That night.
The village was calm and peaceful, the moonlight spilling through thin clouds, replacing thousands of lanterns along the paths. A figure rushed down the mountain, heading toward the under-construction Biliu Sect.
Frog croaks and insect chirps played their quiet symphony. Everything that happened under the moonlight remained secret. The cold wind whistled in Zhou Lili's ears. She hugged herself tightly, hoping this shameless Fairy would remember all her efforts that night.
The next morning.
When the first rays of sunlight kissed the earth, Yao Ranran awoke.
She stayed by Xiao Rong and Tang Xiangyin's side until she saw them fully conscious.
"It doesn't hurt anymore. I never thought that bossy girl could actually save people!" Xiao Rong jumped several times on the floor, spinning in delight, his mood instantly brightened.
Tang Xiangyin's cheeks were flushed as she smiled. "Yes, I wonder where that medical cultivator lives. Let's go thank her."
"Sure, the boss said they moved to a nearby village. When I take you out to play, we can check on them."
"Wait a moment. Bring this flying claw hook. I refined it with a tough golden cord. If any unruly birds pass by, you won't have to worry." Yao Ranran handed over the flying claw hook.
She had modeled it after Zhou Lili's design but had paid more attention to the materials.
Xiao Rong puffed his cheeks and reluctantly took the claw hook. "Fine. Now Xiao Tang won't have to trouble me whenever she goes out!"
Tang Xiangyin restrained her excited smile, gripping the claw hook as if it were her lifeline. "I haven't even gone out yet. Xiao Rong, shall we head out now?"
"Let's go. I know this area well. There isn't a villager I don't know!" Xiao Rong tugged her toward the door. Before leaving, he waved to Yao Ranran. "Boss, don't wait for us. Maybe we'll have so much fun today that we won't come back!"
Tang Xiangyin, a little nervous but excited, asked, "Would it be bad if we didn't come back?"
Xiao Rong laughed heartily. "Don't worry. There are plenty of empty houses in the village. Grandma Zhang and the others clean them every day. You can stay wherever you want!"
Yao Ranran: "…"
Why did it feel like she was raising two ungrateful children?
Never mind, she had her own business to attend to.
Watching them disappear into the distance, Yao Ranran returned to her room and opened the blacksmith shop. A pile of spirit stones poured in, instantly melting into the shop.
The blacksmith shop upgraded, and two refining blueprints fell to the ground.
[Blacksmith Shop]
Level: 7
Spirit stones for next upgrade: 0/150,000
Proficiency: 0/150,000 (Max proficiency grants a chance to produce the next grade of artifact)
Bound to: Yao Ranran
New Blueprints: Water Lotus Binding Bracelet, Invincible Turtle Shell Millennial Shield
"The higher the level, the harder it is to upgrade." Yao Ranran sighed, emptying the supplies obtained from the secret realm.
"Jade Toad, Thousand-Leaf Dew, Cloud Crystal Stone, Snow Lotus Rabbit Skin, a broken yellowed turtle shell… Luckily Xiao Rong and Xiao Jiang scavenged a lot from the Tang estate. Otherwise, I would have gotten nothing after the secret realm collapsed."
Although the Mirror Princess hid treasures, the Spirit of the Fixed Mirror unexpectedly found its master. Tang Xiangyin did not anticipate this, and they didn't have time to recover the centuries of treasures before the secret realm shattered.
Tang Xiangyin felt guilty, but Yao Ranran knew it was not her fault. The pagoda tree was split by her own hand, and the spirit of the mirror had revealed itself by chance. If she had been slower, she could have emptied the Mirror Princess's treasures before exiting.
"Stay strong!" Yao Ranran shook her head, trying to forget her mistakes, but a few crystal-clear tears slipped out.
"After hundreds of years of collecting, all gone… gone… gone!"
She collapsed to the floor, clutching her head, grieving in silence.
…
Five days later.
Yao Ranran prepared hot water and a bath bucket, scattering a few flower petals. She shed her dirty plain clothes and sank into the steamy water.
"It has been so long since I felt this comfortable." She wanted to bury her head in the water, her entire body soft and powerless.
Next to the bath, a Water Zhi Liu silk dress hung. On a nearby table, an elaborately designed Red Lotus Moon hairpin and Water Lotus Binding Bracelet were displayed. Below the bath were a pair of Lotus Petal Cloud-Walking Boots.
These were the seven-grade artifacts she refined after five days of effort, having gathered all the necessary materials from blueprints.
Upon finishing these four artifacts, her proficiency reached maximum. Her luck surged, and the next Invincible Millennial Turtle Shell Shield refined directly into a first-grade treasure, with defense comparable to the late stage of Golden Core.
Thinking of this, Yao Ranran smiled slightly. The difference between artifacts and treasures was vast. If she sold the Invincible Millennial Turtle Shell Shield, it would be worth at least ten thousand spirit stones.
She still had the ability to upgrade it further, so there was no rush to sell. She stepped out of the bath, water rolling naturally off her skin and drying instantly. She did not need to dress herself; the magical clothes already recognized their master.
With a mere thought, the Water Zhi Liu silk dress spread its sleeves and wrapped around her. Perfectly tailored, with no flaw.
The top was dark, fading into pale pink lotus near the skirt. The lower skirt blended into purple, with pure white lines sketching blooming white lotuses across the fabric. Elegant, noble, and breathtaking.
Yao Ranran admired her reflection in the water, styling her Fei Xian hair bun, inserting the Red Lotus Moon hairpin, slipping on the Lotus Petal Cloud-Walking Boots, and donning the Water Lotus Binding Bracelet.
"Clothes make the person, gold adorns the Buddha. Fairies are no exception. A new outfit adds so much to my aura!"
She admired herself in the mirror, waved, and opened the door. Looking at the clear sky, she thought, "Xiao Rong and Tang Xiangyin have been having too much fun these past few days. They haven't been home. I should go out and check the value of the meteorite from the heavens."
Halfway up the mountain, she broke off a piece of the meteorite and scanned the inscriptions with the Ancient Appraisal Mirror, her expression turning serious.
"Why is this mirror useless after upgrading? A meteorite from beyond the Nine Heavens, and it calls it worthless. Impossible!"
[Heavenly Meteorite: Appears to be worthless, no different from ordinary stones.]
Fake, fake, it must be fake!
"The internal structure must be too complex for the Ancient Appraisal Mirror to detect the hidden materials!"
Refusing to believe the mirror, Yao Ranran carefully wrapped the meteorite and descended the mountain.
…
"Tsk, tsk. This village has really changed. Full of life and hope. It seems the dark days are gone."
A yellow banner floated on a bamboo pole. The left-blind Daoist stood alone atop the peak, gazing down at the lively village.
"But your good days are about to end. I never intended to return here, but that scholar took my Yinsha Blood Soul Pearl. Now I'll take revenge for my disciple and raise my Yinsha Blood Soul Pearl here."
One-Eyed Daoist pressed a thin, cicada-wing-like mask to his face, retracted the bamboo pole, and rolled his right eye.