After My Paranoid Act to Woo My Cold Master Failed - Chapter 15

“Paupers, beat it! Don’t block the way!” The man snarled. Not only had they failed to slip him a tip, but they even had the nerve to ask for a discount. He reached out to shove Shen Shuheng and the others, his expression arrogant. “Get lost, did you hear me?!”

Shen Shuheng lost her balance and tumbled into her Master’s soft embrace. Fu Xueke shielded her, her gaze turning cold as ice. A heavy pressure slammed into the man; he hit the ground with a thud, kneeling instantly. “Mercy! Mercy!” he cried, his face changing faster than a theatrical mask.

Once the group walked away, the pressure dissipated. The man’s face turned grim, dark as a storm cloud.

Shen Shuheng and the others headed back to reconsider their options. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares filled her ears. If they could sell some pills or talismans, they might be able to gather enough spirit stones here.

“We should refine some pills and talismans to sell like they do. Every bit counts,” Shen Shuheng suggested. The group agreed, and the alchemists and talisman cultivators immediately set to work finding space to set up.

“Master, I’m going into the book space to refine pills. Do you want to come with A-Heng?” Shen Shuheng tugged at Fu Xueke’s sleeve, her watery apricot eyes full of pleading.

Fu Xueke’s eyes crinkled slightly. The golden light of the setting sun softened her cold features as she stood against the glow. She took her disciple’s hand, the icy solitude in her eyes completely melting away. Shen Shuheng tilted her head and gave her Master a sweet smile, revealing two sharp little canines.

The two entered the realm. The scenery had shifted again; where it was once a verdant meadow, it was now a peach forest. A breeze stirred, and pale pink petals drifted down like a shower of spring snow. The petals landed in Shen Shuheng’s hair and on her shoulders as she stood beneath a tree, beaming at Fu Xueke with a smile that eclipsed the vibrant spring colors.

Fu Xueke lowered her gaze, her long lashes veiling her eyes. She slowly brushed the peach blossoms from Shen Shuheng, the girl’s rich fragrance mingling with the scent of the flowers. As her Master’s hand brushed her head, Shen Shuheng couldn’t help but nuzzle her cheek against the back of that hand; it was cool and incredibly comforting.

“Master, look! This is the new alchemy technique I learned.” The Abnormal Fire rose in her hand, giving a fawning “smile” toward Fu Xueke. The flame-red light reflected in Fu Xueke’s dark pupils as she stared unblinkingly at Shen Shuheng. “A-Heng is very capable.”

Shen Shuheng felt like her Master’s tone was a bit like coaxing a child, but she loved it anyway. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, looking like pools of clear spring water.

“Master, what kind of pills should I refine? Which ones sell for the most spirit stones?” Shen Shuheng scratched the back of her head.

Seeing the little gesture, Fu Xueke’s eyes filled with amusement. “Rare pills naturally sell for more, and higher-grade ones fetch a better price.”

After a moment’s thought, Shen Shuheng decided to refine “Guiyuan Pills” and “Nine-Rotation Soul-Restoration Pills.” Neither was easy to make, so the price would be steep. She set to work immediately.

Fu Xueke stood quietly by her side, watching her. The heat from the Abnormal Fire flushed Shen Shuheng’s fair cheeks as she focused intently on the refining process. She produced over ninety Guiyuan Pills, succeeding on every single attempt.

However, when it came to the Nine-Rotation Soul-Restoration Pills, she failed many times. The medicinal essence refused to take shape properly; she only managed to successfully refine ten. A flash of disappointment touched her brow.

What Shen Shuheng didn’t realize was that refining ten of those pills already placed her at the very pinnacle of alchemists. Even Feng Ya, hailed as a genius on Rejuvenation Peak, could not refine them.

“You’ve done very well. It will become easier as your cultivation advances,” Fu Xueke said softly, catching her disciple’s disappointment. She reached out to rub the girl’s head in consolation.

Shen Shuheng bottled the pills and tucked them into her storage bag. “Master, let’s go sell these first.”

They returned to the street to regroup with the other disciples. They had set up a table by the roadside, covered in talismans and pills, but no one was buying. People passed by, ignoring their wares to shop elsewhere. Shen Shuheng and the others tried calling out to potential customers, but no one approached the stall.

Chu Qingshui stepped forward to stop a female cultivator. “Fellow Daoist, would you like some pills? Or talismans? The quality is excellent and the price is low.”

“No, no,” the woman waved her off. After a bit of back-and-forth, she whispered secretly, “You offended Manager Ye at the teleportation array. No one in the city dares to buy your things. He’s the son of the City Lord’s butler and is used to throwing his weight around. You’d best be careful.”

Shen Shuheng heard every word. If that was the case, how were they supposed to gather enough spirit stones? “Does Fellow Daoist know of a way to earn stones quickly in this city?”

“Go rob the City Lord’s mansion; you’ll find plenty there,” the woman joked, her eyes sparkling.

“That… wouldn’t be right,” Shen Shuheng said. She couldn’t tarnish her Master’s reputation.

“There is another way. There’s a colosseum in Fenghe Abyss. To compete there, you have to pay a membership fee. People bet on every match, and the winner gets a reward.”

Shen Shuheng decided to try her luck there. With betting involved, there was plenty of room to maneuver; they should be able to earn enough stones. “Could Fellow Daoist show us the way?” She handed the woman two bottles of Guiyuan Pills.

Taking the pills, the woman stared at her, her eyes lighting up as if she were looking at a pile of spirit stones. “How about a partnership? I know the ropes inside. We’ll go to Fenghe Abyss to fight; most people will bet on me, and I’ll intentionally lose to you. We split the winnings.”

Shen Shuheng felt this woman Yue Bai, a disciple of the Daoist Sect was an old hand at this. She nodded.

The group arrived at Fenghe Abyss. the registrar asked for the membership fee. “Can I use items of equal value? I have Guiyuan Pills and Nine-Rotation Soul-Restoration Pills.”

“Let me see them.”

Shen Shuheng handed over a Soul-Restoration Pill and several bottles of Guiyuan Pills. The man took them calmly, but the moment he opened the bottle, his eyes and mouth fell wide open. Every pill was above Heaven-grade, and the Soul-Restoration Pill was a priceless rarity. If I give this to the City Lord, the rewards would be immense, he thought. This girl is so young; there’s no way she refined these herself.

“Very well. Register and go draw lots for your match.”

Yue Bai led them to the drawing area, where she had “connections.” After going inside, Shen Shuheng and Yue Bai quickly drew their lots. Looking at their tokens, the numbers were different. Shen Shuheng looked up at the jade screen her opponent was a Nascent Soul stage sword cultivator.

She had been set up!

“I gave that lot-drawer spirit stones to help me out, and he actually took the money and didn’t do the job!” Yue Bai fumed, turning to demand an explanation.

“It’s not that I won’t help you,” the man replied, “but Manager Ye gave the word. My hands are tied. Good luck—or withdraw and pay a massive fine.”

Shen Shuheng sneered. This Manager Ye clearly wanted her dead.

“Here are some talismans; you might need them,” a fellow Yuheng disciple said, stuffing a stack into her hand. Shen Shuheng took them. A fellow sword cultivator, and a Nascent Soul one at that. So what? she thought. Instead of fear, she felt an exhilarating surge of battle intent.

“Do not fear. Your sword holds your Master’s sword qi,” Fu Xueke said, reaching out to rub her head. Shen Shuheng knew she had the sealed strikes, but she wouldn’t use them unless it was a matter of life and death. She wanted to test her limits. Only in a crisis could she grow quickly.

“First match: Qi Yi, Nascent Soul stage, vs. Shen Shuheng, Golden Core stage.”

Shen Shuheng leapt onto the stage, her gaze calm as the cold sword light reflected in her eyes. Her opponent was a tall, thin man with a scar on his face. Below the stage, the betting began. No one was a fool; between Nascent Soul and Golden Core, the choice was obvious. Everyone bet on Qi Yi.

Only the Yuheng group bet on Shen Shuheng. Yue Bai added her stones too, though she didn’t truly believe Shen Shuheng could win.

“Begin!”

Shen Shuheng swung her blade, the sword light carrying a desolate intent of ice and snow. The spectators felt as if they were seeing endless snowy mountains. Qi Yi unleashed a counter-strike, his blood-red sword light carrying an overwhelming force that crashed against hers. The crimson glow seemed to predict a gruesome end for Shen Shuheng.

Meanwhile, inside the City Lord’s mansion, someone presented the Nine-Rotation Soul-Restoration Pill. The City Lord pinched the dark, lustrous pill, sniffed it, and sensed it with his divine sense.

“The person who gave you this—where are they?! Find them and bring them to me immediately!”

The messenger broke into a cold sweat. “She’s… probably dead by now. She’s fighting Qi Yi.”

“Waste! Who arranged for her to fight Qi Yi?!”

“She offended Manager Ye, so…”

“He’s reaching too far. Cipple him and throw him out of the city. If that alchemist dies, I’ll have his soul obliterated! Find her now!” The City Lord transformed into a streak of light and flew toward Fenghe Abyss. This was his only chance.