Ji Xueruo Goes Missing (Extra Chapter for Rudder Master Stone)

It's already November, and night falls very early.

Several sandalwood lampposts dotted the magnificent hall, arranged with a pleasing arrangement, and a single candle flickered atop each lamppost.

A cool evening breeze suddenly drifted in from outside the window.

A gentle breeze caressed the curtain of seashells, causing large and small pearls to collide and tinkle.

Ji Xueruo leaned against the headboard, her knees together, her slender fingers gently turning the pages of the book on her lap—it was the book "The Legend of the White Snake."

Today, unusually, she didn't wear a black dress, but instead chose white, the color most commonly worn by Fairies, just like the heroine in the book who was always covered in white dresses.

In fact, she should have been wearing white. You can tell from the color of her Demon Core that she is different from her sister, who is a green snake in her true form. Her true form is a white snake.

But she still preferred black; in her view, white was not suitable for a woman with great ambitions. Most Fairies choose white not because they like it, but because a white dress always evokes a certain association in others, making them think that a fairy wearing a white dress is elegant, noble, pure, and white. But in reality, very few fairies can truly live up to this connotation.

In contrast, very few female cultivators wear black dresses, because black is deep, reserved, cold, and restrained, always giving people a sense of distance, but it can well express Ji Xueruo's personality and style. Moreover, she herself has a noble temperament, and there is an arrogance between her brows. Wearing black will naturally arouse people's awe.

However, she was also an absolute beauty in her white dress.

The white dress softened her sharp edges, and her casually tied-up hair added a touch of gentle tranquility, making her appear as if the well-educated, gentle, and virtuous Bai Suzhen from the book had come to life.

Even though the book she was flipping through with her fingertips was an extremely erotic book.

A blush rose on her pale face, and she angrily closed the book, "The Legend of the Legend of the White Snake," and said reproachfully:

"What kind of nonsensical romance is this? It's obvious that Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian were destined to be together, and they even went through so many hardships together. How did it end up with Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing living happily ever after? Not only did Bai Suzhen not get any status in the end, but why did she have to do laundry and cook for her sister and brother-in-law's children?!"

Ji Xueruo she thought about it, wishing she could beat her chest and stamp her feet in frustration:

"This Lady White is too weak! Her lover was taken away, and she neither fought for him nor ran away. What was she thinking, cowering by their side as a slave? What a wonderful story with profound meaning, but this dog-tailed ending has turned it into a terrible book. Was this really written by the same person?"

What she didn't know was that it wasn't written by one person.

The Divine Ark cut through the dark sea and silently sailed towards the Central Yuan Continent, the bright moonlight paving the way for the giant ship.

On the Divine Ark, Ji Lingruo was also engrossed in reading the book "The Legend of the White Snake".

After her 'polishing,' the book contained many blush-inducing descriptions of women in their boudoirs, which is why it sold so well. But what the author, Ji Lingruo, was most satisfied with was the ending she meticulously revised.

From the moment Ji Lingruo heard this story, she felt it was tailor-made for her by You Su. She naturally projected herself into the role of Xiao Qing, but was surprised to discover that the only character with a romantic storyline with the male lead was the White Snake's older sister?

My senior brother's intentions are simply unforgivable!

But You Su is blind and doesn't know whether she's the Green Snake or the White Snake, which is understandable. In order not to reveal that she really has a White Snake sister, Ji Lingruo chose to remain silent and then secretly modified the snake behind her senior brother's back.

Although it wasn't exactly robbery, Ji Lingruo simply couldn't refuse the request from all the clan elders to graft her Demon Core onto her more talented older sister. At the time, she had been forced to go to the unfamiliar Central Yuan Continent, and she harbored some Resentment Qi in her heart, so she could only vent her Resentment Qi on the Lady White in the book.

Therefore, she deliberately wrote Lady White with a stark contrast: a dignified and beautiful woman by day, but a wanton woman in bed, just to make readers hate this hypocritical sister who is two-faced.

But it seems... this is what readers like to read?

Forget it, the most important thing is to make more money through the Lady White to improve my and my senior brother's lives.

However, in the end, Ji Lingruo still stubbornly modified it to her own liking. This older sister who likes to 'steal' other people's things will also have to taste what it's like to have something she cherishes 'stolen' from her!

Hmph! It would be best if they had to kneel on the ground and watch through the paper window every day!

However, this version was rejected by the bookseller for being too explicit. Ji Lingruo could only vaguely write that her older sister was sleeping with her niece in the side room, while Xu Xian and Xiao Qing seemed to be secretly keeping a warbler, whose incessant warbling in the main hall kept her awake all night...

Ji Lingruo reluctantly turned to the last page, then, as if remembering something, she slammed the book shut in frustration.

In her book, Xiao Qing steals Xu Xian from Lady White, but in reality, it's Lady White who tries to steal a man from Xiao Qing!

Now Xiao Qing is really going to become even greener!

Ji Lingruo's eyebrows furrowed and her teeth clenched, her heart filled with the hope that the person steering the boat would go faster and faster!

She couldn't wait to chop that wicked older sister into pieces!

Of course, if she could do it...

Meanwhile, Ji Xueruo, who was recuperating deep in the Jade Ring Pool, had no idea that her younger sister was rushing over to settle scores with her.

Instead, she was secretly pleased that the divine sensations in the illusion wouldn't be transmitted to a physical body; otherwise, if they had been transmitted to Lingruo, the accumulated stimulation of countless times would probably have driven Lingruo insane...

She reread "The Legend of the White Snake" with lingering interest, but even after reading it again, she was still angered by the ending.

"So many people are praising this kind of poorly written book; I don't think these people are even interested in the plot!"

Ji Xueruo resenting that the blind man was wasting his talent. With such ingenious ideas, wouldn't it have been better to write a serious and magnificent work to benefit future generations? Why did he have to add vulgar bedroom scenes to these dramatic plots? Did he really enjoy entertaining people with sex?

Ji Xueruo but recall how You Su had gained the trust of the two beauties by stripping naked and deceiving the guards at the young master's palace by showing his cleavage... Could this blind man really have some kind of strange fetish?

Ji Xueruo a chill run down her spine. She sighed and stared blankly at the book cover for a long time.

Below the three large characters "Legend of the White Snake" is the pen name "Junior Sister is Number One in the World".

She stared at it for a long time, her pink fingertips tracing the words "Junior Sister" over and over, as if trying to erase them.

She let out another long, drawn-out sigh, and even the candlelight seemed to dim slightly in sync with her dejected mood.

After everything was over, she sat on the bed after waking up, trying her best not to recall the experiences of the past few days. Whether it was the life-and-death experience in the cave or the illusion in the Tibetan land that spanned countless quarter-hours, the image of that boy was unforgettable in her heart.

But she shouldn't have done this... She had already agreed with You Su that they would never see each other again. She wouldn't interfere with his relationship with Lingruo, but she also wouldn't appear before him...

As she said, those illusions were just a dream, and in reality, she and You Su only met once and spent a few days together.

How can things in dreams be taken seriously?

She couldn't take advantage of her sister's absence to steal her brother-in-law. As the head of her clan and the future Empress, her pride prevented her from even considering the possibility of sisters sharing a husband, and she never even imagined that she would fall in love with one person.

Without a doubt, she wouldn't have survived to this day without You Su, nor would she have had the chance to fulfill her unfulfilled ambitions. She could agree to many of You Su's requests, just like Jade Ring Pool, but she couldn't fall in love with him.

Yes, this can't be love; it's just an emotional dependence that arises naturally under pressure. Once things calm down after the separation, everything will fade away like the details in that illusion.

As an older sister and a clan leader, she had a clear understanding that she had indulged in her own willful ways in the dream, but upon returning to reality, she had to transform back into the self-possessed, composed, and serpent clan-first future Empress.

This was her mother's long-cherished wish, and also the mission she, as the eldest sister, should fulfill.

That's for the best... My sister can cultivate with You Su without any worries, and they will become the most enviable divine couple. She will personally kill the murderer who killed her mother and bring the snake clan back to the sacred mountain to fulfill her ambitions.

They all have bright futures, so why does she feel... a tightness in her chest?

She gently closed her eyes, her long, delicate eyelashes trembling slightly.

She learned from the maid that You Su had awakened, but she wondered how he was doing now, whether he had recovered. She hoped he was as lucid as he was in his dream, and wouldn't have any pointless fantasies...

Yet deep down, she always harbored a faint expectation, a longing for that young man to knock on her door.

Now that I think about it, it seems that this blind man never even came to my Zilan Hall once.

Ji Xueruo herself, but just then, while the palace doors remained silent, a slight sound came from the terrace connected to the tranquil Jade Ring Pool.

A handsome young man appeared at the window. He seemed somewhat anxious and lowered his voice, saying:

"Xue Ruo! Come with me! Tibet's conspiracy is not over yet!"

Ji Xueruo's beautiful eyes widened. The way she called out "Xue Ruo" sounded so natural, as if she had called it a thousand times before, made her feel as if she had returned to the days a few days ago when she fought side by side with You Su at Jade Ring Pool.

She enjoyed this period, which allowed her to relax and not worry about anything else.

A captivating light instantly shone in Ji Xueruo's eyes. She gently loosened the belt of her white dress, revealing a black, form-fitting outfit underneath.

It turned out that she had already made preparations for continuing her adventures with You Su.

After You Su woke up, it was already the morning of the second day.

"Miss Ji still hasn't gone out?"

You Su asked Yu Meng, who insisted on feeding her fish porridge.

No.

Yu Meng brought the cool fish porridge to You Su's lips, while Yu Long used her soft hands to massage You Su's shoulders and back, relieving his muscles and bones that had been idle for many days.

You Su took the spoon and ate it herself.

The fish porridge was delicious, but You Su frowned.

He rested for two days before he could move around much longer. According to the maids, Ji Xueruo had only woken up a short time before him, but she was able to get out of bed within a day of waking up.

But given her personality... how could she stay in her room all the time and never go out? And supposedly, she doesn't need anyone's service?

You Su quickly finished the fish porridge and decided to visit Ji Xueruo.

Yu Meng Yu Long wanted to follow, but You Su persuaded them to stay.

Bringing the twin sisters, Shuli, to see Miss Ji... is really inappropriate.

The Qinglan Hall and the Zilan Hall are very close, yet You Su walked for a long time. It wasn't that his movements were still inconvenient, but rather that his mind was troubled.

He didn't know how to face Miss Ji, let alone how to deal with the feelings in his heart.

He was quite certain that he had fallen for this woman who had the exact same face as his junior sister, but not because of her face.

But does he really deserve to like her? She is her junior sister's older sister, and he is her brother-in-law.

He once confidently believed that his heart could only hold his junior sister, but after countless reincarnations, who could resist opening their heart again?

While there are indeed powerful individuals in this world with multiple wives and concubines, and even some female cultivators with multiple male dao companion, those dao companion to consent...

You Su could sense that Miss Ji was inherently very proud.

In the illusion, they tacitly kept silent about it from their junior sister in order to survive, as if they had forgotten about her. But when they returned to reality, how could such a proud and ambitious woman agree to his greedy request?

Especially since all of this happened behind her junior sister's back, her spoiled nature would probably find it hard to accept...

You Su was in a state of turmoil. He felt that he should not betray his junior sister, but he also felt that he could not let down Miss Ji. Thus, he fell into a state of confusion and dilemma.

Yu Qing, who was standing Zilan Hall, woke him up with a pleasant surprise. She curtsied and said:

"Young Master You?!"

You Su was already a great hero of Jade Ring Pool, Venerable Chengtao had long ago ordered that You Su and Ji Xueruo be treated with even greater courtesy than the Venerable himself, and that all their requests be fulfilled as much as possible.

You Su nodded. "I've come to pay a visit to Miss Ji."

In the past few days, rumors about the relationship between the two have been rampant in the pond. Yu Qing smiled knowingly and said:

"Miss Ji is still recuperating, Young Master You, perhaps you should come later."

"Please inform her for me, I... I urgently need to speak with her."

You Su didn't know what urgent matter he had, only that he would not be able to calm his mind if he did not see Miss Ji on this trip.

Even if the meeting is awkward, there will be silences, or unpleasantness, he has to face it.

Yu Qing paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then Young Master You may go in by yourself. Miss Ji is resting in the bedroom behind the artificial hill."

"That simple? Didn't she forbid others from entering the palace?" You Su was puzzled by the maid's sudden change in attitude.

Yu Qing stepped aside to make way, her smile widening, "Miss Ji instructed that if Young Master You insists on seeing him, then he should be allowed to pass."

You Su suddenly realized that Miss Ji was also waiting for him to come looking for her.

After thanking him, You Su walked into the hall, passing through the shady trees and around the artificial hill, and stood outside Ji Xueruo's bedroom.

Having finally made up his mind, he no longer hesitated and gently knocked on the door.

"Miss Ji, You Su requests an audience."

There was no reply from inside the door for a long time. You Su felt strange and called out several more times, but still no one responded.

You Su frowned, muttered a few words of apology, and kicked open the door.

He scanned every corner of the room with his Divine Sense, but found no one.

Only a black dress lay folded on the desk, exuding the woody scent that belonged to Ji Xueruo, and on top of the black dress was a letter.

You Su hurriedly put the letter into his Universe Bag and examined it with his Divine Sense, but the words on it chilled him to the bone.

"Young Master You, I have left. Do not worry."

Upon hearing the sound of the door being broken down, Yu Qing rushed over.

"What happened, Young Master You?"

Such a grown man just vanished like that. You Su also harbored some Resentment Qi towards Yu Qing and asked in a deep voice:

"Did Miss Ji get the Lotus Root Hearts?"

Yu Qing also noticed something was wrong and shook her head, saying, "No."

You Su's heart was pounding. They had gone through so much for the Lotus Root Heart, how could Miss Ji possibly leave first?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Yu Qing tentatively asked, "Perhaps you should go out for a walk..."

Upon hearing this, You Su's eyes flashed coldly. He suddenly froze, as if he had noticed something, and slowly said:

Why are your mung bean pastries arranged so haphazardly?

Several plates of pastries were laid out on the coffee table, each showing signs of having been eaten. Yu Qing sighed softly, assuming that You Su was deliberately picking a fight because she was in a bad mood after a quarrel with Miss Ji, so she respectfully replied:

"Young Master You, Miss Ji is not allowed to enter the palace when she is resting unless she specifically calls us. When I brought these pastries, they were indeed arranged neatly in squares. It's really not our fault..."

You Su completely ignored her explanation and carefully traced the arrangement of the mung bean pastries with her Divine Sense. She noticed that three of the mung bean pastries on the plate were faintly marked with an arrow.

And its destination was none other than the crystal-clear Jade Ring Pool!

Calling it an arrow is a stretch; you could easily arrange a few pieces of pastry like that by just picking them up randomly. But You Su knew very well that Miss Ji, like her sister, would never even touch pastries made of mung beans!

There was no one else in this hall except Ji Xueruo, so it must have been Miss Ji's doing!

"Take me to Venerable Chengtao!"

You Su picked up a piece of mung bean pastry and crushed it into powder.

Inside the main hall of Venerable Chengtao.

"Still haven't found it..."

Venerable Chengtao sighed softly. As a renowned Venerable of the Five Continents, it was truly a disgrace that a cultivator at the Spirit Platform Middle Stage had vanished right before his eyes.

Venerable Cuihe also shook her head. They had dispatched the entire pool's resources to search for Ji Xueruo, but after nearly six hours, they still had no results.

They searched the entire magnificent underground palace, but still couldn't find any trace of Ji Xueruo; it was as if she had vanished into thin air.

You Su gripped the Ink Pine Sword tightly. After several confirmations, he was certain that Zang Tu was completely dead. Apart from the black water that had seeped into the earth, its true form was nothing more than a giant, rotting sand worm.

You Su's mind raced. Who exactly had targeted Ji Xueruo, an outsider?

After much thought, he could only come up with one answer— the Little White Fish.

But the reason remains unclear.

The Little White Fish is elusive and hasn't reappeared since. All the lotus seeds have been collected and destroyed, and You Su doesn't know how to lure it out again.

The two Venerable Ones stood behind You Su, their brows furrowed in worry.

Just then, a servant approached and whispered a report to Venerable Chengtao:

"My Lord, the rites for the Yu Die Saintess are complete; she may now be dissolved into water."

Venerable Chengtao nodded, "Go and do it..."

"Yes." The servant then withdrew.

You Su was immersed in the anxious search for Ji Xueruo when he heard a term he had never heard before, which felt as jarring as pebbles on the sole of his shoe:

"Venerable Sir, what does 'turning into water' mean?"

"Jade Ring Pool is based on water; water is the most revered element in Jade Ring Pool. Therefore, after a person dies in Jade Ring Pool, a 'water-transferring' ceremony is held. This doesn't actually turn the deceased into water, but rather places them in a specially made coffin and removes all the water from their body. Unlike the worship of corpses outside, the deceased's flesh and bones are cremated, and the water extracted from them is poured back into Jade Ring Pool," Venerable Cuihe explained carefully. "From now on, every pilgrimage to Jade Ring Pool is a pilgrimage to all our deceased kin."

With both water pumping and cremation, the person is probably as dead as can be.

You Su nodded, having no time to concern herself with the Yu Die Saintess's affairs, and continued to ponder Ji Xueruo's whereabouts.

You Su had just recovered some of his strength, Ji Xueruo. Venerable Cuihe He couldn't bear it and advised him:

"Young Master You, you are Yu Die's only friend. She is about to turn to water; let's go see her off on her final journey. You can also grab something to eat while you're at it. We will continue to send people to search for Miss Ji's whereabouts."

Venerable Chengtao and Venerable Cuihe had also heard some rumors. If Yu Die hadn't died, they were even considering whether to break the thousand-year-old ancestral precept and betroth Yu Die to You Su.

You Su paused for a moment, then sighed and said okay.

Little Pond Palace, under the starlight.

The crowd gathered around the small pool that belonged exclusively to the Saintess, where an extremely mysterious, Black Coffin was floating on the surface of the water.

You Su slowly stood up. He was the last person to pay homage to the Yu Die Saintess. To be honest, his feelings for the Saintess were rather complicated. This woman was fragile yet strong, weak yet brave. If she had been born in a prosperous era for the Jade Ring Pool, she would have been an unparalleled Saintess...

"Cheng Tao, do you think the next Saintess will be a mortal or an immortal?" Venerable Cuihe asked quietly.

"After the Evil Demon were exorcised, Jade Ring Pool is no longer what it used to be; it might not even be able to produce Saintess."

Venerable Chengtao was rather pessimistic, wondering how long it would take for him to recover to his previous state using this spiritual pool.

Let's begin.

Upon his command, the two elders began chanting incantations and casting spells. The Black Coffin glowed faintly, indicating that the water-extraction Formation Technique was in operation.

You Su looked up and sighed, her mind not on the Yu Die's water-transforming ritual, but on the vanished Ji Xueruo.

As night deepened, all that remained of You Su's already blurred vision was pitch black.

The protective array around Jade Ring Pool is extremely powerful. Venerable Chengtao ensured that nothing, not even a bird, had left Jade Ring Pool in the past few days.

You Su had no choice but to sketch out the entire structure of the Jade Ring Pool in his Sea of Consciousness, wanting to think more carefully about where Ji Xueruo might be hidden.

As he pondered, he discovered an astonishing coincidence—

Across the lake from the Little Pond Palace stands Zilan Hall!

"Open the coffin!"

The dungeon will end tomorrow.