Qin Wanyuan and Jiang Moqing’s “sparring session” lasted a full two hours.
If Lin Que hadn’t stepped in and forcibly stopped them in time, it might have escalated into a real life-or-death duel between sword cultivators.
“Thank you for the guidance, Senior Sister. This exchange has truly been enlightening for me,” Qin Wanyuan said, sheathing her sword and cupping her fists in respect.
She was inwardly shocked. She hadn’t expected this cold, unfamiliar senior sister to be this formidable.
Even with two lifetimes of sword cultivation experience under her belt, she had only managed a 60-40 match against Jiang Moqing.
“I feel the same,” Jiang Moqing replied, also faintly surprised. She had joined the sect years earlier than Qin Wanyuan, and while her cultivation level was more than a full major realm higher, Qin Wanyuan’s grasp of swordsmanship was in no way inferior to hers.
What kind of talent and dedication did it take to bridge such a gap in just a few years? It must have come with immense hardship and pain.
For sword cultivators, sparring was one of the most direct ways to understand each other. A person’s nature could often be glimpsed through their sword.
At the very least, in Jiang Moqing’s eyes now, Qin Wanyuan was no longer just a smooth-talking flatterer but a fellow sword cultivator.
“If you ever want to spar again, come by anytime.”
That was the last thing Jiang Moqing said before turning to leave.
“I’ll be sure to stay in touch, Senior Sister,” Qin Wanyuan replied with a smile, just as a system notification signaled the completion of her task.
***
That night.
From Lin Que and Qin Wanyuan’s room came the soft, delicate moans of a woman.
“It hurts… Lin Lang, be gentler…”
“I can’t help it even if it hurts. Just bite down on this handkerchief and bear with it,” Lin Que replied helplessly. “Forget the sword wounds for now. At the very least, you’ve got two dislocated joints and three bruises. Even though a cultivator at the Core Formation stage has a resilient body, you still can’t push it this far. Senior Sister’s cultivation is at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Even if she suppressed her power, her physique hasn’t changed.”
“But… I didn’t want to lose,” Qin Wanyuan pouted, mumbling softly.
During their duel earlier that day, she had held her own against Jiang Moqing with a 60-40 split thanks to her swordsmanship experience from her past life. But after all, even though she had reincarnated with her memories, her body was still her original one.
So throughout the entire spar, Qin Wanyuan had been pushing beyond her limits through sheer willpower, and naturally, her body couldn’t take it.
“Haah…” Lin Que let out a weary sigh. He understood why she’d pushed herself like that, so he didn’t scold her further. Instead, he stood up to head out. “I’ve already set your dislocations back in place. I’ll go refine a few healing pills for you so you can recover faster.”
“These kinds of injuries don’t really need pills, do they?” Qin Wanyuan blinked, looking a little reluctant.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make them taste sweet,” Lin Que said, tapping the tip of her nose with a finger. “So just be good and take your medicine.”
At that, the slight furrow in Qin Wanyuan’s brow finally smoothed out.
“Hehe~ Lin Lang, you’re the best.”
She obediently lay on her side in bed like a gentle, docile kitten.
“Come back early, okay?”
“Mhm, I’ll be quick.”
After Lin Que left the room, Qin Wanyuan opened the system interface and took out two blue talismans and a medicinal recipe from her storage space.
“So this is the reward for the mission? I’m not sure if it was worth all that effort,” she murmured while examining the items in her hands. “But… why are there two extra things?”
Originally, the system task was only supposed to reward her with a Shared Dream Talisman. But for some reason, there were two more items in her inventory.
At that moment, the system prompt appeared right on cue:
[Due to the host exceeding expectations in completing the novice mission, you have received hidden rewards.]
[In future missions, as long as the host fulfills hidden conditions, you will receive additional rewards and may even trigger key missions.]
[Reward details below:]
[Shared Dream Talisman: Allows the host to enter the dreamscape of their pillow partner, viewing important memories from a third-person perspective. The host cannot interfere with the dream contents. It is recommended to use in conjunction with the Separate Bed Shared Dream Talisman.]
“Separate Bed Shared Dream Talisman?” Qin Wanyuan blinked in confusion. “What’s that for?”
[This talisman allows one designated individual to also enter the pillow partner’s dreamscape. If the designated person shares memories with the dreamer, the host can then view those shared memories. The designated person will not be aware of this and will simply believe they’re dreaming.]
After hearing the system’s explanation, Qin Wanyuan quickly understood how to use the talisman.
“So, if I use this talisman on Lin Lang and my senior sister separately, I’ll be able to see their relationship history?”
[Correct. The host is truly exceptionally perceptive.]
“But what’s the point of watching all that? Just to upset myself?” Qin Wanyuan let out a snort.
While she had no choice but to help Lin Que win over Jiang Moqing, that didn’t mean she enjoyed watching him being affectionate with another woman.
She didn’t even want to see those memories from the past.
[The host need not think of it that way. Don’t you see this as a valuable opportunity to understand your partner better?]
[It’s precisely his past experiences that shaped the Lin Que of today. By viewing his memories, the host may gain a deeper understanding of her partner….and perhaps even learn a thing or two.]
“Well, when you put it that way…” Qin Wanyuan began to seriously consider it.
Lin Que rarely spoke of his past. All she knew was that he had a family in the mortal realm, and it seemed they were quite well off.
According to Lin Que, when he set out for the Sword Seeking Sect, his family even assigned him a skilled bodyguard maid to accompany him. However, he later dismissed her.
Lin Que had discovered that the maid was actually a trained assassin, so he simply granted her freedom and focused fully on cultivating the sword.
As for anything beyond that, Lin Que never said more.
After hearing the system’s explanation, Qin Wanyuan began to feel a growing curiosity about Lin Que’s past.
In their previous life, Lin Que had originally planned to take Qin Wanyuan home to meet his family and formalize their engagement. But before that could happen, the Sword Seeking Sect’s chief disciple Jiang Moqing died under mysterious circumstances. Until the truth was uncovered, all direct disciples were forbidden from leaving the sect, so the matter was put on hold.
Not long after, the demonic sect launched an invasion, the Sword Seeking Sect was destroyed, and Lin Que perished…
“This time, I will change that ending.”
Qin Wanyuan clenched her fists, her tone firm with resolve.
Before long, her gaze shifted to the final item: the mysterious prescription. “Setting the talismans aside, I know what the first two do, but what exactly is this prescription for?”
[Secret Herbal Foot Soak Formula: Use once every three days. After one month, your feet will become as fair as jade, as tender as lotus shoots, and naturally emit a pleasant fragrance.]
“…..?”
Qin Wanyuan blinked. “And what exactly am I supposed to do with a foot soak formula?”
By the time she had reached the Core Formation stage, her body had long since become flawless. It was pure, radiant, and beautiful. Even the old wounds from her early years on the streets and the calluses from sword training had completely vanished.
What’s more, the feet weren’t like the face or other exposed areas. They were usually hidden away in shoes and socks, rarely seen by anyone. So why go out of the way to care for them?
If it had been a beauty pill like the Jade Skin Elixir, that would’ve made more sense.
[All items provided by the system have their uses. As for how to make the most of them, that’s up to the host to discover.]
The system’s tone remained flat and emotionless.
“…Alright then.”
Though it felt a little strange, Qin Wanyuan still decided to give the formula a try.
Still… she couldn’t help but wonder—
Just where would something like this actually come in handy?
Leave a Reply