Chapter 87

Bearing like a crabapple blossom in the wind, bearing like a jade-plum tree in the snow. A beauty leaves the imperial garden, a fairy of Ruizhu descends to the mortal world.

She did not look, did not glance, did not speak, did not utter a word, did not stir—and yet she held a thousand kinds of loveliness, ten thousand airs of grace.

It's her! It really is her!

She's been revived! She's truly been revived!

Ah Qing covered her mouth; her usual tranquility and detachment were flung to the back of her mind in this very moment.

Gazing at this familiar yet unfamiliar person before her, her bosom heaved violently, her excitement beyond restraint, her heart nearly leaping from her chest.

Her lashes trembled lightly; the beauty slowly opened her eyelids, a pair of clear-cut watery eyes gazing blankly at this realm of heaven and earth.

"Sister Xi Shi!"

Ah Qing could hold back no longer; she tossed aside her green bamboo staff and flung herself into that woman's arms.

……

【Congratulations on completing today's diary entry. Reward: Martial Arts Experience +1000, 1 "Ji's Art Pill"】

Sure enough, after the system leveled up, the martial arts experience Jiang Sishui received had directly doubled!

If one also counted the quests the system issued, the rewards from now on would surely be even richer.

But his mind at this moment was not on that; it was on the pill pinched in his hand.

Utterly ordinary, looking nothing special.

But according to the system's information, this "Ji's Art Pill" was a fine thing indeed.

Consumed below Heavenly Man, it could add three months of cultivation.

Consumed by a Heavenly Man, it could add one month of cultivation.

For a Half-God, it was ineffective.

"Ji's Art, Ji's Art—three months make a season, one season's worth of cultivation… the name really is plain and easy to understand."

Jiang Sishui tucked the "Ji's Art Pill" away.

He had the "Northern Nether Divine Art" on him, and his cultivation was already near the limit of a Great Grandmaster; eating something like this would be a complete waste.

So before ascending to Heavenly Man, he planned to give it to his women to eat, to raise their strength.

He added the martial arts experience on—

【Heavenly Sword Drawing Technique (Heavenly Art): Entry (5100/**

Just then Zhao Qiying's voice came through; Jiang Sishui immediately rose and went out to eat.

Seeing the three women again, Jiang Sishui noticed their faces were redder one than the next, and could not help being puzzled: "What's the matter with you all? Your faces are red like this—are you not used to it?"

"No, no! I think this place is wonderful." Ah Bi hurriedly waved her hands in denial.

Wang Yuyan even looped an arm through Zhao Qiying's and said, "With Sister Zhao here, how could I possibly not be used to it?"

These lines still contain untranslated Chinese. Please provide the full text you'd like translated.

Jiang Sishui raised a brow, not expecting Wang Yuyan and Zhao Qiying to take such an instant liking to each other.

They'd only just met—how long could it have been? —yet their relationship was already this close?

Sure enough, women were creatures one could not measure by common sense; love and hate, in most cases, came as quickly as they went.

But this was a good thing; beyond his astonishment, Jiang Sishui was even more pleased at heart.

Then he looked again at Ah Zhu, who had been silent all along, and asked, "Miss Ah Zhu, what's the matter with you?"

Ah Zhu lifted her head, glanced at Jiang Sishui once, shook her head, then turned her gaze aside, still silent.

Jiang Sishui started—this was a troubled heart!

His questioning gaze turned to Wang Yuyan and Ah Bi, but the two women were equally at a loss, not knowing how Ah Zhu, who had been perfectly fine moments ago, had suddenly become like this.

........ 0

Jiang Sishui's expression sobered slightly, and he grew a touch more serious: "Miss Ah Zhu, if there's something on your mind, speak it. If there's some difficulty, we can still help you think it through."

Ah Zhu glanced at Jiang Sishui once more, still shaking her head.

"Miss Ah Zhu, bottling words up inside is liable to bottle up an illness." Jiang Sishui urged again.

Hearing this, Ah Zhu finally spoke.

She first let out a sigh, then met Jiang Sishui's concerned gaze and said, "It's not that I won't speak, nor that I have words I cannot say—I simply don't wish to speak in front of Young Master Jiang."

"I know that what I said during the day, Young Master must not have liked hearing."

"Although Young Master did not openly say he didn't like hearing it, I know it. Even if Young Master doesn't say it, I know."

"Young Master doesn't like hearing it, and I wasn't insisting that Young Master listen."

"Now even if Young Master wants to hear it, I won't say it, lest I earn your dislike and you turn around and blame me for it. Anyone hearing it would think I was the one forcing Young Master to listen."

Ah Zhu's voice, laden with grievance and stubbornness, rang out; one man and three women all turned to stone on the spot.

Jiang Sishui stared blankly at the girl before him, itching to give himself a great slap across the mouth.

I shouldn't have opened my big mouth and asked!

Look at how sharp this lass's tongue is…

This isn't Ah Zhu—this is Lin Lin Duidui, isn't she?

That's right!

This must be Lin Lin Duidui!

Listen to that tone—where's the Dai left in her? It's clearly already Dai through and through!

This is practically a carbon copy of Lin Daiyu, for heaven's sake!

Wang Yuyan and the other two women also stared speechlessly at the mischief glinting in Ah Zhu's eyes, already prostrate with admiration.

Enough said—first, I'll kowtow to her in my heart.

Seeing the impishly clever look on Ah Zhu's face, how could Jiang Sishui not know he'd been played by her?

He buried his head in his food and stopped talking.

Just you wait!

That little mouth of yours is so sharp—I'll gag it for you someday, and we'll see if you can still be so glib!

Jiang Sishui secretly hardened his heart, but then a certain image flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir.

Looking again at Ah Zhu's alluringly fresh, tender red lips, he even felt the urge to go up and take a bite.

At this moment, Ah Zhu really ought to be grateful there were still others around.

But Ah Zhu didn't let him off the hook. She sighed softly and said, "You see, I originally didn't want to say anything, but Young Master insisted I speak. Now I've said it, and Young Master is angry again. If I'd known it would be like this, I wouldn't have said anything."

The three women burst out laughing.

Jiang Sishui couldn't stand it any longer. He tore off a roasted pheasant drumstick and stuffed it into her mouth: "Even a chicken this big can't shut you up? Eat, eat!"

"Two-nine-zero." Ah Zhu's mouth was smeared all over with grease, and she shot Jiang Sishui an annoyed sideways glance.

That one glance was truly brimming with allure, stirring Jiang Sishui's heart until it trembled at the tip.

……

Late at night.

Zhao Qiying's soft, boneless body collapsed against Jiang Sishui, her mouth open as she panted heavily, not wanting to move at all.

After a long while, her emotions finally settled down.

Feeling those restless hands, she didn't push them away, didn't even open her eyes, and only said wearily, "Jiang-ge, do you like those three sisters?"

Jiang Sishui's hands froze mid-motion.

Such a blunt question caught him completely off guard.

Just as he was rapidly turning things over in his mind, wondering how to answer, Zhao Qiying went on talking to herself: "If you like them, then go ahead. I... I can't take it anymore either. Having a few more sisters wouldn't be bad."

"Qiying, you... are you serious?" Jiang Sishui could hardly believe his own ears.

Zhao Qiying's voice was weary: "Mm, it's true. Who told you to be like a bull? Stop asking, I'm sleepy, going to sleep."

Jiang Sishui turned his head to look at her. The girl's breathing was even, her eyelids didn't move at all—she really did seem exhausted.

"Could she be testing me?" Jiang Sishui couldn't help but wonder.

But then, thinking of Zhao Qiying's character, she didn't seem like the type to do something like that, and his heart immediately surged with excitement.

Wonderful!

He had originally been thinking about how to persuade Zhao Qiying, but he hadn't expected her to simply give in on her own.

Just through a different method.

This saved him an enormous amount of trouble!