Plan A
Furnace 5
[Refresher: Qi Refining stage → Foundation Establishment stage → Golden Core stage → Nascent Soul stage → Divine Transformation stage → Void Refining stage → Body Integration stage → Great Accomplishment stage.]
“But Shifu, are we really going to stand by and do nothing when someone is in mortal danger?”
Jing Yueru felt extremely conflicted. She knew she didn’t yet have the power to protect Su Xin, nor could she selfishly ask her Shifu to intervene. However, she couldn’t just watch Su Xin go back and continue living that kind of life.
“Ru’er, come here.”
Xuan Yi beckoned to Jing Yueru, and Jing Yueru approached.
“Tell your master, why do you cultivate the Dao?”
“Because I have the aptitude, and also to become stronger.”
Jing Yueru didn’t know her own origins. The only person she remembered seeing since she had memories was her Shifu.
Shifu said that he would tell her about her origins when the time was right.
“Anything else?”
“To follow my heart’s desires without overstepping boundaries, and to protect the people and things I want to protect.”
Jing Yueru immediately understood what Xuan Yi meant. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t save someone in mortal danger, but that they couldn’t.
“But Shifu, I promised her. I want to protect her.”
Jing Yueru lowered her head, looking very dejected.
“Do your best, but don’t let your mentality become unbalanced.”
Xuan Yi was more worried about the blow this matter might deal to his young disciple. Once a xinmo1 formed, it was very difficult to dispel.
“En.”
Jing Yueru responded with a sound and left, disheartened.
Su Xin noticed that something was off with Jing Yueru, because she was being too obvious about it.
She wasn’t cultivating daily, would often stare at her in a daze, and sighed frequently.
This made Su Xin feel as if she were a critically ill person, about to pass away.
“What are you hovering around me for these past few days, ma? Don’t you need to cultivate?”
“Cultivate.”
Jing Yueru nodded, then continued to look at Su Xin with a worried expression.
“What exactly is wrong with you?”
“If I can’t protect you, will you blame me?”
Jing Yueru slightly lowered her head to look at Su Xin, her face crestfallen.
“Even if you don’t blame me, I’ll blame myself, ah.”
Before Su Xin could speak, Jing Yueru sighed and sat down beside her.
“So you’ve been worrying about this for the past few days?”
Su Xin put down the jade slip2 in her hand, finding it somewhat amusing. It further solidified her thought: this was just a little fool who only knew how to cultivate, her thoughts very simple.
“Isn’t this a huge deal? Shifu said that black market merchants have their own set of trading rules. You’re essentially an item now, branded by that merchant. If he wants to take you back, he can just come to our door and demand you.”
Jing Yueru looked very upset, her delicate brows exuding dejection.
“En, that’s right.”
It seems to be like that, very annoying.
“If he comes to demand you, what do we do? I definitely can’t beat him right now.”
Jing Yueru was worried sick. She thought about this every day—while meditating, and even more so when she saw Su Xin.
“What are you worrying about this for, ne? This is my business, I’ll resolve it.”
Su Xin, her face veiled, removed the veil and smiled at Jing Yueru.
Jing Yueru stared without blinking, then sighed again.
She didn’t want to see the currently vibrant person revert to how she was when they first met—that time, the young girl lying on the ground was on the verge of death, so wretched, so heart-wrenching.
“How will you resolve it? You barely managed to escape.”
“There’s a way.”
Su Xin poked Jing Yueru’s cheek. When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way through3. At worst, she would just commit suicide and say goodbye to this world.
“You want to protect me?”
Su Xin leaned closer to look into Jing Yueru’s eyes. Jing Yueru subconsciously held her breath; they were too close.
She was so close to her, her light breaths falling on her face, instantly reminding her of that day in the hot spring. The teardrops hanging on her eyelashes were like scattered starlight, so beautiful. Her dark eyes held a sense of dependence, soft and obedient, and she would speak in a tearful, sweet voice, causing her entire being to become uncontrollable.
“En.”
The sound seemed to be arduously forced from her throat. Jing Yueru felt her ears burning a little.
“Then just work hard to become stronger. Don’t imagine things to be so terrible. Your aptitude is above mine; you’ll definitely become very powerful in the future.”
Su Xin twirled a loose strand of Jing Yueru’s hair, lazily pressing against her. Her upturned eyes seemed to carry hooks, though she herself was unaware.
Jing Yueru nodded, somewhat dazed.
“Although I didn’t like you before, I always thought you were a person of outstanding talent and beauty4, with a clear mind and an ethereal, fairy-like temperament. Only today did I realize you’re actually quite airheaded. If outsiders knew you were like this, your image would probably be shattered.”
“It won’t.”
Jing Yueru also gathered Su Xin’s hair to play with. Her less composed, girlish demeanor was only known to her Shifu and senior brothers; now, one more person knew.
To outsiders, she was the composed disciple of the sect master, taciturn and with an icy temperament.
Jing Yueru didn’t think it necessary to show her true nature to others. Her gentlest side was always reserved for those she trusted.
As Jing Yueru thought this, her expression suddenly went blank for a moment.
Does this mean… she now considers Su Xin someone she trusts?
They clearly…
“I’m going to cultivate.”
Jing Yueru helped Su Xin, who was on her, to sit up, tidied her own hair, and said with her back to Su Xin.
“Go on, ba. Good luck.”
Su Xin put her veil back on. This veil could block divine sense, preventing others from seeing her appearance.
Su Xin knew Jing Yueru’s origins, but Jing Yueru herself did not.
A few days ago, Su Xin had already asked Fourteen to investigate. The information Fourteen fed back was that Jing Yueru’s origins were truly somewhat shocking.
Jing Yueru came from the already vanished Yinzhu5, and was the last bloodline of this clan.
Jing Yueru’s constitution was special, which was why, even though caibu usually required a combination of yin and yang, Jing Yueru could still caibu her.
What Jing Yueru carried on her shoulders was far more than she could currently bear.
Jing Yueru still needed to become much stronger. Although she was already very formidable for her age, it wasn’t enough. Her enemies were too powerful.
Su Xin continued to digest the knowledge recorded in the jade slip in her mind, closing her eyes.
That black market merchant was like a time bomb. Su Xin guessed he should be coming soon, but for some reason, he hadn’t appeared yet. Su Xin actually wanted to guess that the black market merchant didn’t care about her, this furnace, so it didn’t matter and he wouldn’t come looking. But subconsciously, she felt that couldn’t be the reason.
Jing Yueru meditated in her dongfu6, beginning to discard the chaotic thoughts in her mind and start cultivating.
Thinking more was useless; after all, thinking couldn’t solve those problems. Currently, improving her strength was the most important thing.
End of the month.
White gauze curtains billowed with the wind’s dance. The room was lit with something that emitted a soft glow.
Jing Yueru had found out from somewhere that Su Xin liked gauze curtains; her own bed would be draped with them, very girly.
When Su Xin saw Jing Yueru putting up the gauze curtains, she was internally resistant. She didn’t particularly like such things, but when she told Jing Yueru, Jing Yueru seemed to misunderstand her.
Her expression immediately became very serious, and she even patted her shoulder.
Su Xin couldn’t be bothered to complain about whatever she had imagined again, so she accepted the gauze curtains.
Shadows overlapped. Jing Yueru carefully held her, her hair cascading down.
Her clothes were neat, but Su Xin’s were mostly disheveled.
An unnatural flush began to appear on Su Xin’s fair face, and her eyes became somewhat unfocused.
“Be good, it’ll be over soon.”
Jing Yueru held Su Xin from the front, leaving a relatively large gap between them. Jing Yueru placed a putuan7 behind Su Xin’s lower back, allowing her body to tilt slightly.
The bangs on Su Xin’s forehead were already damp with fine sweat. The room was clearly warm and dry, yet she felt as if she were in a humid rainforest, not a very good feeling.
A coolness, like a swimming fish, roamed around her.
“If it’s particularly unbearable, bite me.”
Jing Yueru pulled out the putuan, letting Su Xin lie flat on the bed. She leaned over, aligning her shoulder with Su Xin’s lips.
“Look at me.”
Jing Yueru caressed Su Xin’s face with one hand. She actually quite liked the young girl like this.
Her heart and eyes were completely filled with her, unlike usual when, even if looking at her, her mind would be pondering something unknown.
She was no longer as easy to understand as before, where others could see what she was thinking. Now, she always had a calm demeanor, occasionally showing a smile, but it was impossible to discern what those eyes wanted to express.
Jing Yueru felt that Su Xin should have made all preparations, yet also felt that Su Xin probably hadn’t made any preparations at all.
A slight pain on her shoulder awakened Jing Yueru’s somewhat wandering thoughts. She met Su Xin’s eyes, which were filled with dissatisfaction.
“Do it.”
Su Xin’s voice was slightly hoarse, her exhaled breath scorching.
In the end, the fire poison spread.
Su Xin tightly gripped whatever she could grab, her eyes shut tight.
Something was brought to her lips. Su Xin subconsciously bit down; she tasted blood.
Whenever this happened, Su Xin would curse inwardly. Although it was useless, it at least made her feel a bit better.
Jing Yueru dared not be distracted, mobilizing her spiritual energy, concentrating on entering Su Xin’s meridians to chase the fire points.
Su Xin bit harder, her eyes squeezed even tighter. She actually wanted Jing Yueru to take her hand away, but she couldn’t release her bite, nor could she speak.
After it ended, Su Xin was drenched, her body relaxed.
Jing Yueru withdrew her spiritual energy, her forehead also beaded with sweat.
“I’ll take you to wash up.”
Actually, a simple spell could clean the body, but it was never as refreshing as a proper bath.
Su Xin was gradually recovering her strength. She had been fed a medicinal pill and her condition had improved a lot.
“Does it hurt?”
Su Xin looked at the wound on Jing Yueru’s hand. The wound looked shocking, blood seeping from the skin’s surface.
“It’s nothing.”
Jing Yueru waved her hand dismissively. She just needed to take a pill to heal it.
Actually, Jing Yueru did it on purpose. She wanted this person to see her wound, intentionally not healing it, wanting to see this person’s reaction.
Inexplicably, she just wanted to see.
“Extend it.”
Jing Yueru obediently extended her hand, then her eyes widened.
Su Xin lowered her head and licked the deep teeth marks with her tongue.
Her hair fell loosely, making it somewhat difficult for Jing Yueru to see her expression.
Jing Yueru saw that small tip of her tongue, felt the dampness on her wrist.
Her heart was beating a bit fast for some reason, and all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her face. Jing Yueru saw a small part of Su Xin’s side profile, her smooth, full forehead. She bit her own lip.
Suddenly, it feels very exciting.
“I’m sorry, you didn’t actually have to offer your wrist.”
Su Xin raised her head, her expression apologetic.
“It’s okay, it’s not very painful. I’ll apply some medicine later when I get back, and it’ll be fine.”
Jing Yueru quickly shook her head. It actually was a bit painful, but she felt that the pain she endured from being bitten was probably not even one percent of Su Xin’s.
Jing Yueru carried Su Xin back. Each mountain was very large, and Jing Yueru basically used the wind technique to travel back and forth.
Only those at Foundation Establishment cultivation level or above could learn sword kinesis8. Jing Yueru planned to seek out her Shifu in the next two days to have him teach her.
“Rest well, ba.”
Jing Yueru placed Su Xin on the bed, gently closed the door, and returned to her own cultivation dongfu.
A mountain peak soared into the clouds, shrouded in thin mist.
Music and dance filled the air, beautiful women moved with the music, their fluttering sleeves and sashes carrying a seductive charm.
The black-clad man wearing a mask, seated in the main seat, however, crushed the wine cup in his hand.
“Shang9, what’s wrong?”
Another man on the main seat turned his head, noticing his companion seemed to be in a very bad mood.
“There are some matters that need to be dealt with back home.”
The little bird is no longer obedient, having completely settled in another place. He should go back and teach it a lesson, make the pet understand who the real master is.
“Then you go, ba. We’ll meet again when there’s a chance.”
The man waved his sleeve, continuing to enjoy the graceful dance of the beauties in the hall, a smile on his lips.
The place Su Xin lived in was a bamboo house specially built for her by Jing Yueru, beautifully decorated.
Jing Yueru was actually a very unpretentious person. Her dongfu was just casually carved out by herself, intending to place a putuan inside for cultivation. It was her eldest senior brother who couldn’t stand it and specially helped her renovate the dongfu, making it very grand.
Jing Yueru was meditating on the putuan. Just now, she had obtained another surge of power from Su Xin, which now needed to be absorbed and refined.
The next day at dawn, Jing Yueru finished refining the power and used the wind technique to find her Shifu.
When Su Xin woke up yawning, it was already noon.
After washing up, Su Xin ate some fruit and found that Jing Yueru had gone somewhere.
Lord Fourteen, where is she?
【At her Shifu’s place.】
Su Xin stretched lazily, intending to continue reading.
Not long after, Su Xin saw something seemingly flying down from the sky.
Although she knew about things like jade slip flight, seeing it with her own eyes was still a different feeling.
It feels so cool.
Jing Yueru landed gracefully from the sword. The sword shrank and returned to her hand.
“I just learned it today. Do you want to try?”
“En!”
Flying in the sky felt cooler than walking on the ground. Su Xin stood at the front of the sword, with Jing Yueru behind her, arms around her waist, controlling the sword’s direction.
Su Xin looked down at the land from above. They flew very high, and other things became very small.
The wind slid past her ears. It should have been very sharp, but Jing Yueru had set up a barrier, making the surroundings seem still.
“Isn’t it very interesting?”
“En.”
Su Xin closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. Jing Yueru held her, feeling that the atmosphere at this moment was incredibly beautiful. She somewhat wanted to close her eyes, but was afraid of losing balance.
Fourteen quickly put a mosaic over this scene. If Wei Shuangling saw it, who knows how it would provoke her; after all, in her eyes, Jing Yueru was still her love rival.
Her own body being so close to her love rival, no matter how you think about it, it’s bittersweetly thrilling.
Wei Shuangling was used to it. At first, she would have some complaints, but after a whole explanation of something called “science,” she was completely bewildered.
When the faqi10 suddenly became like this, making it impossible to see the image over there clearly, this unknown great power who could allow people to possess bodies would show her other things.
She had recently been watching something said to be called a television drama. The people in it also cultivated the Dao, although there were some differences from them, and their cultivation methods were different, Wei Shuangling still found it quite interesting. Her thoughts were particularly similar to a girl in it. Every time she saw that girl being bullied, she would get especially angry. And very strangely, it never showed how wronged this girl was in secret, only showing another woman’s pretentious and affected mannerisms, so annoying.
If Fourteen knew her inner thoughts, it would definitely tell her the truth. Because the girl you like, girl, is the second female lead, ah, and the cannon fodder type at that, always appearing to bully the female protagonist or be slapped in the face by the female protagonist.
Jing Yueru didn’t fly to other places either, because she didn’t want others to know about Su Xin’s existence, so she only flew a few laps above Huanling Mountain.
“You look best when you smile like this.”
As if all worries are forgotten, not thinking about anything.
Su Xin restrained her smile, her expression thoughtful.
“Are you trying to cheer me up?”
“En… En.”
Jing Yueru indeed just wanted the person in front of her to be a bit happier, not to be cooped up in her room all day. Although, as a cultivator, it was normal to meditate for three to five days at a time, for an ordinary person, staying cooped up in a room every day would lead to illness, ba.
“Thank you.”
Su Xin felt that this love rival of hers was truly too good. Although perhaps they weren’t love rivals anymore, how could there be someone so good in the world, ah? She was simply too kind-hearted.
Su Xin didn’t feel like she was being taken advantage of. She thought it was just a straight girl helping her out, okay, maybe not entirely straight.
Cheering her up, and feeling guilty for not being able to protect her, this friend was truly too good.
“No need to say thank you.”
“Do you know why I used to dislike you so much?”
“Because of Xiu Yan?”
“That’s right, ah. But now, I absolutely couldn’t possibly dislike you. You’re a very worthy friend. I don’t like Xiu Yan anymore, you can rest assured.”
“I can rest assured?”
“Don’t you like him too?”
“Who said that? We’re just ordinary friends.”
Jing Yueru wasn’t particularly fond of forming any kind of intimate, binding relationship with another person, aside from her Shifu and fellow disciples. Previously, she had only considered Xiu Yan as a potential candidate for a Dao companion, but that was something for the distant future. She had no intention of considering such things now, so currently, they were still friends.
If she heard this from someone else, Jing Yueru might feel unhappy but wouldn’t show it. However, hearing this from Su Xin’s mouth, the fire in her heart flared up with a ceng11.
“Is that so? Then I misunderstood before. Anyway, we’re considered friends now, ba?”
“Of course, la. After these past two weeks, haven’t you considered me a friend yet?”
Hearing Su Xin say she no longer liked Xiu Yan, Jing Yueru felt a sense of secret joy for some reason. After Su Xin also stopped mistakenly thinking she liked Xiu Yan, the fire in her heart instantly extinguished, replaced by a sweet feeling.
“You are my good friend.”
Not just a good friend, but also her current thigh to hug12.
There’s a magical thing in this world called ‘speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives13.’
A small paper crane floated in mid-air, drifting down to land in front of Jing Yueru.
That paper crane landed on Jing Yueru’s fingertip, emitting a faint glow.
It was a message from Xiu Yan.
“Xiu Yan said that the Spirit Market opens today, so Xiu Yan invited me to go look around, see if there’s anything to buy. He said there’s something inside that I’ll definitely want.”
“What thing?”
“He didn’t say, keeping me in suspense.”
“Then you should go, ba.”
Su Xin waved her hand.
“I…”
The Spirit Market only opened once every ten years, and the things sold inside were rare and strange.
Xiu Yan had invited her before, and she had agreed. Going back on her word now wasn’t her style, but she was reluctant to leave Su Xin here alone to go browse the Spirit Market with someone else.
But if she brought Su Xin along, she felt Su Xin wouldn’t agree.
Not only because Su Xin’s identity might be exposed, but also because that person was Xiu Yan.
Although Su Xin had just said she no longer liked Xiu Yan, Jing Yueru felt it was better not to meet at this time. After all, he was someone she once liked. To meet him in her current state, she would feel sad, ba.
Jing Yueru thought this, still caught in a dilemma. She really didn’t want to go to the Spirit Market with Xiu Yan and leave Su Xin here alone, but she was also a person who kept her promises and couldn’t possibly go back on her word.
【Host, go with them. This subordinate has found out that there’s a treasure inside. Although it’s not very useful now, it will definitely be of great use after Host can cultivate.】
Four-·Extremely-Thick-Golden-Finger·-Teen spoke up with a hint.
Okay.
“If I go, then won’t you be here all alone?”
“Then can you let me go with you? I want to go see too.”
Su Xin tilted her head up, looking expectant.
“Aren’t you afraid of exposing yourself?”
“Not afraid. Even if Xiu Yan knows of my existence, he wouldn’t possibly tell Elder Wei. Even if Elder Wei found out, he couldn’t possibly let outsiders know about him selling his daughter.”
Su Xin didn’t want to continue calling that person “father,” directly calling him Elder Wei.
“Okay, then I’ll take you with me.”
Jing Yueru sent a message to her Shifu, telling him where she was going, and then left with Su Xin.
Xiu Yan waited and waited at the spot, finally seeing the person he wanted to see.
But he didn’t expect that the girl he liked would actually bring another person with her.
Her face was veiled, making it impossible to see what she looked like.
When Su Xin came out, Jing Yueru had used a concealing faqi on her, which could block people’s divine sense, preventing her from being detected.
“Xiu Yan.”
Jing Yueru greeted him, and Xiu Yan smiled and nodded.
“Miss Jing, and this young lady is?”
Xiu Yan looked at the eyes and brows not covered by the veil, feeling they were somewhat familiar.
“We haven’t seen each other for two months, and you don’t recognize me anymore, Yan-gege14?”
Su Xin spoke, her voice tinged with amusement.
The familiar voice immediately made Xiu Yan’s expression change.
“Wei Shuangling! Why are you here?”
Xiu Yan found it somewhat incredible. Didn’t Wei Shuangling hate Jing Yueru the most? How could she come with her, and also wear a veil, covering her face.
“I’m here to stroll through the Spirit Market, ah. What else would I be here for?”
“Stop pestering me. I will not fall for you.”
Xiu Yan glanced at Jing Yueru and quickly said.
Jing Yueru became a little unhappy. How can this person be so narcissistic?
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