Volume One, Chapter 18: My Fate Is Sealed!

Ye Feng laughed heartily.

“Stepmother, you still care about me!”

“I’m preparing to attend the secret shop trade, but I happen to have nothing impressive on hand.”

“Stepmother, this time you really helped me a great deal!”

Lin Pinru had long since lost her ability to think clearly. Ye Feng’s repeated calls of “Stepmother” struck her heart like heavy hammers, throwing her into disarray. She didn’t even know where to hide the blueprint in her hands.

Ye Feng glanced sideways at Lin Pinru. “Stepmother, you’d better keep this gift for now. I hope to see the finished product next time!”

Lin Pinru panicked. She couldn’t imagine how anyone could wear such a thing for others to see—it would be utterly humiliating. Even if she could create something peerlessly elegant, compared to Ye Feng’s bold theory, she felt she was still too inexperienced.

But the seed had been planted. Lin Pinru’s heart was already overrun with wild weeds, uncontrollably spawning countless strange thoughts.

With Jin Suo absent, Lin Pinru bit her lip and whispered faintly to Ye Feng, “If I lose control again next time, come save me, and I’ll show you.”

Ye Feng laughed heartily. “Stepmother, nonsense! If I don’t save you, who will? By the way, the reward last time was truly excellent. Although Feng’er took advantage of you a bit, it was a good way for you to adjust your emotions. Stepmother, are your feelings stable now? Can you suppress that cold sensation? If not, shall I take another look for you?”

Lin Pinru’s hands trembled, fragile like a helpless lamb. Seeing that Jin Suo was still not back, she shouted angrily with a fierce face, “Ye Feng, that’s enough!”

Ye Feng nodded with a smile. “Alright, Stepmother, I understand! Please hold on a little longer while I find a memory stone.”

...

In the scattered cultivators’ enclave, the small courtyard belonging to Liu Ruyan was picturesque. It featured several peach trees in full bloom, a small bridge over flowing water, and exquisitely carved verandas. Cultivators, after all, were different from ordinary mortals. When enjoying a place, they inevitably imbued it with something unique.

Every pavilion and stream in Liu Ruyan’s courtyard was crafted by outstanding mortal artisans, making the scene breathtakingly beautiful. All of this was a gift from another admirer—one whose intentions were clearly ill-disposed.

Not only did he send these exquisite landscapes, but he also left a lavish, elegant bed made entirely of jade within the pavilion. Seeing the lecherous glint in his eyes and the luxurious bed, Liu Ruyan knew exactly what he had in mind.

Thus, without hesitation, she utterly disdained any further contact with this suitor.

...

Though these gifts looked nice, they were utterly useless for cultivation. Even if he had spent tens of thousands of gold taels to build her small courtyard, how could that compare to spirit stones and spirit treasures?

Liu Ruyan felt that this admirer took her for a naive, worldly girl, looking to freeload off her beauty. So he vanished from her list of suitors.

Lying on the jade bed, the resentment on Liu Ruyan’s face had barely faded. Her chest ached. Ye Feng’s lack of tact and Su Yun’er’s betrayal left her restless and sleepless. She never imagined things would come to this.

Originally, she had meant to show off her strength and charm to Su Yun’er, but in the end, she became a clown. Having lost a mid-grade spirit artifact, she was furious. Now, with no spirit stones on hand, how could she continue cultivating? The empty lower-grade Drunken Flower Wine bottle seemed to mock her.

Memories of the Drunken Immortal Residence flooded her mind, and she snorted coldly.

Liu Ruyan took out communication talismans and began probing her suitors. She hadn’t contacted them for months and wondered how they were doing. But no matter what, she couldn’t let herself be wronged.

So she immediately asked for resources. However, as she activated each talisman, the responses were not as enthusiastic as she’d hoped. Especially when she requested spirit stones and resources, many suitors shook their heads like rattles.

Others just wanted to come comfort her, but how could Liu Ruyan accept that? She was destined to be the grand cultivator’s partner.

After wasting considerable time, she angrily scattered a dozen communication talismans on the ground.

“Shameless!”

“Vulgar!”

“Wolfish ambitions!”

Having not freeloaded even half a spirit stone, Liu Ruyan felt somewhat disheartened. Had her beauty lost its allure? Otherwise, why was no one willing to simply offer her treasures except that ungrateful Ye Feng?

The more she thought, the angrier she became, even her internal spiritual energy grew unstable.

A carp suddenly leapt from the water, and Liu Ruyan abruptly sat up. Gritting her teeth, she murmured, “No, I absolutely cannot let that despicable couple Ye Feng and Su Yun’er gloat like this! The secret shop—I refuse to believe it’s that formidable. Even if it is, Ye Feng already exhausted all his resources to curry favor with Su Yun’er with that mid-grade spirit artifact. What can he possibly use to participate again?”

Her hands intertwined tightly. As long as she gained the qualification to join the secret shop trade, with her beauty she could surely lure high-level cultivators. Then by sacrificing some charm to attach herself to a high-tier cultivator, wouldn’t abundant resources flow in?

Liu Ruyan had a sudden realization. She found the plan extremely feasible.

After all, hooking onto a high branch symbolized soaring success.

Then she would show that despicable couple exactly who Liu Ruyan really was! Losing her favor, Ye Feng would surely regret it for life.

With this thought, she no longer hesitated. After carefully dressing herself, she disappeared beyond the courtyard.

...

The trading area where the secret shop was located was a chaotic mix of dragons and snakes. Apart from the main street of Zhu Xian Market, the rest of the district was poorly policed, filled with all kinds of scattered cultivators—even some ruthless bandits among them.

Liu Ruyan, dressed in alluring splendor, looked completely out of place. She nervously glanced at the cultivators around her, who all eyed her strangely.

Panic welled up inside her—it was as if a princess fleeing the palace had entered a den of wolves.

Every gaze seemed filled with malice. Those leering eyes appeared ready to tear her apart alive.

Liu Ruyan immediately regretted dressing so extravagantly. She blamed Ye Feng and Su Yun’er for everything.

Biting her teeth, she asked a relatively kind-looking cultivator nearby, “Brother, do you know if the secret shop trading tokens can be obtained here? This little sister also wants to join the secret shop trade.”

The man smiled kindly. But when he lifted his face, Liu Ruyan recoiled involuntarily—he had no teeth or tongue, and his grotesque grin made her feel as if her soul might be torn apart.

She hurriedly tried to leave, but just then, from several directions in the bustling market, several burly cultivators encircled her.

One of them leered at her, eyes filled with lust and excitement, clicking his tongue. “This little lady’s got some nerve! A sixth level Qi Refining cultivator dares to come here asking about the secret shop!”

“Hahaha, brothers, how long has it been since such a naive and beautiful female cultivator came knocking on our door?”

“This is a gift from nature itself!”

The robust cultivator reached out to pinch Liu Ruyan’s cheek, his gaze bloodthirsty.

His comrades quickened their pace, eager to pounce.

Liu Ruyan screamed, feeling utterly doomed.

Just then, a sweet, coquettish female voice rang out: “How dare you! Who told you to lay a hand on her?”

Clatter! The surrounding burly men suddenly knelt en masse in panic.