◎ That was too fast. Should we check the test paper one more time? ◎
In the projection—
At this moment, Lin Shuang and the others were visibly surprised.
Meng Zi stared at the clue score that had appeared: — Xiaofeng lied, 2 points.
Even he was so startled he stepped back.
“I really am exceptionally clever.”
With his blade over his shoulder, Meng Zi stepped back and puffed out his chest.
“Hahahahaha!”
Lin Shuang pressed a hand to her forehead. Huangfu Yuan paused mid-medicine.
[Xiaofeng lied? Injustice! Xiaofeng hasn’t even said a word yet!]
[The ultimate scapegoat of the Nine Thousand Trials: Xiaofeng.]
[She hasn’t even shown her face and she’s already been betrayed by the Nine Thousand Trials.]
[This level is cursed. Of all places, why hold the Six Sects’ Competition here?]
[Where’s that Mountain and Sea Sect advantage everyone was talking about?]
[……]
“Let’s go, Wang Jian, take us to find Xiaofeng!”
Meng Zi puffed up his chest and looked at Wang Jian.
He was clearly fired up.
Lin Shuang had triggered the Immortal Summoning List, the teleportation talisman, and Huiniang’s letter…
He and Huangfu Yuan hadn’t contributed much up to this point.
But not this time. Meng Zi couldn’t stop grinning, even deliberately striding in front of Huangfu Yuan with his blade hoisted high.
“Hey, I’ve earned two points too now.”
Huangfu Yuan lowered his gaze.
“If you want more spirit stones, Junior Brother, just say so.”
Unfazed by being exposed, Meng Zi replied without a trace of shame, “Exactly. This round’s rewards are based on the points we each earn. Totally fair.”
Huangfu Yuan scoffed faintly and turned to the heartbroken Wang Jian.
“In Huiniang’s handwriting, she mentioned that you often painted her likeness under the moonlight.”
“You are a practitioner of ink-painting cultivation, imbuing your spirit into the brush—your paintings must be incredibly lifelike, indistinguishable from the real person.”
“Would you let us have a look?”
{Disciples of Clearwater Sect—Huangfu Yuan’s trio—have triggered the hidden item: Huiniang’s portrait, 2 points. Now that you know what she looks like, it should be easier to find her.}
[……]
[……!]
“Apologies, Junior Brother.” Huangfu Yuan’s jet-black eyes flickered.
Meng Zi took a step back.
What did I ever do to him?!
Lin Shuang rubbed her brow and shook her head.
But Wang Jian gave a nod. “I do. I’ve painted Huiniang.”
He lifted his left sleeve, which billowed in the wind, and pulled out a nearly person-sized poster—ahem, painting.
Before Lin Shuang could take a closer look, she felt the person beside her, cradling a handwarmer, suddenly go still.
She raised her brows and turned her attention to the image—and held her breath.
It was a scene of a beauty reclining drunk beneath the moonlight.
A vibrant woman painted in cinnabar and ink, sprawled atop a lakeside boulder.
Moonlight spilled across the canvas, her gauzy robe gleaming like pearls as it trailed to the ground. One hand cradled a wine jug, the other propped languidly at her cheek. From within the painting, her soul-piercing eyes seemed to gaze directly at Lin Shuang.
For a moment, Lin Shuang almost forgot what she was supposed to be doing. Her 108 spiritual senses stirred restlessly.
She couldn’t help but reach out—
“Don’t move!”
A sharp command exploded by her ear.
As her fingers brushed something cool, she snapped back to awareness.
She looked down to find her right hand resting on the back of Huangfu Yuan’s hand.
She was already standing right in front of the painting, just a step away from the ink-stained paper.
If Huangfu Yuan hadn’t stopped her, she would have touched the artwork itself.
Lin Shuang was speechless.
Her 108 spiritual senses should have been equivalent to someone in the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.
Yet Meng Zi was utterly clear-headed and burst into laughter, hands on hips. “What are you doing, Lin Shuang?”
Huangfu Yuan withdrew his hand back into his sleeve.
“Those with acute spiritual senses are more susceptible to being enchanted by the artist’s emotions.”
Meng Zi: “……”
Wang Jian flushed slightly. “Ahem, I painted this while drunk. It’s not the real Huiniang. You’d best not stare too long.”
Lin Shuang peeled her gaze away from the vivid eyes in the painting and gave Wang Jian a deep look.
No wonder he hadn’t volunteered to use the painting to help find her earlier.
Ink cultivators embed their spirit into their brushwork, imbuing the artwork with intense emotion.
But now calm again, Lin Shuang took another look—and was dumbfounded.
Her gaze landed on the fluffy fox ears peeking out from either side of the woman’s black hair… and the bushy snow-white tail.
“Apologies, I should’ve mentioned earlier—Huiniang is of fox-demon bloodline.”
Wang Jian stood before the painting, his tone dazed.
“When I was searching for her, I didn’t dare publicize that.”
It was said that fox clans possessed bewitching charm.
Tales of stunning fox girls dual cultivating with great cultivators were common throughout the cultivation world.
Lin Shuang glanced at the furry ears in the portrait, then couldn’t help tilting her head to look at the somber Huangfu Yuan beside her.
Does he have animal ears too…?
“Oh! I get it now. Someone’s probably targeting Huiniang for her fox-demon bloodline!”
Meng Zi leaned in for another look and had an epiphany.
“Everyone knows that ever since the Nine-Tailed Fox disappeared, the fox clan has been treated terribly. Most of them joined human sects and cultivation families.”
“It’s said that dual cultivation with a fox girl can double your progress—a highly sought-after cultivation partner.”
Double the speed…
Lin Shuang’s eye twitched.
That phrase hit one of her personal red flags.
Dual cultivation? Twice the efficiency?
The great demon beside her seemed to sense it too—he turned and gave her a cold, mocking glare. Even his dark pupils radiated annoyance.
“Ahem. Let’s go meet Xiaofeng.”
Hands clasped behind her back, Lin Shuang was the first to leave Wang Jian’s room.
They followed Wang Jian to the embroidery workshop.
To understand how Huiniang had vanished, Xiaofeng was their next lead.
In the embroidery shop, Xiaofeng seemed to have sensed their arrival—by the time the trio entered, she was already waiting.
Eyes cast down, average in build—definitely human, not fox.
Unremarkable and quiet.
“Xiaofeng, you lied to me! What did you do with Huiniang?!”
Wang Jian practically lost it the moment he stepped in.
“Tell me where she is! Give me back my Huiniang!”
He grabbed her arms and shook her violently.
Standing nearby, Lin Shuang could smell the ink clinging to his robes.
“Exactly. Speak up. As Huiniang’s close maid, you must know something.”
Meng Zi rested his blade on his shoulder, eyes cold.
Xiaofeng’s expression remained mild. She looked at him, then at the crazed Wang Jian.
Her gaze lowered. “Why would I lie to you?”
“I’ve told you so many times… That morning I woke her like usual. But when I opened the door, the bed was empty. The sewing was still scattered like the night before. No clothes were missing…”
“Liar!”
Meng Zi slammed the table.
Xiaofeng froze.
[Pfft——]
[Enough, Clearwater Sect!]
[Stay strong, Xiaofeng! Don’t fall for their tricks!]
In the projection, Xiaofeng quickly shook her head. “Why would I harm Huiniang?”
“You scoundrel! Still lying!”
Meng Zi was furious and drew his sword.
“Hand over Huiniang’s letter from April!”
Xiaofeng showed no expression. “I don’t have it.”
“Oh, you little—” Meng Zi raged. “Senior Brother Huangfu, do it! Search her spirit!”
[……]
[…………]
As they caused an uproar, Lin Shuang had already examined Huiniang’s dressing table. Rouge, brushes—everything was still there.
The embroidery rack, the screen, the sewing basket…
Sure enough, there were floral patterns, matching the ones in the letters Wang Jian received.
She hadn’t been wrong.
These were Huiniang’s practice drafts for embroidery in future seasons.
Some completed pieces in the room matched the letter sketches exactly; others were even more refined.
Clearly, Huiniang had improved them after the letters were sent.
“You just won’t learn until you see your own coffin! Pull out your weapons, villain!”
Nearby, Meng Zi was still yelling at Xiaofeng, while Wang Jian questioned her in anger and grief.
It was a total mess.
Lin Shuang pressed a hand to her head, helpless.
She’d been feeling off earlier, but hadn’t known why—so she hadn’t rushed to find Xiaofeng.
But now, seeing Huiniang’s embroidery more vivid than in the letters, that vague unease spiked.
It was so intense it finally clarified what had been bothering her.
She looked toward Wang Jian, still confronting Xiaofeng. “Wang Jian, did you ever give Huiniang any feedback on the flower patterns she included in her letters?”
Wang Jian froze.
[Wang Jian???]
He looked dazed, as if it took a moment to realize she was speaking to him. “No. Huiniang never asked me.”
Exactly. That was what had bothered her most.
Lin Shuang’s expression turned strange.
If it were her, she’d never include something so ambiguous in a letter.
Too inefficient.
Even if she wanted someone to guess, she’d write, Guess what this means.
If she wanted affirmation, she’d ask, What do you think of my peony design? Is it pretty?
But Huiniang left floral patterns in the letters with no request for advice, not even a hint—it was like a decorative afterthought.
But if it were just decoration, why use unfinished embroidery drafts from future seasons?
In a love letter, wouldn’t it be more fitting to include symbols like five bats (blessings), or pomegranates (I want your babies)?
She drew them in the letter, and Wang Jian didn’t even realize—they were drafts for later embroidery.
Wasn’t that like performing for a blind man? A total waste.
So inefficient.
Now she understood why she’d felt so off earlier in the Wang residence.
“You bastard. I’ll ask you one last time! Where’s Huiniang’s April letter? Did you forge it?!”
“I didn’t.”
Meng Zi was locked in a standoff with Xiaofeng.
Lin Shuang frowned—then suddenly froze.
“You’re lying. Weren’t you the one who delivered the forged letter from April to the Wang residence?!”
Xiaofeng gave a cold snort. “I don’t have it.”
Meng Zi, exasperated, shouted, “Still lying—!”
Lin Shuang quickly stepped away from the embroidery rack and stared at Xiaofeng, whose face was full of certainty. Her voice dropped low. “It’s not the April letter you forged. You forged Huiniang’s April journal, didn’t you?”
The calm expression on Xiaofeng’s face suddenly froze. A flicker of panic shot through her eyes.
Meng Zi: “! Damn it, I asked so many times just now—”
Lin Shuang pushed him aside and stared into Xiaofeng’s flustered gaze. “Or rather, are Wang Jian’s reply letters also in your possession?”
“What?” Meng Zi hadn’t caught on yet.
But the previously obstinate Xiaofeng had gone pale and collapsed by the bedside.
In that instant, she bowed her head, a hoarse growl rising from her throat.
“No, I didn’t, it’s not—”
“I didn’t… take…”
Spiritual energy surged violently!
Her figure suddenly swelled, shedding her human guise—revealing herself to be at the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment. Her eyes turned white, pupils nearly disappearing.
“You’re lying! Die!”
Several embroidery screens in the room flared with motion!
Threads and needles shot toward Lin Shuang like arrows.
{Clearwater Sect’s Lin Shuang and her companions have exposed Xiaofeng’s lies, triggering a battle against her! Warning: Victory may yield hidden items—Wang Jian’s reply letters and Huiniang’s remaining writings. Or you might get nothing at all. After all, in battle, anything can happen, don’t you think?}
[……]
[Are there really Nine Thousand Trials seniors watching today? I’ve always wondered—
If you’re unlucky and kill Xiaofeng but get nothing, is it an automatic fail?
Do you have to restart the trial from scratch, over and over, until this NPC finally drops the item?]
[What’s the drop rate for this stuff? Is it at least 50-60%?
Any seniors from the higher levels have stats?
Last time I killed her and got nothing.]
[Heh, I’ve done this floor ten times.
If you get a full drop once in ten, you’re lucky.]
[…That’s so low.]
[Alright, Six Great Sects—let’s see who’s fastest at getting Xiaofeng’s loot!]
[LOL I thought this was a deduction challenge—it’s actually a loot-the-NPC level.]
In the projection, Lin Shuang felt a jolt of pain in her dantian from the sheer unfairness of this game mechanic.
The good old save-load method of single-player gaming?
Headache-inducing.
Reload and try again.
Terrible for time management.
Just as the flurry of needles was about to hit her—and Meng Zi’s great blade was swinging toward Xiaofeng’s head—Lin Shuang shouted,
“Stop!”
“Don’t kill her!”
“?”
“If she dies and nothing drops, we’ll have to start all over again.”
“Let me think.”
As she spoke, Lin Shuang dodged the flying threads and needles.
“Keep her occupied… but don’t go for a killing blow.”
[!]
[That won’t work. If you delay too long, Xiaofeng might destroy her mustard seed pouch.]
[Destroy the evidence? So how do you clear this puppet trial floor? Is there no guaranteed success method for disciples?]
{Warning. Clearwater Sect has engaged Xiaofeng in battle for over half a tea’s time. The abnormal noise from the embroidery room has drawn attention from nearby shopkeepers and passersby. Word is spreading.}
{Other sects on this floor—Mountain and Sea Sect, Wandering Blossom Sect, Ten Thousand Monks Sect, and Solemn Inscriptions Sect—can now pay 5,000 spirit stones to immediately receive the message:
Xiaofeng is suspicious! She carries critical letters from Huiniang and Wang Jian!}
[……！]
[Wait, I thought groups on the same floor didn’t affect each other?]
[Naive. This is the Twelve Sect Tournament—you think it’s a private server?]
[In real-world treasure hunts, intel leaks and competition follows.
The Nine Thousand Trials are no different.]
[Finish it quickly, or others will beat you to it.]
“That damned Nine Thousand Trials is selling our info now?!”
Meng Zi’s eyes bulged.
“Lin Shuang, we can’t delay any longer!”
With that, he brought his blade down toward Xiaofeng.
Back during the trial of the Nine Linked Shockstones at Zhenchuan, they had each been able to cut down Foundation Establishment Stage Five opponents.
One Xiaofeng was no problem for Meng Zi alone.
But just as his blade cut into Xiaofeng’s shoulder—
Several Second-Rank Healing Pills and Fifth-Rank Spirit-Recovery Elixirs were shoved into Xiaofeng’s howling mouth.
Blood spurted from her shoulder, the blade leaving a horrifying gash.
In an instant, it healed.
Her pale face flushed with color.
Not only did she not die—she looked even healthier.
[……]
[…………]
Meng Zi: “?”
He turned back to see Lin Shuang and Huangfu Yuan both tucking away their pill bottles.
“What the hell are you two doing?”
Lin Shuang walked over and looked at the floor. “No drop.”
She sighed in relief. “Good thing we saved her.”
Meng Zi’s face twitched.
[She really gambled on that?]
[That’s not even a victory. There’s no way anything would’ve dropped!]
[There’s no way this works, right?]
{Mountain and Sea Sect has initiated battle against Xiaofeng.}
{Wandering Blossom Sect has spent 5,000 spirit stones to buy intel—initiating battle against Xiaofeng.}
{Ten Thousand Monks Sect has spent 5,000 spirit stones—initiating battle against Xiaofeng.}
…
{Solemn Inscriptions Sect has spent 5,000 spirit stones…}
[…Seriously suspecting the Mountain and Sea Sect’s inner-sect tournament is just a money grab.]
[They’ve got to get something out of it—after all, they’re responsible for cleaning the viewing mountain and competition arenas afterward. That costs spirit stones.]
[Hosting the Nine Thousand Trials for other sects requires a huge outlay—of course they want to make it back.]
[Damn.]
“The other five sects were slower than us—now they’re all caught up!”
Veins popped on Meng Zi’s forehead. “We can’t waste any more time.”
“Don’t you want to win?!”
Yes.
Lin Shuang’s expression shifted subtly.
But their true goal was to obtain the transfer leaf from the upper level—and the floor master’s position.
Simply clearing the level—what good would that do?
They had to not only break through the trial, but also uncover every hidden item on this floor.
Which meant… they absolutely couldn’t afford to rush.
“Stay calm.”
Lin Shuang spoke clearly.
In the “Fastest Learning” exam arc, when only five minutes remain before the submission deadline and the end-of-exam bell is about to ring, that is the moment one must remain calm.
Only then could you answer more questions in the final moments.
Otherwise, with just a bit of impatience, you could make careless mistakes—miscalculations, elementary errors…
And there’d be no time left to check your answers.
“This is a ploy to rattle us.”
“Don’t fall for it, Junior Brother Meng.”
Huangfu Yuan hugged his handwarmer.
“We had the lead.”
The Nine Thousand Trials revealed the progress of other sects for one reason only—to throw them off.
Lose your composure, and your advantage disappears.
Even as he spoke, Meng Zi’s blade had already fallen. “Damn it…”
Just as he was about to cut Xiaofeng’s body in half, regret flashed across his face—but he couldn’t stop in time.
Several Rejuvenation Pills and Spirit-Healing Elixirs were swiftly shoved into Xiaofeng’s mouth by Lin Shuang and Huangfu Yuan.
In a flash, her pale face flushed with vitality—she looked even more energetic than Meng Zi himself.
Meng Zi: “……”
If they kept this up, weren’t they going to feed Xiaofeng all the way to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment?
{Ten Thousand Monks Sect has defeated Xiaofeng. 2 points.
Unfortunately, they obtained nothing. It seems Xiaofeng was enraged and crushed her mustard seed pouch before dying. Sorry, the Xiaofeng clue has been lost. Ten Thousand Monks Sect may choose to continue or withdraw and restart. If they withdraw, this round is considered a failure—their current score will be retained, but upon re-entry to the Nine Thousand Trials, they’ll be demoted by 300 floors.}
The disciples of Ten Thousand Monks Sect exchanged glances, staring helplessly at Xiaofeng’s corpse in a pool of blood. Someone struck a wooden fish in resignation.
They had no choice but to leave the floor.
Not long after their exit, Wandering Blossom Sect made their move.
Their Xiaofeng was overpowered—and chose to self-detonate her dantian.
{Wandering Blossom Sect successfully restrained Xiaofeng. 1 point. However, the powerless Xiaofeng refused to cooperate and soon took her own life. Hmm? Something on the floor seems to be sparkling. Wandering Blossom Sect, would you like to pick it up and take a look?}
Bian Bocai of Wandering Blossom Sect, twirling his folding fan, crouched down.
He pulled back the tattered cloth and revealed a fragment of inked calligraphy.
—“Huiniang, all I wish for is to grow old with you in harmony, to hold you in mutual respect…”
The writing ended abruptly.
“Is this Wang Jian’s reply?”
Bian Bocai beamed with joy—then quickly frowned.
“What good is this?”
{Wandering Blossom Sect has obtained Wang Jian’s April reply (fragment). 1 point.
Truly baffling.
Too bad it was almost entirely burned away.
Still, if one is clever enough, it may lead somewhere?
But… is there anyone clever in Wandering Blossom Sect? Who knows.}
Bian Bocai’s folding fan paused mid-air. His previously flirtatious expression now full of irony. “Is this trial from the Mountain and Sea Sect meant to mock us?”
[……]
[No, it’s an equal-opportunity slap in the face.]
Mountain and Sea Sect and Solemn Inscriptions Sect followed closely behind, each with their own methods—defeating Xiaofeng was no issue.
But like Ten Thousand Monks Sect, the unlucky ones got nothing.
Mountain and Sea Sect’s Xiao Qi, however, relied on his Vajra Arts defense technique to withstand Xiaofeng’s Foundation Establishment Level Five assault—leaving her briefly dazed.
While she was distracted, his two senior brothers seriously injured her, and the mustard seed pouch hidden at her chest fell to the ground.
Most of the letters inside were damaged by Mountain and Sea Sect’s blades.
Still, compared to Wandering Blossom Sect, they were luckier—they managed to retrieve one complete letter from the pile.
{Mountain and Sea Sect successfully obtained Wang Jian’s April reply. 1 point.}
—“Huiniang, all I wish for is to grow old with you in harmony, to hold you in mutual respect… I swear, I will treat you as if it were our first meeting every day, and never let you down…”
“What use is this?”
Xiao Qi was baffled.
His two sect brothers frowned as well.
{Alas, the dropped letters were not intact. Unfortunate. The Mountain and Sea Sect’s forceful attacks were like Mount Tai descending—Xiaofeng’s mustard seed pouch couldn’t withstand the pressure. The letters inside, written personally by Wang Jian… well, who makes correspondence into magical artifacts? Under the full weight of Mountain and Sea Sect’s might, the letters were crushed into ash. Only one was left intact.}
[Mountain and Sea Sect, could you maybe… hold back a little next time?]
The two Mountain and Sea Sect disciples responsible for the attack: “……”
Xiao Qi closed his eyes.
[Mountain and Sea Sect’s Xiao Qi sighs deeply—“What’s the point of this?”—clearly displeased with the letter drop.]
Xiao Qi: “……”
[Well, it’s not Wang Jian who’s missing, is it!
Even with his reply in hand, the Mountain and Sea Sect disciples seem… only marginally closer to the truth. You may now choose to withdraw and restart.]
[……]
[The Nine Thousand Trials really is every disciple’s nightmare.]
[A single day without mocking us is a day the elders don’t sleep well.]
[The elders who designed the Nine Thousand Trials… well, let’s just say they’re very dedicated to pushing disciples forward.]
{Due to excessive delay on this floor, you may now spend 5,000 spirit stones to purchase clues obtained by other sects.
1. Wandering Blossom Sect’s “Wang Jian’s Letter Fragment (April)” – 1,000 spirit stones
2. Mountain and Sea Sect’s “Wang Jian’s Letter (April, partial complete)” – 2,000 spirit stones
Due to ongoing failures, sects will be pushed back 300 levels upon reentry to this trial.
However, to prevent stalling during the Six Sect Competition, the Abyss River Transfer Leaf is temporarily available.
3. “Beloved, Look at Me Once More” Transfer Leaf – Allows entry to this level at any time, regardless of current progress. 5,000 spirit stones per use.}
Within the trial, Meng Zi’s eyes widened.
Lin Shuang let out a low hiss—Mountain and Sea Sect really did have a head for business.
This tournament was very profitable.
{Would Clearwater Sect like to purchase clues 1 or 2?}
Huangfu Yuan took out his mustard seed pouch.
{Clearwater Sect refuses to purchase. Transaction canceled.}
Huangfu Yuan: “……”
Meng Zi looked smug, as if to say dream on.
Lin Shuang said nothing.
[Hahahaha!]
[So stingy.]
But then—
A choked sob came from Xiaofeng’s lips.
“Why… why didn’t you kill me?”
Her cheeks flushed red from the overload of powerful pills.
Spiritual energy surged wildly through her body, far exceeding the level of injury she’d sustained. It had nowhere left to go.
If she sat down and meditated right now, she might even break through.
Xiaofeng looked tearfully at Lin Shuang and Huangfu Yuan, filled with confusion, sorrow—even pain. “Why treat me so kindly, just like Huiniang did…”
She choked back a sob and covered her face.
Tears streamed down.
“She treated me so well… she saved my life…”
“And I… I harmed her.”
“It’s all my fault… all my fault…”
Xiaofeng trembled all over, crying uncontrollably.
All her hostility dissolved. She looked completely lost—like a child with no home.
“Yes… I have all the letters… and Huiniang’s remaining handwritten notes too…”
“Do you think… she’ll forgive me?”
Still sobbing, she pulled out a thick stack of letters.
Under Lin Shuang’s subtle gaze, the three of them looked at the pages before them.
{Clearwater Sect has obtained Wang Jian’s handwritten letter (complete). 2 points.
Clearwater Sect has obtained Huiniang’s handwritten notes (complete). 2 points.
These are the most complete clues available.
If you still can’t find Huiniang, well… maybe no divine pill can save your poor brains.}
[!]
Lin Shuang: “……”
The three of them immediately read through the letters.
—Seeing Huiniang’s handwriting fills me with joy.
—So she misses me too. I feel the same.
—I must go into seclusion soon to paint the thousand-mountain screen. We’ll meet next month. I hope she won’t forget me…
…
—Huiniang, I only wish to grow old with you in harmony, to treat you as I did the first day we met, and never let you down…
Wang Jian’s handwritten replies ended with the letter from April.
That was when Huiniang went missing.
Lin Shuang, after scanning them thoughtfully, handed the letters to Huangfu Yuan and took Huiniang’s notes in return.
Meng Zi read with her.
As soon as he saw one particular page Huangfu Yuan had set aside, Meng Zi’s expression changed.
—Third day of the third month… Xiaofeng and I finally finished embroidering the wedding robe. It’s of mandarin ducks drawn by Wang Lang. I picked out seven-colored silk threads.
—Ninth day of the fourth month… The way he looked at me, as if he wanted to devour me. I couldn’t focus on my embroidery. Xiaofeng said I was overthinking and told me to rest early.
—Tenth day of the fourth month… I went out to buy threads and ran into him again. He seemed to know I’d be out. Was he following me?
I’m a little scared. I’m almost married. Once I enter the Wang family, I’ll be their daughter-in-law…
The bottom half of the page was torn off.
These pages had been crumpled repeatedly, then torn apart—then clumsily taped back together. It wasn’t clear if Xiaofeng or someone else had pieced them back.
But the missing half-page… Lin Shuang searched through the letter box and couldn’t find it.
“Gone.”
Xiaofeng, seemingly exhausted from crying, gave a bitter smile, her gaze hollow.
“Gone? Who tore it?”
Meng Zi frowned. “That man in the letter—the one tailing Huiniang—who was he?”
“He was—”
Fear surged on Xiaofeng’s face.
She had only spoken two words when a blade came flying through the window frame, straight toward her chest!
Lin Shuang lunged forward, but Huangfu Yuan grabbed her arm and held her back.
Meng Zi didn’t even have time to draw his weapon.
“Nascent Soul…”
Wang Jian’s eyes widened in shock.
“A Nascent Soul stage cultivator… is that who kidnapped Huiniang?!”
Meng Zi froze—then shot out of the room.
Lin Shuang didn’t give chase. She stepped forward to try to feed Xiaofeng another healing pill.
But Huangfu Yuan stopped her and shook his head.
Blood gushed from Xiaofeng’s mouth, her pupils going dim.
Her lips moved—but no sound emerged.
Lin Shuang clenched the pill bottle in her fist, knuckles white.
Beyond Foundation Establishment lies Nascent Soul… and then Void Entry…
Beneath true cultivation masters, life and death happen in the blink of an eye.
And in that blink—how many can you save…?
The words of a Zhenchuan elder from the Nine Thousand Floors seemed to echo in her ears.
Lin Shuang closed her eyes. She couldn’t save her.
Too weak—and when you’re weak, you can’t save anyone.
Even though this trial used puppets, that moment had felt brutally real.
Lin Shuang looked down at Xiaofeng’s fading eyes.
“You never told me—why did you give Huiniang’s diary to Wang Jian as if it were a letter?”
Xiaofeng’s eyes snapped wide for a second.
Lin Shuang’s lips tightened. So it’s true.
“That letter from April—you forged it, didn’t you? Or… was it the man you mentioned?”
Xiaofeng was already dead, unable to speak.
She only raised one trembling finger—and pointed toward Wang Jian.
Behind him stood a delicate embroidery screen. Threads of red silk formed words:
—Longing not like magpies on a bridge,
Just once a year… still enough to smile.
{Clearwater Sect’s Lin Shuang and company have uncovered Huiniang’s true feelings.
As one of the fox clan, she believed she could never walk hand-in-hand with Wang Jian.
She once thought of burying her affection in silence.
Do you agree with Huiniang’s choice to hide her longing?
Or are you more like Xiaofeng—longing to change fate, to let him know her heart, to hold him forever?
How many foxes and humans truly get to spend a hundred years together?}
Wang Jian collapsed weakly to the ground. “Not like magpies… Huiniang…”
Lin Shuang gently closed Xiaofeng’s eyes.
Then returned to the top of Huiniang’s notes and resumed reading.
—November… I haven’t seen Li Wei in years. Can’t believe he’s returned to East City. Aren’t tiger clans usually in the north?
—March… Li Wei found out I’m marrying into the Wang family. He wasn’t pleased. He seemed upset.
—March… Li Wei came again, told me not to marry. I refused. He looked furious.
—April… The way he looked at me… like he wanted to eat me alive. I couldn’t focus on my embroidery. Xiaofeng said I was overthinking it, told me to rest.
“Tiger demon Li Wei?!”
Wang Jian trembled from head to toe.
“He’s the one who killed Xiaofeng just now?!”
“Has Huiniang already…”
{Clearwater Sect’s Meng Zi has obtained a tiger hair dropped by the Northern Tiger Demon. 2 points.}
Lin Shuang and Huangfu Yuan looked toward the embroidery room’s entrance with a subtle glance.
Did Meng Zi pick that up outside?
“That tiger demon’s been missing recently. I went to his place a few times—he was always in seclusion!
He’s half-step Nascent Soul, his spiritual sense rivals full Nascent stage cultivators—
Please, fellow Daoists, help me!”
Meng Zi burst back in, not even stopping to speak.
Wang Jian, overwhelmed with grief, flung out his sleeve.
A giant ink scroll of rivers and mountains unrolled in the blink of an eye—stretching for hundreds of li.
In the next breath, the entire embroidery shop was engulfed in the scroll.
Brush in hand, Wang Jian painted—North Outskirts appeared right before them!
Shrinking Distance into Painting.
One step—and they arrived.
Lin Shuang, Huangfu Yuan, and Meng Zi opened their eyes to a towering forested mountain.
The moment Lin Shuang inhaled, her scalp prickled.
The stench of blood overpowered even the scent of ink from the scroll.
In a mountain cave ahead, a tall, broad man with a fierce, dark face opened his mouth—his sharp fangs stained red—as he held a beautiful woman with a broken neck, buried in her bleeding throat.
Wang Jian let out a devastated roar. “Huiniang!”
The man with bloody cheeks and beastly aura, golden slit pupils glaring wildly, roared at Wang Jian.
Then threw the limp body of fox-tailed Huiniang to the ground.
In an instant, Huangfu Yuan’s dark pupils filled with blood, his jet-black hair trembling with rage.
{Congratulations! Clearwater Sect has arrived at the Northern Outskirts first, triggering the Tiger Demon Battle. 2 points!}
{Mountain and Sea Sect, Wandering Blossom Sect… would you like to pay 10,000 spirit stones to immediately unlock the Northern Tiger Demon clue and join the battle?}
As the floating projection text passed by, Huangfu Yuan’s veins bulged at his neck, fingers snapping open in a furious twitch—
But Lin Shuang grabbed his arm and stopped the burst of fury just in time.
“Wait—”
“Don’t move! We’re too fast. We’re advancing too fast—”
[……]
[Wait, is she… waiting for the other sects?]
[Clearwater Sect: We’re too fast, oh dear, we’re too fast. The other five haven’t arrived…
It’s lonely at the top, so lonely!]
[Clearwater Sect (anonymous): Let’s wait, just to give the other sects a chance. Our Junior Sister is perfect—just… too kind.]
[Clearwater Sect (anonymous): What else can we do? If we pass too fast, we might accidentally steal Mountain and Sea Sect’s Floor Master title!
Then what? The Floor Master would be under our name! Nooo—slow down, Junior Sister!]
[!]
[……]
Author’s Note:
“Zhao Sect Master’s Notes, Entry 52”:
“Senior Brother Zhou says the inner sect disciples have learned to speak like me.
Nonsense! I would never be that ridiculous, exaggerated, or showy.”
—Inner Sect Disciples: …
—Zhou Xuanwu: …
—Zhao Keran: Oh no, I didn’t even get to comment on this trial.
Senior Sister was too fast. If you don’t review before submitting, the lunch hall at Mountain and Sea Sect won’t even be open yet. Embarrassing.
—Inner Sect Disciples: …
—Zhou Xuanwu: …
—Zhao Keran, one hundred years later, correction:
Back then, I was still on the first floor. Senior Sister… was already on the third.
—Disciples, one hundred years later: …
See you tomorrow.
Juju’s Note:
In this chapter (and the ones to come), you’ll notice two special formatting marks that I chose to keep from the original. They help preserve the tone and charm of the story, so I wanted to keep the reading experience as close as possible to how it feels in the source:
- [] marks live audience commentary during the trial projections — basically the cultivation world’s version of a chaotic livestream chat: playful, dramatic, and full of opinions.
- {} indicates official system messages from the Nine Thousand Layers trial — things like score updates, rules, or announcements from the organizers.
I hope this little formatting choice helps you feel more immersed in the story. Let me know if it enhanced your experience or felt confusing — I’m always open to feedback!