When Chen Ji heard Yu Ling's words, his jealousy faded.
The greater Junior Sister Yu's influence, the more Enlightenment Jade Slips she sold.
Recalling the grand spectacle of the sect competition his grandmaster had described, Chen Ji imagined spirit stones raining upon him and for the first time, he truly felt happy for Yu Ying.
Yu Ying wished she were deaf.
"No, I'm only at the second level of Qi Refining—how could I possibly participate in the sect competition?" she protested, holding onto Yu Ling's hand.
"This is against the rules!"
Seeing her cousin so moved she looked like she might cry, Yu Ling laughed. "I went to ask Uncle Gu personally, and he agreed!"
She patted Yu Ying's head with a warm smile
"With your cousin here, I'll do everything I can to help you break through before the competition… Even if you don't manage it, I'll find a protective magic weapon for you!"
Yu Ying: "…" I know your intentions are good, but.....
"Wouldn't that make Uncle Gu break the sect's rules for me? I can't put him in such an unfair position!" she protested.
"Even if I had a protective magic artifact to join the competition, my cultivation is too low. If I perform poorly, I'd still be expelled from the sect and that would be even more humiliating!"
"How could that be? You have always been diligent. There are plenty of people worse off than you," Chen Ji retorted, his expression clearly saying, I won't let you be so self-conscious.
"As long as you work harder than before, seek Uncle Gu's guidance, and master all the techniques until using them feels as natural as moving your own arms, you will definitely be able to fight beyond your limits!"
Yu Ying: "…" Fight to the death? You're trying to kill me!
Recalling the original owner's level of effort, Yu Ying shuddered. It was the kind of effort that made you want to die just hearing about it.
Yu Ling added, "I've now reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. I'll spar with you later."
Yu Ying protested, "But my spiritual root aptitude is still affected by the Myriad Lights Burning Soul Technique! I can't exert myself in cultivation!"
Yu Ling scoffed, a hint of pride in her expression.
"Then you have even less to worry about! With my current cultivation level, I can grow second-tier spiritual herbs. I can definitely get you a top-grade Breakthrough Pill before the competition!"
Yu Ying: "…" She wasn't worried—her heart felt numb.
Unable to refuse this "kind offer," Yu Ying lay back down again.
Whatever! If she didn't want to improve herself, how could anyone forcefully improve her?
After a short while, Yu Ying was calmed by the spirit stones Chen Ji offered her.
Five hundred people had made full-payment reservations. The cost was split among three people, generating a profit of six thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Yu Ling generously gave her share to her cousin. After deducting the 40% owed to Chen Ji, Yu Ying received 3,600 low-grade spirit stones.
She handed the jade slip to Chen Ji to make a copy, then tricked Yu Ling into leaving and ran down the mountain.
Being an exemplary person is hard—but being terrible is easy. As long as she performed poorly enough in the competition, no one could stop her from leaving the sect.
But before she departs… she might as well indulge in the pleasures of life first, lol~
This time, riding the red-crowned crane again, Yu Ying felt much more at ease.
She leaned against the crane's long neck, patted her thigh, and hummed a soft tune, blending with the natural music of the wind and rustling mountain forest. Her posture was dashing and unrestrained, like a female rogue who had just pulled off a successful heist.
Red-crowned crane in flight: …I swear, this two-legged creature always seems sickly. I hope it's not contagious~
Startled by Yu Ying's singing, the crane shot forward at incredible speed, reaching Yaoguang City in the time it took an incense stick to burn. Upon landing, it flapped its wing at Yu Ying and immediately ran off, all in one fluid motion.
Yu Ying staggered to her feet. When she looked up again, the red-crowned crane had shrunk to a tiny black dot against the sky.
"…"
Could it be that the Hongyun Goose had ruined her reputation?
In a flash of irritation, she touched her Qiankun bag and forced herself to smile.
Sigh, all the sugar daddies are bald, and I can't even handle a bit of gossip? That's too harsh, she thought, chuckling to herself.
Yu Ying continued humming a little tune as she entered the city with practiced ease. Before the phoenix-tailed sparrows could gather around, she greeted them first, her eyes shining.
"My darlings, have you missed me?"
The diligent phoenix muttered, Why is this two-legged creature so greasy? It makes me want to smack it with a wing.
The same phoenix that had advertised to Yu Ying last time was here as well.
It remembered only receiving nine low-grade spirit stones from Fengshan Restaurant and being scolded by Wang Xiaoer, who lectured it on how to tell a poor person from a fool.
The memory still made it angry.
It rolled its eyes at Yu Ying and chattered noisily with its companions.
Redfinches could speak human language, but for more impolite remarks, they naturally expressed themselves better in bird-speak.
"I remember her! Poor bastard! Bird liar! And she even molested the wind fox! Ugh! She's indecent, ignore her!"
Hearing this, the other finches thought, We can't mess with that scoundrel. We only sell our art, not our bodies, and immediately scattered.
Although Yu Ying couldn't understand bird language, she could clearly sense the emotions and it was obvious the birds were swearing very rudely.
When she was poor, she would occasionally wonder whether she was exceptionally bad.
Now… she was rich!
When have you ever heard of rich people reflecting on their behavior? Rich people are notoriously corrupt, and she was certainly no exception!
She chuckled and pulled ten stones from her Qiankun bag. Well, with my low cultivation level, I'd be an easy target for theft, she thought. So she took out three low-grade spirit stones and began tossing them around like a juggler.
"Well, since some of these phoenix-tailed sparrows don't want to earn money, I'll save the spirit stones to tip others. There must be more than just Phoenix Restaurant in Yaoguang City, right?"
Hmm? Many eyes lit up.
Although the city gate was dominated by high-level Qi Refining phoenix-tailed sparrows, a few low-level cultivators lingered nearby, making a living by collecting donations from tourists and acting as guides for first-time visitors to Yaoguang City.
When they heard about the spirit stones, everyone craned their necks to look at the three low-grade stones that had been tossed into a circle.
The phoenix-tailed sparrows didn't care about these spirit stones—they could earn that much in a few days!
Yu Ying glanced sideways, her eyes sparkling with mischief. As she tossed the spirit stones up and down, the ears of the cart-pulling Wind Fox perked up, its emerald pupils narrowing, and its white furry paws scratched at the ground, barely holding back from pouncing.
Cute… I want to pet it~
she ignored the restless cultivators around her and continued sighing in an exaggerated tone. "Oh dear~ i have spirit stones but can't spend them? I guess I'd better find somewhere else to use them"
Before she could finish, the wind foxe pulling the cart charged forward.
In an attempt to get ahead, it even secretly used its tail, imbued with wind spirit power, to attack the other tanuki.
While the phoenix hesitated, torn between caution and excitement, Yu Ying was instantly surrounded by large, chubby, meowing, and irresistibly adorable creature.
The finches: "…"
Damn it! If you're so capable meow! If you're so capable, speak like a human!
The first to curse, a phoenix-tailed sparrow, shoved aside its companions, suppressed the wind fox with its superior cultivation, and perched firmly on Yu Ying's shoulder.
Among spirit beasts, the strong command respect. The other phoenix-tailed birds, are used to being bullied by this one, chirped and watched the spectacle.
The cultivators who had wanted to rush forward saw Yu Ying surrounded by phoenix-tailed sparrows and wind foxes. Regretting missing out on such a fool… cough cough… the wealthier ones smacked their lips and turned away, choosing to avoid her altogether.
The sparrow settled on her shoulder. Its tail feathers immediately detected an even stronger surge of emotion than before, and it chirped anxiously:
"What did you say, fairy? Oh my god~ I was just momentarily stunned by your beauty and charm. I've missed you so much!"
It rubbed its furry little body repeatedly against Yu Ying's cheek.
"I won't let you belittle yourself. This silly cat only knows how to meow, unlike me. I feel so sorry for you I just wish I could take you to Fengshan Restaurant for a proper meal soon~"
Yu Ying: "…" Very good, tea-colored. This is exactly the kind of rich-person generosity she likes.
"I knew you cared about me, my darling. I missed you too, so I came to find you as soon as I had some money, didn't I?" She smiled and handed a low-grade spirit stone to the phoenix-tailed sparrow. She didn't play favorites, after stroking the charging wind fox, she gave it one as well.
Phoenix: "…" Well, this two-legged creature is too much.
"Haha… then I'll have Fengli take you there!"
With that, it used its advanced Qi Refining cultivation to flap its wings and—cough cough—gently place Yu Ying into the spirit beast carriage.
It sent a message to the Wind Fox: "Quickly! Quickly deliver this greasy human to Phoenix Cuisine Restaurant!"
Let this two-legged beast wreak havoc on Wang Xiaoer. It just so happened that Wang Xiaoer is on duty today.
A moment later....
Wang Xiaoer, the outer disciple of Fengshanlou working at the restaurant saw Yu Ying swaying as she stepped down from the spirit beast carriage. His expression turned particularly subtle.
Her confident gait—more confident than a crab's... The familiar demonic aura markings, and the sleazy yet rapid petting of the Wind Fox made his temples twitch with practiced ease.
He stepped forward, letting out a dry laugh:
"Immortal… cough cough, fellow Daoist, it's you! What are you doing here again?!"
Yu Ying handed the spirit stone she had been playing with to the Wind Fox and raised an eyebrow at Wang Xiaoer.
"What, does Phoenix Restaurant not welcome cultivators with low cultivation levels?"
Huh? Some passersby couldn't help but stop in their tracks at the remark… to join in the fun.
You can skip the food, but you absolutely must eat the melon—it's free!
Wang Xiaoer noticed the crowd craning their ears. His face darkened slightly, his smile stiffened, yet his actions became almost overly enthusiastic in contrast.
"Fellow Daoist, what are you saying? Everyone who enters is a guest. Phoenix Restaurant welcomes all living beings."
"Let's go!" Yu Ying proudly lifted her chin and strode inside. The aroma hit her immediately, so strong she almost choked.
She wondered why the rich in the apocalypse always looked down on others with such airs; it was exhausting. Feeling something was missing, she smacked her lips in regret and hurried upstairs.
Eating is the most important thing in the world; the happiness of the rich can wait!
Wang Xiaoer quickly stopped her. "Fellow Daoist, please wait. For your convenience after you finish eating, please dine on the first floor."
With the amount of spirit stones she will spend, going to the second floor would waste the spirit-gathering array's energy.
Yu Ying: "…" Do you really think it's funny to say something with a double meaning?
Phoenix Restaurant specialized in spiritual food, which satisfied the appetite and helped improve cultivation. Cultivators loved to come here, and both the first and second floors were fairly crowded.
Yu Ying was stopped. Seeing her still in the Yao Guang Sect robes, some cultivators laughed, while others on the second floor leaned out to look down.
A high-level rogue cultivator sneered, "Tsk~ As expected of a major sect. Even their outer disciples are clueless. They dare attempt the second level with such low cultivation?"
"Heh~ Brother Yun, don't be so absolute." The rogue cultivator's companion glanced at the Yao Guang Sect disciples on the second floor, whose faces were grim, and chuckled coldly.
"After all, they are disciples of the Yao Guang Sect. They can even snatch opportunities from others. Maybe they have more spirit stones than they can spend."
After all, this was Yaoguang City, and ordinary rogue cultivators usually avoided openly causing trouble out of respect for the Yao Guang Sect.
These two rogue cultivators had run into a high-level Qi Refining disciple of the Yao Guang Sect a few days ago and had their damaged secret realms robbed off them, leaving them in a bad mood.
The Yao Guang Sect disciples on the second floor were also quite powerful. Annoyed but unwilling to provoke them, the two rogue cultivators held back. Yu Ying, however, walked straight into their trap.
The Yao Guang Sect disciples, feeling mocked, were furious.
Of course, it wasn't directed at Yu Ying. Though they looked down on her clueless behavior, the Yao Guang Sect disciples couldn't stand outsiders mocking their fellow disciples. They were about to slam their fists on the table and yell back.
In the blink of an eye, amidst the tense atmosphere, Yu Ying grinned.
Here comes the missing element: this kind of idiot losing their mind in public is a luxury only rich people can enjoy!
What a coincidence! she has plenty of spirit stones to show off!