Chapter 384.2: Sisterly Affection, Deep as the Sea

Helan Province lay north of the Eastern Lands. Among the thirteen provinces of the Eastern Lands, it ranked in the lower-mid tier.

Qi Yuan stood atop a pavilion, leaning against the railing as his gaze swept over the cultivators passing below from time to time, contemplation evident in his eyes. Beside him, Jiang Lingsu held a communication jade slip, rapidly exchanging messages with someone. Judging from the situation, she seemed to be venting her frustrations.

After an unknown period of time, he stretched lazily. "I've been so diligent and hardworking."

From the moment he arrived in the province, he had been using his eyes to observe cultivators throughout the world every day. Every cultivator above Foundation Establishment bore a mark, and each day, his eyes would provide him with a new piece of information.

He felt fortunate. "Thankfully, I observe them from afar. If this were on a subway, I'd definitely get exposed online."

Otherwise, his relentless surveillance would have gotten him arrested and branded a creepy pervert who secretly took photos of strangers. Naturally, Qi Yuan was no such pervert. Though he peeped, he only examined the mark and not a single thing more. Despite examining so many marks during this period, his gains had been limited. Still, he had developed a few ideas and backup plans.

Jiang Lingsu noticed that Qi Yuan had stopped concentrating on the matter. "Senior Brother, how's it going?"

In truth, her urge to complain had already reached its limit, and she was simply waiting for him to finish his work. Though she didn't understand exactly what he was doing, she was willing to be a listener.

"I have two plans about dealing with the marks. The first is to use my Great Forgetfulness Sutra to preach to the marks every day until they forget that they're tainted. The second plan is somewhat cruel. Kill all the mark-bearers. Once they die, the marks naturally disappear. Then, I'll establish an underworld and revive them there. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Jiang Lingsu froze for a moment before staring at Qi Yuan seriously. "Senior Brother, did you really come up with these two plans yourself? Why don't they sound like something your brain would produce?"

"Ahem, I never plagiarize!" He defended himself. "Still, both plans carry tremendous risks. One slight mistake, and oof..."

She asked eagerly, "Senior Brother, are you still going to continue observing?"

"Nope, I am done. I've already finished examining all the cultivators in Helan Province. Time to rest."

Qi Yuan had not merely been observing cultivators within the city. Every cultivator in Helan Province above Foundation Establishment had already been peeped at by him.

She rolled her eyes. "Senior Brother, you're really good at bragging. You are even better than Qiong Yunting!"

Even if her senior brother had advanced to Violet Palace, there was no way he could inspect every cultivator in Helan Province with just a glance.

Qi Yuan then smirked. "What is your sister bragging about this time?"

During their days in Helan Province, the painter they sought had yet to return. Thus, Qi Yuan had been staying at one of the Jiang Clan's businesses in Helan Province. One of Jiang Lingsu's sisters had learned of her arrival and kept seeking her out to spend time together.

On the surface, it was simply socializing, but in reality, she was showing off how extraordinary her fiancé was. When she first saw Qi Yuan, Qiong Yunting's eyes had sparkled, assuming him to be Jiang Lingsu's beloved.

However, after hearing that Qi Yuan came from a tiny nation that didn't even possess a Violet Palace cultivator, her beaming gaze transformed into a contemptuous one. Even so, she continued visiting Jiang Lingsu daily, constantly flaunting her fiancé.

Jiang Lingsu shot back angrily, "What sister? Tsk! Her fiancé just emerged from seclusion after advancing into the Nascent Soul realm."

He asked in surprise, "Aren't you sisters? Weren't you getting along quite well before?"

He recalled their previous meeting. Qiong Yunting had praised Jiang Lingsu for eating so much while maintaining such a good figure, expressing envy since she herself had to diet constantly while managing her physique, just barely remaining under fifty kilograms despite all her efforts. Jiang Lingsu had also praised Qiong Yunting for being adorable and having exceptionally fair skin. The two had seemed to flatter each other harmoniously.

Jiang Lingsu snorted. "How was that harmonious? She's just a green tea bitch[1]!"

She had learned the term from him.

Qi Yuan didn't dwell on it. "Really?"

Thinking too much caused one's brain to grow, which was too exhausting.

Just then, Qiong Yunting’s soft, charming voice sounded. "Little Sister, I knew I'd find you here."

She approached, dressed in palace attire. "Oh my, that wine-red dress you're wearing suits you perfectly. It's just that you still look a bit immature. Once you grow older, you'll definitely look stunning!"

A gentle smile remained on Jiang Lingsu's face, though she was already transmitting a message to Qi Yuan through gritted teeth. "She's saying I'll look beautiful when I grow up. What she really means is that I'm not beautiful now and that I'm pretending to be mature!"

At the same time, she softly replied, "I can't compare to you, Elder Sister. Even at your age, you still look absolutely adorable. As for this dress, it's really not as amazing as you think. Besides, it's not like you could wear it anyway. If you did, it'd look like a little girl wearing an oversized coat.

"You probably wouldn't even be able to tell the front from the back! Elder Sister, I truly envy you. You never have to worry about dress sizes when shopping. Even the robes worn by rogue male cultivators would fit you perfectly!"

Briefly, almost imperceptibly, Qiong Yunting's smile stiffened. "Although my background isn't as prestigious as yours, I've been fortunate enough to find a good husband-to-be. Who cares about rogue cultivator robes? Actually, that's a me problem.

"I sometimes miss the days of poverty, when killing a rogue cultivator and finding a few dozen spirit stones in their storage bag would make me happy beyond measure. I envy the two of you, really. You can kill a rogue cultivator, open their storage bag, and remain happy for days. Sometimes, being wealthy isn't a blessing. So much joy disappears."

Jiang Lingsu was rolling her eyes internally. Qiong Yunting was clearly mocking her and Qi Yuan for being poor.

Nevertheless, Jiang Lingsu maintained her amicable smile while organizing her thoughts for a counterattack.

At that moment, Qi Yuan said, "I love killing rogue cultivators. They're all my enemies, my White Moonlight! Some ancient people once said, 'The departed are like this river, never ceasing day or night.' I hope my enemies can be just like that saying, dying day and night without rest, leaving all their accumulated wealth to me. Why? Because I’m broke. Haa... I can't even afford a piece of land."

Qiong Yunting was momentarily stunned. Though she hadn't understood much of what he said, she understood enough to look at him with contempt. People from tiny places truly lacked perspective.

"How many spirit stones do you lack, Junior Brother Qi? My fiancé's family resides in Cloud Heaven City. We can be considered moderately wealthy. Coming up with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of spirit stones wouldn't be a problem. For the sake of my many years of friendship with Lingsu, lending you some spirit stones wouldn't be an issue."

Qi Yuan's face lit up with delight. "Really?"

He genuinely lacked funds to buy Arch Star and land for the underworld.

"Perfect. My fiancé is hosting a Nascent Soul Banquet tonight. The two of you can simply prepare some gifts and offer a few flattering words. I'll whisper a few things in my fiancé's ear, and he'll surely lend you enough spirit stones. Given the friendship Lingsu and I have shared for so many years, would I ever deceive you?"

"The affection between you sisters truly runs deeper than the sea!" he exclaimed happily. "Well, I also have nothing better to do. Attending the Nascent Soul Banquet and borrowing some money sounds perfect."

Qiong Yunting became even more smug. When the time came, she and her fiancé could play the good cop and bad cop, casually tossing Qi Yuan a few thousand spirit stones to dismiss him.

"This Nascent Soul Banquet is one you absolutely must attend, Little Sister. Many important figures from Helan Province will be there. The Jiang Clan’s business operations in Helan Province are facing significant troubles right now. You're on the verge of being driven out entirely. If you manage to become acquainted with some powerful senior cultivators, you might just be able to resolve your clan's difficulties!"

1. Pick-me girl. ***E/N: Refers to a type of girl that is a bitch on the inside but pretends to be as pure as a green tea on the outside. ☜