Su Tiantian touched the cold talisman hidden in her sleeve, her emotions tangled.
(System: Special item acquired “Concealment Talisman.” Warning: This item contains highly refined demonic energy. Use with extreme caution.)
Ahead of her was Song Qingzhi, an unfathomable iceberg. Behind her, Bai Weiwei watched like a tiger stalking its prey. And now the Demon Lord was urging her on like a death warrant…
Su Tiantian collapsed onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her head.
This undercover life was really stressful!
Dreaming about eating hotpot was way more practical!
Over the next few days, Su Tiantian came to deeply understand just how difficult the job of “Immortal Lord’s wife” truly was.
Song Qingzhi’s life ran with the precision of a finely tuned machine.
Morning meditation.
Handling sect affairs in the late morning.
Afternoons were spent either cultivating or instructing disciples (and Bai Weiwei appeared with suspicious frequency!).
Evenings without exception he returned to Tranquil Heart Courtyard… to continue meditating.
Su Tiantian’s “Seduction Plan V2.1” could barely move an inch.
“Warm concern”? His replies never exceeded three words.
“Starry-eyed admiration”? He didn’t even engage.
“Accidental contact”? His spiritual defenses were as solid as a fortress.
She even tried softly humming an off-key tune while he was meditating, hoping to draw his attention.
He didn’t so much as flutter an eyelash.
(System: Target’s mental discipline far exceeds estimates. Recommendation: Adjust strategy.)
“Adjust? How am I supposed to adjust?”
Su Tiantian tugged at her hair. “He’s basically a saint with no desires!”
(System: Data analysis shows that aside from cultivation and sect duties, the target invests the most time in ancient texts and archives.)
Ancient texts?
Su Tiantian’s eyes lit up!
Right someone like Song Qingzhi, who’d lived who-knows-how-many years, had to have some kind of hobby!
Appeal to his interests!
“System, where’s Yunmiao Peak’s library? Can I go in?”
(System: Based on ‘Immortal Lord’s Wife’ clearance, host may access the outer sections of the library. Core areas require higher authorization or the Immortal Lord’s personal token.)
The outer sections would do at least it was a direction!
So, using “clearing her mind and finding calming reading material” as an excuse, Su Tiantian made her way to the legendary Yunmiao Peak Library.
It was a towering nine-story pavilion, with sweeping eaves and layered beams, shrouded in misty spiritual light.
An ancient, vast aura radiated from it.
The moment she stepped into the first floor, she was stunned.
As far as the eye could see jade slips, books, scrolls packed densely together. The towering shelves seemed endless.
The air carried a faint scent of ink and spiritual wood.
“My heavens… how long would it take to read all this…”
She muttered under her breath and began wandering aimlessly.
The classifications were extremely detailed from cultivation manuals to records of mountains and rivers, from alchemy and forging to formations and talismans.
Su Tiantian’s eyes spun; it felt like her brain wasn’t enough.
She pretended to flip through a few beginner books on spiritual herb cultivation, while her thoughts raced.
Could clues about the mountain-protecting formation be hidden in some formation manual or sect secret record?
She cautiously edged toward the section labeled “Foundations of Formations.”
This area was much quieter, and the shelves were older and taller.
Just as she stood on tiptoe, trying to reach a thick book on the upper shelf titled A Brief Overview of Yunmiao Ley Lines.
Something caught her foot.
She pitched forward!
“Ah!”
She cried out, thinking she was about to make intimate contact with the ground only to crash into a chest carrying a faint, cool fragrance.
A strong arm steadied her by the shoulder.
Heart pounding, Su Tiantian looked up and met a pair of deep eyes like a frozen abyss.
It was Song Qingzhi!
Why was he here?!
“B-Brother Qingzhi?”
Her face instantly flushed crimson and this time, it wasn’t an act.
Pure embarrassment! Why did he always catch her at her most humiliating moments?!
Song Qingzhi released her, his expression still calm, his gaze shifting to the book she’d been trying to reach.
“A Brief Overview of Yunmiao Ley Lines?”
Su Tiantian’s heart skipped. She hurriedly lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes, her voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz.
“I-I just wanted to find something to read, to pass the time… I heard ley-line spiritual energy helps with healing, so I was j-just browsing…”
Help!
Would he suspect her of probing the ley lines to find weaknesses in the formation?
Song Qingzhi studied her for a moment. Just as Su Tiantian braced herself for questioning.
He raised his hand, easily took down the book, and handed it to her.
“This book is too advanced. Given your current cultivation, this one is more suitable.”
In his other hand, at some point, had appeared a thin, beautifully bound volume: Illustrated Guide to the Care of Hundred Spiritual Flowers.
Su Tiantian: “……”
Fine. In her husband’s eyes, she was probably just good for tending flowers.
She accepted the guide and forced a grateful smile.
“Thank you, Brother Qingzhi.”
“Mm,” he replied. His gaze seemed to casually sweep over the spot where she had tripped.
The floor there was smooth as glass no obstacles at all.
His eyes darkened slightly, but he said nothing, turning and walking deeper into the library.
Su Tiantian hugged the Illustrated Guide to the Care of Hundred Spiritual Flowers to her chest.
Watching his figure disappear behind layers of shelves, she let out a long breath, her back soaked in cold sweat.
(System: Warning! Host’s actions have attracted the target’s attention! Immediately cease high-risk reconnaissance activities!)
“Got it, got it…”
Still shaken, Su Tiantian muttered,
“This library is way too cursed! I nearly lost my life!”
She didn’t dare wander anymore. Hugging the book deemed “appropriate” for her, she slipped out of the library in disgrace.
That night, Su Tiantian sighed heavily while staring at Illustrated Guide to the Care of Hundred Spiritual Flowers.
“System, I’m such a failure as an undercover agent! Seduction doesn’t work, investigation gets blocked… Am I really going to end up growing flowers here for the rest of my life?”
(System: Please remain patient. The target personally selecting a book for the host may be interpreted as relationship progress.)
“Progress?”
Su Tiantian rolled her eyes.
“He just thinks I’m stupid, okay?!”
She flipped through the pages irritably.
Suddenly, her gaze froze on an illustration a spiritual plant called “Moonshadow Orchid,” elegant in form, crystal-clear throughout.
The annotation read: Prefers shade, fears strong light, often grows near formation nodes. Its roots may be refined into barrier-breaking pills…
Near formation nodes?
Su Tiantian’s heart leapt!
She sat up straight and began reading carefully.
This book actually contained scattered notes on the relationship between spiritual plants, formations, and ley lines!
Though all basic knowledge, to her a “cultivation newbie” it was a treasure trove of clues!
She could search for these specific plants and work backward to infer the possible locations of formation nodes!
Much safer than running around like a headless chicken!
“After all that darkness, there really is light at the end of the tunnel!”