Chapter 113

“……”

Jian Yixin had imagined what she might encounter at the beginning, but she hadn’t expected Qinglu to be the first to attack her, and to dismantle 09 directly.

Certainly, Jian Yixin had considered whether she could shake off her identity as a substitute bureau employee and escape from the surveillance of 09, but the fact was that in the small world, she couldn’t do without 09 as a tool for completing tasks.

Moreover… Jian Yixin thought with a headache, she still didn’t know what this task was about.

It wasn’t that 09 hadn’t informed her of the task, but this time the task was different from before. According to 09, depending on the course of the task, her final task would be different, and it might even go to two opposite extremes.

And the information Jian Yixin received was mainly about Yu Yi’s life, so it was conceivable that the focus of the task was on Yu Yi.

Yu Yi could be considered a second-generation immortal. Her father, Yu Qingtian, was extraordinarily talented, being the strongest swordsman of the Lingyun Sect, the number one sect in the cultivation world. Her mother, Qiong Ling, was one of the few Tianjie alchemists, who had crafted a semi-divine puppet for her daughter, whose status exceeded other Tianjie experts.

Despite such formidable parents, they both perished in the secret realm together, their souls scattered, only managing to send Yu Yi away.

Yu Yi only had the cultivation base of the Golden Core stage, and when she was sent out, her pulse was already severed, barely clinging to life, with no possibility of cultivation in this lifetime.

She used to travel and adventure around the cultivation world with her parents. After their death, she was unquestionably taken back to Daiyuan Peak by the Lingyun Sect.

While she was unconscious, Senior Sister Qu Xirong took meticulous care of her, and Senior Brother Hang Yunhe tirelessly watched over her day and night. Even the Sect Master Qu Hang inquired about her well-being, holding her in high regard. When the news spread, everyone couldn’t help but praise the Lingyun Sect.

Yu Yi’s meridians were destroyed, her spiritual energy depleted. She relied on the lowest-level spirit gathering array to carefully nurture herself for three years before waking up.

Jian Yixin logged into the small world at the time when Yu Yi woke up, after a month of recuperation, when her body was almost restored.

At this point, Yu Yi was like a relatively healthy ordinary person, still somewhat deficient in vitality. In the cultivation world, she was like an ant under a giant’s foot, small and fragile.

Therefore, Yu Yi would definitely use her puppet—

Since the day Yu Yi woke up, she placed the puppet on the soft bed under the window sill and told others that it felt like her mother was watching over her by her side, so she could sleep more peacefully.

Now that her body was almost recovered, she could afford to undergo the puppet’s master recognition ceremony, which she immediately scheduled for three days later.

Three days later happened to be the anniversary of Yu Qingtian and Qiong Ling’s death.

The information Jian Yixin received stopped here. As for the subsequent developments, the Quick Transmigration Bureau did not provide them. As 09 said, Jian Yixin would control the development of the situation, and when the time was ripe, the system would naturally provide the final task.

But now the system was gone.

Jian Yixin found it difficult to judge the pros and cons of uninstalling 09.

She felt doubtful when Qinglu in this world used old items to send “signals” to her.

So, was it possible… that the Qinglu of this world had also dismantled 09 from her for a purpose?

Jian Yixin quietly thought for a moment, then slowly exhaled.

Watch the changes quietly.

As for the task, Jian Yixin has always been unafraid to go it alone, but in order to find out her final task, she still hoped that the Quick Transmigration Bureau could discover that her system had been removed and send someone to take over as soon as possible.

If no one took over, as long as she did the task well, she and Qinglu could still live well in the cultivation world.

After sorting out the system’s affairs, Jian Yixin quickly started thinking about the task.

Earlier, when Yu Yi went out, 09 was still quietly comparing notes with her. According to the setting of the protagonist being strong and miserable in the cultivation novels, this Lingyun Sect definitely had problems. The death of Yu Yi’s parents was not simple; there must be a conspiracy behind it.

Jian Yixin hadn’t read many cultivation novels, but she was skeptical of the Lingyun Sect.

After all, innocent people often bear the blame for the guilty. Yu Yi, an ordinary girl, possessed countless treasures. Killing for treasures was a common activity in the cultivation world, let alone possessing such a shiny mobile treasure trove. If it weren’t for being in the Lingyun Sect, Yu Yi would have surely been dead by now, her body and soul scattered.

And the Lingyun Sect was only focused on protecting Yu Yi? Jian Yixin didn’t believe it.

The puppet was Qiong Ling’s most proud and outstanding work. Even under the realm of immortals, it could take the place of its master in death, ensuring the master’s safety.

They wouldn’t just stand by and watch Yu Yi undergo the master recognition ceremony. Otherwise, Qu Xirong wouldn’t have suggested that Yu Yi wait until her parents’ death anniversary to perform the ritual, five days after Yu Yi was prepared to undergo it.

If the puppet was truly taken away, it would be the beginning of their mistreatment of Yu Yi. It was easy to imagine what would happen to Yu Yi after being exploited and receiving no benefits…

When will Yu Yi let herself recognize it as its master? Jian Yixin pursed her lips, feeling a sense of urgency.

She could accept her own failure, but the thought of her failure inevitably resulting in Qinglu’s death in this small world made Jian Yixin unwilling to fail.

She can only trust Qinglu now, Xiao Yu Yi, who has grown up in this world for more than ten years, is still a naive little girl.

Yu Yi cleaned up the puppet, and Hetong brought delicious food.

Most cultivators have already fasted, but Yu Yi is now an ordinary person and can’t afford to skip meals.

She has little appetite, even some aversion to food, but still eats every bite clean.

She needs to maintain her physical condition.

For this reason, Yu Yi also took a nap in bed, she dozed lightly and was awakened by a noisy noise.

Someone outside the formation was calling her, the voice was very familiar, it was Qu Xirong.

It came so fast.

Outside, Qu Xirong was still calling, as if afraid that Yu Yi, an ordinary person, couldn’t hear well. Yu Yi got up from the bed leisurely, even drank some nectar slowly to moisten her throat.

Qu Xirong stood outside the formation with a solemn face for a long time, but Yu Yi didn’t come out.

Daiyuan Peak, not to mention the courtyards and pavilions, not even a tree to shelter from the wind and rain, except for the dense spiritual energy gathered from the spiritual stone veins, Daiyuan Peak was like a deserted mountain that no one wanted.

Qu Xirong looked at Daiyuan Peak, which could have belonged to her, but was now monopolized by Yu Yi, and looked at the formation that isolated her, feeling more and more resentful towards Yu Yi.

Finally, waiting for a figure to walk out of the formation, Qu Xirong stepped forward:

“Yu Yi, why did you activate the formation?”

“Senior Sister, why do you have time to look for me? Didn’t you say you were busy this morning?” Yu Yi looked pleasantly surprised and glanced at the formation behind her, “This was made by my mother herself. I thought I’d live in my father’s cave and set up my mother’s formation, so they could accompany me together.”

Why does she keep mentioning dead people? Qu Xirong felt disdainful. Both parents are dead, but Yu Yi is still an immature child. She’s truly naive.

But it’s also a good thing that she’s immature, but she shouldn’t have coincidentally activated the formation today. Thinking of the elders returning empty-handed, Qu Xirong said in an educational tone:

“You live in Lingyun Sect, with the sect’s grand formation protecting you, it’s already very appropriate. Opening another formation today, isn’t it distrusting your own people? It damages the unity among fellow disciples.”

Qu Xirong paused, reprimanding, “Moreover, the spiritual stones consumed by this formation are not much less than those used by the sect’s grand formation. Such extravagance and waste must not be tolerated!”

Yu Yi blinked, her eyes bright:

“But Senior Sister, I never go to Qingyuntang to collect my monthly stipend. I use the spiritual stone veins left by my father.”

“Those spiritual stones also—” Qu Xirong’s words abruptly stopped, unable to continue.

“And what about those spiritual stones?” Yu Yi asked with a smile.

What about them? In Qu Xirong’s eyes, the spiritual stones left by her parents sooner or later belong to the Qu Family. Qu Xirong had long regarded Daiyuan Peak, her parents’ legacy, and everything she owned as her own. That’s why she could confidently question herself about why she was wasting ‘her spiritual stones.’

With a gesture of adjusting her crane robe, Yu Yi covered her expression and said:

“However, Senior Sister is right. Opening a formation just for those groundless thoughts is indeed not thoughtful of me.”

“I’ve got it.” Yu Yi clapped lightly with a smile, “After the puppet recognizes its master in three days and with my mother’s puppet by my side at all times, this formation can naturally be closed.”

“Senior Sister, isn’t this excellent?”

Yu Yi smiled relaxedly, but Qu Xirong was extremely annoyed, but what could she say?

Before coming here, her father warned her to be cautious and not arouse Yu Yi’s suspicions. But who would have thought that she would come in person, unable to even enter the cave, let alone spy on the puppet, and was even shut up by Yu Yi’s words.

At this point, Qu Xirong could only nod, and she had to say some flattering words to Yu Yi. Finally, she reiterated her argument countless times:

“Now that you have no cultivation base, the puppet’s recognition of its master is quite risky for you. You might lose your life due to blood loss. You must wait until three days later when my father and the elders of the sect gather to protect you. Do you understand?”

Yu Yi nodded, smiling innocently, as pure as the ice and snow on Daiyuan Peak:

“I understand the importance of matters concerning life. Senior Sister, rest assured.”

Yu Yi didn’t dare to treat her own life lightly, and since she didn’t know anything, Qu Xirong thought it over and didn’t miss anything, so she just appeased Yu Yi and went back to find her father.

There was still a lot to plan for the events of three days later. How could this unique puppet, this semi-divine artifact, be used to save Yu Yi’s life?

She was nothing but a waste, her life so cheap.

After Qu Xirong left, Yu Yi, wrapped in her crane robe, stepped on the icy snow and walked back to the cave.

After sleeping and waking up again, she faced another interrogation from Qu Xirong. She was at the peak of her spirits, her mind unusually excited and clear.

She returned to the puppet once again.

Yu Yi peeled off half of the puppet’s robes, exposing the location of its heart. Then she laid the puppet flat on the bed.

How could she give the Qu Family another chance to intervene?

Humming the tune her mother often hummed, she picked up an exquisite silver knife from the storage bracelet.

There wasn’t much difference between recognizing the puppet and recognizing other artifacts for Yu Yi; blood was still required.

However, there was no blood in the puppet’s body; she would need to use her own.

For cultivators, as long as they didn’t touch their vital essence, losing all their blood was fine. But Yu Yi couldn’t do that.

What’s more troublesome was that her meridians were destroyed, and she couldn’t even use high-grade elixirs. She could only use some low-quality ones; otherwise, the dense spiritual energy would cause her body to explode.

She would almost completely drain her blood, unable to even take high-quality elixirs to stabilize herself. For Yu Yi, this recognition was indeed extremely dangerous. Any slight mistake could lead to her demise.

But at this moment, how could Yu Yi entrust her fate to her enemy just because she was afraid of death?

Yu Yi took several low-grade blood nourishing pills and placed them under her tongue, then put the silver knife on her arm and scraped the thin skin with the blade.

It was icy cold and sharp. With a little force, it could pierce through the porcelain-like skin, revealing the tender red flesh beneath, and the fresh blood would eagerly flow out.

Yu Yi couldn’t help but lick her lips.

Her eyes became unfocused, and a faint blush appeared on her face.

She translated her thoughts into reality.

The silvery moon-like blade tip stood on her arm, like a moving cold star, leaving a five-inch-long cut on her fair and delicate forearm.

She gazed at the wound, waiting for two breaths.

Blood quickly oozed out from the extremely fine and long cut, like eerie fluid seeping out from under the snow. Soon, it surged up and left a bloody and sweet trace along her forearm.

Yu Yi looked expressionlessly and flipped her forearm, holding it above the puppet.

Drip, drip, the sound became more frequent.

At first, it was just dripping drop by drop.

Unsatisfied, Yu Yi made the cut deeper and slashed her wrist, only then was she satisfied.

She saw the blood all falling onto the puppet’s chest, being instantly absorbed.

Without any hindrance, not a drop left, it even showed a bit of greed and longing.

“It’s all for you,” Yu Yi murmured softly.

The more she gave, the more it absorbed.

Yu Yi’s lips had lost their color, her head was spinning, and her body was weak.

“Isn’t it enough?” It was almost time. She swallowed the last blood nourishing pill, even joking with the puppet, “You’re really greedy.”

However, as the puppet absorbed more, its face gradually became rosy, as if it had absorbed all of Yu Yi’s remaining good complexion.

Seeing this, Yu Yi thought to herself that if the puppet didn’t meet her expectations, she would have really lost out, and then she could only dismantle her for the good materials and repay herself for the torment she had endured today.

The blood nourishing pills had reached the last one.

These pills weren’t of high quality. They could keep Yu Yi from dying when used on an ordinary person’s body, but it was just that—keeping her from dying.

Yu Yi’s vision began to darken uncontrollably.

She relied solely on her thoughts.

She was confident she could endure it.

Yu Yi forcefully bit her tongue, clearing her mind somewhat.

She looked at her already reddened and peeled arm, her eyes sharpened, about to tear the wound open further.

As she reached out her hand, about to act, in the corner of her eye, the puppet opened its eyes, directly and accurately fixing its gaze on her.

The puppet on the couch, its golden-red robe slipped down to its waist, revealing its gleaming white and graceful body, from shoulders to slender waist, the curves smooth and flowing down into the skirt.

On its body were streaks of red jade-like marks, flowing through its limbs like the branches of a tree, red and white interwoven, possessing a strange and beautiful allure.

Yu Yi focused, her blood not yet drained, had the puppet successfully recognized its master?

Without time for more thought, in the next moment, the puppet sat up from the couch, pulling her into its embrace.

Carefully.

“I’m awake.”

The puppet’s hand lifted Yu Yi’s blood-stained arm, using magic to seal the numerous wounds.

Its hand was warm and soft.

The puppet’s voice was gentle, as if sighing lightly, holding her tighter:

“You can rest now.”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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