The Celestial Master’s Choice

After finishing breakfast, Luo Xiaoxi prepared to head out.

She deftly hopped into Long Miaoming’s car; after all, she was practically a regular passenger in this vehicle by now. Just as she was about to wave goodbye to her old mother, she saw Hua Qianluo lean in and hand something over.

It was a stone pendant, red as fresh blood.

“Mama Qianluo, what’s this?”

Xiaoxi examined the tiny stone in her hand closely. It wasn’t exactly beautiful, but it was passably acceptable. Of course, the most distinctive feature was a few incomprehensible symbols carved right into the center of the stone.

“It’s so ugly,” Xiaoxi said, ruthlessly hitting Qianluo right where it hurt.

Qianluo rubbed her nose rather awkwardly. Perhaps its appearance truly didn’t align with the aesthetic standards of modern humans—no, more accurately, it diverged from human aesthetics altogether. But Qianluo had only focused on how to properly carve the runes onto it; whether it looked pretty or not hadn’t crossed her mind at all.

“Alright, brat, stop being so picky. Be glad you’re even getting one, now put it on,” Qianluo grumbled, pursing her lips. “From now on, unless it is absolutely unavoidable, do not take it off.”

“Mmh…”

Looking at the somewhat ugly little stone in her hand, Xiaoxi felt a bit reluctant, yet she still reached out and slipped it around her neck.

“Then, Mama Qianluo, we’ll be leaving first.”

“Yeah, drive safe on the road,” Qianluo instructed casually before turning back into the shop.

Miaoming stole a glance at the tiny stone resting against Xiaoxi’s neck, a flash of profound astonishment instantly reflecting in her eyes.

“Dragon-Blood Jade… I didn’t expect that old witch to possess such a rare treasure.”

“Eh? Sister Long, you know what this is?” Xiaoxi looked at Miaoming, thoroughly bewildered.

“A supreme treasure for warding off evil,” Miaoming said, keeping one hand firmly on the steering wheel. “Legend has it that it was a gemstone left over when Nüwa repaired the heavens. However, its elemental nature was far too masculine and fiercely Yang, clashing with the other seven colors, so she ultimately stored it away.”

“Is that so…?” Xiaoxi froze for a moment, looking at the seemingly ordinary little stone in her hand with sudden uncertainty. She truly hadn’t expected this plain-looking pebble to possess such a grand lineage.

“Wear it properly. Do not take it off unless you have absolutely no choice,” Miaoming said, echoing Qianluo’s exact words.

By noon, Miaoming and Xiaoxi arrived at Qiuluo Park, where Lin Lan and Xiao Zi resided.

The entrance was still cordoned off with police tape. Only two or three police officers patrolled the perimeter to prevent citizens from wandering in by mistake, but it appeared that no active measures had been taken yet.

“Wow, is this place going to remain sealed off forever without being reopened?” Xiaoxi asked, watching the officers outside the gate.

“The Bureau of the Occult will be arriving soon.”

“The Bureau of the Occult?” Xiaoxi looked at Miaoming. This was her very first time hearing of such an organization.

A look of deep annoyance surfaced on Miaoming’s face. “A bunch of dead-stubborn, rigid exorcists. Alright, let’s not talk about them, let’s go inside.” Miaoming waved her hand and, just like last time, effortlessly tore a gap right through the chain-link fence.

Xiaoxi mumbled her agreement. Judging by Sister Long’s visible reluctance to speak about them, she figured there must be some past grievance between them.

The two slipped into the park. This time, the environment was vastly better than before; wild flowers blanketed the entire ground, swaying gently in a kaleidoscope of colors. Though there weren’t any exceptionally rare or expensive blooms among them, the collective view was thoroughly pleasing to the eye.

Lin Lan was currently watering the flowers. Spotting Xiaoxi and Miaoming, he smiled and nodded in greeting.

Xiaoxi squatted down, watching one of the tiny, swaying blossoms. She leaned in closer and took a sniff; it was incredibly fragrant. Unable to help herself, she reached out, wanting to pluck one.

“Do not pluck them, little girl.”

A voice echoed right in front of Xiaoxi. She instinctively lifted her head and beheld a peerlessly beautiful flower fairy standing before her. Though the figure still appeared somewhat translucent, every tilt of her head and every soft smile carried a grace capable of toppling kingdoms.

“So beautiful…” Xiaoxi smacked her lips. Just as she was about to utter a few more words of admiration, her vision suddenly went pitch black as Miaoming’s hand blocked her eyes.

“Alright, minors should avoid excessive exposure to exceptional beauty. It is detrimental to healthy physical and mental development,” Miaoming said, her face completely dark.

If she hadn’t known that the entity before them already belonged to someone else, she would have definitely beaten her to death by now.

“Ah! Sister Long, I’m a girl too!” Xiaoxi voiced her loud protest.

“No, a teenager’s upbringing has absolutely nothing to do with gender,” Miaoming declared firmly, keeping Xiaoxi’s eyes covered.

Zi Qingyan watched the two of them banter and bicker, hiding her smile behind her hand as she let out a soft laugh. “So, I assume you two didn’t come all this way just to play around?” Zi Qingyan looked at Miaoming and Xiaoxi.

Xiaoxi quickly broke free from Miaoming’s demonic clutches. “No, no! Mama Qianluo wanted me to deliver something to you.”

With that, Xiaoxi reached into her pocket, but Miaoming swiftly pressed her hand down, stopping her. Miaoming cast a glance at Lin Lan, who was peering toward them with curiosity, and then gave Xiao Zi a pointed, warning look.

Zi Qingyan caught her drift instantly.

“Ah Lan, go tend to the flowerbed over there,” Zi Qingyan called out to Lin Lan, pointing toward a cluster of wildflowers located a considerable distance away.

Lin Lan nodded, harboring no suspicions whatsoever. After all, within his knowledge, Zi Qingyan was completely unaware that he had visited the flower shop. Furthermore, he knew Xiaoxi and Miaoming wouldn’t harm her.

Xiaoxi waited until Lin Lan had walked far out of earshot before finally pulling the small brocade pouch Qianluo had given her from her pocket, sliding it into Xiao Zi’s hand.

“What is this?”

Zi Qingyan pinched the object inside with curiosity. It felt round and solid, like a medicinal pill.

“Mama Qianluo said you would understand when the time comes,” Xiaoxi waved her hand, indicating she was merely a messenger. “Oh, right, you must wait until after he falls asleep to open it.” Xiaoxi remembered the instruction and pointed toward Lin Lan in the distance.

Zi Qingyan nodded to show she understood. With a smile, she was just about to invite the two to stay a while longer when Miaoming, possessing the sharpest reflexes, flatly refused.

“Alright, the delivery is complete, we won’t disrupt you two any longer.” Miaoming grabbed Xiaoxi in a firm grip. Seeing Xiaoxi spending time with such a beautiful woman always gave her an unsettling feeling of unease.

Xiaoxi opened her mouth to protest; she had actually really wanted to hang out with the beautiful flower demon sister a bit longer. But she was no match for Miaoming’s raw strength, and she was ultimately dragged out of the park kicking and screaming.

“Wow, Sister Long, what was that for?” Xiaoxi grumbled, thoroughly dissatisfied. It wasn’t easy to find an environment she actually liked.

“Inhaling too much spider lily pollen is bad for you,” Miaoming countered, employing the most brutally simple and logical excuse to shut Xiaoxi down.

“Hmph, liar! You’re clearly just jealous of her looks.” Xiaoxi puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. Before she could utter another sound, Miaoming reached over and pinched her ear.

“A young lady must learn to maintain her composure. I am rescuing you from yourself.”

“Ah! Sister Long, let go, it hurts…”

That night, while Lin Lan lay fast asleep beside her, Zi Qingyan opened the small brocade pouch Xiaoxi had given her.

Inside sat a perfectly round, polished medicinal pill.

Zi Qingyan leaned in closer and inhaled its scent, freezing completely in absolute shock.

This was… a Soul-Stabilizing Pill.