Luo Qingyao looked at Bai Qianqian lying on the bed.
Concerned, she tucked a long strand of hair behind the girl’s ear, trying to make her more comfortable.
Her eyes were filled with worry, and she only breathed a sigh of relief when Bai Qianqian’s breathing finally became mechanical and steady.
“Finally, I can rest easy…”
Just as Luo Qingyao was about to relax, she suddenly felt Lin Xinyi slowly approaching from behind.
When Luo Qingyao turned her head, she was met with the other woman’s deceptively kind expression.
“What do you want?”
“Saving this little one took quite a bit of effort. Especially those two pills; for a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator like me, that was a cost I could hardly bear~”
Lin Xinyi put on a display of heartache.
Luo Qingyao saw right through it; such clumsy acting was almost laughable.
The spiritual pressure emanating from the woman was practically slapping Luo Qingyao in the face, yet she still insisted she was a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“Enough with the diversions. You just want your reward, don’t you? I won’t go back on my word—I said what I said…”
Although Luo Qingyao possessed no physical treasures, her consciousness held top-tier, peak-grade cultivation methods.
Any single one of them could pave a smooth path for a cultivator, potentially allowing them to reach the Immortal Realm.
“Even though I find you loathsome, I really do have you to thank for not needing to consume my origin essence this time…”
As she spoke, Luo Qingyao slowly produced two jade slips.
Even a single glance at their luster revealed their preciousness.
Blood-red patterns spread across them, surrounded by constant flows of golden light.
They radiated a celestial aura and intense ripples of spiritual power.
Luo Qingyao already anticipated the look of profound gratitude the other woman would show upon seeing these techniques.
‘I don’t know what your goal is by disguising yourself as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but even if your cultivation reaches the heavens, you won’t be able to refuse these two techniques~’
The smugness on Luo Qingyao’s face was plain to see, but what she expected didn’t happen.
Facing the jade slips, Lin Xinyi didn’t even have the urge to lift her hand. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
“An Immortal Venerable is truly generous with her gifts. However, this isn’t what I want~”
“Hey, junior, I advise you not to be too greedy. These two techniques are more than enough to repay the favor of saving her life. What else could you possibly want…?”
“I couldn’t even begin to comprehend such high-quality techniques. Taking them would be as useless as gnawing on chicken ribs…”
Luo Qingyao’s eye twitched.
Celestial-grade techniques were incredibly rare in the world, yet this woman was being so selective.
Lin Xinyi couldn’t have cared less; she bypassed the other woman and reached Bai Qianqian, stroking her soft cheek.
“If the Immortal Venerable can’t give me what I want, then forget it. After all, who would want to make things difficult for an Immortal Venerable who is nothing more than a remnant soul~?”
“You!!”
Hearing the flippant tone and seeing the look of pity, Luo Qingyao felt a surge of rage.
She had already been humiliated earlier, and now she had brought out two immortal techniques to show off and regain some face.
Instead of the reaction she expected, she was met with mockery.
Enraged, Luo Qingyao threw the jade slips toward her.
With a flick of her finger, Lin Xinyi caught them, letting the two techniques float in midair.
“These are the Heavenly Profound Sword Art and the Exquisite Heart Method! Any practitioner who masters them can reach the rank of Immortal Venerable!”
“That impressive? But I don’t want them~”
Lin Xinyi looked at the two jade slips and threw them back without a second thought.
Under normal circumstances, she would have accepted them without hesitation, but she didn’t want anything to jeopardize her current plan.
Luo Qingyao slowly clenched her fists.
She couldn’t understand to what extent this woman intended to humiliate her.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she angrily demanded to know what the woman actually wanted.
“What I want isn’t anything major. It just depends on whether the Immortal Venerable is willing to give it~”
“Tsk, if you want something, just say it. Why all these twists and turns? I will definitely repay this debt, and after that, we’ll be even!”
Lin Xinyi feigned a troubled look, but behind her hand, her lips curled into a slight smile.
Clearly, this Immortal Venerable was even simpler than she had imagined; no wonder she had been reduced to a mere remnant soul.
“Since the Immortal Venerable has put it that way, then I want this. Can you give it to me…?”
Lin Xinyi extended her finger, pointing slowly.
When Luo Qingyao saw the finger pointing toward her, she was stunned for a moment before looking up in confusion.
“You want something I have on me?”
“Immortal Venerable, you just promised you’d give me anything. Surely you aren’t going to play dumb now?”
A smile played on the corners of Lin Xinyi’s lips.
Luo Qingyao found it hard to believe.
She floated a bit to the side, but as she moved left, the direction of the finger followed her.
“Stop joking! That’s completely impossible, isn’t it?!”
“I suppose so~”
Lin Xinyi leaned her cheek on her hand, acting as if she were disappointed.
Luo Qingyao, however, had already begun to guard herself against the woman.
Earlier, simply because the woman had saved Bai Qianqian, she had mistakenly categorized her as a ‘good person’.
Now it was clear she had an ulterior motive.
Panic began to rise in Luo Qingyao’s heart.
Could this woman be after her status as an Immortal Venerable, or perhaps her beauty?
All sorts of unpleasant thoughts flooded her mind.
“Forget it. I’ve already decided to make up for my past mistakes and take proper care of Bai Qianqian. There is no way I’m going with you…”
“Oh my, it seems the Immortal Venerable has misunderstood something. How about this? Let me clarify. After all, I do look like the very greedy type~”
Lin Xinyi didn’t seem anxious despite the rejection.
Instead, she offered a more suitable explanation.
At this moment, Luo Qingyao was like a startled kitten, shielding Bai Qianqian.
Although Lin Xinyi could have taken the ring by force, she feared that showing her hand too early would cause too much resistance or alert Bai Qianqian.
Meanwhile, Luo Qingyao also worried that refusing might cause the woman to lash out at the girl.
“The techniques the Immortal Venerable offered are very tempting, but I am truly lacking in talent. I only need your guidance.”
“Just guidance…?”
Luo Qingyao only believed half of what Lin Xinyi said.
This woman felt incredibly sinister, just like her old friend in the Immortal Realm.
Back then, because she hadn’t been careful with her choice of friends, she had treated that person as her best friend and even accepted her as a sworn sister, trusting her unconditionally.
Later, she had gone to that person’s immortal palace for wine, only to be drugged into a stupor so the woman could commit unspeakable acts.
Luo Qingyao could still remember her desperate struggle, which ended with her cultivation being sealed.
If she hadn’t sacrificed her soul to let a remnant escape, she would have been lost.
The feeling this woman gave her was identical to that old ‘friend’.
“If you only want guidance, it shouldn’t be too difficult…”
Luo Qingyao fell into thought; she didn’t want to owe favors, and teaching others was something she excelled at.
She couldn’t help but feel the woman did have some vision.
“If the Immortal Venerable has no other concerns, surely you wouldn’t refuse such a small request~?”
“That is indeed a small request…”
“In that case, I only need the Immortal Venerable to guide me for one year~”
“No problem. I agree!”
Luo Qingyao agreed without a second thought.
Just one year of guidance was nothing.
When Lin Xinyi heard the agreement, the smile on her face widened.
“However, I want personal, close-up guidance~”
“Eh? You said personal…? No—don’t tell me! You really feel that way about me…!!”
Hearing those words, a chill ran down Luo Qingyao’s spine.
She remembered being stabbed in the behind by that ‘friend’, and her face turned ghostly pale.
“Then let this ring keep me company for a year. I will return it to her afterward~”
“Oh, so that’s what you meant by personal. Wait, no, that won’t work either!”
Luo Qingyao sighed in relief upon seeing Lin Xinyi move toward the ring, but then she immediately realized what would happen if she fell into the woman’s hands.
“The Immortal Venerable has been pushing back again and again. To think you can’t even agree to this small matter… it’s quite disappointing…”
Lin Xinyi spoke calmly as Luo Qingyao blocked her path.
Feeling guilty, Luo Qingyao turned her head away.
In some ways, one year wasn’t a very long time.
The thought of continuing to owe this person made her feel even worse, so she gritted her teeth and stepped aside.
Seeing this, Lin Xinyi didn’t hesitate; she walked over and gently slid the ring off Bai Qianqian’s finger.
“Well then, for the next year, I’ll be in your care, Immortal Venerable~”
“You…”
Luo Qingyao crossed her arms over her chest.
Even though her fate was now in the hands of another, she still didn’t have a pleasant expression for Lin Xinyi.
“Whatever. If you have any questions, just tell me whenever you want. Once Qianqian wakes up, I’ll need to teach her how to circulate her spiritual power…”
Luo Qingyao turned around and slowly floated toward the woman, but midway through, her body suddenly stiffened.
She turned her head in disbelief.
Lin Xinyi, who had already put on the ring, wore a triumphant smile.
“You!!”
“I’m sorry. For the coming days, I’d like to spend some time alone with her~”
Luo Qingyao watched as blood-red spiritual energy slowly climbed the ring, constructing one rune after another.
It was clearly a restrictive formation.
Panic seized her, and she didn’t hesitate to mobilize her origin spiritual power to try and stop it.
However, by the time she got close, it was already too late.
The formation of spiritual power was complete.
Although Luo Qingyao was still conscious, her form passed directly through the woman’s body.
“You! You wretch, what are you trying to do?!!”
Frantically, Luo Qingyao tried to grab the woman in front of her, but no matter how hard she tried or how much spiritual power she mobilized, she couldn’t catch her.
It was as if she had completely turned into a soul that didn’t exist in that space.
“If you feel bored, you can chat with me. After all, you won’t have anyone else to talk to~”
“That request for guidance was a complete lie! You did this just to sever my connection with Bai Qianqian!!”
“It’s too late now. Shh… keep it down. My dear disciple is about to wake up~”