Li Lingzhou

Looking closely, Jiang Chen saw that the woman was in her thirties, with swordlike brows, bright eyes, and a faintly tipsy flush, like moonlit white touched with red.

She wore a finely tailored blue-and-white man's fighting robe, but the slender, graceful figure beneath it gave her a striking silhouette. She was not especially imposing, yet anyone could tell at a glance that she was a woman.

The tiger insignia of the Prison Suppression Bureau was embroidered on her chest. A broad black diamond-patterned belt circled her waist, woven bamboo flat boots covered her feet, and at her side hung an ordinary spirit sword and a fine little wine jar from Purple Cloud Mountain.

Her hair was swept back but not bound in a bun; instead, she had tied it into a loose ponytail. Even stumbling about, she cut a dashing figure.

Jiang Chen truly had not expected to see a single ponytail on a woman in the cultivation world.

She made no attempt to hide her aura or spiritual pressure, so Jiang Chen could see her cultivation.

She was around the Golden Core Realm, but her foundation was highly unstable, something like a Liquid Golden Core. She was the sort whose cultivation could explode without warning, with both her upper and lower limits remarkably high.

She did not come across as overbearing, either. Drunk as she was, she held herself in the simple stance of a martial artist.

Her gaze was mild, her bearing as warm as a spring morning, and she carried an easy air of someone who had everything well in hand.

It was this carefree bearing, like that of a wandering rogue, and the hint of wine and sword intent in her eyes that nearly made Jiang Chen overlook her face.

Her features were sharp without losing their airy grace. Her swordlike brows and bright eyes still shimmered with light, while the wine haze mingling with Sword Qi in her gaze unfurled a misty painting.

Jiang Chen suddenly had the strange impression—

Ever since he got the system, he seemed to run into beauties wherever he went, and not just any beauties, but ones stunning enough to throw the world into chaos.

There was the Thousand-Faced Fox's innocent charm, Tian Mingye's dark allure, and this woman's dashing, immortal grace.

But Jiang Chen had not come to pick up women, and this one did not look like the type who liked men.

To avoid trouble, Jiang Chen climbed out of the bath at once, dressed amid the spring mist, and left the pool. He gave the drunken woman a brief cupped-fist salute, ready to slip away.

Just then, the old innkeeper hurried over after them and introduced him to the drunken woman:

"A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. This is Cao Mengde, a disciple of the Azure Mist Sect and a young friend from my old sect.

"Warden Li, didn't you come at Sect Leader Luo's invitation to lift the siege of the Azure Mist Sect?

"The sect is already safe. Besides the rumors going around, young friend Cao returned from the Azure Mist Sect just yesterday. He can confirm it."

Warden Li?

Jiang Chen paused. Could this be Li Lingzhou, the woman the sect leader said he had hired at his own expense?

Sect Leader Luo had said she would arrive in an hour, yet she had taken a whole day?

And with a Nascent Soul Realm Heavenly Demon attacking the mountain, the Azure Mist Sect had invited only a Golden Core Realm warden? Was that not a cup of water against a cartload of firewood?

Li Lingzhou did not spare Jiang Chen a glance. She staggered toward the pool, muttering,

"You say it's fine, so it's fine? Go fetch Luo Qingzhou. Even if there's no trouble, I still get an appearance fee!"

At the pool's edge, she bent down, picked up the wine cup Jiang Chen had half emptied, and drained it in one gulp.

At once, fragrance filled her mouth and her eyes shimmered.

"Good wine!"

With that, she pitched headfirst into the pool.

She fell asleep.

Jiang Chen looked back at her and thought, I'll indulge you just this once tonight. Drink all my bathwater you like!

The old innkeeper glanced at his daughter-in-law by the pool and knew she had once again failed to win a man's heart.

"Sorry for disturbing your cultivation, young friend... Fengxi, take Fellow Daoist Cao to another cultivation room."

Jiang Chen waved off the offer and asked out of curiosity,

"How do you know Warden Li, Senior Zhang?"

The old innkeeper shook his head with a sigh and began to explain:

"Warden Li and Sect Leader Luo were classmates at Great Qian Academy, and now they both serve in Xihe Prefecture. They see each other fairly often outside of work.

"As a former Azure Mist Sect disciple, I sometimes act as a go-between, passing messages or receiving Warden Li when she visits.

"Who knew I'd be inviting a wolf into my home? Not only does Warden Li owe this little inn hundreds of spirit stones, she flirts with my daughter-in-law every time she comes, giving people the wrong idea. How is Fengxi supposed to find a husband now?"

At the mention of the widow finding a husband, Jiang Chen explained:

"I, Cao Mengde, have always loved married women, and your daughter-in-law is lovely—exactly my type. Unfortunately, I'm about to roam the world in search of opportunities. I have no plans to settle down, take a wife, and raise a family, so I dare not lead her on.

"As for returning to Shipo Forest... she should wait until she reaches Foundation Establishment."

Having finally encountered an unpolished gem from his old sect, the innkeeper could only sigh helplessly.

"Alas."

Jiang Chen turned to look at the woman floating in the pool, drinking his bathwater.

"What sort of person is Warden Li?"

The old innkeeper thought it over, then answered seriously:

"She's greedy, loves gambling, borrows money and never pays it back, drinks until she neglects her duties, and never keeps her word—though perhaps she's just forgetful. And despite being a woman, she chases women... Apart from that, I can't find much fault with her."

Jiang Chen frowned and asked, puzzled,

"Then why did Sect Leader Luo seek her out?"

The innkeeper said helplessly,

"Because her cultivation is a mystery. Pay her enough, and she really can defeat the demoness, perhaps even Chen Gongxing of the Spirit Severing Realm... I suppose that's Warden Li's only virtue."

Jiang Chen had been considering latching onto someone powerful, but he abruptly came to his senses.

If I cling to her, sooner or later I'll be left empty-handed.

"Then it's time for me to leave, too."

The young widow's eyes filled with disappointment.

The old innkeeper rarely saw his daughter-in-law so reluctant to part with someone, and he quickly reminded Jiang Chen,

"You still have a day left, young friend."

Jiang Chen faced the pool and raised his hands in a cupped-fist salute.

"I'll give it to Warden Li."

With that, he turned and left the Spirit Spring Inn.

Walking down the bustling street, Jiang Chen found himself thinking of the Thousand-Faced Fox.

So far, that fox demon was the only wealthy woman whose favor he had won.

What was more, she had helped him advance all three times: once with the Dragon-Blood Qi-Nourishing Pill she gave him, once by helping him obtain the half-immortal's book, and once with the Demon Core she gave him.

There had been other resources, too, and she had even steered a Demon Sect spy his way so he could kill him and seize his treasures...

Where was that woman, anyway?

He hoped the simulator would guide him to the Thousand-Faced Fox through the next main Plot Simulation.

For now, Jiang Chen was only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer and could not afford to wander recklessly. He had left the Spirit Spring Inn merely to avoid Li Lingzhou and the young widow's affections.

He needed a new place to stay.

It was noon, with the blazing sun high overhead.

Jiang Chen went to the market first.

He found a shop that bought secondhand magical equipment and, posing as a disciple expelled from the Azure Mist Sect, sold his two sets of sect disciple robes, a spare disciple's sword, and the multipurpose machete that had accompanied him for two years.

He received twenty spirit stones. Together with the eight he had left, that made twenty-eight in all.

He also had—

Five Rapid Spirit-Healing Pills: he kept them to save his life in an emergency.

A Demon Shrine: it held a good deal of Heavenly Demon demonic energy, which he intended to keep for an upgrade.

A disciple's sword pierced through by a finger flick: that strike had been infused with Demonic Aura and carried formidable force. To be safe, he should not let it fall into anyone else's hands.

An Azure Mist Sect disciple's ring: cultivators watched the hand wearing an opponent's Storage Ring in battle and let down their guard against the other hand. Jiang Chen, however, could pull equipment from his inventory with that other hand and launch a surprise attack.

A jade slip: it contained Chen Gongxing's top-student notes, as well as Myriad Phenomena Resonance. Jiang Chen intended to study them seriously.

That was everything Jiang Chen owned.

Three rounds of Plot Simulation had brought him opportunities and successive advances in cultivation, but they had also left him with plenty of trouble. Now he had no home and was wandering the streets.

His first choice was to go to another sect, continue cultivating, and search for opportunities.

Yet without a main plot to guide him, Jiang Chen had become exceedingly cautious. He did not want to take any risks.

He still remembered those three years without the system. He had been a mere mortal, and crossing into this world had not made his life worth much. With nothing to lose, he had dared to dream and charge ahead.

Now that he had reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, he had become especially wary, trying to avoid every possible risk.

The reason was simple:

He had seen the world of the truly powerful.

Now that he had the simulator, he was certain he could grow stronger if given time.

All he had to do was lie low in reality, let loose in the simulations, and take his risks there!

With that in mind, Jiang Chen bought a gray robe of the sort wandering Rogue Cultivators commonly wore and changed into it.

He checked into an inn catering to mortals and waited for the main plot to find him.

He slept through half a day and a night at the inn.

The main plot still had not arrived.

Li Lingzhou came instead, following the scent of his bathwater, and hauled him out of bed.

"Where are you from?"