Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

At the hour of You (around 5-7 PM), Jian Huan and Jiang Mian left the library together and headed to the dining hall for their meal.

The rain outside had stopped at some point, leaving small puddles on the ground. As they walked, the water splashed slightly, dampening the hems of their robes.

Jiang Mian was animatedly sharing some sect gossip with Jian Huan when she suddenly paused mid-sentence and pointed ahead, “Hey, Jian Huan, it’s Elder Yu Qing!”

Hearing this, Jian Huan quickly looked in the direction Jiang Mian was pointing.

Elder Yu Qing’s bamboo cane was still in her possession. She had wanted to return it when she came back to the sect, but Elder Yu Qing hadn’t been there at the time.

Her eyes lit up, and she pulled Jiang Mian along as they hurried over.

Elder Yu Qing was with a few other elders.

The two of them quickly bowed in greeting, “Greetings to all the elders.”

The other elders looked puzzled, but Elder Yu Qing explained, “They are my disciples. You all may go ahead.”

The other elders nodded and left.

Elder Yu Qing smiled warmly at Jian Huan, “You’re back? Foundation Establishment, seventh level—not bad. It seems you gained quite a bit in the secret realm.”

Jian Huan took out the bamboo cane and presented it with both hands, “Thank you, Elder Yu Qing, for lending me the cane. Without it, I wouldn’t have had such an experience.”

Elder Yu Qing waved his hand, and the cane returned to his grasp.

He didn’t press Jian Huan for details about what had happened in the secret realm. As long as she had returned safely, that was enough. “I still have important matters to discuss with the other elders, so I’ll take my leave now.”

Hearing this, Jian Huan and Jiang Mian bid their farewells.

As they turned to head toward the dining hall, Jiang Mian whispered, “Do you think Elder Yu Qing will say ‘Wait’?”

Jian Huan glanced at Elder Yu Qing, who was already walking away, “He probably won’t this time, right?”

“Not necessarily,” Jiang Mian said. “Do you know what everyone calls Elder Yu Qing behind his back?”

Jian Huan was curious, “What?”

“The ‘Wait Elder’,” Jiang Mian said, and just as the words left her mouth, Elder Yu Qing turned back and called out to the two disciples who had already walked a few steps, “Wait.”

“…”

Jiang Mian stopped in her tracks.

Jian Huan’s lips twitched.

The two exchanged a look and turned back.

Elder Yu Qing had almost caught up with the other elders, but he had thought about it—Jian Huan had been going on missions outside the sect quite often since she joined.

“From now on, focus on cultivating within the sect and avoid going outside,” Elder Yu Qing instructed. “The entrance exam is in three months, and you can’t afford to be careless, understand?”

Jian Huan replied, “Understood.”

She hadn’t planned to leave the sect again anyway.

Outer disciples of the Jade Clarity Sect had to pay an annual tuition fee of three thousand spirit stones. In the ninth month of cultivation, there was an entrance exam. Those who passed would become inner disciples and no longer had to pay the fee. Those who failed could continue cultivating as outer disciples for another three months, during which they had to decide whether to pay the fee again and repeat the year, join another sect, or give up on cultivation altogether.

“And you,” Elder Yu Qing turned to Jiang Mian, “you must also prepare well for the entrance exam. Your mother, as a sword cultivator, doesn’t earn spirit stones easily.”

Jiang Mian quickly replied, “Yes, Elder.”

This time, after giving his instructions, Elder Yu Qing truly left.

The two disciples stood there, watching him go.

Jiang Mian sighed, “Elder Yu Qing is really such a good person…”

Jian Huan agreed, “Absolutely. When I was about to enter the secret realm and he lent me the bamboo cane, I almost cried.”

“Right, right! I once secretly ate pastries during Elder Yu Qing’s talisman class, and he saw but didn’t scold me. Not only that,” Jiang Mian added, “later, when I ran into him on the road, he stopped me and gave me a pack of pastries, saying someone had gifted them to him, but he didn’t like them!”

“So—” Jiang Mian paused, turning to Jian Huan, “you must remember, we first-year talisman cultivators have an unbreakable feud with first-year sword cultivators!”

“Huh?” Jian Huan, who wasn’t often in the sect, wasn’t familiar with the internal conflicts and gossip. “Why?”

“You’re not aware, but Elder Wei, who teaches the sword cultivators, has a grudge against our Elder Yu Qing,” Jiang Mian said, clearly annoyed. “Elder Wei has mocked talisman cultivators in his sword classes, saying we’re the most useless among all cultivators. He even said Elder Yu Qing talks too much and is always sucking up to the sect leader!”

Jian Huan: “Elder Wei sounds bitter.”

If he truly looked down on them, he wouldn’t even mention them. The fact that he kept bringing it up showed he was holding a grudge.

“He’s just jealous!” Jiang Mian said. “Elder Wei has a dao companion from the Harmony Union Sect. But that elder from the Harmony Union Sect doesn’t actually like Elder Wei—she likes our Elder Yu Qing. But Elder Yu Qing doesn’t take a dao companion, so she ended up with Elder Wei. That’s why Elder Wei is so hostile toward Elder Yu Qing. And under his influence, those first-year sword cultivators all look down on us talisman cultivators!”

Jian Huan let out a long “Oh,” still immersed in the gossip.

“The second round of the entrance exam is a competition, where all first-year disciples draw lots to face each other—except for those with single spiritual roots. In previous years, when sword cultivators drew talisman cultivators, they would go through the motions for a few moves to avoid causing any bad blood. But this year, the sword cultivators have been boasting that they’ll beat us talisman cultivators to a pulp,” Jiang Mian pouted. “Everyone’s been worried about this. In a fight, we’re no match for sword cultivators. Every year, the top spot in the entrance competition goes to a sword cultivator, and the hundred thousand spirit vouchers always end up in their hands. Ah, just thinking about it makes me so angry. I’m going to eat more later!”

Jian Huan suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Jiang Mian stopped too, looking at her in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Jian Huan turned to Jiang Mian and asked seriously, “What did you just say? Say it again.”

Jiang Mian was puzzled, “I’m going to eat more later?”

Jian Huan shook her head, “No, the sentence before that.”

Jiang Mian tried to recall, “Every year, the top spot goes to a sword cultivator?”

Jian Huan held her breath, “And then?”

Jiang Mian thought harder, “The hundred thousand spirit vouchers always end up in their…”

“Yes, that’s it!” Jian Huan snapped her fingers, a smile spreading across her lips. She then asked, “What are the hundred thousand spirit vouchers for?”

Jiang Mian explained, “They’re vouchers you can use within the sect to buy things from the Treasure Pavilion. You can get anything worth up to a hundred thousand spirit stones without spending a single stone.”

Jian Huan: “Does that include spirit wood?”

Jiang Mian nodded, “Yes, it does.”

Golden Core Stage cultivators had excellent night vision.

But the longing for light was a human instinct.

In a small, secluded cabin, a candle burned quietly, its dim light casting shadows on Shen Jizhi’s tired face.

It was already the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), and he had just returned from the Equipment Forging Hall, completely exhausted, his voice low, “You’ll build it three months later?”

“Mm-hmm,” Jian Huan sat cross-legged on the bed, holding a talisman brush. “We’ll see after I finish the entrance exam.”

Shen Jizhi’s gaze fell on the brush in her hand.

Jian Huan used her talisman brush so frequently that the bristles were half worn out. From her occasional complaints, it seemed the spirit ink was also running low.

“You think you can get those hundred thousand spirit vouchers?” He looked away, understanding her plan.

Shen Jizhi had been brought to the Jade Clarity Sect by Gu Shan and directly taken as a personal disciple.

He hadn’t had to go through the process of being an outer disciple, so he had never taken the entrance exam, but he knew that the top scorer received a hundred thousand spirit vouchers.

It was one of the few opportunities to take advantage of the sect’s resources.

Jian Huan reached out, pressing the frayed bristles of the brush together, “I’ll try. How will I know if I don’t try?”

After hearing about it from Jiang Mian earlier that day, she had gone to gather more information.

Single spiritual root disciples didn’t compete with those of multiple spiritual roots, but there was a dual spiritual root sword cultivator from a well-known cultivation family in the Nine Regions. He had been rigorously trained since childhood and was already at the Golden Core Stage.

He was a formidable opponent.

However, during the competition, there were elders overseeing the matches to ensure no one died. If someone was seriously injured, the Jade Clarity Sect’s healers would treat them for free.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Jian Huan was determined to give it a shot.

Shen Jizhi’s delicate brows furrowed as he cautioned her, “It’s going to be dangerous.”

Jian Huan simply asked, “If it were you, wouldn’t you try?”

Shen Jizhi: “…”

He sighed softly, then said, “In that case, I’ll be leaving for a while.”

Jian Huan was puzzled, “Where are you going?”

Shen Jizhi: “I went to the Immortal Storage Tower earlier today and saw a task that suits me.”

He accepted the task on the spot, but after weighing the pros and cons in the afternoon, he agreed to Jian Huan's request to build a house. He had originally planned to decline the next day, but now, there was no need.

Jian Huan was taken aback: "What about your work at the Equipment Forging Hall?"

Shen Jizhi: "I’ll take the materials with me and work on them whenever I have time. It’s the same as bringing them back after finishing."

Jian Huan pursed her lips, feeling inexplicably reluctant to let him go: "But this is even more dangerous than my task."

At most, she might suffer serious injuries during the competition, but taking on tasks like his, though lucrative, could be life-threatening at any moment.

Shen Jizhi raised his eyes, looking at Jian Huan. The flickering candlelight reflected in his pupils as he said softly, "I want to give it a try."

In her modern life, Jian Huan wasn’t among the most talented in her class.

She was simply diligent enough. Countless nights were spent repeating the same scene, drawing one sketch after another until she was satisfied with her work.

It was these countless days and nights that made her the most outstanding first-year talisman cultivator in this unfamiliar world.

With only three months left until the entrance exam, everyone was starting to panic, and people often came to Jian Huan to ask about talismans.

Jian Huan had a good temper and never grew impatient when her classmates sought her help.

The next afternoon, after the rain cleared, the sunlight was just right.

Jian Huan sat by the window, surrounded by a few people.

The entrance exam had two stages. For talisman cultivators like them, the first stage was drawing talismans.

The sect would provide talisman brushes and paper, and the elders would dictate twenty talismans on the spot. Those who could draw more than half would pass the first stage.

The second stage was a competition. Winning wasn’t necessary to pass. Elders would be on the sidelines scoring, and even if a disciple lost, as long as their combined score from both stages placed them in the upper half, they could still enter the inner sect.

"I wonder which twenty talismans the elders will pick," Jiang Mian said, flipping through the thick tome of talisman techniques, her face filled with worry.

The others who were consulting Jian Huan chimed in, "Yeah, there are so many talismans. Memorizing all of them is too hard."

One of them looked pained: "The worst part is, you might remember them now, but a few days later, you’ll forget and have to memorize them all over again!"

"Hey, Jian Huan, how’s your memory?" someone asked curiously.

Jian Huan twirled her talisman brush skillfully and replied, "I’m doing alright. I’ve pretty much got them all down."

She spent every spare moment drawing talismans when she was outside.

Plus, she had spent over a year in the Lotus Square Secret Realm, so she could draw most of them.

"That’s great," Jiang Mian said, looking enviously at Jian Huan’s head. "But speaking of which, what talismans do you think the elders will pick?"

Hearing this, Jian Huan looked up: "I’m not sure about the others, but trust me, there will definitely be a Teleportation Talisman."

Everyone knew of Elder Yu Qing’s fondness for Teleportation Talismans, and they burst into laughter.

Jian Huan joined in, her lively eyes curving upward, exuding a relaxed and joyful aura.

She glanced out the window unintentionally.

Outside, the sunlight was so intense it seemed to erase all traces of the previous days’ rain.

The evergreen plants stretched their leaves under the sun, swaying gently in the breeze, the scattered sunlight dancing on their surfaces.

Under a tree, a young man in black stood silently, as if he had been there for a while.

It was Shen Jizhi.

The smile on Jian Huan’s face slowly faded. She blinked lightly and tilted her head unconsciously.

Noticing her gaze, Shen Jizhi moved slightly, the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile. He mouthed the words: "I’m leaving."

Then he turned and walked away, his fluttering robes brushing past the leaves as he disappeared around the corner.

If it weren’t for the others noticing Jian Huan’s dazed expression and asking, "Isn’t that Senior Brother Shen?"

Jian Huan might have doubted whether the figure standing there was really Shen Jizhi or just a figment of her imagination.

"Senior Brother Shen came to see you," Jiang Mian said to Jian Huan, who was still sitting in her seat. "Aren’t you going out?"

Jian Huan snapped out of her thoughts, her long lashes casting a small shadow as she lowered her gaze: "No, he probably came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" someone else interjected. "Where’s Senior Brother going?"

Jian Huan didn’t want to reveal too much about Shen Jizhi’s whereabouts: "He has some business to attend to."

"If he came to say goodbye—" Jiang Mian picked up a piece of red date cake, "aren’t you going to chase after him to see him off?"

"..." Jian Huan looked up at the circle of curious faces and scolded with a laugh, "Alright, stop crowding around me. I need to draw talismans. You should all go back and memorize yours, or else you’ll have to pay the three thousand tuition fee again next year."

Everyone: "..."

Their curiosity instantly vanished, and they all returned to their seats.

Time slipped away silently between the flipping of pages and the talisman brush running out of ink.

Three months later, a group of talisman cultivators walked out of the talisman hall, some excited, others dejected.

Jian Huan mingled with the crowd, trying to control her expression when she saw her unhappy classmates, but a hint of joy still shone in her eyes.

Compared to her, Jiang Mian didn’t hold back at all, skipping over with a beaming face: "Ah Huan! I passed! I drew fifteen talismans! I’m so happy—"

Jian Huan tugged at Jiang Mian’s sleeve, reminding her, "Keep it down, keep it down."

"Oh, right, right," Jiang Mian said, noticing the resentful glances and quickly covering her uncontrollable smile. She lowered her voice and finished, "I’m definitely eating extra tonight!"

"By the way, Ah Huan, what about you? I heard someone in your group drew all twenty talismans. Was it you?" Jiang Mian asked.

Jian Huan shook her head: "Not me, it was Li Datou."

Li Datou, whose full name was Li Datou, was someone Jian Huan had only met once half a year ago.

He was even more reclusive than Jiang Mian. While Jiang Mian at least stayed within the Jade Clarity Sect, Li Datou never attended talisman classes, staying in his residence the entire time.

"Wow, that Li Datou is impressive," Jiang Mian said, puzzled. "So how many did you draw?"

Jian Huan held up one finger, then did it again: "Eleven."

"What?!" Jiang Mian couldn’t believe it. "You… you only drew eleven?"

In her mind, Jian Huan was someone who could draw the entire talisman book from memory.

Jian Huan glanced around, then pulled out nine blank talisman papers from her sleeve, her lips curving into a sly smile: "Here, the nine I didn’t finish are right here."

During modern exams, teachers collected draft papers to prevent leaks.

The Jade Clarity Sect, however, collected completed talismans.

So Jian Huan naturally stopped at eleven, just enough to pass the first stage.

Jiang Mian: "..."

Jiang Mian hesitated, wanting to say that drawing more talismans would earn higher scores, and even if the second stage’s competition didn’t go well, she might still make it into the inner sect.

Talisman cultivators were usually at a disadvantage in competitions.

A talisman cultivator’s strength was equivalent to a swordsman five levels lower.

But then she thought, Jian Huan was at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment! As long as she didn’t face a swordsman above the second level of Foundation Establishment, she had a good chance of winning.

And among first-year swordsmen, there weren’t many above the second level of Foundation Establishment, so Jian Huan might not even draw one.

No big deal.

Jiang Mian felt reassured.

On a mild spring day, the heavy floral curtain blocked the view inside the room.

Shen Jizhi leaned weakly on the bed, his face pale, his chest half-exposed, revealing terrifying scars.

Medicine Granny sat beside him, changing his bandages.

The wounds were almost healed. Seven days ago, Shen Jizhi had appeared at Medicine Granny’s place covered in blood, nearly scaring her to death.

At the time, the injury had pierced through his entire chest, leaving a hole that could be seen from one side to the other.

Now, the hole was almost closed.

Shen Jizhi had chosen the cheapest spiritual medicine, and the powder must have been excruciating when it touched the wound.

But he only frowned slightly, his gaze still fixed on the talisman brush in his hand.

The brush’s bristles were made from wolf hair he had found in the secret realm, and the spiritual ink was bought from the Equipment Forging Hall three months ago when he left the Jade Clarity Sect.

The talisman brush was exquisitely crafted, with lifelike carvings of his favorite mythical creature, the Pi Xiu, on its body.

Jian Huan liked it too.

But—it was a bit too exquisite.

The recipient might read too much into it.

Shen Jizhi pondered for a moment, then used his five-colored spiritual energy to coat the brush with a layer of silver-gray powder.

The brush instantly looked ordinary, even somewhat cheap.

Shen Jizhi examined it and nodded in satisfaction.

He asked Medicine Granny, "Can I leave today?"

"Yes, get out of here already. Don’t keep cluttering up my place," Medicine Granny said, standing up. She glanced at the brush in his hand and asked, "Why did you ruin such a fine talisman brush?"

“Because this is meant for—” Shen Jizhi paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“For the one I don’t like.”