Chapter 6

The Shifted Flower Palace is located in Yunzhou, and Mount Mount Wuliang happens to be here as well.

However, the Shifted Flower Palace is not the absolute hegemon of Yunzhou, for they have two powerful neighbors—

The Dali Imperial House and the Diancang Sect!

As for the Dali Imperial House, needless to say, those capable of founding a nation are no simple characters, even if it is merely a small kingdom.

Back then, Duan Duan Siping, the founding emperor of Dali, was a true Celestial Being in every sense; wielding the peerlessly sharp "Six Meridian Divine Swords," he roamed across many nations, rarely meeting an equal!

Although Duan Duan Siping has vanished without a trace for many years, who can say for certain that he is dead?

One must remember that Celestial Beings possess a basic lifespan of fully two hundred years!

Then there is the Diancang Sect.

This is an extremely low-profile faction, yet its strength is by no means insignificant.

The exact details are unknown, but one can infer much from the fact that even the Dali Imperial House adopts a conciliatory policy toward them.

Lian Xing worried that individuals from these two great factions might also have obtained copies of the diary and headed to Mount Mount Wuliang to seek treasure.

Should a conflict arise between the parties at that time, Yao Yue, being alone and weak, might well suffer a loss.

Conversely, although Mount Mount Mount Emei lies in Shuzhou, which borders Yunzhou, making the journey rather long, she knew there were no high-level experts in that vicinity.

Only one person from the Mount Mount Emei Sect, named Senior Senior Dugu Senior Dugu Dugu Dugu Yihe, required some attention.

But that was all.

Yao Yue sending her to Mount Mount Mount Emei while going to Mount Mount Wuliang herself was clearly an act of looking out for her.

This moved Lian Xing somewhat.

Yao Yue departed without looking back, coldly tossing out a single sentence: "Obey!"

Just as Yao Yue and Lian Xing set out, people across all provinces under heaven began stirring, gathering around the locations of treasures recorded in the diary copies.

Of course, not everyone acted this way; among them were those like Xiao Longnu, who remained indifferent to external objects.

Each of them held a copy of the diary, reading its contents with expressions ranging from doubt, astonishment, and anger to longing, curiosity, and deep thought...

These varied expressions appeared simultaneously on the faces of fairies, saintesses, demonesses, and enchantresses, each possessing unparalleled beauty and charm.

Suddenly, a voice as heavenly as nature itself rang out beside their ears.

[Detected that Jiang Sishui has completed today's diary entry. Congratulations, you have obtained one month of Qi.]

[The lottery program for owners of diary copies has been activated.]

[Selecting today's winner...]

[Congratulations to Wang Wang Wang Yuyan for obtaining "Truth Water".]

As the voice faded, all the women possessing diary copies felt a surge of Qi suddenly appear within their bodies.

The quantity and quality of Qi varied for each person, clearly equivalent to what they would gain from a month of bitter cultivation in their own techniques.

For example: Yao Yue received one month's worth of Ming Jade Technique Qi, while Xiao Longnu received one month's worth of Maiden Technique Qi.

As for those women without any martial arts foundation, they first felt a surge of energy within them, which then immediately dissipated into nothingness.

Is it... gone?!

For a moment, many women sighed in regret.

Yet even more women's eyes lit up, their hearts overflowing with wild joy.

One month of Qi!

Gaining a month's worth of Qi without doing anything meant that henceforth, even without cultivating, their martial arts progress would be thirty times faster than before?!

"Hiss—"

Calculating thus, the women grew increasingly alarmed, gaining a deeper understanding of the mysterious "diary's" power.

Had they not known that the so-called "golden finger" of a transmigrator was bound and that no active harm could be inflicted upon Jiang Sishui for the first three months, some among them would have already begun plotting to seize it.

At the same time, the attention of all these women fixed upon a single person—

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan!

As fellow owners of diary copies, why was Wang Wang Wang Yuyan the one chosen?

Was it truly a coincidence, or were there factors influencing the probability of winning?

After all, the name "Wang Wang Wang Yuyan" was far too conspicuous in the first diary entry; one could even say it was the most prominent of all.

Not only was she referred to multiple times as the "Number One Female Lead of Heavenly Dragons," but she was also one of the "three women unavoidable in the martial world"!

This forced the women to overthink the matter.

Meanwhile, Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, who was slumped dazedly on her embroidery bed, suddenly found a small porcelain bottle in her hand.

Inside was precisely the "Truth Water"!

The moment she grasped the porcelain bottle, Wang Wang Wang Yuyan understood its purpose.

Whoever drank the "Truth Water" would speak only truth in response to any question asked within the next two hours; after the effect wore off, they would forget the entire incident completely.

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan's unfocused starry eyes gradually regained their luster as she gazed at the small bottle, murmuring, "With this, I can finally know what place I hold in my cousin's heart."

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan felt both expectant and anxious in her heart, yet her small hand gripped the porcelain bottle tightly.

Suzhou.

The sky was gradually darkening.

Jiang Sishui knew nothing about the diary copies; at this moment, he was carrying a long sword and two roasted chickens, bought with all his savings, returning home.

Because these were unsettled times, and it was all too common for martial artists to kill each other in the streets over the slightest disagreement, he dared not linger outside.

Although he would not seek trouble, that did not mean trouble would not find its way to him.

Jiang Sishui currently did not know how strong his Beginner-level "Heaven-Slaying Sword-Draw Art" truly was, and he really did not wish to invite unnecessary trouble.

Thus, he only wandered around the vicinity for a while before returning.

Although he failed to gather sufficient information, he did overhear two pieces of news.

First, the "Zhenlong Chess Gathering" was about to begin.

Second, within Suzhou City, there was a highly renowned escort agency called the "Central Plains Escort Agency."

"Zhenlong Chess Gathering... Central Plains Escort Agency..."

Upon hearing these two pieces of news, Jiang Sishui turned back and headed home.

For a plan had already formed in his mind.

After returning home, Jiang Sishui first picked up his longsword to practice the "Heaven-Slaying Sword-Draw Art" for a while, then grabbed a roasted chicken and began chewing it voraciously.

First, he must replenish his spirit and strength, for soon he would undertake a major undertaking!

The night markets of the Great Song flourished; Jiang Sishui hid his longsword beneath his long robe and walked casually into the crowd, appearing to wander aimlessly and observe his surroundings.

It was not until the hour grew late that the streets gradually returned to tranquility.

Unknowingly, Jiang Sishui had arrived before a medicinal shop.

Knock, knock!

Jiang Sishui stepped forward to knock on the door; shortly after, footsteps echoed from within, accompanied by a vigilant voice: "Who goes there?"

"Shopkeeper Tie, it is me."

"Oh, it is Grand Top Scholar Jiang!"

The person inside clearly recognized Jiang Sishui's voice, and his tone relaxed immediately.

Next, the side door cracked open a sliver, revealing a pair of small eyes that gleamed brightly in the darkness.

Shopkeeper Tie curled the corner of his mouth and teased: "Our Grand Top Scholar Jiang is not staying up late to study by lamp light at this hour; what brings you running to my place?"

A flattering and humble smile spread across Jiang Sishui's face as he explained: "Shopkeeper, I have come to..."

Before his words could finish, a cold glint suddenly flashed in the night, swift as lightning, vanishing in an instant.

That momentary burst of light seemed nothing more than an illusion.

"...to keep an appointment. Did you not tell me to come at this time?"

Having finished the latter half of his sentence, Jiang Sishui naturally stepped forward.

He pushed the door open, entered the room, turned around, and shut the shop door.

Everything proceeded so naturally, as though Shopkeeper Tie had personally welcomed him inside.

It was only after the shop door sealed the interior from the exterior that Jiang Sishui withdrew his smile and moved his blood-soaked hand away from Shopkeeper Tie's throat.