When Jian Huan returned to the small hillside, she almost couldn’t recognize it.


    A cobblestone path stretched from the foot of the hill, winding its way up to three elegantly crafted houses. Wooden fences lined both sides of the path, enclosing a wild yet vibrant garden filled with flowers and nts. It was a bit messy, but it exuded a sense of untamed vitality.


    Before her seclusion, Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi had tested the soil on the hillside and found it unsuitable for growing spirit nts. Only the area near the first-grade spirit tree, which benefited from the Earth Fruit Spirit’s influence, showed some promise. However, since the Earth Fruit Spirit needed to bear fruit, it would be counterproductive to use it for cultivating spirit nts. To continue growing spirit nts, they would have to modify the soil, which would require a significant investment, so they abandoned the idea.


    The thriving flowers and nts now growing were the kindmonly found in ordinary households. Jian Huan crouched by the fence, carefully examining them, and recognized a few rose bushes and even some watermelon leaves.


    As a child, she had nted watermelon seeds in front of her home, and vines had eventually grown. That’s how she knew what they looked like. Shen Jizhi must have picked up seeds or even dug up a few nts while descending the hill, casually tossing them here and letting them grow freely. The soil, unsuitable for spirit nts, was a fertile haven for these ordinary nts, allowing them to flourish.


    Admittedly, it looked quite beautiful.


    Satisfied, Jian Huan stood up, sped her hands behind her back, and ascended the stone steps toward the three houses, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Shen Jizhi’s taste and craftsmanship were, as always, reliable.


    However—


    She nced at the stone steps beneath her feet, puzzled.


    Why had he built these steps? If they were to construct a wall along the central line dividing the east and west sidester, what would happen to these steps? Wouldn’t they have to be demolished?


    Had he gotten carried away with building, prioritizing the current aesthetic and coherence while forgetting about the future wall?


    Unfortunately, Shen Jizhi wasn’t here, so Jian Huan couldn’t question him.


    Besides, the steps were already built. What could she say? She’d just have to wait until they had the money and energy to make adjustmentster.


    Well, he’d have to pay for the demolition of the steps.


    Her design blueprint hadn’t included these steps.


    With a soft thud, Jian Huan spread her arms and fell backward, instantly enveloped by the firm yet soft embrace of the bed.


    The feeling waspletely different from the rickety little bed in the previous wooden hut!


    That old bed would creak and groan with every turn, as if it might copse at any moment.


    And the bedboard was rock hard.


    She loved her new bed! It was worth all the times she had emphasized to Shen Jizhi before her seclusion that if they ran short on spirit coins, they could skimp on other furniture, but the bed was non-negotiable!


    “Human, you’ve emerged from seclusion?” A green stick figure poked its head through the window, surprised.


    The first-grade spirit tree stood behind the house, now lush and full, with a few leafy branches hanging by the window, casting a cool shade.


    Jian Huan quickly sat up, hugging the smooth silk quilt. “Fruit! I was just about to look for you. How long was I in seclusion?”


    The stick figure looked confused. “Why are you asking me? I don’t keep track of human years and months. You humans…”


    Jian Huan: “…”


    Not wanting to listen to the Earth Fruit Spirit’s lecture about how human time was fleetingpared to the lifespan of natural treasures, Jian Huan interrupted with a nk expression, “How many fruits have you borne since I went into seclusion?”


    This time, the stick figure knew the answer. Its tiny green arms split into two thinner strands, raising them high with pride. “Two!”


    Hmm, the Earth Fruit Spirit bore one fruit per year, so it had been two years.


    Jian Huan had one fruit, which Shen Jizhi had delivered to her cave.


    She guessed he had sold his.


    Otherwise, how could he have paid off so much debt in just two years?


    Although, as the twenty-first in line, she was finally approaching the day when Shen Jizhi would repay his debt, filling her with excitement and anticipation.


    Still, thinking about how he had managed to earn so much alone during her two-year seclusion made her a little envious.


    She needed to step up her game too.


    Mentioning the Earth Fruit, the stick figure nced at Jian Huan, then at the wall.


    There, Shen Jizhi had hidden…


    Never mind, it couldn’t say.


    Shen Jizhi had forced it to swear never to tell Jian Huan. The consequence of breaking that oath was being split in two.


    What a shameless human!


    After the Earth Fruit Spirit left, Jian Huan lounged contentedly on her new bed for a while before getting up as the sun began to set.


    Before her seclusion, she had lent the Xuantian Mirror to Shen Jizhi.


    After all, Shen Jizhi had also contributed to the purchase of the mirror.


    Now, without the Xuantian Mirror, she was unclear about what had happened during the past two years. She needed to ask Jiang Mian and the others for updates.


    Additionally, she had to inform Elder Yuqing and learn more about the responsibilities of an inner disciple.


    Jian Huan vaguely remembered that to advance from an inner disciple to a sect elder, besides reaching the Nascent Soul stage in cultivation, there were also task requirements.


    Opportunities to benefit from the Jade rity Sect were limited. One was the 100,000 spirit coins awarded to the top performer in the entrancepetition, and the other was the grand residence gifted by the sect when one became an elder.


    Now that her living conditions had improved, Jian Huan still had over 100,000 spirit coins in savings.


    Earning money was still important, but she also needed to focus on her career.


    Being a Jade rity Sect elder was equivalent to holding a tenured position at a prestigious university like Tsinghua. Not only would she receive a free residence, but she’d also get a monthly stipend.


    Jian Huan was determined to secure this “iron rice bowl.”


    After bing an elder, she could aim for a peak lord position, which would be even better.


    During her stay at the Medicine King Peak infirmary, Jian Huan had learned that the Jade rity Sect’s peak lords were all quite wealthy. However, perhaps because they had been poor as disciples in their youth, they were all a bit stingy.


    Each peak would always seek funds from the sect rather than spending their own.


    For example, Niu Zizhao’s Yue Mountain Peak was said to have a peak lord whose storage pouch was filled with countless spirit stones. Yet, he preferred to live in an old hall rather than spend his own money on repairs, and he would visit the sect leader monthly for tea and conversation.


    As Jian Huan contemted her future ns, she stepped out of her room. Her gaze fell on Shen Jizhi’s room, and she paused.


    As the owner of 100,000 spirit coins, it wasn’t too much for her to inspect his furniture to see if he had cut corners, right?


    “Hmm, not too much,” Jian Huan muttered to herself, turning toward his room.


    With a soft creak, the door opened.


    Jian Huan looked around the room and was slightly taken aback.


    Shen Jizhi’s room was unusually sparse, with only a desk and a chair by the window.


    On the floor, neatly stacked piles of books reached from the ground to the ceiling: sword manuals, alchemy guides, herb encyclopedias, talisman books…


    He hadn’t even bothered with a bookshelf.


    Opposite the books hung a painting—a self-portrait of Fang Quan taken from the treasure hall.


    And his bed was still the same rickety little bed from the wooden hut where Jian Huan had slept.


    On the desk were a few books and the Xuantian Mirror.


    The Xuantian Mirror!


    Jian Huan’s eyes lit up, and she instantly appeared at the desk, picking it up. Sure enough, it was the one she had lent him!


    Under the mirror was a note.


    Jian Huan looked down and read:


    [I sensed you’d be emerging from seclusion soon, so I’m returning the Xuantian Mirror. I have some personal matters to investigate. Don’t look for me; I’ll repay the spirit coins once I’ve earned them.]


    The setting sun cast a warm glow through the window, bathing the room and the young woman in golden light.


    Her brows, like crescent moons, furrowed slightly as Jian Huan pondered.


    What personal matters did he need to investigate? Could it be rted to his descent into demonhood as described in the original story?


    And what did he mean by “don’t look for me”? Was he implying that she would seek him out?


    Wait, no.


    Jian Huan thought for a moment.


    He didn’t want her to track him down and pressure him to repay his debt.


    Heh, that was all the more reason to go find him.


    After finally reaching her turn, shouldn’t she keep an eye on him, whip in hand, urging him day and night to repay his debt?


    This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!


    Before leaving, Jian Huan flipped through the books on his desk and found an interesting location.


    “Ningzhang City?”


    Early the next morning, at the Xuanwu Hall, the elder in charge of assigning Xuanwu missions repeated the address Jian Huan had mentioned. With a flick of his finger, spiritual energy activated the Xuantian Orb, which began to spin rapidly, casting a dazzling array of lights.


    The elder grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and chatted with Jian Huan while waiting for the orb to produce results. “Ningzhang City is a small, obscure town. Not many in our sect even know of its existence. I doubt there are any Xuanwu missions there. The only mission from there was taken by Shen Jizhi.”


    The elder squinted at Jian Huan, teasing, "You''re going to see him, aren’t you?"


    Jian Huan rubbed her temples and nodded half-heartedly.


    To celebrate her sessful retreat, she had spent the previous night drinking spirit wine in Approaching Immortal City with Jiang Mian and Gong Feihong. She was still feeling a bit dizzy.


    Yang Ye, Wen Jiu, and Yin Yusheng were absent. The three of them had excelled in the recent Nine Provinces Conference sect selection and had set off on their journey seven days ago.


    Jiang Qiaoqiao and Jing Chi had also gone.


    The original story officially began at this moment.


    In the book, Shen Jizhi and Jian Huan had also participated together. Whether Yin Yusheng and the others were part of it was unknown, as they were likely nameless extras in the book.


    But now, due to the chain of events triggered by Jian Huan transmigrating into the book three years ago, neither she nor Shen Jizhi were involved.


    However, Shen Jizhi had gone to Ningzhang City, saying he had some private matters to investigate.


    Ningzhang City was the only named city in the book’s opening, mentioned in Jiang Qiaoqiao’s fleeting memories of the three years she, Shen Jizhi, and Jing Chi had spent together.


    If Jian Huan hadn’t intervened and altered the course of events, Shen Jizhi would have gone to Ningzhang City with the book’s protagonists much earlier.


    Even though Jian Huan had changed things, monthster, Shen Jizhi still ended up there.


    Unfortunately, the book only mentioned the city’s name without detailing what happened. Jian Huan suspected that Ningzhang City might hold clues as to why Shen Jizhi wouldter turn to demonic cultivation.


    In the Nine Provinces, demons were not inherently evil, but cultivating demonic arts would inevitably lead to violence and bloodlust over time.


    The righteous and demonic paths had always been irreconcble.


    Shen Jizhi was, after all, her neighbor and her friend. She didn’t want him to go astray or be her enemy in the future.


    The Xuanwu Hall was where the Jade rity Sect posted Xuanwu missions. Inner disciples and elders could take on these missions, earning spirit stones and umting stars.


    The number of stars determined when one could be promoted to elder or peak master.


    A Nascent Soul disciple needed a thousand stars to be an elder, while a Deity Transformation elder needed fifty thousand stars to be a peak master.


    There were also exceptions, such as making a breakthrough contribution in a righteous-demonic war.


    The Xuantian Sphere gradually stopped spinning, and the elder in charge nced at it. "Huh, just a few days have passed, and two new Xuanwu missions have appeared here! One is five stars, the other ten stars. Which one will you take?"


    Jian Huan leaned over to take a look.


    One star symbolized a thousand spirit stones.


    Two missions, totaling fifteen stars, meant she could earn fifteen thousand spirit stones!


    Jian Huan blinked herrge eyes and smiled sweetly, "Elder, can I take both?"


    Since she was going anyway, why not take them all?


    After collecting the teleportation tickets to Ningzhang City, Jian Huan gathered some supplies and headed to Approaching Immortal City to use the teleportation array.


    By afternoon, Jian Huan arrived in Ningzhang City.


    The unnamed small town mentioned by the elder was still bustling and lively.


    Jian Huan didn’t know where Shen Jizhi was in the city, so she decided toplete the Xuanwu missions while gathering information about him.


    Of the two missions, the ten-star one was moreplicated. However,pleting the five-star mission would also help gather some information for the ten-star one, so Jian Huan decided to tackle the five-star mission first.


    At the Xie family’s residence in Ningzhang, Jian Huan stated her purpose.


    She had just sat down in the hall and taken a sip of tea when a cheerful young man hurried in from the doorway. Before he even stopped, he sped his hands in greeting, "Miss Jian, my apologies for not weing you properly!"


    Jian Huan stood up and returned the gesture with a smile, "And you are?"


    On her way from the sect, Jian Huan had asked Gong Feihong and others or chatted with people to learn a bit about the Xie family.


    The Xie family was a prominent merchant family in Ningzhang, generations of whom had made their living through water transport. The Xie family currently had no cultivators, but their ancestors had once produced a Golden Core patriarch. However, centuries had passed, and that patriarch had long since passed away, though he had left the Xie family with some connections to major cultivation sects.


    "I am Xie Yuanying, the seventh in my family," the handsome young man introduced himself with a bright smile, revealing a row of white teeth. "The Xuanwu mission was posted by my father. He mentioned that when he was young, my grandfather also posted a Xuanwu mission, but no one epted it for half a year. I never expected it to be epted so quickly this time!"


    The Xuanwu missions were managed through the Xuantian Sphere.


    In Jian Huan’s understanding, if the Xuantian Mirror was like a phone, then the Xuanwu Sphere was like aputer.


    All major sects had Xuanwu Halls that shared Xuanwu missions. Once a mission was epted, it was no longer avable to others.


    The Nine Provinces were vast, with countless cities, but Xuanwu missions were still as numerous as hairs on a cow, and some were inevitably overlooked.


    "To be honest, if Miss Jian had arrived a littleter, we would have already left," Xie Yuanying said as he looked at the lively and beautiful girl in the hall. "We truly didn’t expect someone from the Jade rity Sect toe. My eldest brother had someone post a mission at the Immortal Storage Tower, and my second and third brothers also hired some wandering cultivators and Taoists."


    At this, Xie Yuanying sighed helplessly, "In just a few days, we’ve found several people. I’ve already arranged with them to set off soon. Time is tight, so I won’t introduce you to the family. Instead, I’ll take you directly to the dock. Is that alright with you, Miss Jian?"


    Jian Huan had no objections and stood up to follow Xie Yuanying. As she left, she casually picked up an orange.


    She tossed the orange up and down as if making small talk, "If there’s a demon causing trouble on the river, shouldn’t the city government handle it? Why did the Xie family post a Xuanwu mission?"


    At this, Xie Yuanying’s enthusiastic smile faltered, and his expression turned bitter, "They should handle it. But the officials from the city’s enforcement bureau have gone to the river several times and found no trace of the demon… Yet every few days, one of our merchant ships falls victim. Our family has lost countless goods over the past two years. We had no choice but to seek help on our own to resolve this quickly."


    The phrase "found no trace" was quite telling. Did they genuinely search and find nothing, or did they not search thoroughly?


    Jian Huan raised an eyebrow thoughtfully, "I see…"


    Ningzhang City was located along the Zhang River.


    At the dock, the river was shrouded in mist, with countless cargo ships and pleasure boats bustling like ants crossing a river.


    Jian Huan asked Xie Yuanying to keep her identity as a Jade rity disciple a secret, and he agreed. On the Xie family’s merchant ship, he introduced her to the other three people.


    The three were drinking on the deck.


    There was a middle-aged Taoist in green robes with a half-white beard, a purple-d female warrior with a whip, and a slightly plump, narrow-eyed swordsman.


    They exchanged greetings, each respectfully addressing the others as "Master."


    In the Nine Provinces, "Master" was like "teacher" in the modern world—it could be used for anyone and was always appropriate.


    "There’s also Master Jian," Xie Yuanying looked around, "He’s not here. He’s probably resting in his room. I’ll have someone call him…"


    Someone shared her surname?


    Jian Huan stopped him with a smile, "No need. We’ll have plenty of chances to meet on the ship over the next few days."


    Behind Xie Yuanying stood a servant who seemed to have urgent matters requiring his attention. He had been waiting anxiously for a while.


    Jian Huan waved her hand, "Brother Xie, don’t worry about us. Go attend to your business."


    Xie Yuanying sped his hands apologetically and left.


    Jian Huan didn’t need the other three to entertain her. She sat down in an empty seat and chatted with them as if they were old friends.


    The Taoist imed to be from Maoshan and a Foundation Establishment cultivator. But Jian Huan could tell at a nce that he had no cultivation at all—he was just an ordinary person.


    The purple-d female warrior was more honest. She wrapped a small section of her whip around her fair wrist, tilted her chin up, and said, "I’m not a cultivator, but in the martial world, my whip, Ye Ziyi, is not to be trifled with!"


    After a few rounds of drinks, the strong liquor took its toll, and both the Taoist and the female warrior were drunk.


    "Do they not realize how dangerous this trip is?" The slightly plump, narrow-eyed man had been observing Jian Huan since she arrived. He couldn’t discern her cultivation level, but he could sense that she was stronger than him. "The Xie family doesn’t seem to care who they hire. They’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel!"


    Jian Huan picked up a peanut with her chopsticks and chewed it thoughtfully, her words slightly muffled, "The Xie family has no cultivators. They wouldn’t understand these intricacies."


    For most ordinary people, whether they are cultivators or martial arts masters, they can all scale walls and leap over roofs, so there isn’t much difference between them.


    "I was initially worried. But with the youngdy and the frugal-faced Daoist on board, I feel at ease," Xu Yang said, his small eyes squinting as he instinctively reached out with his chopsticks, only to find nothing on the te.


    He looked down and realized that all the small dishes of snacks on the table had beenpletely emptied.


    Xu Yang: "..."


    Jian Huan put down her chopsticks, tilted her head, and asked, "That so-called frugal-faced guy, is he strong too?"


    Xu Yang nodded, instinctively ncing around before leaning slightly closer to Jian Huan and lowering his voice, as if afraid someone might overhear, "Do you know about the Immortal Storage Tower?"


    "I do, what about it?" Jian Huan blinked, her curiosity piqued.


    "Then you must also know that the Immortal Storage Tower has a mission leaderboard. In recent years, a ruthless figure has emerged, climbing to the top of the leaderboard in just two years. That person is the frugal-faced one!" Xu Yang’s eyes filled with admiration. "He always wears a ck mask and goes by the single character ‘Frugal,’ so people call him Frugal Face."


    As Xu Yang’s voice rose and fell with his storytelling, a young man in ck suddenly appeared, walking slowly from below the deck.


    Jian Huan was momentarily stunned, her gaze shifting from behind Xu Yang to the figure approaching.


    The Xie family’s merchant ship, having been in use for many years, was no longer new. The carved railings and painted pirs had weathered over time, showing signs of wear. On one side of the wooden stairs leading from the deck to the cabin, there was a mural of a seafaring scene. The colors of the mural had faded, but in front of it, the young man ascending the stairs stood tall and slender, like a bamboo shoot.


    He wore a ck mask that covered his face, making it impossible to see his features, but Jian Huan felt an intense sense of familiarity.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She blinked, the name ‘Shen Jizhi’ almost slipping from her lips, but the young man’s gaze merely brushed over her indifferently before moving on, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of ake.


    Without pausing, the dragonfly-like figure walked toward Xie Yuanying, who was busy in the distance.


    Jian Huan: "?"


    The corners of Jian Huan’s lips, which had been slightly raised, gradually fell.


    Xu Yang was still chattering away beside her. Jian Huan raised her index finger to her lips, shushing him, and asked, "Which character is it?"


    Xu Yang paused, then answered, "The character for ‘frugal.’"