Chapter 69
"System."
The moment the system finally gave in, Lou Yuqing immediately asked the question that had been buried in her heart for a long time.
"I want to know who the mysterious person stealing Yuan Chenxing's luck is."
The system fell silent.
No response came for several seconds.
Then, at last, the cold mechanical voice sounded again.
A translucent system panel instantly appeared before Lou Yuqing. An upgrade progress bar flickered across the screen, slowly loading upward.
Lou Yuqing blinked in confusion.
Upgrade?
The system needed to upgrade itself just to answer this question?
For a moment, she genuinely thought the system had been deliberately hiding information from her. But now... it seemed more like it truly couldn't access the answer.
Just as she was thinking that—
Bzzzt—!
A harsh electric buzzing suddenly exploded in her ears.
Lou Yuqing winced and covered her ears immediately, frowning toward the floating panel.
The instant the loading bar hit 100%, the screen abruptly distorted into a chaotic waveform before dissolving into a full-screen mosaic of flickering static.
Then everything froze.
"...System?"
Lou Yuqing stared at it suspiciously, the corner of her mouth twitching.
Why did this thing suddenly look like it had short-circuited?
After several long seconds of silence, the mosaic abruptly vanished.
A lonely ellipsis appeared on the screen.
Then the system's faint mechanical voice sounded weakly:
For some reason, Lou Yuqing could actually hear a strange sense of resignation in that robotic tone.
She paused for a moment before speaking with visible disbelief.
"Aren't you supposed to be a system? Aren't systems usually omniscient? How are you this useless?"
The Gossip-Eating System sounded deeply aggrieved.
Lou Yuqing instantly fell silent.
In the end, it still circled back to her.
Half doubtful and half convinced, she asked, "So if I don't eat gossip, you really won't have enough energy?"
This time, the system answered unusually quickly.
Lou Yuqing reluctantly accepted the explanation.
Thinking about it carefully, the logic did hold up.
Previously, when the system ran low on energy, it had gone dormant entirely.
Now that its information retrieval abilities were weakened, it wasn't that unbelievable.
She casually smoothed back the hair the wind had blown loose and spoke in a magnanimous tone.
"Fine then. Next time, just tell me directly. I can understand."
She paused before adding mercilessly:
"After all, you're just a gossip-eating system. I can't really expect too much from you."
Lou Yuqing waved a hand generously.
"You're welcome."
Just as she was about to close the panel, her gaze suddenly landed on the still-open search bar.
Clearly unwilling to give up, she typed another line into it:
—What is the identity of the person who stole Yuan Chenxing's luck?
A new line of text instantly appeared.
Lou Yuqing froze.
Then her eyes widened slowly.
One million?!
She stared at the string of zeros in complete disbelief.
Good heavens.
Six whole zeros.
She only wanted to eat a little gossip, but the system apparently wanted her to work herself to death first.
This shameless thing was practically mocking her directly to her face.
"Junior Sister, let's go."
Si Nidie's voice suddenly sounded nearby.
Lou Yuqing snapped back to reality at once.
"Coming!"
She stepped onto the white cloud Si Nidie summoned. Wind rushed past them as the scenery rapidly retreated beneath their feet, and not long afterward, the two arrived smoothly at the sect's cultivation chambers.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
After leaving Qishan, Gu Qinghong and Xiao Siwen lingered together for quite a while, exchanging affectionate words before finally parting reluctantly.
Gu Qinghong stood where he was and watched Xiao Siwen disappear into the distance.
The tenderness in his eyes gradually faded. So did the smile on his face.
This woman no longer had much value to him anymore.
Yes, Xiao Siwen loved him deeply.
But what use was love?
Could it help him establish himself firmly within the inner sect?
Could it push his cultivation into the Golden Core stage?
Not only that, but her father had always looked down on him. Even after he advanced to Foundation Establishment, the elder still constantly lectured and reprimanded him without giving him any face whatsoever.
Gu Qinghong's expression turned cold.
It was time to get rid of this burden.
Sure, there were moments when Xiao Siwen's blind obedience satisfied his vanity. But now, that very devotion had become an obstacle to his future.
Without Xiao Siwen, he could always find someone better.
Still, a trace of gloom flashed through his eyes.
Xiao Siwen wasn't someone easy to shake off. She probably wouldn't let go willingly. This matter needed to be handled carefully.
Lost in thought, Gu Qinghong eventually arrived outside his cave dwelling. Just as he was about to activate the formation and enter, his movements paused abruptly.
A woman stood quietly outside the entrance.
A sword box over a foot long rested against her back, and the aura around her was sharp and powerful. Even from behind, her figure was undeniably beautiful—tall, slender, and graceful.
Her hair was meticulously arranged and secured with a simple wooden hairpin, understated yet elegant.
Gu Qinghong's heart skipped instinctively.
At first, he thought it might be another romantic entanglement. But after searching his memories quickly, he realized he had never seen this woman before.
His brows furrowed slightly. "Who are you?"
Ever since being punished because of Lou Yuqing, his enthusiasm for approaching beautiful women had diminished considerably.
The female cultivator turned around.
Her cool gaze landed directly on his face and lingered there briefly before she spoke plainly.
"I am Shao Qiuyan, an inner sect disciple. Are you Junior Brother Gu Qinghong?"
Gu Qinghong nodded slowly, his vigilance growing even stronger.
An inner sect senior sister suddenly seeking him out for no apparent reason felt suspicious no matter how he looked at it.
"I am," he replied cautiously. "May I ask why Senior Sister Shao came looking for me? As far as I remember, we've never met before."
Shao Qiuyan's expression grew faintly distant.
"You look very much like an old friend of mine," she said quietly. "We were extremely close, but unfortunately... he passed away several years ago."
Her gaze softened slightly. "If Junior Brother Gu doesn't mind, perhaps we can stay in contact. You've only recently entered the inner sect, after all. There are many things you probably still don't understand. Having a senior around to help you may be useful."
The first thought that flashed through Gu Qinghong's mind was simple: A windfall.
He had only just been considering finding a new backer, and before he even made a move, one had practically delivered herself to his door.
Still, he suppressed his excitement carefully.
"Senior Sister Shao is too kind," he said cautiously. "But where exactly did you see me before?"
Even if this seemed like a good opportunity, Gu Qinghong remained wary of traps.
Unless he confirmed Shao Qiuyan was harmless—and useful—he would never lower his guard completely.
Shao Qiuyan smiled faintly. "There's no need to be so suspicious. I saw you at the cultivation chambers a few days ago. Afterward, I asked around about you before coming here to wait."
That explanation matched perfectly.
Not long ago, Gu Qinghong had indeed spent spirit stones to enter the cultivation chambers and stabilize his somewhat shaky Foundation Establishment realm.
Since the story lined up, his thoughts immediately shifted.
Perhaps he really could build a relationship with her.
A shy smile appeared on his face as he spoke apologetically. "My apologies. I was focused on cultivation at the time and didn't notice Senior Sister Shao."
"It's alright."
Shao Qiuyan didn't mind at all.
After all, she knew very well that suddenly appearing before him would naturally make him cautious.
But what could she do?
That face simply resembled someone from her memories too much.
Especially now, with that slightly embarrassed expression...
For a brief moment, Shao Qiuyan almost saw the young sword cultivator from years ago again—the boy who used to practice swordsmanship beneath the mountains and would flee shyly the instant he noticed someone watching him.
"Senior Sister Shao?"
Gu Qinghong's voice pulled her back to reality.
Shao Qiuyan blinked before looking at him again, her gaze noticeably softer now. "Junior Brother Gu, I live on Luoxue Peak, about ten miles from here. If you run into trouble in the future, you may come find me."
As she spoke, she reached into her storage pouch.
A white jade porcelain bottle appeared in her hand.
She removed the stopper.
Immediately, the rich fragrance of medicinal pills spread through the air.
Gu Qinghong's expression shifted slightly.
Just the scent alone was enough to tell him these pills were exceptional.
"This is a small gift for you," Shao Qiuyan said calmly. "They're cultivation-enhancing pills."
Gu Qinghong's heart thudded heavily.
Her generosity far exceeded his expectations.
Clearly, her relationship with that deceased friend had been extremely deep.
Realizing this, Gu Qinghong immediately adjusted his approach.
"Senior Sister Shao is too generous," he said politely, though his gaze lingered on the bottle involuntarily. "I haven't done anything deserving of such a gift. I really can't accept this."
Naturally, the refusal was only courtesy.
Not only did he want the pills—he fully intended to get them.
Sure enough, Shao Qiuyan tossed the jade bottle directly into his arms the next moment.
"Just take it," she said, leaving no room for refusal. "If you feel bad about it, you can repay me someday."
Then she added lightly: "A gift doesn't need to be expensive. What matters is the thought behind it. So don't worry—I won't mind."
Gu Qinghong looked both helpless and amused. "In that case, I'll accept it shamelessly."
He smiled modestly. "To be honest, I really am lacking resources right now. If Senior Sister ever needs help in the future, feel free to ask. I am, after all, a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Notably, he omitted the word "Senior Sister" from the latter half of the sentence.
The subtle change instantly shortened the distance between them.
Shao Qiuyan's smile deepened further. "Alright. I'll remember that."
Her tone even carried a trace of teasing now.
"If you refuse to help me later, I won't let you off easily."
Gu Qinghong laughed and cupped his hands solemnly. "Of course. If I break my word, may I suffer punishment in the future."
Shao Qiuyan immediately raised a finger and shook it gently.
"Don't make oaths carelessly," she advised seriously. "That's Senior Sister's advice to you."
Gu Qinghong paused slightly, surprised by her reaction, before smiling obediently.
"I'll listen to Senior Sister."
Inside, however, he sneered dismissively.
Punishment?
Only fools believed in that sort of thing.
He had already made at least a dozen vows throughout his life, and not a single one had ever come true.
The moment Shao Qiuyan disappeared from sight, Gu Qinghong hurried back into his cave dwelling impatiently.
He immediately uncorked the jade bottle and poured the pills into his palm.
Ten pills rolled out.
Round, smooth, and glossy.
The rich medicinal fragrance alone was intoxicating.
High-grade Spirit Gathering Pills.
And every single one was of excellent quality.
Gu Qinghong's breathing visibly quickened.
He picked one up instinctively, intending to test its effects immediately—then suddenly stopped.
His hand froze midair.
After hesitating for several seconds, he slowly placed the pill back.
No.
This was only his first meeting with Shao Qiuyan.
He knew almost nothing about her, while she seemed to know plenty about him already.
How could he be certain the pills were truly safe?
Gu Qinghong's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally made up his mind.
First, he would have an alchemist inspect the pills.
Second, he needed to investigate Shao Qiuyan herself.
Was there really an old acquaintance who resembled him that much?
Shao Qiuyan lived on Luoxue Peak.
Judging from her cultivation and the sword box on her back, she was most likely a sword cultivator—and highly likely a direct disciple of the peak master.
That narrowed things down considerably.
The more Gu Qinghong thought about it, the more believable her story became.
Still...
Thinking about the potential benefits he could gain from Shao Qiuyan, Gu Qinghong found himself completely unable to sleep that night.
He tossed and turned restlessly until dawn.