Volume 3, Chapter 261 – Teammate +1

As if guided by some invisible force, Lu Zhuxin reached her small hand out toward the girl before her.

Then she gently cupped her chin.

“Mm?” Bu Lianshuang tilted her head up slightly, her eyes, clear as an open sky, slowly forming a question mark.

Lu Zhuxin suddenly thought that keeping a sweet, oblivious little dog by her side might not be such a bad idea after all.

“You can come with me to the Chi residence,” Lu Zhuxin said. “But you have to promise me that once we’re there, you won’t act on your own judgment, won’t take independent action, and must follow my orders.”

“I don’t need a deadweight dragging me down.”

“Mm, mm! I will! Miss Yu!” Bu Lianshuang nodded eagerly.

Seeing this proud wolf clan princess put on such a docile expression, Lu Zhuxin let out a quiet breath of relief.

“Then I have a question for both of you.” Lu Zhuxin’s expression turned serious.

She glanced at Bu Lianshuang, then at Qing Niang.

“A Fifth Realm cultivator is considered a pillar of strength even within a sect. How does someone like that suddenly become a mortal’s personal maidservant without raising suspicion?”

“…”

“…”

Qing Niang and Bu Lianshuang both went silent at the same time.

Looking at the two of them like this, what else could Lu Zhuxin even say?

She rubbed her forehead in exasperation.

“Chi Jingwen has suspected me from the very beginning. He has never once trusted me.”

“A Fifth Realm cultivator appearing at my side out of nowhere would just be giving him exactly what he needs to catch me.”

“Wouldn’t that be handing him a gift-wrapped excuse?”

Bu Lianshuang tapped her fingers together, sheepishly lowering her head. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t think it through. I wasn’t careful enough.”

“So what do we do now?”

Seeing how sincere her attitude was, Lu Zhuxin softened her tone.

“It’s not entirely without a solution.”

“Oh?” Bu Lianshuang looked up again, eyes brightening at the glimmer of hope. They were luminous, full of light.

If she had ears and a tail visible right now, she truly would have looked just like an eager little dog.

Lu Zhuxin smiled lightly. “The solution is simple. Your cultivation level cannot be known by anyone in the Chi family.”

“But can that really be concealed?” Bu Lianshuang said. “For a great family like this, don’t they have many methods to directly detect someone’s hidden cultivation?”

“Formations have their limits,” Lu Zhuxin said. “Someone with a powerful aura-concealing technique, or someone with a cultivation level strong enough, can simply ignore such detection.”

Lu Zhuxin herself, for instance, used her Eighth Realm cultivation to forcibly block all forms of detection.

“A powerful aura-concealing technique?” Bu Lianshuang looked at Lu Zhuxin. “Is that how you evade their formation detection, Miss Yu?”

Lu Zhuxin shook her head. “My method only works for me. Others can’t use it.”

The flicker of hope in Bu Lianshuang’s eyes dimmed, and whatever imaginary tail had been lifted seemed to droop back down.

Lu Zhuxin continued. “But there is someone who knows the Chi family inside and out, and she can help you hide.”

Bu Lianshuang immediately asked, “Who?”

“Who else?” Lu Zhuxin shrugged. “The Chi family’s eldest young lady, of course.”

“Chi Xiyan. She wouldn’t want your true cultivation level leaking out either.”

“From Chi Xiyan’s perspective, the cost of purchasing a Fifth Realm sword cultivator and a Fifth Realm martial artist isn’t actually that different.”

“The reason she’d choose a Fifth Realm martial artist is precisely because, for an alchemist, concealing a martial artist’s cultivation is easier than concealing a sword cultivator’s.”

Martial artists who temper their bodies are not naturally skilled at controlling their own aura. But an alchemist could compensate for that.

“However.” Lu Zhuxin paused, her expression grave. “Your Highness, there is one thing I must ask.”

“As the wolf clan’s princess, would you be willing to sign a Dao contract with another person? To pledge no betrayal, no change of heart, ever?”

“Of course, if you’re unwilling, I do have other ways to handle the contract issue.”

Bu Lianshuang was quiet for a moment.

She knew what the fox girl in front of her was really asking.

She had considered this before.

Rеad on ΚatRеαԁіnɡСаfе

As the wolf clan’s princess, she should not be agreeing to something so absurd.

The wolf was proud. Wolves had never become tamed hounds kept by another’s hand.

But the heart beating ceaselessly in her chest kept urging her, pushing her toward that utterly absurd answer.

***

Chi Xiyan sat quietly in the room, drinking her tea.

She had lost count of how many cups the handmaiden had poured for her.

Since Lu Zhuxin had been taken away, every passing minute and second felt like its own small torment.

Fortunately, that state did not last long.

Soon, Chi Xiyan heard footsteps.

With a creak, the door to the side room was pushed open.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, esteemed guest.” Qing Niang appeared at the doorway, all smiles.

“Mm.” Chi Xiyan let out a cold, muffled sound. “Indeed. I’ve been made to wait quite a while.”

Qing Niang caught the edge in Chi Xiyan’s words.

Her smile never faltered. The deeper this girl’s emotions ran, the more firmly the Fox Monarch had her wrapped around a finger.

The Fox Monarch was truly the Fox Monarch. A mere Chi family young lady, effortless.

Chi Xiyan’s gaze didn’t linger on Qing Niang. It shifted immediately to the figure behind her.

She watched as Lu Zhuxin walked into the side room, bringing a tall young woman with her.

The moment Chi Xiyan saw that tall figure, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

This woman was prettier than she had imagined.

As the Chi family’s eldest young lady, Chi Xiyan had met many sect fairies and many body-tempering martial artists.

Body-tempering martial artists were usually wandering cultivators. Many had turned to that path precisely because they couldn’t obtain advanced qi-refining techniques.

But the tall woman before her had fine features and a bearing that was nothing short of exceptional.

Many young ladies of great families, many sect fairies, might not even match this kind of presence.

It was difficult to imagine that she was a wandering martial artist driven to desperation.

And what bothered Chi Xiyan most of all was this: as a maidservant, she was too tall and beautiful. She was a full head taller than even Yu Lizhi.

The longer Chi Xiyan looked, the deeper her frown grew.

Qing Niang chose that moment to speak. “Esteemed guest, please think carefully. Once Shuang’er walks out that door, it means the two of you have reached a decision. Whatever you choose, there is no going back.”

“The time from here is yours.” She smiled lightly. “Before you make your decision, please have a good talk with Shuang’er.”

Qing Niang smiled once more, then withdrew from the side room.

With a creak, the door closed.

Chi Xiyan still had her eyes fixed on Bu Lianshuang, brow furrowed.

While Chi Xiyan assessed Bu Lianshuang, Bu Lianshuang was doing the same in return.

In truth, this was not the first time Bu Lianshuang had seen this human girl.

“Chi Xiyan, eldest young lady of the Chi family in Beihe Commandery,” Bu Lianshuang murmured to herself.

Though the girl had concealed her face with a cloak and veil, the familiar aura emanating from her had completely given her away.

The last time she’d seen this human girl, Bu Lianshuang had watched her hold the little fox lady gently in her arms.

Unpleasant.

Whether it was Chi Xiyan or Bu Lianshuang, in that moment, each sensed from the other an inexplicable sense of threat.

This woman is dangerous.

But right now, if she wanted to stay by the fox lady’s side, she had to go through this human girl.

Bu Lianshuang lowered her eyes slightly. She kept her emotions very carefully concealed.

After stepping inside, she walked forward with measured, graceful steps.

Facing the black-robed elder that Chi Xiyan had disguised herself as, she bent at the waist in a soft, gentle bow.

“This servant, Lan Shuang’er, greets the lord.”

Though Bu Lianshuang was a Fifth Realm martial artist, one entire realm above Chi Xiyan, she was the one who had come seeking shelter. Before a master, a servant had to set aside her pride.

Rеаⅾ οո ΚαtRеadіոɡCаfe

But even as she bowed, Bu Lianshuang’s eyes could not help the faint streak of ferocity that slipped through.

The wolf was proud. She would never willingly bow beneath another.

Chi Xiyan said nothing. She continued watching Bu Lianshuang with cold, measuring eyes.

No one spoke. The entire side room fell into silence.

Without the esteemed guest’s permission, Bu Lianshuang, bent in her curtsy, did not dare to stand.

Invisible pressure spread through the room.

Lu Zhuxin understood. This was Chi Xiyan’s way of establishing dominance over Bu Lianshuang from the start.

But… they hadn’t signed the contract yet. Bu Lianshuang wasn’t a Chi family maidservant yet.

Are you not afraid of scaring her off with this?

Or was this exactly what Chi Xiyan intended?

Lu Zhuxin could see that the hand hidden in Bu Lianshuang’s sleeve had already crumpled the fabric of her skirt into a tight fist.

She really had to hand it to this wolf clan princess.

Worrying that things might spiral out of control if this continued, Lu Zhuxin reached up and pulled the hood of her cloak down. She looked at Chi Xiyan and said, “Sister, I’ve already spoken with Shuang’er. She’s very willing to seek the Chi family’s shelter.”

“Xue’er?!” Chi Xiyan’s composure cracked instantly.

She hadn’t expected Lu Zhuxin to pull her cloak off in front of this servant.

Didn’t that just expose both of their identities?

“I’m sorry, Sister.” Lu Zhuxin said with a look of genuine apology. “I’ve already told Shuang’er who we are.”

Bu Lianshuang caught on quickly. She understood Lu Zhuxin was giving her an out, so she followed, “Miss Chi, Muxue has already told me everything about you.”

“That is precisely why I wished to meet with you, Miss Chi.”

Chi Xiyan pressed a hand to her forehead and rubbed it.

Now they were fully exposed. What was even the point of the disguise anymore?

She let out a helpless, wry smile and turned to Lu Zhuxin. “Little Xue’er, do you understand what this means?”

Lu Zhuxin, of course, understood.

From Chi Xiyan’s perspective, so long as Five Immortals House and this Fifth Realm martial artist didn’t know their identities, they could disengage at any time without worrying about entanglements.

But her dear little sister had already told this woman called Shuang’er everything.

Which meant Chi Xiyan now had to seriously consider bringing this Fifth Realm martial artist under contract.

Of course, the most important thing for Lu Zhuxin was that she no longer had to keep kowtowing to Chi Xiyan!

“I know, Sister,” Lu Zhuxin said. “Shuang’er already knows who we are. If we want her to keep quiet, the best way is to buy her outright.”

“Bound by contract, Shuang’er would be ours.”

She paused, then added, “I know that Sister has always struggled to find people she can trust within the Chi family.”

“A Fifth Realm martial artist is a rare asset.”

“I also want to do something useful for Sister… So I wanted to help bring Shuang’er to your side.”

“Mother always told me that in any relationship, the most important thing is sincerity.”

“Only by offering your heart can you earn another’s in return.”

“So I told Shuang’er the truth.”

“Little Xue’er…” Looking at Lu Zhuxin’s expression, so earnestly naive, so solemnly sincere, Chi Xiyan felt nothing but helplessness.

Earning hearts with sincerity? As a merchant, Chi Xiyan did not believe in such things.

To merchants, the only thing worth exchanging was the most straightforward kind of benefit.

The only thing worth trusting was the cold, unyielding Dao contract.

The little sister before her hadn’t grown up within the Chi family. She hadn’t been exposed to such things, and so naturally she didn’t understand them.

“Sister,” Lu Zhuxin continued. “Shuang’er’s experiences are very similar to ours.”

“More than Five Immortals House, she needs a sanctuary like the Chi family.”

“So I’m willing to trust her.”

Chi Xiyan let out a long, helpless sigh. “Little Xue’er, you’ve just told her everything, just like that?”

Reαⅾ οn KαtRеаdіոɡСafе

“Mm!” Lu Zhuxin nodded.

Bu Lianshuang added quietly, “This servant Shuang’er is also willing to do everything in her power for the second young lady of the Chi family.”

Chi Xiyan turned her gaze to Bu Lianshuang, studying her with appraising eyes.

“I’m curious. Exactly who did you offend, that they could drive a Fifth Realm martial artist to such straits?”

Bu Lianshuang gave a faint, bitter smile and recited the story they had prepared. “It was Lingxu Sword Sect. I killed one of their senior elders, and since then, I’ve been hunted down by Lingxu with a bounty on my head. I’ve had no choice but to hide my face and live every day in hiding, terrified of the moment they discover my whereabouts.”

“Five Immortals House can conceal my tracks for a time, but it isn’t somewhere I can stay forever.”

As she spoke, Bu Lianshuang lowered her head. “Before this… I had met many young ladies of great families like yours, Miss Chi.”

“More than a few of them were willing to offer me shelter.”

“But once they heard the name of who I’d offended, they all kept their distance.”

Chi Xiyan remained silent.

She half-believed the story.

As one of the Seven Sword Sects, Lingxu’s influence, though not as dominant as Lingxiao, was still a colossal force. Not something most ordinary families or minor sects could afford to antagonize.

No wonder this Fifth Realm martial artist had been so much cheaper than the Fifth Realm sword cultivator.

Nobody would want to make an enemy of something that enormous for the sake of one Fifth Realm martial artist.

And besides, if this woman truly wanted shelter, there would have been no reason to bring up Lingxu Sword Sect as a lie. Not mentioning it would have made her a far easier sell.

“Sister,” Lu Zhuxin said. “Can you help Shuang’er figure something out?”

Bu Lianshuang, seeing no response from Chi Xiyan, let out a long, quiet sigh. “Shuang’er understands. The world fears the Seven Sword Sects. I’m just an ordinary wandering cultivator. I’m not worth offending Lingxu over, Miss Chi.”

“If you’re unwilling, Shuang’er wouldn’t dare ask more of you.”

“Sister,” Lu Zhuxin also said. “Isn’t Young Master Song the Young Sect Master of Lingxiao Sword Sect? We could also ask him to lend a hand.”

Chi Xiyan looked at Lu Zhuxin in surprise.

So her little sister really did take a liking to this Shuang’er.

Chi Xiyan did hold suspicions about Five Immortals House, and she didn’t trust this Shuang’er either.

What she trusted was only the Dao contract in her own hands.

With a contract in hand, any treachery or hidden intentions would have nowhere to hide.

Thinking along those lines, Chi Xiyan said, “First, I need to know who you killed.”

Bu Lianshuang considered for a moment, then said, “Huang Zhang. An elder of Lingxu Sword Sect, a Fifth Realm cultivator.”

“We crossed paths by chance. But he chose to sabotage me over a petty conflict of interests, deliberately cutting off our reinforcements and supply lines mid-battle, leaving my companions and friends to die under the fox clan’s iron advance.”

“I survived only because I’m a martial artist. My body was strong enough to escape from those demons.”

Bu Lianshuang let out a cold laugh. “So yes, those sect dregs deserved to die.”

“Huang Zhang…” Chi Xiyan had some recollection of the name. She had heard it from a few young disciples of various families.

In truth, the story Bu Lianshuang had told was almost entirely true and verifiable within the intelligence networks of every sword sect. It simply hadn’t been Bu Lianshuang who’d lived it.

As for the hunted martial artist that story had originally belonged to, he had long since become one of the fox clan’s loyal men and held a position in Mingzhao City.

“A Fifth Realm elder, in truth, isn’t worth a sword sect exerting major effort over,” Chi Xiyan mused aloud. “What the sect cares about is its reputation, nothing more.”

“This isn’t a difficult matter to resolve.”

“As long as you change your appearance and stop showing yourself before Lingxu Sword Sect, and as long as I extend them some benefit afterward, no one will dig further into this.”

“There’s no need to borrow Young Master Song’s influence.”

Lu Zhuxin’s face immediately lit up. “Does that mean Sister agrees to buy Shuang’er?”

Seeing Lu Zhuxin’s delight, Chi Xiyan felt something strangely inexplicable stir in her chest.

Is acquiring Shuang’er really worth getting this happy?

She let the feeling settle, pushing that inexplicable sensation aside for now.

“Of course,” Chi Xiyan said. “Two seventh-grade spirit artifacts are dead things to me. The help they bring cannot compare to a living person.”

“However. For Shuang’er, I do have one small condition.”

As she spoke, Chi Xiyan drew a special scroll from within her robes. One engraved with formation runes.

A Dao contract.

“The contract you sign must be mine.”

Rеad оո КatRеaⅾiոɡCafе

Chi Xiyan didn’t trust Five Immortals House, so naturally, she wouldn’t trust any contract Five Immortals House provided.

She preferred to keep everything firmly in her own hands.

Transferring the signing to Yu Lizhi was already her greatest concession.

Yu Lizhi had also signed a Dao contract with her, bound tightly to her through it.

Having Yu Lizhi sign on her behalf wasn’t meaningfully different from signing herself.

And in fact, it would let Yu Lizhi feel trusted, making this naive little white flower even more devoted to her.

Chi Xiyan looked at Bu Lianshuang with a grave expression. “Can you accept this?”

Bu Lianshuang lowered her head slightly.

Up to now, everything had unfolded exactly as the fox lady had predicted.

Once she signed this contract, Bu Lianshuang would have every justification to remain by the fox lady’s side.

As for the contract’s binding power?

Hmph. Bu Lianshuang had already been willing to stake everything to get close to that fox lady. This contract’s hold on her was, if anything, redundant.

“I agree.”

Having both sides reach an understanding, the rest was simple.

Under Chi Xiyan’s watchful gaze, Lu Zhuxin and Bu Lianshuang signed the Dao contract together.

The contract was genuine, and its binding power was real.

Lu Zhuxin was no stranger to Dao contracts.

Through this one, she could sense the vivid, living energy within Bu Lianshuang’s soul.

And within it, a faint thread of scorching emotion.

As an Eighth Realm cultivator with formidable spiritual consciousness, Lu Zhuxin perceived the contract far more keenly than Chi Xiyan ever could.

This wolf clan princess was staying by her side with her whole heart.

She had not even a hint of resistance to becoming a servant.

Well, whatever. The contract was in her hands anyway. She could dissolve it whenever she chose.

After watching the two of them complete the signing, Chi Xiyan’s expression softened somewhat.

Whatever else might be said, from today onward, this Shuang’er was one of them.

“Shuang’er.”

“Once we arrive at the Chi residence, you are not to reveal your true cultivation level to anyone.”

“I have a bottle of sixth-grade Aura-Suppressing Pills here. They can press your aura down to roughly the Third Realm.”

A Third Realm maidservant would not stand out within the Chi residence.

“And here is a bottle of Disguise Pills.”

Chi Xiyan looked at Bu Lianshuang’s face with a perfectly serious expression. “As a maidservant, your current face is too eye-catching.”

Bu Lianshuang was at a loss for words.

What exactly was wrong with her face? If it came to comparisons, she still didn’t measure up to the fox lady beside her, did she? The fox lady was easily the most beautiful woman Bu Lianshuang had ever seen.

This Miss Chi, why did she have to nitpick about something like this?

Despite the complaints piling up in her head, under Chi Xiyan’s stare sharp enough to skin someone alive, Bu Lianshuang swallowed the Disguise Pill without another word.

Chi Xiyan’s alchemy was remarkable in its effect. In only moments, Bu Lianshuang’s distinctive features began to shift, fading into something far more ordinary.

Not ugly, but standing beside Chi Xiyan, she would pale in comparison.

Seeing the result, the vague, tense feeling in Chi Xiyan’s chest eased.

A satisfied expression settled on her face. “As a maidservant, one should be understated. You cannot outshine the master.”

Bu Lianshuang’s eye twitched. Her fist clenched, then slowly released.

Was that really the only reason, Miss Chi? Surely not.

Lu Zhuxin stood quietly to the side, watching Bu Lianshuang’s altered face, her thoughts drifting somewhere else entirely.

The effect of these Disguise Pills was even better than she had imagined.

Not much weaker than a fox demon’s illusion technique.