Chapter 36: You’re Laughing? You Call This Compensation?

“Yes, yes, yes, I got it.”

Hearing Shen Qingqing say this, Liu Fufeng grew bored and withdrew his hand.

Fang Quan was still more fun.

“It seems your strength has increased quite a bit this time. The sect’s grand tournament is coming soon. Keep it up.”

“Don’t worry, Sister Shen, I’m definitely taking first place,” Chen Xiaoyan said confidently about the competition in half a month.

With her current strength, not to mention the Tianxiang Sect, she was among the top five in the entire Xianxia Player community.

Yue Qifang glanced repeatedly at Chen Xiaoyan, feeling a flicker of curiosity about this new disciple.

But for now, she was busy dealing with the elders and couldn’t find a chance to slip away.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingqing revealed her signature smile again and gently ruffled Chen Xiaoyan’s head. “Mm, go practice now.”

“Disciple takes leave,” both said in unison.

After the two left, Shen Qingqing’s expression returned to its usual coldness.

“Qingqing, it’s been a long time since we last met. Now that there’s a chance, why don’t the few of us get together?”

“Yeah, Sister Qingqing, Fang Quan just asked me if we should meet up as well.”

Shen Qingqing didn’t object; as long as they weren’t alone, it was fine.

Besides, ever since sealing the monster village more than ten years ago, they hadn’t gathered together even once.

***

Character ID: Chen Xiaoyan

Level: 18

HP: 4600 (Cultivation +1000)

Cultivation: Out of the Mortal Realm (increases percentage damage against lower cultivation levels)
Next Level: Enlightened Spirit (requires 5000 spiritual energy)

Spiritual Energy: 1211

Fragrance Intent: 1311

Gongfa: Fragrance Intent Art (Level 1), Moon Shadow Step (Level 1)

Skills: Spring Breeze Draw, Tianxiang · Bathing Rain with Hidden Light, Tianxiang · Returning Wind Umbrella, Tianxiang · Umbrella Dance Healing

Equipment: Tianxiang Sect Novice Gear

Her cultivation had risen; besides her HP increasing by a thousand, she felt no other changes.

Could she have guessed wrong?

Not exactly.

Chen Xiaoyan opened her palm, a swirl of pink spiritual energy forming there, shifting with her will.

Her control over spiritual energy had improved.

“I’ll try the Demon Suppression Tower.”

She didn’t believe her cultivation boost would have so little effect.

***

Second Floor of the Demon Suppression Tower

This time, Chen Xiaoyan didn’t set up puppet teammates.

As the demon wolves respawned, she patted the little bug beside her.

“Bugbug, go take the damage.”

“Huh?”

Bugbug blinked in confusion, big eyes full of doubt.

Was it right to send a tiny healer to tank damage?

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Bugbug clenched her fists, mustering courage, then charged forward.

Chen Xiaoyan waved her hand.

“Charge, Bugbug!”

Hmm, that was a bit of a tongue twister.

Hearing this, Bugbug’s hard-earned courage instantly deflated, nearly twisting an ankle and falling.

“Sis Xiaoyan,” Bugbug cast a pitiful glance back.

Chen Xiaoyan turned her head away with an indifferent look.

“Wooo~”

The demon wolf leader howled, and over a dozen demon wolves swiftly charged at Bugbug.

Bugbug hurriedly turned back, raised her fist, and shouted to bolster her courage.

“Take this!”

Her tiny pink fist burst forth with dazzling light, radiating an invincible aura as it swung at a demon wolf.

Even the space around seemed to warp.

Bugbug looked at her powerful attack with joy.

Looking at the demon wolf ahead, her eyes glowed with a bit of invincible loneliness.

“Fiend, can you withstand my hundred years of cultivation packed into this punch?”

A “thud” echoed, and Bugbug’s smile vanished instantly.

The demon wolf glanced disdainfully at the pink fist on its face, as if to say,

“That’s it?”

It raised its paw and swatted her flying.

“Ouch.”

A dozen demon wolves immediately pounced, fiercely attacking Bugbug.

“Ah!!! Sister Xiaoyan, save me, hurry!”

The hell-level demon wolves were too fierce; she simply couldn’t fight back.

Watching Bugbug’s health bar rapidly depleting, Chen Xiaoyan immediately activated Spring Breeze Draw.

[+1453]

[+1988 (Critical Hit)]

***

Spring Breeze Draw healed for 1453 instantly?

No, her spiritual energy was only 1211; how did it heal over two hundred more?

And what was that critical hit?

Healing could have critical hits now?

Why hadn’t she noticed before?

There was no explanation this time—maybe she was just lucky, so Chen Xiaoyan decided to try a few more times.

***

Over ten minutes later

Outside the Demon Suppression Tower

The two were teleported out.

After a long trial, Chen Xiaoyan discovered her healing indeed had a chance for critical hits, though the chance was low.

Also, healing amount increased by more than two hundred points.

This wasn’t probabilistic but a fixed 20% boost.

Was this due to her cultivation level?

Besides that, she couldn’t think of any other explanation.

“Waaah~ Sister Xiaoyan, you’re bullying me!”

Bugbug wailed, sitting on the ground right after leaving the tower.

“What happened now?”

“You bullied me!!!”

“How did I bully you?”

Chen Xiaoyan looked puzzled.

“Do you know how I spent those ten-plus minutes? Do you know how painful it was to be surrounded and bitten by a pack of demon wolves? No, you don’t. You just kept healing me crazily, not letting me die even when I wanted to. That’s just inhumane!”

“My bad, don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Chen Xiaoyan hugged Bugbug, gently stroking her hair.

“I don’t care, Sister Xiaoyan, you have to compensate me.”

“Alright, alright, what do you want?”

“Hehe.”

Bugbug lifted her head with a scheming smile, leaning her face close and poking with a finger.

Chen Xiaoyan was caught between laughter and tears.

Compensation?

That was clearly a perk for herself.

“Sis Xiaoyan, hurry up.”

“Bugbug, are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely sure.”

“Fine, but don’t regret it later. You asked for it yourself.”

Chen Xiaoyan prepared her disclaimer in advance in case Bugbug accused her of deception in real life.

“Sis Xiaoyan, you’re so naggy.”

Seeing Bugbug’s disdainful eye-roll, Chen Xiaoyan got annoyed.

She cupped Bugbug’s face and kissed her, like sucking on jelly.

“Smooch”

Quick in and quick out.

“Okay.”

Chen Xiaoyan blushed, turning her head away, avoiding Bugbug’s gaze.

It was her first time kissing a girl—even if only on the cheek—a novel experience.

Bugbug covered the kissed spot, beaming with happiness.

Still savoring the electrifyingly wonderful sensation from just now.

Because it was something she had never felt before.

Although playing kiss games with girls wasn’t new to her, this feeling was entirely different.

Why was Sister Xiaoyan so special?

“Let’s go, stop daydreaming. Back to the courtyard to practice Fragrance Intent Art.”

“Okay.”

Bugbug quickly got up, holding Chen Xiaoyan’s hand.

Chen Xiaoyan’s hand trembled briefly but didn’t pull away.

“Bugbug, do you really like girls?”

“Yeah, like girls like Sister Xiaoyan, I really like them.”

Chen Xiaoyan remained silent, her eyes full of complexity.

In the end, those complicated feelings turned into a sigh.

“What about Sister Xiaoyan?”

Bugbug’s tone held a hint of hope.

“My orientation is normal.”

“Oh.”

Hearing that, Bugbug gave a wistful smile.

The sun set in the west, their lonely silhouettes slowly fading away in the square.