoid alerting Lin Huanhuan. “So perfunctory. Fine, just don’t say that again. After all, in my mind, we’re already friends.”
“If you say so.”
Ye Jinxi sat up straight, her face turning serious. “Actually, I came today to ask you about my Nether Spring Spiritual Vein. You must know something about it.”
“After all, last time you came with the White Tiger Hall to capture me, and what they wanted was the spiritual vein. So, what exactly is it? Is it a special physique? Or something else?”
Ye Jinxi wasn’t one to get bogged down by conventions. After learning she might have a powerful constitution, she wanted to make use of it—to become stronger.
That feeling of helplessness, when her parents fell into the hands of the White Tiger Hall and she herself was captured, was something she never wanted to experience again. She wanted real power—to protect all that she could.
She originally planned to find clues in the Sutra Pavilion, but after searching the entire first floor, she found hardly any records on the Nether Spring Spiritual Vein.
With no other option, she thought of Lin Huanhuan, so she came to visit today. As a reward for her questions, she had even prepared a gift. Unexpectedly, before she could give it, she already got some information—an unexpected bonus.
“The Nether Spring Spiritual Vein, so that’s what you’re asking about. If I’m not mistaken, you want to know how to awaken it, right?” Lin Huanhuan said blandly. Ye Jinxi immediately nodded vigorously.
Seeing this, Lin Huanhuan’s mischievous side surfaced. “You want to know? Beg me, and I’ll tell you.”
Ye Jinxi was momentarily stunned. Lin Huanhuan sneered inwardly, ‘Caught you off guard, didn’t I? You, the detestable heroine, dare to come ask me, the yellow-haired villain, for help? You’re just asking to be taught a harsh lesson!’
Under Lin Huanhuan’s expectant gaze, Ye Jinxi pressed her palms together, making a pitiful face. “I’m begging you, could you please tell me?”
Crack—
Lin Huanhuan felt as if her worldview had been smashed to pieces and then mercilessly trampled.
‘In the original story, the first heroine, Ye Jinxi, was known for her grace and gentle virtue. How did she become like this?’
Ignoring Lin Huanhuan’s frozen face, Ye Jinxi grew even more eager. “Want more? I can use other expressions and beg you again. I learned a few from reading storybooks.”
‘How did it become so weird? I was actually a fan before, but now my idol’s completely collapsed in front of me!’
‘You detestable thing!’
Lin Huanhuan glared angrily. Ye Jinxi just felt confused. “What’s wrong? Isn’t this what you asked me to do?”
Lin Huanhuan almost couldn’t recover, taking a deep breath before she slowly replied, “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about something else.”
“Since you’re so sincere, I’ll tell you.”
“As for the Nether Spring Spiritual Vein, its origin is no small matter.”
“It’s said that before the world was formed, a Supreme Being came to this place, felt something in their heart, and thus dismantled their own body. That Supreme Being’s body split into five parts, becoming the Central Plains, Southern Borders, Eastern Wastes, Northern Wilds, and Western Sea.”
“Their eyes became the sun and moon… and their 365 meridians transformed into 365 different spiritual veins, passed down to the first generation of cultivators.”
“The Nether Spring Spiritual Vein is ranked 275th among them. As long as you have that bloodline flowing within, there’s a chance of awakening it—though the probability varies. Since we’re all theoretically descendants of that Supreme Being, transplantation should also be possible.”
“The legend can no longer be verified, and no one knows if it’s true, but those 365 spiritual veins definitely do exist.”