Le Gui groaned inwardly and waited for the Seer Mirror to give her instructions, but at that moment, it suddenly went silent.

“Mirror? Mirror?!”

No response. A chill ran down her spine, and she hurriedly tried to dodge, but she was a fraction too slow. The sword grazed her calf, leaving a bleeding wound.

Seeing that he had finally managed to injure her, the chubby young man’s spirits soared. He prepared to strike again. Le Gui’s leg was injured, making it difficult to move. She dodged once but couldn’t avoid the next attack. Watching the sword close in, she fell into complete despair.

Just when she thought she was doomed, the Seer Mirror suddenly shouted, “Now! Form a hand seal—any hand seal!”

[Hand seal? What kind of hand seal? I’ve never done that in my life!]

As the sword came at her, a spark of inspiration struck Le Gui. Mimicking the elegant hand gesture the chubby young man had used in his first attack, she pointed at him. A tiny spark of spiritual energy shot from her fingertip, heading straight for his forehead.

Completely unprepared for her sudden counterattack—especially one aimed directly at his spiritual core—the chubby young man panicked and stumbled backward. With a loud thud, he fell off the platform.

The entire audience: “…”

So… he lost just like that?

Silence filled the arena.

The wind howled through the air as the chubby young man clambered back onto the platform, his face flushed with anger. “I refuse to accept this! She ambushed me!”

“Friend, we’re in a fight. If I don’t ambush you, what should I do? Kiss you instead?” Le Gui shot back.

The chubby boy’s face instantly turned red. “You, you, you can’t even climb back onto the dueling platform. How could you possibly have defeated me? Did you secretly use a magic artifact again?”

“I was conserving my strength, so I didn’t use my spiritual power to get back on stage. As for whether I used an artifact, aren’t you from the Lianqi Sect? If I had used one, wouldn’t you know?” Le Gui said. Seeing that he still wanted to argue, she immediately looked up at the spectator’s platform. “Sect Master of the Lianqi Sect, tell me, did I use an artifact?”

Has this mortal gone mad? She actually dared to directly question the Sect Master of the Lianqi Sect?

As the onlookers were still in shock at her audacity, Zhao Wuyou suddenly laughed. “She truly is fearless. Sect Master Yang, what do you think? Did she use an artifact?”

Sect Master Yang gazed at Le Gui with a blank expression.

[…He’s the Sect Master, after all. He must be sharp. Will he actually see that I used the Seer Mirror?]

Le Gui was actually extremely nervous, but the first rule of survival was to never admit guilt when questioned by authority, whether or not you were actually guilty.

Sect Master Yang stared at her for a long moment before finally speaking in a cold voice. “A true fighter honors their bet. Stop embarrassing yourself.”

The chubby boy’s face turned even redder. Reluctantly, he cupped his hands in acknowledgment. “Understood.”

[…That’s it? I actually got away with it?]

Le Gui watched as the chubby boy turned and jumped down from the platform, still struggling to process what had just happened.

“How boring. She actually managed to scrape through two rounds of the trial.”

“Just luck. She relied on the fact that the Lianqi Sect’s top disciple wouldn’t seriously harm a mere mortal. She pretended to have no cultivation, then struck at just the right moment, catching her opponent off guard and causing him to fall. If not for that, how could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator defeat a Golden Core cultivator?”

“There’s still a third match. No way her luck will hold forever.”

The people below deliberately raised their voices, making sure Le Gui could hear them. On the spectator’s platform, Yaoyao lifted her gaze to look at Le Gui, who stood alone on the dueling stage. For some reason, she looked rather lonely and pitiful.

Le Gui, the “lonely and pitiful” one, muttered softly, “What’s going on? Why did I suddenly reach Foundation Establishment?”

“What do you think?” The Seer Mirror replied lazily.

Le Gui guessed, “Because I’m exceptionally talented?”

The Seer Mirror: “…” She had seen shameless people before, but none quite this shameless.

“I knew it. Someone like me—wearing a floral dress—is obviously favored by the heavens!” Le Gui was elated.

The Seer Mirror: “…You’re delusional. I merely created an illusion to make better use of spiritual energy. You are still a waste of space.”

“If it’s just an illusion, wouldn’t the people on the spectator’s platform have seen through it?” Le Gui was still in denial.

The Seer Mirror scoffed. “Have you forgotten who I am? I am the Seer Mirror. I know everything. Creating an illusion that fools others is nothing to me. I am…”

It suddenly stopped speaking.

“What?” Le Gui asked.

Before she could get an answer, she felt the mirror in her arms growing hotter.

She was losing control again…

Alarmed, Le Gui was about to try and calm it down when the Seer Mirror’s voice became hoarse and trembling. “Southeast… I sense his presence…”

Le Gui instinctively turned her head and saw an old man standing there.

The second trial had not yet concluded, and the crowd around the dueling platform had only grown. Everyone was excitedly discussing their favored contestants. Only that old man remained silent, standing atop a rock in the southeast, looking completely out of place—like a lost soul.

The moment he noticed Le Gui’s gaze, he turned and left.

“Follow him!” The Seer Mirror shouted.

Le Gui flinched. “Calm down. I don’t even know who he is. What’s the point of chasing him? Why don’t we find His Lordship first—”

“If you take me after him, I will exhaust all my power to ensure you win the next match!” The Seer Mirror interrupted urgently. Under normal circumstances, it could simply control Le Gui’s body and chase after the old man itself, but with so many eyes watching, prolonged control would be too conspicuous.

High risk, high reward. Le Gui was about to refuse when the Seer Mirror spoke faster and faster. “Your next match should be handled by the master, but his cultivation is damaged. He might not be able to help you. But I can. If I act, victory is certain. Think carefully. Only by winning first place can you become queen. If you miss this opportunity, who knows when the master will grant you the position again?”

High risk also meant high temptation. Le Gui was already wavering when the Seer Mirror played its final card. “If you don’t help me chase him, forget about ever getting Wuliangdu!”

Le Gui: “…”

She had no idea how the mirror knew she wanted Wuliangdu, but when it came to negotiations, she had a clear rule: offering her benefits might not work, but threatening her…

Without hesitation, she turned and leaped off the two-meter-high dueling platform, sprinting in the direction the old man had gone.

The next match had already begun, and the crowd’s attention was back on the stage. No one noticed as Le Gui slipped away through the sea of people.

“Go east.”

“Turn at the next intersection.”

“Keep going straight.”

The Seer Mirror had turned into an impatient navigation device, giving her rapid instructions. Le Gui ran farther and farther, soon leaving the bustling crowd behind.

“…Are we there yet?” The mirror was growing hotter and hotter. Finally, Le Gui pulled it out from her robes.

Inside the mirror, dark energy was almost completely black, and the Seer Mirror was barely holding onto its sanity. Suddenly, it spoke. “We’re here.”

Le Gui looked at the empty ground in front of her, confused. She was about to say there was nothing there when she took another step forward.

In that instant, the scene around her melted away like water. The empty land vanished, revealing a hidden residence.

And with the Seer Mirror in hand, she stood right at the entrance.

Le Gui stared at the wooden door in front of her for a long time before finally gathering the courage to knock.

“Who is it?” came an old man’s voice from inside the courtyard.

Clearing her throat, Le Gui replied, “Greetings, I am Juzi, a disciple of Hehuan Sect.”

There was some rustling inside, then the old man opened the door and looked at her in confusion. “Is there something you need?”

Le Gui forced a smile and secretly nudged the mirror in her hand.

“It’s not him,” the Seer Mirror said with a trace of disappointment.

[Not him? And then what? Sister, don’t just go silent! What am I supposed to say now?!]

The silence stretched awkwardly. The old man frowned in confusion. “Young friend?”

Le Gui let out an awkward laugh. The old man’s gaze lingered on the mirror in her hands for a moment before his expression grew even more peculiar. “That mirror of yours looks quite special. Is there something remarkable about it?”

“Even though he’s not the one, his aura is very similar. Ask him if he knows a young couple, around thirty years old, who always speak softly and gently,” the mirror instructed hurriedly.

Le Gui immediately repeated the question. “Elder, do you happen to know a young couple, about thirty years old, who speak in a soft and gentle manner?”

The old man paused, then said, “You must be talking about my masters.”

“Masters?” Le Gui was taken aback.

The old man nodded. “Yes, my masters.”

“Ask him where they are now!” The Seer Mirror grew excited.

Le Gui obediently relayed the question.

The old man replied, “They should be on their way here, arriving in about two or three days. May I ask why you are looking for them?”

“Oh, it’s nothing too important,” Le Gui quickly made something up. “I just felt that your aura reminded me of a couple I know, so I thought you might be acquainted.”

“So you are friends of my masters,” the old man said respectfully, bowing deeply. “I was once just a humble woodcutter, but my masters took pity on me and taught me how to cultivate. Since then, I have stayed by their side as their steward. Perhaps you sensed a similarity because my cultivation method is the same as theirs.”

“I see…” The Seer Mirror murmured softly.

Le Gui nodded in understanding and exchanged a few more words with the old man. Just as she was about to leave, a sweet and tangy aroma drifted out from the courtyard.

“It’s freshly steamed plum cakes,” the old man explained with a smile. “My masters love them, so I learned how to make some. Would you like to come in and have a taste?”

“Plum cakes… Even after all these years, their tastes haven’t changed,” the Seer Mirror murmured again.

Ignoring the mirror, Le Gui forced a polite laugh and declined the old man’s offer. She quickly left, only relaxing once she reached a crowded area.

“Their plum cakes were always the sweetest,” the Seer Mirror said dully. “You should have asked for a box.” After a pause, it corrected itself. “Oh, but these were made by the steward. Even if the recipe is the same, I doubt the taste will be.”

“Why?” Le Gui asked curiously.

The Seer Mirror replied, “They liked to infuse a bit of their spiritual energy after steaming the cakes. Spiritual energy varies from person to person, so the flavor would never be quite the same.”

That sounded a bit superstitious. Just as Le Gui was about to ask who exactly “they” were, she looked up and saw the plaque of the Dengtian Pavilion hanging above her.

Hmm… Dengtian Pavilion?

Blinking, Le Gui immediately sneaked inside.

Since her last dance performance, she hadn’t set foot here. Most of the sect’s disciples were still at the competition platform for the trials, leaving the pavilion completely deserted. Le Gui easily slipped deeper inside.

Sure enough, Di Jiang was reclining on a soft couch in the main hall, taking a nap. Le Gui tiptoed closer, planning to startle him, but before she could make a move, he spoke without opening his eyes. “Sneaking around again? What are you up to this time?”

Her plan backfired. Startled instead, Le Gui stumbled backward and landed on the floor. When she looked up, Di Jiang had already sat up. He casually reached out and pinched her chin. “Tsk, injured again.”

Le Gui blinked in confusion. Only then did she remember the wounds she had sustained during the match. As the pain finally registered, she was about to cry out when Di Jiang tapped her lightly. In an instant, her wounds were healed.

Now that she was fully recovered, Le Gui beamed. “Your Lordship, I won again!”

“Hmm.” Di Jiang seemed unsurprised.

His lack of enthusiasm dissatisfied Le Gui. “I worked so hard to win, and that’s all I get?”

“What do you expect?” Di Jiang gazed at her lazily. “Should I kill someone in your honor?”

[He actually sounds like he might do it…]

Le Gui cleared her throat. “…At the very least, you should give me a reward.”

“What kind of reward?” Di Jiang leaned back comfortably, half-lidding his eyes as he watched her.

Le Gui got up and scooted closer. “Anything I want?”

Di Jiang didn’t answer, only continued looking at her in silence.

“…I want nothing at all,” Le Gui declared solemnly. “To serve Your Lordship is the greatest blessing of my past three lifetimes.”

Di Jiang raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want nothing?”

[Hah, very funny. If I ask, will you actually give it to me? What if I say I want you to kiss me—would you really do it?]

Le Gui blinked. Just as she was about to say something, Di Jiang cupped her chin and placed a fleeting kiss on her lips.