Overly diligent students

Given Xǔ Tiānlí’s diligent efforts, Mù Qīngyǔ felt that as his master, spending the entire day in idleness would not only invite suspicion but also leave her with a sense of unease.

“Fortunately, I’m sixteen now,” she mused.

“If I were my previous self, I likely would have long since succumbed to apathy.”

Seated within the enigmatic palace, shrouded in swirling mist, the silver-haired, red-eyed girl found herself muttering aloud.

Mù Qīngyǔ’s previous life had been fraught with societal hardships, the relentless journey having long since worn down her sharp edges.

She had lost all interest in exploring the future or the unknown, desiring nothing more than to live a quiet, unassuming life.

After her transmigration, her body had reverted to sixteen, and her mind, too, had been subtly influenced.

Her reactions to new sights now mirrored those of a genuine young girl.

Yet, despite this acknowledgment, Mù Qīngyǔ remained resolute in her conviction that she would never fall for a man—nor a woman, for that matter.

She felt caught between the dual influences of her psychology and physiology.

“What a sin,” she murmured.

“If I were still male, I’d probably be living a life of debauchery by now.”

No, that wasn’t right.

Even now, she yearned to return to the Four Sacred Courts, to be a pampered young lady who could command her subordinates at will, living a life where she merely had to stretch out her hand for clothes and open her mouth for food.

“It’s just a pity such a life is destined to be short-lived.”

Every second of pleasure she indulged in was a second wasted from her dwindling lifespan.

She had to resolve Xǔ Tiānlí’s hatred for her within three years and prevent her father from sacrificing her within five.

Without illness, without poison, and without any suicidal thoughts, Mù Qīngyǔ’s life was inexplicably capped at five years.

To defy this terminal outcome, she had no choice but to exert every ounce of her strength.

As for her life beyond those five years, truth be told, she hadn’t given it much thought.

By then, she would only be twenty-one, still in the prime of her youth.

If she ascended to become a high-tier Spirit Wielder, she could potentially enjoy millennia of existence.

The young girl exhaled softly, casting all unpleasant thoughts from her mind.

Live in the present; the future would take care of itself.

She rose from her throne and approached the already open stone gate, from which she withdrew a book.

Upon successfully mastering the second stage of the Qi Accumulation Art, Xǔ Tiānlí had also managed to add a new book to the shelf.

Mù Qīngyǔ opened it, and as the pages fluttered, they settled to form a hazy figure remarkably resembling Xǔ Tiānlí.

The figure immediately sat cross-legged, beginning to perform the Qi Accumulation Art, as a vortex of energy gathered above its head.

Then, as the Qi Accumulation Art entered its second stage, the gathered qi diffused outwards, forming an oppressive aura.

“I spent countless deaths exploring this new path, and you, brat, learned it with a single glance?”

No matter how many times she recalled it, Mù Qīngyǔ found the matter utterly preposterous.

He truly lived up to his protagonist status; his talent was unreasonably powerful.

He simply took the fruits of others’ arduous labor.

At least pay some royalties, she thought.

‘I wonder, if he learns of this three years from now, will he abandon his desire for revenge, considering how many times I’ve been exploited?’

Haha, he’d probably just feel sullied.

Simply hoping for Xǔ Tiānlí to change his mind wasn’t enough; Mù Qīngyǔ herself needed to grow sufficiently.

At the very least, she couldn’t allow herself to be crippled by a mere flick of his finger.

As Mù Qīngyǔ pondered this, she extracted the spiritual imprint of the hazy figure from her body, unfurling it before her like a scroll.

Initially, Mù Qīngyǔ had tried to continue using the first book—the one detailing the first stage of the Qi Accumulation Art—to explore alternative modifications.

However, no matter how she tinkered, that book could no longer produce the hazy figure as it did now.

This meant that a book could only be used once.

Once a direction for improvement was set, there was no turning back.

Fortunately, Mù Qīngyǔ could still continue to refine this second stage of the Qi Accumulation Art.

So, how should she modify it this time?

Truth be told, as a Tier-2 Spirit Wielder with incomplete memories of her past, she felt like a novice assigned to a massive engineering project, staring blankly at complex blueprints.

She needed to at least have a direction; she couldn’t keep blundering around like a headless chicken, relying on luck to stumble upon something usable.

The young girl extended a slender finger, gently touching the spiritual imprint where power flowed.

Then—

Boom!!

A violent explosion instantly engulfed her.

The hazy figure, meditating on the ground, was also scattered by the blast’s shockwave, reverting into a single page that returned to the book.

As the smoke cleared, the girl standing in her original spot exhaled a large puff of black smoke.

Her clothes were shredded, revealing large expanses of fair skin.

“What just happened?”

“I haven’t even done anything yet!”

Mù Qīngyǔ rubbed her disheveled silver hair, and its messy state instantly returned to normal.

She summoned the hazy figure once more, drawing out the spiritual imprint.

‘Could it be that spot is untouchable?’

This time, Mù Qīngyǔ placed her fair fingertip on a different part of the spiritual imprint.

There was no explosion.

“Indeed.”

“I didn’t expect the forbidden zones to vary between different spells.”

Just as she believed she had mastered the trick, the pressure from her fingertip inadvertently increased.

Boom!!

Another violent explosion, this time knocking Mù Qīngyǔ flat onto the ground.

Her clear eyes stared blankly at the mysterious palace’s ceiling—a lie, there was only endlessly swirling mist.

‘I hadn’t even moved the spiritual imprint, so why did it explode again?’

Summoning the hazy figure for the third time, she pulled out the spiritual imprint.

This time, Mù Qīngyǔ didn’t rush to act, instead staring intently at it.

Her gaze fell once more on the meditating hazy figure, specifically on the vortex above its head.

‘Is it because the second stage of the Qi Accumulation Art isn’t just accumulating qi but also releasing it, making it more unstable than the first stage?’

The second stage of the Qi Accumulation Art inherently maintained a delicate balance between “accumulation” and “dispersion.”

Mù Qīngyǔ’s reckless manipulation of the spiritual imprint had disrupted this balance, leading to the powerful explosions.

“That’s a bit troublesome.”

The more advanced a spell, the more complex the energy flow within its spiritual imprint inevitably became.

The more she tried to improve it, the harder it became to even touch.

If it weren’t for the fact that Mù Qīngyǔ couldn’t truly die in this mysterious palace, she would have given up long ago.

“As long as I keep trying and failing, I’ll eventually succeed, right?”

Mù Qīngyǔ didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

After experimenting for a while longer, noting all the safe spots that didn’t explode, she exited the mysterious palace.

The reason was simple: it was almost lunchtime.

Although Mù Qīngyǔ’s physical body in reality didn’t reveal its true appearance while she was in the mysterious palace, it was still better to be cautious.

If that Xǔ Tiānlí fellow suddenly got carried away and became too touchy-feely with her, accidentally ruining her disguise spell, everything would be over.

Mù Qīngyǔ sat up from her bed, stretched languidly, and walked out of the room.

The timing was perfect; she could head straight for lunch.

Previously, the orphanage could only afford simple meals, but since the demise of the Wolf Fang Gang—or, more accurately, since Mù Qīngyǔ’s arrival—the food had significantly improved.

Expensive meats and vegetables now graced the dining tables, and they even enjoyed seafood.

For the naturally curious children, just a glance was a feast for the eyes, let alone getting to eat their fill.

Mù Qīngyǔ was seated at a separate table.

She had just picked up her bowl and chopsticks when she noticed Xǔ Tiānlí was nowhere to be seen.

She asked Director Wang, who also looked puzzled:

“I think he’s still in the courtyard?”

“…”

‘No way, really?’

Mù Qīngyǔ muttered inwardly, quickening her pace to the courtyard.

There, Xǔ Tiānlí sat in a corner, looking like a professional pilot who had taken off five times in a row, having seen through the true meaning of life, destined to experience no more joy or sorrow.

“Xǔ Tiānlí, why are you still sitting here?”

“Sister Qín…”

Xǔ Tiānlí stiffly turned his head, his lips twitching.

“I don’t want to eat yet.”

“I want to practice a bit longer.”

“At least, I can’t disappoint you.”

His eyes looked utterly drained.

‘Could failing to even get started really be such a blow to you?’

“Although I’m a good-for-nothing, I want to prove myself.”

“I’m not a useless student, no, I’m not a useless student.”

‘You’re that eager for my approval?’

‘Do you think I’d kick you out if you couldn’t learn?’

Mù Qīngyǔ felt quite distressed internally but showed no loss of composure before him.

‘Perhaps I should offer the boy some encouragement.’

“If you perform well enough to satisfy me, there will also be a reward.”

Reward?

At the mention of the word, Xǔ Tiānlí was somewhat bewildered.

“What, surprised?” Mù Qīngyǔ narrowed her eyes, as if appraising his foolish expression.

“Don’t let my usual strictness fool you.”

“If my students perform well, I don’t mind treating you to something good.”

Treat him to something good?

As she spoke of rewards, his gaze involuntarily drifted from Mù Qīngyǔ’s cheek, down her slender neck, and finally rested upon her ample bosom.

Though he had witnessed both versions—without and with a bra—the version encased in clothing was still incredibly captivating.

‘Could it be?’

Xǔ Tiānlí’s mind immediately began to wander, and his words started to stutter:

“Master, although we are master and disciple, for you to directly say you’ll treat me to something good… isn’t that a bit too much?”

“I think a simple compliment would suffice…”

“What, you don’t trust my cooking?”

“Huh?” Xǔ Tiānlí was bewildered once more.

“Didn’t I say I’d treat you to something good?” Mù Qīngyǔ chuckled.

“I’ve never properly cooked a meal before.”

“How about this: once you perform well, I’ll personally show you my skills?”

“So, that’s what you meant?”

“Did you think I was implying something else?”

“No, nothing of the sort!”

Mù Qīngyǔ felt like a hidden tigress, ready to pounce and tear Xǔ Tiānlí apart if he showed any weakness—though not in a physical sense.

Seeing his flustered reaction, Mù Qīngyǔ suppressed the urge to burst into laughter.

‘This is exactly the effect I wanted.’

‘Now, you don’t even dare admit to having ill intentions towards me, do you?’

‘It won’t be long before Xǔ Tiānlí completely surrenders to me, will it?’

‘Thinking about it, that’s quite a beautiful prospect: a future peerless powerhouse willingly bowing before me like a dog.’

‘Ah, such thoughts are truly sinful, especially since I have no interest in men.’

‘Could it be the influence of the original host’s memories?’

‘Still, the feeling alone is rather pleasant.’

Mù Qīngyǔ mused, then turned and returned to her room to continue researching the mysterious palace’s functions, leaving Xǔ Tiānlí to his practice.