Driven by shame and annoyance, Luo Tangtang ran off in a fit of rage, but suddenly stopped.
Wait! How did he know I used Spring Fever Bind?
A moment later, Luo Tangtang scooped up the cat in her arms. Seeing its eyes darting back and forth, she immediately understood.
“Sys… tem!” Luo Tangtang gritted her teeth.
“You knew he was there all along, didn’t you? And you tricked me into getting the bamboo stick, didn’t you?”
Facing her questions, the cat’s round eyes darted around guiltily from her arms.
Luo Tangtang felt her anger rise. She reached out and squeezed the system-cat’s face, distorting it. Its short legs flailed wildly, emitting pitiful ‘wooing’ sounds.
“Stop pretending!”
I’m having such a hard time. How did I get stuck with a troublemaker like you?
Luo Tangtang grumbled and cursed all the way back to her residence on Xunyang Peak.
She placed the system on the table. Just as it let out a sigh of relief, it saw her carrying a basin of water, and its fur instantly puffed up.
“Y-you, you, don’t do anything crazy!”
Thud! Luo Tangtang set the water basin on the table and gave the system a sudden, cold look. “Let you feel the joy of being back in the womb.”
Saying that, she grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and Plop! tossed it into the water.
“Meow! I’ll drown!” The system flailed its tiny paws, struggling in the water. Its body was truly too small; even though the water wasn’t deep, it still choked and swallowed several gulps.
Luo Tangtang watched it struggle, a smile playing on her lips. Hearing its cries, she pretended to be surprised, raising an eyebrow teasingly. “You won’t die. At most, you’ll just switch bodies!”
Gurgle! Gurgle splutter! The system desperately lifted its head. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I won’t ever dare to do it again!”
“Oh, you’re sorry now?” Luo Tangtang scooped it out of the water and gently rubbed its snowy white fur with her finger. The water was lukewarm. Before long, the system was letting out comfortable purrs.
“Look how nice I am to you, even giving you a bath. And you still tricked me! Shouldn’t you give me some compensation?”
“What do you want?” The system, which had been purring comfortably, instantly tensed up, looking at Luo Tangtang with wary cat eyes.
“No spirit stones, no special privileges, no antidote. Don’t even think about it.”
Luo Tangtang was speechless.
“Get back in there.”
Gurgle gurgle! The system swallowed a few more mouthfuls of bathwater.
I can’t rely on this thing.
Luo Tangtang suppressed the urge to skin and gut the system. She decided to go out and storm around to calm her anger.
Almost the instant Luo Tangtang vanished, the system, which had been struggling miserably in the water, immediately spread out its limbs and swam happily. It even let out a comfortable sigh…
However, Luo Tangtang didn’t know this.
She had secretly gone to the library again. Once the system took on a physical form, it would lose some control over the host. This was a method of mutual restriction between host and system.
“You’re here.”
The elderly man didn’t seem at all surprised by Luo Tangtang’s arrival. He sat upright. On the table before him were items like a brazier, a cup warmer, and a charcoal basket. Tea seemed to be brewing, sending up wisps of fragrant steam.
“Have a seat.” The elderly man gestured to the empty spot across from him. Luo Tangtang nodded, feeling a bit strange inside, and sat down as told. How did he go from a lecherous old man to someone somewhat profound in just a moment?
“Dare I ask, Senior, who are you?”
“Me?” The man raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly. “You could grudgingly call me your Martial Uncle. They all call me Zhi Qu.”
“Ah, so it’s a Venerable.” Luo Tangtang couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, but quickly composed herself and said respectfully.
Zhi Qu was one of the Seven Venerables of the Supreme Immortal Sect. He represented worry-free travel and was known for being the most unrestrained and carefree.
Zhi Qu showed a look of disdain. “What Venerable? We’re just puppets tied up in the main halls. How boring.”
Seeing that Luo Tangtang didn’t respond, he pushed the teacup towards her. “Have some tea.”
Luo Tangtang blinked. “I thought you’d be drinking wine.”
Whether it’s novels or TV shows, aren’t the free-spirited Venerables always happiest with a drink?
Zhi Qu looked slightly awkward. He casually picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying quietly, “Well, isn’t it because I don’t have any money? I even picked this tea myself!”
“Is that so?” Luo Tangtang squinted and smiled, playing along shrewdly. “How about I treat Martial Uncle to a drink?”
“Hmph, you don’t really want to treat me to wine, do you? You’re just craving Spring Fever Bind.” Zhi Qu didn’t fall for her trick.
Seeing that he had revealed her intentions, Luo Tangtang decided to be direct as well. “Didn’t Martial Uncle already hear everything?”
Zhi Qu didn’t answer her directly, just smiled and said, “There’s no harm in telling you. It’s just that I haven’t been a Venerable for many years now, and my pockets are a bit… tight.”
He even pretended to rub his hands together expectantly.
“No problem! I’ll cover however much Martial Uncle drinks!” This body of hers was, after all, the Young Mistress of the White Tiger Clan. Even if she was ‘poor’, she was only poor in everything but money.
“Hahahaha, truly this Martial Uncle’s good disciple’s niece.”
When Luo Tangtang returned, she was completely stunned, showing none of the lively spirit she had when she first arrived.
Zhi Qu’s words echoed repeatedly in her mind. Spring Fever Bind was like a Gu poison. It had no cure. Every full moon night, the Gu poison would activate, driving the affected person to seek intercourse… ahem, dual cultivation. If they didn’t dual cultivate, the Gu poison would corrode their heart, causing immense pain.
Furthermore, the most desperate aspect was that the person the victim first dual cultivated with would have a strange attraction to them, and the sensations during each dual cultivation would be doubled.
Shit! How is this supposed to work?! Luo Tangtang just wanted to smack herself. She deeply regretted not controlling herself back then.
Now what? Does she have to be the protagonist’s medicine, getting together with her every time it flares up?
Ugh! Thinking of this, Luo Tangtang shivered with disgust. I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it.
Luo Tangtang’s mind was a jumbled mess. Perhaps she was too lost in thought, as she didn’t notice when someone appeared in front of her until she directly bumped into them.
“Ack!”
Luo Tangtang cried out in surprise.
“Junior Sister.” A familiar voice sounded by her ear. Luo Tangtang subconsciously flinched and instantly took a large step back.
When she saw who it was, Luo Tangtang gave an awkward laugh. “S-Senior Sister, hello.”
Clearly, Luo Tangtang wasn’t the only one feeling awkward. She clearly saw a flicker of discomfort cross Yun Shayi’s face.
“What are you doing here, Senior Sister?” Luo Tangtang desperately searched for something to say.
Yun Shayi also played along. She lowered her gaze and said faintly, “Nothing much. Just came to look into a few things.”
…
The air suddenly falling silent is the worst.
Silence fell between them. Luo Tangtang’s heart was a tangled mess, remembering Zhi Qu’s words. She could only frantically concoct an excuse to get away.
“Junior Sister!” But before Luo Tangtang could get away, Yun Shayi spoke again. Her voice was hesitant. “Did… did your Master punish you?”
Oh ho! So you know Zhi Yu doesn’t think highly of you! Luo Tangtang was a little surprised but kept a straight face. “How could that be? Of course not!”
Yun Shayi fell silent. She just stood there quietly, not speaking, not looking at Luo Tangtang.
Luo Tangtang was speechless. I knew this would happen.
“Haha, I suddenly remembered I have something important to do, so I’ll be going now!” Luo Tangtang couldn’t stand the awkward atmosphere any longer. She blurted out the excuse, turned around, and fled as if her life depended on it.