Lu Ning stared at the pitch-black pill in front of her, which exuded an indescribable strange odor, and fell silent.
Anshen Buyuan Pill?
She might not be a Pill Refiner, but as a veteran gamer, she had some basic knowledge of pharmacology.
A real Anshen Buyuan Pill should have a warm, lustrous color, an overflowing pill fragrance, and melt in the mouth.
But this thing in front of her…
Was she sure it wasn’t kneaded together from mud and grass roots?
“What’s wrong, Master?”
Gu Qinghuan’s smile remained gentle as ever.
“Do you not trust your disciple’s Pill Refining Technique?”
“These are all top-grade spiritual herbs taken from the storeroom. To refine this batch of pills for you, your disciple watched over the cauldron day and night, and ruined several furnaces in the process.”
She spoke so earnestly, as if she were truly a filial disciple who’d gone through much hardship for her master’s sake.
But Lu Ning didn’t believe a single word.
This rebellious disciple was nothing but trouble.
She was certain Gu Qinghuan had tampered with the pill.
There might not be poison in it, but it definitely wouldn’t be any real medicine capable of helping her injuries.
It might even produce some negative effects.
“Good medicine is bitter.”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice grew even softer.
“Master, be good, take your medicine.”
She pinched the pill and brought it closer to Lu Ning’s lips.
A chill swept through Lu Ning’s heart.
She knew that whether she wanted to or not, she’d have to take this medicine today.
Resisting would only bring about even worse treatment.
Rather than make a useless struggle, she might as well go along for now.
Lu Ning closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if she’d made a firm decision, then opened her mouth.
Gu Qinghuan, seeing this, smiled in satisfaction.
She gently placed the pill into Lu Ning’s mouth.
A nameless bitterness exploded across Lu Ning’s tongue instantly.
“Ugh…”
Lu Ning almost spat it out on the spot.
The taste was a hundred times worse than the nastiest cafeteria food she’d ever eaten in her previous life.
“Master, swallow it.”
Gu Qinghuan helpfully brought a cup of water to her.
Lu Ning forced down her urge to gag and gulped the pill down in one go.
Once the pill reached her stomach, it didn’t produce the discomfort she’d expected.
Instead, it melted into a faint warm current that flowed through her body.
The aches and pains seemed to lighten a little.
But at the same time, a powerful drowsiness began to well up.
Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, her mind turning fuzzy.
Lu Ning realized at once—there was a huge dose of Calming Grass in this pill.
In small amounts, that herb could calm the mind and steady the spirit, but in large doses, it would make a person sleep for a long time.
This wicked disciple wanted to turn her into a sleeping beauty—someone who could only lie in bed, at her mercy!
“Master must be tired, right? Have a good sleep.”
Gu Qinghuan’s dreamy voice sounded by her ear.
Lu Ning’s consciousness faded under the pill’s effect.
Just before she completely lost awareness, she had one thought left.
Things can’t go on like this.
She had to find a way to recover her cultivation as soon as possible.
…
In the days that followed, Lu Ning lived the life of a pampered pet.
She was either sleeping, being fed, or on her way to being force-fed medicine.
That wicked disciple Gu Qinghuan arrived on time every day, presenting her with various “personally” prepared spirit porridge and pills, forcing her to eat them.
Then came all sorts of shameful “dress-up games.”
Today it was a goose-yellow gauze dress, tomorrow a water-blue silk skirt, the day after a fire-red dancing costume…
Each outfit bolder than the last, each day with less fabric.
Lu Ning went from fiercely resisting at the start, to numbness, and finally to resigned despair.
She’d given up struggling.
Her only thought now was to rest and regain her strength.
She discovered that although Gu Qinghuan’s “poison pills” made her drowsy, the medicinal power did in fact slowly nourish her damaged meridians.
The effect was minimal, but better than nothing.
And she was gradually getting used to the medicine’s effects.
From sleeping most of the day at first, she could now stay awake for two or three hours after taking the pill.
That was a good sign.
All she needed was an opportunity.
An opportunity when Gu Qinghuan was not by her side.
That afternoon, Gu Qinghuan fed Lu Ning the usual black “affection pill,” but didn’t stay at her bedside to admire her sleeping face or take further liberties.
“Master, please rest well.”
Her expression carried a hint of apology.
“There’s some urgent matter in the sect I need to deal with. I’ll be back very soon.”
Lu Ning’s heart stirred, but outwardly she remained drowsy and unresponsive.
Gu Qinghuan carefully tucked the blanket around her before reluctantly turning to leave.
When the sound of the hall doors closing and Gu Qinghuan’s footsteps faded into the distance…
Lu Ning, lying in bed, suddenly opened her eyes.
There was no trace of drowsiness in her gaze, only clarity and urgency.
Lu Ning threw off her blanket.
Though still weak, she could at least walk with effort.
She was still dressed in a gauzy pink dress as thin as a cicada’s wing, and the chill made her uneasy.
But now was no time to care about that.
She strode quickly to the bookshelf in her bedchamber.
The Sect Master’s residence was divided into inner and outer rooms.
The outer chamber was for guests and official business; the inner chamber contained the bedroom and a study.
The original “Lu Ning’s” study was just to the side of the bedroom, separated by a screen.
The study was elegantly arranged.
Rows of rosewood shelves were filled with ancient books and jade slips.
A large desk, with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone perfectly set.
Lu Ning’s aim was clear.
She needed to find cultivation insights on the “Heavenly Demon Codex,” or any diaries or notes left behind.
She believed the original “Lu Ning” wouldn’t have been able to cross-dress and become the Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect if she were a simple person.
She must have researched and guarded against her technique’s weaknesses and her body’s secrets.
Lu Ning began searching the shelves quickly.
“Origins of the Demon Path,” “Nine Regions Illustrated,” “Tales of the Ancient Era”…
Most were general histories and geography records of the continent.
There were quite a few jade slips on cultivation methods, but all were common demonic techniques—nothing detailed about the “Heavenly Demon Codex.”
Lu Ning wasn’t discouraged, and turned her gaze to the large desk.
The desk was very tidy.
Brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, all arranged with precision.
It was obvious the study’s original owner was extremely disciplined, perhaps even a bit obsessive-compulsive.
Lu Ning’s eyes swept the desktop, finally settling on a bronze qilin paperweight.
The placement of that paperweight seemed a little off.
Everything else was perfectly lined up—only the paperweight sat at an angle.
Lu Ning felt a jolt in her heart.
She reached out and gently turned the qilin paperweight, just as she’d done in puzzle games in her memory.
“Click.”
A soft sound.
A secret compartment popped open on the side of the desk.
Found it!
Lu Ning’s heart leapt.
She quickly reached into the hidden compartment.
She pulled out a palm-sized booklet made of beast hide.
There was no title, and the cover was blank.
Lu Ning couldn’t wait to open it.
The first page contained a line of graceful, powerful small characters.
“My name is Lu Ning. Born a woman, yet burdened with Heavenly Demon blood, I am destined never to walk the mortal path.”
It was the original owner’s diary!
Lu Ning’s spirits soared and she quickly read on.
The diary recorded the original “Lu Ning’s” life story.
She was indeed female, but born with exceptionally pure Heavenly Demon blood.
She was taken as the last disciple of the previous Sect Master and groomed from childhood to be the successor.
To better control the strength-obsessed Heavenly Demon Sect, and to hide her bloodline secret, her master had her present herself as male since childhood.
She was a peerless talent, resolute in character, overcame countless obstacles, and finally became Sect Master.
Between the lines, the diary revealed a sense of pride and helplessness.
She stood high above, but had no one to confide in.
Even her true gender had to remain hidden in darkness forever.
Lu Ning flipped through the diary quickly.
She had no time to dwell on the original’s hardships—she just wanted useful information.
Soon, she reached the latter half of the diary.
“The ‘Heavenly Demon Codex’ truly deserves to be called the number one demonic art of ancient times. Its power is infinite, its might unmatched. Yet, this technique does not seem created by mortals. The deeper I cultivate, the more I sense an alien power awakening within my bloodline.”
“This cultivation technique has a fatal flaw. Or rather, it is a shackle tailored for those with Heavenly Demon blood.”
“With every full moon, the bloodline and technique resonate, triggering ‘demonic erosion.’ The higher the cultivation, the more painful the erosion, as if ten thousand ants gnaw the heart, threatening to tear the soul apart.”
“I searched the records exhaustively, and finally found a glimmer of hope in an ancient remnant scroll.”
“The Taiyin Physique. Only a woman with the Taiyin Physique can perfectly harmonize with Heavenly Demon blood, eradicating the threat of demonic erosion. If joined in dual cultivation, the Heavenly Demon bloodline can fully awaken, breaking and then remaking itself, achieving true mastery.”
Reading this, Lu Ning’s breath quickened.
So it was true!
That bug really existed!
No, in this world it wasn’t a bug at all—it was the very core setting of the “Heavenly Demon Codex.”
“I searched the world and finally found a woman named Qinghuan. Her constitution is the one-in-a-million Taiyin Physique.”
“I took her as a personal disciple and taught her supreme techniques, aiding her cultivation. Once her Taiyin Physique is perfected, that will be my moment to break free of my shackles.”
“However, this girl is cunning and ambitious—not easy to control. I must be on my guard and take my time.”
“This is my greatest secret. It must never be known to outsiders.”
Lu Ning stared at these words, dumbfounded.
She finally understood—the original “Lu Ning” never intended to take Gu Qinghuan as her disciple for her talent!
She hadn’t wanted her aptitude—she’d wanted her…body!
What a masterstroke! What a cunning plan to “raise the medicine in the wild”!
So the original owner was no saint either!
She continued reading.
The diary’s final page described what happened after the original suffered an ambush and was gravely wounded.
“Xuantian Lord, Ten Thousand Sword Manor Lord, Miaoyin House Mistress… Good. Very good. This enmity I shall repay a hundredfold!”
“Meridians shattered, cultivation lost… Yet Heaven has not abandoned me. Though this disaster is a calamity, it is also an opportunity. Just right to use the ‘breaking and remaking’ method.”
“Qinghuan has reached the late stage of Unity. Now is the perfect time.”
“Only… she is now formidable, and not easily manipulated. I must set a trap, make her come willingly…”
Here, the diary abruptly ended.
The following pages seemed to have been torn out.
But Lu Ning had already obtained all the information she needed.
She closed the diary, overwhelmed by mixed emotions.
The original owner’s plan had been to lure Gu Qinghuan into coming to her “willingly.”
But now, she herself was the one being controlled by Gu Qinghuan—how could she possibly lure her?
Wait…
This situation was a crisis.
But thinking about it from another angle—wasn’t it also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
Right now, Gu Qinghuan was filled with possessiveness and the urge to control her.
What she wanted was a “sickly Master” who belonged to her alone and could only rely on her.
With these thoughts, a plan gradually formed in Lu Ning’s mind.
“Creak—”
The bedroom door suddenly opened.
Gu Qinghuan appeared in the doorway.
Seeing the empty jade bed, her expression changed.
Immediately, she spun around, gaze fixed on the study behind the screen.
In the next instant, she appeared before Lu Ning.
The two faced each other.
Gu Qinghuan stared at the “Master” before her, dressed in a pink gauze dress and clutching a beast-hide booklet, momentarily stunned.
Lu Ning instinctively hid the diary behind her back.
At that moment, Gu Qinghuan’s eyes turned cold, her voice sharp.
“Master, what are you reading?”