“Poof!”
Ji Shiyu burst out laughing, then looked at the big bamboo basket on the table, which held a pile of rice balls.
It was obvious that someone had calculated the amount based on their own appetite—if kept properly, it would be enough to eat for several days.
“Yay!”
The Perpetual Princess cheered, the dim starlight in her eyes shining once more.
Hmph, such a stubborn tsundere—acting like a girl.
If you won’t teach me, fine, I’ll just steal and learn it myself.
The money pouch was also next to her, with five placed neatly in a row.
She rubbed her small hands, wanting to take them all, but restrained herself.
“Mm, one for a day’s work!”
A hundred a day—under Oily Boy, you could earn your money back in no time, and you even picked up a Heaven-grade Foundation Establishment Pill for free.
How wonderful, how wonderful.
The first day’s homework assigned by Mr. Xiao Yun was watering and fertilizing.
The Clever Farm Owner caught the thieving weasel on the spot, who then foolishly went to work in the fields.
After a while, the herbs and flowers in the medicinal garden flourished.
Looking at her own hard work, the Golden-haired Country Girl felt a bit proud, as if she had found her place to shine.
Just you wait.
Someday, I’ll have you begging me to become your apprentice!
Ji Shiyu jumped into Mirror Lake for a bath, changed her clothes, and bounced onto the foreman’s bed to dry her long hair.
She looked at her haggard face in the mirror and fell silent for a long time.
As expected of me—even as trash, I’m the brightest in the trash bin.
No matter which recycling station I’m thrown into, I’m always unique…
Thinking of this, her golden ahoge stood up like an exclamation mark, recalling her earlier insight into the sword shadows at the Dao Arena.
“A little lady born between heaven and earth—how could she be content to remain beneath others?”
She wiped her nose with her yellow hair.
Even though she didn’t understand what she’d comprehended, she felt that she had.
Go ahead and compete, then.
If you all learn it, it’s the same as me learning it.
Who says imitation is useless?
Someday, she would perfectly copy all her opponent’s moves and use their own methods against them.
Formless Spiritual Root—activate!
Ji Shiyu devoted herself wholeheartedly to being the Farm Owner, occasionally picking up a rake to drive away Spirit Beasts and Little Demons.
When hungry, she ate a rice ball.
When tired, she lay on someone else’s bed to nap.
When bored, she got up to read the Baicao Jing.
Sword without edge, spear-sword breakthrough—the clash in her mind from that day lingered, refusing to fade.
The two sword forms changed endlessly but never left their essence.
She’d learned to imitate them vividly, but as Senior Brother Yun said, it was all form without substance.
“Read a hundred times, and its meaning will appear on its own.”
Ji Shiyu muttered to herself, practicing swordsmanship by the bamboo forest, imitating Yun Liu’s movements in her mind again and again.
When sleepiness struck again, she heard a commotion outside.
Yellow hair rubbed her eyes and crawled off a luxurious bed.
Through the window, she saw vermilion pavilions and towers, jade halls and palaces standing in the cloud sea.
On the left was a rock garden, on the right a flowing water garden.
It was like being inside a heavenly palace.
Ji Shiyu gaped, dumbfounded.
Where did this magnificent palace come from?
“Did I transmigrate?”
In just a moment, Tianxiang Village had been upgraded from a shabby hut to a palace.
Every facility had been transformed.
From the kitchen to the Pill Pavilion, from the bathhouse to the Sword Tower, nothing was missing.
The Dao Arena even came with a Spirit Wheel Array training room.
High-end, magnificent, top-tier.
Where could you see a trace of the countryside anymore?
In the courtyard was a familiar figure—chestnut hair, exquisite makeup.
The villainous lady stood with one hand on her hip, waving a small fan and impatiently directing two attendants to fuss over every detail, determined to make every corner perfect.
“Gently! Clumsy hands—if you break anything, you’ll pay for it!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The two noble girls worked for half the day, drenched in sweat.
Who knew Her Highness would suddenly decide to set up a new residence and start preparing to move into Tianxiang Peak ahead of schedule.
In the midst of “preparation for motherhood,” Jing Tan’er moved her Portable Palace out of the Fangcun Ring, planning to give her bridegroom a big surprise when he returned.
Everything was ready—what was missing?
Let me think.
Right, a maid!
Once her belly swelled, moving would be inconvenient, so someone would be needed to serve the mistress for the rough-and-tumble young lord!
The little princess nodded.
That silly yellow-haired girl seemed quite good.
Trained by the prince-in-law, she’d become more sensible, with decent looks and roots—not a disgrace to the royal family.
If that Ji girl knew how to be grateful, with a word from this princess, the prince-in-law would accept her as an apprentice.
Just a whisper on the pillow!
And besides, pregnancy was troublesome—a dowry maid to serve the husband in her stead was common sense in any great family.
Learn from this—this is the proper dignity of the official wife!
Jing Tan’er turned her head, just in time to see the silly girl climbing off the grand master bed she’d prepared for her husband, and stamping her foot in outrage.
“Who let you sleep on my bed? Out! If I don’t call you to warm the bed, you’re not allowed in the master’s room!”
Lost in fantasy, the young lady had already chosen yellow hair as the best candidate.
Poor background (meaning a suffering worker), loyal to her master (meaning fighting for her father), with a touch of comedy talent.
In comparison, Xiao Xinran was more aggressive, and more threatening.
“Ah?”
Ji Shiyu scratched her head in confusion, looking around after getting off the bed, like a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time.
The two villainous attendants exchanged glances.
They’d seen a stray lying in the shack earlier, and had simply tossed her into the new house without thinking.
How could they know it was Her Highness’s designated “bedchamber”?
The yellow-haired girl’s resume for the Rosy Fragrance Pavilion was like a medical record.
As a “Sworn Father” protagonist, she was truly unique.
A strong competitor suddenly became an adoptive daughter—wasn’t she just a normal person then?
Jing Tan’er patted Ji Shiyu’s shoulder, generously forgiving the country girl for her previous offense.
“No need to be too grateful. Your Sworn Father’s affairs are my affairs. From now on, we’re family!”
The little princess’s cheeks flushed as she solemnly spouted nonsense, feeling a bit awkward about the strange title “Adoptive Mother.”
“Huh? Who’s family with you… shameless.”
Ji Shiyu didn’t listen to a word, just nervously looked toward Mirror Lake and sighed in relief that the medicinal garden was still there.
That was her lifeblood!
The Heavenly Palace was almost set up.
At this moment, a studious junior sister mistakenly entered the royal court, thinking she was still in some strange dream.
“Did I make a mistake?”
Let’s try again!
Xiao Xinran held the copied stone tablet inscription, unaware that Yun Liu had already left, clinging to his senior sister’s thigh, never to return to the sect.
She entered again, her eyes bewildered.
Where could she recognize the former mountain village?
Jing Tan’er opened her folding fan and covered her mouth with a delicate cough: “Ahem, who seeks an audience?”
Xiao Xinran sneered, “Quit the act, what are you all doing, playing house?”
“Ouhohohohoh! Mind your words, commoner! This princess is about to be promoted to Tianxiang Peak and become an inner sect disciple! Of course I must inspect my own territory. Only such a palace is worthy of a Sword Cultivator of Tianxiang Peak!”
Seizing territory?
Xiao Xinran’s face darkened.
The wicked woman was up to no good again, and yellow hair was here too—green tea villainesses joining forces.
Nothing good could come of this.
“We’re not even halfway through and you’re already celebrating, Senior Sister Jing. Popping champagne early isn’t a good habit. Get past me first!”
“Then let’s wait and see, Xiao~Junior~Sister.”
Their gazes collided, sparks flying.
If yellow hair was a model citizen, then in the little princess’s eyes, Xiao Xinran was a rioter—someone even her maid couldn’t handle, yet dared to speak so boldly.
Yellow hair tilted her head.
With her level of intelligence, she couldn’t make sense of the situation—especially since she didn’t know where Ao Tian had run off to.
The Rosy Fragrance Pavilion’s top patron paid to renovate Happy Farm.
It wasn’t as outrageous as Fuxing Archipelago, but in East Pole Province it was still an impressive, wealthy, local tyrant’s village.
Her half-work, half-study student life instantly became much more comfortable.
Crack—ka-cha!
At that moment, a dull sound echoed from the Mountain Gate.
A cold light tore through the sky, splitting open the barrier of the cloud sea grand array.
Outside Xixu Peak, the commotion was loud, interrupting the mischief of the three giants’ gathering.
“Achoo!”
Ji Shiyu sneezed.
This time, she figured no one was cursing her—she was just cold.
The girl, wearing a qipao with bare legs, shivered.
The once sunny weather turned cold and snowy.
“Ah, so cold.”
Jing Tan’er and Xiao Xinran had no time to argue.
They looked up and were stunned.
Snowflakes drifted over the five peaks, instantly covering the brand-new Heavenly Palace with a layer of white frost.
The next moment, a white-robed woman appeared in the courtyard.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes closed, her expression strange.
Ji Shiyu blinked.
Although the cold beauty’s eyes were shut, she felt as if she was being glared at, with ill intent.
A pretty older sister she’d never seen before…
The owner was absent.
As the new Farm Owner, yellow hair politely asked, to prevent random creatures from intruding: “May I ask who you’re looking for? Sworn… ah, teacher said the Mountain Sea Pavilion’s deliveries go over there.”
Good grief, she almost got caught up by Jing Tan’er again.
As a reserved girl, the most she’d admit to was being an apprentice!
Ji Shiyu pointed to the corner, where what had once been a storage room was now a small pavilion, outshined by the surrounding mansions.
That was originally Yan Bingling’s residence.
“……”
The air grew even colder.
Since when did Tianxiang Peak become a public restroom, where people could come and go as they pleased?
Yan Bingling nearly fainted at the scene.
She’d only been gone a short while, and her once warm and precious home was now a toy city cobbled together from trash.
A noisy crowd of little Bihais took over, acting like they owned the place.
Worst of all, this yellow-haired brat invaded her house and dared to ask who she was?
There were traces of crime everywhere—not even worth searching for clues.
Wasn’t it obvious?
Her house had been stolen!
Ge Lan also arrived, eyes full of wonder at the transformed Tianxiang Peak.
The girls bowed to their elder, but the Head of Clear Mist Peak clutched his chest, shivering and repeatedly signaling the three to stay silent.
“Aiyo, my little auntie—I’ve said he’s not here, so why won’t you believe me?”
Yan Bingling swept her divine sense coldly, returning silently to her room.
Everything was present except her treasured collection—it had simply been moved.
Gone.
Where did it go?
Could it be…
The always-cold Aunt Master suddenly grew flustered, searching through boxes and cabinets.
Then she noticed the Letter on the table.
“Who’s this, acting so high and mighty?”
Jing Tan’er looked at the bed-warming maid.
“You ask me, who do I ask?”
Ji Shiyu shook her head and went back to practicing swordsmanship.
If not a delivery person, then a guest of the Rosy Fragrance Pavilion—Oily Boy’s products were still very popular.
Those who used them all praised them.
Only Xiao Xinran had sneaked into Yunliu’s Room.
The previously arrogant young lady ran faster than anyone, not daring to act up in front of the white-robed woman.
She was always afraid of Xiao Yun’s Master, as if she’d met her natural enemy.
To be honest, women’s intuition was often accurate.
Yan Bingling really did dislike Xiao Xinran.
The exact reason was hard to say.
“All is well. Do not worry.”
She opened the Letter, finding only eight characters inside.
That was it?
Shouldn’t there be some explanation in this situation?
Yan Bingling took a deep breath, and frost spread across the pavilion, her blood nearly freezing.
Her old illness threatened to relapse.
Outside, the richly dressed girl put on a fur coat and directed servants to move things, fully acting the mistress, inexplicably.
The yellow-haired girl was fencing in the bamboo forest with some fancy moves, her origin unclear.
That was where she had once personally taught Yun Liu the way of the sword!
And then there was a shameless person lying on Liuer’s bed—taking the person wasn’t enough, but now even the last sanctum of mother and son was being defiled!?
Yan Bingling was furious, her eyelids twitching, the sword box on her back buzzing, Sword Qi resounding.
The three girls had completely made themselves at home.
Looking at the now-unfamiliar place, where could she find her own refuge?
Wasn’t it just like… just like she was the outsider here?