Chapter 10, first published on Jinjiang, made money!

Yao Sisi went to the kitchen and found that there was a lot of spiritual food left for her, as if it had been made just for her. She ate a delicious meal and put the rest into her storage bag.

"Hmm, this young master is quite particular; he didn't forget me when he had something delicious to eat."

Doing so made her feel a little embarrassed. She patted her satisfied belly, returned to her room, and began to slowly refine the spiritual food she had eaten.

As streams of energy were slowly extracted and circulated through her meridians, she meditated for an hour. By then, it was already dark, and the dim light in the room affected her vision. She got up, took a few steps to the table, lit a lamp by the moonlight, and picked up a talisman brush to begin making talismans.

It seems that she spends most of her time either cultivating, making talismans, or hunting.

She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that when she was making talismans, spiritual energy was slowly drawn from her dantian. In addition to her more precise control over spiritual energy, the spiritual energy would also slowly nourish her meridians after circulating. Whenever the spiritual energy was depleted and filled her dantian again, there was always a few more strands than before.

Making talismans is also a form of cultivation, only it's not as fast as cultivating without distractions.

Because her cultivation level had improved, she could draw spirit-gathering talismans faster and in greater quantities. She produced more than twice as many talismans in an hour as before, and she became more and more stable as she drew, gradually producing even more talismans.

A lamp lit up the entire midnight. Yao Sisi looked at the sky, turned her slightly numb neck, and twisted her tired wrists.

"It's almost dawn."

She put away the stack of talismans she had drawn, blew out the lamp, and neatly took off her clothes to go back to bed for a nap.

With her current cultivation level, she can't go a whole day without sleeping. Although it's fine for ordinary people to stay up all day, and cultivators should be even more so, it's not worth the strain on her body.

Yao Sisi snuggled into bed and slowly drifted off to sleep. In her dream, she seemed to have fallen into a cave filled with spiritual energy. She happily sat cross-legged and cultivated, as countless streams of spiritual energy rushed into her meridians and flowed into her dantian, allowing her to break through her limits one after another. The dream was so real that when she woke up, she found herself still the same as before.

But the powerful feeling brought about by the improvement in her cultivation in her dream made her yearn for it even more.

She counted the talismans in her storage bag; there were already thirty-six. Each talisman cost fifty Xuanzhu, and she now had nearly two thousand Xuanzhu, which was definitely enough to pay off her debts. However, she couldn't explain how she could draw talismans so quickly. Without any background, it was easy for people to misunderstand that she had a better talisman inheritance.

She got up and drew four more talismans, bringing the total to 2000 Mystic Pearls. She then said to the spirit, "Let's not draw any more talismans today, let's go hunting!"

She picked up the Talisman Encyclopedia from the table, opened it, and found the talismans suitable for battle amidst the spirit's confused questions, then began to inscribe them.

"Hmm, Master, you're only now preparing your hunting tools as you're about to go to the battlefield!"

Yao Sisi: "This time is different; I'll be staying away for a few more days!"

She had long envisioned a talisman for hunting, so she decisively turned to a later page and began to slowly sketch it.

The first one was ruined, and the second one was ruined right before the end.

However, she found the reason, and after taking her time, the third one was indeed successful.

Before long, several talismans were piled up in a corner of the table. She counted them; there were five in total, enough for her to use for a while. At this time, the beast blood she used to draw the talismans was almost exhausted.

Talismans are quite magical. For example, beast blood doesn't mean that you can draw for a long time just by soaking the tip of the brush with it. It depends on the talisman you are drawing. When drawing some talismans, you can watch the beast blood, carrying spiritual energy, slowly condense and look like it can soak the entire talisman paper with blood, but in the end, you can only draw a few strokes.

If the beast blood is of a higher grade, less blood will be needed.

She put away the talisman brush, opened the cabinet in the room, took out a set of bedding and stuffed it into her space. Once she was almost ready, she went out.

Instead of walking along the corridor to the front yard, she followed the principle of proximity and climbed over the back wall.

Now that the banquet was over, there was no one guarding the mansion anymore. In addition, this street was usually deserted, so when she climbed over the wall, it was deserted and no one noticed.

After leaving the manor, she first went to a general store and bought several jars for storing beast blood. They were just ordinary containers with no internal expansion space. She chose a few medium-sized ones, about the size of small vases, which would be enough for her to use for a while.

Ordinary jars were inexpensive, so she also selected a few wooden boxes for storing medicinal herbs. Once she was almost done preparing, she headed out of the city.

The wilderness is quite a distance from the city, blocked by high city walls, making a round trip rather troublesome. Yao Sisi hadn't ventured deep into the jungle before, so she returned relatively quickly, but most martial artists usually linger outside for several days before returning.

With her spatial ability at her disposal, Yao Sisi's situation in the wild was far better than others. She chose a path and headed deeper into the jungle.

The forest grew deeper and deeper, shrouded in mist and exuding an eerie atmosphere. They hadn't gone far when they encountered a group of people. Behind them were carriages pulled by mystical beasts. These carriages were strange, resembling cages sealed with sturdy hardwood, with small air vents on the sides.

Yao Sisi glanced at them, and seeing that it had nothing to do with her, she walked past them.

They had gone far enough that they could no longer see each other. She wondered if they were escorting some rare mythical beast, and which city they were being taken to.

At times like this, she would lament how little she knew. Even though she had read some books, her knowledge was only superficial and she hadn't truly integrated into society. In this situation, even Liu Yuan, that servant, probably knew what it was, but she didn't.

She straightened her expression, not forgetting the purpose of her trip, and said, "Spirit, keep an eye out for traces of the mystic beast."

Encounters are rare in such a vast forest. The next afternoon, she had just killed a mythical beast and was estimating its value when she encountered the beast-drawn carts carrying the unknown creatures again.

She hid in the shadows, took out a water pouch from her storage bag, and drank water in large gulps. Unexpectedly, a sudden change occurred, and a group of people dressed in black suddenly appeared and attacked the convoy of beast-drawn carts.

She wiped her mouth, put away her water pouch, and quietly climbed the tree. Most of the trees in the forest were tall and dense. After climbing up, she found various convenient observation positions and quietly watched the people fighting below.

"These people fight more like martial artists, quite different from the fighting styles described in the books within the space. If there's any similarity, it's that their fighting style is closer to that of a sword cultivator..."

But it's not quite the same.

Yao Sisi inexplicably became a spectator. She saw that the men in black had no intention of fighting. Their goal was clear: to take away the cages. However, when their weapons slashed at the cages, a wave of energy flashed across them, and they were completely unharmed.

Undeterred, the man in black listened intently to the cage, whispered something to the creature inside, and then took out a sharp, cone-like object, slowly stabbing it into the air hole in the cage.

The awl needed Xuan power to propel it, but the Xuan power couldn't stop, and several men in black were desperately trying to cover for it.

This delay resulted in the deaths of several men in black. However, the person who used the awl-shaped magical weapon finally succeeded. With a pop, something on the cage was broken, and the men in black quickly cleaved the cage open. Several figures flew out and disappeared into the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

Yao Sisi was stunned. It turned out that these cages didn't contain mythical beasts, but living people!

She continued to observe the battle. The man in black, with one of them, quickly left the battlefield, and the other men in black also disappeared from the scene almost as fast as if they were fleeing for their lives.

Yao Sisi gently landed from the tree, not intending to get involved, and took a different path to search for traces of the mystic beast.

Based on her observations, there was a high probability that there were traces of mystical beasts along this path. Holding a dagger, she moved through the forest and soon discovered movement ahead. As she approached, she saw a second-tier mystical beast, the Gale Wolf, locked in combat with a man in black.

Yao Sisi: "???"

Weren't they going in a different direction? How... how could they have run into each other?

Ahead, the swift wolf, in a ferocious frenzy, stalked the man in black, drooling menacingly. The man in black, already wounded, was unsteady on his feet, and seemed unlikely to hold on much longer.

Yao Sisi glanced at it, seemingly considering whether to wait until the person died before dealing with the mystical beast, or...

However, before she could finish her thought, the man in black spotted her.

Yao Sisi took a step back, her lips slightly parted, and what she said almost made someone furious: "Please do as you please, brave warrior. I was just passing by and absolutely had no intention of stealing that mystical beast!"

Gong Yichen never expected that the person he would see before he died would be her. As expected of her, she had angered him to the point of near death yesterday, and today, a single glance from her almost made him lose his soul.

But the problem is, he's dead, and he doesn't believe this person is really gone. Why not turn around and expose his disguise?

It seems he's bound to be exposed sooner or later.

"Save me, and I'll reward you handsomely!"

Yao Sisi paused, and as he encouraged her to keep going, she asked, "How much exactly?"

Gong Yichen was choked for a moment, and in his daze, the sword in his hand was knocked away. He watched as the Gale Wolf opened its mouth wide and headed straight for his throat.

He was completely stunned, his breath seemed to stop, and his last thought was that this person was just lying to him and never intended to save him in the first place.

Yao Sisi shot out a talisman, freezing the Gale Wolf in place for a moment. She reached out and grabbed the Gale Wolf by the neck, while a sharp dagger slashed down its neck.

The effect of the fixed character is limited; the Swift Wolf could move almost as soon as she plunged the dagger into its skin.

Following the Swift Wolf's movements, Yao Sisi slapped its head with one hand and kicked it hard with the other, driving the dagger deeper. With a turn, the dagger was pulled into its flesh.

The swift wolf, in pain, opened its blood-red maw and turned to bite the person clinging to it. Yao Sisi pulled it away, and the person and dagger rolled away. The swift wolf, its eyes bloodshot, chased after her with hatred.

The characteristics of the Gale Wolf are speed and cunning. Just like before, it was toying with the black-clad man's prey, not in a hurry to eat it, but when it saw that he had helpers, it immediately pounced on the prey like a tiger, giving him no time to fight back.

Before Yao Sisi could stand up, the Gale Wolf pounced. She raised her neck and slashed upwards with her dagger. The Gale Wolf's front paws were about to knock the dagger away when Yao Sisi flipped her body over. The dagger slashed to the side of the Gale Wolf. At the same time, her body moved through the air like a leaf suddenly taking flight, and the dagger drew an upward arc on the Gale Wolf's body.

At this moment, the Gale Wolf was already thinking of escaping. It tucked its tail between its legs, seemingly realizing that it could not defeat the human in front of it, and let out a mournful howl.

Yao Sisi stood up, and the Gale Wolf arched its body and retreated, no longer trying to pounce on her. But how could Yao Sisi give up the duck that was already in her mouth? With a few stabs, the Gale Wolf was on the verge of death.

She then came to her senses and looked at the man in black not far away. Judging from his figure, he seemed to be a man, and his face was also covered, with only his eyes showing. She did not rush over, but slowly wiped the blood-stained dagger with the fur of the Gale Wolf.

"How will you repay me?" She was short of money to buy something.

Gong Yichen lowered his voice, not wanting her to hear it: "One thousand Xuanzhu."

Yao Sisi raised an eyebrow: "A thousand Xuanzhu will help you defeat the Gale Wolf?"

Gong Yichen frowned: "This is all I have on me right now."

As Yao Sisi approached him, she felt she had seen those eyes somewhere before; they were very familiar.

When Gong Yichen saw the question flash in her eyes, he panicked and shrank back, trying to distract her with his sharp tongue.

"You just left the prey there? It's not dead yet!"

Yao Sisi said, "What, you're still afraid even after it's been like that? If you're so timid, why are you wearing an assassin's outfit?"

Gong Yichen: "I'm not an assassin! It's your cruelty that makes you the assassin."

Yao Sisi tilted her head slightly and said, "This person looks so familiar. I recognize him. Isn't this the fiery little pepper from yesterday?"

She raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself: This young master doesn't seem like someone who's short of money; he actually dares to ask for a thousand Xuanzhu.

She turned away from him, took out some hemostatic powder from her storage bag, and sprinkled it little by little on the wounds of the Gale Wolf.

Gong Yichen said, "What are you doing? How are you going to treat it!"

Yao Sisi chuckled lightly, her meaning ambiguous, and said, "What, didn't you just say I was cruel? Now, isn't this what satisfies your kind heart?"

Gong Yichen choked, seeing that she was really serious about stopping the bleeding of the Gale Wolf, he couldn't help but feel scared, and could only soften his tone: "Cough cough, it's just a beast, killing it is nothing..."

Yao Sisi didn't stop at all, continuing to stop the bleeding of the Gale Wolf. She did this to keep its blood fresh, making it easier to draw talismans. But she didn't need to tell the wolf, and besides, storage bags could only hold inanimate objects, not living ones. She was going to put the wolf into her space.

"So, how much exactly will you pay me, young master?"

Gong Yichen was speechless, wondering how Qi Mu had mistreated her so much that she was practically obsessed with money.

"Then shall I add another thousand?"

Yao Sisi said, "Is your life only worth 2,000 Xuanzhu? You should know that just this one Gale Wolf can sell for several thousand Xuanzhu."

Gong Yichen gritted her teeth. So she was saying I wasn't even worth as much as an animal.

But now he's dressed in black and masked, he looks like a poor guy who's just taking on a mission. How could he possibly say that much money? Wouldn't that expose his identity?

Yao Sisi calmly stopped the bleeding of the Gale Wolf, while Gong Yichen was sweating profusely. "You don't need to stop the bleeding anymore. I'll give you money, okay?"

Seeing that he indeed treated the matter of stopping the bleeding as a disguised threat, Yao Sisi was pleased. She reached out and put away the hemostatic powder. "Young master, have you decided on how much?"

Gong Yichen said sullenly, "Five thousand in total, that's all I have left."

Yao Sisi knew when to stop and didn't intend to expose his true colors. She put away the Gale Wolf, took a few steps towards him, and stretched out her hand, meaning, "Take the money!"

Gong Yichen had injuries on his legs and several wounds on his body, looking quite disheveled. When he saw her reach out, he subconsciously placed his hand on hers.

"At least you still have some conscience."

Yao Sisi: "???"

"Young master, shouldn't men and women not touch each other?"

Gong Yichen was about to scold her: Then why did you reach out your hand? Were you making fun of me?

Before he could even finish speaking, he realized they wanted money. He was so angry he almost sat back down, and retorted defiantly, "This is a matter of life and death, how can you be so stubborn!"

He forgot his pretense and was so angry that he was completely confused. Only after yelling did he realize that something was wrong. What was even more terrifying was that when he got up, he pulled on his tattered clothes, and the mask on his face fell off as well.

The atmosphere became extremely awkward, and the entire space fell silent.

The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Yao Sisi sighed inwardly. She never expected this young master to be so... stupid and simple-minded. She had wanted to pretend she hadn't heard him call her name before, but now that his mask had fallen off, it would be too fake if she still couldn't recognize him.

"What are you doing here, young master of the Gong family? Why aren't you keeping him in the city? What are you doing running off to the forest outside the city?"

Seeing that he had been exposed by both sides, Gong Yichen said arrogantly, "None of your business!"

Yao Sisi chuckled mischievously: "You really don't need me to take care of this?"

Gong Yichen immediately shut up, his eyes red with anger.

"I really only have one thousand Xuanzhu right now."

Yao Sisi said, "Then what about the rest? You were so aggressive yesterday that my junior brother was so angry he couldn't even eat properly. If I say I don't want it, wouldn't I be letting my junior brother down?"

Gong Yichen retorted, not to be outdone: "Heh, I can still afford four thousand Xuanzhu!"

Yao Sisi said, "Huh? Didn't you just say that five thousand Xuanzhu were your entire fortune?"

Gong Yichen choked: "I don't care, anyway you just promised five thousand Xuanzhu."

Yao Sisi nodded. "Alright, then I admit defeat this time." With a slight movement of her fingers, Gong Yichen's hairband was in her hand. "Then, let's use those four thousand Xuan Pearls to redeem it!"

Gong Yichen froze, staring blankly at the hairband in her hand, utterly bewildered: "How could you untangle my hairband!"

Seeing his unusual reaction, Yao Sisi asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Gong Yichen closed his eyes. He had a feeling that he was going to be driven crazy by her today. "Only a man's hairband can be removed by his wife."

Yao Sisi was stunned. No way, she'd gotten herself into trouble...

"This is a matter of life and death, how can you still be so old-fashioned? Here, take it, just pretend nothing happened."

Gong Yichen angrily tied his hair up, but without a mirror, no matter how he tied it, it looked like he had been fooling around with people in the wild.

Yao Sisi rummaged through her storage bag and found a mirror.

"Here, I'll hold it up for you."

Gong Yichen rolled his eyes at her inwardly, and then suddenly asked, "You're not actually engaged, are you?"

Yao Sisi: "No!"

Gong Yichen wanted to scare her: "Well, that's perfect since you've taken my hair off. This is no small matter. What do you think we should do about it?"

Yao Sisi paused, thinking to herself: What does this mean? I just accidentally messed up his hair, didn't I?

But he was completely black with no accessories except for his hairband, which looked unusual. Why didn't she take the hairband... and instead took off his clothes and took his undergarments?

Yao Sisi: "If you feel resentful, why don't you mess up my hair too?"

Gong Yichen nearly choked with anger again, yelling, "Yao Sisi, you're a scoundrel!"

Yao Sisi: "???"

A note from the author:

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Yao Sisi: She's completely fed up with the men in this world...

I've combined the two chapters to catch up on yesterday's. My period cramps weren't bad yesterday, but they're much better today...