Golden Branches and Jade Leaves 40%

He was quite obedient.

Chang Wan didn’t overthink it.

The moment she turned around, the youth looked up again, his gaze sweeping over the half-visible jade slip peeking out of her sleeve—she had been looking at this thing for the past few days.

It was likely that something she cared about was recorded in the jade slip.

“Read your books yourself, don’t think about escaping.”

Before he could ponder, he saw the young woman leave a sentence behind and exit the secret room.

However, a yellow talisman paper gently slipped out of her sleeve.

Chu Changqing looked at the words on the yellow talisman.

[You should smile more; it looks very good.]

The brushstrokes were subtly hidden, handsome and elegant, clearly the handwriting of a man.

In an instant, the young man looked at Chang Wan’s retreating back, his gaze a little cold.

After she left the secret room, he lightly flicked his fingertip, and spiritual energy swept the talisman paper toward him. Before it reached his hand, he saw the departing young woman quickly return, spot the talisman paper, her eyes light up, and she took back the paper in three quick steps.

Chu Changqing looked at her, faint chill hidden in his dark eyes.

Chang Wan didn’t notice anything amiss with Chu Changqing. Seeing the young man looking at her silently, she felt a bit awkward.

Did he just try to pick up the talisman with spiritual energy… Did he see the content?

No, right? The distance was quite far…

Unexpectedly, the young man suddenly smiled.

“What is this thing? Why are you so nervous?”

Chang Wan breathed a small sigh of relief. Judging by his attitude, he probably hadn’t seen it.

Although it wouldn’t be a big deal even if he saw it, this strange item was still a bit awkward… The rule that mission items couldn’t be stored in the storage bracelet was a real pain.

Fearing it would fall out of her sleeve again, she shoved the talisman into her bosom and vaguely replied, “It’s a very important talisman, capable of moving mountains and filling seas.”

Chu Changqing watched the young woman put the talisman into her bosom, and a dark desire stirred within his heart.

Moving mountains and filling seas?

Perhaps it meant moving the mountain of affection and filling the sea of the heart.

“Then you must keep it safe,” Chu Changqing slightly tilted his head, the surging darkness in his heart concealed by a smile, “If you lose it again, you might not find it.”

[Male Lead Blackening Value +10%]

~

Chang Wan closed the wardrobe door properly, took out the talisman paper, and her eye twitched as she questioned the system, “What kind of mission item is this?”

As soon as it appeared, Chu Changqing’s Blackening Value inexplicably increased by 10%. Wasn’t this setting her up to fail?

System mysteriously replied, “Heaven’s secrets cannot be divulged. Wonderful things have their own marvelous uses—you can explore it yourself.”

Chang Wan: “…”

Chang Wan looked speechlessly at the yellow talisman paper in her hand. It was just a plain sentence on a piece of yellow paper. What was there to explore?

She turned it over and over for a long time but couldn’t discern any trick. Chang Wan gave up and put the talisman away.

Since it was a mission item, the mute who gave her this talisman probably wasn’t an ordinary person either.

The next time she went to the Sage Hall, Chang Wan made some preparations. Although she was still unclear about how to restrain inner demons during the Heart Movement stage, combining it with the content from the jade slip, she prepared a lesson plan in advance. With some smooth talking, she could barely manage to bluff her way through.

Before she arrived, Qiu Hu had informed her that two exchange disciples from the Fire Red Sect would be coming to the Sage Hall today.

It was a rule in some major sects, considered an exchange.

In the clean and spacious Sage Hall, disciples in white, purple, and black robes sat properly. Chang Wan glanced over and saw a splash of red in the corner that didn’t fit the norm.

The red-robed girl wore clanking ornaments, revealing fair wrists. She rested her chin on her hand, crossed her legs, gazing out the window at the scenery, her mind elsewhere. Sitting beside her was a red-robed youth.

The youth had slender eyebrows, black eyes, and black hair, his lips tightly pressed together. His book scroll was neatly placed on the desk.

They were likely the two from the Fire Red Sect.

These two were not who Chang Wan was focused on watching. However, after one glance, she also didn’t see the mute youth who had given her the talisman.

Since different disciples came for each session, it was normal that he wasn’t here.

Chang Wan withdrew her thoughts and calmly followed her lesson plan to teach.

The red color was vibrant, and Chang Wan couldn’t help but let her gaze linger on that bright color. The girl hadn’t absorbed much from the lesson, constantly looking out the window, tapping a green jade ring with her fingertip.

The red-robed youth, however, focused solely on the lecture.

There must have been very beautiful flowers outside the window.

Chang Wan thought so. As soon as the class ended, the girl disregarded the rules, her fingertip brushing her ring, and she turned to leave the hall.

Leaving before the class was officially over was extremely disrespectful.

After a moment of silence filled the room, everyone stared at Chang Wan.

They were all waiting for her to throw a tantrum.

Chang Wan secretly curled her lip. Just as she was about to put away her lesson plan, she saw the red-robed youth stand up and say nervously, “Please, teacher, do not be angry… She is new here and doesn’t know the rules. This disciple apologizes to you!”

Then he was about to perform a full bow toward her.

Chang Wan was startled when she saw him about to kneel and was about to tell him to get up, but then she heard the system’s chilling reminder: “Don’t move.”

Chang Wan: “…”

So, Chang Wan stood stiffly, accepting his full bow. Seeing the surroundings, no one dared to speak.

Chang Wan looked out the window, her back rigid, and said, “I hope she learns the rules soon.”

She heard herself say this under the system’s control.

“Otherwise, she should leave sooner.”

The girl’s voice was utterly cold.

The kneeling red-robed youth said steadily, “Yes, teacher.”

It was rumored throughout the Qingfeng Sect that Elder Chang was cold and severe; it seemed the rumors were true now.

A faint darkness flickered in the youth’s eyes.

After leaving the Sage Hall, Chang Wan let out a breath.

She looked at the layered distant mountains, feeling somewhat depressed. She muttered to herself, “Why do I feel like I’ve become someone else…”

The System answered irrelevant to the question, “Isn’t living like this good?”

Chang Wan didn’t reply.

One should always leave a way out for people, but the original owner seemed to like pushing everything to the extreme, leaving no room for maneuver.

This was not good.

The System continued, “If you are humiliated or bullied, you should strike back. You are a Spirit Solitude master; why give face to a mere exchange disciple?”

Hearing this, Chang Wan finally remembered that she was no longer the orphan who was constantly restrained and had to consider others’ feelings in everything.

She was now an Elder of a faction, a Spirit Solitude master, feared by disciples and respected by others.

“Perhaps you are right,” Chang Wan murmured to herself, “I was too shallow.”

She understood the logic, but it felt empty, lacking substance.

With things weighing on her mind, she didn’t want to return early. Behind the Sage Hall was a secluded bamboo forest. Chang Wan circled around a few times and pulled out the clay flute from her bracelet.

After the college entrance exams, with nothing better to do, besides reading novels and making all sorts of food for herself, she would play the clay flute to cultivate her character.

Music delights people; when in a bad mood, playing the clay flute, she thought, would surely make her feel much better.

Wind blew through the bamboo forest, making thousands of leaves rustle. Before she even raised the flute to her lips, she suddenly heard voices not far away.

It sounded like an argument.

She heard a girl’s voice wail, “I finally managed to see you, and you’re leaving already?”

Chang Wan’s movement suddenly halted. Non-seeing, non-hearing, she was about to leave when she suddenly heard a man’s voice, “Sorry.”

The voice was gentle and familiar.

Chang Wan paused her steps.

…It was the Sect Leader?!

The girl suppressed her tears and mustered her courage, “Am I not good enough? I am Miss Shen, and I’m already at the Heart Movement stage. Except for…”

She bit her lip and plucked up her courage, “Except for cultivation not reaching Spirit Solitude, in what way am I inferior to that stone-faced old woman!!”

Old woman? Spirit Solitude? Who? Was it the person the Sect Leader liked?

Just as Chang Wan’s interest in gossip piqued, she suddenly remembered…

The Sect Leader seemed to like the original owner, and there was the Spirit Solitude stage…

Which was her.

Chang Wan felt a little awkward for a moment. Just as she was thinking of leaving, she heard Qi Bing say.

“She is not an old woman.”

His voice was pleasant and leisurely.

“She is seventeen, cultivation at Spirit Solitude, one of the three Elders of our sect, a rising star in Qingzhou.”

“She is a young lady of noble birth, a ‘Golden Branch and Jade Leaf’.”