Lin Xinyi felt as though she had just emerged from a deep nightmare.
Her mind was a hazy mess, and when she finally opened her eyes, her entire body was already drenched in a cold sweat.
She looked out at the pitch-black night and immediately realized that the same situation had occurred again.
It had clearly been midday just a moment ago, yet when she opened her eyes, it was already night.
“How is this possible? Why is it like this again? What happened in between?! How is it already night?!”
The more Lin Xinyi thought about it, the more confused she became.
In a fit of irritation, she rushed out of the Grotto-heaven.
However, as soon as she left the Mini Grotto-heaven, she saw Luo Qingyao squatting on the ground, grilling a fish.
Nearby, Bai Qianqian was busy mixing a dipping sauce.
The two worked together with seamless coordination, and the air was filled with the savory aroma of grilled fish.
Luo Qingyao noticed the commotion and looked up to see Lin Xinyi walking out of the Grotto-heaven.
“Your dear Master is awake. Aren’t you going to go see her?”
“Master?!”
Bai Qianqian had been brushing a delicious glaze onto the fish, but the word ‘Master’ acted like a trigger.
She stood up instantly and turned around to see Lin Xinyi standing under the tree.
“What… what are you two doing…”
Lin Xinyi had intended to come out and question Luo Qingyao, but she had not expected to find them grilling fish.
The way Bai Qianqian looked at her made her feel like a predator who had just spotted its prey.
“Why… why are you staring at me again…”
For some reason, having their gazes focused on her at the same time made Lin Xinyi’s skin crawl.
Bai Qianqian opened her mouth, clearly wanting to say something, but the words seemed to catch in her throat and she swallowed them back down.
“Why aren’t either of you saying anything…”
Lin Xinyi took two steps forward, wanting to demand an explanation for what had happened in the interim.
However, she suddenly felt a cool breeze brush past her.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in bed.
“Wait, wasn’t I just…”
Lin Xinyi slowly sat up.
A flicker of confusion flashed in her eyes.
Her memories of a few moments ago were blurry; she felt as though she had already left the Cave Abode, so why was she back in bed now?
‘That’s strange. Could I have been hallucinating? Or was it just a dream?’
With doubt in her heart, Lin Xinyi walked out of the Grotto-heaven.
This time, she saw Bai Qianqian and Luo Qingyao using small knives to slice the grilled fish into pieces.
The scene felt familiar, but there was a strange sense of cognitive dissonance.
She felt as though she had seen this before.
Had they not just been about to start grilling?
“You… you two…”
“Master, you’re awake…”
Lin Xinyi rubbed her eyes and was about to ask a question when she opened them to find Bai Qianqian right in front of her.
Startled by the sudden sound of the girl’s voice, Lin Xinyi took half a step back to compose herself.
She forced a calm expression, pretending as if nothing was wrong.
“What… what are you two doing…”
As she spoke, Lin Xinyi felt a slight wave of panic.
She had the distinct feeling that she had said those exact words before.
Beside them, Luo Qingyao wore an expression of helplessness.
“Qianqian, there is no need to wipe her memory every single time…”
“But it’s so much fun…”
Facing Bai Qianqian’s innocent-sounding words, Luo Qingyao could feel the darkness lurking within the girl’s heart.
Lin Xinyi listened to their conversation, her face a mask of total bewilderment.
‘Wipe my memory? What are they talking about? And why do they have zero reaction to seeing me??’
Lin Xinyi was perplexed, but as Bai Qianqian walked forward, the girl reached out and took her hand with complete ease.
There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation.
The intimacy was treated as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
“Sister Luo’s grilled fish is very fragrant. Why don’t you try some, Master?”
Lin Xinyi’s eyes twitched.
She jerked her hand away and raised her voice.
Luo Qingyao, who was still slicing the fish, looked up calmly.
“What do the two of you mean by this? Who gave you permission to touch me?!”
Bai Qianqian stared blankly at her hand that had been slapped away, and her expression suddenly became very animated.
Lin Xinyi did not understand how the girl could act so familiar with her.
However, when she saw Bai Qianqian clutching her heart and slowly crouching down, Lin Xinyi’s first instinct was that she had used too much force and hurt her.
Yet, as she watched the girl’s body tremble in an almost indescribable way, an inexplicable fear gripped Lin Xinyi.
‘No, I am a Nascent Soul cultivator. Why… what am I afraid of?’
Lin Xinyi did not know why she was afraid, but her body was reacting instinctively.
Her legs went weak, and she sat down directly on the ground.
Luo Qingyao, who was checking to see if the fish was cooked through, lowered her head to continue her work.
“You…”
“I say… don’t you think you should apologize to your disciple?”
“Lady Immortal, you must be joking. I am a Nascent Soul cultivator. Even if a year has passed and Bai Qianqian’s strength has grown, for me to apologize to her…”
A sneer slowly formed on Lin Xinyi’s lips.
Although her legs were too weak to stand, she refused to let her aura falter.
She forced herself to remain steady and slowly raised her hand, intending to circulate her spiritual energy, but her body refused to obey.
“Master rejected me just now. I am so heartbroken…”
Bai Qianqian wiped away non-existent tears.
When she looked up, her face bore an expression of pure intoxication, as if she were savoring a world-class delicacy.
Seeing her like this made Lin Xinyi’s skin crawl even more.
“Why do you have that expression?!”
Lin Xinyi still did not realize the gravity of the situation.
Her physical instincts were simply screaming at her that the Bai Qianqian she usually thought she could handle was now radiating an aura of extreme danger.
“Don’t… don’t come any closer…”
The expression on Bai Qianqian’s face was becoming difficult to restrain.
She took a soft, deep breath and pointed at Lin Xinyi, who was sitting on the ground.
Her eyes were full of rapture for what was about to happen next.
“Sister Luo, Master has rejected me, which means the Will Contract is unstable. I can add another layer to it, right?”
“Will Contract? What Will Contract?! What are you two talking about behind my back?!”
Lin Xinyi felt numb. When she saw Luo Qingyao nod, she could no longer endure it.
Vast amounts of spiritual energy erupted from her body.
The thing Lin Xinyi hated most was being plotted against.
The two in front of her had clearly said nothing to her, yet they acted as if they were experts in this matter.
They didn’t even care if she knew; they were brazenly conspiring right in front of her.
This total lack of regard made Lin Xinyi feel utterly humiliated.
“Luo Qingyao, what exactly have you been plotting behind my back?!”
Lin Xinyi’s voice rang out again, accompanied by the surging spiritual energy that enveloped the area.
She possessed absolutely overwhelming strength, which was the source of her confidence.
Luo Qingyao had previously acted with some degree of caution around her, but at some point, even that wariness had vanished without a trace.
Lin Xinyi did not know if the world had gone mad or if she had simply become weak.
“I’ve had enough! Making me faint for no reason and then losing my memories! Do you really think I don’t know?!”
[Sit down…]
The spiritual energy Lin Xinyi had been venting was suddenly cut short.
As soon as that commanding voice spoke, Lin Xinyi acted like a submissive pet, immediately squatting on the ground.
Bai Qianqian reached out to stroke her soft hair, her eyes filled with a sickly, morbid obsession.
“Eh?”
Lin Xinyi was clearly stunned by her body’s sudden loss of control.
She was currently sitting on the ground like a tamed animal, her hands drooping in front of her.
Not a trace of her previous arrogance remained.
“You! What are you doing? You bastard!”
[Give me your hand…]
Lin Xinyi struggled frantically, trying to regain control of her disobedient body.
Instead, her hand reached out and landed perfectly in Bai Qianqian’s palm.
At that moment, her dignity as a powerful cultivator vanished completely.
“What have you done to me!”
Lin Xinyi’s eyes widened.
Fear, worry, and disbelief appeared on her face all at once.
Luo Qingyao approached with a plate of fish and slowly ducked down to look at the Lin Xinyi who had infuriated her one year ago.
“A Nascent Soul cultivator? If you want to survive in this world, you need strength and a background. What do you have now?”
“I…!”
“I what? If I hadn’t stepped in to stop it, you would have been turned into a human furnace long ago…”
Luo Qingyao handed the plate to Bai Qianqian and said no more.
She simply gave a casual wave of her hand.
“Just like before, don’t leave her with any memories…”
“Understood…”
Bai Qianqian flashed a sickly smile and began to walk over slowly.
Lin Xinyi’s eyes went wide as she shook her head repeatedly, begging her not to come closer.
But what use was that?
Luo Qingyao used a small knife to peel off a piece of fish and chewed it thoughtfully.
Hearing the screams behind her, she merely let out a helpless sigh.
“This fish has no flavor…”
After Luo Qingyao swallowed the fish, it passed straight through her body and fell out.
Her life had become so colorful that she had forgotten she was currently just a soul.
“Oh, right. I can’t taste anything.”