How long are you going to hold me?

At the talisman gathering, a group of people with red faces and bulging necks shouting around a table was not strange at all.

This really didn’t look like a place for exchanging talisman knowledge, but more like a casino. If not for the sect’s strict ban on gambling, prostitution, and drugs, Cao Xueyan would have thought she came to the wrong place.

“Junior brother, your talisman drawing skills aren’t even as good as a three-year-old’s doodles. Go back and practice before you come again!”

“Senior brother, what are you saying? Look again at the talismans you just drew — more than half of the spiritual power already dissipated. The outcome of this match is still undecided!”

“Well then! Since junior brother is so confident, I’ll have to bring out my hidden trump card.”

“Bring it on! But junior brother, don’t go easy on me just because I’m your senior.”

Two inner-sect disciples in blue robes rolled up their sleeves like peasants, each gripping a talisman brush, competing in strength.

Before them lay a sheet of talisman paper, covered in tangled, messy lines of runes — one could hardly call it anything but scribbles.

Cao Xueyan: “…”

Senior brother Liu stood nearby watching for a while, then suddenly clapped and laughed: “Ah! What a thrilling match!”

“Senior brother, what are they doing?” Cao Xueyan asked softly.

“Oh! I nearly forgot.” Senior brother Liu slapped his forehead, then explained quickly: “This method is called Talisman Duel. As the name suggests, 2 to 3 people divide a talisman paper into sections, then draw runes. The contest is to see who can fill their section first. If a rune is drawn wrong, the paper collapses. If both finish at the same time, the one with fewer mistakes wins.”

Cao Xueyan was greatly shocked: “It can… be done like this?”

Senior brother Liu clearly enjoyed showing off in front of his new junior sister. With a light cough, he began lecturing: “This tradition of Talisman Duel goes back thousands of years. If traced to its source, it reaches the ancient talisman masters — enough to talk about for days and nights. Sister, don’t underestimate it. Even official talisman masters, when undecided, will often resolve matters by dueling with talismans.”

“I see, I have learned something.” Cao Xueyan nodded.

She set aside her curiosity and carefully watched the two disciples.

At this moment, both were about to finish filling their sections. The duel was nearing its end.

Finally, with a shout, both brushes stopped at the same time, the ink dried. Excited, they erupted with near-peak Qi Refining strength, shaking the entire room.

Looking closely — one man beamed with joy, the other dropped his brush in despair.

“Junior brother, you’ll have to let me win this time!”

“Senior brother, no need to be polite. It was my inferior skill.”

“Sigh, don’t say that. The talisman path is not like cultivation. Who knows — one day you may have an epiphany and surpass me in one step.”

Why did that sound weird? But it made sense.

“Senior brother is right. I’ll return to closed-door training for a while.”

The two saluted, cleaned the table, and left. Immediately another group rushed to take their place, laying out paper. The scene instantly became chaotic again.

Since crossing into this world, this was the first lively place Cao Xueyan had seen. It felt strange. She thought cultivators were all cold and detached, but clearly, they weren’t different from mortals.

Not to mention these passionate disciples — wasn’t Xiao Menglan herself the best example?

Even with her Golden Core cultivation and a lifespan of over a thousand years, she still couldn’t forget her feelings, seeing Cao Xueyan as another’s shadow.

“So this is what cultivation really is. What have I been running away from all this time?”

Cao Xueyan suddenly understood. Back in the outer sect, she had always been solitary, thinking all cultivators were the same.

But in truth, cultivators weren’t heartless at all. It was this cruel world of survival of the fittest that was heartless.

If one wasn’t strong, one didn’t even have the right to emotions.

The later duels Cao Xueyan barely watched — partly because she couldn’t understand them, partly because the messy runes gave her a headache.

But senior brother Liu was full of enthusiasm, occasionally gesturing in the air with his finger, his face showing he desperately wished to take someone’s place on stage.

“Senior brother, it’s getting late today, perhaps I should return first?” Cao Xueyan whispered.

She couldn’t yet use voice-transmission, so she wasn’t sure if he heard.

But cultivators’ senses were far beyond mortals’.

“Junior sister, leaving already?” Senior brother Liu looked unsatisfied. Though he hadn’t competed, his glowing face looked like he’d fought 300 rounds already. “Where do you live? Allow me to escort you?”

“No need, I live quite far. I won’t trouble you.” Cao Xueyan declined politely.

“No trouble, no trouble.” Senior brother Liu smiled like a friendly neighbor boy. “No matter how far, it can’t be all the way up at the peak, can it?”

No, actually, I do live at the peak.

Cao Xueyan desperately held back her retort. Despite his persistence, she managed to talk her way out and leave.

Looking back, the sky was darkening, but the crowd at the talisman meet hadn’t diminished — in fact, it seemed to be growing.

That noisy scene looked more and more like a casino.

She had just stepped onto the mountain path when suddenly a thunderous roar came from behind!

“You are all inner-sect disciples, yet waste your days without cultivation, raising such noise in the peak. When will you attain the Dao? Disperse at once!”

Even from far away, the roar shook Cao Xueyan’s organs, leaving her dizzy and short of breath.

“Elder, please don’t be angry. The disciples only gathered in pursuit of the Dao, to exchange and spar.” One disciple shouted up boldly.

“Hmph! Sparring?” The elder’s beard bristled, and he snorted coldly. “You call that sparring? I am ashamed to even expose you!”

At these words, many disciples lowered their heads in shame.

“You have half an hour. Disperse quickly. If you wish to spar, do so at this year’s disciple tournament. If you earn a good result, perhaps you’ll catch the peak master’s eye. That’s far better than this rowdy crowd!”

With the elder’s words, none dared disobey. In the blink of an eye, the place was empty.

Cao Xueyan also used this chance to return to the Moon-Inviting Palace.

She pushed open the door, and a figure approached. Thinking it was her obedient maid puppet, Mosheng, she hugged it without hesitation.

Mosheng’s body was soft, never resisting, never embarrassing her. Hugging her cost nothing in “simulation counts” — no matter how long, Mosheng never complained. That was what Cao Xueyan had learned, using her as a pillow these days.

Eh? In just half a day, had Mosheng’s figure grown?

How did she develop so well?

Wait, this scent feels familiar… not Mosheng’s.

Looking up, she saw the puppet maid standing still like a machine, head bowed to the side.

If Mosheng was there, then who was she hugging?

Cao Xueyan froze, slowly raising her head — and met Xiao Menglan’s emotionless eyes.

Years of high position had given Xiao Menglan an untouchable beauty. Yet the more untouchable, the more desirable.

Xiao Menglan didn’t mind Cao Xueyan still holding her, and instead asked: “Where did you go today?”

Cao Xueyan answered honestly: “To the talisman gathering on the peak…”

She thought Xiao Menglan would say: Don’t go to such improper places.

But instead, Xiao Menglan said: “Having gone, did you gain any insight?”

“…A little.”

“Good. I had the kitchens prepare some food. You haven’t begun fasting yet, so don’t go hungry.”

“Yes…”

“Still not letting go? How long do you plan to hug me?” Xiao Menglan raised her brows, pretending to be annoyed.

Frightened, Cao Xueyan quickly let go, secretly watching her expression.

But she caught a trace of gentle smile.

They were becoming less and less like teacher and student. Cao Xueyan couldn’t help covering her face.