My best friend asked me if I was still doing system tasks.

Luo Hanying took out a small jade bottle and handed it to the female cultivator: "I only have this much medicine left to stabilize and heal injuries. It's not of high grade, so you can make do with it."

Ruan Chayan didn't pay any attention to Luo Hanying's words, after all, they wouldn't stay here for long: "We'll leave first, take care of yourself, not every cultivator is as easy to talk to as we are."

Ruan Chayan tugged at Luo Hanying, signaling her to let go, but unexpectedly, Le Shu's knees buckled and she knelt before them: "Thank you so much for your great kindness, seniors. If it weren't for you two seniors, sob sob..."

Please, seniors, keep me by your side. I can do anything, even scout ahead for you in the secret realm.

I can see that you are a woman, and kind-hearted. If I hadn't been lucky enough to meet you, my path of cultivation would have been ruined...

"I beg you two, please accept me as your maid..."

Luo Hanying looked at Le Shu, who was kowtowing loudly, and took a step back in fright: "What the hell is wrong with her?"

Isn't this moral blackmail?

What's going on? I barely got here and someone's already trying to scam me?

Ruan Chayan was also very troubled: "Who knows who she is? She's been through all sorts of things with the Greedy Love Sect, what if she has other enemies? Wouldn't that be the end of us?"

She took out a cloak and mask from her storage bag to conceal herself from prying eyes and handed them to Le Shu: "This matter needs further consideration. You take care of yourself first, we need to leave here."

Le Shu obediently took the clothes and put them on, then followed Ruan Chayan and Luo Hanying unsteadily.

"Senior, where are we going?" Le Shu asked cautiously.

Ruan Chayan said, "Leave the city."

Le Shu asked, "Shouldn't we find an inn to rest?" She coughed a few times, indicating that she needed to heal her injuries.

Luo Hanying coldly replied, "We don't have any spirit stones."

Le Shu said cautiously, "Seniors, I do have some spirit stones. Staying at the inn for a few nights shouldn't be a problem."

Luo Hanying thought to herself, "You really have no sense at all: It's obvious that it's inconvenient for us to stay at an inn."

You still haven't told me, how did you get involved with the "Greedy Love Gate"?

She didn't want to be so blunt, but who told Le Shu to almost drag the two of them down with her?

If Ruan Chayan's cultivation level hadn't been higher than those two cultivators, and if they hadn't possessed intimidating magical artifacts, how could they have escaped unscathed?

Le Shu choked back tears as she recounted the whole story.

She and her friend Song Yan were originally courtesans in a brothel. After being enlightened by a high-level cultivator, they entered the path of cultivation and became independent cultivators without any sect or affiliation.

Upon hearing that the Shiren Sect was going to recruit new members, the two came to Yicheng to settle down.

Because Song Yan was injured during her exploration of the secret realm and had not yet recovered, the two thought of going to the black market in the West District to see if they could find some good quality pills or spiritual medicines at low prices. However, they did not expect to be frequently harassed because of their outstanding appearance and temperament.

Luo Hanying interrupted Le Shu: "Wait, you two just swaggered into the black market? Didn't you know how to disguise yourselves at all?"

Le Shu said apologetically, "We are not exactly well-off either. We were thinking of saving the spirit stones to buy pills, so we didn't buy cloaks and masks to conceal our aura and cultivation level. We apologize for the trouble, senior."

After Le Shu and Song Yan left the black market, they were followed by the two members of the Greedy Passion Sect.

Song Yan was only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining and her old injuries had not yet healed. She was no match for the two male cultivators, so she deliberately destroyed her dantian, risking her own life to try and save Le Shu's life.

Le Shu was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Even with Song Yan's sacrifice, she couldn't outrun those two male cultivators. If she hadn't met Ruan Chayan and Luo Hanying, she probably would have lost her life.

"The two elders may think we sisters are foolish. Why don't we pretend to obey and take revenge later?"

Le Shu's face was deathly pale. She pointed to the blue flower ornament between her eyebrows and said, "It's because the cultivation techniques we practice require us to maintain our primordial yin. If we lose our primordial yin, our meridians will be severed, our dantian will be burned, and we will become a cripple."

Ruan Chayan comforted Le Shu for a few words, but she and Luo Hanying didn't know what else to say to ease Le Shu's pain.

Imagine if the two of them went through something like that, Ruan Chayan felt that she might break down for a long time, living in a daze, not knowing when she would be able to accept it;

Luo Hanying felt she might go mad, and without thinking twice, she impulsively self-destructed, making the two male cultivators pay with their lives.

The two helped Yue Shu out of the city through the west gate, and then rode their swords to a dense forest where they rested.

While Le Shu was meditating and refining pills to heal her injuries, Ruan Chayan and Luo Hanying were discussing what to do next.

"Where do we go next? We definitely can't stay in Yicheng. Where there are many people, there is bound to be trouble. We've already offended two groups at once."

Luo Hanying was sullen. ["I'd heard there were famous delicacies in the southern part of the city and I was thinking of trying them."]

Ruan Chayan patted Luo Hanying's head: "There will be other opportunities in the future. After we join the Shiren Sect and the storm has passed, we can come back to eat here."

What should we do with Yue Shu? Should we go with her?

Luo Hanying picked up a twig and poked it at the ground: [“Take it with you, you’re going to the Shiren Sect anyway. She’s so pitiful, she’s lost her only good friend, sigh—”]

Ruan Chayan nodded: "That's true."

"Then let's wander around here. I've heard there are several kinds of demonic beasts in Yi City; let's go see them."

Luo Hanying said, "Speaking of demonic beasts, I just remembered, how's your Sichuan peppercorn? It's been so long, why is there still no news?"

Ruan Chayan glanced at the spirit beast pouch a few more times and said, "I think it's almost done. It's currently encased in a water sphere."

I have a contract with it, and I can sense its current state; I estimate it will soon emerge to undergo its tribulation.

Luo Hanying nodded and said, "I hope the elixirs and defensive array plates we prepared can help that little thing."

You agree, right? 1127?

The mechanical voice of 1127 remained calm and composed: [“Please rest assured, both hosts, the items you have purchased were all derived from my analysis of information extracted from the tribulations of spirit beasts in this realm. They will definitely be helpful for the spirit beasts’ tribulations.”]

Ruan Chayan was right; a few days later, Huajiao indeed started squeaking and trying to come out of the spirit beast pouch.

Dark clouds were gathering faintly in the sky.

After emerging from the spirit beast pouch, Sichuan pepper returned to its original size, now appearing larger than before.

Luo Hanying quickly made a joke: "Your peppercorns are like a little pig, or a big rat."

Ruan Chayan glared at Luo Hanying speechlessly, then slapped Huajiao, who was pacing around anxiously and angrily: "Alright, alright, I was just praising your good looks. You're about to undergo tribulation, so run! You'll be finished if the heavenly lightning comes down in a moment!"