Volume 2, Chapter 119 – I Want It All

The matter of Qi Huang being poisoned was finally resolved. Elder Wu, the mastermind behind it, had been jointly executed by her and her main body in the grand hall. With irrefutable evidence and their special status, no one dared to gossip afterward.

After that, the Honghua Sect devoted itself to searching for Ghost Tomatoes in preparation for seizing the Blue Scale Stones in Panshan Village.

In her spare time, Qi Huang was forced by her main body to learn how to behave like a proper woman.

Cheng Hongling, as expected of a heaven-favored genius, was not only accomplished in cultivation but also highly skilled in the art of self-presentation. For the sake of the people of Huangtian County, she generously imparted all her knowledge—clothing coordination, makeup techniques, speech, and demeanor.

Qi Huang patiently studied, but soon encountered difficulties. Clothing and makeup were manageable since they were external—memorization sufficed. But speech and demeanor required physical embodiment, which clashed with over two decades of ingrained masculine habits.

For example, girls typically walked with delicate, graceful steps in a straight line, while men strode with a wide, assertive gait. The difference was stark.

After becoming a girl, Qi Huang’s physiology prevented her from walking as boldly as before, but she was still far from achieving the refined “lotus steps” of a true lady. Thus, she had to learn from scratch.

Learning how to walk sounded simple, but the real challenge was consistency. She couldn’t switch between walking like a refined lady and a burly man on a whim—it had to become second nature. Yet habits weren’t changed overnight.

Beyond walking, there were also sitting postures, standing postures, and even dining manners—all of which Qi Huang had to relearn and internalize.

She tried her best to change, but mistakes were frequent. The root issue was that, psychologically, she didn’t truly see herself as a woman, so her behavior remained lax. This made habit formation even harder.

“Can’t I just skip this?”

Qi Huang grew impatient. She had always resisted these things.

“Skip it? Then before long, everyone will know you’re a doppelgänger, and they’ll find out my main body is only at the Unity Realm. How are we supposed to intimidate the wandering ghosts in Meng County after that?”

Cheng Hongling’s retort left Qi Huang speechless. With no choice, she gritted her teeth and persevered.

Unwilling to wait, Cheng Hongling decided to tackle what she could—like dragging her doppelgänger to get her ears pierced.

Qi Huang was inwardly revolted, but for the sake of Huangtian County’s people—and under her main body’s pressure—she reluctantly entered a jewelry shop.

Rеad оո КаtRеadіոɡСafе

Soon after, Qi Huang emerged with a sullen expression, two delicate plum blossom studs now adorning her earlobes. They were beautiful—just not handsome.

And so, Qi Huang’s masculine pride suffered yet another blow.

Time passed slowly. The Honghua Sect was in no rush to head to Panshan Village—Qin Quan didn’t want to take unnecessary risks and preferred securing more Ghost Tomatoes first. But as often happens, plans rarely survive reality.

At noon that day, a battered young boy appeared at the Honghua Sect’s gates, insisting on entering despite the disciples’ attempts to stop him. Unable to deter him, the guards eventually brought him inside.

Before long, Qi Huang received a summons—Sect Leader Qin had called for a meeting in the grand hall, and as a doppelgänger, she had to attend.

Just as she was about to leave, her main body stopped her—she hadn’t done her makeup.

Resigned, Qi Huang returned to her room, carefully curling her eyelashes and applying light makeup in imitation of her main body before finally being permitted to leave.

Outside, she constantly reminded herself to act like a woman—yet still slipped up now and then.

Cheng Hongling, ever perceptive, would glare sharply each time she faltered.

By the time they arrived at the meeting hall, all the Honghua Sect’s upper echelons had gathered, and Qi Huang finally saw the boy who had forced his way in.

He was small-framed, with dark skin, appearing no older than thirteen or fourteen. Covered in wounds, he looked pitifully helpless.

The boy’s gaze soon landed on the most striking figures in the room—Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling. His eyes widened, struck by the double visual impact, leaving him momentarily stunned like a wooden post.

‘If I were still Huang Qi, seeing my current self would probably leave me the same way.’

Qi Huang felt no mockery, only empathy.

“Alright, young man, introduce yourself.”

Rеаԁ oո ΚаtRеаdіոɡСаfe

Qin Quan spoke gently to the boy.

The boy shuddered, snapping out of his daze, his dark cheeks flushing red. After steadying himself, he bowed respectfully.

“Honored Cultivators, my name is He Yong. I’m from Panshan Village.”

“What? Panshan Village?”

The crowd exchanged glances—that was precisely where the Blue Scale Stones were located.

“Now, tell us why you’re here.”

Qin Quan continued.

“I came… to beg the honored cultivators to save the people of my village.”

With a thud, He Yong dropped to his knees, his eyes reddening.

“Child, what happened to your village?”

Xu Mei asked sympathetically.

“Our village has become a prison. The sick die from illness, the hungry starve… no one can leave.”

He Yong began to sob.

“Why?”

Xu Mei pressed.

“Because… the Heyi Sect has completely sealed us off… They said… they found some kind of treasure there… and were afraid we’d leak the news.”

Rеаⅾ оn KаtRеαԁіոɡCαfе

‘That “treasure” must be the Blue Scale Stones.’

Qi Huang immediately understood—as did the other elders.

“The treasure he mentioned is definitely the Blue Scale Stones.”

“Indeed. Now that the Heyi Sect controls the area, they won’t let outsiders learn of it.”

“But they don’t have Ghost Tomatoes anymore. What’s the point of holding the village? Are they waiting until they gather ten more before acting?”

“If that’s the case, what about the villagers? Will they just be left to die?”

The elders murmured among themselves, expressions darkening with sympathy.

“How did you escape?”

Qin Quan took a deep breath before asking.

“The villagers… pretended to flee, risking their lives to lure the Heyi Sect disciples away. I slipped out from another path… I don’t even know if they’re still alive now.”

He Yong avoided eye contact, especially with Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling.

“What’s the current state of your village?”

Qin Quan pondered before asking.

“Originally, there were over fifty elderly, women, and children. We relied on the young men outside to send money and food… but after being blockaded by the Heyi Sect for over half a year… many starved or fell ill. Only twenty remain now.”

Noticing Qi Huang’s gaze, He Yong desperately wiped his tears.

Rеaⅾ oո KаtRеαⅾіոgСαfe

“Outrageous! Even bandits aren’t this cruel. How dare these beasts call themselves immortal sect disciples?”

Elder Ruan cursed furiously.

“Sect Leader Qin, Panshan Village is within our territory. We must intervene.”

Xu Mei took a deep breath.

“We will save them, of course. But have you considered that if we act rashly, the Heyi Sect will reinforce their defenses? Even if we gather enough Ghost Tomatoes later, seizing the Blue Scale Stones will be impossible. We need a solution that achieves both goals.”

Qin Quan hesitated.

The elders fell silent. The villagers’ lives mattered—but so did the Blue Scale Stones.

Qi Huang grew anxious. To her, human lives were more important—but after last time, she dared not speak out without her main body’s permission.

“Honored cultivators, I beg you… please save the villagers!”

Seeing the hesitation, He Yong kowtowed desperately.

“No need to overthink it.”

A voice cut through the silence.

“We’ll solve it all at once.”

Cheng Hongling’s tone was firm.

“I’ll take the villagers—and the Blue Scale Stones too.”