Junior Sister, Please Consider the Bigger Picture!

A leaf-shaped skiff skimmed across the water at breakneck speed, churning up wake after wake. Jiang Yunxi held the kitchen knife, her fair, tender hands twirling through the air like someone performing the flower-hand dance. This propulsion did not send her flying; instead, it drove the tiny skiff forward even faster. After wiping out the guifish in that area, Jiang Yunxi did not linger. Following Qi Yuan's instructions, she prepared to press on in one fell swoop and slay even more guifish. "There are more and more guifish. You've got to kill more—head straight for their nest and catch them off guard!" Those had been Qi Yuan's exact words. "To become the world's greatest cook, having the world's greatest kitchen knife isn't enough; you also need to chop up enough ingredients." Right now, Jiang Yunxi twirled her hands with high spirits and swagger, surging toward the depths of Yeshan Lake. Just then, a large ship cut through the wind and bore down, intercepting her. Aboard the vessel stood Xie Danran in green robes, an arrogant look on his face. Looking down at Jiang Yunxi, he said coldly, "The waters ahead are a forbidden zone of Yeshan Lake. Unauthorized personnel may not enter!" At present, to deal with the Water Lord, the Heavenly Sect was not only convening an implement master conference, but had also blockaded the waters to prevent the Water Lord from stirring up trouble. At the same time, this was to prevent ill-intentioned individuals from slipping into the depths to collude with the Water Lord. In this world, there was never a shortage of people who wanted to watch everything burn. Seeing a stranger, Xie Danran intercepted her without hesitation. He was so overbearing that the large ship nearly capsized Jiang Yunxi's skiff. Fortunately, Jiang Yunxi dodged quickly, but even so, droplets of water clung to her hair, soaking it wet. "Hey! How are you steering that ship?! If I were an ordinary fisherman, you would've knocked me right into Yeshan Lake!" Jiang Yunxi yelled indignantly. Xie Danran shot her a sidelong glance. Seeing her dressed as a cook with a floral apron tied around her waist, he replied with haughty condescension, "Fishermen can swim, they won't drown. Besides... aren't you completely fine?" Jiang Yunxi was furious. "If you knew what I'm on my way to do, it'd scare you out of your wits!" Jiang Yunxi planted her hands on her hips. "Heh..." Xie Danran sneered, looking at her as if she were an idiot. That look thoroughly annoyed Jiang Yunxi. Now, she finally understood how the protagonists in biographical novels felt. They set out to save the world, only to be mocked and misunderstood. And those protagonists had mouths of their own, yet chose to stay silent! "Guiling are running rampant here! I'm going to slay them and save the world—don't stand in my way!" Jiang Yunxi, who certainly had a mouth, blurted out her mission directly. Xie Danran sized Jiang Yunxi up, the mockery on his face deepening. "A mere initial-stage Mysterious-rank claiming she's going to save the world? The Heavenly Sect guards this place; where could any guiling possibly come from?" Jiang Yunxi felt bitter and aggrieved. *Is this what being misunderstood feels like?* *The protagonist wants to save the world, only to be blocked by petty scoundrels!* At that moment, Qi Yuan's voice chimed in. "If he gets in your way, just chop him to death. This villain NPC is annoying me." Now that his role-play completion for the kitchen knife had reached two-thirds, Qi Yuan no longer had to act like an inanimate object, and his senses far exceeded what they once were. Before they even arrived, he had already noticed this Xie Danran "harassing" his wife. Meanwhile, aboard a ship in the distance, Shen Lingxuan was clad in a blue gown, her elegant attire harmonizing with her icy demeanor. Standing beside Shen Lingxuan, Ye Zhen knitted her brows. "That person... seems to be Yunxi. Why is she here?" Puzzled, she waved her hand, steering the ship toward where she directed. "Yunxi, is that you? What brings you here?" Ye Zhen asked curiously as her vessel drew near. Hearing this, Xie Danran looked surprised. "You know each other?" The way he looked at Jiang Yunxi shifted immediately. "It seems this was a misunderstanding," Xie Danran said, switching from insolence to deference. Ye Zhen was the granddaughter of a Tiangong Hall elder; her status was extraordinary. Seeing Xie Danran act like this only heightened Jiang Yunxi's disdain. Kitchen knife in hand, she ultimately chose not to act on Qi Yuan's suggestion. "Sister Ye Zhen, I was planning to go in there and kill some... fish! But he blocked me and wouldn't let me enter!" Jiang Yunxi said. Ye Zhen smiled. "The Heavenly Sect set up a perimeter here to keep out malefactors and stop ordinary people from straying in by accident. You're not subject to that, Yunxi. If you want to come in and kill fish, go right ahead. By the way, the Prince of Zhenshan is in the waters ahead, probably only ten li from here." Hearing this, Xie Danran did not object or interfere. Ye Zhen spoke the truth. It was simply that Xie Danran was lazy, taking the Heavenly Sect's orders and applying a lazy, one-size-fits-all ban—barring anyone without connections. "My father is in there too?" Jiang Yunxi was delighted. "Sister Ye Zhen, I can't chat now, I have urgent business, so I'll head in first!" With that, she hurriedly steered her boat deeper into Yeshan Lake. Xie Danran watched Jiang Yunxi's departing figure. "So she's the Prince of Zhenshan's daughter. Just as the rumors say—foolish and naive!" Ye Zhen glanced at Xie Danran. "The Prince of Zhenshan is right ahead. Go say that to his face." Xie Danran shrugged. "Just now, she claimed that guiling are running rampant in Yeshan Lake and that she's going to save the world. How absurd. With our Heavenly Sect guarding this place, where would any guiling come from?" He chuckled derisively. The birth of a guiling was random, but the conditions required were exceptionally harsh; they didn't just appear whenever they pleased. Having a Water Lord arise in this region was already monstrous; it was nearly impossible for other guiling to spawn here. "Senior Brother, bad news! We found guiling in the water!" Right at that moment, an anxious shout rang out. A young man skimmed across the lake's surface like a dragonfly skimming water, landing aboard Xie Danran's ship. Xie Danran's mouth twitched. Did karma have to strike this quickly? Yet he dared not dally, hurriedly asking, "What kind of guiling?" The gazes of Shen Lingxuan and Ye Zhen also fell upon the newcomer. "Fish...!" He produced a dead fish from his storage artifact. The fish was small, resembling a common minnow. Yet it was anything but silvery-white now; its dead eyes were as black as thick ink. "Its guiling aura is faint. A newly born guiling?" Ye Zhen deduced, her expression turning solemn. "Indeed, a newly born guiling. Things... just got complicated." An inkling of urgency crept into Xie Danran's heart as well. She really had called it. "This must be reported to the sect at once! There is something extremely fishy going on!" "How could a guiling appear out of nowhere for no reason? The notorious Thorn Blood might be behind this!" "Could a spirit-nurturing ground be hidden here?" "When one guiling shows up, it means there are many more!" Everyone present grew anxious. Dealing with the Water Lord alone was difficult enough. With Thorn Blood meddling as well, the situation was looking exceedingly grim for the Heavenly Sect. ... Half a day later, aboard a dragon boat. Powerhouses gathered. Standing in the seat of honor, Wei Kun, the Sorrowful Wind Hand, wore a grim expression. "Over a hundred guifish have been discovered in Yeshan Lake. I presume everyone here is already aware." Wei Kun, the Sorrowful Wind Hand, ranked among the top twenty on the State of Ning's Earth Ranking and was one of the top three experts in the Heavenly Sect. His cultivation had already reached the peak of an Earth-rank weapon wielder, making him the strongest person present. "Alas, we can't even deal with the Luotong River Lord, and now... there are traces of Thorn Blood. It seems this crisis will be difficult indeed," the head of the Tu family spoke up, a look of helplessness on his aged face. "The implement master conference hasn't convened yet, but the Earth-rank implement masters, along with several talented young prodigies, have already examined Weilong Xuanyuan, and all were helpless to repair it," Heavenly Sect Elder Wang Qingyi said with deep concern. Indeed, while the conference had not yet officially begun, the promising seed candidates and renowned implement masters had all inspected Weilong Xuanyuan, and all had shaken their heads at repairing it. One could say the situation was dire in the extreme; the Heavenly Sect was virtually powerless against the Luotong River Lord. In Yeshan Lake, even if an ordinary Heaven-rank weapon wielder came, they likely wouldn't be able to slay the Luotong River Lord. "Could it be that we must sit by and watch the Luotong River Lord merge with Yeshan Lake and submerge Jining Prefecture?" someone remarked heavily. If it flooded, the casualties would number in the millions. "Should we... begin evacuating the commoners downstream right now?" Shen Wanshan said in a deep voice. He was already preparing for the worst-case scenario. "Absolutely not! Do you know how much panic that would cause, and how much harm it would do to Jiangzhou and Jining Prefecture?" someone hurriedly objected. Many chimed in, firmly arguing that causing panic was ill-advised. Others felt that worrying about panic at a juncture like this was utter madness. The arguing went back and forth, rising and falling in waves. Everyone had their own thoughts and opinions on how to handle the Luotong River Lord. "When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up, but we are the tallest ones here—we cannot stay out of this!" "Those mortals dying is just mortals dying. But if this flood happens, the Heavenly Sect's vitality will be severely wounded! Think of how much we stand to lose!" "Silence!" Finally, Wei Kun slammed his hand onto the table, restoring a moment of quiet to the cabin. All eyes landed on Wei Kun. Wei Kun looked toward the Prince of Zhenshan and said softly, "Your Highness, please speak." The others were somewhat surprised. Why ask the Prince of Zhenshan? The royal family's capabilities were inferior even to the Heavenly Sect's. Relying on the royal house? "Some days ago, several Heaven-rank weapon wielders from Rakshasa Country in the Central Land arrived. Their strength is extraordinary. If we can enlist their aid, the Luotong River Lord will not be worth mentioning!" The Prince of Zhenshan's voice was aged and raspy. A glimmer of joy flared in the eyes of the weapon wielders present. "People from Rakshasa Country in the Central Land have arrived?" "The Central Land is the holy land of the Qingshan Realm, rumored to be a sacred haven for immortal cultivators, though the journey there is unimaginably distant..." "Heaven-rank weapon wielders! *Hiss*, if we can persuade them to intervene, what would the Luotong River Lord count for?" "We might not even need to repair Weilong Xuanyuan to solve this!" At this point, Patriarch Tu stood up and asked, "Your Highness, how might we persuade those Heaven-rank weapon wielders to intervene?" The others were equally curious. Heaven-rank weapon wielders from Rakshasa Country were no ordinary experts; common treasures wouldn't catch their eye. "The treasures of our State of Ning truly do not catch the eye of those Heaven-rank weapon wielders. But... they came to Ning on an urgent mission. As long as we help them resolve it, they will surely be willing to lend a hand." "What urgent mission?" "If even they cannot accomplish it, how can we?" "They came to Ning to search for a deity," the Prince of Zhenshan said with a grave gaze. "What? A deity?!" "A deity?!" "Could a deity have appeared in our State of Ning?" The weapon wielders and implement masters present all caught their breath. That was a deity! A deity of legends! If Heaven-rank weapon wielders were legends, one could still occasionally catch glimpses of them visiting from other nations within Ning. But a deity—that truly existed only in myths. Just then, Third Young Master Tu's expression changed violently as he recalled his lightsaber. *A deity?* *Was that person... a deity?* *And what about that mysterious man who appeared at Red Cloud Stockade—was he connected to a deity as well?* At that thought, Third Young Master Tu's breathing grew rapid. *Could that person... really be connected to a deity?* "Someone, distribute the records regarding that deity to everyone present," the Prince of Zhenshan ordered with a wave of his hand. Immediately, a group of maidservants entered carrying folios. These folios recorded information concerning that deity. Everyone eagerly leafed through them. After dozens of breaths, the Grand Elder of the Zhan family said, "If such a deity had truly manifested in this world, we surely would have known long ago. Finding Him is simply too difficult." "Indeed, and there is no time. Not to mention, He might not even be in Jining Prefecture or Jiangzhou." "This can only be considered a last resort when having no other choice." The crowd murmured amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Third Young Master Tu's eyes were blazing. *Wielding light, as my Divine Descent... This must be that deity! To think He is actually Divine Descent, the legendary premier divine artifact, the God of Judgment!* His heart raced with tension and exhilaration. He had actually interacted with a deity at close range! At that moment, Patriarch Tu's voice sounded in his ear: "This seems connected to the God Summoning within your lightsaber." "Father, it is indeed connected!" Third Young Master Tu leaned in and whispered, "However, from what the Prince of Zhenshan said, of the two factions of Heaven-rank weapon wielders who arrived, not all harbor goodwill toward that deity. Furthermore, that deity chose to conceal His identity; He likely does not wish for us to expose Him. If we reveal it and incur His wrath, it would be far more terrifying than the Luotong River Lord." Offending the Luotong River Lord might at most flood Jining Prefecture, submerging a dozen counties. Offending a deity... well, the entire State of Ning could be obliterated. Third Young Master Tu didn't dare expose Qi Yuan's identity in the slightest. "Alas, this is merely an act of desperation, searching for a sliver of hope amidst the impossible," Wei Kun, the Sorrowful Wind Hand, sighed. He too knew how difficult finding a deity was; he had only brought it up to see if anyone had any leads. Judging by their reactions, no one knew anything. Right then, Xie Danran stepped forward, his posture straight, a look of resolute determination on his face. "If that is the case, I actually have a plan. However... this plan is rather malicious and cruel. Speaking it aloud will likely earn me condemnation from everyone present. Yet for the sake of the Heavenly Sect, and for the millions of innocent commoners, I must step forward!" Xie Danran spoke with righteous indignation and impassioned fervor, looking just like a hero preparing to sacrifice his life. "Senior Brother Xie, speak freely!" "We won't blame you!" "We are all doing this for the Heavenly Sect, for Jiangzhou!" Seeing this scene, a flicker of disdain flashed in Third Young Master Tu's eyes. Within the Heavenly Sect, the person he despised most was Xie Danran—a shameless villain with a petty mind and a vengeful heart. Xie Danran took a step forward, lowering his head. "The ordinary treasures of our State of Ning might not interest the Heaven-rank weapon wielders of Rakshasa Country. But... what if it is something extraordinary?" "What treasure?" someone asked curiously. The expressions of several others changed abruptly as if they had realized something, glaring ferociously at Xie Danran. Xie Danran looked toward Shen Lingxuan, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. *Since I can't have her, that useless matrilocal son-in-law won't get her either!* "Junior Sister Shen Lingxuan possesses the Profound Yin Physique. This physique is truly extraordinary; if a peak Earth-rank weapon wielder copulates with her, they can comprehend the unity of heaven and man and step into the Heaven-rank weapon wielder realm. "Even for a Heaven-rank weapon wielder, copulating with her can enhance their comprehension. "Why not offer Junior Sister to those Heaven-rank weapon wielders from Rakshasa Country? Once they receive such a treasure, they will surely lend their aid!" Xie Danran said passionately, his eyes filled with feigned reluctance. "Junior Sister, do not blame me. I am doing this for the bigger picture." As soon as these words were uttered, a buzzing roar of argument erupted on the ship. Shen Lingxuan's Profound Yin Physique was not a major secret. Such a physique was a prized delicacy coveted by countless experts. However, because Shen Lingxuan had not yet become an Earth-rank weapon wielder, the physique's efficacy had not reached its peak. Coupled with the protection of the Heavenly Sect and the Shen family, Shen Lingxuan had always remained safe. "Xie Danran, do you know what you are saying?!" Flames practically shot from Shen Wanshan's eyes; anyone could read the murderous intent in his gaze. Xie Danran ignored Shen Wanshan and looked directly at Shen Lingxuan. "Junior Sister has a heart for the world. Please, for the bigger picture and for the millions of innocent commoners, endure a little hardship. "Even if you copulate with a Heaven-rank weapon wielder, your life won't be in danger; at most, you will merely lose your chastity. "Rather than handing your body over to that useless live-in husband, why not maximize its value?!" Xie Danran was exceedingly thick-skinned, speaking with impassioned fervor. "Xie Danran, if somebody needs to sacrifice their body, why don't you go do it?!" Ye Zhen couldn't help but snap. "If the Heaven-rank weapon wielders from Rakshasa Country fancied men, what harm would there be in me offering myself?" Xie Danran didn't have a million taels, so he wasn't afraid to pledge donations. "This truly is a viable method," someone from a rival clan of the Shen family chimed in to fuel the flames. "The Profound Yin Physique... qualifies as a special treasure. Even Heaven-rank weapon wielders likely wouldn't refuse," another agreed, clearly supporting Xie Danran's proposal. "Though this plan lacks morals, it is effective." "If there is no other way, this is indeed a viable strategy." A few people muttered under their breath, but most remained silent. At this moment, Third Young Master Tu's eyes went wide. Countless thoughts swirled in his mind. *This Xie Danran... is practically begging to be killed!* He knew full well that Shen Lingxuan's husband, Qi Yuan, had deep ties to that deity—perhaps even... Scheming to gift Shen Lingxuan to the Heaven-rank weapon wielders of Rakshasa Country was courting sheer death. "Father, hurry and stop Xie Danran!" "Trust me, you won't regret it! I can't disclose the specific reason right now!" Third Young Master Tu urgently whispered to his father. Patriarch Tu's expression shifted repeatedly. Finally, he spoke in a heavy voice, "Hold on. This old man does not agree. What kind of peace is bought by sacrificing an innocent woman?" Shen Wanshan cast a grateful look at Patriarch Tu, though he found it rather strange. Due to Shen Lingxuan, the Shen family had grown at a startling pace in recent years, showing signs of overtaking the Tu family as the foremost clan in Jining Prefecture. Logically speaking, the Tu family should have wished for Shen Lingxuan's downfall; speaking up for her now was completely outside Shen Wanshan's expectations. "Sacrificing one person to save the world is a worthy trade in my eyes. If the one being sacrificed were me, I would gladly march to my death!" Xie Danran began his moral grandstanding. Patriarch Tu sneered. "Very well. If you slit your own throat right now, I will not stand in the way of your plan. "However, if you do not end your own life, hmph, no one will take away a daughter of my Fengshan Commandery!" Xie Danran's face stiffened. He hadn't expected Patriarch Tu to say something like this. "What, you don't dare take your own life? "Didn't you claim that sacrificing one person to save the world is well worth it? Sacrificing one more shouldn't be an issue for you, so why aren't you sacrificing yourself?" Patriarch Tu pressed forward step by step. Seeing Xie Danran turn pale, he scoffed with utter disdain, "A clown of a man, lacking both courage and wisdom. Did having a bit of petty cleverness make you think you're actually a sage?" Xie Danran turned pale and lowered his head as contemptuous glances bore into him from all directions. "Senior Brother, go ahead and die for us, won't you?" someone mocked. "If you die, we won't object," another chuckled. Of course, whether they would still object if he died was another matter entirely. After all, in this world, the dead had the least say of all. How many had marched passionately to their deaths, seeking to trade their lives for justice or the attention of their superiors? Alas, once you were dead, you lost all value. Who would bother clearing away the clouds for you? "Enough. Let us shelve this matter for now." Wei Kun, the Sorrowful Wind Hand, glanced at Xie Danran with disdain, bringing quiet back to the cabin. Just then, two figures rushed in from outside the cabin—none other than Yun Li and Yun Hu. Having lost track of Jiang Yunxi, they had searched separately for a long time and now finally came to see the Prince of Zhenshan. "Your Highness, bad news! The Young Miss, she..." Hearing this, the Prince of Zhenshan's expression shifted drastically. "What happened to Yunxi?" "The Young Miss... she killed a ton of fish with a single strike!" "..." The Prince of Zhenshan: (눈_눈). "No, wait, she electrocuted them! And after electrocuting the fish, she vanished!" ... Deep in the waters of Yeshan Lake, a leaf-shaped skiff glided along. Jiang Yunxi brandished her kitchen knife, constantly hacking, chopping, and mincing as if preparing vegetables. *Crackle! Pop!* Purple currents surged into the water, and guifish died by the hundreds and thousands. "You have slain a guifish. Slight increase in experience." Jiang Yunxi blasted fish non-stop, in an exceptionally bright mood. "Old Cai, they're all dead again! They're way too weak—they can't even take a beating!" "Indeed. Killing them like this is too inefficient. Come on, let's head straight to their nest and wipe them all out," Qi Yuan said casually. His role-play completion had already reached eighty percent, only twenty percent away from perfection. Qi Yuan estimated that once they finished killing the guifish here, or perhaps chopped up a delicious ingredient to make an earthly delicacy, he might achieve perfection, gain astonishing rewards, and unlock his next role-play persona. He looked forward to the next role very much. Currently at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm, he already had plans for his Yin God path. Only by knowing all things and knowing all living beings could one create all living beings. Without creating a world, how could one dare call himself a deity? Moreover, after world creation, he could link it with his Netherworld to form a closed loop and forge a perfect world. "Wipe them all out? Does that mean facing the Luotong River Lord?" Jiang Yunxi's small face turned pale with fear. "What do you think your chances are?" Qi Yuan asked. "I... I don't have even a single shred of confidence," Jiang Yunxi whispered weakly. After all, slaying guiling only gave Old Cai experience; she didn't gain anything. "Not even a 1-percent chance? Which means you have a 99-percent chance of success. "Not bad. Truly worthy of the cook I've taken a liking to! Let's go, together we'll steamroll the Luotong River Lord!" Qi Yuan said with utter seriousness. "...Huh?" Jiang Yunxi's face flushed red, desperate to explain. Unfortunately, Qi Yuan gave her no chance to explain at all. *Splash!* The skiff overturned, and Jiang Yunxi fell toward the bottom of Yeshan Lake, clutching the kitchen knife tightly. "A confident cook fears no hardships—charge!" Qi Yuan rallied her spirits. "Saving the world is up to you!" "Ah... *gurgle*..." Having gulped down mouthfuls of lake water, Jiang Yunxi finally calmed down, though she was still somewhat frightened. "Old Cai, can I really do this?" That was the Luotong River Lord—a terrifying guiling before whom even the Heavenly Sect stood helpless. "What guiling? It's just an oversized ingredient. Chop it up, and we'll make a steamed bun for the old man," Qi Yuan said considerately.