“Tell me. Where exactly can you get knowledge of arrays? If you dare fool me, I’ll definitely make you regret it!”
Having walked some distance with Green Leaf, Huyan Yazhi swiped at her clothes in disgust. Her gaze was cold, as if she were looking at an insignificant paramecium.
Green Leaf couldn’t help but swallow hard. She was certain that Huyan Yazhi really would dare to strike her. However, at the thought of what was to come, her heart settled. After laying out her prettied-up plan, Green Leaf looked at Huyan Yazhi with an expectant gaze; this was a matter concerning her future prospects.
‘Truth be told, the partner I initially wanted to choose was Shangguan Muqing. But after careful consideration, I decided to set my sights on Huyan Yazhi instead. Someone with Huyan Yazhi’s arrogant and disdainful personality is easier for me to use, and the probability of things going sideways will be greatly reduced.’
Huyan Yazhi first used her hand to fan the air, dispersing some of the “polluted” air around her, before she began to think. She quickly realized there was great potential in this.
‘As long as I can improve my cultivation in the Dao of Arrays, a few petty tricks are nothing.’
‘And even if I’m discovered in the end and the worst-case scenario occurs, I’ll be an accomplice at most. The mastermind would still be this person in front of me. At most, they’ll punish me, and there’s a high probability I won’t even be found out.’
Huyan Yazhi narrowed her eyes and nodded. “Fine, I agree to this. We’ll do exactly as you said. I’ll cooperate with you.”
“Thank you, Miss Huyan Yazhi. I will certainly do my best and strive to achieve —”
Before Green Leaf could finish expressing her loyalty, she was cut off by an impatient wave from Huyan Yazhi. “Enough, enough. Stop polluting my ears with your lowly voice. Take this and go, quickly.”
With that, Huyan Yazhi pulled out an array talisman that concealed one’s aura, tossed it at her, and turned to leave.
Green Leaf hurried to catch the talisman. She clenched her fist as a look of malice flashed in her eyes. She had seen it clearly just now; Huyan Yazhi hadn’t bothered to hide her contempt at all. It was as if even her flattering words were unbearable to the ear, filling her with resentment.
‘Damn it, why so arrogant? Is it just because your status is higher than mine? Once our positions are reversed, I’ll make sure to humiliate you 1,000 times over!’
—
“I’m going to hang out with the others for a bit. Have fun, Senior Sister Lin, Senior Sister Ye.”
As Yi Jia sat there, she felt increasingly uneasy. She constantly felt as if the two across from her were secretly doing something in a corner she couldn’t see, but she had no evidence and couldn’t speak up. Rather than sitting here feeling frustrated, it was better to go elsewhere. After standing and taking her leave, she walked toward another area.
Seeing that she had finally left, Lin Huanhuan grabbed the hand still resting on her waist and flung it away. She scolded, “Do you plan on holding me until tomorrow? I think you’ve really gone mad!”
Ye Jinxiu nodded thoughtfully. “Holding you until tomorrow? That doesn’t seem like a bad idea.”
“Am I even discussing this with you?” Lin Huanhuan’s anger flared even more. She desperately wanted to pin Ye Jinxiu down and give her a sound thrashing.
Just then, Green Leaf walked over, sat down, and smiled. “Thank you so much this time, Senior Sister Lin. I’m truly grateful to you. Otherwise, our efforts might have gone down the drain.”
“It’s fine. There’s no need for thanks,” Lin Huanhuan replied with a lukewarm nod.
After drinking a glass of juice by herself, Green Leaf lowered her hands, looking somewhat dejected. Ye Jinxiu felt a twinge of pity and took the initiative to chat with her for a few moments to save her from the awkwardness. Green Leaf showed a look of gratitude and nodded repeatedly in delight. After half a cup of tea’s time passed, Green Leaf stood up and excused herself.
Lin Huanhuan was teased by Ye Jinxiu for a while longer until she couldn’t take it anymore and pushed her away.
“I can’t be bothered to talk nonsense with you. Since you’re not leaving, I am!”
Lin Huanhuan let out a cold snort and walked toward another area, using the toughest tone to perform the most cowardly retreat.
Ye Jinxiu smiled faintly but didn’t chase after her. She poured herself a glass of juice and savored it, thinking to herself:
‘There’s no need to push her so hard. It wouldn’t be good if things backfired.’
Some more time passed, and the food was mostly finished. By now, the Mystic Water in the Mystic Yin Pond had nearly finished gestating and was ready to be harvested.
Everyone was happy. There wasn’t much food waste left, so they decided to clean up themselves. They didn’t bother using cleansing spells, thinking it might be pleasant to experience the simple tasks of the past.
Shangguan Muqing, who was in a foul mood, couldn’t be bothered to reminisce about the past. She walked straight to the Mystic Yin Pond, planning to take her share of the Mystic Water and leave immediately.
However, when she reached the spot where she had initially placed her magic tool, she froze. She rubbed her eyes several times, but since there was still nothing there, she searched the surrounding area. It hadn’t rolled elsewhere. Only then was she certain it had been stolen.
“Good, very good! I’d like to see who’s bold enough to steal my magic tool!”
Shangguan Muqing crossed her arms and let out a chilling laugh.
—
Ye Jinxiu was packing her things when she saw Shangguan Muqing return, claiming her magic tool was missing and that she needed to inspect the area. She couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Who could possibly be this bold? To steal a magic tool under these circumstances… are they mad?’
She found it truly unbelievable. Shangguan Muqing had been bold enough to leave her magic tool out in the open precisely because of her impressive background, assuming no one would dare steal it. For it to be stolen anyway—wasn’t that a direct slap to Shangguan Muqing’s face?
Anyone with half a brain knew that Shangguan Muqing wouldn’t let this go. Stealing that magic tool was no different from dancing on the edge of a knife. The gains were low, but the risk was massive.
Lin Huanhuan was practically beaming. She had been in a bad mood after being teased by Ye Jinxiu, but who knew she’d get to watch such a good show? She wasn’t sure if she was losing or winning anymore.
Some people grumbled, but given Shangguan Muqing’s background, they could only mumble a few words and cooperate obediently. Starting from the far right, Shangguan Muqing kept a cold face as she checked her way through. However, without exception, nothing was found.
Soon, Shangguan Muqing reached Ye Jinxiu. Truth be told, Ye Jinxiu strongly disliked being suspected for no reason.
But there was no choice; everyone else had cooperated. She could only offer a single complaint: “How could it possibly be me?” She then pulled out her Universe Bag, preparing to take everything out for Shangguan Muqing to inspect.
Shangguan Muqing’s gaze turned icy, and she let out a cold laugh. “No need to take anything out. I can already sense the aura of the magic tool. A clever play, hiding it right under my nose. You’re quite smart, aren’t you?”
“Huh?” Ye Jinxiu was confused, and a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in her heart.
She then watched as Shangguan Muqing pulled a jade box from under the table. Removing the talisman used to conceal its aura, she revealed the Wind-Fixing Pearl inside.
Shangguan Muqing spoke coldly, clutching the talisman in her hand. “This talisman is indeed good. It can block a certain amount of perception. If I hadn’t been standing so close, it really would have been hard to discover. But didn’t you underestimate me a bit too much?”
“The evidence is conclusive. Do you still have anything to say?”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.