CH 8

After venting on the guard, Jun Shu ordered them to leave him alone. He was the only person left in the room. He relaxed his mind and looked up at Su Yueli in the ice coffin, with a bit of fatigue on his face.

He passed through the array and came to Su Yueli. He raised his hand and touched Su Yueli’s pale face.

“Yueli ah,” Jun Shu caressed Su Yueli’s face gently, “If she still refuses to save you, I will not let her off this time.”

As he spoke, he pressed their forehead together and closed his eyes.

Inside the shihai, Su Yueli perceived Jun Shu’s actions and frowned. Ning Buxi noticed she was in a poor mood and asked softly, “Yueli, what’s wrong?”

“My friend is calling me again,” Su Yueli replied worriedly. “Buxiu, how long will it take for us to get better?”

“The Ning’s Family Dual Cultivation secret technique generally requires several years of retreat. Yueli, you have a special physique. Now it’s only been more than one month, and we have blended our shenshi for most of the time.” Ning Buxiu captured Su Yueli’s hand in his and comforted, “In another month, we will essentially complete the process.”

“Another month…” Su Yueli furrowed her brows, “But, presently, they didn’t know about this situation. They are all questioning Shijie. If something happens to Shijie, I…”

Su Yueli didn’t continue, as if she was guilty. Ning Buxiu pondered about it, “But now, we are only halfway done, if it naturally ends, you will reach the Nascent Soul Realm at once. If it forcefully ends, both of our cultivation bases will be damaged. Yueli, think about it again, okay?”

Su Yueli appeared to be dejected by Ning Buxiu’s speech. After some time, she reluctantly smiled, “How can I bear to hurt you just because of my soft heart?” She shook her head. “After all, she pushed me down the cliff. I don’t owe her. It’s just, when I saw she told others that there is a way to wake me up, I’m afraid that……”

“Worry not,” Ning Buxiu smiled softly, “Even a cultivator at Golden Pill Realm can’t make any waves here.”

Su Yueli was assured by his words. She glanced back at Jun Shu beyond her shihai, comforting herself.

She was trying her best to not hurt others.

Jun Shu… Jun Shu and the others, they wouldn’t blame her, right?

Su Yueli was restless in her shihai. Meanwhile, on the outside world, Qin Wanwan was back with Jian Xingzhi to her courtyard.

After they were done with the business, Qin Wanwan was about to dismiss Jian Xingzhi and rest. Before Qin Wanwan could, Jian Xingzhi waved his hand and took a pen from the side. He said excitedly, “I will make the preparation. You can rest first, Oh, and,” Jian Xingzhi stressed, “If you need something else to be done, please remember I can sneak around here using my tunnel. You must not abandon me.”

“Rest assured.”

Qin Wanwan nodded. She stared at Jian Xingzhi’s mud-stained clothes, a little disturbed, “Are you sure you don’t need rest?”

“Time is tight. The task is important, and,” Jian Xingzhi mulled it over, “If you wish for my presence, just play the flute and call me. We can create a special code. What unique tunes can you play?”

Em… a lot?

Qin Wanwan considered it for a while and played “Little Apple”[1] for him.

Jian Xingzhi covered his ears at once, rather disgusted. “Stop playing. I got it. Go rest.”

As he said that, Jian Xingzhi had already reached the door and disappeared from Qin Wanwan’s vision. 

After Jian Xingzhi left, Qin Wanwan put down the flute.

Should she rest first or work first?

Qin Wanwan sat and thought about it for some time. After calculating the time, she fell on the bed and went to dreamland.

While Qin Wanwan rested, Jian Xingzhi entered his tunnel again. He covered the entrance and finally showed a bit of fatigue. He sat on the ground and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to rest.

In the end, Jian Zhiyan’s body was a mortal body. He forcibly gathered Qi to his body before going up the mountain. But, he was merely a mortal who hadn’t reached the Foundation Building. Even if he tried hard, his body would still collapse. He had to find time to increase his physical strength. 

Jian Xingzhi closed his eyes and mapped his future path in heart. After mapping his future path, he took Qin Wanwan’s array out of his sleeve and studied it carefully. He couldn’t help but disdain it.

The array that Qin Wanwan gave him was the leftover of the original owner. She sneakily added some techniques she had learned in Jishan, using them as traps. There should be no problem with this. 

These arrays were formidable in the eyes of the people of the Lower Realm, but in Jian Xingzhi’s eyes, these arrays were somewhat shit.

“Let’s change it to a two-layer array,” Jian Xingzhi muttered. He condensed his Qi on his finger and formed a line in his palm. Blood soon gushed from his wound. He fished out a brush and used the blood on his palm as ink. He began to modify the array and commented on the array while he was at it, “The first layer is a superficial layer and should look like trash. The second layer is where the fun begins.”

He contemplated it and wondered, “How could she know a Heavenly-level technique? It stands to reason that in this Lower Realm, her knowledge of Heavenly-level technique is considered amazing. Hmm?”

“Master, you forgot,” 666 reminded Jian Xingzhi, “She is a reborn Supporting Female. Just listen to me. Don’t worry so much about other things. Just cause trouble for her and let her solve it.”

Jian Xingzhi only curled his lips and was too lazy to say anything more to 666. He bowed his head and resumed modifying the array.

Jian Xingzhi modified the array for the whole night. Meanwhile, in Qin Wanwan’s side, she had woken up from her beauty sleep and stretched lazily. She washed as per usual and a servant came to her door with the snacks made by the kitchen staff.

Soon, Qin Wanwan went to the Main Hall and saw that Song Xinian was already in his seat. He noticed her presence and got up, “Shimei.”

“Shixiong?”

Qin Wanwan smiled, “Why have you come so early?”

“I heard that, last night,” Song Xinian hesitated. “You and Jun-shaozhu had a conflict.”

Qin Wanwan confimed it, “That’s right.”

“You… Last night…”

“I visited the Exquisite Pavilion last night,” Qin Wanwan picked up the lotus seed porridge and blew it. “I discovered what happened to Su-shimei.”

“Discovered?” Song Xinian’s attention was all on Su Yueli’s matter, “What’s wrong with her?”

“Well, about this,” Qin Wanwan’s smile once again became much sweeter. She raised her gaze to Song Xinian, “In two days, how about Shixiong summons all the disciples to the Exquisite Pavillion? Let’s wake up Su-shimei together to prove my innocence. However, before that, Shixiong also needs to create a barrier around Su-shimei to close her perception of others’ shenshi.”

“Shenshi?” Song Xinian frowned, “Are you implying that Su-shimei…”

“Shixiong, just do as I say,” Qin Wanwan sipped the porridge and didn’t elaborate further.

Song Xinian weighed it and gave his approval.

After a while, Song Xinian asked again, “That Jian Zhiyan…”

“I asked someone to fetch him,” Qin Wanwan already anticipated this question and set a mask of profoundness on her face. “Shixiong. Don’t ask more about it. The most important thing to deal with now is Su-shimei, no? Give me two days,” Qin Wanwan said confidently, “I’ll make Su-shimei wake up unharmed.”

Song Xinian was reluctant to let the matter go, but eventually nodded, “Alright. I believe in Shimei.”

Qin Wawan didn’t reply. She bowed her head and continued to drink her porridge.

She was not Qin Wan. Qin Wan may be moved by Song Xinian’s words, but she could see him through, clear as day.

Song Xiniang didn’t truly believe in “Qin Wan”; He merely couldn’t give up on any possibility of saving Su Yueli.

Nevertheless, all of this had nothing to do with her. Her current task was just to descend the mountain. 

After she went down the mountain….

Jian Zhiyan’s figure flashed on Qin Wanwan’s mind. She shook her head and sighed.

They must go separate ways.

After the meal, Qin Wanwan began her preparation.

In her last life in the Immortal Realm, she was lacking in both learning and practical ability. She couldn’t cultivate properly. But, she made a lot of gadgets and inventions. 

All in all, the Immortal Realm was boring. It was not as rich in entertainment as the Internet in the 21st century. It’s hard to live for 200 years without a hobby.

She imitated the inventions of the 21st Century with Immortal Techniques. If it weren’t for the limitation of her poor physique and cultivation base, she would evidently become the Master Cultivator in her generation.

The difficulty of using her shenshi to project Su Yueli’s shihai was to let it go unnoticed.

First thing first, Su Yueli’s perception of the outside world must be cut off, so as to let Su Yueli’s guard down.

Secondly, the ‘camera’ would capture everything on Su Yueli’s shihai.

Thirdly, projecting the scene that the ‘camera’ had captured.

Qin Wanwan contemplated it and revised her drawing. When she was finished with her blueprint, she ordered people to find the materials.

The materials she required weren’t hard to find.

Gold silk. White curtain. Talisman paper with Song Xinian’s Spiritual Power……

While Qin Wanwan meticulously planned for the production plan of the ‘projector’, Jian Xingzhi had finished modifying all the arrays. He was satisfied with his work. Sporting dark circles under his eyes, he opened the map Qin Wanwan gave him. 

After opening the map, Jian Xingzhi was silent.

On the white paper was a bunch of twisted lines, some squares, circles, and X. Qin Wanwan also kindly reminded where each array should be put with the words written no better than a dog drawing.

The paper itself was not big. As soon as she wrote down the words, the entire map was smudged and he couldn’t read what was what.

On the far right of the paper, a circle was drawn. Two stickmen held hands and a horizontal arrow pointing to the end of the paper, which said, “Important place”

Jian Xingzi stared at the “map” for a long time. 666 nervously spoke out, “How about… you go back and ask her?”

“She can’t be counted on,” Jian Xingzhi shut the map, “I will do it myself!”

Jian Xingzhi sat on the ground and expanded his shenshi to scope every nook and cranny of Wen Xin Sect. He redrew the map and redesign the placement of the array. 

“I will dig up twelve tunnels, vertically and horizontally, below those and intersect them on the heaviest Palace. Then, place an explosive talisman here. Detonate it at the same time and, blow up the whole Wen Xin Sect.”

“Two teleportation spells. One is placed at this node. When we escape down the mountain, they will definitely chase us through this place. Jun Shu has the highest cultivation base and loves to fly. I will set the spell on the tree and get him teleported to the other side.”

“What’s on the other side?” 666 was curious. Jian Xingzhi was quiet for a while and ultimately answered, “Latrine pit.”

“And here…”

Jian Xingzhi made a new plan and began to dig tunnels again. 

Even for a certified Tunnel Digger like Jian Xingzhi, digging twelve tunnels in a day and a half was quite a challenge. 

Fortunately, these twelve tunnels were dug below a flat surface, were not that long, and could withstand the tension from above.

The two of them worked hard on their own. Two days later, in the dawn, Qin Wanwan was done with her projector and Jian Xinzgi with his Great Tunnel Project. They both changed their clothes and dressed in their best clothes. 

Qin Wanwan’s dress was a black cloud-patterned robe with golden lines interweaved on her sleeves. She appeared extremely imposing. 

Jian Xingzhi only had Jian Zhiyan’s clothes in his wardrobe. He chose a slightly less flowery pink robe embroidered with pear blossom from a pile of his ‘fancy’ clothes. He stood in the mirror to take a look. Although the clothes were quite a drag, Jian Xingzhi was no less imposing than Qin Wanwan. 

“Er-shijie,” A servant knocked on her door and urged, “Song-dashixiong and Jun-shaozhu asked, when will you go to the Exquisite Pavilion?”

Hearing this, they glanced at each other.

Noticing dark circles under each other’s eyes, Qin Wanwan took the lead in asking, “Is your part done?”

“All is fine.” Jian Xinzhi confirmed, carrying the ‘projector’ Qin Wanwan had prepared, “Your part?”

“Everything is ready.”

The two nodded and stepped out together, then took a larger step each time, walking out to disown all one’s relatives and friends.

Where the two people walked by, all the disciples stared open-mouthed. When they reached the Exquisite Pavillion. Song Xinian and Jun Shu had seated in their position with some elders. Their gaze calmly moved at the two people at the door. The powder they put couldn’t hide the dark circles under their eyes.

“What should I do.” Jun Shu started calmly, “You say it.”

The author has something to say:

Qin Wanwan: “I don’t need to draw eyeliner to blacken. I just need a black dress!”

Jian Xingzhi, “The pink me today, is also very compelling!””

Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi, “Although the world is greasy, we still have to be fresh and clean.”

Footnotes

小苹果 – 筷子兄弟; Little Apple – Chopsticks Brother. It’s, what should I say, a bit hilarious to use it as a secret code. It’s quite cute, but I only remembered it as a workout song and a popular song for square dancing… QAQ If you are curious, check it here. ↵

Lei’s Corner

If you are still confused about the shihai and shenshi.

Shihai: Sea of Knowledge/Consciousness. Place. Inside Cultivator’s mind.

Shenshi: Divine Sense/Consciousness. Cultivators magical power.

I will probably change it later to make it more convenient. Later, though. No promise.

This is a flashback of TSIME Chapter 2. I still wondered how did I miss a lot of words. Clumsy me. Sigh.

Have you seen the manhua?

Jian Xingzhi and Jian Zhiyan are just-  kajsdbkashda. So pretty. Plus, Qin Wanwan’s father, Tai Heng. Ah. Xianxia novel is indeed full of fairy. I cri. My eyes are blessed.

A dead-handsome Jian Zhiyan

A dead-handsome Jian Xingzhi

The Manhua is up to Chapter 5 (early chapter 3 of the novel). There are alterations from the novel, but not that big. yet.

-o-

Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan: No worries. No one in this Lower Realm will recognize a Heavenly-level array.

Also Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan: Why does this (wo)man know a Heavenly-level array?