My System, My Wife Feng Aotian [Transmigration] - Chapter 19

03 perched on Feng Jue’s arm, watching the palace attendant paint her nails.

The process was complete only after each nail was coated in a vibrant crimson and adorned with intricate patterns in gold dust.

Once her perfectly manicured hands were finished, Feng Jue raised them to admire them. Siyi, who had also returned laden with gifts, brought Xue Mengtao with her.

When 03 saw Siyi’s graceful, pink figure, she instinctively drifted closer to Feng Jue. After receiving a cool, indifferent glance from Feng Jue, she slowly drifted back.

By the way… did the Host say that Siyi’s current appearance is because of me?

03 was bewildered. What exactly did the Host do?

In the past, I never bothered with the Host’s past affairs unless they directly related to the mission. In previous missions, every host’s background and the reasoning behind their choices were clearly reflected in the storyline. All I had to do was complete the objectives.

This was the first time 03 had ever felt genuinely curious about a human.

After all, there was no information beyond the brief description of the host.

For the nth time, 03 opened the Mission Panel and stared at the host’s scant lines of description. Amidst the endlessly flowing data, a realization dawned: a human life couldn’t be summed up in just a few lines of text.

Lost in thought, the small system drifted over to Feng Jue and asked earnestly, “Feng Jue, did you bully Siyi when you were younger?”

Was that why she grew into such a terrifying adult?

Feng Jue’s eyelid twitched. She casually pulled a storybook from the Storage Ring Siyi had handed her, placed it on the table, and spread it open. She then transmitted a message to 03, “Read it.”

03 floated leisurely over to the book, crouched down, and scanned the open pages at a speed of 0.0001 seconds per page.

“Done,” it said.

Feng Jue flipped to the next page.

“Done.”

Another page.

“Done.”

“…”

Feng Jue, annoyed, lowered her hand.

Who’s serving who here?

03 looked back innocently.

Are you done scanning?

They had only just reached the part where the protagonist met an immortal and received a cultivation technique. The storybook bore a striking resemblance to the descriptions of the Mission World 03 had experienced, so it figured it could serve as a reference.

The saying “read ten thousand books” applies to systems just as it does to humans.

Feng Jue closed her eyes, leaning back against the soft cushions of her couch.

Siyi dismissed all the palace attendants except Xue Mengtao, then sat at the low table to prepare tea. As the fragrant aroma of the tea filled the air, she said, “Sect Master Bai and Elder Li of the Lianshan Sect are cut from the same cloth—both utterly hypocritical and full of nonsense. Palace Mistress, don’t trust him.”

“Hmm,” Feng Jue nodded. “At least regarding the Chongshan Secret Realm, he wouldn’t dare deceive me.”

As she spoke, Feng Jue recalled the terrified expression on that old White Water Sect master’s face when she punished him, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“A Golden Core Stage expert and sect leader? He’s nothing special,” Feng Jue said disdainfully.

Siyi continued, “I’ve ordered our people to search for Jade Tokens held by other cultivators. The White Water Sect has twenty-nine tokens. Subtracting ours and Xue Mengtao’s, that leaves five. How do you plan to distribute them among the five peak mistresses of Lanyang Palace?”

Feng Jue looked up, her gaze resting on the silver-white system, but her thoughts wandered.

“This will be the first opening of the Chongshan Secret Realm after its upgrade. The journey will be exceptionally dangerous, but as for the rewards—” She narrowed her eyes. “Our agreement with the White Water Sect can’t be kept secret. In that case, let each peak compete for their own tokens. Anyone below the Golden Core Stage can participate. As long as they’re not afraid of death, they can invite whomever they wish.”

Feng Jue’s tone was blunt and unforgiving.

Siyi smiled as she placed a cup of tea on Feng Jue’s desk. “Fortunately, Peak Mistress Yan is in seclusion,” she said softly. “With her gone, the people of Renyang Peak have settled down considerably. The Palace Mistress’s annulment with the Lianshan Sect has sparked gossip throughout the palace. I’ve dealt with some of the troublemakers, but now they resent me even more.”

“Hurry up and reach Golden Core,” Feng Jue said. “That will shut some of those mouths.” Siyi possessed extraordinary talent and reaching Golden Core before fifty should have been effortless. However, her current lack of Golden Core cultivation, combined with her management of Lanyang Palace’s affairs, had made her a target of envy among those who had entered the palace earlier.

Siyi nodded.

“If the Palace Mistress hadn’t reached Golden Core Great Perfection, putting pressure on Peak Mistress Yan, she wouldn’t have obediently gone into seclusion to cultivate. Once I return from the Chongshan Secret Realm, I’ll go into seclusion to break through to Golden Core. But…” Siyi said with a mischievous smile, “if the Palace Mistress achieves Nascent Soul first, that would certainly be far more intimidating than my mere Golden Core.”

“Do you think reaching Nascent Soul is as easy as buying a street novel?” Feng Jue retorted irritably. “I just reached Golden Core myself—where am I supposed to get Nascent Soul from?”

Her words were as unreasonable as if 03 had demanded she find a husband and start a family immediately!

Siyi fell silent, a radiant smile playing on her lips as she turned to listen to the storyteller. The storyteller was recounting the Old Palace Mistress of Lanyang Palace’s battle with the leader of the Nine Heavens Sect, reaching the most perilous part of the tale. The tense atmosphere permeated the second floor.

Seeing their conversation end, 03 drifted over and asked, “03 doesn’t understand. Who is Peak Mistress Yan? And who do you intend to intimidate by achieving Nascent Soul?”

Anything happening to the Host must be related to the plot. It’s 03’s duty to understand.

You want to know again?

You can’t provide anything useful, yet you keep provoking her all day.

Feng Jue ignored it.

03 took out a drawing tablet and began sketching a scene titled “Beauty Emerging from the Bath.”

Hiss… Feng Jue gasped.

Her hand instinctively slapped down onto 03’s tablet, but her palm passed through the virtual light and landed on the table with a thud. The impact sent a few drops of tea splashing from the cup.

Siyi, munching on melon seeds without turning around, chuckled softly. “Although the storyteller’s account is somewhat fantastical, it’s hardly enough to make you this furious.”

Feng Jue: “……”

Xue Mengtao, who had been cowering in the corner since they began discussing the Secret Realm, held her breath even more tightly at Siyi’s teasing. She still didn’t understand why Feng Jue and Siyi had insisted on summoning her instead of using one of Lanyang Palace’s attendants, nor why they felt compelled to discuss matters she clearly shouldn’t know in front of her.

They were also taking her to the Chongshan Secret Realm…

*****

The Palace Mistress had warned that the upgraded Chongshan Secret Realm was exceptionally dangerous, its power level now reaching the Golden Core Stage. Xue Mengtao was merely at the Qi Condensation Stage and couldn’t even fly on a sword. Why would they specifically take her? Could it really be about Young Master Xue, as Elder Siyi suggested? But his Spiritual Root had been crippled; he was no longer a contender.

Xue Mengtao’s mind churned with confusion. She even suspected they were deliberately discussing these matters in front of her because they were certain she would die in the Chongshan Secret Realm, making them unconcerned about secrecy.

“You,” Feng Jue said, raising her gaze.

Xue Mengtao snapped to attention, quickly responding.

In a dimension she couldn’t see, 03 hovered between them, holding a small panel. Its black-rimmed eyes widened innocently.

“The White Water Sect members are staying in Lanyang City. Keep a close watch on them until the Secret Realm opens. The Jade Token for entering the Chongshan Secret Realm is still in the hands of…” Feng Jue paused. “Bai Shanfeng. If you discover him contacting members of other sects, return immediately and report it to me.”

Xue Mengtao’s expression grew uneasy. “Yes,” she murmured.

[ Is this a new mission? ] 03 asked.

“But I can’t leave you within a hundred meters,” Feng Jue said. “I’ll be staying in the city these next few days.”

“Understood,” 03 nodded.

To make it a mission host, she really goes all out.

Xue Mengtao said uneasily, “Palace Mistress, if I go to monitor the White Water Sect, what about Lord Ling Shi…?”

Feng Jue looked at 03. “Those who can, must.”

Virtual sweat dripped from the silver-white System’s head, indicating its determination to complete the task diligently.

After the silver-white System and Xue Mengtao left, one after the other, Siyi raised an eyebrow and looked at Feng Jue.

“The White Water Sect has seen Xue Mengtao. You’re sending her to monitor them?”

Feng Jue frowned. “Who?”

Siyi: “Those who can.”

Just as she finished speaking, the silver-white System, which had just flown away, swooped back with a whoosh. It opened a character profile and displayed Bai Fenghui’s portrait for Feng Jue.

“Dear Host, the Sect Master of the White Water Sect is Bai Fenghui, not Bai Shanfeng.”

Feng Jue’s expression darkened, but 03 immediately chimed in, “Reminder complete! I’m departing now!”

Holding its small panel, the silver-white System vanished through the wall in a puff of smoke, disappearing from Feng Jue’s sight.

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