Sheng Xizhu had grown accustomed to her “sugar-coated bullets” and remained indifferent.
Qu Qi asked again, “I’m going to the eatery to pack some food. Are you coming?”
Sheng Xizhu finally looked back at her. “You are already at the Golden Core stage. Why have you not begun inedia?”
If a practitioner consumes too much food, it increases their mortal essence and leads to the accumulation of stagnant, foul energy. Therefore, most people choose to practice inedia upon reaching the late stage of Foundation Building to avoid hunger and sever their worldly desires for food.
Qu Qi had considered this question before, but just imagining a future where she could never again taste the various delicacies of the world made her shake her head vigorously. She said solemnly, “There are so many good things in this world I haven’t eaten yet. It would be such a pity to stop now.”
Sheng Xizhu lowered her eyes and pressed a hand to her forehead. Suddenly, her body dissolved into mist. When the mist cleared, a black cat sat upright on the bed. The cat leaped nimbly onto Qu Qi’s shoulder and sat down with her two small paws tucked in.
“You’re coming with me?” Qu Qi looked at the aloof black cat on her shoulder and reached out to rua its furry chin, feigning helplessness. “I really can’t do anything with you, my clingy little kitty!”
The black cat, at the end of its patience, extended a sharp claw and gave her face a light scratch.
“Ouch!” Qu Qi felt her cheek sting. She pleaded for mercy, “Alright, alright, my little ancestor! I’ll stop talking, I’ll stop!”
The black cat retracted its claws and tilted its head up haughtily, its slender tail swaying from side to side. Qu Qi touched her cheek; fortunately, there was no blood. She whispered under her breath, “Bad cat.” Always fierce, and she even threw away her little smutty book.
The black cat’s ears twitched, and she cast a light glance over. Qu Qi quickly shut her mouth and pretended nothing had happened. So what if I get scratched by my own cat master? I’ll just have to deal with it; it’s not like I can divorce her.
Carrying her fragrant, packed meal, Qu Qi was about to leave the eatery when a voice called out, “Junior Sister Qu!”
She turned around and saw a girl about her own age, dressed in the Sword Seeking Sect uniform, walking toward her. The girl was fair and delicate, with eyes as clear as water and an elegant posture; she appeared to be a gentle, refined beauty.
The girl addressed her softly, “What a coincidence, Junior Sister Qu is also here to eat.”
Qu Qi had some memory of her; among the people flattering Su Fuwan this morning, this girl had been there. At the time, she heard Su Fuwan call her “Second Senior Sister.” There was only one person Su Fuwan would address that way: the second disciple of the Sect Leader, Xia Zhiyao.
In the original book, Xia Zhiyao was a “freebie” style character. As a childhood friend who grew up with the female lead, she had loved Su Fuwan since she was very young. Whenever Su Fuwan was in danger, she was ready to go through fire and water or even give up her own heart for her.
Unfortunately, since ancient times, childhood friends were often “loser dogs.” She could only watch as more and more people gathered around the female lead, while she remained trapped in the bitterness of unrequited love.
In the original story, Xia Zhiyao’s relationship with the original host was average. Because of her mild temperament, she didn’t hate the host as much as the others, but she didn’t get close to her either. Such “freebie” characters usually weren’t very popular with readers, and since Xia Zhiyao didn’t have many highlights besides being gentle and considerate, she was quickly forgotten—until an accident occurred.
As a plot device, Xia Zhiyao blocked a fatal blow from the villain for the female lead’s love interest! Before dying, she didn’t have time to tell Su Fuwan her feelings before passing away in her arms.
The moment Qu Qi saw her, a theme song automatically played in her head: “It’s clearly a movie for three, but I never get to have a name…”
Pain! Too much pain! As a warrior for pure love, she couldn’t stand such tropes!
Qu Qi looked at her with three parts sympathy, three parts pity, and four parts frustration. Bathed in this gaze, Xia Zhiyao couldn’t help but shudder. “Junior Sister Qu?”
Qu Qi said deeply, “What a coincidence, Senior Sister Xia.”
Xia Zhiyao gave a faint smile, like a spring breeze. “If Junior Sister Qu doesn’t mind, we can sit together.”
Qu Qi sighed softly. Such a good girl, dying for a “sea queen” female lead like Su Fuwan—is it worth it? No, it’s not!
Xia Zhiyao instinctively took a few steps back, asking anxiously, “Junior Sister Qu, why are you… looking at me with that strange look?”
The black cat inadvertently turned its head to look at Qu Qi, and its tail suddenly slapped against the girl’s slender neck with a thwack.
Qu Qi let out an “aiyah” as her pool of pity was instantly slapped away. She pressed down on the expressionless cat on her shoulder. “What is it, cat master?” She picked the cat up, holding it by the armpits, and lifted it up and down. “Wuhu! Big lift for the baby!”
Black Cat: “…” Are you amusing a three-year-old?
Xia Zhiyao took the opportunity to look at the cat and let out a soft “ah.” “Is this a spirit pet you’re raising?”
Qu Qi smoothed the cat’s fur and said casually, “I suppose so.”
“So cute.” Seeing that Qu Qi was no longer staring at her, Xia Zhiyao breathed a sigh of relief. She scrutinized the expressionless black cat, her eyes flickering. “I see that spirit pets usually have a contract seal, but this one doesn’t seem to have one.”
Many cultivators would tame spirit beasts to be their pets, but a contract could only be formed if both parties were willing. Once contracted, the pet would bear a seal as a declaration that it had a master.
Qu Qi: “We don’t plan on contracting.”
To her, the black cat was more of an important friend than a pet. It was the animal that had stayed by her side since she transmigrated; it held great significance. Furthermore, she felt the contract ceremony in the original book was somewhat unequal. While the pet gained benefits if the master’s cultivation increased, if the master died, the pet would vanish into ashes along with them. If the pet died, however, nothing would happen to the master. She didn’t want the black cat to be forced into a burial with her if she ever met with an accident.
The black cat’s pointed ears twitched imperceptibly at those words.
Xia Zhiyao was surprised. “That is quite rare.” She watched the tip of the cat’s tail stand up and felt an itch in her fingers. She couldn’t help but ask, “Can I touch it?”
Qu Qi looked at her hopeful eyes and nodded in understanding. Indeed, no one in the world can refuse a cute kitty! She said generously, “If she agrees, you can touch her.”
Xia Zhiyao bit her lip nervously and slowly reached out. Just as her fingertip was about to touch the black cat—the cat’s fur stood on end, and she hissed: “Hiss!”
Xia Zhiyao immediately pulled her hand back, her eyes wide. Qu Qi hugged the cat tight, feigning regret. “Oh, I’m sorry. She’s usually very fierce and only likes me.” After saying that, she patted the cat’s head and let out a fake sigh.
Xia Zhiyao looked at the fresh cat scratch on Qu Qi’s face and said wordlessly, “…Then your relationship is truly good.”
Qu Qi was very proud. “Indeed.” The cat master only let her touch her; that meant she was the only one in its heart!
Xia Zhiyao smiled amiably. “The information network was right. Junior Sister Qu has indeed changed a lot. You’re much more lively and cheerful than before; I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Information network?
The original book mentioned this as a communication tool for cultivators. Recalling the original host’s past life of causing trouble, Qu Qi—who was now responsible for cleaning up the mess—showed a mournful expression. “I didn’t have a choice before; now, I want to be a good person…”
“…Junior Sister Qu is becoming more and more quirky.” Xia Zhiyao’s expression was gentle as she asked, “Do you not plan to eat in the eatery?”
“No, I’m taking it back to my room.”
“Then I won’t disturb you. Goodbye, Junior Sister Qu.”
Qu Qi had a good impression of her and waved. “Eat well, Senior Sister Xia!”
Xia Zhiyao nodded and turned to leave with her tray, her figure graceful. As the person and cat watched her go, Qu Qi sighed for some unknown reason. “Since ancient times, childhood friends can’t beat the newcomers…”
Black Cat: “Meow?” Another human phrase I don’t understand.
Qu Qi rubbed its chin. “Let’s go home too.”
Black Cat: “Meowu.” It knitted its small eyebrows. Just now, it had sensed deep negative emotions from that woman. A massive amount of hatred and pain, like a torrential rain or a surging sea—endless and suffocating. What kind of things must she have experienced to harbor such deep hatred?
Back in the room, the person and cat finished dinner. After bathing, Qu Qi, having been deprived of the right to read storybooks, chose to do something else. She took out an eye-shaped jade pendant with a hollow center from her storage ring and tried injecting a bit of divine sense into it.
Immediately, Qu Qi saw the vast universe and the Milky Way unfolding in her mind. Meridians from all directions converged into one place, weaving a dense, fine web. This was the “Information Network.” The divine senses of thousands of cultivators gathered here, allowing them to communicate regardless of distance. Major events in the three realms were also posted here.
In the center of the network was a headline list. The top entry read: “The Truth Behind the Withered Spiritual Veins,” followed by a red “Hot” tag, indicating a high volume of readers. She clicked in to look; most were baseless guesses. Some said the withered veins were the work of the demon race, others said another Nightmare was about to be born to terrorize the world. Various rumors were rampant, causing widespread panic.
Qu Qi backed out of the headlines and searched through the strange network of meridians until she finally found the exclusive channel for the Sword Seeking Sect. She clicked in, only to hear a ding as a line of large red characters leaped out: “According to relevant laws and regulations, your access rights have been blocked. For more information, please contact the network administrator.”
Qu Qi: “?”
She exited the access page and saw a reminder in her divine sense network: “Due to publishing false information and defrauding fellow disciples, you have been blacklisted from the Sword Seeking Sect channel. The ban duration is 999 years. Please remember: the Information Network is not a place beyond the law!”
The blacklisted outlaw Qu Qi: “…”