Chapter 21: Unexpected Reality and First Encounters

Often, people’s initial thoughts are beautiful, but reality can be cruelly unexpected.

Just moments ago, a certain fox girl was thrilled by the multitude of yellow exclamation mark tasks. Yet in the next instant, as her eyes narrowed in on the yellow exclamation marks, revealing the task details, her newly ignited passion quickly faded.

Why did her enthusiasm wane so abruptly? According to Xiao Xixi’s observation, the rewards for these yellow exclamation mark tasks were quite ordinary. For instance, the task she was currently viewing was a side quest: Assist the outer sect disciple ‘Rongqiao’ in confessing to the outer sect disciple ‘Zhou Zhiruo.’ If the confession is successful, the outer sect disciple ‘Rongqiao’ will overcome his heart’s obstacles, experience a surge in cultivation, and potentially avoid a fateful encounter three years from now during his mountain descent trials.

Task Reward: Random leg accessory * 1

Failure Penalty: None

After reviewing several other tasks, Xiao Xixi found them to be similar, mostly involving the rescue of the Green Phoenix Sect’s cultivators. Since these tasks had no failure penalties, Xiao Xixi, approaching them with a playful attitude, quickly took on all the yellow exclamation mark tasks within her reach.

As she accepted these tasks, Xiao Xixi carefully examined each reward. Upon discovering that almost all the rewards were clothing accessories, with no traces of the spiritual pills and elixirs typical in the cultivation world, she couldn’t help but question the system.

‘These rewards are serious, right? Normally in a cultivation world, shouldn’t we be getting pills instead of turning this into a dressing-up game?’

In response to Xiao Xixi’s mental query, the system replied almost instantly, unlike its previous hesitant responses. ‘Host, the system’s pills are too powerful and likely to attract the attention of high-level cultivators. It is suspected that possessing these pills could put you in grave danger. To remain discreet, the ‘Rescue System’ has attached the rewards to ‘accessories.’

Hearing the system’s explanation, Xiao Xixi, who had read the original novel, no longer doubted it. In this cultivation world, high-level cultivators can indeed see through the contents of storage rings. High-grade pills, if discovered by powerful cultivators, would certainly invite trouble. With this in mind, Xiao Xixi no longer questioned the rewards and continued to meticulously review her newly accepted side quests.

… …

As Xiao Xixi blinked her large eyes, surveying the outer sect disciples and accepting tasks, the disciples of the Green Phoenix Sect also observed this lively and curious young girl. From their perspective, Xiao Xixi’s appearance, nestled in Su Mei’s embrace as she accepted tasks, resembled a timid kitten venturing out, seeking solace in its master’s arms. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and tension, a mix of cuteness and vulnerability that made one want to gently pat her head.

This adorable girl was now in the embrace of Su Mei, the peak master of ‘Zixia Peak,’ which only deepened the curiosity of the onlookers. Although Su Mei was a peak master, she differed from the others, exuding a warm and approachable aura, like a gentle spring breeze.

Seeing Su Mei’s smiling demeanor, someone bravely asked, ‘Su Master, is this girl also a member of our sect?’

Su Mei was not surprised by the question. Given that Xiao Xixi’s appearance was unusually cute, and she was being held by her teacher, it naturally sparked curiosity. However, Su Mei had hoped for just such a reaction. This time, she brought Xiao Xixi to the outer sect disciples not only to satisfy her hunger but also to introduce the girl to everyone. Xiao Xixi, with her ‘Qi Condensation’ realm cultivation, would inevitably train among the outer sect disciples. As a peak master, Su Mei couldn’t always be by her side, so she brought Xiao Xixi here to ensure that, with her authority, the girl would be respected and not bullied.

Usually, Xiao Xixi might have analyzed Su Mei’s thoughtful intentions, but after accepting all the tasks and returning to her senses, she found herself under the gaze of many. As a former introvert, Xiao Xixi instinctively responded with an ‘ostrich-like’ avoidance, burrowing deeper into Su Mei’s soft embrace.

This small action only increased her cuteness in the eyes of many female disciples, who wished to experience the joy of holding this little one close. Meanwhile, the male disciples focused their attention on the beautiful teacher, Su Mei, whose allure seemed more appealing than the girl’s.

Su Mei sensed Xiao Xixi’s restlessness and glanced down to see the girl’s cheeks flushed with a soft pink hue, her unbound white hair framing her face like a layer of cream, inviting one to take a bite. Remembering the silky smoothness of Xiao Xixi’s skin when she dressed her, and now inhaling the girl’s unique, slightly intoxicating scent, Su Mei, who had long since transcended the need for food, felt an unusual thirst.

Quickly reciting a ‘Purifying Heart Incantation,’ Su Mei regained her composure. Her purpose in bringing Xiao Xixi to meet the outer sect disciples was now fulfilled. To prevent the girl from going hungry any longer and to regain her own calm, Su Mei urged the outer sect disciples to continue their diligent cultivation. She then released Xiao Xixi from her embrace, holding her small hand as they headed towards their main destination—the Green Dining Hall.

The Green Dining Hall, as its name suggests, was the ‘dining hall of the Green Phoenix Sect.’ With it being midday, the dining hall was bustling with activity. As Xiao Xixi walked along the crowded streets, she momentarily felt as if she had stepped into a university campus. Despite the crowd, with Su Mei by her side, the two strolled along a tree-lined path, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

However, this idyllic moment was brief. As Xiao Xixi climbed the final steps, she saw a grand green building before her, adorned with three bold characters: ‘Green Dining Hall.’ With the building in view, Xiao Xixi’s small nose detected a familiar aroma—the scent of food cooked over an open flame.

Remembering that she had not eaten a hot meal since arriving in this world a month ago, Xiao Xixi felt a surge of excitement. Even her tired legs seemed to regain their strength. The Green Dining Hall was vast, larger than the 200-person capacity dining hall at her university. As Xiao Xixi marveled at the sect’s prosperity, she noticed Su Mei handing her a large basin.

Confused, Xiao Xixi took the basin with both hands, wondering if, in this cultivation world, one had to wash their face before eating. Just as she was pondering this, Su Mei’s voice, soft yet alluring, broke her thoughts. ‘Little Xi, aren’t you hungry? With your food container, you can go get your meal now!’

The basin? Oh, no, wait, is this… a food container? Shock.JPG