The system’s smug tone when it controlled her body and ordered her to complete its so-called missions was unbearably irritating.
Without realizing it, Xiaoqing bit her pink lower lip hard enough to draw blood.
Her life belonged to her. She had no desire to let this wretched system control even the smallest part of it.
How could she drive the hateful thing out of her body? That was the question.
> Ding! Once the player completes every mission issued by the system, the system will depart automatically. For now, let the system carry you to greatness and make you a god. Kisses!
*Kisses, my foot!*
Wonderful. She could add another reason to hate it: the thing eavesdropped on her thoughts. Did she have no right to privacy?
Anger flashed through Xiaoqing’s eyes. Fine. Until she found a solution, she would endure it.
Endure.
Endure.
Endu—
> Ding! Endurance is an incorrect solution. The proper course is for us to discuss the matter calmly.
*But I don’t want to discuss my life with you at all!*
Xiaoqing fixed her gaze on the raised platform and ignored the system.
The auction had begun.
A smiling, round-faced girl carried a golden tray onto the platform. Red silk covered the tray. The white-haired elder accepted it with a cheerful smile, drew back the silk, and opened a sandalwood box.
Inside lay a soft blue substance that looked almost like jelly.
“It’s Tideglass Gel!” someone whispered, eyes burning with determination.
The white-haired elder explained at an unhurried pace. “Tideglass Gel forms in seas more than a thousand feet deep. It is soft to the touch and can hold a great quantity of water-aspected spiritual energy, making it an excellent material for refining defensive water artifacts. The opening price is eighty thousand spirit stones.”
It was blue and sparkling.
It certainly looked valuable.
More importantly, it was useful to someone with a water spiritual root. Buying it would not be a waste—but Xiaoqing could not afford eighty thousand spirit stones.
Damn the filthy rich. Damn this terrible auction. Damn—
Why did she have to remember now? The Mystic Jade Treasure Sword that the original owner had left half-finished still lacked this exact material.
Perhaps she should try to buy it after all.
Xiaoqing timidly raised her hand. “One hundred thousand spirit stones.”
Even if she combined her entire fortune with all her treasures, she could not keep pace. Other bidders called one hundred ten thousand, one hundred twenty thousand, then one hundred thirty thousand.
The price rose too quickly for her to follow.
A beautiful woman in a red palace dress curled her lip with contempt. Her skin was smooth as cream.
“Pauper.”
Xiaoqing stared at her.
Was that aimed at her?
Was this woman deliberately provoking her?
The red-robed woman cast Xiaoqing a scornful glance. “One hundred fifty thousand spirit stones.”
Very well. Xiaoqing truly could not afford it now.
Then why was her hand rising by itself again?
Was she hearing things, or had her own mouth just said, “One hundred seventy thousand spirit stones”?
“One hundred eighty thousand,” the woman in red countered.
“One hundred ninety thousand.”
“Two hundred thousand!”
“Two hundred fifty thousand.” Having offered several times the material’s true value, “Xiaoqing” raised the corners of her mouth in triumph. “Can’t afford any more, can you? You’re too inexperienced to compete with me, youngster. Go home, cultivate for a few centuries, and try again. Ha ha ha!”
*That ridiculous braggart isn’t me! Damn system, give me back my body!*
“You!”
The woman in red was named Xue Su. Her expression shifted between fury and doubt. Then she stamped her foot, gritted her teeth, and committed herself.
“Three hundred thousand spirit stones! What now? Keep bidding, pauper. Someone like you thinks she deserves Tideglass Gel?”
“Huh? Why would I want Tideglass Gel?” “Xiaoqing” smiled with innocent surprise. “I was calling out numbers for fun. I never imagined anyone under heaven could be foolish enough to spend the price of a top-grade spirit artifact on one lump of raw material. How remarkably stupid.”
As soon as she finished, Xue Su’s face turned scarlet. She had stupidly driven up the price only to be toyed with like a performing monkey. Her finger shook as she pointed at Xiaoqing.
“Y-you—you…”
*M-me? I have a terrible feeling about this.*
> Ding! You may simply call me a good Samaritan.
“Xue Su, shouldn’t you pay for your purchase? The old man on the platform is becoming angry.”
Another girl removed a ghostly mask, revealing a delicate, doll-like face and a cool smile.
“Go on,” she said. “Pay him.”
“Just you wait.”
After glaring repeatedly at Xiaoqing, Xue Su strode away. She already regretted her bid, but refusing to pay and attempting to leave would openly challenge the auction. She was not foolish enough to go that far.
The doll-faced girl came closer to Xiaoqing. Her voice was clear and bright.
“Xiaoqing… it is you, isn’t it? I knew I would find you. I recognized you from your back. It had to be you. I missed you so much. I don’t regret betraying Shuangji Sect. I don’t even regret hurting the master who raised me. The only thing I regret is that I could no longer see you.”
The girl wrapped Xiaoqing in a fierce embrace, holding her as though she wanted to meld with her bones.
*Who are you? Wait—let go first. I can’t breathe. Quickly…*
“Xiaoqing, Xiaoqing, it’s Xiaoshu. I missed you so much.”
Xiaoshu was…
Xiaoqing remembered. More than ten years ago, a senior sister from their sect had betrayed Shuangji Sect and joined the demonic sect. In the original novel, after Lin Xiaoqing fell into disaster, that same woman still showed her extraordinary kindness and tried everything she could to rebuild Xiaoqing’s spiritual roots.
Another supporting woman.
“…Li Xiaoshu?”
That had to be her.
