Jian Xingzhi jumped out the window and, with the preparation of facing the most arduous battle of his life, laid down layer upon layer of barriers, concealed his aura, quietly pushed open Qin Wanwan’s window, and tiptoed inside.

Qin Wanwan was sleeping sweetly in her bed. Jian Xingzhi crept to her side and began sensing where the heart-linking talisman was on her body.

Back then, he had been afraid that after Qin Wanwan became the master of his Charm Bone Insect, if he lost control under the insect’s compulsion, he might hurt her. So he had given her this heart-linking talisman—as long as she activated the talisman, she could immediately kill him.

But now, if Qin Wanwan was Jishan Nujun, there was absolutely no need for such concerns.

Because if she was Jishan Nujun and had learned his cultivation techniques, she wouldn’t need the heart-linking talisman at all—she could protect herself just fine.

The heart-linking talisman contained his essence blood, so finding it wasn’t particularly difficult. He crouched by the window and used his spiritual consciousness to search around Qin Wanwan’s body. Before he could locate the heart-linking talisman, Qin Wanwan turned over, facing him.

Jian Xingzhi instantly held his breath, watching as Qin Wanwan’s face appeared right before him, so close at hand.

Previously, not realizing this was Qin Wanwan’s true appearance, he had always wondered what Qin Wanwan looked like in the Immortal Realm. Now, suddenly discovering that this face was her face, having it thrust before him so unexpectedly, he couldn’t help but freeze in place.

He found himself involuntarily scrutinizing her features—eyebrows that looked painted on, such long lashes, delicate skin, a high nose bridge, and lips that though somewhat thin, were exactly the right color, like cherry blossoms with an added sense of moisture.

He stared blankly. Previously, he had always felt that Jishan Nujun’s face, while admittedly beautiful, was just another beauty’s face.

But today, somehow, he suddenly felt—this wasn’t just beauty, there was no one more beautiful in the entire world!

Even if there were, their temperament absolutely couldn’t compare!

Their breaths intertwined. Qin Wanwan murmured in her sleep: “Father… Mother…”

Jian Xingzhi snapped back to attention, remembering what he had actually come here to do. He quickly resumed searching for the heart-linking talisman’s location, sweeping from her feet upward, finally detecting the heart-linking talisman’s presence at her chest.

He hadn’t expected Qin Wanwan to actually keep the heart-linking talisman at her chest. Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat awkward.

Using his hand to retrieve it would be somewhat… somewhat improper.

But besides using his hand, what else could he do?

Jian Xingzhi pondered left and right, looked around his surroundings, and discovered a back scratcher. He shuffled over to the table while crouching, retrieved the back scratcher, and gently used it to lift open her clothing, revealing a gap. He could see Qin Wanwan’s dimensional pouch placed inside.

Jian Xingzhi deliberately ignored the jade-white color partially concealed by the dimensional pouch. After confirming the pouch’s location with a single glance, he quickly used the back scratcher to press down the collar. He turned his head away, swallowed hard, and after calming his overly rapid heartbeat for a moment, turned back to look at Qin Wanwan’s chest. Recalling the position of the dimensional pouch’s string from earlier, restraining his trembling hand, he inserted the back scratcher into Qin Wanwan’s collar.

The back scratcher had a curve to it. He tried to use this curve to hook the dimensional pouch’s string and drag the pouch out, but unable to see inside, using the back scratcher to hook the dimensional pouch proved quite difficult.

The back scratcher hooked around inside Qin Wanwan’s collar repeatedly but couldn’t catch anything. Jian Xingzhi frowned and began seriously dealing with that dimensional pouch.

Such commotion inevitably woke Qin Wanwan. She slowly opened her eyes to see Jian Xingzhi crouching by the window, using a back scratcher to rummage around her chest. Qin Wanwan watched him in confusion for a moment before slowly speaking: “Master?”

Qin Wanwan’s voice startled Jian Xingzhi. He looked up in panic, and after meeting Qin Wanwan’s questioning gaze, his movements froze.

What should he say?

There was nothing good to say.

Jian Xingzhi feigned composure as he withdrew the back scratcher and placed it beside the bed. Then he stood up and pulled the blanket over Qin Wanwan: “It’s cold at night. Cover yourself with more blankets. Your master is leaving now.”

With that, he ran toward the window in a fluster. Just before jumping out, he suddenly realized something was wrong, turned around and ran toward the door instead, opening and closing it in one fluid motion.

Qin Wanwan watched Jian Xingzhi’s series of actions with suspicion. After he ran out, Qin Wanwan pulled out her dimensional pouch from inside her clothing and thought for a moment: “He wanted to steal my dimensional pouch?”

Why? What was in the dimensional pouch worth stealing?

Qin Wanwan was utterly bewildered.

Jian Xingzhi fled to his room in panic and drank several mouthfuls of water before calming down.

Watching his state, 666 felt rather pitiful for him and couldn’t help but console: “Master, you don’t need to be so afraid. Think about your old self, bring out your former spirit—won’t that solve everything?!”

“Is now the same as before?!” Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi felt 666 didn’t understand the situation.

“Before, I could kill people. Now, can I kill Wanwan?”

“Why can’t you?” 666 asked knowingly.

Jian Xingzhi fell silent. He didn’t want to talk to 666 anymore. He drank a few more mouthfuls of water, pretending to be busy.

666 saw through his awkwardness and only asked: “Since you didn’t steal the heart-linking talisman, what now?”

“Keep stealing.”

Jian Xingzhi contemplated: “Now we’ll proceed on three fronts. The best strategy is that I can move her and reconcile our past grievances.”

“The middle strategy?”

“The middle strategy is maintaining our current state, stealing the heart-linking talisman before ascending, then going our separate ways.”

“The worst strategy?”

666 hadn’t expected Jian Xingzhi to think so much through. It was almost impressive.

Jian Xingzhi lowered his head without speaking. He cast his eyes downward, looking at his reflection in the teacup. After a long while, he spoke quietly: “Then I’ll die by her hand.”

666: “…”

You really can think.

But no one wanted to die. For the sake of survival, Jian Xingzhi decided to make every effort!

He took a deep breath and turned to ask 666: “Are there any books specifically teaching people how to please others?”

“There are! There’s material pleasing, psychological pleasing, behavioral pleasing—which kind do you want?”

“All of them!”

“5 points.”

A mere 5 points—that was just the cost of Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang meeting behind his back once!

Jian Xingzhi forcibly suppressed his heartache, consoled himself, and spoke magnanimously: “Bring them!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a pile of books clattered down from the air. Jian Xingzhi randomly grabbed one and saw written on it: “Palace Survival Rules—How to Make All the Imperial Consorts Like You”

This title really attracted him. He decided to start studying from this book tonight.

Jian Xingzhi studied hard all night, memorizing all the guidance in the book. The next day, when Qin Wanwan just woke up, she saw Jian Xingzhi standing beside her bed, standing perfectly upright. Qin Wanwan was somewhat bewildered: “Master?”

“You’re awake?” Jian Xingzhi smiled gently. He kept reciting what he had learned last night, but actually putting it into practice still made him somewhat nervous.

Qin Wanwan suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, observed Jian Xingzhi, and nodded.

She watched as Jian Xingzhi brought tea and handed it to her, instructing: “Have some tea. I just brewed it and used spiritual power to cool it to the right temperature. Drinking it now would be most suitable.”

Qin Wanwan found this even stranger. Previously, Jian Xingzhi would pinch her chin and directly pour water down to earn points. She couldn’t help but ask suspiciously: “You’re not force-feeding me water anymore?”

“I was immature before.” Jian Xingzhi shook his head gently. “I won’t do that anymore.”

This version of Jian Xingzhi terrified Qin Wanwan, but the more afraid she was, the more she needed to stay calm. She didn’t ask further questions, took the cup and drank the water. As soon as she finished, Jian Xingzhi immediately offered her a handkerchief with both hands thoughtfully.

Previously, Jian Xingzhi would directly wipe her face. Today he was so proper, so considerate—such abnormal behavior must have demonic intentions.

She remained silent, took the handkerchief, and after gently pressing it to the corners of her mouth, Jian Xingzhi quickly offered a second warm handkerchief for washing her face.

She calmly accepted it. After wiping her face, Jian Xingzhi nimbly took it away and set it aside. With sharp eyes, seeing that Qin Wanwan was about to get up, Jian Xingzhi extended his hand before her in one step, so understanding that it alarmed Qin Wanwan.

Qin Wanwan raised her hand and placed it on Jian Xingzhi’s arm, using his strength to rise. She made no sound, letting Jian Xingzhi attend to her before and after as she finished washing up. She quietly watched him perform, observing what grand drama his dog brain was staging this time.

After grooming, Jian Xingzhi held Qin Wanwan’s sword and carried her bag: “Wan… Beicheng,” he almost called the wrong name but corrected himself in time. He maintained his smile. “Do you want to practice swordplay today, or go shopping?”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan was incredulous.

Jian Xingzhi was actually offering to let her go shopping?!

She looked at Jian Xingzhi in shock, but then after thinking, she understood—probably he wanted to go shopping.

After shopping for the first time last night, he’d gotten addicted.

But with the finals imminent, she couldn’t slack off. After thinking, she placated Jian Xingzhi: “Master, after the finals are over, I’ll take you out to play.”

“Shopping a bit is fine.” Jian Xingzhi knew Qin Wanwan had a lazy nature and thought to please her. After all, for Jishan Nujun, practicing swordplay or not didn’t matter, so he continued giving Qin Wanwan an out: “When we come back, I’ll accompany you in practice.”

“Master,” Qin Wanwan said helplessly, “don’t keep thinking about playing.”

Jian Xingzhi: “…”

“Excellent!”

Hearing Qin Wanwan’s words, 38 became excited: “Worthy of being my great heroine!”

At the same time, 666 was also very pleased: “Master, you finally matched your character setting for once!”

Jian Xingzhi had grievances he couldn’t voice. Qin Wanwan took the sword from his hands and walked outside.

Jian Xingzhi followed behind Qin Wanwan. He really wanted to speak up and tell Qin Wanwan that he knew everything—she didn’t need to pretend anymore.

Even if Jishan Nujun had her cultivation locked and came to this small world to participate in a competition below Sword Intent Spirit Transformation, what difficulty would that pose?

For the sake of creating a trap for him, she had suffered grievances.

But he temporarily didn’t know what exactly Qin Wanwan was thinking and didn’t dare rashly speak up, afraid that Qin Wanwan would become agitated and silence him permanently.

He followed Qin Wanwan outside. Qin Wanwan glanced at him, thought for a moment, and still told him the important matter: “Last night I captured Yan Wushuang for interrogation and confirmed something.”

“Mm?”

“Spring Life is the cultivation technique Lin Yanzhi learned back then. Lin Yanzhi had an older sister back then—the woman we encountered in the Twelve Gates of Life and Death. There should be hidden circumstances surrounding Lin Yanzhi’s death. Most importantly,” Qin Wanwan stopped walking and turned to look at him, “Master, I think Lin Yanzhi might be your past life.”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi’s expression remained calm: “Oh.”

“You’re not surprised?”

Qin Wanwan was astonished. Jian Xingzhi shook his head: “It’s not important.”

It was all past lives anyway.

“Haven’t you wondered why you came here?” Qin Wanwan continued questioning. Jian Xingzhi froze.

He suddenly realized that if Lin Yanzhi was his past life and he had come here due to his own karma, that also meant Qin Wanwan might have been innocently implicated—she wasn’t a bad person.

His mind raced. Qin Wanwan pressed: “Master?”

“Oh,” Jian Xingzhi came back to his senses. “It’s not important. If there’s a reason, the reason will naturally appear. We’ll deal with it then.”

Qin Wanwan was shocked by Jian Xingzhi’s open-mindedness, and for a moment felt a sense of admiration that he was indeed a Sword Immortal.

She couldn’t help but become curious: “Then Master, what is important to you?”

This question stumped Jian Xingzhi. Facing the faint admiration in Qin Wanwan’s eyes, he instinctively straightened his spine, but then immediately wondered if Qin Wanwan was asking this question to probe for something.

After thinking left and right, he decided to turn defense into offense: “Then… then what’s important to you?”

“Quite a lot,” Qin Wanwan thought for a moment. “My family, my life, and also dignity, reputation, status—even whether I can freely eat. I think all of these are quite important.”

Jian Xingzhi understood. According to what Qin Wanwan said, he had basically destroyed all of these things.

He had caused her to come here, unable to reunite with her parents, living miserably, and he had even stepped on her face…

Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat nervous. He hesitated, probing: “Then… then if there was a person who destroyed all these things for you, how… how would you treat him?”

“Naturally, he’d be an enemy.”

Qin Wanwan answered without hesitation, displaying the spirit she’d learned from Jian Xingzhi: “He must be killed!”

“What if…” Jian Xingzhi swallowed. “What if you couldn’t kill this person?”

“If force can’t achieve victory, naturally I’d rely on my brain.” Qin Wanwan followed Jian Xingzhi’s line of thought: “If I can kill, then kill. If I can’t kill, then whatever he cares about, I’ll attack from there.”

“For example?” Jian Xingzhi was curious.

Qin Wanwan gave examples: “Those who covet wealth—scheme for their money. Those who crave fame—ruin their reputation. Those without heart—capture their true heart then cruelly abandon them. If he dares clip my wings, I will destroy his entire heaven!”

Jian Xingzhi was stunned.

He stared blankly at Qin Wanwan. Only then did Qin Wanwan react, quite curious: “Master, why are you asking this?”

“It’s nothing.”

Jian Xingzhi quickly shook his head, then urged her: “Aren’t you going to practice swordplay? You go ahead first. I’m going to get something to eat.”

Take it slow.

With that, Jian Xingzhi controlled his emotions, making himself leave as calmly as possible.

After he left, Qin Wanwan thought for a moment, pulled out her dimensional pouch from inside her clothing, and stared at it for a long while.

Inside the dimensional pouch was a heart-linking talisman.

Jian Xingzhi…

Qin Wanwan thought about it. Thinking of how Jian Xingzhi had tried to steal things in such a roundabout way, then came to ask her questions, and considering that possibility, she couldn’t help but feel both angry and amused.

She raised her eyes to look in the direction Jian Xingzhi had fled.

She put away the dimensional pouch.

Let’s see if she can’t scare him to death.

—

**Author’s Note:**

**[Mini Theater 1]**

Normal novels: The dimensional pouch is at the female lead’s chest. The male lead reaches out to grab it. The female lead wakes up startled. Their eyes meet…

This novel: The dimensional pouch is at the female lead’s chest. The male lead finds a back scratcher and uses it to fish around. The female lead wakes up startled. Greatly shocked!

Qin Wanwan: I can understand you reaching into my chest, but I cannot understand you using a back scratcher in my chest!

**[Mini Theater 2]**

Qin Wanwan lies: “Master, I’m not Jishan Nujun”

Jian Xingzhi sees through it, time taken: 33 chapters

Jian Xingzhi lies: “I really don’t know you’re Jishan Nujun.”

Qin Wanwan sees through it, time taken: 1 chapter

Conclusion: Intelligence gap

**[Mini Theater 3]**

Jian Xingzhi: “How would you take revenge on someone who harmed you?”

Qin Wanwan: “Oh, if I can kill, I kill. If I can’t kill, I’ll torment him, make him fall in love with me, then abandon him!”

Jian Xingzhi flees in panic on the spot.

Pet version:

Qin Wanwan demonstrates how to make dog meat soup in front of Jian Xingzhi.

“Dog meat soup is just soup made from dog meat…”

Jian Xingzhi flees in panic.

**[Mini Theater 4]**

666: “What’s the worst strategy?”

Jian Xingzhi: “Die by her hand.”

666: “If it wasn’t her holding the heart-linking talisman but someone else, would this strategy change?”

Jian Xingzhi: “Yes.”

666: “How would it change?”

Jian Xingzhi: “Combine all three strategies into one—directly kill them.”

Jian Xingzhi: I’m not afraid of death. I’m afraid of Qin Wanwan wanting me to die.