Fairy, don't go! I have a mod.

It's not weakness, it's just that I feel these things aren't worth it...

Her master treated her well.

This is the truth.

Despite her rigid and old-fashioned nature, Mu Kongyun never mistreated her on her path of cultivation.

He had all the necessary cultivation techniques, spiritual stones, and elixirs. He never spoke sweet words, but he always delivered things to her when she needed them most.

Therefore, after killing Qin Shou, she did not make him reveal who was behind it all.

Before Qin Shou died, the name was already on the tip of her tongue, but her dagger was faster than that name.

She knew she couldn't do anything that would harm the sect's interests, and she also knew the sect needed a saintess.

The rules of the Qingyun Sect were set by the founder. The position of Holy Maiden cannot be left vacant. Since she is no longer in accordance with the rules, someone must take her place.

That person could only be Bai Lingyin. In Yun Qingyao's eyes, among the disciples of the same generation in the Qingyun Sect, besides herself, the one with the highest talent and the deepest cultivation was indeed Bai Lingyin.

For the sake of the sect's interests, Bai Lingyin cannot fall.

At worst, I'll just avoid her from now on...

She could claim injury and not attend the Holy Maiden's enthronement ceremony, and she could stand in the last row at future sect gatherings...

In short, keep your distance and don't interfere with each other.

As for hatred... it ended the moment the dagger pierced Qin Shou's eye...

She didn't want to pursue the matter further, not out of forgiveness... but for the sake of the bigger picture...

The little fox finally finished applying the ointment, jumped to her pillow, curled up in a ball, and brushed her cheek with its fluffy tail, as if to comfort her.

Yun Qingyao reached out and scratched its chin, watching it roll around in her hand. Suddenly, she felt that her back didn't hurt so much anymore.

Yun Qingyao stroked the little fox's soft fur, a long-lost smile appearing on her lips.

The smile was light and faint, like a ray of sunlight peeking through a gap in the clouds—not intense, but genuine.

"After today, I'll have plenty of time to spend with you."

She spoke softly, her fingers tickling behind the little fox's ear, a spot it enjoyed most.

"Let's cultivate together, eat together, and never be apart again, okay?"

The little fox nodded vigorously, its bright black eyes shining, and it nuzzled Yun Qingyao's cheek affectionately.

A pink tongue licked her chin, making her shrink her neck and laugh out loud.

She picked up the little fox and stood up, walking barefoot into the spirit spring in the backyard of her residence.

The spring water is a natural elixir that seeps from the mountain wall. It is warm all year round, shrouded in mist, and a few petals float on the surface, drifting in from who knows where.

She took off her robe and draped it over a rock on the bank. Naked, she slowly sank into the spring, the warm water flowing over her waist, her chest, and her shoulders.

The whip marks on his back stung slightly when they came into contact with the spiritual spring water, but were quickly soothed by the gentle spiritual energy.

The little fox squatted on the bank, tilting its head to look at her.

Yun Qingyao leaned against the pool wall, looking up at the cold crescent moon in the night sky, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on the water's surface.

She has killed many people.

Various demonic cultivators, wicked rogue cultivators, and even scoundrels like Qin Shou who deserve to be torn to pieces.

Killing was no longer a troublesome matter for her; between the rise and fall of her sword, life and death were merely a matter of the circulation of spiritual energy.

But after each killing, she still felt uneasy... She didn't like killing... Every time it was forced... Every time she had no choice...

She looked down at the water, the moonlight shattering in her reflection...

The water rippled gently, blurring her face into a hazy reflection of light and shadow.

Then the blurry face slowly transformed into another face in the ripples of water.

The man who suddenly appeared in that secret realm, with his nonchalant smile, his smug grin when he succeeded, and his unforgiving mouth.

His name is Mu Tianmiao. In a moment of passion and confusion, she whispered in his ear, and he breathed heavily as he whispered his name into her ear.

That night, he was so gentle at first, as if afraid of breaking her. He held her waist with his hands and his lips touched her collarbone lightly.

Later, when the poison took full effect, she clung to him tightly, and he became unrestrained, using so much force that she was shaking all over, as if he wanted to knead her into his bones.

Yun Qingyao's ears turned slightly red in the misty steam.

She reached out and scooped the little fox from the shore into the water, holding it to her chest, resting her chin on its wet little head, her voice so soft it was as if she were talking to herself.

"Xiaoyu, do you think... he might forget me? Forget that one... fleeting encounter?"

Xiaoyu tilted her head, her dark eyes filled with confusion.

It couldn't understand what its owner was saying, but it knew that its owner's voice was different from usual.

It was a soft, gentle tune that it had never heard before.

It twitched its ears and rubbed its wet nose against its owner's chin.

Yun Qingyao felt ticklish from its rubbing and lowered her head to laugh. But as she laughed, a hint of bitterness gradually crept into her smile.

What is she thinking?

It was just a fleeting encounter, and he might forget about her as soon as he turned around.

He rescued her in the secret realm on a whim, simply because he couldn't stand Qin Shou's underhanded methods...

To him, she was probably just an accident, a problem, a mess he had to deal with...

She leaned against the pool wall, buried her face in Xiaoyu's soaked downy fur, and didn't want to think about it anymore.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Very light, two taps, coming from the main gate across the courtyard.

A voice rang out.

"Yun Qingyao, the sect leader has something to give to you, and ordered me to deliver it."

Chapter Twenty-Two: Liquid Erosion

Immortal Shadow Sect, Alchemy Pavilion.

Tang Ruoyin stood behind the counter, flipping through the sales ledger for the month, her eyes growing brighter with each page she looked at.

Since the implementation of Mu Tianmiao's membership system, the sales of the pill shop have skyrocketed at an incredible rate.

The independent cultivators initially came for the Spirit Gathering Pill that was given away as a membership, but after arriving, they discovered that they could get a discount if they bought a certain amount.

In addition to discounts, you can also accumulate points, which can be exchanged for elixirs.

So the person who originally only planned to buy one bottle of blood-clotting powder ended up carrying three bottles in their pocket before leaving.

The word spread like wildfire, and soon all the independent cultivators from the nearby markets were flocking to the Immortal Shadow Sect's pill shop, practically wearing down the threshold.

Of course, there were also quite a few minor troubles along the way. Some people signed up for membership but then refused to pay their spirit stones.

Some people tried to forge points vouchers to take advantage of the situation, and several competitors sent people to pretend to be customers in an attempt to obtain discount strategies.

But the Immortal Shadow Sect is no pushover... they're not a righteous sect...

Those who invade shall be executed!

Having managed the Pill Pavilion for decades, she had seen all sorts of trivial matters. These minor troubles were no match for her; she resolved them all cleanly and efficiently.

She closed the ledger, raised her clear, cold eyes, and looked at Mu Tianmiao, who was standing in front of the pill shelf picking and choosing, with a look that suggested she was getting to know the person in front of her again.

"Sure, Xiao Mu."

Her voice was filled with undisguised admiration.

"You're a genius."

Mu Tianmiao picked up two bottles of Enlightenment Pills from the shelf, examined their quality against the light, confirmed they were of superior quality, and casually put them into his pocket.

Hearing Tang Ruoyin's praise, he smiled and became unusually humble.

"I just proposed a plan; the person who implemented it was really capable. I didn't handle those minor troubles; you solved them all, sister. If we're talking about geniuses, then it's you, sister."

Tang Ruoyin raised an eyebrow, and a meaningful smile slowly appeared on her lips.

She placed the ledger on the counter, raised her hands to gather her long hair that had fallen over her shoulders behind her head, and deftly twisted it into a neat ponytail in a few quick movements.

This action suddenly changed the nature of her originally aloof and cold demeanor.

Her smooth forehead and slender neck were exposed, making her facial features clear and sharp. However, her eyes were covered with a thin layer of water, making her look both capable and charming.

After tying her hair up, she stretched out a finger and beckoned to Mu Tianmiao, then opened her mouth and slowly licked her lips with her pink tongue.

The movements were extremely slow and deliberate. Her tongue slid from the corner of her lips to the peak of her lips and then back to her teeth. Her eyes remained fixed on Mu Tianmiao, as if she were savoring a dessert that only she could see.

"Alright, here's a reward for you, sister."

Her voice was low and husky, with a faint warmth about it.

Then she turned and walked towards the small house inside the Pill Pavilion. After taking two steps, she looked back at Mu Tianmiao, the implication in her eyes couldn't be clearer.

Mu Tianmiao stood there, watching Tang Ruoyin's figure disappear into the inner room.

With her hair tied in a ponytail, even the way she walked looked different; the curve of her waist swayed more pronounced than usual.

The hem of her skirt swayed gently against her legs, each step seeming to be in time with his heartbeat.

He stuffed the Enlightenment Pill into his storage ring, quickly followed, and closed the door to the inner room behind him...

Just as Mu Tianmiao closed the door to the inner room, a crisp notification sound suddenly rang in her mind.

A semi-transparent system light screen unfolded before his eyes, displaying the following words:

[Random quest triggered: Teach the arrogant Tang Ruoyin a lesson, and make sure five passersby hear her beautiful voice.]

[Bonus MOD - Liquid Erosion: Any liquid produced by the host, such as sweat, will have a special attraction for women, gradually leading to addiction.]

Mu Tianmiao's lips twitched slightly as he looked at the words.

The timing of each task issued by this system is extremely subtle. Last time, it made him kiss his master for three seconds, and this time it made him embarrass Tang Ruoyin in front of outsiders.

This reward is quite interesting!

Liquids like sweat can be addictive for women; if someone gets their hands on this, what will happen in the future?

Tang Ruoyin was already sitting on the soft couch in the cabin, one leg elegantly crossed over the other, looking at him with a half-smile.

She had no idea that at this moment, in addition to her body, Mu Tianmiao also had a system task prompt in her mind.

"What are you standing there daydreaming about?"

Tang Ruoyin tilted her head slightly, her ponytail swaying gently with the movement.

"You don't want your sister's reward anymore?"

Mu Tianmiao withdrew his gaze, smiled at her, and that smile contained a hint of danger that Tang Ruoyin had never seen before.

He stepped forward, placed his hands on either side of the soft couch, and pulled her into his arms, whispering something in her ear.

Tang Ruoyin's cheeks flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But her eyes shone even brighter. She reached out, grabbed Mu Tianmiao's collar, pulled him down, and whispered an even more arrogant remark in his ear.

Then, supporting himself on Mu Tianmiao's legs, he slowly lowered himself down...

Mu Tianmiao raised an eyebrow, marveling at how incredibly sharp Tang Ruoyin's words were.

That's a really vivid metaphor!

However, Sister Tang is indeed arrogant and needs to be taught a lesson to show her her fighting power!

Outside the inner room, the disciples of Dan Pavilion were busy with their own tasks, and people occasionally passed by in the corridor.

They went to the storeroom to fetch medicinal herbs and to the furnace to check the fire; their footsteps moved back and forth.

Before long, the first disciple who passed by the door of the inner room stopped in his tracks.

She was a young girl who had only been practicing for a few years. She was holding a basket of spiritual herbs. When she heard the voice coming from inside the house, she was stunned for a moment, and then her face turned red to the roots of her ears.

She stood there stunned for several breaths before suddenly snapping out of her daze, lowering her head and walking away quickly, not even noticing the two spirit herbs that had fallen from her hand.