I’ve been made!

Qi Yuan stiffened, a chill running down his spine. He instinctively turned his head and saw a beautiful female cultivator in flowing Daoist robes hovering in the mist not far away, glaring at him with a face like frosted iron.

Shao Xuanji? The Sect Leader?

Qi Yuan’s heart plummeted. A layer of cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.

It’s over.

Even if I jumped into the Yellow River, I couldn’t wash this stain clean!

He had sneaked furtively to the exact spot where the Holy Maiden was naked, only to be caught red-handed by her Master. How in the Nine Hells could he explain this away?

Should I say I came to steal the Holy Maiden’s token?

No, that’s worse!

Should I say I came to scrub her back?

He shuddered violently. No. That’s a death sentence.

For a moment, Qi Yuan felt his mind fracturing under the pressure, a thousand excuses flashing through his brain in a microsecond. The only silver lining was that Shao Xuanji hadn’t vaporized him instantly. If a Dao Integration powerhouse attacked, he wouldn’t even have the luxury of panic.

Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a strange, vibrant plant growing near the spirit spring. An idea struck him like a bolt of lightning.

The situation was critical—burning his eyebrows, as the saying went. If he couldn’t shake the suspicion of being a voyeuristic pervert right now, his reputation would be ruined forever.

He had to take the unorthodox path. Rather than admitting guilt and being humiliated, he would go all in.

Double or nothing.

Qi Yuan steeled his resolve. Let’s do it!

“Ah?! Master… Fellow Daoist Qi… Why are you here?!”

In the pool, Xiao Yueni was startled by the sudden confrontation. She gasped, sinking her body up to her neck in the milky spirit liquid. When she saw the man standing just a few feet away, her face turned the color of a ripe tomato.

“Disciple, isn’t it obvious?” Shao Xuanji stared expressionlessly at the frozen Qi Yuan, her voice cold enough to freeze magma. “This little thief intended to defile you while you were vulnerable. I caught him in the act.”

Xiao Yueni’s delicate frame trembled. She looked at Qi Yuan with eyes full of disappointment and shame.

“Fellow Daoist Qi… I thought you were a gentleman of honor and integrity. I never expected you to be… this kind of person. I am so disappointed!”

“Yueni, save your breath,” Shao Xuanji said sharply. “I will capture this lecherous scoundrel immediately and drag him back to the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary. I will ask his Master, Daoist Hengzhen, exactly how he teaches his disciples to act like gutter rats!”

Fuck!

Is that really necessary? Cleaning house on the spot?

Qi Yuan’s heart sank further. He had no choice now. He had to gamble.

“Master…” Xiao Yueni hesitated, her heart softening slightly.

Just as she was about to speak, Qi Yuan took a bold step forward. He adopted an expression of profound frustration and innocence.

“Senior Aunt Shao, Fairy Xiao. Please, both of you must believe in my integrity. I have been wronged!”

As he spoke, he retrieved a vividly red spirit fruit from his storage ring with a trembling hand, channeling every ounce of his Oscar-worthy acting skills.

“The environment here is sweltering. Feeling a sudden thirst, I took out this spirit fruit, intending to quench it.”

He held up the fruit tragically. “I thought it was a common Crimson Vermilion Fruit. But alas! I didn’t realize until it was too late that it is actually a Phantom Star Fruit! I merely smelled it a few times and fell into a deep hallucination, wandering here completely unconsciously…”

“Unconsciously?”

Shao Xuanji snorted, unimpressed. “You are literally holding a [Top-Grade Breath Concealment Talisman] in your other hand. Your movements were stealthy, precise, and efficient. You look nothing like someone lost in an illusion.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Furthermore, you are the Holy Scion of Supreme Mystery, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Do you expect me to believe you were confused by the mere scent of a Phantom Star Fruit?”

In the pool, Xiao Yueni bit her lip, looking at Qi Yuan with renewed suspicion.

Qi Yuan’s brain was spinning so fast his CPU was smoking. Yet on the surface, he remained the picture of calm dignity, his tone growing even more sincere.

“The illusion I experienced was bizarre and grotesque, filled with sinister demonic energy. It felt like a terrifying demonic domain! To survive, my instincts took over—I activated the Concealment Talisman to explore cautiously and avoid danger.”

He looked at Shao Xuanji with clear, honest eyes. “It was only your righteous shout that jolted me awake from the nightmare. I should thank you, Senior Aunt Shao. As for the fruit’s potency… it can easily be verified!”

Qi Yuan didn’t blink once. His performance was flawless, radiating the aura of a misunderstood hero.

Xiao Yueni wavered. Her expression softened. “Fellow Daoist Qi… if that is truly the case, then perhaps it was an honest mistake…”

“Thank you for your understanding, Fairy Xiao!” Qi Yuan said quickly, mentally cursing himself for the bald-faced lie while looking deeply apologetic. “It was my lapse in judgment. I misidentified the fruit.”

“Yueni, don’t be a fool! How could there be such a coincidence in this world?”

Shao Xuanji wasn’t buying it. She glared at the red fruit in his hand. “Hmph! Junior, do you think I will believe your sophistry just because you have a glib tongue?”

“Whether you were truly in an illusion or not… let this Sect Master probe your soul to find out!”

BOOM!

Shao Xuanji released her terrifying pressure, sending a probing force of Divine Sense surging toward Qi Yuan.

Old ginger really is spicier! She’s tough!

Qi Yuan’s brow twitched. He immediately held his breath, sealing every pore on his body. Then, without a shred of hesitation, he crushed the Phantom Star Fruit in his hand.

Pop!

With a crisp sound, the fruit of the ten-thousand-year-old Phantom Star Herb exploded into a fine red mist.

Instantly, a sweet, cloying fragrance filled the air. An invisible wave of energy rippled outward, enveloping all three of them in a split second.

Before Qi Yuan could even react, the world before his eyes began to twist and spin like a kaleidoscope. His consciousness grew heavy and hazy.

WTF?!

Wait a minute! The system said if I crushed the fruit, it would pull the surrounding people into an illusion so I could escape! Why am I getting hit too?!

Shit! I’ve been scammed by that little grass spirit again!

No! Stop!

Stop it, you bastard system!

Before he could finish his internal scream, darkness swallowed him whole. Qi Yuan’s heart shattered as he was dragged kicking and screaming into the very illusion he had invoked.