Chapter 46: The Refining Furnace (Part 1)

System: “Do you remember what happened last night?”
Xu Qianyu shook her head. “I don’t remember.”
System: Looking at the smile on your face, I think you’re lying to me.
Xu Qianyu smirked as she got dressed. She certainly had a vague memory: her “mother” came to see her last night.
However, she knew that it was just her imagination, so she treated it like a nice dream and didn’t want to tell anyone else about it.
Yet she had memorized every word her mother said about “spiritual roots” and “spiritual palaces.” As Xu Qianyu thought about this, doubt suddenly arose in her mind. It was impossible for her to imagine things she didn’t already know.
Could it be that a cultivator had visited her yesterday to give her some hints?
A figure flashed through her mind, but she dismissed it as unlikely.
She noticed the inner power books on the table, picked them up, and decided to seek her senior brother for clarification. It had been a long time since she last saw him, and she should occasionally make her presence known, lest he forget her before she entered the inner sect.
As she left, Xu Qianyu encountered a frail female cultivator lingering at the entrance. The moment she saw Xu Qianyu, her eyes filled with tension, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Xu Qianyu wondered, “Who is she? Why does it feel like she’s looking at me?”
System: “I don’t remember her; she doesn’t seem to be the main character. She should be just a passerby.”
Seeing that the female cultivator remained silent, Xu Qianyu ignored her. The female cultivator stared at her as she walked past, still too timid to speak.
The books were piled on Shen Suwei’s desk.
Shen Suwei picked one up and flipped through it. He saw that it was filled with dense circles and notes, just like the others, and he was surprisingly serious about it. He raised his eyes to Xu Qianyu. “Do you want some answers?”

Xu Qianyu nodded.
However, she noticed that Shen Suwei didn’t seem inclined to answer her. He closed the book and set it aside on the desk.
What a pity; these questions were no longer important.
Shen Suwei arranged the books neatly.
It was all because a tree had grown in the spirit pool.
Xu Qianyu couldn’t help but ask, “Shen Shixiong, have you been busy lately?”
She had too many questions, and answering them wouldn’t be quick. In her previous life, her senior brother had been bogged down with numerous tasks and often had to leave, so it was normal that he didn’t have time to explain everything to her.
Shen Suwei acknowledged her question and said, “The books are with me. I will annotate them for you later.”
Xu Qianyu felt guilty. “Then… you can annotate them when you’re not busy.”
Shen Suwei said, “Before I return them to you, stop cultivating your internal power to avoid making mistakes.”
He looked up and saw the troubled expression on Xu Qianyu’s face. “Stop cultivating?”
What, was the true Master Uncle being so strict?
Disciples shouldn’t question their elders, but he genuinely didn’t understand. If it was so strict, why only start teaching from the third lesson, causing people to build their foundations incorrectly without noticing it for so long?
“What’s wrong?” Shen Suwei looked at her. His eyes had a subtle elegance, slightly upturned at the corners. He usually didn’t gaze directly at people, but now he was unyielding, his gaze sharp like a sword’s light, expressionless, and somewhat intimidating.
Xu Qianyu met his gaze for a moment, then gritted her teeth. “Alright.”
Shen Suwei replied, “Good.” He lowered his gaze, allowing her to take her leave.
On her way back, Xu Qianyu encountered that strange female cultivator staring at her again, her gaze filled with expectation and anxiety. Xu Qianyu glanced at her and walked past like a gust of wind.
“Wait a minute.”
As expected, the female cultivator called out to her. Xu Qianyu turned around.
The female cultivator rushed in front of her, clutching the hem of her dress, cold sweat dripping down as she trembled. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and spilled everything out: “Senior Sister Xu, my name is Yu Chu, and I am also an outer sect disciple. I heard that… that you and Chen Duo are at odds, and he is also my enemy. I am willing to throw all my possessions to you and serve you!”
After saying this, she lifted her chin, looking at her with a fearless expression.
“…” Xu Qianyu, who was initially curious, suddenly felt her expression darken.
She thought this female cultivator was attracted to her charm, but who would have thought it was for this reason? In such a large Penglai, not a single person liked her or proactively wanted to be her friend.
“Possessions? What do you have that I would want?” Yu Chu, seeing Xu Qianyu’s gloomy expression, crossed her arms and sneered, “I have no shortage of friends; I only lack a servant to serve me.”
Everyone is from the same sect; this remark is said in a lofty manner and is quite insulting. Seeing Yu Chu’s surprised expression, tears welling in her eyes, Xu Qianyu sneered, turned around, and left.
However, Yu Chu shouted from behind, “I can do it!”
Isn’t it just being a maid? Maids won’t be like her in the past, getting punched and kicked at will.
Xu Qianyu ignored her and went straight into the room, walking up to Wuzhen.
The young man opened his eyes to look at her. Before he could speak to encourage her to study, Xu Qianyu mustered her courage and directly turned off the dream shadow tube.
She let out a sigh of relief and bowed towards the dream shadow tube, saying, “I’m sorry, Master Uncle. Once I receive Brother’s guidance, I will definitely practice diligently.”
In the past few days, Xu Qianyu had neither practiced internal skills nor wanted to go to the arena, so she had a lot of free time to ponder how to do business.

The system watched her every day as she carried small boxes and bottles, mysteriously collecting various flower petals, dewdrops, catching butterflies, and sorting through the treasures she brought from the mortal realm, unsure of what she was up to.
At this time, Yu Chu was also at home researching how to be a good maid.
Based on her scant memories from when she was at home, maids would be inseparable from the young ladies, serving them in meals and living quarters, responsible for remembering all the trivial matters of the young ladies and reminding them when necessary.
The next morning, she appeared outside Xu Qianyu’s pavilion. As it neared school time and Xu Qianyu’s windows were still tightly shut, she couldn’t help but worry. After rehearsing three times, she finally knocked on the window with her eyes closed on the fourth try, bravely calling out, “Miss, are you awake?”
The window opened.
Xu Qianyu, with her hair down and a very gloomy expression, swept her cold, dominant black eyes over her face and shouted, “What are you doing, shouting here? You’re being so loud; get out!”
The window slammed shut, leaving Yu Chu with her hand still raised, trembling all over.
Xu Qianyu’s scolding was fierce and intimidating, making one feel frightened and unable to help but question themselves.
Yu Chu dared not recall the scene just now, only thinking in despair: It’s over; she has completely offended Xu Qianyu.
She had already irritated Chen Duo, and now she had also offended Xu Qianyu. The latter was someone who could grab Chen Duo by the collar and beat him up, and when she got fierce, she was even worse than Chen Duo. With attacks coming from both sides, did she still have a way out?
She wanted to leave but couldn’t move; her legs went weak, and she kneeled down in the yard, her face pale and trembling.

A quarter of an hour later, Xu Qianyu hurriedly got up to wash and dress, and as soon as she stepped outside, she was startled to see someone kneeling at her door, crying desperately, and exclaimed in surprise, “Who is this?”
The system replied, “…It’s Yu Chu. Don’t you remember? You shouted at her when you pushed the window open this morning.”
Xu Qianyu walked up to her, bent down, and grabbed her collar, lifting her up.
Yu Chu’s already large eyes looked even more pitiful with tears in them, resembling a rabbit waiting to be slaughtered. She looked fearfully at Xu Qianyu and closed her eyes for a moment, but there were no fists hitting her face.
Xu Qianyu released her, crossed her arms, and murmured in confusion, “You’re at the ninth level of Qi refining.” You’re even a level higher than me. Why are you so scared?”
Just now, she had touched Yu Chu’s neck and discovered her cultivation level.
Yu Chu opened her eyes in surprise, only to receive another reprimand from Xu Qianyu: “Explain yourself. I didn’t make things difficult for you. Why were you kneeling outside someone’s door so early in the morning?”
“It’s not—it’s not you.” Yu Chu quickly waved her hands, knowing that if others saw her, it would lead to misunderstandings. Xu Qianyu had every right to be angry. “It’s me; my legs went weak.”
Xu Qianyu usually woke up late, and hearing her stammer like this made her worried about being late, so she abandoned her and hurried towards the schoolyard. Yu Chu was taken aback; Xu Qianyu was not thinking what she thought, and she rushed after her, “Miss, Miss…”
Xu Qianyu did not turn back. Seeing Yu Chu catch up, she said coldly, “Don’t come early in the morning to call me. I can be very rude when I’m not awake.”
Yu Chu followed her hurried steps, nodding in a daze.
After a moment, she realized: Was she just explaining herself to her?
Yu Chu then remembered that she had also brought a small gift to please Xu Qianyu, so she held up the box of pastries, saying, “Miss, this is the pastry I made.”
Xu Qianyu glanced at it and did not take it.
Yu Chu suddenly understood. As a maid, how could she let her mistress carry things? So she packed the pastries neatly. Moments later, Xu Qianyu’s book bag was also in her hands.
She followed her all the way to the classroom, and just before Xu Qianyu sat down, she quickly pulled out a prepared handkerchief and wiped the jade stool for her.
The people around looked at them in surprise and showed disdain towards her. Yu Chu paused, her face burning. However, having already committed, she steeled her heart and said loudly, “Miss, please sit.”
She thought that by humbling herself in front of everyone and giving Xu Qianyu a face, she would please her. However, Xu Qianyu looked at her with disdain, crossed her arms, and sat down without acknowledging her.

Feeling anxious, Yu Chu sat next to her, her face pale as she reflected on her words and actions.
Noticing someone beside her, Xu Qianyu glanced over.
Because of her arrogant demeanor, she had long been alone, and no one dared to sit next to her; Yu Chu was the first.
At noon, Yu Chu once again dutifully opened the box of pastries and pushed it into the center. Although Xu Qianyu might not appreciate it, it was all she could offer, and she wanted to make a positive impression.
The pastries were golden and soft, shaped like plum blossoms and neatly arranged in the wooden box, emitting a fragrant warmth.
Their appearance was indeed not bad. Xu Qianyu took a glance and felt hungry, so she took one and put it in her mouth.
Yu Chu’s heart raced. Seeing the young lady eat one, she remained expressionless, neither saying it was good nor bad.
But Xu Qianyu finished that one and grabbed another.
Moments later, she ate another one.
Yu Chu pinched her own hand, forcing herself not to show too much joy. Xu Qianyu had already proven through her actions that her pastries were valuable, and she too was valuable.
Xu Qianyu tasted a row of dishes and arrogantly commented, “You should add some mint leaves.”
Yu Chu exclaimed, “I’ll add them tomorrow.”
Without changing her expression, Xu Qianyu continued, “Raspberries, honeysuckle…”
Yu Chu quickly took out a notebook and wrote them down one by one.
Yu Chu secretly observed Xu Qianyu. On the page behind “raspberries,” she noted some characteristics of the young lady. During class, Xu Qianyu was quite focused, staring straight ahead and not speaking much. When she did contribute, her comments were meaningful and well-reasoned, unlike Chen Duo and those pretentious show-offs.

While taking notes, Xu Qianyu caught sight of a hair, casting a shadow on her book, which left her speechless. Every time Yu Chu subtly turned her head, the shadow of her tousled hair swayed, making it seem like she was unaware.
Thinking of Yu Chu, she not only had her hair in a messy bun but also wore her disciple’s uniform quite casually with mismatched buttons and uneven lengths. When she first saw Yu Chu kneeling outside in the morning, she thought it was a beggar collecting scraps.
She had truly never seen anyone so incapable of taking care of themselves.
Later that evening, after Yu Chu helped her carry the book bag back to the door, Xu Qianyu grabbed both the bag and her arm, pulling her into the room and closing the door behind them. “Come in.”
Yu Chu shivered as she looked around the dark room.
In her childhood, she had seen many mistresses who appeared kind and forgiving on the surface, but behind closed doors, they would stab their maidservants’ fingers with silver hairpins. On days when they were in a bad mood, no maidservant had unblemished skin on their hands.
She swallowed hard. In the mirror, Xu Qianyu’s face was shrouded in shadows, making her emotions indistinguishable, giving her an eerie presence.
“Your hair is too messy,” Xu Qianyu coldly glanced at her in the mirror and immediately unleashed her frustration. “Being my maidservant will embarrass me.”
“Miss…”
Xu Qianyu tugged at her hair, causing Yu Chu to shut her eyes. After a moment, she opened them again: although the action was somewhat rough, Xu Qianyu merely loosened her bun. She then picked up a comb and, not very skillfully, helped to smooth out Yu Chu’s tangled hair.
But after just two strokes, she tossed the comb aside in annoyance, the sound of it hitting the dressing table startling Yu Chu.

The young lady was indeed unpredictable.
“Get up,” Xu Qianyu said as she pulled Yu Chu up. She then sat in front of the mirror and dismantled her own bun.
Not only could she do that style, but Yu Chu also realized that Xu Qianyu could only style her own hair and not anyone else’s.
Yu Chu stood aside, watching as the young lady let her hair down and then slowly styled it back up again. She glanced sideways and asked, “Did you learn how to do it?”
“I learned!” Yu Chu dared not say otherwise.
“From now on, style your hair like this. Understand?”
After a while, the mirror reflected two girls with spiral buns—one proud and the other timid. In the dim candlelight, they resembled a big fox with a little fox in tow.
Yu Chu stared at her reflection in the mirror. She usually wore her hair casually, with a flat bun that drooped on both sides, lacking energy. Now, her bun was perked up and smoothed with water, highlighting her delicate features. The person in the mirror looked less like her and more like someone she didn’t quite recognize.
However, changing her hairstyle was good; it symbolized a break from her past self.
Yu Chu was startled again when Xu Qianyu casually grabbed two seemingly expensive golden hairpins and inserted them into her hair. When she struggled, Xu Qianyu frowned and said, “Stop fiddling.”
Yu Chu dared not move.
After a moment, she looked at her reflection again, adorned with many accessories that shimmered, and she felt as if she had really picked up some of Xu Qianyu’s essence.
Suddenly, she felt a bit more at ease and even dared to smile awkwardly before quickly retracting it. With this new appearance, she felt as if she had absorbed a little of the young lady’s courage.