Chapter 42: Moving the Bottle, Leaked News of the Secret Treasure

Ye Qingning thought about what she was about to say next. Naturally, she wouldn’t admit that her actions that night were intentional.

With a smile, she said, “No! Absolutely not! At that time, I genuinely didn’t know. To play the role of the second miss of the Yu family well, I had no choice but to say that so I wouldn’t expose myself.”

“It was when Uncle Jiang was seen by Lù Luó leaving the Yu residence and then showed me that disapproving look every time we met, that I guessed his identity.”

“Tonight, I wanted to ask Uncle Jiang for help. I have something to give him and would appreciate it if he could keep it for me for three days. I won’t tell anyone else, and Uncle Jiang, in order to keep an eye on me, would willingly pretend to be my servant in the secret realm.”

“I know Uncle Jiang is already annoyed with me, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want others to find out about this.”

The system, watching Ye Qingning’s actions as she held the storage bag, was taken aback. It didn’t expect her to be so clever.

Putting the Nine Turns Yin-Yang Bottle on the disciple monitoring the exam was a genius move. Even if someone could calculate that the Nine Turns Yin-Yang Bottle was in the Yu residence, who would think it would be with the monitoring disciple? No one would search the monitoring disciple’s body!

“Master, you’re such a schemer!” the system couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Now, even if someone knocks you out and searches your storage bag or the bottle, they won’t be able to identify you as an exam participant.”

“Ning Ning, you’re too clever! But what if that useless dog system doesn’t help?”

“Too bad you’re not familiar with Shen Xuanli; if you had him carry the bottle, no one would suspect a thing. You’d win this test for sure!”

Ye Qingning’s lips twitched. In her past life, the system kept praising Xie Jibai, but now it was only talking about the male protagonist.

Clearly, aside from the main character group, the system couldn’t see anyone else.

Jiang Shaoling stared at the storage bag in Ye Qingning’s hand, and after a moment, he remembered it was the same bag she had used to store spirit stones when he lent them to her.

As the exam monitor, he had indeed been outside the city tonight, even entering the underground crack, where he saw her take the Nine Turns Yin-Yang Bottle before a disciple named Lin Yue’er.

This storage bag undoubtedly contained the Nine Turns Yin-Yang Bottle.

“The exam rules clearly state that whoever holds the secret treasure must keep it until the final day to earn points. The points are doubled, but if someone else takes it, no points will be awarded.”

“You must know that your task now is to protect the treasure and not let anyone take it, not give it to me. Also, were you just threatening me?”

Ye Qingning shook her head. “How could that be a threat? Didn’t Uncle Jiang dislike me? I was only stating the truth!”

“If others know about our relationship in the secret realm, especially since you chose it yourself, there will surely be gossip. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to hear that. Just keep the treasure for me, and I promise not to tell anyone!”

Jiang Shaoling scoffed, “You know I’m the exam monitor and still want to give the treasure to me? Do you realize you’re cheating?”

Ye Qingning blinked, then silently took out her identity plate.

“That shouldn’t be the case! I’ve read the rules carefully, and there’s nothing about this!”

“Besides, this bottle is mine, and I brought it back to the Yu residence. I just thought of giving it to my ever-displeased servant to cheer him up. What’s wrong with that?”

“If he doesn’t like it, he can just return it to me after a few days. What’s the big deal? Where’s the cheating in that?”

“The rules only state that the one who takes the bottle must protect it until the end to earn points. There’s nothing about how to protect it, nor does it say you can’t give it to someone else. So, how am I cheating?”

“If anyone suspects you, Uncle Jiang, just hand over the bottle. They’re the ones who should have it. I’m not saying you can’t give it back if you’re suspected.”

“If I hadn’t figured out your identity and handed the bottle to you, wouldn’t you still have taken it?”

Jiang Shaoling was left speechless. He couldn’t refute her, as the rules didn’t specifically state what she was doing was wrong.

If she hadn’t revealed his identity and just handed the bottle to him, he would have had no choice but to accept it.

He hadn’t expected this frail, sickly girl to be so sharp-tongued.

The system, seeing that Jiang Shaoling hadn’t responded, was getting anxious. Could it be that this dog-like cultivator really didn’t want to help?

Just as the system was growing uncertain, Jiang Shaoling suddenly snatched the storage bag from her.

With a cold snort, he said, “I’ll keep it for you, but I’m not responsible for it. As long as someone suspects or traces it back to me, I’ll return the treasure immediately.”

“The exam is about fairness. Don’t think you can win just by being clever.”

After saying that, Jiang Shaoling turned and left, without even looking back at her, as though Ye Qingning was some sort of threat.

Once outside, he couldn’t help but grin in a smug manner. Help her protect the Nine Turns Yin-Yang Bottle? Not a chance.

If anyone suspected him, he’d just give it back. He had already planned to expose himself as a suspect, even if it meant he had to do so deliberately.

Ye Qingning saw that Jiang Shaoling had taken the storage bag and left. She simply said, “Uncle Jiang, take care,” and then carefully removed the soundproof talisman.

If her legitimate sister saw this, it would all be exposed.

“Master, when I saw Jiang Shaoling’s expression when he left, it didn’t look right. Do you think he’s deliberately trying to make others suspect him?”

“Of course he wouldn’t help willingly. He probably has something up his sleeve,” the system said. “It seems like he’s your old enemy from the previous life, and he’s clearly not going to play nice.”

Ye Qingning smirked. “If he’s going to cause trouble, that’s fine. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have him chop wood in the yard and make sure he doesn’t go anywhere. Let’s see what he tries to do.”

The system praised, “Just as expected, Master is a genius.”

“As for tonight? Will you take any action or just lay low?”

Ye Qingning thought for a moment. Laying low was definitely the best choice. After tonight’s events, it was likely that all the exam participants were up all night, searching for the bottle or investigating. Those skilled in divination might even try to calculate where it was.

As the saying goes, when the enemy moves, I stay still. Tonight, she would take a good rest and assess the situation tomorrow.

Unfortunately, after entering the secret realm, the spirit jade slip no longer worked. If she wanted to contact Bai Wei, she would have to wait until daytime.

…

That night, Ye Qingning slept soundly, unaware that outside, all the exam disciples were frantically searching for the bottle.

Yun Mengyao, a talisman master skilled in divination, had caught the eye of Elder Qiu from the outer sect. After the evil spirits outside the city were slain, the group had ventured into the underground cracks again, but they didn’t find the Nine Turns Yin-Yang Bottle on the Taoist’s body.

They realized that the bottle had already been taken by someone.

Knowing that the Taoist had likely touched the secret treasure, Yun Mengyao performed a divination and confirmed that the treasure was now at the Yu residence.

The other exam disciples couldn’t enter the underground cracks, and some were busy dealing with evil spirits. Now that the bottle was missing, the only ones who had access to the secret realm were disciples from the Immortal Sect, including Bai Wei. All the exam participants began suspecting the Yu residence.

Yun Mengyao, being clever, didn’t want to raise suspicions. She used a rare treasure that could dispel the city’s evil aura to justify the divination result, making it appear like the Nine Turns Yin-Yang Bottle was in the Yu residence.

As a result, all the exam disciples now knew that the bottle was in the Yu residence, and they couldn’t wait to search the place from top to bottom.