Dual Cultivation (1)

Li Yunan glanced at them both. "Junior Sister, since you could tell I have hidden injuries, you must have some skill. I'll be frank with you. I have an uncle who has doted on me since childhood. Because of his hidden injuries, he has been stuck at the Spirit Lord level for thirty years. He is very old now. If he still cannot break through, his life will soon come to an end. I'd like you to examine him."

Most members of their clan awakened thunder-type spirit power and frequently came into contact with lightning. Over time, hidden injuries accumulated in their bodies. These injuries differed from those others suffered. Searching for thunder essence amid lightning was extremely dangerous; one careless move could get them struck. Their hidden injuries usually came with lingering lightning that tormented them constantly.

Dongfang Minghui had never expected an offhand remark to expose Li Yunan's secret and draw his attention. She had no real expertise—she simply knew the plot in advance.

Besides, the Marrow-Cleansing Pills she had made really did work on him. After taking just one, Li Yunan discovered that his long-stagnant Spiritual Power had begun to stir. No matter what, that was a good sign.

He had once sought help from the Alchemy Department for his hidden injuries, hoping they could refine a pill to suppress them. Unfortunately, their results had been deeply disappointing. In recent years, his hidden injuries had continued to accumulate, and his Spiritual Power had shown signs of stagnating. Li Yunan had thought he would soon follow in his uncle's footsteps, only to receive an unexpected surprise three days ago.

Dumbfounded, Dongfang Minghui pointed at her own nose. "You want me to examine your uncle?"

Li Yunan nodded, then added, "Junior Sister, I know this puts you in a difficult position, but for my uncle's sake, I'm willing to pay any price."

Forget any price—she did not want anything to do with Li Yunan at all. After rummaging through her Spatial Ring, she pulled out a porcelain bottle of pills. "Marrow-Cleansing Pills. This is the last bottle. Fifty Spirit Stones. Do you want it?"

Li Yunan did not know whether to laugh or cry at her behavior. He considered for a moment. "Junior Sister, my uncle's condition isn't quite the same as mine."

Dongfang Minghui impatiently shook the porcelain bottle. "Do you want it or not?"

Li Yunan immediately transferred fifty Spirit Stones to her. "Junior Sister, my uncle's condition really is different from mine. Could you give it some thought? I'll agree to any condition."

"That's enough, Senior Brother Li. Ninth Sister will consider it. Don't pressure her."

Dongfang Wanyu stopped Li Yunan, looking at him very seriously.

Hiding behind the heroine, Dongfang Minghui nodded. Being pestered was incredibly irritating, especially by one of the heroine's men.

Li Yunan knew he had been too impatient. He stepped back. "All right. I hope you'll seriously consider my proposal, Junior Sister. Whatever you ask, I'll do it for you as long as it's within my power."

Anyone else would have leaped at the chance to have Li Yunan owe them a favor, yet Dongfang Minghui avoided it like the plague and fought desperately to refuse. Even Dongfang Wanyu was beginning to find her Ninth Sister's thoughts inscrutable.

On their way back, Dongfang Wanyu could not help asking, "Ninth Sister, have you had a falling-out with Senior Brother Li before?"

Of course. Nothing good ever comes of getting involved with your men. Dongfang Minghui pursed her lips. "No. I've only met him a few times. Don't you already know that, Seventh Sister?"

Seeing no change in the heroine's expression, she ventured, "I simply don't like him."

Dongfang Wanyu gave her a puzzled look. Why did she feel that Ninth Sister did not merely dislike him, but actually detested him?

"You can give his uncle's situation some thought."

Dongfang Minghui nodded. Since the heroine herself wanted her to consider it, she really would have to think it through.

The next day, while Dongfang Minghui was practicing Flying Leaf Shot, she suddenly heard a wail.

"It hurts! It hurts!"

After searching for quite a while, she finally discovered that the agonized cries came from the large tree she had been using as a target.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Dongfang Minghui apologized repeatedly, then immediately took a bottle of spirit liquid from her Spatial Ring. "Please take this as compensation."

She poured some of the spirit liquid over its wounds and the rest directly onto its roots.

"Why didn't you answer when I spoke to you before?" Dongfang Minghui was upset. She had always thought this tree had not yet developed intelligence.

The wounds on its Tree Trunk quickly healed under the spirit liquid, and its old roots absorbed every last drop of the rich liquid. It rustled its leaves. "There was a harbinger of doom here before. How could I dare speak?"

A harbinger of doom?

Dongfang Minghui looked around. "You mean my Seventh Sister?"

The Tree Trunk swayed in answer. "She carries the scent of death. That stuff is our nemesis. One touch, and we're dead."

Our? Is this old tree going blind? It actually mistook me for one of its own. Dongfang Minghui sighed. The Female Lead is being far too careless. If she can't conceal her dark-type spirit power, won't she unleash a bloodbath at the Royal Academy and end up hunted across the entire Seven-Colored Continent?

More importantly, as the heroine's Ninth Sister, she would definitely be the first to suffer.

"You smell very nice, though. Let me invite you to sit on my shoulder." The old tree extended a branch and easily lifted Dongfang Minghui onto its Tree Trunk. It pointed toward the Forbidden Grounds nearby. "There are lots of good things over there."

Dongfang Minghui was so worried about the heroine's dark-type spirit power that she barely listened to the tree. "Tree, how can you sense the power of darkness?"

The tree swayed as though pondering. After a long while, it answered, "This place felt that death aura a very long time ago. Back then, all our kind suffered. I was the only survivor. When that harbinger of doom brought you here last time, I wanted to save you, but I never expected her to lead you astray."

Dongfang Minghui patted it gently, thinking that the tree was quite loyal. "Don't worry. I won't let her hurt you."

Besides, as long as they did not anger Seventh Sister, there probably would not be rivers of blood and corpses strewn everywhere, would there? Dongfang Minghui was not entirely sure.

"What are you doing?" Dongfang Wanyu had only gone to the Thunder Hall master's office, yet she returned to find someone slacking off.

The sudden voice startled Dongfang Minghui so badly that she fell straight out of the tree, about to make intimate contact with the ground.

Strangely enough, the moment the tree saw Dongfang Wanyu, it really did play dead. The branch it had hurriedly extended froze in midair.

"Can't you be more careful?" Dongfang Wanyu easily caught her and landed safely.

"Seventh Sister, don't speak so suddenly next time. You could scare someone to death!" Dongfang Minghui patted her chest. She had been thinking about the heroine when the heroine suddenly appeared, leaving her with the guilty feeling of being caught doing something wrong.

"The moment I stop pushing you, you start slacking off."

Dongfang Minghui raised both hands in surrender. "I don't think cutting up a tree is very nice. How about I practice cutting a rock with flying leaves instead? What do you think, Seventh Sister?"

Dongfang Wanyu smiled at her. Only after a long while did she say, "Excellent. Go bring a rock over."

Dongfang Minghui nearly burst into tears. Cutting through wood was hard enough, let alone stone.

Once Dongfang Minghui had gone off, Dongfang Wanyu circled the old tree. Every mark the flying leaves had cut into it had vanished without a trace. Smiling, she patted the tree.

After she left, the tree trembled twice.

Dongfang Minghui had no choice. Since she could not hurt the tree, she had to find a large rock. Was she supposed to perform a flying-leaf rock-smashing act now?

Dongfang Wanyu watched from the side, an amused smile curling her lips.

The rock was even harder than the tree trunk. Dongfang Minghui practiced all day without leaving a single mark on its surface. She covered her face. She really had brought this upon herself.

"You can't master a skill overnight. We'll take it slowly. Seventh Sister will stay with you." Dongfang Wanyu could not help comforting her.

"All right. I'll keep going tomorrow."

Dongfang Minghui patted her chest. As she checked her Spatial Ring, she suddenly remembered Toothless. "Toothless?"

"Did Toothless come with you?"

Dongfang Wanyu was certain she had not seen the little one when she arrived.

"Yes. Could someone have carried Toothless away?" Dongfang Minghui asked anxiously. Toothless was still so young, unable to speak or fight.

Dongfang Minghui was getting frantic, but forced herself to calm down. She recalled that while she was practicing shooting flying leaves at the tree, the little one had still been wandering around her feet.

It seemed that when the tree spoke, she had stopped and searched everywhere. The little one had followed her, then disappeared afterward.

"Seventh Sister, what should we do?"

Seeing that she was almost in tears, Dongfang Wanyu said, "Don't panic. Let's keep looking."

They split up. Once Dongfang Minghui saw Dongfang Wanyu head in the other direction, she immediately hugged the tree. "Tree, hurry and tell me where Toothless went to play!"

The tree's stiff branches immediately drooped. Goodness, with that harbinger of doom around, it had not dared move at all. "Over to the other side. I told you earlier that there were lots of good things there."

The other side? When had it mentioned treasures?

Dongfang Minghui looked in the direction it indicated and wished she could faint on the spot. Wasn't that the Royal Academy's damned Forbidden Grounds?

"Tree, are you sure?" Dongfang Minghui was about to cry. How had Toothless ended up in the Forbidden Grounds?

When Dongfang Wanyu returned, she found Dongfang Minghui sitting on the ground without a shred of dignity, looking utterly despondent. "Ninth Sister, what's wrong?"

"Toothless went into the Forbidden Grounds. Seventh Sister, what do we do?"

Seeing how certain she was, Dongfang Wanyu did not ask how she knew. "Come on. Let's go back first and think of something."

Dongfang Minghui had already decided that if Toothless came back in one piece, she would use an iron chain to keep the little one tethered, taking Toothless everywhere she went and never allowing any more wandering.

"Wanyu, are you sure you want to enter the Forbidden Grounds? If the Royal Academy discovers you, the consequences will be unthinkable. Have you considered that?"

"Qing Mo, when did you become so timid? Since it's forbidden, it must have something to do with the Royal Academy's secrets. We might even find the answers we're looking for inside. No matter what, I'm going in."

"All right." Qing Mo was convinced.

Dongfang Wanyu had intended to enter the Forbidden Grounds alone and bring Toothless straight back once she found the little creature. But when she opened her door, she saw Dongfang Minghui sitting outside.

"Seventh Sister, I'm coming too." This time, Dongfang Minghui was exceptionally firm.

The Forbidden Grounds were one of the Royal Academy's great secrets. They had existed for several hundred years. Everyone who entered the Royal Academy wanted to uncover their mysteries, but all ultimately returned empty-handed.

Bringing a burden along, Dongfang Wanyu felt she must have gone a little mad. Just as she had expected, a Barrier with powerful fluctuations surrounded the Forbidden Grounds. Anything that approached would be detected.

"Are you sure Toothless went inside?" Dongfang Wanyu asked again.

Dongfang Minghui had also spoken with the surrounding plants. That afternoon, they had indeed seen a little creature crawl through a small hole over there.

"Yes. Look, there are little paw prints by the entrance." Dongfang Minghui crouched and pointed at the hole nearby. She always bathed Toothless herself, so naturally she recognized them at a glance.

"Qing Mo, sorry for the trouble. We'll need your help now."

Dongfang Minghui saw a wisp of white mist drift from Dongfang Wanyu's Spatial Ring. What appeared before the Barrier, however, was an exceedingly handsome man dressed in green. His clothes looked somewhat familiar and bore the Azure Mist Sect's emblem. A single jade hairpin held back his jet-black hair, giving him the aloof air of a secluded master.

Qing Mo. Today, she finally saw a fragment of his Remnant Soul.

"I can hold it for half an hour at most. Whether you find Toothless or not, you must come out."

Qing Mo specialized in setting formations and unraveling Barriers.

Dongfang Minghui feigned terror as Dongfang Wanyu pulled her straight into the Forbidden Grounds. At night, the place exuded an eerie atmosphere.

The moment they stepped inside, they heard creaking noises. Dongfang Minghui was so frightened she did not dare move.

Seeing her like this, Dongfang Wanyu could hardly let her search for Toothless alone. She asked quietly, "Can you sense Toothless?"

Dongfang Minghui spoke to Little Color in her mind. "Little Color, I need your help now. Quick, can you sense Toothless?"

She had spent so much time with Toothless that she carried some of the little one's scent. Who knew what Toothless had encountered after dashing inside? Besides, Qing Mo had said he could only hold out for half an hour—one hour at most.

Dongfang Minghui felt that searching for Toothless in this pitch-black place was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

Little Color immediately indicated a direction with a vine. Dongfang Minghui tugged at the heroine's sleeve. "This way."

After numerous turns, they arrived before a secluded little building. It was designed exactly like the Comprehensive Institute's administrative building, with several large trees outside. Dongfang Minghui almost thought she had taken a wrong turn.

"Toothless."

Dongfang Wanyu strode straight inside. Dongfang Minghui sensed that the place Little Color's vine indicated lay farther in. With no other choice, she followed.

The farther they went, the more Dongfang Minghui felt something was wrong with Little Color in her soul sea. Little Color trembled all over, nearly shriveling into a ball by the end.

"Seventh Sister, something's wrong."

Dongfang Wanyu naturally knew something was wrong, because she had sensed a death aura that should never have appeared here. "Stay here for now. I'll go inside and look for Toothless."

"All right. Be careful, Seventh Sister. You must find Toothless."

Dongfang Minghui waited where she was, but grew more anxious with every passing moment. In the pitch-black night, there was not a sound around her. It was so quiet she could hear her own breathing. Wherever she hid, she felt a pair of eyes watching her from the building, along with the darkness aura trying to break through its Barrier.

"Namo Amitabha."

In desperation, Dongfang Minghui even began chanting Buddhist scripture. She felt the death aura had truly terrified her. One look at Little Color in her soul sea was enough to confirm it. She never wanted to experience this again.

No wonder this place had been designated the Royal Academy's Forbidden Grounds. Something involving a dark-type spirit master must have happened long ago, and those who knew had probably concealed the secret.

Dongfang Minghui tilted her head, carefully recalling the plot. After arriving at the Royal Academy, the heroine would meet all sorts of handsome men. Then, by chance, she would sleep with the Elf Race's Little Prince. Seemingly to conceal her dark-type spirit power, she had to cultivate with the male lead repeatedly, muddling her aura so that others could not detect it.

Right, the heroine should find a Dual Cultivation Method manual.

At that thought, Dongfang Minghui could not help sighing in relief. She could finally rest easy. Before she knew it, her own life had long since become bound to the heroine's.

Fortunately, the heroine's protagonist halo had always worked. Otherwise, even worrying herself sick would probably not help Dongfang Minghui conceal it for her.

"Ah—mmph!"

Someone patted Dongfang Minghui's back, frightening her into a scream, before covering her mouth.

"Ninth Sister, it's me. I found Toothless. Let's go."

Dongfang Minghui could even feel the icy aura emanating from the heroine. Clearly, she had discovered something in the Forbidden Grounds. Dongfang Minghui nodded.

The moment she turned, Toothless leaped into her arms.

"Mommy, Mommy." While Dongfang Wanyu's back was turned, Toothless spat something cold into Dongfang Minghui's hand. She felt it; it seemed a little like a sheet of iron. Without looking, she tossed it into her Spatial Ring.

With a warm little creature in her arms, Dongfang Minghui, who had been shivering in the cold wind, finally felt alive again. The moment she recovered, she grabbed Toothless by the ear.

"How dare you come here alone? Huh? Don't you know what this place is?" Dongfang Minghui said through gritted teeth. She knew the little one needed proper discipline while still young. It was all her fault. She had been so busy that, apart from letting Toothless play alone, she hardly seemed to have taught the little one anything.

"Mommy, Mommy."

Dongfang Minghui felt she absolutely could not soften her heart. The moment they returned to the courtyard, she put Toothless on the ground, took a branch, and lashed the ground hard several times.

Toothless initially thought she was playing, but after accidentally receiving a few hard lashes, immediately played dead, lying motionless on the ground.

"Toothless."

"Mommy."

"Will you run off again?"

Dongfang Minghui felt her own heart ache when she struck Toothless. She simply tossed the branch aside and lay on her bed, sulking.

Toothless lay sprawled on the ground, head resting on the front paws, looking innocent. The little one still seemed not to understand why Mommy was angry.

After fuming for a while, Dongfang Minghui noticed there was no more sound. She looked back. Wonderful—she was half-dead with anger, while the little one had fallen asleep on the floor.

Resigned, she picked Toothless up again and cleaned all four paws with a clean, damp cloth.

While she went to put the cloth away, Toothless secretly opened one eye, then quickly closed it and continued sleeping. Soon, soft snores sounded.

"What was in the Forbidden Grounds?" Qing Mo asked.

Dongfang Wanyu thought for a moment, then only said, "It turns out the Royal Academy also suffered an invasion of death aura a hundred years ago. But it didn't come from Death Valley. It came from a teacher at this academy."

She had found a few surviving records of the incident in that building. Too much time had passed, so little remained, but it was enough to shock her. No wonder dark-type spirit masters were such a grave taboo at the Royal Academy. Like that sealed building, the truth had been buried here with the passing years.

"Did you find a way to conceal your dark-type spirit power?"

That was Dongfang Wanyu's ultimate purpose in coming to the Royal Academy, and, of course, a means of protecting herself.

Dongfang Wanyu took a book from her Spatial Ring. She had found it in the building, beside the earlier Notes. She casually flipped through a few pages. The illustrations were very clear, depicting a man and woman coupling. After roughly browsing through it, she tossed it aside.

So this was the method that teacher had used back then: the Dual Cultivation Method, mingling two people's Spiritual Power to mislead others. It was certainly a viable approach.

"No."

Qing Mo was undeniably a little disappointed. "In that case, we'll have to seek another method."

Dongfang Wanyu burned it to ashes. With an unreadable expression, she stared at what lay in the flames and murmured, "We'll find one."

She had to find a way to restrain her dark-type spirit power.

The next day, Dongfang Minghui rose early. She waited for the heroine to appear, then suggested, "Seventh Sister, I'm planning to visit the Library Pavilion and see whether I can learn about Toothless's origins."

"Let's go together."

The Library Pavilion was where Dongfang Wanyu had received the first-place reward and obtained a Skill Scroll last time. This time, however, they entered through a different door.

The Library Pavilion had twelve floors and eight entrances, making it the largest book repository among all the institutes.

Dongfang Minghui and Dongfang Wanyu used the regular entrance, which led to all sorts of books students might want to consult. However, they had to scan their Jade Tokens before entering. Borrowing a book automatically deducted three Spirit Stones. Returning it within the allotted period was fine, but failing to return it—well, the deduction would increase more than tenfold.

That was quite serious. After reading through the first floor's rules, Dongfang Minghui decided she had better obey the academy's regulations.

Otherwise, the Spirit Stones she had just earned would not even cover the penalties.

"Seventh Sister, I might be researching until very late. If you can't find me, you can go back first." Dongfang Minghui also had a tiny creature tucked into her arms.

Naturally, she had smuggled Toothless inside.

"Toothless, behave and don't cause trouble, or I'll smack your little bottom when we get back." Dongfang Minghui stroked the tiny tail that had just emerged. It was still only a little nub. Every touch made Toothless twitch twice; it was endlessly amusing.

"Mommy, Mommy."

"Shh, don't cry out." Dongfang Minghui secretly looked through the material on the shelves and soon found a comprehensive bestiary. After leafing through it, she quickly became interested.

It even recorded things like the Poison Flower Lightning Mouse's demonic rank. She clicked her tongue in wonder as she read. It turned out that in ancient times, magical beasts had hunted humans. Humans had often been beaten without any ability to fight back, their homes destroyed. As humanity gradually grew stronger, the tables soon turned in this clash between the weak and the strong, leading to the hunting of magical beasts that took place today.

Like humans, magical beasts on the Seven-Colored Continent could cultivate. The book also listed their ranks and explained whether beasts of each rank corresponded to human Spirit Masters or Spirit Emperors.

Dongfang Minghui was engrossed in her reading, but Toothless slapped a paw onto the book, closing it, then quickly hooked another book with a claw and placed it before her.

"Toothless, you're so clever."

Dongfang Minghui lifted the little paw and kissed it. Then mistress and pet continued searching for a picture of Toothless.

They searched from morning until night. A huge pile of books accumulated in front of Dongfang Minghui, yet not one contained any record of little Toothless.

Exhausted, Toothless curled up in her arms and fell fast asleep. Dongfang Minghui did not want to move either, so she gathered her things and hurried out.

Snrrr—

The moment she heard that familiar sound, Dongfang Minghui knew Toothless was sound asleep.

She could not help rubbing her head. She had looked at so many pictures of magical beasts today, but none matched. Only after returning to her room did Dongfang Minghui notice that the lights in the room next door were still off.

Clearly, the heroine was even busier than she was and had not come back at all.

"Toothless, you little lazybones."

After quickly washing up, Dongfang Minghui fell asleep holding Toothless.

In an obscure corner of the Library Pavilion, Dongfang Wanyu found a strange book. There was no name on it, not even a title.

The illustrations on it were blurred, looking like marks left a very, very long time ago.

When she opened it, she discovered that its author was a woman. What caught her attention was that the lover the woman described in her book was also a woman.

It was as though a door had opened for her. Those unspeakable secrets from the illusion finally found an outlet, a release.

She even replaced one of the figures in the book with Ninth Sister.

And there was the book on dual cultivation she had burned yesterday. Since a Dual Cultivation Method existed for men and women, why couldn't there be a Dual Cultivation Method for two women?

Dongfang Wanyu stubbornly believed she would find another dual cultivation method that could conceal the Dark Type spiritual energy within her.

For three whole days, Dongfang Wanyu remained in the Library Pavilion without leaving.

Dongfang Minghui had tried to find her there, but had failed. She had not found much of use herself, either. Just as she was about to leave, Toothless suddenly sprang up and swept a pile of books down with one paw. Several landed directly on her head.

"Toothless."

Dongfang Minghui gritted her teeth. Leave this little rascal undisciplined for three days, and Toothless would tear the roof off.

Toothless dragged a book over in that little mouth and tossed it in front of her, signaling for her to keep reading, then leaped back against her chest and settled there, ready to read along.

"You certainly seem excited, but the problem is that none of these books mention you."

Since the little creature had chosen the book, Dongfang Minghui opened it. It described the nine sons of the Primordial Dragon God, each different from the others.

She knew a little about this legend, so she naturally flipped through it more quickly.

Unexpectedly, Toothless planted a paw right over one picture. Dongfang Minghui glanced at it. "Pixiu? Why do you want me to look at him? You don't look anything like him."

Despite her words, Dongfang Minghui read carefully. "Pixiu is an auspicious creature who specifically devours evil spirits. You, on the other hand, specialize in causing me trouble. I still haven't forgotten what happened last time."

Were the Forbidden Grounds somewhere you could just waltz into?

Toothless rested that little head directly on the book, gave her a rather innocent look, and swished that tail.

"Since you're admitting your mistake so sincerely, I'll forgive you." Dongfang Minghui continued leafing through the book, but still could not find a single creature that looked anything like Toothless. "Could you be a mixed breed?"

Offspring born to different kinds of beasts would probably look different, too, so perhaps Toothless had been abandoned. Dongfang Minghui had already devised a tragic backstory for the little creature.

"Toothless, don't be sad. I'll definitely help you find others of your kind," Dongfang Minghui soothed. Though she made the promise readily, she had no confidence whatsoever.

Dongfang Minghui had been busy searching through books lately while also avoiding the matter involving Li Yunan. She had not set up her stall for several days.

Fortunately, the heroine had disappeared somewhere as well and was no longer supervising her cultivation.

"Toothless, let's go practice throwing darts."

Dongfang Minghui likened this skill of hers to throwing darts. Once her flying leaves could pierce stone, that would mean her skill had destructive power.

While she practiced nearby, Toothless sniffed around on the ground, occasionally digging at it with those little paws, much to Dongfang Minghui's annoyance.

"Toothless, isn't that filthy?"

After practicing for about four hours, she felt that her Spiritual Power had become much more abundant and turned to chiding Toothless. She pinched a little paw. "If you keep this up, I won't let you sleep on the bed tonight."

Thinking that once Toothless grew up, even an entire bed probably would not leave enough room for her to sleep, Dongfang Minghui immediately had the idea of making a little nest for the creature.

She practiced her flying leaves until evening, then examined the stubborn rock. Apart from a little green juice from the leaves, it bore no damage whatsoever. She felt she would have to keep working harder.

"That isn't how you practice flying leaves." Suddenly, a pleasant, ethereal voice sounded above her. Dongfang Minghui jumped, while Toothless roared upward twice.

They really were roars, although very quiet ones. Delighted, Dongfang Minghui hugged Toothless and planted two kisses on that little head. "Toothless, you actually know how to growl at people! Well done."

A beast ought to act like a beast. How embarrassing it would be to behave like a pet puppy instead.

The white-robed man in the tree floated down lightly beside Dongfang Minghui. "Is this your puppy? You seem very close."

Dongfang Minghui's face darkened. "Which eye of yours saw a puppy?"

What kind of dog hatched from an egg?

Dongfang Minghui felt that she might have been looking in the wrong direction all along. She had always assumed Toothless was a land-dwelling magical beast, so all the information she had searched through concerned those creatures.

But Toothless had plainly hopped out of an eggshell, hadn't the little creature?

Dongfang Minghui tapped her head. "Hey, when did you get here? Why were you spying on someone practicing her skills?"

Lü Xing spread his hands and said gently, "I've been here all along. You simply didn't notice."

Seeing that he seemed to mean no harm, she nodded. "All right. Since you're here, I'll find another place to practice."

Lü Xing did not quite understand. "Why? Just because I'm here?"

He had actually wandered over because he was bored, never expecting to encounter the girl and beast he had seen getting along so well in the Library Pavilion.

"Yes. You're supposed to find a deserted place to practice your skills. Since you've claimed this one, I can only find somewhere else," Dongfang Minghui said helplessly. She picked up Toothless and prepared to head back.

Lü Xing hesitated for a moment. "How about you keep practicing here? I won't come next time."

Dongfang Minghui laughed inwardly and pretended to be embarrassed. "Oh, I couldn't possibly."

"It's all right. I was the one who wandered in here by accident. Could I still come watch you practice flying leaves next time, though?"

Dongfang Minghui hesitated. "Are you a student at the Royal Academy? Which hall are you from? I don't think I've seen you before."

At least, she had certainly never seen that face among the new students.

"I'm from the Wood Hall. My name is Lü Xing."

Lü Xing?

It struck her like a bolt from the blue. Dongfang Minghui felt she was terribly unlucky. Wherever she went, she ran into one of the heroine's men. Wasn't this the Little Prince of the Elf Race?

Dongfang Minghui's little face tightened. This Little Prince of the Elf Race was the source of her entire tragic fate. She pinched Toothless hard, making the little creature yelp twice.

"Mommy, Mommy."

Dongfang Minghui nodded and drifted away in a daze.

When Dongfang Wanyu returned, she found the neighboring room completely quiet, without a sound.

"Ninth Sister?"

Dongfang Minghui had a nightmare. She returned to that dream, trapped in it and unable to escape. Even Toothless beside her was disturbed.

"Mommy, Mommy."

All four little paws trod across her face. Not only did Dongfang Minghui fail to wake, but her face also twisted in pain.

When Dongfang Wanyu arrived, she found her flushed, as though she had a fever. She touched her forehead and found it burning hot. Toothless watched her warily from beside her.

"Ninth Sister."

"No, I'm not. No, I'm not—" She was not Dongfang Minghui. She should not have to bear these consequences. She did not like that Elf King at all.

Seeing that she was still trapped in her nightmare, Dongfang Wanyu simply channeled her own Spiritual Power into her body. After it circulated through her once, Dongfang Minghui's emotions settled.

Her forehead was still very hot, though. Dongfang Wanyu's initial guess was that she had caught a chill.

When Dongfang Minghui woke the next day, she was still a little dazed and had no strength at all. Turning her head, she saw the heroine with her eyes closed.

Seeing her awake, Toothless immediately came over and licked her.

"Seventh Sister."

At her call, Dongfang Wanyu immediately woke. She lifted Toothless off the bed. "You had a fever all night. Are you feeling better now? If not, I'll invite your dean over to treat you."

She really had intended to do so yesterday. Had Dongfang Minghui not kept holding her hand, she would certainly have gone to fetch the dean.

Dongfang Wanyu touched her forehead. The fever seemed to have broken.

"Seventh Sister, I feel much better. Go take care of your own work."

It was truly awful. After facing a cold, merciless heroine in her dreams all night, she did not want to see her at all right now.

Dongfang Wanyu thought she was merely being polite. "You can sleep a little longer. Don't cultivate today, and don't set up your stall either. You must have worn yourself out these past few days."

Dongfang Minghui simply rolled over, turning away from The Female Lead.

"Seventh Sister, I'll rest a little longer."

Dongfang Wanyu knew all too well whether she was asleep. Sometimes she entered cultivation while listening to her breathing. Now this girl was actually lying to her.

Why?

This awkwardness persisted even after Dongfang Minghui got out of bed.

Dongfang Wanyu felt unsettled. She could not understand why, after falling ill once, the girl had begun ignoring her and was unwilling even to speak to her.

How would Dongfang Minghui dare sulk at The Female Lead? She simply could not bear that all of The Female Lead's men were appearing. What was she supposed to do?

The best option was to lie around in the Medicine Department every day. That way, she would not encounter any of them.

Listening to the breathing from next door, Dongfang Wanyu quietly opened her room's door. Toothless bared those little teeth at her, but she immediately released Spiritual Power to trap the creature, preventing any sound.

"What exactly do you want, Ninth Sister?" Dongfang Wanyu leaned close to her neck, closed her eyes, and inhaled. The scent felt as addictive as a demonic flower. "Exactly like in the illusion."

Dongfang Wanyu stayed close to her neck, feeling the warmth of her body. Only this could bring a little relief to the unease in her heart.

"Ninth Sister."

Dongfang Minghui kept feeling something bothering her. Thinking it was Toothless, she rolled over, bringing her face directly toward The Female Lead.

Dongfang Wanyu's fingers gently stroked her face. In the illusion, she had been just as quiet as she was now. Slender fingers traced her nose, her face, and finally that