Qin Wanwan didn’t want to spend too much time guessing Jian Xingzhi’s thoughts. He would reveal them eventually anyway.

She put away her dimensional pouch and turned to find Xie Gutang to practice swordplay, leaving Jian Xingzhi alone in the garden, comforting himself to stay calm.

Qin Wanwan was indeed someone who held grudges. She wouldn’t forgive him.

Although he knew this, having it personally confirmed from Qin Wanwan’s own mouth was still a shock to Jian Xingzhi.

He sat in the corridor, watching the grass growing and orioles flying in the courtyard, experiencing such tangled and complex emotions for the first time in his life.

He suddenly understood what it meant to be melancholic about spring and sorrowful about autumn.

This sorrowful reverie lasted an entire morning. When Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang returned from sword practice, discussing swordplay techniques as they passed before him, Xie Gutang noticed him first and raised his hand to bow respectfully: “Senior.”

“Master.”

Qin Wanwan turned to look at him, smiling warmly.

Jian Xingzhi immediately jumped up from the corridor and stood straight: “Qin… Beicheng!”

“Master, we’re going to have breakfast. Join us?”

Qin Wanwan invited him. Jian Xingzhi instinctively wanted to shake his head, but seeing Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang standing together, he couldn’t help but nod instead.

“Then let’s go.”

Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang turned around together. The two continued their conversation while Jian Xingzhi followed behind, watching them walk side by side, their sleeves occasionally brushing against each other. His gaze remained fixed on those sleeves.

“Master?”

666 didn’t understand. “What are you looking at?”

“This uncomfortable feeling,” Jian Xingzhi contemplated, “is this revenge?”

“Huh?”

666 was bewildered. Jian Xingzhi turned his head, looking at the courtyard, quite melancholic: “Only hearing the new love’s laughter, never hearing the old love’s tears! Fallen to mud and ground to dust, only the fragrance remains the same.”

Hearing Jian Xingzhi recite poetry made 666’s head ache: “I told you long ago, you shouldn’t have read so many books!”

The three of them walked to the dining hall together. Cuilu and Nanfeng were already waiting at the table. Seeing the three enter, Cuilu looked up, smiling warmly: “You’re here?”

“Sister Cuilu is here so early.”

Qin Wanwan entered with a smile. Cuilu looked her up and down and nodded. “Knowing to be diligent—your parents would be quite pleased.”

Hearing Cuilu’s words, Jian Xingzhi looked at Cuilu suspiciously and thought for a moment. It seemed Cuilu had received kindness from Shangsui and Taiheng.

He looked around and suddenly realized a problem.

Qin Wanwan’s parents were Cuilu’s benefactors. Xie Gutang clearly had favorable feelings toward Qin Wanwan and could be considered her friend. Nanfeng was even more so—a spirit beast who had lived and died alongside Qin Wanwan.

He was surrounded by Qin Wanwan’s people!

Without him noticing, Qin Wanwan had already woven an inescapable web around him.

What depth of scheming! What methods!

The more Jian Xingzhi thought, the more afraid he became. He had never encountered someone so calculating. He couldn’t help but glance at Qin Wanwan again. Sensing his gaze, Qin Wanwan turned to look: “Master?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Jian Xingzhi came back to his senses and lowered his head to start eating: “Let’s eat.”

Qin Wanwan saw the fear Jian Xingzhi couldn’t hide in that glance. She thought for a moment and began testing her morning hypothesis: “Master, I’m about to have my finals. Teach me some ruthless moves.”

“Ruthless moves?”

Jian Xingzhi didn’t react immediately. Qin Wanwan nodded. “Yes, these sword cultivators always like to fight casually and step on people’s heads. Last time I beat that person so badly, but I still feel like it wasn’t enough somehow.”

As Qin Wanwan spoke, her face showed contemplation: “I should teach them a lesson. What do you think would be the best way?”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi tensed up. He felt that the present situation of those who had stepped on Qin Wanwan’s face was his future.

He put down his bowl and quickly tried to persuade her: “Beicheng, actually we sword cultivators are quite pitiful. We’ve been fighting like this since childhood…”

“Oh?”

Qin Wanwan turned to look at Xie Gutang: “Daojun Xie, do you like stepping on faces when you fight?”

Xie Gutang was stunned, then shook his head: “I’ve never particularly noticed.”

“So you see,” Qin Wanwan turned back to look at Jian Xingzhi, “I think this behavior is quite excessive.”

“It is very excessive,” Jian Xingzhi steeled himself, “but they haven’t received proper education. If you teach them well, they’ll know they were wrong. Don’t be too cruel…”

“Oh.” Qin Wanwan nodded. She looked at Jian Xingzhi. “Then Master, what do you think about this matter? Do you think they were wrong?”

“Wrong!” Jian Xingzhi immediately responded. “Terribly wrong! I sincerely apologize on their behalf! You are magnanimous—you must forgive them!”

Qin Wanwan nodded. Looking at Jian Xingzhi’s eyes filled with sincerity mixed with fear, fear mixed with unease, she cleared her throat lightly: “Forget it. Master isn’t that kind of person anyway. Let’s eat.”

Jian Xingzhi was struck silent by these words. He lowered his head to look at his rice bowl, no longer wanting to eat.

After the meal, Qin Wanwan went to practice swordplay again.

Yan Wushuang wouldn’t say anything more. The only remaining breakthrough was Young Master Wuyou. Since her parents had such close contact with Lin Yanzhi back then and even taught him cultivation techniques, they shouldn’t have sat idle when Lin Yanzhi came to Wasteland City before his death.

What exactly had happened back then? Why was the Ning ancestor cursed? What purpose did the formation on Yan Wushuang serve? Why did Lin Yanzhi die? Who exactly was this Young Master Wuyou? All of this…

Perhaps could only be answered when she met Young Master Wuyou.

Qin Wanwan contemplated. Thinking that her parents might have met with trouble here, even her sword wind became sharper.

Jian Xingzhi secretly hid in the shadows observing Qin Wanwan. He wanted to see Qin Wanwan’s true face from different angles.

Usually Qin Wanwan was gluttonous and lazy, but recently she had been very diligent. Today, practicing swordplay behind his back, her entire aura was indeed different!

As she practiced, even her sword carried killing intent.

This made Jian Xingzhi terrified. He observed very seriously. Cuilu passed by from a distance and, seeing Jian Xingzhi crouching in the bushes from afar, called out loudly: “Daojun Jian, what are you doing?”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan’s sword tip thrust directly toward the bushes where Cuilu was looking. The sword wind split open the grass pile. Jian Xingzhi slightly shifted, raised his hand to catch Qin Wanwan’s sword. Qin Wanwan tilted her head to look at him, smiling: “Master, why are you secretly watching me practice swordplay?”

“I…” Jian Xingzhi thought of a reason, “I just wanted to see if you were slacking off.”

“Oh.” Qin Wanwan didn’t expose him either, only asking, “Are you satisfied with what you saw?”

“Not bad,” Jian Xingzhi feigned composure as he stood up. “Great improvement. I think,” Jian Xingzhi said with heartache, “you don’t even seem like my disciple anymore.”

“Then who do I seem like?”

Qin Wanwan asked knowingly. Jian Xingzhi didn’t dare say “an enemy,” and could only respond: “Quite the demeanor of a great cultivator. I think you’re already very successful.”

“Thank you for the praise, Master.”

Qin Wanwan listened to Jian Xingzhi’s nonsense: “Then Master, do you want to practice a bit?”

“Another day.” Jian Xingzhi felt practicing swordplay now was too awkward. He glanced at Qin Wanwan’s chest and remembered: “Oh, I just came to ask—that heart-linking talisman I gave you before, can you return it to me?”

“Why return it to you?”

Qin Wanwan was curious. Jian Xingzhi cleared his throat lightly: “You’re so strong now, you don’t need that talisman to protect you. Return it to me.”

“I won’t.” Qin Wanwan decisively refused. She blinked. “This is the first proper gift Master ever gave me. It has commemorative significance—I must treasure it. Moreover—”

Qin Wanwan drew out her voice: “Master is so formidable. What if someday you’re not good to me? Like hitting me, stepping on my head, harming me? At that time, wouldn’t this talisman come in handy?”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi’s entire body went rigid. Qin Wanwan looked at his nervous appearance, finding it quite amusing. She patted his shoulder: “I’m going to bathe. Master, you should rest too.”

With that, Qin Wanwan left with a smile.

After Qin Wanwan left, Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat panicked: “She won’t return it. What should I do?”

“Figure something out,” 666 drawled. “The first time you gave someone a gift, you gave away your life. You’re really something. If I were her, I’d treasure it too.”

“Why treasure it?” Jian Xingzhi couldn’t understand.

666 reminisced about when boyfriend 38 first gave a gift: “When my partner first gave me a lollipop, I kept it too. Maybe it’s because gifts are given so rarely that they seem precious?”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi had an epiphany.

Qin Wanwan keeping this talisman—thinking negatively, it was to control him. But thinking positively, it was because she valued his gifts too much.

Jian Xingzhi cleared his throat lightly and thought: “Then I’ll give her more things and trade for it.”

Hearing this, 666 was momentarily speechless, watching Jian Xingzhi happily go out shopping, feeling that his master’s already unstable mental state had become even worse after encountering love.

One moment he thought Qin Wanwan was a demoness, the next moment he thought Qin Wanwan was innocent and adorable.

Reason and love pulled at each other, making him confused.

He didn’t have much money, so he ran to the street and bought a huge pile of trinkets—various hairpins, sachets, rouge powder, roasted chestnuts, sweet cakes… Everything he could think of, he bought.

By evening, Qin Wanwan was reading while soaking her feet when she saw Jian Xingzhi jump through the window carrying an enormous bundle: “Beicheng!”

Qin Wanwan was startled, then calmed down: “Master?”

“Beicheng, I bought you gifts.” As Jian Xingzhi spoke, he placed the enormous bundle on the table. Under Qin Wanwan’s shocked gaze, he opened it and began showing her his achievements.

Hairpins and rouge powder that ordinary women loved—he bought them. Candies and pastries—he bought them. He even bought bruise ointment and hemorrhoid cream.

“Beicheng,” Jian Xingzhi looked at her with burning eyes, “Are there many gifts?”

Hearing his question, though Qin Wanwan didn’t understand what he was thinking, she still nodded: “Many. Quite many.”

“So, one gift isn’t precious, right?”

Jian Xingzhi tried to persuade her. Qin Wanwan began to somewhat understand what he wanted to say: “Master, are you… trying to get something back?”

“Just that… that heart-linking talisman.” Jian Xingzhi steeled himself. “Can I trade all these for it? When we return to the Immortal Realm later, I’ll have money and buy you lots more.”

Qin Wanwan understood. She suppressed her laughter and showed sadness: “Master, do you dislike me now?”

“No!”

Jian Xingzhi immediately denied it. Qin Wanwan looked at him, seeming somewhat hurt: “Or you don’t trust me anymore, so you’re not comfortable leaving this talisman paper in my hands, even though you might lose control of your beast nature and hurt me…”

“No, no,” Jian Xingzhi quickly waved his hands, “don’t misunderstand. I do trust you.”

“Then why do you want it back?”

Qin Wanwan raised her eyes to look at him, completely serious: “My life is in your hands. You were comfortable with it before, but not now?”

Jian Xingzhi couldn’t speak. He was quite dejected. After standing in place for a while, he turned to leave: “Forget it. I’m going to sleep.”

“These gifts?”

Qin Wanwan looked at the table. Jian Xingzhi waved his hand: “They’re for you.”

With that, Jian Xingzhi jumped out the window again and returned to his room.

Qin Wanwan thought for a moment, not understanding where Jian Xingzhi’s habit of jumping through windows came from. She took out the dimensional pouch containing the heart-linking talisman, looked at it, and couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

After all this time, she finally had a sense of long-delayed revenge being achieved.

For the next several days, Jian Xingzhi tried various methods to trick her out of the heart-linking talisman.

He came up with a new lie every day.

Today he said the heart-linking talisman was broken and needed repair. Tomorrow he said he’d rewrite a new one for her—the new one would be better.

Qin Wanwan remained unmoved, only smiling as she watched him lie, then lightly saying: “It’s alright, Master. I don’t mind.”

Jian Xingzhi had grievances he couldn’t voice. He could only toss and turn sleeplessly every night.

After thinking for several days, seeing that Qin Wanwan’s semifinals were approaching, Jian Xingzhi finally decided he would forcibly steal it one more time!

Facing the semifinals, Qin Wanwan was unusually solemn. She rested early, planning to sleep well.

To sleep well, she lit sleeping incense for herself. After receiving this information, Jian Xingzhi felt his opportunity had come.

With Jishan Nujun’s spiritual consciousness, using spells to knock her unconscious wasn’t very likely. Using drugs might hurt Qin Wanwan, and besides, bodies forged by Upper Extreme Sect’s core techniques wouldn’t be affected without strong medicine. Now that Qin Wanwan was willing to use incense to help her sleep, that was perfect.

He counted the time until deep night, quietly came to outside Qin Wanwan’s room, listened to the breathing inside, and after confirming Qin Wanwan was asleep, tiptoed into the room.

Qin Wanwan was sleeping soundly. He came to the bedside and swept with his spiritual consciousness—he actually couldn’t sense the heart-linking talisman’s specific location!

Jian Xingzhi immediately realized this was an obstacle Qin Wanwan had deliberately set for him, preventing him from finding the heart-linking talisman so easily. He closed his eyes, bit his finger, and dripped a drop of blood on Qin Wanwan’s wrist.

Light glowed around Qin Wanwan’s body. Jian Xingzhi understood that the heart-linking talisman was still on her, just hidden by her using special means.

After all, the heart-linking talisman was made from his heart’s essence blood, so its response to him was much stronger than ordinary objects. He dripped several more drops of blood on Qin Wanwan’s forehead and limbs. The different brightness levels indicated different distances from the heart-linking talisman’s specific location.

The brightest spot was the drop of blood on her forehead, indicating this thing was on her head.

Realizing it was on her head, Jian Xingzhi first condensed light on his fingertip and used the light to examine her ear holes and nostrils. He found nothing.

Jian Xingzhi thought about it. Qin Wanwan’s dimensional pouch belonged to Qin Wan—it could transform into anything according to will. Qin Wanwan was in deep sleep. Besides hair, there was nothing else on her head. Could the dimensional pouch have transformed into hair?

Jian Xingzhi touched Qin Wanwan’s hair with doubt, but couldn’t feel the heart-linking talisman’s presence. He touched Qin Wanwan’s scalp inch by inch to see if it might be hidden in her hair.

As he did these things, Qin Wanwan drowsily woke up.

She first felt someone touching her scalp. Her heart jumped in alarm, but soon the person’s familiar scent made her realize who it was. She slowly relaxed, wanting to see what Jian Xingzhi planned to do.

Jian Xingzhi’s movements touching her scalp were very gentle. Qin Wanwan drowsily was about to fall asleep again when she vaguely saw Jian Xingzhi sitting by the bed and sighing, seeming completely unable to figure out where she had hidden the dimensional pouch.

Without thinking, Qin Wanwan knew that with Jian Xingzhi’s intelligence, he simply couldn’t think of it, so she didn’t care.

Jian Xingzhi pondered by the bed for a while. On the head, it wasn’t the hair, it wasn’t hidden in the hair, he’d checked the ear holes—where else could things be hidden?

After thinking left and right, Jian Xingzhi had a flash of inspiration. Got it!

666 had a bad feeling: “Master, what did you think of?”

“In her mouth!”

Jian Xingzhi had an epiphany: “She can hide it in her gums, under her tongue—there are many places!”

666: “…”

Actually not unreasonable.

But how to check inside her mouth?

Jian Xingzhi pondered for a while. He still decided to muster his courage. At worst, if Qin Wanwan woke up and killed him, he was going to die anyway. He absolutely had to get the heart-linking talisman back!

After making this decision, Jian Xingzhi turned around again and stared at Qin Wanwan. Qin Wanwan was drowsy and too lazy to bother with Jian Xingzhi. She turned over, facing away from him.

Jian Xingzhi thought for a moment, took off his shoes, tiptoed, and climbed onto the bed. He lay on his side next to Qin Wanwan and gently pinched her chin.

What did he want to do?

Qin Wanwan instantly became alert. Before she could figure it out, she felt Jian Xingzhi gently pull her chin open, condense light on his fingertip, and shine it inside.

Qin Wanwan’s heart was filled with startled uncertainty when she heard Jian Xingzhi murmur: “Can’t see clearly…”

Of course you can’t see clearly. It would be strange if you could.

“He…”

Qin Wanwan swallowed and, somewhat confused, asked the 38 in her mind: “What exactly is he doing?”

“Obviously,” 38 sighed, with a trace of regret in his tone, “he’s looking for the heart-linking talisman. He thinks the heart-linking talisman is in your mouth.”

Qin Wanwan: “…”

Jian Xingzhi searched for a while without seeing anything. He released Qin Wanwan’s chin, thought for a moment, and got off the bed again.

Qin Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had given up and was leaving. But she didn’t hear him walking away—instead, she heard rustling sounds of water.

Qin Wanwan became alert again. Jian Xingzhi actually hadn’t left?

That’s right—not only had he not left, he came back!

He lay down beside Qin Wanwan, very close to her. Qin Wanwan’s heartbeat involuntarily quickened as she began to speculate.

What did he want to do?

He thought the heart-linking talisman was in her mouth and had already looked. Could he want to go into her mouth to search?

But how would he get in?

In an instant, countless “trip and kiss” and “turn-around kiss” scenarios from romance novels flashed through Qin Wanwan’s mind…

She became somewhat flustered, couldn’t help but speculate—actually, compared to fingers, something like a tongue with positional awareness would be easier for sensing the heart-linking talisman’s presence. With Jian Xingzhi’s brain, maybe he… he might use his tongue to search inside?

Thinking of this possibility, Qin Wanwan’s body went rigid. She didn’t know whether to open her eyes or not. What if she opened them just as they kissed—wouldn’t that be very awkward?

Her mind was full of wild thoughts when she felt Jian Xingzhi lean closer.

His warmth drew nearer and nearer. Qin Wanwan grew more and more nervous. Just as she thought he would kiss her!

Jian Xingzhi gently opened her lips, pulled down her chin, used a small hook to catch on her teeth, trying to pry open her mouth.

The cold sensation of the small hook made Qin Wanwan’s eyes snap open instantly!

The two lay in bed, face to face, eyes wide open staring at each other.

The hook was still hanging on Qin Wanwan’s teeth. Jian Xingzhi looked at Qin Wanwan in shock. Qin Wanwan looked at Jian Xingzhi in fury.

After a moment, Jian Xingzhi swallowed: “Let me explain…”