On the morning of the Divine Grade Auction, a crisp and familiar system notification sound, long absent, finally rang out in Ji Xuanyuan’s consciousness sea:
[Ding! You have pushed the application method of this divine artifact to the ‘consummate skill’ level. However, all things have spirit. Though divine artifacts are sturdy, relying on them for too long inevitably leads to them gathering dust. System detection: The divine artifact ‘Divine Treasure Cushion’ has accumulated noticeable stains in various places. If not cleaned promptly, it may affect the flow of the artifact’s spiritual essence.]
[Daily Maintenance Task Triggered: A craftsman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well! Your Majesty, please personally wield spiritual power to carefully clean every corner and texture of the ‘Divine Treasure Cushion,’ ensuring it becomes spotlessly clean and its spiritual light is restored.]
Hearing this, Ji Xuanyuan frowned deeply. ‘What? Have me clean the divine artifact? What does it mean by ‘carefully clean every corner and texture’? What does ‘ensure it becomes spotlessly clean’ mean? Doesn’t this system know what the divine artifact it’s referring to actually is?’
Before she could finish her complaint, the system continued: [Task Reward: After cleaning is completed, the ‘Divine Treasure Cushion’ will have its spirituality revived, and all attribute effects will be permanently doubled from their current state.]
‘All attribute effects permanently doubled?’ A glint flashed in Ji Xuanyuan’s phoenix eyes. ‘My cultivation speed is already astonishingly fast now! Doubling that? Estimating with this efficiency, I could complete the path that took three hundred years in my previous life in just over a decade?’
‘No, no, no! Even so, I can’t do that sort of thing!’ Though she thought this, her gaze couldn’t help but drift downward, looking at Chu Yuan’s strong pectoral muscles, his well-defined abdominal muscles, and further down… Oh, oh!
If she were to really start cleaning this “Divine Treasure Cushion,” it would be… thrilling! Too thrilling! Ji Xuanyuan didn’t dare to think further. The system was practically tempting her to make a mistake!
She shook her head violently, trying to cast those wicked thoughts aside, causing her three thousand strands of red hair to sway. She reminded herself inwardly: ‘Calm down! I must stay calm! The reason I’m using junior brother now is only to help him get together with that Fairy Gu as soon as possible. I can’t make a mistake! I absolutely must not cross that line!’
However, why would the system issue such a bizarre task? Could it be…
Ji Xuanyuan immediately jumped from the bed back to the table, looking somewhat disdainfully at the pale-faced youth. “Young Master Yuan, how long has it been since you last bathed and changed clothes?”
“Huh?” Chu Yuan, utterly despondent, tilted his face towards the Crown Princess. “Your Highness, after returning each time, I’ve been resting. Where would I get the energy to bathe?” These past days, he simply hadn’t had the strength to bother with such things.
The only thing worth celebrating was that today was the day the Divine Grade Auction began. After this was over, Chu Yuan could finally say goodbye to this damned Crown Princess. Right now, he missed his own dilapidated courtyard immensely, his mind desperately looping the theme of ‘The Temptation to Go Home.’
Facing the Crown Princess’s disdainful gaze, Chu Yuan looked resentful. “Since Your Highness finds me so distasteful, I beg you not to use me to test your cultivation techniques anymore!”
“Young Master Yuan, don’t say that. You’ve truly worked hard these past days.” Ji Xuanyuan changed her previous disdain to a comforting tone. “Since that’s the case, I’ll have someone prepare a medicinal bath for you! Isn’t today the Divine Grade Auction? You should tidy up and attend properly dressed.”
With that, she immediately ordered the guards to carry Chu Yuan out. Watching Chu Yuan’s figure heading to the bathhouse, Ji Xuanyuan suddenly realized: ‘That’s right! I can just have the servants attend to junior brother’s bath, can’t I? As long as he gets clean, it should be fine, right?’
Sensing her thought, the system replied: [The divine artifact is bound to Your Majesty. The cleaning task requires Your Majesty’s personal involvement to be effective. Please do not delegate it to others.]
This! Damned! System!
Ji Xuanyuan narrowed her phoenix eyes. She suspected this so-called system was specifically designed to cause trouble. Recalling the experiences of these past days, from the very beginning when it mistakenly identified a person as a divine artifact—that was outrageous enough! And now it wanted her, the dignified Crown Princess, to clean it… utterly shameless!
Ji Xuanyuan subconsciously asked, “System, what are the consequences if I never execute this task?”
[The divine artifact will gradually become soiled until it completely loses efficacy.]
“Approximately how much time?”
[Based on the current state, approximately three years.]
‘Three years?’ That time wasn’t particularly long, nor was it short. The sensation of her cultivation soaring rapidly—if possible, Ji Xuanyuan wanted to use it indefinitely, for a lifetime. If it could only last three years, it would indeed be a pity. ‘Fine! The time is still relatively ample. I can think carefully about a countermeasure.’
At the same time, Chu Yuan was supported by the guards to the courtyard outside. Just as they were about to head to the Gu Manor’s bathhouse, a graceful figure with ink-black hair stopped them. “Where are you taking Young Master Yuan?”
The guard answered, “Miss Gu, we are following Her Highness the Crown Princess’s orders to prepare a medicinal bath for Young Master Yuan.”
A medicinal bath? Gu Qingwan couldn’t help but look at the supported youth. The nightly draining had already made Chu Yuan gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes. ‘This Crown Princess! She really knows how to drain a person dry!’
Seeing her childhood friend in such a state, Gu Qingwan’s heart ached. A few days ago, when the Great Elder of Chu made a scene, she had already heard from the servants and clearly understood an agreement had been reached between the two parties. Barring any accidents, today would be Chu Yuan’s last day at the Gu Manor. Now, learning he was going for a medicinal bath, Gu Qingwan couldn’t help but volunteer:
“You all have been standing guard all night and must be tired. Why not let Qingwan take charge of the medicinal bath? My Gu family is, after all, a lineage of alchemists. All disciples within the clan are well-versed in medicinal principles, and Young Master Yuan is my childhood friend. It’s most appropriate for Qingwan to oversee his medicinal bath. If you are concerned, should anything happen, Qingwan will take full responsibility. I simply wish for you all, who have been toiling all night, to get some rest!”
Hearing this, the female guards looked at each other. As the Crown Princess’s guards, they could all see that the relationship between these two childhood friends was extraordinary. Entrusting the medicinal bath to her might be a win-win situation.
After some thought, the lead guard cupped her hands. “Then we’ll trouble Miss Gu! How about we escort Young Master Yuan to the bathhouse and then guard the door for you both?”
Gu Qingwan was delighted. “Good! This way, please.”
Not long after, the guards brought Chu Yuan into the bathhouse and tactfully closed the door. As the door shut again, only Chu and Gu remained in the room. Activating the room’s defensive formation, Gu Qingwan then stepped forward with concern.
“A-Yuan, are you alright? In your current condition, can you really continue to perform the duties of the Crown Princess’s personal bodyguard?”
Chu Yuan found a spot to sit down, looking listless. “I’m fine! I’ll be okay after resting for a few days! But what about you, Wan’er? Was the Thousand-Year Lingzhi effective?”
Gu Qingwan nodded gently. “Thanks to A-Yuan, I’m much better now!”
Chu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good! After all, it’s a tricky restriction like the Nine Yin Severed Meridians…”
Nine Yin Severed Meridians? Gu Qingwan’s heart skipped a beat.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.