Vol. 1 - Ch. 11 - Ying Shuang

"Little girl, I didn't lie to you!"

"It's truly a formidable technique, a bit indecent but..."

"I'm telling the truth! If I lie, may heaven strike me down!"

"You promised to take me out of here. Are you planning to go back on your word?"

"I'm telling you, no way!"

"Hey, at least say something!"

Gao Ba Dou buzzed from Ji Yaoge’s left ear to her right and back again, his voice incessant like an unkillable fly. Despite talking for nearly an hour, he received no response.

Ji Yaoge ignored him, rechecking all the pills in the medicine cabinet, carefully inspecting each bottle. Unable to bear it any longer, Gao Ba Dou puffed himself up and blocked her path. Looking at the bug the size of her face, with twitching legs, Ji Yaoge couldn’t help but feel disgusted. She waved her hand, swatting the silly bug away.

"You... I’m a creature with 3,600 years of life, as old as your great-great-great-grandfather! Is this how you treat your ancestor?" Gao Ba Dou stuck to the cabinet wall, trembling with rage as he flew back up.

"If you’ve cultivated for so many years, you should have considerable skills. Why do you need my help?" Ji Yaoge asked, opening and inspecting several bottles. Though she didn’t look back at him, she finally spoke to him.

"I’m trying to help you out of pity after seeing your dire situation. It's not you helping me," Gao Ba Dou’s voice grew smaller under her piercing gaze.

Truth be told, though he had cultivated for over 3,000 years and gained intelligence, he had spent most of it lazing around, eating spiritual energy to sustain his longevity.

Without supreme techniques, he struggled to protect himself which was one reason for his plea. Another was that he rarely saw anyone but Ji Yaoge in this place, having only encountered two high-level cultivators in over 200 years. Afraid of being caught and used for alchemy, he only dared to reveal himself to someone like Ji Yaoge, whom he considered weak.

However, it appeared that this seemingly weak person wasn’t easy to deal with.

"You claim to have read countless books and can discern the spiritual essence in secret manuals?" Ji Yaoge shifted the conversation, uninterested in arguing.

"Of course!" Gao Ba Dou boasted, his pride evident.

Ji Yaoge smiled slightly. "Then you’ll follow me. I can take you out of here and find a bigger library for you, but you must listen to me."

"Deal!" Gao Ba Dou’s eyes lit up at the mention of a big library, only to realize too late what he had agreed to. "Why should I listen to you?"

Ji Yaoge casually set down a medicine bottle. "If you’re unwilling, stay here. Tomorrow, I'll inform Madame and bring in some pest-repelling herbs."

"...," The blatant threat left Gao Ba Dou frozen mid-air. He had praised her as kind, but she turned out to be full of schemes. "You wicked woman!"

Ignoring his curses, Ji Yaoge finished inspecting the last few medicine bottles, returning them to their places. "Gao Ba Dou, do you know who tampered with these medicines?"

Gao Ba Dou, his tiny black eyes filled with resentment, reluctantly answered, "Who else? It was you!"

The previous Ji Yaoge.

"As expected," Ji Yaoge wasn’t surprised, confirming her suspicions.

Other than the Bì Sui Pills, two other medicines—Hui Long Liquid and Gan Lu Powder—had also been stolen using the same method.

These three were all pills for cultivators from the Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment stages. The Hui Long Liquid was especially valuable for those at the peak of Qi Refinement, aiding in muscle and vein cleansing to stabilize meridians and increase the chances of successful Foundation Establishment.

She couldn’t use these pills herself and hadn’t stolen them for sale. The only possibility was that they were stolen for someone close to her.

"It must be someone at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, preparing to break through to Foundation Establishment, and they must be close to me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t risk stealing for them," Ji Yaoge concluded. Yet, she hadn’t seen any seventh-level Qi Refinement cultivators around her recently.

Lost in thought, an external voice called out.

"Junior Sister Ji, Madame summons you."

She had spent an entire night in the pavilion. Outside, it was already daylight.

————

Setting aside the issue of the missing pills for now, Ji Yaoge quickly organized the inventory and placed it on a tray, preparing to take it to Ju'an Hall.

"Hey, what about me?" Gao Ba Dou clung to her shoe, looking like a gold coin inlaid in her shoe.

Where’s the dignity of a mighty cultivator?

Ji Yaoge sighed, setting the tray down and glancing around the pavilion. She grabbed an empty jade tube, originally used for housing snakes, now idle. She opened the jade stopper, lifted her foot, and Gao Ba Dou, knowing his place, shrank himself, crawling into the tube.

She replaced the stopper, checked the tube's weight, and tied it with the red cord to her waist.

The mighty Bookworm Immortal became her waist ornament.

"That technique is truly a treasure. I didn't lie..." Gao Ba Dou’s cautious voice echoed from within, still trying to sell his idea.

Ji Yaoge glanced at the discarded jade slip, hesitated, then picked it up and put it in her storage bag.

————

As the residence of Chi Xiu Palace's leader, Ying Shuang’s Ju'an Hall was far more luxurious than the average cultivator’s abode. A waterfall and clear pool lay before the hall, with cranes softly calling. Surrounding the hall were spirit grasses, blooming in spring, turning the area into a floral carpet. Ju'an Hall stood at the end of this floral path, its doors wide open, and people gathered outside.

They were low-level cultivators from Chi Xiu Palace, both men and women, all dressed seductively. Regardless of gender, they wore deep-cut collars, revealing either ample chests or toned torsos. Ji Yaoge found the sight overwhelming, missing the plain blue, gray, and black robes of Wan Ren Mountain.

"Senior Sister Ji," a male cultivator at the back called, giving her a flirtatious look. His delicate features and shy demeanor made her shudder—like an old monk stumbling into a den of temptation.

"Ha," someone scoffed, making the male cultivator bow his head. Bai Yan appeared from a corner.

"Look at these new disciples, already seeking backers. Too bad they picked the wrong one," Bai Yan mocked. Everyone in Chi Xiu Palace knew Ji Yaoge was not a reliable backer.

She looked at him. He smiled openly. "Oh? Are you blind too?" she asked.

Bai Yan laughed, "I’m different. I’m here to be your backer." His eyes shone brightly.

Ji Yaoge’s expression didn’t change, watching him act. Bai Yan’s eyes flickered with confusion but quickly cleared. He pulled her aside, whispering, "I have news about what you asked me to investigate."

Raising an eyebrow, she listened as he continued, "Three days ago, in Ju'an Hall, the only person with the scent of Luan He was Senior Brother Ren Zhongping."

At this name, an image formed in Ji Yaoge’s mind.

"Ye Long’s man?" When she first met Ye Long, this man had been close to her, seemingly very intimate.

"Yes, it’s rumored Senior Brother Ren is Ye Long’s close companion. This Dual Cultivation selection, Ye Long will likely choose him as her partner," Bai Yan said.

Whether Ye Long was involved in Ji Yaoge’s injury was another matter, complicating things if she was.

"Dual Cultivation selection? What’s that?" Ji Yaoge frowned—why would such a thing require selection?

Bai Yan started to answer, but a pleasant voice from inside interrupted, "Yaoge, come in."

————

Walking through a corridor lit by dragon-shaped lamps, Ji Yaoge arrived at the outer hall where disciples paid their respects. The high dome, polished to a shine, embedded with luminous stones, bathed the hall in warm light. Ye Long and Yue Xiao stood respectfully on either side, discussing matters with Ying Shuang.

Incense smoke swirled as a slender figure appeared from behind the curtains, smiling gently. "Yaoge."

Dressed in a light blue narrow-sleeved palace style dress, her attire was plain but elegant, covering her fully. Her hair was styled in a slanting crescent moon bun, adorned with fresh peach blossoms, making her look out of place in Chi Xiu Palace. Ji Yaoge almost felt like this was a nameless junior sister from Wan Ren Mountain.

"Greetings, Madame," Ji Yaoge bowed, making a formal salute.

"No need for formalities," Ying Shuang lightly helped her up.

Her smile made her delicate features even more gentle. Her serene eyes and smiling lips weren’t what Ji Yaoge expected of a seductive woman. Instead, she looked proper, with only her eyes occasionally showing a mix of purity and charm, making her very captivating.

Ji Yaoge presented the inventory book, which Ye Long took personally.

"Leave it here. I’ll look at it later," Ying Shuang had no intention of checking it immediately. She walked to the offering table on the east side of the hall, lighting three sticks of incense. The scent was pleasant, a light citrus aroma, the same as the fragrance on Ying Shuang herself.

The offering table held fresh fruits and newly picked flowers, carelessly arranged. On the wall hung a portrait, not of the three ancestors of Wan Hua Immortal World but of a cultivator, sketched with a few strokes, capturing a graceful figure. Ji Yaoge recalled what Jiao Tao had told her about the original male master of Chi Xiu Palace, Ying Shuang’s Dual Cultivation partner, who had passed away.

Cultivators, having long lifespans, usually accept death calmly. Apart from honoring great figures, they rarely set up altars for the deceased, a practice more common among mortals, leaving Ji Yaoge puzzled.

"Today, I called you here for the Dual Cultivation Conference in three months. This year, I’ve invited disciples from Lingxu and Xiaoyao Sects for sparring. Their leaders will also attend, and Tiyu Mountain’s master may come as well. This is crucial for Chi Xiu Palace, so we must be fully prepared. Yue Xiao will oversee the preparations," Ying Shuang said, sitting on her seat, her gaze sweeping across everyone.

Thinking these matters were unrelated to her, Ji Yaoge planned to quietly leave. But as she lifted her heel, Ying Shuang called out, "Yaoge, we’re short on hands. You’ll assist Yue Xiao."

Ji Yaoge paused, looking up to see Yue Xiao’s maliciously triumphant face.

————

"Yaoge, I’ve been selected by Senior Sister Yue Xiao to perform the Twelve Celestial Demons Dance!"

Leaving Ying Shuang’s residence, Jiao Tao grabbed Ji Yaoge’s arm excitedly.

"Twelve Celestial Demons Dance?" Ji Yaoge asked, surprised at Jiao Tao’s excitement.

"Yes, it’s a dance formation created by Madame herself, enchanting and powerful, able to split stones and tear iron. The dance steps are also formidable techniques. Senior Sister Yue Xiao wants to showcase it before the three immortals, so she’s organizing this dance," Jiao Tao explained, her eyes sparkling. Learning a valuable technique in Chi Xiu Palace was no easy feat.

"Oh," Ji Yaoge showed little interest.

"What about you? Did they give you a good task?" Jiao Tao asked eagerly.

“Heh... Of course, Junior Sister Ji has a task," someone mocked from behind.

Ji Yaoge and Jiao Tao turned to see Yue Xiao and Ye Long approaching. Yue Xiao glanced at Ye Long before answering their curious looks. "Junior Sister Ji will handle the miscellaneous duties for the music team, working diligently every day."

"Huh?" Jiao Tao was stunned, and even Ye Long frowned slightly.

"What? With her looks and skills, should we let her embarrass herself? I think it’s a fitting task. Don’t you agree, Senior Sister Ye Long?" Yue Xiao provocatively smiled at Ye Long.

Ye Long’s face darkened, glancing at Ji Yaoge. "Yue Xiao, that’s enough," she said sternly, then left.

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