“Apologies. Whenever I think of that friend, my heart feels… heavy.”

Qi Yuan’s expression shifted into a mask of profound melancholia. He struck a pose of deep reminiscence, gazing at a 45-degree angle toward the sky, and sighed with Oscar-worthy tragic flair.

“Her name was Liu Ruyan. We were once soulmates, bound by a friendship that transcended life and death. Who could have known… sigh… that Heaven envies genius? She was taken from this world far too young, a beautiful flower crushed before its prime.”

Moved by the “sincere emotion” dripping from Qi Yuan’s voice, Xiao Yueni felt a pang of sympathy. Her voice softened.

“Liu Ruyan… Just hearing the name evokes the image of a gentle, peerless beauty. She must have been a confidante you held very dear.”

Seeing the man before her looking so heartbroken, she quickly added, “Fellow Daoist Qi, please do not let grief consume you. As the ancients say, ‘The dead are gone, but the living must carry on.’ I am certain Miss Liu’s spirit in the heavens would not wish to see you so sorrowful.”

“Thank you for your comfort, Fairy Xiao,” Qi Yuan said, nodding with gratitude. “I have come to terms with it. The dead cannot be resurrected; we must look forward. The only thing left for me to do is to help my friend fulfill her dying wish.”

“A dying wish?” Xiao Yueni asked, her curiosity piqued. “What wish could be so difficult that even the Holy Scion of Supreme Mystery cannot easily grant it?”

“That is precisely why I need to ask for a favor,” Qi Yuan said, shaking his head solemnity. “My friend’s lifelong dream was to visit the Exquisite Sanctuary. She yearned day and night to become a disciple here. Tragically, disaster struck before she could ever set foot on this holy ground.”

He paused, letting a shadow of desolation cross his face. “As her closest friend, I feel a deep regret every time I think of it. I implore Fairy Xiao to grant me a convenience: allow me to bury Liu Ruyan’s ashes in a place with excellent Feng Shui within the Exquisite Sanctuary. This would comfort her spirit in the heavens. What do you say?”

“So that is the case,” Xiao Yueni sighed, her beautiful eyes shimmering with emotion. “I never expected you to be such a man of deep sentiment. To go to such lengths for a deceased friend… Yueni is truly filled with admiration.”

She pondered for a moment before nodding decisively. “Since Fellow Daoist Qi values friendship and righteousness so highly, our Exquisite Sanctuary should naturally help fulfill this sincere wish. Besides, I still owe you a favor for the matter regarding Junior Sister Qi.”

“The Exquisite Sanctuary is vast. Aside from the forbidden grounds, burying a handful of ashes elsewhere is a simple matter.”

However, a frown creased her forehead. “The only issue is… I am unfamiliar with the geomancy and Feng Shui arts of the mortal world. I wouldn’t know where to find a suitable ‘Treasure Land’ for burial. You see…”

“No problem!”

Qi Yuan had been waiting for this exact opening.

With a solemn expression, he pulled a uniquely shaped octagonal compass from his robes. “This is a specialized Feng Shui Compass. I only need to follow its needle to locate a supreme auspicious site.”

“I hope Fairy Xiao can grant me permission to move freely within the Sanctuary’s borders. I can handle the specifics myself.”

He immediately added a vow to seal the deal: “Rest assured, Fairy Xiao. I am solely here to fulfill a friend’s last wish. I will absolutely not harass or disturb the Senior and Junior Sisters of your noble sect while searching for the site.”

To maximize his credibility, Qi Yuan steeled himself and retrieved a massive clay jar from his storage bracelet, setting it down on the ground with exaggerated care.

Thud.

This jar actually contained the ashes of Lucky Li and Richie Zhang—the “Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick” duo of incompetence he had dealt with earlier. He had kept their remains on a whim, thinking, waste not, want not. He never expected them to come in handy today.

See? As long as your mind doesn’t slip, there are always more solutions than problems. Even a jar of trash ashes has its uses.

Xiao Yueni stared at the jar. It was the size of a fermentation vat. She looked at Qi Yuan with a strange expression.

“Why is there… so much? Was Miss Liu… particularly large in life?”

Qi Yuan’s face stiffened. Crap. Too much filler.

He quickly adjusted his expression to one of grim seriousness. “Uh… many people died in that disaster. The remains were mixed together, and I couldn’t distinguish which pile was hers. So, I simply packed them all up. They can keep her company.”

“Oh.” Xiao Yueni didn’t suspect a thing. In fact, her appreciation for him grew. “I did not misjudge you. Fellow Daoist Qi is truly a responsible and extraordinary man.”

She cast a disdainful glance toward the backyard, where Lu Changfeng was currently being interrogated.

“Unlike some people. They look honest on the surface, but hide filth and vulgarity in their hearts. Hmph!”

Qi Yuan followed her gaze and offered a moment of silence for the ultimate Simp, Lu Changfeng. Rest in peace, brother. You died for the plot.

“Fellow Daoist Qi,” Xiao Yueni continued, “since I happen to be free, why don’t I accompany you? We can select the Feng Shui Treasure Land for Miss Ruyan together, so she may rest in peace as soon as possible.”

“Ah?”

Qi Yuan froze.

Wait. That wasn’t in the script.

His entire plan was to use the “Dead Friend” excuse to wander the sect alone so he could track down the innate divine beast, the Cheng Huang.

As for “Liu Ruyan,” that was just a generic name he pulled from the trashy web novels he read in his past life. He blurted it out because it sounded tragic enough.

He hadn’t expected to grind his Reputation with Xiao Yueni so high that she would volunteer to be his tour guide.

What now?

Unable to think of a valid refusal that wouldn’t break character, Qi Yuan let out a dry, awkward laugh. “That… isn’t necessary, is it? For such a trivial matter, how could I dare trouble the Holy Maiden? I can manage alone.”

Xiao Yueni smiled radiantly, blindingly beautiful. “It is no trouble at all. I wanted to go for a stroll anyway. I can take the opportunity to show you the scenic highlights of the Exquisite Sanctuary.”

“Er… alright then.”

Seeing that resistance was futile, Qi Yuan could only brace himself and agree.

…

Meanwhile.

Deep within the Exquisite Sanctuary.

At a remote, secluded spiritual hot spring.

Mist curled over the water, rich with spiritual energy. A streak of purple light tore through the sky and descended softly. As the light faded, it revealed a beautiful woman in purple Daoist robes.

She appeared to be in her early thirties, her skin glowing like peach blossoms in spring. She exuded an indescribable aura of dignified majesty—Shao Xuanji, the Sect Leader of the Exquisite Sanctuary and a mighty Dao Integration cultivator.

Shao Xuanji stood by the pool, spreading her Divine Sense to confirm total privacy. Satisfied, she waved her sleeve to establish a warning barrier.

Just as she reached for her belt to undress for a bath, her expression shifted. She froze.

As a Dao Integration powerhouse, her senses were acute. She detected two streaks of escaping light rapidly approaching her location. One aura was incredibly familiar—it was her precious disciple, the Exquisite Saintess, Xiao Yueni.

Yueni?

Shao Xuanji paused.

Her senses told her something else. The second aura accompanying her disciple… was a man.

A man? Here?

Could it be…

A strange expression crossed Shao Xuanji’s face. After a moment of hesitation, she suppressed her aura and activated a concealment technique, vanishing silently into the thick white mist of the hot spring.

Moments later, a clear, melodious female voice drifted through the fog.

“Fellow Daoist Qi, there are several spiritual pools here. Such springs are countless in our Exquisite Sanctuary; fellow disciples often come here to bathe.”

“The water is living water, surging up from deep underground. Since no one is using this place right now, why don’t you bathe and change clothes here first? That way, when we do that thing later, it will appear more solemn and dignified.”

That thing? Shao Xuanji’s ears perked up in the mist.

The next moment, a warm, refreshing, and utterly shameless male voice responded.

“Fairy Xiao, since you are also involved in that thing, why don’t we wash together…”

Shao Xuanji: “????”