Chapter 17: Cast an Illusion and Reap the Fisherman's Gain

“Don’t even think about it. Our master specifically asked me to keep an eye on you. If anything goes wrong, it’s my legs that’ll suffer,” Wen Jue objected.

“Then I’ll just go have a friendly chat with Lin Rou, say a few sincere words. I promise nothing will go wrong.”

“With your skills? Better if we go together.”

In the end, Ling Xi and Wen Jue bid farewell to Ming Zhifeng’s senior brother.

[Underworld’s Shore] With full throttle, Ling Xi, having just endured a painful lesson, didn’t bother with anything fancy. She simply let the little fox create an illusion, and the two of them concealed themselves in the forest.

The enemies swept through like a ruthless purge, leaving behind two deformed spirit plants. Ling Xi found them worthless but still tossed them into her universe pouch.

Ling Xi stopped, kicked the fox to warm her hands, and caught her breath before turning to Wen Jue seriously.

“Senior Brother, your health isn’t good. You should rest here. I’ll wander a bit longer and come back to find you.”

“So you want to ditch me again? You weren’t just trying to harvest chives earlier; you were draining my strength,” Wen Jue said coldly, exposing the truth.

“That’s not true. With Master’s artifact, we can communicate anytime. Nothing will happen to me.”

Ling Xi flicked the red thread on her wrist, pouting slightly, her gaze dropping to the snowy ground beneath her feet.

Could she really say she was going to trouble the heroine? And maybe harvest a bit on the side?

Thinking about the original story’s plot gave her a headache.

Lin Rou had unintentionally helped Wen Jue once, and since then, Wen Jue had become the heroine’s devoted admirer.

Eventually, worn out and sick, Wen Jue was gifted to a demonic beast by the heroine and died without a proper burial.

So tragic!

Ling Xi pinched herself to stop overthinking.

Feeling sorry for Wen Jue was pointless—better to go snatch the heroine’s loot first.

Who could guarantee that once they met face to face, no unexpected sparks wouldn’t fly?

With Wen Jue unwilling to let go, Ling Xi decided to handle things leniently.

“Senior Brother, what do you think of Lin Rou? Is she good-looking?”

“I’ve never seen her. I heard her spiritual root is decent, but I don’t dissect women.”

Ling Xi: “?! You’ve never seen her?”

“I don’t pay attention to her face. Just hearing her talk makes me uncomfortable. But since you got me the Nine Orifices Exquisite Fruit, if you want, I can try to get one for you and swap it.”

Wen Jue licked his lips, the crystal stone lenses flashing white light, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“What?”

“Her face.”

“...”

Ling Xi’s smile froze, unable to believe her ears. She grabbed Wen Jue, afraid he’d actually try to take the heroine’s face.

In the original story, Wen Jue didn’t hate the heroine at first, right?

Wen Jue wore a smug smile. “Now will you agree to go with me?”

“Forget about the face. I just don’t fancy her,” Ling Xi gave up resisting, deciding to test their mutual attitudes.

After running dozens of meters, she still wasn’t reassured, muttering about Lin Rou’s fickleness and letting the little fox transform into Lin Rou’s likeness.

The affectation and haughty demeanor successfully disgusted Wen Jue.

Deep in the forest, Lin Rou walked unaware of their frantic conversation.

At the heart of the icy forest, giant spruce trees bore three-foot-long icicles. The cold wind brushed past, producing a crisp, chime-like sound like wind chimes.

The snow on the ground was thick and crystal clear, even more so than the outer layers.

Lin Rou rubbed her fingers, blowing on their tips, complaining as she walked forward.

“Called the sect’s prodigy, but utterly useless when it counts. I have to do everything myself.”

“What kind of cursed place did the sect choose? If it weren’t for the pills from the system, I’d have frozen to death by now.”

“...”

“System, are you sure this is the right place?”

“What about the Nine Orifices Exquisite Fruit? I don’t even see a shadow of it.”

Under a towering tree, Lin Rou looked up carefully, inspecting the branches.

The pale pink leaves and translucent purple fruit described by the system failed to appear.

The Nine Orifices Exquisite Fruit is named so because its appearance changes at different maturity stages.

After the final transformation of its original fruit form, it becomes transparent and falls off... after which no one can find it, only waiting for a new sapling to sprout.

Lin Rou used the Clear Wind Wave Riding technique to leap up, stepping on branches and circling the towering tree, her clothes fluttering in the wind.

A streak of pink mixed with white and green; she hurriedly stepped on branches, searching all along.

At the tip of the pink tender leaves, only a fruit stem remained.

The truth was clear.

She was too late.

The Nine Orifices Exquisite Fruit had fallen.

To find it again in this secret realm, one would have to wait decades for it to bloom anew.

Damn Ling Xi, who had stirred up hordes of strange beasts to harass her, wasting so much of her time.

If not for that wretched girl, how would she have missed the Nine Orifices Exquisite Fruit?!

Though Wen Jue was greedy for other spirit plants and made a few mistakes as well.

After entering the secret realm, she should have been guarding the Nine Orifices Exquisite Fruit all along.

Yet Ling Xi was the culprit behind her losing the fruit!

Her fair fingers clasped together tightly, the right thumb pressing into the palm of her left hand, blood flowing and spreading around her nails, though Lin Rou seemed oblivious to the pain.

“Junior Sister Lin?! Don’t know if you miss me—I’m always thinking of you,” came the voice from the spiritual plant’s inner core inside the universe pouch.

Suddenly, a cold, muffled laugh startled Lin Rou, and the figure perched on a branch nearly fell.

She grabbed hold of a branch with one hand, barely catching another, then tentatively stepped onto a sturdy trunk and steadied herself.

“Little Junior Sister, you run so fast! Senior Brother almost couldn’t catch up!”

In front of Lin Rou stood a face as cold as ice, brows sharp, eyes flashing with a sly smile like a fox who had found its prey.

“Chu Xinghe” grasped Lin Rou’s wrist gently, stroking her forehead in a strangely affectionate manner.

Lin Rou’s legs trembled, forcing a smile worse than crying, and called out, “Senior Brother.”

Who knew, not long ago, she had pushed the ice stick “Chu Xinghe” for hundreds of meters before tossing him out to distract the strange beasts and sneaking away.

She never intended to let Chu Xinghe live!

Yet now “Chu Xinghe” stood before her unharmed.

Could it be that her actions had been discovered?!

Impossible! The system wouldn’t lie to her.

Ling Xi had the fox take the form of “Chu Xinghe,” who squinted slightly, then abruptly twisted Lin Rou’s hand and snatched the universe pouch from her waist.

Lin Rou instinctively tried to grab it back but lowered her head under “Chu Xinghe’s” freezing gaze and withdrew her hand.

“I don’t want your things. If a fragile girl like you meets others, especially Ling Xi, they’ll surely steal your belongings.”

“If the two of us stick together, keep your things with me. When we leave, I’ll return them to you. I’m confident Jingning Peak will win first place in this trial.”

Hearing this, Lin Rou relaxed a bit and told him about the Nine Orifices Exquisite Fruit. With “Chu Xinghe’s” comforting words, she felt somewhat better.

Then she led “Chu Xinghe” to search for spirit plant treasures.

Ling Xi and Wen Jue followed for a while, then left it to the fox to transform them into the appearances of the two “Chu Xinghe” disciples, beginning a new round of harvesting.

The two had a great time.

Outside the secret realm, the elders were pressing spirit stones until their faces turned red and their necks stiff.