At the center of Stone Village, a gentle breeze passed through Willow Deity's branches, setting them rustling softly.
The Witch took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. The trace of fear she'd felt at encountering a Forbidden Existence faded, replaced by an extraordinarily bright, fawning smile.
She took light steps toward Ye Xuan, sidling up to him like an affectionate kitten.
"Master Ye..."
Her voice was sweet as honey, and her big, watery eyes blinked at him with an ingratiating look.
"This village is so peaceful and lovely. It's a wonderful place to cultivate. But a village this big needs someone to look after it, doesn't it? Do you need anyone to sweep the floors?"
She patted her impressive chest and declared confidently,
"I can do it! I'm excellent at chores. Starting today, I'm living here. You couldn't make me leave!"
Ao Tong, standing nearby, stared at the Witch as if she were some kind of monster. She simply couldn't understand how the successor of Jietian Sect's mind worked.
"Sweep the floors?" Ao Tong said coolly, her tone tinged with mockery. "You're the current Saintess of Jietian Sect, the famous Sky Fox Fairy, and you're actually begging to sweep the floors in some little village in the Lower Realm? If word gets back to the Upper Realm, won't people laugh themselves silly? Don't you care about Jietian Sect's reputation?"
The Witch didn't get annoyed at the taunt. Instead, she stuck out her chest and retorted indignantly,
"What would you know? Mind your own business!"
"This is cultivation! This is experiencing the mortal world! Ever heard of tempering your heart through worldly affairs?"
She looked at the Willow Tree, her eyes alight with fervor. "Besides, how many people could only dream of sweeping the grounds of a Supreme Taboo's domain?