Chapter 056
Chapter 56: All Experience Comes from Star Gem
Seeing the snake scale held between two fingers, Yao Ruo Ruo curiously approached and reached out to touch it. After gently rubbing it for a moment, she turned her head toward Shi Zi Chu, her round eyes filled with curiosity, and asked, “Zi Chu, how did you remove the snake scale so effortlessly?”
Shi Zi Chu softly laughed, “Find the right angle, pinch with two fingers, and use gentle skill rather than brute strength.” Her voice was gentle and calm. As she spoke, her slender, jade-like fingers easily plucked another scale from the serpent.
Yao Ruo Ruo leaned closer, carefully observing, and then tried it herself.
The Star Gem wrapped around Shi Zi Chu’s wrist pretended to be dead.
[This is terrifying for snakes!!!]
Yan Zhou Bai copied Shi Zi Chu’s method, effortlessly pulling off a snake scale himself. “You are truly experienced,” Yan Zhou Bai commented honestly, then asked cautiously, “May I ask another question?”
“Of course,” replied Shi Zi Chu, her lovely peach blossom eyes arching playfully into crescent moons, “though I reserve the right not to answer.”
Yan Zhou Bai’s face revealed slight helplessness before asking, “Have you killed many snakes before?”
Shi Zi Chu shook her head.
Under the surprised gazes of Yan Zhou Bai and Yao Ruo Ruo, Shi Zi Chu raised her wrist, explaining, “All my snake-scale-plucking experience comes from Star Gem.”
The three: [?]
Star Gem continued playing dead with its eyes shut.
While Shi Zi Chu collected scales from the Seven-Ringed Serpent, she continued speaking, “Star Gem bit me once, and it nearly died in my hands.”
Precisely because Star Gem had a loose tongue, she was able to meet Jiang Wan Sheng. Of course, the reason Star Gem had such a loose tongue was also because of her.
[Hehe.]
Yao Ruo Ruo stared at the quiet and docile golden snake, belatedly realizing something. [So Star Gem isn’t obedient because of Young Master Jiang, but because it fears Zi Chu?]
Absurd, yet reasonable.
Yan Zhou Bai glanced at the seemingly gentle and harmless golden snake curled around Shi Zi Chu’s wrist. [A snake truly takes after its master. Beneath its gentle appearance lies madness.]
Yet Shi Zi Chu treated Jiang Wan Sheng somewhat differently.
Though the Seven-Ringed Serpent was extremely poisonous, its scales were remarkably beautiful, shimmering silver-white with seven rings of different colors, much like a rainbow.
Shi Zi Chu stopped collecting after gathering enough scales of each color. Seeing this, Yan Zhou Bai kindly reminded her, “The Seven-Ringed Serpent’s entire body is valuable; you could collect more.”
A Golden Core-stage Seven-Ringed Serpent was rare and challenging to capture. Perfect, undamaged scales could fetch a good price.
Looking at the bloody serpents on the ground, Shi Zi Chu’s eyes turned thoughtfully. She clasped her hands together pleadingly and asked sweetly, “Young Sect Master Yan, could you help me? I’ll give you one serpent as payment.”
Looking at Shi Zi Chu’s sincerely pleading eyes, Yan Zhou Bai replied, “No need.” Even as he finished speaking, his spiritual power began dissecting the Seven-Ringed Serpents neatly.
“Young Sect Master Yan is truly kind,” Shi Zi Chu praised generously.
Meng Xi Yu quietly lowered his gaze without speaking, a shadow darkening his icy, sharp eyes.
Yao Ruo Ruo moved closer, openly hugging Shi Zi Chu’s arm, pouting playfully, “Only senior brother is kind? Am I not kind too?”
Shi Zi Chu tilted her head, smiling brightly, “Ruo Ruo is the kindest of all!”
Yan Zhou Bai cast a glance at Yao Ruo Ruo clinging closely to Shi Zi Chu, then quietly withdrew his gaze, a faint, indescribable envy stirring inside him.
After dissecting the serpents, Yan Zhou Bai placed the skins and bones into a storage pouch and handed it to Shi Zi Chu. When she tried to divide a share for him, Yan Zhou Bai interrupted, “If we are friends, don’t speak so formally.”
“Then shall I call you by your name directly?” Shi Zi Chu questioned back gently, adding, “It doesn’t seem very polite.”
Yan Zhou Bai reassured her, “It’s fine.”
[Calling me by my name would be better than Young Sect Master Yan.]
“Then, in the spirit of fairness, you should call me by my name as well,” Shi Zi Chu said, shaking the storage pouch before storing it away.
Yan Zhou Bai nodded in agreement, then warned softly, “The closer we get to the middle zone, the stronger the spirit beasts. Be careful, Zi Chu.”
He then turned to his junior sister, his voice calm yet imposing, “If Zi Chu hadn’t reacted quickly and pulled you away earlier, you’d already be back at Limitless Sect recovering.”
The venom of a Seven-Ringed Serpent was no joke.
Yao Ruo Ruo instinctively stood straight, obediently replying, “Senior brother, I was wrong. I’ll be very careful from now on.”
Yan Zhou Bai nodded faintly.
Released from scrutiny, Yao Ruo Ruo looked gratefully toward Shi Zi Chu, who blinked gently back, as if saying, [No need for thanks; you’re safe, that’s what matters.]
The group of four continued deeper into the forest.
Yao Ruo Ruo once again took the lead, determinedly wanting to be the strong big sister protecting Shi Zi Chu. Shi Zi Chu let her be.
“Even the outer region has early Golden Core beasts. The Forest of Eternal Night truly isn’t peaceful,” Yao Ruo Ruo sighed aloud. “I suppose disciples from Returning Cloud Sect and the Five Schools will also come.”
Shi Zi Chu gently poked Yao Ruo Ruo’s back, “Ruo Ruo, no scary stories, please.”
Chu Zhi Rou had been taken overnight by the Punishment Hall, surely breaking the hearts of those men. They would undoubtedly blame her. Chu Zhi Sheng alone was troublesome enough; adding another like Pei Qing You would be truly exhausting…
“Shi Zi Chu?”
A man approached, carrying a long sword, his gaze cold and piercing, locking onto Shi Zi Chu instantly with an immobilizing intensity.
Shi Zi Chu’s thoughts abruptly broke, and she lifted her gaze.
[Wonderful, truly wonderful!]
Ji Mo Li, Limitless Sect’s inner disciple, future Sect Master, and one of the heroine’s lovers!
Speak of trouble, and it appears immediately!
[This is the heroine’s loyal guard! He definitely didn’t come here with good intentions. Prepare to die!] Inside the spatial storage ring, Xue Gu clawed viciously at the Female Villain System, which screamed endlessly.
Shi Zi Chu’s lips curved into a faint smile.
[We’ll see who ends up dead!]
Seeing Ji Mo Li’s hostile approach, Yao Ruo Ruo moved to shield Shi Zi Chu. Yan Zhou Bai also swiftly stepped forward, placing both women behind him.
Ji Mo Li seemed to notice Yan Zhou Bai just then and cupped his fists, “Young Sect Master.”
Yao Ruo Ruo peeked from behind Yan Zhou Bai, sharply asking, “Am I invisible to you?”
Ji Mo Li bowed stiffly, his tone indifferent, “Eldest Miss.”
Needing no further reminder, Ji Mo Li also greeted Meng Xi Yu, “Young Sect Master Meng.”
Meng Xi Yu remained silent and indifferent. Neither Yan Zhou Bai nor Yao Ruo Ruo spoke again, and the atmosphere quickly grew icy.
“If Daoist Ji Mo is looking for Sixth Junior Sister, you should visit Jade Void Sect instead.” A soft, gentle voice broke the silence.
Shi Zi Chu stepped out calmly from behind the siblings, facing Ji Mo Li’s hostile gaze with a warm smile, “She interfered in another’s relationship, destroying an engagement. I’m afraid she’ll face heavy punishment.”
“Shi Zi Chu, do not provoke me!” Ji Mo Li warned darkly, glancing at Yan Zhou Bai and Yao Ruo Ruo protectively standing nearby, “You will eventually be alone.”
Rou Rou’s injuries were all Shi Zi Chu’s fault—he would avenge her!
Shi Zi Chu smiled innocently, “If you’re not here for Sixth Junior Sister, could it be you’re specifically here for me?”
[What a coincidence; I’m also waiting for the moment when I’m alone!]
Ji Mo Li grimaced with disgust, turned abruptly, and quickly disappeared into the mist.
Yao Ruo Ruo frowned deeply, worriedly looking at Shi Zi Chu. “Ji Mo Li is notoriously sinister and ruthless. Zi Chu, you must never leave our side!”
Seeing Yao Ruo Ruo’s expression as if wishing to tie them all together, Shi Zi Chu laughed gently, a bit helplessly.
“He means harm,” Yan Zhou Bai warned seriously. “Junior Sister is right. He is an early Nascent Soul cultivator—extremely dangerous for you.”
Shi Zi Chu nodded obediently, reassuring them, “I’ll stick close to you.”
Meng Xi Yu cast a cold, quiet glance.
[Hopefully, that’s true.]