Chapter 25
“Hao Tianping… wants me to visit him in the confinement room?”
Lou Yuqing blinked in surprise as the Enforcement Hall disciple delivered the message.
The disciple shrugged. “You can go—or not. It’s up to you.”
Lou Yuqing didn’t hesitate long. “I’ll go.”
She was genuinely curious. They barely had any interaction—why seek her out now?
Behind her, Si Nidie watched Lou Yuqing leave, then immediately turned back to Tan Sheng, eyes practically sparkling with anticipation.
Tan Sheng, on the other hand, looked slightly uncomfortable.
This was the first time someone his own age had so enthusiastically tried to set him up. Usually, it was elders—well-meaning, persistent, and impossible to escape.
“…I like women who are beautiful, elegant, and refined,” he said after a moment, carefully choosing his words. “Someone with similar interests, so we’ll never run out of things to talk about.”
Si Nidie’s smile deepened.
That description…
Was almost perfectly aligned with Wu Fengshu’s outward persona.
If one ignored everything beneath the surface, she truly would fit.
Si Nidie’s thoughts turned immediately.
Interesting. Very interesting.
Perhaps… she could play matchmaker.
Meanwhile, Lou Yuqing followed the Enforcement disciple down a quiet corridor toward the confinement area.
The moment footsteps echoed outside, Hao Tianping snapped to attention. He dropped his brush, rushed to the window, and craned his neck at an awkward angle, trying to catch a glimpse.
A figure came into view.
Closer… clearer—
Lou Yuqing.
She stopped in front of the window, looking slightly puzzled.
“Senior Brother Hao? Why did you ask for me?”
Hao Tianping stared at her with visible grievance. “Junior Sister Lou… you finally came.”
Lou Yuqing: “…?”
“They all said Captain Wei overheard your conversation,” he continued bitterly, “and realized I’d blown up the weapon-refining room before. That’s why my punishment got extended!”
Lou Yuqing froze for half a second.
“…That might be a misunderstanding,” she said with an awkward smile. “That really wasn’t my intention.”
Still… no matter how you looked at it, the result was that he got extra punishment.
Hao Tianping snorted, clearly dissatisfied—but he didn’t press the issue.
What was done was done.
“I didn’t call you here for that,” he said instead, lowering his voice. “There’s something simple I need help with. I could’ve handled it myself, but… well.” He gestured vaguely at the confinement room.
Lou Yuqing understood immediately.
So this was the real reason.
She smiled. “Senior Brother, just say it. If it’s within my ability, I won’t refuse.”
Hao Tianping brightened. “It’s easy. I have a friend who wants to join the Wendao Sect. The Spirit Testing Conference is in a few days—I just need you to help make arrangements for him.”
He paused, then added, “Once I’m out, I’ll go find him myself. Just… make sure he doesn’t miss the opportunity.”
Lou Yuqing nodded readily. “That’s no problem.”
The Spirit Testing Conference was only three days away anyway. Held once every five years, it was the sect’s main recruitment event—drawing in both untested mortals and cultivators alike.
As long as they met the requirements, they could enter the sect.
She noted down the name he gave her.
Then her gaze drifted—and landed on the table inside the room.
Stacks of talismans.
Her brows lifted. “Senior Brother… you can draw talismans?”
Hao Tianping puffed up with pride. “Just learned recently. Refining and alchemy aren’t my strengths, but talismans? Turns out I’ve got talent.”
Lou Yuqing smiled politely. “Congratulations.”
Something about that confidence felt… concerning.
She turned, ready to leave—and then, with a sudden fwoosh, something ignited.
Hao Tianping’s expression changed instantly. “Run!”
“What—?”
Before Lou Yuqing could react, a powerful force slammed into her, sending her flying backward.
The next instant—
The explosion tore through the air with a deafening roar. The ground trembled violently, the shockwave ripping outward as debris scattered in all directions.
Lou Yuqing barely managed to steady herself, her ears ringing.
Ahead of her—the confinement room was gone.
Reduced to rubble.
Smoke billowed thickly, choking the air, obscuring everything in sight.
“…Senior Brother Hao?”
Her heart tightened.
She had been protected by the artifact her master gave her.
But Hao Tianping had been at the center of the blast…
“…He can’t be—”
“Cough—cough—!”
A figure stirred within the ruins, then slowly crawled out.
His hair was a mess, his robes torn, his body covered in blood and dust, small fragments embedded everywhere—a thoroughly miserable sight.
“Junior Sister Lou!” the figure croaked, leaning against a broken wall as he looked around frantically.
Lou Yuqing blinked. “…I’m here.”
Hao Tianping let out a breath, then broke into a wide grin. “Good. You’re fine.”
Lou Yuqing stared at him for a long moment.
Then, very calmly—
“Senior Brother… are you sure you have talent for talismans?”
Hao Tianping froze.
“…This… this…”
Lou Yuqing tilted her head slightly. “Your talent seems… explosive.”
Hao Tianping: “…”
He just wanted to learn something to make money.
Why was it this hard?
A rush of footsteps approached as enforcement disciples flooded the scene.
Hao Tianping’s expression turned bleak.
So far, he hadn’t earned a single spirit stone—but he had successfully destroyed multiple sect facilities.
At this rate, he might go bankrupt before ever making a profit.
Hao Tianping stood there, freshly treated, looking considerably better—if still a bit charred around the edges.
Wei Houming frowned at him. “Hao Tianping. You caused another explosion in the confinement room.”
Hao Tianping lowered his head.
“…This disciple accepts punishment.”
He didn’t argue.
After all… it did explode.
Even if unintentionally.
At least the room had been sturdy enough. Otherwise, the other confined disciples might have been caught in the blast.
Nearby, the white-robed healer shook his head, still puzzled.
Just like last time.
Despite being at the center of an explosion, Hao Tianping’s injuries were, once again… minor.
No body cultivation. No special defenses.
And yet, he survived—barely injured.
Was it luck?
Or something else entirely?
Some people seemed to live permanently on the edge of disaster—never safe, yet never quite dead either.
Calling it luck didn’t feel right.
Calling it misfortune didn’t, either.