Chapter 19: The Cunning Plan of the Adorable Rogue

“That’s true enough.”

Ye Qingfeng settled into a chair, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she inquired, “Speaking of which, why are you here? You couldn’t possibly be chasing me, could you? Hahahaha.”

Quan Haoqing watched Ye Qingfeng with a serene smile, his gaze as profound as a black hole, seemingly intent on drawing her into its depths.

‘The year is up. What do you think?’

Firmly held by such a deep gaze, Ye Qingfeng tucked her head in slightly, asking incredulously, “No way! Are you serious?”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted towards the room’s window.

However, Quan Haoqing burst out laughing. “Of course not! Fellow Daoist Ye, your reaction is quite adorable. I have other business to attend to in Xingqing City.”

Ye Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief. Though a hint of displeasure flickered at Quan Haoqing calling her ‘adorable,’ she quickly dismissed such a minor detail.

Ye Qingfeng mused on the fated entanglement between herself and Quan Haoqing.

“How coincidental, then, that we’d meet in the Bounty Hall, and that you’d recognize me at a glance.”

“Indeed, quite the coincidence.”

Quan Haoqing echoed her sentiment, recalling his two months of relentless investigation in Xingqing City. He couldn’t help but lament how the Immeasurable Heavenly Venerate truly enjoyed tormenting him, only to let him find what he sought just as he was on the verge of giving up.

“Tell me about your plan.”

He didn’t want Ye Qingfeng, still a startled bird, to notice his true intentions, so he deftly shifted the topic.

Quan Haoqing felt no pressure whatsoever about thieves preying on other thieves. Moreover, if Ye Qingfeng had a resourceful way to complete the bounty, he stood to earn a considerable sum himself.

“The key lies with that Blood s*ave Gate disciple mentioned in the bounty notice.”

In the confines of this room, with only the two of them, Ye Qingfeng felt completely at ease as she revealed her plan. Confidence bloomed across her brows, her bright eyes sparkled like stars, and a smile she couldn’t quite suppress lent her an air of playful charm.

“I’ve read the bounty description. If I’m not mistaken, that Blood s*ave Gate disciple likely needs to refine their sect’s magical artifact, the Blood-Stained Banner, which is why they’ve been performing blood sacrifices everywhere.”

“That is a sinister artifact forged by absorbing souls and flesh. The higher the quality of souls and flesh used, the superior the Blood-Stained Banner’s grade. However, looking at that fellow’s criminal record, most of the victims are ordinary mortals without cultivation, and any cultivators targeted were merely Bone Cleansing Realm challengers.”

“This means that fellow’s strength is definitely not high; they might even be a newly initiated Origin Reversion Realm cultivator. Otherwise, they would surely target cultivators with higher cultivation. If we were to present those ‘wealth-delivering children’ as gifts, don’t you think they’d be eternally grateful?”

Despite the mischievous glint in her eyes, Ye Qingfeng possessed such striking looks that she merely appeared like a playful kitten, incapable of inspiring true aversion. And what was with her chest puffed out, her eyes brimming with expectation as she looked at him?

‘Was she waiting for his praise?’

Ever so understanding, Quan Haoqing commended, “Fellow Daoist is truly brilliant. Indeed, this would be a substantial gift for that disciple. With this grand offering, we could…”

Quan Haoqing was about to suggest that they could make the Blood s*ave Gate disciple let his guard down and reveal a weakness, but Ye Qingfeng’s next words nearly made him choke on his own saliva.

“We could make him take me as his dog!”

Ye Qingfeng spoke with utter lack of hesitation or shame, delivering a truly astonishing statement.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

Quan Haoqing’s coughing fit made Ye Qingfeng pause. She thoughtfully offered him a cup of tea.

“Don’t rush, I’m not finished yet.”

Quan Haoqing thanked her, taking a large gulp of tea. While he knew Ye Qingfeng wasn’t genuinely planning to become someone’s dog, to speak such words so bluntly, her integrity…

“Hahahaha! After a Blood s*ave Gate disciple reaches the Origin Reversion Realm, besides needing to refine a Blood-Stained Banner, they also need to take on a blood s*ave. This blood s*ave will serve as that person’s cultivation vessel and also as a disciple for the next generation of the Blood s*ave Gate.”

Ye Qingfeng patted her flat chest, utterly oblivious to the expression in Quan Haoqing’s eyes.

‘Stop patting, there’ll be nothing left.’

“I’m currently a rogue cultivator, so my identity is suitable. Plus, that person will have accepted the grand gift I’m offering. Requesting to become a blood s*ave wouldn’t be too much, would it?! Then, hmph hmph, while he’s off guard, I’ll first drug him, and then you and I can strike him down together. Isn’t it simple?”

“Simple and clear. If all goes smoothly, that Blood s*ave Gate disciple won’t escape Fellow Daoist’s grasp.”

Quan Haoqing gave the proud little peacock her customary praise, then raised a question. “However, if you become a blood s*ave, the other party will surely have means to control you. And if you join them so rashly, that Blood s*ave Gate disciple won’t trust you.”

“As for that, of course I have a solution!”

Ye Qingfeng told Quan Haoqing her plan. His pupils dilated, and he stared at Ye Qingfeng with a look of utter horror, even asking, “Fellow Daoist, you truly are… extraordinary. But isn’t the cost a bit too high?”

“Not at all, not at all. Sigh, if it weren’t for the fact that it’ll recover afterward, I’d want to keep it like that forever. It would make me seem less delicate.”

Ye Qingfeng patted her own small face, which was so soft, tender, and elastic that Quan Haoqing could clearly see her adorable little bun-like cheeks compress and spring back.

‘I want to try it too.’

Suppressing the impulse that would surely turn them into enemies, Quan Haoqing forcibly averted his gaze from Ye Qingfeng’s face. “Then, to carry out this plan, we first need to gain the trust of those ‘wealth-scattering children.’ What do you know about them, Fellow Daoist?”

After a moment of silence, Ye Qingfeng counted on her fingers. “Profit-driven.”

“Indeed, those not driven by profit wouldn’t do such things.”

“Ruthless.”

“They are certainly vicious and cruel; most who fall into their hands lose both their wealth and their lives.”

“Quite stupid.”

“Well, indeed, relying on such methods to get rich doesn’t speak to great intelligence. Anything else?”

“There are many of them, six or seven.”

“They operate in a group, which is indeed a bit tricky. Any more valuable information?”

Ye Qingfeng: “…They’re not very good-looking?”

Quan Haoqing: “…”

He felt as if Ye Qingfeng had listed many characteristics, yet said nothing of substance.

“Fellow Daoist, you haven’t actually had much contact with them, have you?”

Ye Qingfeng’s eyes widened as she replied, “They wanted to rob me! I’m weak and alone, running a small business, so of course I had to avoid them! How could I possibly have contact with them?”

Seeing Ye Qingfeng’s matter-of-fact expression, Quan Haoqing began to reflect. Could it be that he, who befriended those planning to rob him, understood their preferences, characteristics, and flaws, and then captured them all in one fell swoop, was the abnormal one?

He glanced at Ye Qingfeng, then probed, “Fellow Daoist, you run a business? It seems quite prosperous, otherwise, these people wouldn’t have targeted you. They usually only prey on wealthy targets.”

“Hmph hmph.”

Ye Qingfeng’s eyes narrowed into slits, and the smile playing on her lips silently betrayed her smugness. A bottle of toner immediately appeared from the storage pouch at her waist.

“This is a toner I formulated with my exclusive secret recipe. A gentle dab on the skin can lock in moisture, nourish the skin, and restore youthful vitality. It’s suitable for all ages and genders, personally tested to be natural and pollution-free, guaranteed in both quality and quantity! Each application on the entire body can last for a whole month, and one bottle can last an entire year! Fellow Daoist, would you like a bottle? For old times’ sake, it’s only one spirit stone.”

Quan Haoqing looked at Ye Qingfeng with slight surprise. “So you’re the one selling all those cosmetics.”

Ye Qingfeng’s small head nodded incessantly, like the waving paw of a Maneki-Neko (TL Note: A Japanese beckoning cat figurine, often associated with good luck and wealth.). “Yes, yes. The only one of its kind, no other branches. How about it, want a bottle?”

“Why no other branches?”

Quan Haoqing ignored her last question, raising his own doubt. “Is it a lack of funds? Or has no one invited you to collaborate? Theoretically, you shouldn’t be short of people wanting to partner with you. Finding a few trustworthy friends and opening a small shop in a fixed location over the past year would have allowed you to earn much more, and you wouldn’t have to worry about attacks from these roving bandits.”

Ye Qingfeng: “…”

Quan Haoqing looked at Ye Qingfeng’s stiff expression, and connecting it to previous events, he asked strangely, “Could it be that you haven’t found any trustworthy friends this past year?”

Ye Qingfeng began to explain, “I’m very busy. I have to cultivate, earn spirit stones, guard against robbers, survive, make cosmetics, conceptualize ideas, and…”

Quan Haoqing cut her off, hitting the nail on the head. “So you have no friends?”

Ye Qingfeng’s gem-like eyes unconsciously shifted to a verdant potted plant nearby. Her exquisite face flushed with the colors of a sunset, betraying her embarrassment and guilt.

“…Uh, I do know quite a few returning customers. I can call every one of them by name.”

Quan Haoqing largely understood. “Have you ever visited them?”

“No.”

“Have you ever helped them?”

“No.”

“Have they ever helped you?”

“No.”

“Have you ever considered collaborating with them?”

“How would I know if they want to enslave me like cattle or subject me to the eighteen tortures to extract the formula?”

‘You deserve to not get rich.’

Quan Haoqing looked up at the ceiling. Its multicolored checkered pattern was quite magnificent, yet it could not fill the void of his speechless exasperation.

He knew about the cosmetics because a friend had recognized the immense business opportunity it held and had, on more than one occasion, expressed a desire to collaborate with its creator, to grow bigger, stronger, and create new glories.

To his friend’s regret, however, the stall owner was like a startled rat scurrying across the street, vanishing at the slightest rustle of leaves, leaving him searching for months without success.

Despite hearing from customers that Ye Qingfeng was quite eloquent and articulate, what was with these mudslide-level social skills (TL Note: A humorous Chinese slang term describing extremely poor or disastrous social interaction abilities.)?

It felt like using a peerless saber, capable of stirring up storms of blood and gore in the martial world, to butcher a pig.