Fate Trading System – Chapter 259

Plan A

Furnace 10

Meeting

[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]

The original owner’s face was quite famous among some young disciples.

First, because she was very beautiful. No one dislikes beautiful things, especially a good appearance. Although they wouldn’t have too many other thoughts, seeing a beauty was still something that could lift one’s spirits.

Second, because of the ‘love triangle’ between the original owner, Xiu Yan, and Jing Yueru. Who said cultivators didn’t enjoy watching a good show or listening to gossip? Even though they were on the path of cultivation, they were still human. Everyone knew full well that Wei Shuangling liked Xiu Yan, but it was unrequited love. Xiu Yan didn’t feel the same way, yet Wei Shuangling pestered him endlessly. Xiu Yan liked Jing Yueru, and Jing Yueru hadn’t stated her position but was good friends with Xiu Yan. Thus, everyone felt a rather subtle mood when they looked at Wei Shuangling.

The man before her was someone familiar.

Su Xin didn’t know whether to call it good luck or bad luck; the relationship between this acquaintance and the original owner wasn’t very good.

This was a disciple from another sect, named Zhuo Nan¹. Although he wasn’t considered an outstanding talent, and his spiritual roots weren’t one in ten thousand², his cultivation had achieved some success.

Zhuo Nan had once pursued Wei Shuangling, but he treated Wei Shuangling as a good friend. He knew Wei Shuangling liked Xiu Yan, so he hid his own feelings. However, once, he couldn’t hold back and let it slip because he couldn’t bear to see Wei Shuangling sad over Xiu Yan.

But the original owner, Wei Shuangling, could be said to be a person with very low emotional intelligence. She spoke directly and without tact, embarrassing him³. Although her words weren’t very harsh, they were heart-stabbing. It made Zhuo Nan so angry that the two of them fell out and broke up.

This current encounter was truly awkward.

Zhuo Nan was a good-tempered person, but he completely changed in front of Wei Shuangling, becoming sharp-tongued and mean, showing no courtesy at all. It was clear how deeply he had been hurt and provoked.

“Why are you here?”

Zhuo Nan touched his chin. Logically speaking, Wei Shuangling shouldn’t be someone who liked to run off to the mortal realm; she had no interest in it. Didn’t she just like to follow Xiu Yan around every day? She would only go into closed-door cultivation when Xiu Yan did. Every time she heard any news about Xiu Yan, she would eagerly follow.

Could it be that Xiu Yan had come to the mortal realm? Otherwise, why would Wei Shuangling appear here?

“Second Senior Brother⁴?”

The person behind Zhuo Nan asked curiously. Su Xin hadn’t worn her veil since leaving Huanling Mountain, so her stunning face was exposed to everyone’s eyes. Zhuo Nan noticed that many people’s gazes had already gathered on Su Xin.

He too had once been captivated by this face and had liked Wei Shuangling’s persistence and straightforwardness, but now…

“You guys go upstairs first. This is an old acquaintance of mine. I’ll have a few words with her.”

Considering there were too many people here, Zhuo Nan also brought Su Xin into a room, closed the wooden door, and set up a sound-insulating formation⁵.

“Could it be that Xiu Yan also came?”

Zhuo Nan sat on a chair, looking quite leisurely.

Just as Wei Shuangling used to dislike Jing Yueru, Zhuo Nan also disliked Xiu Yan. However, their statuses were not comparable. He was the second disciple of a sect elder, while Xiu Yan was a prominent figure from a cultivation family. There was a disparity in their age and cultivation levels.

“He didn’t come. It has nothing to do with him. I want to ask you for a favor.”

Su Xin’s tone was polite, and her expression was very gentle.

“Wow, you’re asking me for a favor? Did the sun rise from the west today or something? Wei Shuangling, you actually have a day when you need to ask someone for help?”

Zhuo Nan said this intentionally, wanting to see Wei Shuangling get angry and flustered. That was the real Wei Shuangling.

However, the girl in front of him showed no change in expression, maintaining the same demeanor as before. Su Xin wasn’t Wei Shuangling; there was nothing to get worked up about. So, she repeated what she had said.

“That’s right, I want to ask you for a favor.”

Only then did Zhuo Nan become serious. Wei Shuangling rarely looked so solemn; it seemed this wasn’t a small matter.

“What favor? Go ahead.”

Zhuo Nan mentally cursed himself. Although he had told himself so many times not to hold out any hope for Wei Shuangling anymore, not to agree to any of her requests, that the two of them were no longer good friends, when this person actually made such a request, he simply couldn’t refuse.

Zhuo Nan noticed that Wei Shuangling seemed to have changed a lot.

Although her back was still very straight when she sat down, the aura of youthful arrogance had disappeared, replaced by a kind of composure. He didn’t know what she was thinking, nor her mood.

“I’m a bit injured and can’t use my spiritual power right now. Can you help me deliver a message to the Lancang Sect?”

“You’re injured? Where? Who dared to attack you?”

“It’s nothing, the injury has healed, I just can’t use spiritual power. Don’t ask so many questions. Will you help or not?”

Su Xin didn’t want to get into too much detail. Zhuo Nan definitely couldn’t see her cultivation level now. If he asked why she was using a concealing artifact and then asked her to take it off, it would be very troublesome to explain. It was better not to get into it.

“Help. Isn’t it just delivering a message? I can still manage this small favor. But why send it to the Lancang Sect instead of your Wei family? You’re injured, and you’re not looking for your parents but the Lancang Sect?”

“If you have a way, helping me pass it directly to Jing Yueru would also work.”

“This matter involves Jing Yueru again? Don’t you dislike Jing Yueru? Did she injure you? Did you go bother her again, is that it?”

It wasn’t surprising that Zhuo Nan would imagine things this way, because the original Wei Shuangling had indeed done such things.

“No, stop asking so many questions. You’re being so indecisive. If you’re going to help me, just be straightforward.”

“You’re asking me for help, and you won’t even let me ask more questions?”

Zhuo Nan chuckled in exasperation, but his heart settled a little. This was indeed Wei Shuangling’s tone; this was more normal.

“I haven’t had any contact with Jing Yueru, nor do I know where she is, so I can’t deliver a message directly to her. However, I can send it directly to the Lancang Sect. But my current cultivation level doesn’t allow me to contact the Sect Master. I’ll send a voice transmission⁶ to my Master and ask him to help contact the Sect Master.”

“Thank you.”

Su Xin expressed her thanks. This was truly a great help. She had been away from Jing Yueru for two months and didn’t know how she was doing now.

If she couldn’t contact her, she would despair. She absolutely could not miss the secret realm a month later.

Hearing the “thank you,” Zhuo Nan paused for a moment, then began to send a voice transmission to his master.

“Hey, don’t be afraid of losing face. If Jing Yueru really injured you, I’ll find a way to help you.”

“It wasn’t her. If it really was her, why would I ask you to contact her?”

“So tell me the reason. Why are you looking for Jing Yueru?”

Zhuo Nan felt this was very illogical. Even if Jing Yueru had injured her, looking for Jing Yueru, though strange, could be explained—for example, if Jing Yueru had given her something that needed Jing Yueru to undo. But if it wasn’t Jing Yueru, then looking for Jing Yueru was truly strange.

When would a person choose to ask their love rival for help, especially when they could ask others? Going home would be the normal thing to do. Why look for a love rival at a time like this?

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

Su Xin poured herself a glass of water and fell silent.

Zhuo Nan asked a few more questions but gave up when she remained silent.

“Wei Shuangling, you’ve changed too quickly, haven’t you?”

A few months was nothing to cultivators. For Zhuo Nan, the day Wei Shuangling rejected him felt like yesterday. Those words still echoed in his ears. It wasn’t that he cared so deeply it was unforgettable⁷, but rather that his first love had died young, and there was still some unwillingness in it.

Zhuo Nan had originally planned to never see Wei Shuangling again for the rest of his life. This way, the memories could fade, and Wei Shuangling’s words wouldn’t become his mental block. Once he saw through it, he could let go. But now that they had met, it was better to ask than to keep it bottled up.

“Do you still remember what you said back then?”

“I remember. But now, I think I should apologize to you. Don’t take what I said back then to heart. I rejected you not because you were worse than Xiu Yan, but simply because I didn’t like you. Fate is not something you can force. Besides, it’s better for us to focus on cultivation now. Matters of love and affection are all transient like floating clouds.”

Su Xin’s appearance of having achieved complete enlightenment made Zhuo Nan’s eye twitch.

Aiyo, you have the nerve to tell me that love is like floating clouds?

---

The elder who received his disciple’s voice transmission was somewhat puzzled but still sent a voice transmission to his old friend.

“Xuan Yi, my disciple says there’s a girl waiting for your disciple to find her in Yong’an.”

Zhuo Nan hadn’t dared to say the girl was Wei Shuangling. If his master knew it was Wei Shuangling, he would definitely disagree and would surely scold him severely⁸.

Xuan Yi immediately thought of who it was and was somewhat surprised. Had Wei Shuangling run out again?

Or was it a trap?

Xuan Yi immediately dismissed his second thought. It probably wasn’t a trap.

Black market merchants didn’t like to cause extra trouble for themselves. They wouldn’t make a move on Wei Shuangling, but his own disciple would definitely intervene. Merchants were only interested in profit and would absolutely not do something that harmed others without benefiting themselves. They also wouldn’t easily get involved in the disputes between the righteous and demonic paths, or between sects.

After thinking it over, Xuan Yi felt relieved. It should just be that girl running out again. She had some skill, to be able to cause such a stir even with her meridians completely crippled.

Xuan Yi immediately sent a voice transmission to Jing Yueru. This was good too; it would save his disciple from worrying. Although she didn’t show it on the surface, who knew what she was thinking in her heart?

---

The second month since she left.

Jing Yueru was practicing her sword techniques at the entrance of the bamboo house. Her movements were graceful, as fast as a phantom. The sword in her hand moved with her will, emitting a cold light.

These were not sword techniques Xuan Yi had taught her. Xuan Yi was not a sword cultivator and didn’t major in the way of the sword. This was something that existed in her memory, surfacing at some unknown time, yet it was thoroughly familiar; every move and stance was so natural.

Where was she now, and how was she doing?

It must be very painful, returning to that kind of life, her passionate episodes, the spreading fire poison.

Her pride and self-esteem would surely find it a torment.

Would she blame her? She wouldn’t.

She was so understanding, knowing that this matter actually had nothing to do with her. She could have chosen not to intervene, nor did she have to stand by idly.

But how could that be possible?

The sword in Jing Yueru’s hand moved faster and faster. The slender blade cut through the air, sounding like a mournful cry.

Jing Yueru’s sword qi became full of hostility. Just the thought of her body being touched, how could she possibly remain calm?

In these two months, she had progressed rapidly. Just two or three months ago, she had only recently reached Foundation Establishment, and now she had advanced from the initial stage to the middle stage. Her progress was swift.

Xuan Yi had once come to check her body and found that although her progress was fast, there were no signs of an unstable foundation or imminent collapse. It wasn’t empty but solid. He was thus reassured. As for the reason, Xuan Yi guessed it might be because the restrictions in her body had loosened or some had been lifted.

Jing Yueru sheathed her sword and let out a sigh of relief.

Everything in front of her was a mess, slashed chaotically by the sword qi. Jing Yueru formed a hand seal, restoring the messy scene to its original state.

Next was the time for meditation and cultivation. She spent her days like this, with no smile on her face.

She used to feel there wasn’t much to be happy about; only cultivation held some interest, and chatting with her master and senior brothers also felt joyful. But now, those feelings had become even more indifferent. The world before her seemed to be separated by a layer of something, hazy and indistinct, cutting herself off, and cutting off others too.

When Xuan Yi’s voice transmission arrived, Jing Yueru’s first reaction was that it was an illusion.

Could it be that she missed her so much that she was experiencing such auditory hallucinations?

Jing Yueru immediately sent a voice transmission back, confirming the authenticity of the news.

She came out again! She was looking for her!

Jing Yueru’s entire being radiated vitality. She rode her sword and headed straight for Yong’an.

On the way, Jing Yueru couldn’t help but wonder how Su Xin had escaped, and when. If she had escaped long ago but couldn’t find her… this possibility made Jing Yueru want to vomit blood.

---

Yong’an.

Amidst the bustling crowd, there was an inn that seemed out of place with the surrounding prosperity. There were no guests in the lobby, and everyone walked lightly.

One couldn’t be ostentatious in the mortal realm. Jing Yueru landed on a rooftop, put away her sword, and walked into the inn.

Zhuo Nan was staring at Su Xin, and Su Xin was staring out the window.

After Jing Yueru found out which room it was, she pushed the door open directly. Seeing the familiar figure leaning against the window, she quickly walked over and hugged Su Xin from behind.

Su Xin blinked and gave her a brilliant smile.

“You’re okay, that’s great! When did you get out? Did he do anything to you?”

Jing Yueru was so anxious that she completely ignored the other person in the room.

Zhuo Nan currently felt like his heart was seizing up⁹.

His eyes shouldn’t be failing him today; they were perfectly fine, very bright, and his vision was clear.

But could someone tell him why he was seeing Jing Yueru hugging Wei Shuangling with concern!

If word of this got out, wouldn’t it stun everyone who knew their gossip?

What was going on with this pair of love rivals? Had they shaken hands and made peace, becoming good friends? Buried the hatchet¹⁰?

“I’m fine. Actually, I got out that very day. I stepped on a teleportation array and ended up in some deep mountains and old forests. I walked for a long time to a village, rested there for a while, and then walked here. I remembered that their sect recruits disciples here every few years, so I came to try my luck. Thankfully, my luck was pretty good, and I happened to run into him.”

Su Xin was quite happy. She turned around. She was sitting, and Jing Yueru was standing. Jing Yueru was now standing, looking down at her, while she wrapped her arms around Jing Yueru’s waist.

The two of them were intimate, with no sense of awkwardness at all.

It’s really like this!

Jing Yueru looked like she was suffering from internal injuries. She had thought for so long on Huanling Mountain, never expecting that the person she longed for was actually struggling to contact her. The mortal realm was so far from the cultivation world; it was impossible for her to return on her own. Jing Yueru was so angry she wanted to hit herself.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t we meeting now?”

The self-blame on Jing Yueru’s face was too obvious. Su Xin squeezed her hand, knowing what she was thinking.

“What’s there for you to blame yourself for? Even if you came out to look, this continent is so big, the cultivation world alone would take you a long time to search, let alone the mortal realm.”

It would be impossible to find her. Jing Yueru hadn’t installed any tracking device on her.

Zhuo Nan now felt that not only was his heart seizing up, but his stomach also seemed to be blocked.

Watching the scene of them pouring out their hearts, why did his stomach also feel uncomfortable? It was as if he had eaten too much and felt a bit like throwing up. But he had clearly been practicing inedia¹¹ for years and couldn’t possibly have eaten anything to make him feel so full he wanted to vomit.

“It’s almost the beginning of the month now. These past two months?”

“You go out first, and close the door.”

Su Xin raised an eyebrow at Zhuo Nan in the room, signaling him. Zhuo Nan went out with a dark face and closed the door.

“Just, you know, by myself. It doesn’t necessarily require someone else anyway.”

“Then what about the fire poison?”

“He gave me a bottle of medicine with ten pills inside. Taking one can suppress my fire poison.”

“What deal did you two make?”

Jing Yueru immediately thought in this direction. That man would never just let someone go like that. She felt that escaping once might be possible, but escaping a second time was almost impossible, especially with that black thing in Su Xin’s palm that could be used for searching and locating.

Jing Yueru thought that thing was really good; she also wanted to have such a connecting item with Su Xin, so she would know where Su Xin was at all times.

Jing Yueru didn’t realize how strange her thoughts were. How could a person want to know where their good friend was at every moment?

Su Xin briefly explained the content of the deal, of course, only mentioning the peripheral details. Jing Yueru heard the vagueness in her words, her eyes darkened slightly, but she still said nothing.

“You have to enter a secret realm a month later, right?”

“Mm, how did you know?”

That news had been announced before. Jing Yueru had known about it a year ago and had been preparing for this secret realm.

“He told me. And he said there’s something in there that can restore my cultivation.”

“Really?”

Jing Yueru was overjoyed, looking even happier than Su Xin.

“Mm-hmm, but I can’t describe the specifics to you, and I still need to make some preparations. But those rare things are all in the secret realm. I might need your help all along. If I go in like this, I probably won’t survive for long.”

“I understand. I will definitely do my best to protect you. This time, I absolutely won’t let anything happen to you.”

Jing Yueru said decisively, possessing this inexplicable confidence. The power stirring within her body told her she could do it.

“I can only rely on you. I hope you don’t find me too much of a burden.”

“You will never be a burden to me.”

Jing Yueru stroked Su Xin’s hair and poked her cheek.

“By the way, there are only ten pills, which means ten times, a little over three months. What about after that?”

“Isn’t there still you? Or are you unwilling to help with this? Wait… you… you like men, right?”

Su Xin narrowed her eyes. Although she felt Jing Yueru might be bisexual or asexual, or perhaps not entirely straight¹², judging by how she hadn’t rejected her before and even kissed her happily, the possibility of her being gay was higher. However, Jing Yueru had only kissed her on those two occasions, and not many times, as if she were simply completing a task to help. Other times, she was incredibly pure, at most holding hands like a mother hen protecting her chick, or hugging and patting her head, with no other inappropriate behavior.

“I… I don’t think so? I don’t know…”

Jing Yueru was a bit stunned by this sudden question. She wasn’t very clear either. If she liked women, she hadn’t been intimate with any woman before, and she just glanced past other girls without any desire to befriend them. If she liked men, that wasn’t right either; she didn’t have good feelings for any man, yet she had previously felt that Xiu Yan could become her future Dao companion.

Jing Yueru was a bit confused.

“Then if you are intimate with me like this, will it hinder you from being intimate with others in the future? If I can resolve this issue with my body, I definitely won’t trouble you again.”

Jing Yueru subconsciously frowned. She thought about it. If she had to perform such intimate actions with someone else in the future, or if someone else were to behave intimately towards her, she would feel disgusted.

Being intimate with this person wasn’t unpleasant at all; in fact, it was very comfortable. She liked seeing her in her arms, her eyes shimmering with moisture.

She also liked this person, the way she acted coquettishly while hugging her, her voice soft at those times, as if it could sweeten her heart.

“No need.”

What did “no need” mean?

Su Xin looked puzzled. Which question had these two words answered?

“I mean, you don’t need to feel like this is troubling me. I’m very happy to do this. It won’t be a bother. Even if I can help you all the time, it doesn’t matter. I’m very happy.”

Jing Yueru pursed her lips, her ears slightly red. She didn’t know how to express the thoughts in her heart. Saying it like this felt somewhat right, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong.

Jing Yueru thought that when she was doing that, she had no intention of merely helping; she felt very happy, as if immersed in it, enjoying the pleasure of her blood thrumming.

Su Xin took a deep breath internally. Could it be that she had bent a girl who… wasn’t entirely straight to begin with?

Perhaps, following the original trajectory, this person would have continued on her own great path. Su Xin didn’t know what her future life would be like, but she knew her past. Jing Yueru would definitely not be an ordinary person in the future; she was absolutely a strong backer¹³.

If she hadn’t gotten involved, Jing Yueru would probably have reached the pinnacle and then sought revenge.

However, the future was always full of variables. Su Xin closed her eyes, steeled her heart. Anyway, she had already bent her. Although this person didn’t seem to have figured it out yet, since she had started a good deed, she might as well see it through to the end¹⁴. This kind of thing had to be done clearly.

Su Xin summarized: in her eyes, Jing Yueru currently had no flaws. A good person, an absolutely good person, formidable, with limitless prospects, very high potential, very gentle towards her, took excellent care of her. Although her technique still needed practice, it was pretty good.

“I need to ask you a few questions, and you must answer me very honestly.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Jing Yueru nodded.

“If I do with someone else what you and I do, will you be angry?”

“Yes, I’ll kill that person. Don’t worry, when I become strong, I’ll definitely kill that merchant.”

Jing Yueru said without hesitation, anger surging in her heart.

“What if I do it willingly?”

Jing Yueru hesitated for a moment, her fists clenching and unclenching, her expression anxious.

“I’ll be upset. Can’t it be with no one else?”

It’s over, she’s bent.

“Lower your head, kiss me.”

Jing Yueru’s eyes widened, and she swallowed.

She pinned the person to the chair, lowered her head, and kissed her gently.

At this moment, the door was pushed open.

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The author has something to say:

【Cultivation Express News】Shocking! Things 100% unknown in the cultivation world!

Reporter interviewing: Mr. Xiu, what are your thoughts on this matter?

Xiu Yan: …【Looks like he wants to say something but stops】

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