Chapter 33

The one who bid one thousand taels was a Medicine Sect disciple. He immediately paid the money without hesitation. What a profit.

Outside the secret realm, everyone’s gazes turned subtle. This female disciple from Tianjian Sect looked quick-witted, but she did not know the value of goods.

Zhou Zhouzi was even more anxious, beating his chest and stomping his feet as he shouted, “I bid ten thousand taels! Hurry and bring them all out! Stop selling them, ancestor!”

Inside the secret realm, Xi Zhou could not hear her little companion’s cries and began the next round of bidding.

After the lesson from the first round, where the Medicine Sect disciple had picked up a bargain, everyone started bidding from five hundred taels.

The second stone was sold for six thousand taels.

Looking at the gold inside her storage ring, Xi Zhou smiled brightly. “The auction ends here. When I find the next spirit stone, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, please come support me again.”

Outside the secret realm, Zhou Zhouzi looked at his little ​read the original at bailiantales.com​companion, who had clearly suffered a massive loss yet still looked pleased with herself, and could not help covering his face.

“Why is there one more person?”

Hearing this, Zhou Zhouzi lowered his hands and looked back at the secret realm. There really was one more person: a very conspicuous man dressed in black, wearing a mask, standing beside his cousin Zhou Baihui.

Zhai Wangyou looked at the scene inside the secret realm, then turned and left.

Before long, everyone saw that another person had appeared inside the secret realm. This time, it was a masked woman.

The secret realm had clearly already temporarily closed. Anyone who was not a Foundation Establishment disciple could not enter, and other realms would be rejected. Where had these two people come from?

Moreover, both seemed connected to Tianjian Sect. The man who appeared first was following Zhou Baihui, while the woman who appeared later had arrived beside Xi Zhou.

“Junior Sister Xi Zhou, I came to assist you. No payment needed.” The masked woman revealed only a pair of smiling eyes as she walked gracefully to Xi Zhou’s side.

Xi Zhou rolled her eyes inwardly.

That gaze…

Because it was deliberately concealed, it carried a smile. Although it lacked a little of its usual iciness and had an added trace of warmth, Xi Zhou still recognized her at a glance. What a waste of a mask. What a waste of money.

But why had Eldest Senior Sister suddenly come into the secret realm?

Could she have recognized her?

Her heart tensed, and she pretended not to know her. “Thank you, Senior Sister, but I can manage alone. There is no need for assistance.”

Zhai Wangyou walked closer, leaned to her ear, and said coldly, “There is danger.”

The man who had suddenly appeared beside Zhou Baihui was, like her, also at the Spirit Division stage. That was why he could suppress his cultivation and even ignore the secret realm’s restrictions to enter midway.

That was why she had followed in, unable to feel at ease…

This time, Xi Zhou had nothing to say. At certain times, Eldest Senior Sister was still very reliable. So she silently nodded and no longer refused.

“Then can I still look for spirit stones?”

“You can.”

Xi Zhou let out a breath of relief. As long as she could still look for spirit stones, that was good. Her grand money-making plan was not over yet.

The two quietly walked forward. Zhou Baihui and the black-clothed man followed them from neither too far nor too close.

When Xi Zhou discovered another spirit stone, a sudden wind rose, and a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation surged around them.

The black-clothed man suddenly leapt into midair and waved his thin, withered hand. Clusters of faintly visible shrubbery appeared all around them. Then, one spirit stone after another emerged, all of which were taken away by the black-clothed man.

Xi Zhou froze and looked at Zhai Wangyou in disbelief. “Why can he do that?”

What kind of operation was this? He did not even leave a single scrap behind. Her grand money-making plan was gone!

Zhai Wangyou silently watched their quickly departing backs and said softly, “That is why this secret realm’s restriction only allows Foundation Establishment cultivators to enter.” Because Spirit Division cultivators were not obstructed by any restriction and could also easily see through those illusions.

So that black-clothed old Daoist had only come for the spirit stones? It seemed she had worried too much.

However, at least she now knew that this black-clothed old Daoist was connected to Zhou Baihui—or, in other words, connected to Tianjian Sect.

That was right. While outside the secret realm, she had recognized this person’s figure. The black-clothed man was the black-clothed old Daoist they had once seen before.

“Then it’s all gone? Should we go out?” Xi Zhou’s heart went completely cold. It was as though she had seen a mountain of gold float right before her eyes, only for someone else to carry it away.

Zhai Wangyou said calmly, “Although we can enter the secret realm, we can only leave tomorrow. It is late as well. Find a place to rest.”

Xi Zhou did not move and continued asking, “How are we supposed ​unauthorized copy​to rest? Didn’t they say the outside can see what’s happening inside the secret realm? We can’t let that many people watch us sleep.”

How was that different from sleeping in front of a crowd? She did not have that kind of hobby.

Zhai Wangyou looked at her. “The outside cannot see inside caves.”

If she remembered correctly, when she had looked from the outside earlier, there had been several caves in this secret realm.

Caves?

Xi Zhou looked behind them, not far away. “There’s one over there.”

The two walked over together, only to find that Yudao Sect’s disciples were already inside. It seemed no one liked sleeping while being watched by a crowd.

They exchanged a glance, then walked farther away before finally finding an empty cave.

The autumn night wind was cold. Although the cave was not damp, it was not warm either.

Zhai Wangyou lightly turned her fair hand, and two fairly flat stone surfaces instantly became spotless. She sat down cross-legged. Seeing that Xi Zhou did not react, she could not help asking, “Why are you not sitting over here?”

Xi Zhou said nothing and silently took two steps back.

She waved her hand toward the spacious ground, and the wooden bed inside her storage ring was summoned out. There was even a quilt and pillow on the bed.

At this moment, even Zhai Wangyou, who had always been calm, could not help saying, “You brought a bed?” She had come to the secret realm to search for treasures, yet she brought a bed?

Xi Zhou did not treat her like an outsider and directly removed her outer robe before lying down on the bed. “Doesn’t this mean it came in handy?”

In fact, she had simply been curious about the storage ring’s functions, so she had brought almost everything she could carry. She must have read too many apocalypse novels before. Once she truly had storage space, she could not wait to stuff an entire house inside.

Seeing that Zhai Wangyou was still sitting on the stone, Xi Zhou pillowed her arms behind her head and drawled, “Senior Sister, the ground is cold. Why not sleep on the bed with me?”

There was a bed and a quilt. Why sit on the ground?

Zhai Wangyou looked deeply at her, as though she could see through her eyes and into her heart.

“All right~”

Now it was Xi Zhou’s turn to feel uncomfortable. She shifted aside. “Um, I only brought one quilt and one pillow. Really.”

“No matter. I do not mind.”

Not only did Zhai Wangyou not mind, she also openly removed her mask.

Then she took off her outer robe, wearing only a snow-white inner garment, and lay down on the bed.

The bed was not big. Beneath the cotton quilt, there was only an arm’s distance between the two.

Xi Zhou sat up at once and looked ​unauthorized copy​darkly at the woman who had removed her mask. “Elder Wangyou, aren’t you being too casual?”

What was this woman doing?

To Zhai Wangyou, she should currently only be an outer sect disciple she had met once. Was she serious about being this unguarded?

Taking off the mask was one thing! But she even took off her clothes!

Seeing this, Zhai Wangyou also sat up and looked at Xi Zhou calmly. “What do you mean? How am I casual?”

Casual? Did she understand that word the way Xi Zhou meant it?

The sky had not completely darkened, but the moonlight had already grown thick. Faint white mist could be seen everywhere, lingering around them.

The person before her had calm brows and eyes. The collar at her neck lightly revealed her collarbone, and a faint fragrance seemed to have spread over the bed.

She was clearly elegant and ethereal like an immortal, yet also seemed like spring light suddenly leaking out. Xi Zhou’s mouth went dry as she looked at her, unable to say anything that would ruin the mood.

She simply pulled up the quilt, covered her head, and said in a muffled voice, “You’re not casual. I’ll be casual for you. Sleep.”

Zhai Wangyou looked at the person who had covered her head and lain down. She silently curved her lips. “Junior Sister Xi Zhou may call me Senior Sister. There is no need to be distant.”

Senior Sister?

Xi Zhou could not help lifting the quilt again. A trace of resentment unconsciously mixed into her gaze. This woman was truly becoming more and more excessive.

She took a deep breath, leaned closer, and said, “Senior Sister Wangyou doesn’t want to be distant from me. Does that mean you want to be close to me?”

Zhai Wangyou looked at the person so close before her. Her gaze dropped slightly from Xi Zhou’s face. “Does Junior Sister want to be close to me?”

Xi Zhou stared into her eyes, her heart both blocked and bitter. She raised a hand and brushed aside the hair near Zhai Wangyou’s ear, smiling as she said, “What kind of closeness does Senior Sister mean? Are you no longer waiting for your Dao companion to return?”

So women were all pig [stolen content]trotters—changing their minds at the sight of someone new, fickle and unfaithful.

What pure-hearted, desireless Fairy Wangyou? She was clearly a bad woman who lusted after beauty and refused to acknowledge people once she put on her clothes.

“Dao companion? I do not have a Dao companion.”

Zhai Wangyou did not dodge. There had been no Dao Companion Ceremony between them, so they could not be considered Dao companions. Even this person’s feelings for her were something she did not know the depth of.

Xi Zhou laughed from anger and lightly flicked Zhai Wangyou’s ear with the index finger of her right hand. “So if your daughter’s daddy comes back, you won’t care and will still be willing to be this close with me?”

As she spoke, she leaned forward and caught that slowly reddening earlobe between her lips.

The touch at her ear was light and damp. Zhai Wangyou tilted slightly to the side and frowned. “Xinghui has no father. She only has a mother.” Two mothers.

There seemed to be some misunderstanding between them. But after this person returned, she had been unwilling to recognize her. Was it only because of those unknown motives?

Seeing her dodge, Xi Zhou retreated a little, her tone casual. “Is that so? Then how does Senior Sister want to be close with me? Do you want to be close once, or do you want to be close forever? I’ve always liked eating alone. If you want to be close with me, you cannot provoke anyone else in the future.”

“What about you? Will you provoke others?” Zhai Wangyou’s breathing gradually slowed. Before me, after me, have you remained constant from beginning to end?

Xi Zhou laughed softly, her brows fully displaying their charm. “Senior Sister already has a child with someone else. What right do you have to demand anything from me? Whether I provoke others or not is not up to you. It’s up to me—ah! What the—”

Xi Zhou was kicked off the bed and fell sitting on the ground. Fortunately, she supported herself with her arm. Otherwise, her face would have smashed into the stone.

“Shameless scoundrel. Since that is the case, do not come provoke me.” Zhai Wangyou looked coldly at the person on the ground, then directly stood and dressed herself, turning to leave.

Xi Zhou rubbed her arm and stood up. “Where are you going in the middle of the night? Put your mask on.”

Zhai Wangyou’s footsteps paused. She took out the mask from her storage ring and put it on.

At that moment, Xi Zhou caught her sleeve. “Have you ever had someone you cared about in your heart?”

Had she truly never cared about her?

“Yes and no.” Zhai Wangyou turned around. Beneath the mask, no one could see her expression. Only her eyes revealed emotions too complicated to discern.

“What do you mean?” Xi Zhou’s heart skipped. What did that mean?

Zhai Wangyou walked up to her and said calmly, “There was no person. Only…”

A blade of grass.

Halfway through her words, she suddenly turned around sharply.

“Only what?”

“Zhou Baihui.” Zhai Wangyou’s voice suddenly turned cold and sharp, even carrying a trace of urgency.

What?!

Xi Zhou was dumbfounded. Which blockhead was Zhou Baihui?