I Choose to Pray for Him

[Beauty Misleads]: Born destined to possess extraordinary beauty, which will become an advantage. Any man who gets too close to her and becomes too intimate with her can bring her certain benefits, but all are destined to come to a bad end...

"She's destined to have the ability to harvest yang to nourish yin."

Lu Changzhi shook his head inwardly and looked away.

It was hard enough to poach someone like her in the first place.

Taking her in would only mean digging a pit for himself.

He dismissed the idea entirely.

"Welcome, prodigies of the various sects, to this banquet. On behalf of the Flower Spirit Sect, I thank you all for coming..."

Liu Qingyan spoke slowly, sending the atmosphere to another peak.

Lu Changzhi looked at Gu Chen and Mu Fan.

"You two don't have any designs on her, do you?"

After a moment's thought, Lu Changzhi asked the question aloud.

"I don't have any designs on her," Mu Fan said with a smile.

"It's said that Liu Qingyan of the Flower Spirit Sect is skilled in the qin. I wonder if she'll play today. A beauty and a qin melody, and if there were some delicious food to go with them, the trip would be worthwhile."

After a pause, Mu Fan added:

"I don't know how to play the qin. I just care whether it sounds good."

With that, Mu Fan glanced at Gu Chen and said with some concern:

"But Senior Brother Gu hasn't taken his eyes off Liu Qingyan since she arrived. Master, you'd better be careful, or your eldest disciple's soul might get stolen away."

Lu Changzhi smiled faintly.

Gu Chen had indeed been looking at Liu Qingyan the whole time.

As for what he was thinking, however, Lu Changzhi had no way of knowing.

At that moment, Gu Chen came back to his senses and shook his head.

"I was only admiring her. Liu Qingyan's presence is quite deep, so she probably isn't weak."

"Oh?" Mu Fan wore an expression of partial understanding.

"So, Senior Brother Gu, are you going to fight her?"

"I..." Gu Chen's expression froze.

Mu Fan was a fine junior brother. It was a pity he had a mouth.

At that moment, the banquet officially began.

Exquisite dishes were brought out, accompanied by brewed wine. It was a lavish spread.

The Flower Spirit Sect's disciples also gathered in one area.

As expected,

their area became the most popular spot.

"Sure enough, everyone loves a pretty face."

Leaning against the back of his seat, Mu Fan said lazily:

"Ever since Liu Qingyan appeared, you haven't been popular anymore, Master."

Lu Changzhi shook his head gently.

"Even if they came over, there wasn't much to say. Naturally, they wouldn't be inclined to come."

It was a pity, though.

This undoubtedly meant far fewer chances to earn experience.

"Master, shall we take a look around?"

Gu Chen asked.

The spot they had chosen was a little too far out of the way.

He needed to get a little closer and carefully sense Liu Qingyan's presence.

Since he was already here, it would be a pity not to complete the check-in mission while he was at it.

If he left it alone, there was no telling how long it would take to disappear.

"If you want to, go have a look around," Lu Changzhi said. Then he reminded him:

"Don't forget one thing."

Gu Chen was slightly taken aback, then smiled.

"I understand. Keep a low profile."

"Aren't you going to look around, Master?"

Mu Fan asked after Gu Chen left.

"Why not just stay put instead?" Lu Changzhi said, shaking his head with a smile.

That kind of battle of wits was such a waste of brainpower.

He was here to watch the excitement; taking part was what mattered.

Before long, night fully descended.

Lights rose around the banquet, illuminating the venue.

The atmosphere reached a peak along with it.

Naturally, some of that was due to deliberate efforts.

Another reason was the wine.

This was no ordinary mortal wine. It was brewed from spirit fruits and other ingredients and contained spiritual power, enough to give cultivators a pleasant buzz as well.

Wine and beauties had always been a good way to liven the mood.

"I've been sitting a while. I'll get up and walk around too."

Mu Fan suddenly stood and spoke to Lu Changzhi.

Lu Changzhi nodded without asking further.

He had noticed that Gu Chen had just left the banquet, heading toward an area of disciple residences.

Come to think of it, that had also taken him somewhat by surprise.

Gu Chen wasn't the only one who had gone to the residential area.

Many others had gone there too.

Some as a man and a woman.

Some with the woman going first and the man following.

Others in groups of three or five.

Though he didn't know exactly what they were going to do,

judging by their expressions and demeanor,

they were probably going to have some friendly, private exchanges.

As for how they exchanged, that was beyond what he could observe.

Sure enough, Mu Fan hadn't gone far before he turned and left in the same direction as Gu Chen.

"I hope those two don't cause too much of a commotion together."

Lu Changzhi murmured softly.

He knew what Gu Chen's mission was.

Still, it wasn't exactly an honorable thing to do.

If he got caught...

"System, how can I help him?"

Lu Changzhi asked inwardly.

As his words fell:

"There are many ways to help your disciple Gu Chen complete his mission. Choose:"

"One: with the system's help, knock Liu Qingyan unconscious. [Reward: heaven-rank high-grade martial skill 'Ruthless Flower-Destroying Claw' ×1.]"

"Two: approach Liu Qingyan and talk to her to distract her. [Reward: one bottle of Mid-Grade Heaven Rank pills—the Spring Yang Pill.]"

"Three: trust that your disciples have extraordinary abilities and pray for them in your heart. [Reward: experience points ×100; this prayer will be effective.]"

...

[Ruthless Flower-Destroying Claw]: Heaven Rank high-grade. Though its moves will invite condemnation, it is exceptionally effective against female cultivators. With eighty-one positions and forty-nine methods, one is bound to work...

[Spring Yang Pill]: A Mid-Grade Heaven Rank pill. Of the three steps—first coax, then deceive, then...—this is the third. Its effects are potent and fierce, and everyone who has used it praises it.

...

Lu Changzhi fell silent for a moment.

When two choices are long and one is short, pick the shortest; when two are short and one is long, pick the longest!

With that, Lu Changzhi pressed his palms together.

Time to pray!

"This is much easier than I imagined."

Inside a pale cyan house, Gu Chen's feet hovered above the floor.

With the help of the Spirit Concealment Art, he had entered the house without causing any fluctuations in the surrounding formations.

And the presence here confirmed that this was indeed Liu Qingyan's residence.

"System, check in."

Gu Chen spoke softly in his heart.

"Congratulations, host. You have completed the check-in mission at the designated location. The reward has been issued."

Without rushing to check it, Gu Chen immediately activated the Spirit Concealment Art and prepared to leave.

"Hmm?"

Just as Gu Chen was about to leave, he suddenly paused and let out a soft exclamation, looking at a sash beneath the bed.

"The presence on this..."

After committing the presence to memory, Gu Chen got up and left.

He had only gone a short distance outside when Mu Fan's voice suddenly came from the shadows.

"Senior Brother Gu, I never imagined you had a hobby like this."

As his voice faded, Mu Fan appeared.

"Junior Brother Mu, why did you follow me?"

Gu Chen's expression changed, and he felt a headache coming on.

How was he supposed to explain this?

He really had only gone in to check in...

But he absolutely couldn't reveal the system to anyone else.

At that moment, Mu Fan suddenly chuckled, fixed his eyes on Gu Chen, and asked:

"Senior Brother Gu, tell me honestly, what color was it?"