After one drop of Qin Wanwan’s blood, the parasitic insect indeed quieted down. However, for some reason, Jian Xingzhi felt another kind of panic lingering in his heart.

The soft sensation of touching her tongue made his heart race. Fortunately, this wasn’t like the parasitic insect deliberately troubling him. After several recitations of the Pure Heart Mantra, his heart settled. He didn’t think about anything else, only mobilizing his spiritual energy to gather, attempting again and again to break through Cuilu’s restriction.

He busied himself with recovering his spiritual power. Qin Wanwan was also inexplicably somewhat flustered.

She’d said she wanted revenge on him. But taking revenge and taking revenge, why was this revenge heading in an increasingly wrong direction?

She hadn’t even dated anyone yet—how had she already started making out with this scoundrel?

Thinking about it, Qin Wanwan immediately felt dejected. She quickly found something to occupy herself, beginning to contact Nanfeng and confirming their location with him.

By the time Jian Xingzhi broke through the restriction, Qin Wanwan was already prepared. She turned to discuss with Jian Xingzhi, “I’ve already figured out where they are. How do we get out now?”

“Fight our way out directly…” After recovering his spiritual power, Jian Xingzhi raised his hand to condense sword energy and directly sliced through the iron chains binding him. As he spoke, he frowned, thinking. “I can’t win. Right now my divine sense is damaged.” Jian Xingzhi was rarely serious. “I can’t keep consuming it like this.”

“I know.”

Qin Wanwan nodded. After thinking for a moment, she comforted Jian Xingzhi. “Being able to come here is destiny. Perhaps cultivating here right now, in our current status, is actually good for both of us. Just now I investigated—barriers have been set up outside. Any spiritual energy fluctuation will be detected.”

“Then there’s only one old method left.”

Jian Xingzhi looked seriously at Qin Wanwan. Qin Wanwan immediately realized what he was planning and raised her hand to stop him. “Master, no need to dig. We can just use Thousand Faces to change our appearance.”

“You’re really clever,” Jian Xingzhi coughed lightly. “Your master had exactly this intention.”

Qin Wanwan didn’t expose him. The two crept to the window together, glanced at the patrolling guards outside, then discovered a problem…

Ghost City’s guards all wore masks.

“Do we still need to transform?” Jian Xingzhi couldn’t understand.

Qin Wanwan hesitated. “We… probably don’t need to anymore.”

No need. The two crouched by the window. When guards patrolled to their window, Jian Xingzhi grabbed them and pulled them inside. Qin Wanwan struck down with an elbow, knocking them out. After stripping off their clothes and putting them on, they pulled the two guards to the wall, shackled them with iron chains, then climbed over the wall and ran out together.

Just after running out of the courtyard, the two saw two larger black-robed guards wearing masks painted with fierce expressions standing at the gate. They were about to move forward when they saw two other guards walk up, also apparently planning to go out.

Those two handed over tokens to the gate guards. One gate guard asked one of them, “The Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger.”

The other quickly answered, “I am a great fool.”

The gate guard nodded and let that person pass. He looked at the next person’s token and turned to ask, “Two orioles sing in the green willows.”

The next person quickly answered, “My father is waiting for me to drink.”

The gate guard returned the token to that person and looked up at Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan. “Going out?”

Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan shook their heads together, stiffly turned around as if they’d just patrolled to this spot, and walked back.

Walking to a place with no one around, Jian Xingzhi frowned, quite displeased. “They actually use passwords! How do we get out?”

Qin Wanwan didn’t speak. She took out the token she’d snatched from her body and saw written on it “Dying of illness, sitting up in shock.” After thinking, she understood—Ghost City residents all wore masks, so to prevent people like them from infiltrating the City Lord’s Manor, they’d implemented this password system.

The gate guards had really good memories.

Qin Wanwan had to sigh. She turned to look at Jian Xingzhi. “Master, you were right.”

Jian Xingzhi looked confused. Qin Wanwan pulled out the hoe he’d used before from her cosmos pouch. “Dig.”

Jian Xingzhi nodded. This seemed to be their only way out currently.

Once familiar, twice skilled—Jian Xingzhi dug very proficiently. This time Qin Wanwan joined in too, adding wings to a tiger, digging extremely fast.

Qin Wanwan had roughly figured out Xie Gutang’s direction, but she was habitually cautious. As she dug, she reminded Jian Xingzhi, “Don’t just focus on digging earth. Pay attention to what you dig into.”

“Don’t worry,” Jian Xingzhi reassured her. “I have experience. Didn’t I collapse Wenxin Sect last time?”

“We can’t collapse it this time!” Qin Wanwan feared exactly this kind of thing happening. “We just need to sneak over quietly.”

“Stop nagging,” Jian Xingzhi felt she talked too much. With one hoe strike, he hit a hard stone. “I have a sense of proportion.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the two felt warmth beneath their feet. Qin Wanwan looked down at the water suddenly gushing from the ground and froze. “What’s this?”

Jian Xingzhi was also somewhat dazed. He raised his hand to touch what he’d just dug into. “Seems like… a brick?”

As he spoke, they heard a “boom” in front of them. The two instinctively jumped back, only to discover a hole had been washed open before them by the water flow.

Warm water continuously poured down. Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi looked at each other. Qin Wanwan said hesitantly, “This is a hot spring?”

“I’ll go check.”

Jian Xingzhi frowned tightly. Now they couldn’t retreat anyway, so Qin Wanwan could only nod.

The two squeezed through the opening one after another and swam up together.

The water was warm, making one very comfortable. Qin Wanwan was pondering what place this was when Jian Xingzhi had already surfaced first. He raised his hand to wipe his face, opened his eyes, then froze.

A crowd of young women wrapped in bath towels stared at him dumbfounded. Jian Xingzhi quickly closed his eyes, stammering an explanation. “S-sorry…”

At this moment, Qin Wanwan also swam up. As soon as she surfaced, the other women all looked at her. Qin Wanwan was also stunned, but her reaction was much faster than Jian Xingzhi’s. She raised her hand underwater and ripped off her outer robe. After screaming, she covered her chest and began slapping the water surface, creating huge splashes, shouting loudly at Jian Xingzhi, “Pervert!! Catch the pervert!”

With her shout, everyone instantly reacted. Water ladles and various items were thrown at Jian Xingzhi. One group of young women screamed and ran out of the bath, while another group who had dressed rushed inside.

Qin Wanwan watched Jian Xingzhi being pursued and blocked from all sides. Secretly taking advantage of the chaos, she transmitted her voice. “Master, I’m leaving first. Meet at Daojun Xie’s room.”

Hearing Qin Wanwan sell him out again, Jian Xingzhi couldn’t help angrily shouting, “Traitorous disciple!”

Qin Wanwan didn’t care about his “traitorous disciple” or whatever. Jian Xingzhi had Thousand Faces. As long as he mixed into the crowd before Cuilu arrived, he’d be fine.

Being able to trick Jian Xingzhi just a little like this was also a kind of consolation for her.

She scrambled out of the bath using all her limbs, grabbed a bath towel from the side to wrap around herself, and screamed together with the other girls while rushing out. “Help! There’s a lecher in the women’s bath!”

With her shouting like this outside, all the nearby guards rushed toward the bath. Qin Wanwan followed the crowd into the courtyard, then rushed toward the back courtyard.

Xie Gutang was arranged in the back courtyard. That area seemed to be where Hua Rong’s male favorites were placed. Some young women were maids in the back courtyard. Qin Wanwan rushed in following those young women. Guards wanted to stop them, but seeing the girls only wrapped in bath towels, they were frightened and didn’t dare open their eyes.

After Qin Wanwan followed people and successfully entered the back courtyard, everyone went to find their respective masters. Qin Wanwan quickly entered Xie Gutang’s small courtyard and began contacting Nanfeng. “Nanfeng, which room are you in?”

“That one on the east side.”

East?

Qin Wanwan was somewhat confused. She couldn’t distinguish north from south, only up, down, left, and right.

She quickly recovered. “Which one—up, down, left, or right?”

“Left… I think?”

Nanfeng was somewhat uncertain. Qin Wanwan quickly rushed to the left corridor. Afraid of making a mistake, she didn’t dare enter directly. Instead, she circled to the back window, opened the small window wanting to climb inside.

But as soon as she opened the window, she froze. She saw a white-robed man sitting inside. He sat at the table, holding a scroll in his hand, quietly looking at her.

He was extremely beautiful. His eyes were like an ocean. What shocked her even more was that his appearance actually resembled the Upper Realm Jian Xingzhi somewhat.

But he was born much more gentle and delicate than Jian Xingzhi, his temperament also more mild. Such an appearance would be shocking even in the Upper Realm—how much more so in this small world?

Qin Wanwan was stunned for a moment by this beauty, not at all realizing that she was wrapped in a bath towel, holding a water ladle, unsuitable for meeting people.

The other party seemed to pay no attention to her appearance at all. Instead, he smiled gently. “Miss, would you like some tea?”

Qin Wanwan immediately reacted, blushing and stammering, “S-sorry.”

After speaking, she closed the window and ran toward the opposite side.

This room wasn’t it. Nanfeng must have gotten his reference coordinates reversed when reporting the location. Qin Wanwan rushed to the opposite room. This time she wasn’t rash. She poked a hole in the window with her finger. After seeing Xie Gutang sitting by the table frowning with lowered head, she decisively opened the window and entered, calling out in a low voice, “Daojun Xie!”

Xie Gutang turned back in surprise. As soon as he saw Qin Wanwan, his face instantly showed a kind of phantom pain. He quickly closed his eyes and turned his head. “Miss Qin.”

“Master!” Nanfeng ran out from the inner room. Looking at Qin Wanwan, somewhat excited. “Master, you’re here? Why are you dressed like this?”

Reminded by Nanfeng, Qin Wanwan also realized her current outfit wasn’t quite decent. She quickly took clothes from her cosmos pouch and went behind the screen to change. Only then did she come around from behind the screen and turn to discuss with Xie Gutang. “Daojun Xie, how are you now? I’ll escort you out of the City Lord’s Manor.”

“This… how do we get out?”

Xie Gutang frowned. “Hua Rong’s strength is formidable. We can’t force our way. Why don’t you leave first, go to Tianjian Sect for reinforcements, wait for my sect…”

“Dig our way out.”

Qin Wanwan spoke decisively. “There are no barriers below. My master and I are very fast at digging tunnels.”

Xie Gutang was stunned. At that instant, he suddenly remembered the rumor from two months ago about Wenxin Sect being collapsed and blown up by someone digging.

He didn’t dare ask more, only discussed with Qin Wanwan. “Miss Qin came to Ghost City for the Exquisite Jade, right? If we leave the city together now, how will you return?”

This question stumped Qin Wanwan. She frowned. “We’ll take it step by step. This matter has nothing to do with Daojun Xie. My master and I cannot implicate you.”

Hearing this, Xie Gutang shook his head. “Miss is being too formal. The matter of Dengxian Gate concerns all of the immortal path—Tianjian Sect cannot shirk its duty. Moreover, I promised Senior that I would protect Miss well. Last time I already failed in my word. How can I now let Miss give up her already-prepared plan for my sake? Just now I already inquired—Hua Rong just keeps a bunch of good-looking men here but never enters the back courtyard. To gain her favor, we still need to think of another way. For now, I’m safe. Miss should do what you need to do, no need to worry about me.”

This speech stunned Qin Wanwan. Looking at Xie Gutang’s sincere appearance, she was somewhat moved for a moment. She suddenly remembered from the novels she’d read in her youth those chivalrous warriors who spent their entire lives for a promise. She gazed at Xie Gutang, her tone softening considerably.

“Daojun Xie, I appreciate your sentiment, but this is ultimately my master’s and my matter. My master is very strong. He likes to fight alone and doesn’t want others’ help.”

“Nonsense!”

Jian Xingzhi kicked open the window and flipped inside from outside.

He wore women’s clothing, his face also that of a woman. However, compared to women, his build was somewhat too robust, making him look particularly strange.

Xie Gutang and Qin Wanwan turned back in surprise together. They saw Jian Xingzhi wipe his face, immediately returning to his usual appearance. He rushed behind the screen to quickly change clothes, changing while scolding. “Who told you I don’t need help? Your master is only at Golden Core now. I’m very weak! I really need help, really need protection! Gu Beicheng, I’m telling you,” Jian Xingzhi pulled on his clothes and rushed out from behind the screen, “next time you sell me out like this, I’ll expel you from my tutelage!”

Oh, that would be wonderful.

Qin Wanwan’s face was expressionless. Nanfeng stood on the table waving. “Um… everyone stop arguing. Are we leaving or not?”

“Of course we’re leaving.”

Jian Xingzhi immediately spoke. “We came all this way and won’t leave?”

As soon as the words fell, commotion came from outside. Cuilu’s voice was particularly prominent outside. “Search! Search everywhere for me!”

Hearing this, several people in the room immediately reacted. Xie Gutang said, “You two quickly hide.”

Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan immediately ran to the inner room. One crawled under the bed while the other opened the wardrobe. They quickly discovered the wardrobe was too small and under the bed too low—they couldn’t fit at all.

The two then tried to squeeze under the table, but when both tried to enter at once, they found the table bottom couldn’t accommodate two people at all—half their bodies were exposed outside the tablecloth. Qin Wanwan gritted her teeth. “You go!”

Jian Xingzhi was anxious. “With my big build, where can I hide?!”

As they spoke, knocking came from outside the door. The two looked at each other and, with perfect coordination, rushed to the bed together. Jian Xingzhi pulled down the bed curtain. The two squeezed into the corner under the covers together.

The two concealed their spiritual power, using divine sense to envelope themselves to prevent others from spying with divine sense. Then they stared at each other wide-eyed under the blanket.

Cuilu knocked open the door and spoke with Xie Gutang.

She spoke respectfully and deferentially, seeming to value Xie Gutang highly. “Young Master Xie, just now thieves collapsed the women’s bath. Cuilu is ordered to capture them. I hope Young Master Xie will provide convenience.”

“I haven’t seen any thieves.”

Xie Gutang’s voice was calm. He stood blocking the doorway. Cuilu smiled. “Young Master Xie, these two thieves seem to be your friends. They escaped from prison and fled to the bathhouse.”

“My friends wouldn’t dig up a women’s bath.”

Qin Wanwan: “…”

Jian Xingzhi: “…”

Suddenly felt a bit guilty.

“Young Master Xie, if you won’t step aside, then I cannot be polite.”

Cuilu spoke coldly. Xie Gutang still didn’t yield.

Cuilu struck without hesitation. Xie Gutang raised his hand to block Cuilu.

Xie Gutang’s spiritual power was sealed, but Cuilu didn’t dare injure him too severely. The two exchanged several rounds right at the doorway.

Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi listened to the commotion under the covers, raising their eyes to look at each other. Jian Xingzhi signaled with his eyes, “Fight or not?”

Qin Wanwan hesitated for a moment, then grabbed Jian Xingzhi’s hand and quickly wrote four characters in his palm: “task”

Her finger tracing on his palm felt tingly. The two were wrapped in covers, very close together with extremely high temperature, plus this faint physical contact—Jian Xingzhi felt the parasitic insect seemed to be acting up again.

He instinctively retreated a bit, pulling distance, grabbing Qin Wanwan’s hand to write: “Fengya Pavilion, courtesan champion, enter manor, most beloved man”

Qin Wanwan continued writing: progress

Jian Xingzhi felt his breathing becoming somewhat labored. He pretended to be calm: eighty.

Qin Wanwan’s movements paused.

Jian Xingzhi hadn’t become the courtesan champion and entered the manor as required, but he’d still obtained eighty percent progress. This showed the core of this task was the matter of entering the manor.

Now the final twenty percent required him to become Hua Rong’s most beloved man.

Based on the last Sword Tomb sword selection task, Jian Xingzhi’s tasks were the operational steps for her tasks. So Jian Xingzhi entering the manor and becoming Hua Rong’s most beloved man should be related to her second task, “Ghost City Past Events, Obtain the Exquisite Jade.”

So as long as the task still guaranteed her a chance to obtain the Exquisite Jade, Jian Xingzhi’s task points could be earned.

Qin Wanwan checked her own panel and found her task progress had also reached thirty percent. She was fairly certain of this idea. Listening to the sounds of fighting outside, she thought about the man she’d just seen and Xie Gutang’s style. Looking at Jian Xingzhi who was blushing and sweating for some unknown reason before her, a bold idea emerged.

“Change back to your Immortal Realm face.”

Qin Wanwan wrote in his palm. Jian Xingzhi was stunned, then felt Qin Wanwan begin pulling at his clothes.

Jian Xingzhi grabbed his waistband with one hand, speaking in shock, “What are you doing?!”

Outside, Cuilu heard the sound and looked coldly at Xie Gutang. “There really is someone!”

With that, she no longer held back. Spiritual power from her hand struck Xie Gutang. Xie Gutang was instantly sent flying. Guards beside him rushed up and placed blades at Xie Gutang’s neck.

Cuilu walked aggressively toward the inner room. Qin Wanwan pressed down on Jian Xingzhi, domineeringly and coldly stripping open his clothes to expose his snow-white chest, kicking him out of the covers with one foot while ordering him, “Use the momentum from when you fight—offer yourself!”

As soon as the words fell, Cuilu violently pulled open the curtain.

Qin Wanwan curled up in the covers and formed a seal, nervously listening to the movement outside, thinking that if they still needed to fight in a moment, at least she should strike first.

However, after waiting a long time, there was no movement outside.

Cuilu held the curtain, staring blankly at the person on the bed.

Jian Xingzhi propped his head up with one hand, his clothes open, his face showing the flush from being stuffed under the covers just now. His appearance was transcendently otherworldly, his expression cold and aloof.

This scene mixing celestial immortal with desire was more stimulating than the albums Cuilu had seen at Fengya Pavilion.

Cuilu stared dumbly at Jian Xingzhi, unable to speak. Jian Xingzhi raised his eyes to look at Cuilu and spoke coolly, “I wish to offer myself. May I?”

—

**Author’s Note:**

Not every tunnel-digging succeeds—you never know what treasure you’ll unearth.