What's wrong with a snake that just wants to cultivate and transform?

As Xu Nian’s words faded away, Ji Yuebai’s mind was involuntarily filled with an image of Mu Yanyu and Xu Nian entangled together. Would Xu Nian sleep with Mu Yanyu as closely as she did with her?

Xu Nian was obviously teasing her, deliberately moving very slowly. Inside, she was scrambling for an escape plan, considering the inappropriateness of actually going to Mu Yanyu’s place so late at night. However, after making such a bold declaration, backing down now would be too embarrassing.

In just a fleeting moment, a whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind.

The thought of Xu Nian cuddling obediently against Mu Yanyu brought an indescribable turmoil to Ji Yuebai’s heart. Finally, she compromised, “Don’t go, come back.”

Xu Nian, seizing the opportunity, coyly asked, “Then, will you let me stay close to you?”

After a brief pause, Ji Yuebai spoke in her cool voice, with a slight hint of reluctance, “You can stay close to me.”

Xu Nian, eager to push her luck further, quickly returned to the bed in a few strides, cheekily inquiring, “Then, should I skip wearing my nightgown?”

Ji Yuebai, however, did not immediately agree this time, responding firmly, “No, you can’t.”

So, Xu Nian pretended to leave, saying, “Then I’ll go sleep with Mu Yanyu.”

She stood up, pretending to leave, and looked back to find Ji Yuebai showing no reaction. Then, Xu Nian stood up again, pretending to put on her shoes, yet still receiving no reaction from Ji Yuebai.

Realizing her bluff had been called, Ji Yuebai chose to ignore her antics.

Seeing this, Xu Nian had to find her own way out. She hummed, “Ah, the chilly autumn wind makes it colder. I’ve think it’s warmer to sleep in my nightgown.”

Without waiting for Ji Yuebai to react, she swiftly returned to the bed, nestling comfortably into Ji Yuebai’s arms, closed her eyes, and feigned sleep.

Initially, Xu Nian only pretended to sleep, secretly observing Ji Yuebai’s reactions. But whether due to exhaustion from the day’s cultivation or the evening’s antics, she soon fell into a deep, genuine sleep.

Ji Yuebai remained the only one awake, watching Xu Nian for a long while. Finally, with a sigh, she carefully tucked Xu Nian in with the blanket and then gradually drifted off to sleep.

…

The grand competition among disciples from the Eight Great Sects was about to begin. Tian Yuan Sect had already finalized the selection of several Nascent Soul stage Elders to lead the team, along with the official and reserve participants for the competition.

As the top disciple of her sect, Ji Yuebai was heavily relied upon by the sect leader and was undoubtedly expected to participate in the grand competition.

As for Mu Yanyu, being a new disciple, she was ineligible to participate in the competition. Despite having cultivation tasks and courses, her abundance of spirit stones and some strategic networking had enabled her to sneak into the logistics team for the competition.

Curious, Xu Nian asked Mu Yanyu, “Won’t this delay your cultivation?”

Since joining Xinglin Peak, Mu Yanyu, with her adaptable nature, had won the favor of her masters and Elders, receiving many cultivation pills She hadn’t put much effort into cultivation yet but had already reached the peak of the Qi-Training stage with the help of these pills.

Hearing Xu Nian’s question, Mu Yanyu waved her hands, explaining, “Master said one shouldn’t cultivate too quickly. I’m using this time to solidify my foundation, laying a firm groundwork for future core formation.”

Xu Nian found Mu Yanyu’s reasoning quite logical and was about to agree.

Suddenly, Mu Yanyu’s amber eyes sparkled with excitement as she said, “With so many disciples from the eight sects gathering, it’s natural they’ll need to spend spirit stones in a new place. Once we arrive, Xu Nian, I’ll need you to help me gather information first. Before the competition begins, I plan to organize a betting pool on their wins and losses, and I’ll need your help to keep everything orderly.”

“I’ve heard that the strength of a ninth-rank demon beast is equivalent to a Golden Core stage human cultivator. With your help, there’s no doubt we’ll succeed. We’ll split the spirit stone earnings fifty-fifty. What do you think?”

Her enthusiasm was contagious, and Xu Nian was tempted, but she hesitated, remembering her demon beast identity, “What if those cultivators discover I’m a demon beast? Wouldn’t they destroy your setup and capture me?”

Mu Yanyu patted her chest confidently, reassuring, “Don’t worry, I’ve thought of that. I’ve already bought talismans to conceal your aura, foolproof even against Nascent Soul cultivators.” She then handed Xu Nian a stack of high-quality cinnabar-drawn talismans, emanating a faint spiritual aura.

Xu Nian, taking them, was surprised, “So many.”

Mu Yanyu winked at her, “Better safe than sorry, right? Can’t let someone actually capture you.”

Her expression turned slightly worried, “The only problem is, with me gone, my business at Tian Yuan Sect will have to be put on hold. The disciples here are all single-minded; I can’t trust them with my business. They just can’t run without me, and despite scouting for days, I haven’t found a reliable person to handle them.”

An idea suddenly came to Xu Nian, “I know someone who might be perfect for this. He is quite… cunning and deceitful. Maybe he could help you.”

Mu Yanyu expressed her amazement, “There’s actually someone like that? How did you manage to subdue him?”

Xu Nian replied with a nuanced expression, “It’s a long story, I’ll tell you all about it later. I made him swear a soul-binding oath If he goes against my orders, he’ll die on the spot. So, you can use him without worries. He won’t dare to cause you trouble, considering his life is at stake. Just check if he meets your requirements.”

Qi Shaochen had been eagerly awaiting this day for a long time.

He had anticipated that Ji Yuebai would participate in the grand competition of the Eight Great Sects and that the serpent demon would surely follow her. This meant he no longer had to live in constant fear of the serpent demon’s threats and extortion. He could now openly use the newly extorted talismans without having to hide them and, most importantly, he could finally sleep peacefully.

Just as he was about to step out, feeling refreshed and ready to celebrate with some fireworks, he heard a woman’s voice outside his cave dwelling.

“Hey, isn’t this Brother Qi’s cave?”

“That’s him, do you know him?” That voice, haunting his nightmares like a devil’s whisper, was unmistakable.

As soon as Qi Shaochen heard that voice, the trauma from that night resurfaced, triggering a panic attack. He frantically started sticking various aura-concealing talismans all over himself, then quickly hid in a secret compartment under his bed, praying he would remain undiscovered.

The next second, the serpent demon casually entered his dwelling, ignoring all protective formations.

Xu Nian searched the dwelling but couldn’t find Qi Shaochen, “Strange, why isn’t he here?”

Hiding under the bed, Qi Shaochen didn’t dare to even breathe loudly for fear of being discovered.

Then he heard a familiar female voice say, “He should be here. I saw him enter his cave today. He couldn’t have left again.”

Damn it, who was this woman, and why was she so readily betraying him to the serpent demon? Qi Shaochen was so furious he almost spat blood.

Hearing this, Xu Nian activated her heat-sensing ability to scan the dwelling and noticed a residual warmth on a cushion. Following this clue, she began her search.

Qi Shaochen’s heart pounded in his chest, tensely waiting. Just as the commotion outside seemed to die down and he was about to relax, he heard a click. The secret compartment was slightly opened, letting in a sliver of light. He saw a pair of terrifying vertical pupils staring coldly at him, and a chilling voice slowly enunciated each word through the crack.

“Found… you… at… last~”

Qi Shaochen was seized by a sudden fright, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. It took him a considerable effort to compose himself before he emerged from the hidden compartment with a face etched in deep bitterness. Had he known his efforts to hide were in vain, he wouldn’t have bothered, sparing himself this unwarranted scare that nearly sent his soul flying.

Xu Nian, observing his state, clicked her tongue in amusement, “Was playing hide and seek fun?”

Qi Shaochen looked utterly defeated, feeling like he had offended the worst possible fate by falling into the hands of this demon.

Xu Nian, however, didn’t pursue the matter further. She turned to Mu Yanyu and introduced him, “This is my newly acquired dog, now under your command. You can order him to do anything.”

She beckoned the dejected Qi Shaochen, “Come on, bark to greet your new master.”

With a mix of hatred and helplessness, Qi Shaochen let out a begrudging “woof.”

Looking up, he met Mu Yanyu’s eyes, wide with astonishment and disbelief, nearly fainting from sheer frustration.

He had once lectured Mu Yanyu’s group of disciples, remembered her for being outstanding and resourceful. Back then, she had approached him with spirit stones for a collaboration, which he dismissively rejected, mocking her for her low cultivation and youth.

Little did he imagine that Mu Yanyu and this serpent demon would turn out to be such conniving allies.

“From now on, Mu Yanyu is your second master,” Xu Nian declared. “You must obey her commands just as you obey mine, no trickery or disobedience allowed.”

Qi Shaochen, seething with anger, had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept every command because of the soul-binding oath, witnessing how the Qi-Training stage girl he once looked down upon became his master.

Mu Yanyu appeared somewhat uneasy, “Is this really okay?”

After all, Qi Shaochen was a mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated.

Xu Nian casually picked up a feather duster and flicked it across Qi Shaochen’s face, “Don’t worry, command him as you wish, he won’t dare to resist.”

Mu Yanyu’s surprise grew, “It’s really like that…”

After Xu Nian’s demonstration, Mu Yanyu fully embraced her newfound authority, entrusting Qi Shaochen with the meticulous handling of Tian Yuan Sect’s business affairs.

Once Qi Shaochen truly grasped the extent of Mu Yanyu’s business operations, he felt an even deeper regret. Had he known, he would have listened to her from the beginning. Now, he found himself in a sorry state, having lost everything and reduced to unpaid labor, risking his life for nothing – a true misfortune.

Thus, Xu Nian and Mu Yanyu left without a care in the world, joining Ji Yuebai on the flying boat headed to the Fanyin Pavilion for the disciple competition.

Only Qi Shaochen was left behind, his world thoroughly turned upside down and wounded.