Chapter 16: Conversation

Lin Lingshu set down the empty teacup. The question now was—how could she trick the male lead into moving to Danlaw Peak?

If he hadn’t taken first place in the sect tournament, things would have been easy. She could have just sold Danlaw Peak some goodwill. After all, according to the original body’s memories, this was a win-win arrangement: Danlaw Peak would gain a batch of cultivation resources, while disciples from her own peak could purchase discounted pills within the allotted time.

But now the problem was that Wang Shuheng had won first place in the sect tournament. If Lin Lingshu were to forcibly “send” him away without any proper reason, what would the disciples of Shuiyue Peak think? And how would the Moon Goddess of Shuiyue Peak react?

He had just brought Shuiyue Peak the greatest prestige. It was just like a piece of history from Lin Lingshu’s past life: Yue Fei fought hard outside to defend the nation, while Qin Hui served as a traitor in court to frame him. The comparison might sound exaggerated, but the disciples would certainly feel chilled in their hearts.

Of course, there was also a deeper reason—Wang Shuheng’s development was simply too fast. So fast that Lin Lingshu actually felt… unsettled. At the end of the day, although she now lived in a female body, she still carried eighteen years of male habits and instincts, and those didn’t vanish overnight.

Wang Shuheng’s rapid growth in power made Lin Lingshu uneasy. The day he surpassed her strength—even if he did nothing—her prestige would be severely undermined.

Put bluntly: if Lin Lingshu were the emperor, then Wang Shuheng would be the feudal king. If a feudal king’s power someday outstripped the center—well, anyone could imagine the outcome.

That was why Lin Lingshu wanted to throw him over to Danlaw Peak, as far from her as possible. Let him undermine someone else’s prestige instead.

The instinct for control—deeply carved into every man’s soul. Lin Lingshu had originally planned to rely on her foreknowledge of the story’s trajectory to pick up some benefits here and there. Anyway, the grand design was that Wang Shuheng would go to the Taichu Secret Realm and break the restraints on the origin of Heaven’s Dao. Lin Lingshu had intended to wedge herself into that plotline.

But now, with Wang Shuheng’s strength skyrocketing, her careful calculations felt shaky.

Admittedly, from the time they’d spent together, Wang Shuheng seemed a decent enough person—and his cooking wasn’t bad either. Maybe, under different circumstances, the two of them could have become very good foodie friends.

But everyone understood the principle of “guest usurping host.” Lin Lingshu didn’t believe for a second that Wang Shuheng lacked the same male instinct for control.

After much thought, Lin Lingshu still couldn’t come up with a solid plan. She summoned Hanli, stepped onto her sword, and turned into a rainbow streak flying down the mountain. Best to talk to Wang Shuheng first. If it worked, that would be ideal: she could nudge the plot roughly back onto its original track and still fish up some benefits with her foreknowledge.

Controlling Hanli Sword, Lin Lingshu reached the foot of the mountain. She was just wondering how to find Wang Shuheng, recalling how the novel said the male lead lived in a wooden hut.

But except for direct disciples, everyone else on Shuiyue Peak lived in wooden huts!

Just as Lin Lingshu was about to ask the steward for records, she suddenly caught the aroma of roasting meat. That familiar smell drew her on. She pushed through the bushes and saw a man by a fire, a long blade set across the flames with chunks of meat skewered on it.

Wang Shuheng spotted her too. Waving with a smile, he called out:
“Senior Sister Lin, the meat’s almost ready.”

Lin Lingshu glanced at him and walked over, ready to coax him into moving to Danlaw Peak. But before she could speak, Wang Shuheng cut in:
“Senior Sister Lin, don’t rush—the meat isn’t done yet.”

Hearing this, Lin Lingshu felt as though he’d already labeled her as a foodie. She was about to retort—but when her eyes fell on the golden-brown roasted meat, she swallowed her words. Better to eat first, then talk.

Wang Shuheng pulled out a piece of white cloth, lifted the roasted meat off the blade chunk by chunk, wrapped it neatly, and handed it to her.
“Here, Senior Sister Lin, have a taste.”

Lin Lingshu accepted it, sat down on the spot, and picked up a piece. She took a bite—mmm, the same flavor as before. In just a few bites, one chunk was gone.

Another piece of roasted meat was held up before her lips. Just as Lin Lingshu leaned in to bite, she noticed Wang Shuheng watching her.

How to describe it? His gaze reminded her of a phrase: “tender affection brimming in one’s eyes.”

She shifted a little to the left. A flicker of disappointment passed through Wang Shuheng’s eyes, but he quickly masked it.

“Senior Sister Lin,” he asked gently, “doesn’t it taste good?”

“It’s fine.” Lin Lingshu wiped the oil from the corner of her mouth.

“Then why did you stop eating?”

Looking at him again, she saw nothing unusual—maybe she’d imagined it. So she said casually, “I’m still eating.”

This time, she reached out to take the piece of roasted meat from his hand. Why not just bite it directly? Because it felt too embarrassing—as if she were a little pet being hand-fed.

After finishing all the roasted meat, Lin Lingshu looked at him, wiped her mouth, and offered her congratulations:
“Congratulations, Junior Brother Wang, on winning first place in the sect tournament.”

Hearing her words, Wang Shuheng’s eyes grew misty. He wanted to hug her, to tell her about his hardships, to share his past half-year of struggle. Instead, he quietly used spiritual power to wipe away his tears. In the end, all he said was:
“Senior Sister Lin, I didn’t break my promise, did I?”

“No,” Lin Lingshu answered, not noticing anything unusual. She simply continued:
“Junior Brother Wang, your first place in the Pill Dao competition proves your extraordinary talent in alchemy.”

“Senior Sister Lin, you flatter me.”

“Junior Brother Wang, have you ever considered transferring to another peak?”

Transferring peaks meant moving from one division to another. For ordinary disciples, this was nearly impossible; it was reserved for those who began average in one field but later showed exceptional talent in another.

“Senior Sister Lin, why do you ask?”

“In this Pill Dao competition, Junior Brother Wang dazzled everyone. Your alchemy talent is plain for all to see.”

Wang Shuheng fell silent.

Lin Lingshu pressed on with her plan to “send him away.”

“Although you’re a disciple of Shuiyue Peak, your alchemy talent won’t reach its fullest potential here. What do you think, Junior Brother?”

“I’ll think about it when I go back.” After a pause, Wang Shuheng finally replied.

Lin Lingshu didn’t push further. The two of them sat in silence for a while, until Wang Shuheng suddenly asked:
“Senior Sister Lin, do you prefer roasted meat or roasted chicken?”

“I like both.”

He put away his long blade, glanced at her, and reminded softly:
“I’ll be here roasting meat again tomorrow.”

“How long have you been roasting here, Junior Brother?”

“Not long.” In truth, ever since the sect tournament, he’d come to the foot of Shuiyue Peak every afternoon, roasting something as he waited for someone.

“It’s getting late, Junior Brother. I’ll head back first.” With that, Lin Lingshu mounted her sword and flew away.

Wang Shuheng watched her departing figure, then looked up toward Shuiyue Peak. Non-direct disciples weren’t allowed to enter. He took out a bottle of pills, lost in thought.