Inside the Qing Shui Sect’s inner gate cafeteria.
Near cave dwellings numbered 1500 to 2500, a popular spot for junior and mid-level disciples.
At this moment, Lin Shuang, director, makeup artist, screenwriter, and extra, and Huangpu Yuan, screenwriter and male lead, descend on swordback at the cafeteria entrance.
As soon as Huangpu Yuan appears, all eyes in the first floor of the cafeteria are drawn to him.
And why not? Because that golden chain is too shiny, too big, and too long!
It hangs heavily from his snowy red fox fur collar today, sparkling and dazzling, nearly blinding everyone’s eyes.
With his pale complexion, constant coughing, and unstable Dantian cultivation, he practically had “Come rob me, quick!” written all over his face.
Lin Shuang couldn’t be more satisfied watching him.
Behind her are another co-lead actor, Bai Yu, and extra, Meng Zi.
Bai Yu has a third-tier precious sword at his waist, also adorned with a heavy golden chain.
As he walks, it makes a luxurious clinking sound.
Combined with his unsteady steps and dark circles from exhaustion, he also wears a look that screams, “If you don’t rob me, you’re not human!”
Lin Shuang is thoroughly pleased.
As the overall director of this drama, she feels the project is progressing rapidly.
Inspired by the bully’s dog from Li Family Village in Zhen Chuan yesterday, today she wrote a story about a “villain who meets a rich white moonlight and immediately extorts the rich lookalike one last time before discarding him.”
“Brother Huangpu, you absolutely must treat us today. Without the Purple-Gold Fish worth five hundred spirit stones, I won’t let you go.”
As soon as the villain Meng Zi enters the cafeteria, he bursts into laughter and extorts the wealthy lookalike Huangpu Yuan like that.
His lines are fluent.
His lecherous gaze lingers on the golden chain around Huangpu Yuan’s chest, reluctant to leave.
“Brother Huangpu, you accompanied me to Zhen Chuan, broke through to the Gathering Yuan’s first layer, reached the two thousandth floor, obtained a third-tier treasure cauldron, and acquired an ancient array formation fragment!”
Lin Shuang, the director, nods approvingly beside them.
Cultivation breakthrough, treasures and techniques—triggering high-frequency crime words three times in a row!
Triple strike!
Lin Shuang pretends to curiously glance around the cafeteria environment.
She stealthily runs her fiery eyes, imprinting the appearance of every disciple and young Taoist boy watching them into her mind.
As someone who rarely visits the inner gate, her wide-eyed glances fit her character.
The entire cafeteria is a two-story wooden structure arranged in a V-shaped layout.
The first floor has four large open entrances, each with double doors arranged in sequence.
Inside, each wooden dining table is embedded with a square-shaped spirit stone for measuring spiritual energy.
The price of the spiritual food inside the inner gate is determined by the amount of spiritual energy it contains.
Spiritual fish, spiritual chicken, spiritual vegetarian dishes… after the disciples finish their meals, they can measure whether their spiritual energy has increased.
This is also Qing Shui Sect’s way of reminding disciples that greed brings no benefit.
However, there aren’t many disciples here today; most of those present are those injured the day before in Zhen Chuan who have come out to rest.
“I need to deliver these four dishes to Zhen Chuan. Hurry up, I need the pigeon wings.”
“Three servings of spirit egg fried rice… hurry up! The Zhen Chuan disciples are rushing me too!”
“Please let me get my food first! I’m almost at my delivery time!”
Several young Taoists are queuing for food, some anxious, some leisurely.
They all wear dark-colored robes, tied with yellow waistbands marking the cafeteria, each holding food carriers stacked three or four layers high in both hands.
Clearly, many disciples in Zhen Chuan have ordered “takeout” today.
Though there are few disciples in the cafeteria, the Taoist boys remain busy.
A Taoist boy in dark-colored robes tied with a green waistband quickly approaches after Lin Shuang scans the area and settles down.
He respectfully hands them the cafeteria’s menu for the day.
“Senior brothers and sisters.”
This Taoist boy has two buns on his head, looks about fourteen or fifteen years old, and has a cute, fair complexion.
He even has dimples when he smiles.
“What spiritual meals would you like? Today’s spiritual fish and fried rice are discounted, specially for disciples challenging the Zhen Chuan trials.”
Meng Zi’s eyes light up, and he immediately starts pointing at the menu.
Lin Shuang’s eye twitches, and she kicks him under the table.
Meng Zi snaps back to reality—oh no! Tempted by the discount, he forgot to deliver his lines!
The Taoist boy—here he comes!
“Cough.”
Meng Zi slaps the menu, “Order all of these! Anyway, Brother Huangpu is treating us.”
Huang. wearing a giant golden chain. Pu Yuan: “…”
Lin Shuang: “…”
This isn’t even in the script.
He’s improvising!
But beneath the domineering CEO’s facade, Huangpu Yuan, the fat sheep, is already dripping with grease.
The Taoist boy is momentarily stunned, “Alright, senior brother.”
After placing the order, he turns to leave.
Meng Zi’s eyelid twitches, and he hurriedly calls out, “Xiao Bai, how come you’re out of Zhen Chuan too? Your harvest yesterday must’ve been great, right? You, at Gathering Yuan’s fifth layer, going all the way to the 4500th floor, didn’t you get tired?”
Exhaustion from the mission, the fifth layer of Gathering Yuan, and the rich harvest—
Another sensitive keyword for the crawling creatures, triple strike.
The Taoist boy, already walking away, clearly pauses for a moment, looking back at them curiously.
Lin Shuang secretly feels satisfied and eagerly looks toward the second fat sheep, Bai Yu.
“Um…” Bai Yu’s fair face turns pink, and under her direct gaze, his eyes dart around looking for an escape, “I obtained a third-tier Rong Tian Sword yesterday, but I was exhausted and can only rest outside today.”
“A third-tier Rong Tian Sword!”
Meng Zi’s eyes widen, playing his role naturally, gasping in awe, his eyes sparkling, “That must be worth at least 120,000 spirit stones!”
He shouts excitedly with an unusually loud voice.
Instantly, all the disciples dining on the first floor of the cafeteria, the delivery Taoist boys, the order-taking and food-serving Taoists, all turn their gazes toward Bai Yu’s waist, where the loud, dazzling chain clinks and shines.
Admiration, jealousy, or astonishment.
Bai Yu’s face flushes even redder. His eyelids flutter slightly, and when he lifts his gaze, he sees Lin Shuang, the director, watching him eagerly again.
His lines are up again.
He panics and shifts his gaze to Huangpu Yuan, “Compared to Brother Huangpu, what am I? Brother Huangpu is amazing. Even when seriously ill, having just entered Gathering Yuan, he already reached the two thousandth floor.”
He finishes fluently, his voice gradually rising from soft to loud.
Originally nervous, his gaze shifts, and upon seeing Huangpu Yuan’s calm, pale face and his expression of “I’m sickly, I’m rich, I’ve already reached the two thousandth floor,” Bai Yu is stunned.
“Not bad.”
Huangpu Yuan smiles lightly, placing down his teacup, his handsome face shining as brightly as the golden chain, “This cafeteria’s spiritual tea… is trash.”
Then, he coughs again, seemingly with a trace of blood at the corner of his lips.
Lin Shuang is stunned.
He’s truly playing himself.
“Oh well, senior brother, we only got an ancient array formation.”
Lin Shuang, as an extra, immediately delivers her line, “This time I entered the inner gate thanks to Senior Brother Huangpu and Senior Brother Meng. I’ll toast to you!”
She stands up and says, “Wishing Senior Brother to advance to higher levels in Zhen Chuan and obtain more treasures! Senior Brother, please take me with you!”
Meng Zi’s lips twitch, Bai Yu blushes, and Huangpu Yuan’s expression is subtle.
“By the way, senior brother, when are you going to sell the ancient array formation?” Lin Shuang winks at Huangpu Yuan.
Huangpu Yuan sets down his teacup and says, “Tomorrow. Don’t worry. After selling it tomorrow, I’ll give you two-thirds of the proceeds.”
Lin Shuang nods.
Set a time limit for the theft—tonight.
If the thief doesn’t come, the treasures will be sold tomorrow.
Let’s see if this thief takes the bait.
They can’t wait endlessly for the thief.
At the same time, other disciples in the inner gate are also investigating the theft case.
With multiple investigations, the longer the time, the more likely it is to alert the thief and scare them off.
To complete this trial task and catch the thief, they actually don’t have much time left!
“Brother, thank you for the hospitality. I have some hidden injuries and need to return to my cave dwelling to recover.”
After dinner, Bai Yu stands up, his body swaying slightly as he carries his precious sword.
Meng Zi immediately rises anxiously as per the script, supporting him.
“Then I’ll walk you back. Brother Huangpu, I won’t return to cave dwelling 1700 tonight. I’ll go to the old dwelling 730 with Xiao Bai to catch up. He’ll be moving out next year anyway.”
“You better not forget, don’t leave the door open for me. I won’t be back to 1700 tonight.”
Two cave dwelling location details are clearly given.
Two injured and exhausted fat sheep, one on each side—surely the thief won’t miss at least one.
This is Lin Shuang’s signature style—dual lines advancing simultaneously.
Lin Shuang smiled and nodded, “Understood, senior brother. I’ll return to the outer gate tonight.”
You’re going to 730. Too bad, only Brother Huangpu will be staying at 1700. Senior brother, you won’t get lonely, right?
“…Sister, you worry too much.”
Huangpu Yuan’s eye twitches.
Enough, repeating the cave dwelling numbers too many times is too obvious.
Lin Shuang also feels she’s gone far enough and calls the serving Taoist boy from earlier.
“The two seriously injured need to return to their cave dwellings to rest. Could you pack the leftovers and deliver them to our dwellings?”
“1700 and 730. Senior brother can have a midnight snack if he gets hungry tonight.”
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
Meng Zi: “…”
Bai Yu’s eyelashes flutter—he learns fast—important things must be repeated three times.
Even the stupidest thief would remember those two cave dwelling numbers now!
What a genius she is.
“Alright, senior sister.”
The rosy-cheeked, fair-skinned young Taoist boy quickly agrees.
He’s only at the Gathering Qi fifth layer, but unlike Lin Shuang, he has the worst mixed spiritual roots.
He’s one of the children specially trained by the Cai Yu Pavilion, raised with pills.
He’ll likely never progress beyond Gathering Qi in his lifetime.
Therefore, even when facing Lin Shuang, the Taoist boy remains very respectful.
“Would one incense stick’s time be okay to deliver it?”
Lin Shuang glances at the sky outside.
One incense stick’s time later?
The sky will likely be pitch black.
She nods, “Alright, thanks for the trouble.”
The villain Meng Zi stands up and leaves with the white moonlight junior brother, leaving behind the lookalike Huangpu Yuan and Lin Shuang.
On one side are the exhausted Gathering Yuan fourth and fifth layers, on the other side are the weak Gathering Qi and the sickly Gathering Yuan beginner.
Will the thief take the bait, and which side will they target?
Lin Shuang looks at Huangpu Yuan’s pale hands covered with blue veins and his faintly red lips and smiles slightly.
Her side has a high chance of winning!
“Shall I walk you back too, Senior Huangpu? Or perhaps you could sit, and I’ll push you?”
“…That won’t be necessary.”
*
Midway through flying over the inner gate’s high altitude.
The old, rundown cave dwelling is in sight, but suddenly Meng Zi stiffens mid-air.
He holds his forehead, his expression strange.
“Oh no.”
Xiao Bai looks alertly, “Someone following us?”
Meng Zi closes his eyes, “No, I messed up.”
“?”
“I instinctively followed the fattest sheep.”
The fattest sheep, Xiao Bai: “??”
“Ah, my body was instinctively drawn to Junior Brother Xiao Bai’s precious sword worth 120,000 spirit stones… I couldn’t help but follow you.”
Only now does Meng Zi realize.
Shouldn’t he have been with Lin Shuang and Huangpu Yuan, while Lin Shuang and Xiao Bai should have been together?
After all, their side has Gathering Yuan fourth and fifth layers, while the other side has a weak Gathering Qi and a sickly beginner.
Their battle strength would be balanced, and even if they encountered a thief with slightly higher cultivation, they wouldn’t be afraid.
Xiao Bai’s face instantly turns strange.
Cultivation…
But after his frustration, Meng Zi quickly turned to him, “Xiao Bai, you’re always so thorough. Today you read the script but didn’t voice any concerns. Normally, you’d have spotted such a glaring imbalance between the strong and weak parts.”
Thinking about it.
Like someone who could defeat both of them with one hand?
“Xiao Bai, to be honest, are you still afraid of Lin Shuang?” Meng Zi suddenly stops.
Xiao Bai’s white hair behind him trembles.
“You’ve been uneasy all along, thinking you could hide it from me?”
Meng Zi shakes his head.
“Although my eyes were blinded by the treasure sword worth 120,000 spirit stones, only realizing now, but Xiao Bai, Lin Shuang has already told me everything…”
“What?”
Xiao Bai’s face turns pale.
“Did she tell you everything—that I fled, terrified by her thirteen days of cultivation at an inhuman speed, and she revealed it all to you?”
Wisdom flashes in Meng Zi’s eyes, but disappears in an instant.
“What?!”
Thirteen Dan Tian?!
Wait, wait a minute!
Meng Zi’s spiritual energy suddenly disappears mid-air, almost causing him to fall headfirst.
“Xiao Bai… say it again, how many days?”
Xiao Bai’s expression suddenly changed, “Senior brother, you tricked me?”
Lin Shuang never said anything.
But Meng Zi’s expression becomes vague, “You’ve been in the inner gate for nine years…”
Nine years ago, she already had thirteen Dan Tian.
He’s been at Gathering Qi third layer all along?
Meng Zi slowly turns his head, reaching out to grab Xiao Bai’s sword waistband, his lips trembling.
The words that annoyed him the entire night yesterday suddenly echo in his ears…
“You can think of me as ninety-seven twin sisters at the Gathering Qi third layer, coexisting as one…”
Meng Zi lowers his head, covering his entire face with his hands, letting the thin calluses on his fingers rub hard against his forehead.
It’s true.
It’s actually true.
Not a joke.
All true!
“F***—”
“Xiao Bai, you’ve been hiding this from me for nine years!!!”
Xiao Bai is shocked.
After a long silence, he lowers his head, his face filled with gloom.
“Senior brother, I did it all for your sake.”
“???”
“White Jade, who lived with Lin Shuang in the outer gate, is dead. I am now Bai Yu.”
Xiao Bai’s side profile is flushed red as he turns away.
“The early bird catches the worm.”
Meng Zi: “…”
The cultivation chapter of “The Early Bird Catches the Worm!”
—Junior sister, have you mastered it yet?
Meng Zi takes a deep breath, understanding everything.
That’s how Xiao Bai was scared away.
Day after day, unable to keep up, watching her thirteen-year-old daughter studying…
He can already imagine the despair.
“Senior brother, I only ask one thing of you. Please don’t tell Lin Shuang that I’m the one who lived with her before and then left, okay?”
“???”
Xiao Bai lowers his head, his eyes flashing with a trace of struggling sadness.
“Back then, the mountain stood right before me.”
“And I was scared away.”
Fast learner, never taking detours.
He not only failed to achieve it, but also ran away.
He had no face to see her.
Unless he entered the realm of refining the spirit, where a demon could live a thousand years.
Only then could he use the long years to catch up with her…
Sigh.
Bai Yu sighed, thinking of the new junior apprentice who now followed her.
Round-faced, weak in cultivation, yet her eyes also held the same light.
This junior apprentice had persisted.
But he had run away.
“Sigh, humans and demons walk different paths.”
“…”
Xiaobai, are you talking about marriage now?!
Ah?!
Meng Zi despaired, “I can’t understand what’s going on in your demon minds!”
*
Cave dwelling No. 1700.
“Cough——”
Huangpu Yuan had just entered the cave dwelling when his throat started itching, and he couldn’t help but cough lightly.
Someone was cursing demons?
Who was it?
What audacity.
His eyebrows slightly furrowed, he stopped walking, and slightly spread the fingers of his right hand, which was hidden in the sleeve of his light green silk robe.
As the joints crackled while stretching, a wave of heat from behind interrupted him.
“Huangpu Senior Brother, you can choose a spot to pretend to be dead…”
“What?!”
“Umm… meditating?”
“…”
Lin Shuang floated in right after him.
Huangpu Yuan chuckled lightly, “Either is fine. What do you think, junior apprentice?”
Lin Shuang looked around and quickly decided, “Let’s use the room you stayed in last night.
Next to the bed in that room, at midnight, if you push open the window, fly down the mountain, the fluctuation of spiritual energy will precisely hide between the moonlight and the rising mist of the spiritual spring, making it hard for even high-level cultivators to detect.”
Huangpu Yuan’s long fingers inside his sleeve abruptly clenched shut.
“Hehe, junior apprentice, your observation is excellent.”
Last night he had stayed in his room without going out, but tonight he originally planned to visit Bai Yu’s clan.
The discovery at the Li family village in Zhenchuan level was worth informing them. Following this line of thought, the probability of various clans breaking through the upper echelons of Zhenchuan would significantly increase.
On the thousandth floor, there was a blood slaughter formation; the higher-ups must have more clues.
“What about you, junior apprentice? Didn’t you say you were returning to the outer sect?” Huangpu Yuan’s phoenix eyes flickered.
“Yes.”
Lin Shuang immediately headed toward the door.
Huangpu Yuan’s expression relaxed. Right now, he didn’t want to turn against her yet.
He wasn’t as foolish as Meng Zi.
Her peak cultivation was at least at the fourth stage of Condensing Yuan.
To subdue her quickly, he would have to reveal at least the demonic aura of his three tails, making it difficult to conceal his true identity.
If she willingly left on her own, that would be best.
Huangpu Yuan smiled and picked up his teacup.
But not long after, he saw Lin Shuang pulling out a straw doll bound with straw from her spatial pouch—on it were attached several yellow talismans.
Huangpu Yuan’s eyelid twitched.
In an instant, the straw doll was thrown to the ground, transforming into the appearance of “Lin Shuang,” and walked out through the door.
Xiao Ai, Backup No. 12, was stuck onto this “Lin Shuang.”
Immediately, this “Lin Shuang” spoke, with exactly the same voice as the original, “Senior Brother, I’m going back to the outer sect now!”
After saying this, the “Lin Shuang” happily skipped and hopped her way down the gravel path leading down the mountain.
The cave dwelling door was instantly shut from the inside.
Huangpu Yuan slowly turned his head, looking at the real Lin Shuang who had already sat by the tea table, lifting a teacup and smiling as she sipped tea!
“You not only secretly learned the formations of Dao Dong, but also studied the talisman patterns on the puppets from Li Village?”
Huangpu Yuan closed his eyes.
“Senior Brother, how can you say ‘steal’? They practically threw themselves in front of me, forcing me to memorize them.”
“…”
“Besides, the puppet trick requires both an artifact crafter and a talisman master to create together. This one of mine, though, will dissolve if it touches water.”
“…”
Huangpu Yuan’s thin lips couldn’t help but twitch.
Instantly, a golden figure shot out from his sleeve, flying straight toward her face.
Lin Shuang took a sip of tea and caught it easily.
“Hmm? A first-stage golden body?”
Huangpu Yuan stood up and walked into the room, “It’s useless; it can’t even land a single strike.”
“But… at least it won’t… melt away in the rain or snow.”
As he spoke, the person in front of him vanished, turning into a puddle of paper pulp.
Thinking about it, he found himself unable to eat his late-night snack.
Human cultivators were just so cunning, their methods to disgust demons endless.
But just as he entered the room, Lin Shuang’s hand blocked the door’s closing gap.
Huangpu Yuan raised his eyebrow.
“Senior Brother, what’s the value of this first-stage puppet?”
“Just ten thousand spirit stones. It’s of no use to me, junior apprentice, no need to worry about it.” Huangpu Yuan turned to close the door.
But it didn’t shut.
Lin Shuang didn’t let go at all.
She lowered her head, calculating slightly, “Ten thousand spirit stones. If I earned them normally, it would at least take three incense sticks’ worth of time.”
Huangpu Yuan looked at her, puzzled. So what?
Lin Shuang seriously glanced into Huangpu Yuan’s bedroom, its simple layout subtly revealing luxurious decorations.
A long time ago, her grandmother, the dean, had told her: never take the kindness of those around you for granted.
Especially when the relationship is superficial.
If you belittle others’ goodwill, over time, others will gradually belittle you too.
“You gave me three incense sticks’ worth of time, so precious, so I can only repay you with three incense sticks of my time.”
“What?!”
Lin Shuang’s bright eyes sparkled.
“Senior Brother, tonight at midnight, there’s an 80% chance the thief will strike from your bed.”
“I’ve decided to protect you up close for three incense sticks’ time.”
“Tonight, ninety-seven Lin Shuangs will be at your disposal.”
“…”
Midnight.
Nightfall.
Huangpu Yuan lay on his bed, his phoenix eyes tired but wide open.
He was a severely injured person, as everyone knew, his body was like a house full of drafts—no matter how much he cultivated, seven out of ten efforts were wasted.
Cultivating was useless.
So tonight, he didn’t intend to meditate but planned to sleep directly.
But right now, he lay on his silk soft pillow, his phoenix eyes had never been so alert.
He stared, looking at the beautiful woman leaning against the edge of the bed curtain, holding a storybook and leaning sideways on the other side of the bed’s foot.
Huangpu Yuan took a deep breath.
“Am I disturbing you, Senior Brother? Really, do you want me to stick a one-way mirror talisman on you?”
Lin Shuang noticed his discomfort immediately, lifting her snowy white neck.
Her eyes full of concern.
“That way, you won’t see me. Just pretend I don’t exist.”
Huangpu Yuan closed his eyes, “Junior apprentice, how about you return my first-stage golden figure?”
“…”
Of course, Lin Shuang wasn’t someone who insisted on keeping others’ treasures.
But she had been eyeing her own clone for almost ten years.
Who knows how great the temptation of puppets was to her—it was almost as irresistible as ten years without exams.
But such puppets couldn’t be bought with spirit stones alone.
Except for Zhenchuan, she had never seen them before, which showed how precious they were.
Her paper-person clone dissolved upon contact with water, making it impossible to replace her for outer sect chores, tasks, and assignments…
Thinking about this, she suddenly felt that even three incense sticks of protecting Huangpu Yuan weren’t enough to repay this great favor.
“Senior Brother, do you really think I’m such an unreasonable person?”
“If you ask me to return it, would I refuse?”
Lin Shuang lifted her neck, her snow-white skin illuminated by the soft candlelight filtering through the gauze curtains, as if covered with a layer of pearl-like glow.
Huangpu Yuan opened his phoenix eyes and remained silent.
Lin Shuang smiled bitterly, “If we miss tonight, our mission will most likely fail.
Senior Brother Huangpu, you must have already thought of this, right? At the latest tomorrow, multiple groups of investigating disciples will definitely alert them.”
“If it’s really the dining hall Daoist boy who has the issue, then what about other places? Many senior brothers and sisters in the inner sect also use Daoist boys; probably, information has already been exposed.”
“Not to mention, if tonight a thief comes and we don’t capture him, letting him escape, it will be like beating the grass and scaring the snake, making it impossible to lure the enemy again.”
Tonight must succeed.
Lin Shuang sighed.
Otherwise, all her investigation efforts today would be in vain, making her feel heartache so unbearable she could hardly breathe.
“Cultivators should not be bound by trivialities.”
“Staying with Senior Brother, our chances of victory will greatly increase.”
Huangpu Yuan remained silent.
After a while, his eyebrows slightly moved, and his voice was hoarse, “Once the opponent enters the room, if they first see you and me together, they might immediately detect something wrong and flee right away.”
Lin Shuang’s breath caught.
“Senior Brother, you mean…”
“Want me to hide under your quilt?”
The young girl’s voice, in the quiet night, was so clear that even her breathing could be heard distinctly by Huangpu Yuan.
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