Page 52

Qin Shu pondered for a moment, scribbling on the jade slip for quite some time. Suddenly, she felt a bit nostalgic for the various input methods of the modern world...

[Immortal Master, I see your fortune-telling skills are quite accurate. Why don't you help me check if my two senior brothers are in any danger this time?]

Although Chiyu had already gone to seek help from their master, she still felt a bit uneasy.

She wasn't sure about the strength of that demonic beast. When she had read the original novel, it mainly focused on the female protagonist's perspective eight years later.

So, even though Qin Shu had transmigrated into the book, it felt like a wasted opportunity. She would love to have the ability to foresee the future, but given the current situation, she could only rely on herself.

Sui Han looked at the ugly handwriting on the jade slip, frowned, and replied, "My services are expensive."

The moment the voice echoed out, Qin Shu quickly covered the jade slip with her hand, her ears heating up. If taken out of context, his deep voice paired with those words really had a rather... suggestive undertone.

He Xian leaned over curiously. "Qin Shu, who are you talking to?"

"A..." The word "netizen" almost slipped out of her mouth, but she swallowed it just in time. She straightened her expression and replied honestly, "A fortune teller."

She almost forgot—she was no longer an eighteen-year-old maiden. She needed to rein in her thoughts.

"A fortune teller? From the Tianji Pavilion?" He Xian's interest was piqued.

Qin Shu nodded. "Mm."

"So? Is he accurate? Let him do a reading for me too! Ask him if I can break through to the Golden Core stage."

Qin Shu shrugged. "He said his services are expensive."

He Xian touched her own deflated Qiankun pouch and fell silent. "Forget it, I guess I'm not worthy."

Qin Shu laughed. "Don't worry, sister. Let me try to win him over first."

She quickly wrote another message and sent it to Sui Han: [I'm a skilled alchemist, and my services are expensive too. Do you really want to measure the friendship of a future grandmaster alchemist with spirit stones?]

The moment she sent it, Qin Shu regretted it.

He could predict her survival with eerie accuracy—there was no way he didn't already know her true abilities. Surely, he knew that she, an alchemist, couldn't refine a single pill.

But then, that thought puzzled her even more.

If his predictions were so accurate, why had he so easily given her the location of the Remnant Sun Ice? Did he just make a wild guess?

While Qin Shu was overanalyzing everything, Sui Han had already read her message.

His pale lips curved slightly as he chuckled, shaking his head. "What a bold claim."

Still, after a brief moment of thought, he responded: [Your senior brothers are fine. No need to worry.]

Regardless of whether his words were true or not, they at least gave Qin Shu some peace of mind.

She let out a relieved sigh and then hesitantly asked, [Then... can you check my sister's fortune too?]

Sui Han: "..."

He had heard of people pushing their luck before, but now he was witnessing it firsthand.

[I don't really want this so-called 'friendship' with a future grandmaster alchemist.]

Qin Shu: "..."

Was he serious? If he didn't want to do it, he could just say so! Did he really have to "threaten" her like that?

Well, she refused to accept this rejection! This friendship was locked in!

Qin Shu turned to He Xian with a sigh. "Sister, I failed to win him over. When I make some money in the future, we'll hire a true master to give you a full reading from head to toe!"

He Xian burst into laughter. "It was just a joke. If he won't do it, so be it. Besides, I don't even need a fortune teller! I'll definitely reach Golden Core stage!"

Excited, she jumped up, full of confidence.

Her movements were a bit too vigorous, making the green leaf beneath them wobble. Qin Shu quickly pulled her back. "I believe you! I believe you! Not just Golden Core, with enough effort and a bit of luck, even ascension is possible! But... can we sit down and talk?"

Realizing she had startled herself, He Xian quickly sat back down next to Qin Shu. "How much longer until we get back? I wasn't paying attention when we took the flying boat here. You're amazing for remembering the way."

Qin Shu blinked innocently. "Actually, I don't remember either."

He Xian was stunned. "What? Then... then where are we flying to?"

Qin Shu coughed lightly. "Not sure. At the time, I wasn't thinking about that—I was just focused on escaping."

In other words, she had run for her life without paying attention to the direction.

He Xian pressed her lips together. The once-reliable sister next to her suddenly didn't seem so dependable anymore.

Seeing the complicated look on He Xian's face, Qin Shu coughed again, pretending to be calm. "No worries. Once we see a city, we can stop and ask around. Someone will know the way."

Her words reminded He Xian of something. "Right! Our sect has outposts in various cities. Once we find one, the senior brothers there will surely help us get back!"

They flew for about another hour, consuming a fresh set of mid-grade spirit stones to power the green leaf. At last, a massive city appeared in the distance.

Compared to this city, Chijin City seemed like nothing more than a marketplace.

As soon as the city came into view, Qin Shu brought the green leaf down. She then retrieved the corpse of the Frostflame Pelted Mouse she had slain earlier and pulled out her fused white jade sword, measuring it against the beast's belly.

He Xian was startled. "You... you're going to do it yourself?"

Qin Shu looked confused. "Is there some kind of law in the cultivation world against handling it myself?"

He Xian quickly shook her head, furrowing her brows. "No, it's just... it's a corpse."

Qin Shu immediately understood—He Xian wasn't used to the cruelty of this world yet.

She met He Xian's gaze with a serious expression. "Sister, you need to understand—we live in a world where the strong prey on the weak, and danger lurks everywhere. Whether it's demons, ghosts, or humans, if you hesitate to act, you'll end up at their mercy. The fur, core, even the tendons of these beasts are valuable. Are you going to let others process them for you every time?"

Despite her youthful appearance, her stern expression made her seem far more mature.

He Xian took her words seriously, falling into deep thought.

Fighting demonic beasts was one thing—she could handle that. But what if the opponent was human? Would she still be able to strike?

Qin Shu's words served as a wake-up call, forcing He Xian to confront this reality for the first time.

Qin Shu had already consulted the jade slip. The Frostflame Pelted Mouse's fur was an excellent material for crafting boots that enhanced movement speed.

To sell it for a good price, she needed to skin it perfectly.

Just as she was about to make the first cut, He Xian suddenly spoke up. "Qin Shu, let me do it instead."

Qin Shu hesitated, then shook her head.

He Xian grew anxious. "Come on, you're here with me. Let this be my first step in building courage!"

Qin Shu sighed, her expression conflicted. "It's not that I don't want to let you try. It's just... I'm afraid you won't be able to break through its defenses."