Being ignored was far more painful than being targeted or insulted.
Lüye’s heart burned with resentment, but with Lin Huanhuan present, she didn’t dare lash out. She could only add this to the mental tally she kept: ‘Wretched Ye Jinxiu. Just wait until I’ve clung to Lin Huanhuan’s leg and she’s tossed you aside. I’ll make sure to humiliate you properly!’
Lin Huanhuan walked with her hands behind her head, her pace casual. “It’s really the worst luck to run into you here. But if you’re willing to temporarily be my tea-serving slave, I suppose I’ll allow you to tag along.”
Ye Jinxiu offered a small smile. Sensing an opportunity, Lüye rushed forward with a fawning expression. “Miss Huanhuan, what about me? I’m Ye Jinxiu’s roommate. I can do everything she can do—and more. Plus, I ask for less than she does.”
Ye Jinxiu’s brow furrowed slightly. She felt a twinge of discomfort, but since Lüye was her roommate, she found it difficult to drive her away.
Lin Huanhuan was already in a bad mood because she hadn’t won her earlier argument with Ye Jinxiu. Seeing this Lüye girl, who lacked even a shred of situational awareness, trying to start a “work-till-you-drop” competition right in front of her immediately ignited her fury.
‘Damn it, I hated those toxic overachievers in my past life who voluntarily increased the competition. Those people made a bad environment even worse. I can’t believe they exist in this world too. Let’s see if I can’t vent some of this frustration on her!’
At that thought, Lin Huanhuan’s expression turned icy, resembling the eternal frost atop a mountain peak. “I was talking to Ye Jinxiu. Why are you butting in? Did I speak to you?”
Lüye froze, her pupils shrinking. ‘How is this different from what I expected?’ She quickly tried to explain, “I just saw that you needed help, Miss Huanhuan, so I — “
Before she could finish, Lin Huanhuan cut her off. “Enough. Did anyone call for you? Who told you to take initiative? It wouldn’t hurt you to speak a little less!”
After saying her piece, Lin Huanhuan ignored her completely and walked ahead.
Lüye’s face flushed a deep red, her heart overflowing with grievance.
Seeing this, Ye Jinxiu couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy. Her previously gloomy mood brightened instantly. ‘I suddenly feel like Lin Huanhuan’s nasty personality is actually pretty great; at least most people can’t stand it.’
Seeing Lüye’s clenched fists and her obvious anger, Ye Jinxiu considered their status as roommates and stepped forward to comfort her. “Lüye, don’t take it to heart. Huanhuan is just like that. She doesn’t actually mean any harm.”
Lüye lowered her head, her hatred deepening. ‘Damn it, you bitch, you’re just coming over to gloat since I got scolded, aren’t you? Hmph, if I didn’t still have a use for you, I’d slap you across the face right now!’
When Lüye looked up, her face was filled with gratitude. “Thank you for the comfort, Jinxiu. I’m actually fine. I just don’t understand… I only wanted to look out for Miss Huanhuan. Why is she like that?”
She looked down, appearing lonely. “But I can’t blame her. Maybe I just don’t look like a good person.”
Ye Jinxiu’s brow furrowed slightly as she listened. ‘Why is she acting like such a manipulative little tea-bag? If her heart is this fragile, why does she keep forcing herself onto others? She wants the benefits but can’t take the heat. I really don’t know what to say.’
However, for the sake of appearances, Ye Jinxiu offered one last word of comfort. “I think it might just be a misunderstanding. Don’t overthink it. Just try to let it go.”
With that, she bypassed Lüye and caught up with Lin Huanhuan, leaving the girl behind with a face that shifted between shadows and light.
Lin Huanhuan’s lips curled into a smirk, and she let out a “tsk.” Ye Jinxiu smiled and asked, “How about we work together when we collect the Mystic Water? We can look out for each other.”
The Mystic Water was located in the center of the Mystic Water Secret Realm. To collect a portion, one first had to defeat a powerful Great Demon Beast guarding the area. This could be done alone or in a group; the process was partly a test of one’s social network, which was also considered a part of cultivation.
To Lin Huanhuan, it felt like running a dungeon for materials in a video game back in her old world. Considering this was a man-made secret realm, it made sense.
Lin Huanhuan said lazily, “Since you’re practically begging me, I’ll reluctantly agree. Just don’t hold me back later, or don’t blame me for being unkind.”
They walked for about 30 minutes until they finally reached an open clearing.
However, the scene before them left them in a daze.
Five people, both men and women, were sitting in a circle. The Peak Qi Refining Great Demon Beast that should have been there was nowhere to be seen. The small pool meant to hold the Mystic Water was empty, and several white jade pillars stood solitary in the area.
Looking at this, one couldn’t help but wonder if these people had packed up all the Mystic Water and taken it for themselves.
That was exactly what Lüye thought. She was about to step forward to argue with them when she saw Lin Huanhuan strutting forward with a swagger. Lüye immediately stopped her movement. ‘I’ll observe first.’
Lin Huanhuan stood with her hands in her pockets, looking at Shangguan Muqing with a look of disdain. She said calmly, “Explain. What’s the situation here?”
She didn’t suspect Shangguan Muqing of stealing it. After all, with her status, Shangguan Muqing didn’t need to go through such trouble for a single portion of Mystic Water.
Shangguan Muqing was equally annoyed, but she still explained, “It’s simple. This crappy array is broken. It can’t produce Mystic Water for the time being. Even the Great Demon Beast went back to take a nap.”
Lin Huanhuan’s brow furrowed. She felt a bad premonition. “Be clearer. Why did the array suddenly break?”
Shangguan Muqing said tonelessly:
“There was an idiot here before us. This guy came alone, but he couldn’t beat the Great Demon Beast. He felt like he was losing out big time. Then, he had a sudden ‘stroke of genius.’ He figured that if he couldn’t have it, nobody could, so he decided to just destroy the array.
“He followed through on it. While the beast was resting, he secretly destroyed four of the array eyes, forcing the entire formation to stop running. We caught him just as we arrived and interrogated the facts out of him.
“Though he’s been taken outside to be dealt with, the array is ruined. We can’t use it. If we want to collect Mystic Water, we have to fix the array ourselves. We were just discussing how to handle this when you arrived.”
Lin Huanhuan stood there, dumbfounded. ‘What the hell? I’ve actually run into such a “god”? Should I call this good luck or bad luck?’
Lin Huanhuan asked, puzzled, “We just came to get some water, and now we have to fix an array? Isn’t that just providing free labor? Report it to the sect and let them send some array masters to fix it.”
“It’s not for nothing. The sect personnel who were here earlier said that if we can fix it, they’ll give us a significant amount of contribution points. As for the sect sending someone to fix it — “
Shangguan Muqing gave a cold laugh. “Heh, you know the efficiency of those people in the sect. By the time they send someone, at least 1 month will have passed. The opportunity would be long gone. It really is better to do it ourselves.”
Lin Huanhuan’s eyelid twitched. She remembered that the Lingyun Sect had been established for over 50,000 years. Many of its institutions had never changed since its founding. The system had become rigid, and the various peaks were always passing the buck to one another. Taking 1 month to send a repairman was probably considered fast.