The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 25

Yan Qingshuang: “I’ll have her feed you the grilled skewers.”

 

Jian Li glanced at Long Qianmeng, quickly averting her gaze when the dragon wasn’t looking. Truth be told, she didn’t dare act too brazenly in Long Qianmeng’s presence.

 

She tugged on Yan Qingshuang’s arm. “No need. It’s a miracle she hasn’t turned me into a skewer herself.”

 

“Who wants to eat you? You’re all fur and no meat,” Long Qianmeng retorted, snatching the skewers and shoving them toward Jian Li’s mouth. “Eat!”

 

Jian Li clamped her mouth shut and leaned back defensively.

 

Long Qianmeng: “My patience has its limits.”

 

Jian Li clung tighter to Yan Qingshuang, turning her head to say, “You’re being too aggressive. That’s not how you apologize.”

 

Despite her long life, Long Qianmeng wasn’t about to bicker with a mere months-old cub. She forced a smile. “Fine. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you a useless little thing.”

 

Jian Li nodded, taking a bite of the skewer to save face. “Okay. I won’t call you ‘brat’ anymore either.”

 

Long Qianmeng chuckled. “If you ever saw my true form, you’d be so terrified you’d wet yourself.”

 

Jian Li: “True form? Isn’t that just a dragon?”

 

Long Qianmeng: “Not just any dragon.”

 

What else could it be? A dinosaur? Jian Li thought wearily. Only a brat would keep bragging like this.

 

Jian Li had seen dragons in games—horned dragons, dragons with massive wings. She recognized Long Qianmeng’s signature, which belonged to a winged dragon.

 

“Mhm, I believe you,” Jian Li said. “I’m actually a bit afraid of big things. I have megalophobia.”

 

Her dismissive tone didn’t quite ring true. Megalophobia? Long Qianmeng thought. As expected of a descendant of the Ancient Great Demon, even her words are strange.

 

“When you have time, go trace your ancestor in the Scripture Repository,” Long Qianmeng suggested.

 

Before Jian Li could ask who her ancestor was, Yan Qingshuang interjected, “Yes, I’ll take her there another day.”

 

After paying for their late-night snack with her hard-earned money, Jian Li promised Long Qianmeng she’d visit again soon and summoned a Celestial Crane to escort them home.

 

By the time they returned to their residence, it was midnight. Yan Qingshuang prepared warm water for Jian Li to wash away the day’s fatigue. As Yan Qingshuang massaged her shoulders, Jian Li recounted her mission earlier that day, describing the chaotic scene of humans and beasts clashing.

 

Still wide awake, Jian Li chattered incessantly, her small mouth never stopping. “Little Shuang, you were so brave! Tell me, have you recovered your Spiritual Power? You didn’t even need your Bamboo Staff to take down those villains who tried to capture me!”

 

“Mhm,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

 

Jian Li’s lips curled into a grin, her paws excitedly splashing in the bathwater. “Was it thanks to me?”

 

Yan Qingshuang raised the back of her hand to wipe the water droplets from her cheek, answering truthfully, “Yes, thank you, Xiao Li.”

 

Jian Li lifted her paw pad. “Can you see it?”

 

“No,” Yan Qingshuang replied. “My spiritual power is limited; it’s best not to waste it.”

 

Jian Li lowered her paw pad, pressed her lips together, and mentally cheered herself on. Yan Qingshuang’s acknowledgment was the first step toward achieving her goal.

 

Yan Qingshuang resumed her post-bath duties. Her slender, pale wrist rotated as she meticulously used a soft, dry cloth to clean Jian Li’s feline body. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” she said. “I’m not sure if it’s appropriate.”

 

“Of course it’s appropriate!” Jian Li exclaimed. “We’re practically family!”

 

“The Teleportation Watch—what is it?” Yan Qingshuang asked.

 

Jian Li hadn’t prepared for this question. She had blurted out the name in a moment of panic, and Yan Qingshuang’s delayed inquiry showed genuine curiosity.

 

She scratched her cheek awkwardly, then raised her arm, revealing a red cord wrapped around it. A sudden inspiration struck her. “It’s this! I gave it a flowery name.”

 

“Oh, and there’s also this bracelet. Besides finding you in the Mystic Realm, it’s the only other thing I found there.”

 

Yan Qingshuang remained silent.

 

Jian Li’s guilt made her body flush with heat, forcing her to stick out her tongue to cool down.

 

She had a telltale physiological reaction: whenever she lied, her face turned as red as if it had been boiled. In her previous life, her entire face would flush crimson whenever she told a lie, making her look like she’d been scalded.

 

No matter, she thought. I’m a furry leopard now.

 

Yan Qingshuang: “How did you appear in the Mystic Realm? And what method did you use to deal with those three Demonic Cultivators? Don’t you think it’s all a bit too convenient?”

 

“Ah…” Jian Li’s breathing grew rapid, her tongue frantically trying to cool her down. She struggled to come up with a plausible explanation.

 

Yan Qingshuang gently touched Jian Li’s rapidly beating heart, her hand tracing the frantic rise and fall of her abdomen. “So I suspect you grew up in the Mystic Realm,” she said softly, “familiar with every corner of it and experienced in dealing with foreign Fiends.”

 

After a moment, Jian Li’s breathing gradually returned to normal.

 

Yan Qingshuang cradled Jian Li like a baby, resting her head against her shoulder and gently patting her back. “Xiao Li,” she murmured, “you’re quite special, aren’t you?”

 

Jian Li quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, yes! I’m the Chosen Leopard! How else would I have gotten you the Great Tonic Pill?”

 

Yan Qingshuang fell silent for a moment before placing Jian Li on the bed and tucking her in.

 

“I don’t need to sleep on your bed,” Jian Li protested. “I can sleep on the floor.”

 

Yan Qingshuang sighed softly. “You really dislike my bed.”

 

“No, it’s not that,” Jian Li said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Your bed isn’t very big, and adding me would make it…”

 

“I toss and turn in my sleep,” Yan Qingshuang interrupted. “I’m worried I might kick you.”

 

“It’s fine,” Jian Li replied. “I’m not that fragile.”

 

Jian Li hummed in acknowledgment, at a loss for words, and turned her back to Yan Qingshuang.

 

Yan Qingshuang watched her for a moment before turning and returning to the bathroom.

 

Listening to the sounds of Yan Qingshuang washing up, Jian Li found herself wide awake after the emotional rollercoaster she’d just experienced.

 

She took out the Luminous Pearl, a gift Long Qianmeng had inadvertently given them, and began playing with it. The pearl glowed even brighter than their candle lamp.

 

Opening the System interface, she excitedly chatted about Yan Qingshuang’s improved condition: “I feel like she’s not only gotten stronger physically, but she’s also started smiling! When we first met, she barely spoke a word to me!”

 

The System replied, sounding troubled, “Host, I don’t want to rain on your parade, but…”

 

Jian Li, having just noticed something else, dismissed the System’s “but” and told it to wait. She hopped over to the door.

 

The glaring “-101,100 Spirit Stone” debt displayed on the door panel was impossible to ignore.

 

She picked up a stone and began carving, drawing a line through the “101,100” and replacing it with “70,000.” Her paw pads cradled the Luminous Pearl as she nodded in satisfaction at the perfect new number.

 

This is a blessing from her Favorability! she thought. Turning to the System, she asked, “Oh, right, what were you going to tell me earlier?”

 

“About the Favorability,” the System replied. “I just checked—it’s dropped to 90.”

 

“Huh?” Jian Li froze, her hand instantly going limp. The Luminous Pearl clattered against her hind leg, causing a sharp pain.

 

Panic surged through her. “Could it be a bug in your system?” she asked urgently. “Refresh it again! Maybe your vision glitched for a second too.”

 

The System dutifully refreshed five times, then declared with unwavering sincerity, “Confirmed, certain, and absolutely certain: your Favorability has decreased.”

 

Jian Li scratched her head in frustration. “Then… how do I get it back?”

 

“No, wait—how did it even drop? She fed me, bathed me… what did I do wrong?”

 

“I suggest the Host consider waiting for punishment,” the System replied.

 

“What are you talking about?” Jian Li asked, bewildered.

 

“When a target’s Favorability decreases, there are two forms of punishment. First, I can administer electric shocks. Second, the target can take over.”

 

“Punishment tools include, but are not limited to: small leather whips, handcuffs, bell clamps, restraints, and more.”

 

“Why are you suddenly talking about this so seriously?” Jian Li demanded.

 

“My apologies, Host. These items are lovingly provided by the Joyful Union Sect. I’m merely reciting the script.”

 

“What does any of this have to do with punishment?”

 

“The Deputy Director mandates punishment protocols for transmigrators. We’re simply following regulations.”

 

Jian Li was so curious about this Deputy Director—whoever they were—that she felt an urge to meet them. All this nonsense must be the Deputy Director’s personal fetish!

 

Considering Yan Qingshuang’s current Favorability drop, Jian Li’s pride wouldn’t allow her to beg for a humiliating punishment on her buttocks or anywhere else.

 

“How about we just postpone it?” Jian Li suggested.

 

“Alright,” the System replied. “But it’s time-limited. You must complete it within a month. The punishment must last at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Go ahead, Host, choose a method.”

 

A large roulette wheel suddenly appeared, every slot labeled with something indecent. Jian Li closed her eyes and spun it randomly.

 

“Ding-dong! Congratulations, Host! Bell Clamps!”

 

Jian Li broke into a sweat. “No need to congratulate me. Besides, where am I supposed to get bell clamps? Do the bells on my bracelet count?”

 

The System shrugged. “Nope. Figure it out yourself, Host.”

 

Seeing the System’s laissez-faire attitude, Jian Li grew increasingly anxious. Ten points of Favorability wouldn’t drop for no reason.

 

“Fine,” she said reluctantly. “I’ll make a trip to the Joyful Union Sect when I have time.”

 

As Jian Li pondered the Favorability drop, Yan Qingshuang still hadn’t returned. Her unease gradually intensified.

 

What could I have done wrong? she wondered. Could it be refusing to take Yan Qingshuang on the mission? She wanted to accompany me, but I firmly refused.

 

Could Yan Qingshuang have known all along that she was lying? Was their conversation during the bath a test of her sincerity?

 

Jian Li sighed heavily. Both possibilities seemed equally likely.

 

After sitting in a daze for a long time, she realized she couldn’t just wait around. She needed to ask certain questions.

 

Might as well stay up all night, she thought. I’ve got nothing else to do.

 

Jian Li ran to the bathroom door but didn’t find Yan Qingshuang. She searched the room, but Yan Qingshuang was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Little Shuang? Little Shuang, where are you?”

 

Her voice echoed through the night. Where could Yan Qingshuang have gone at this hour?

 

Fortunately, as an animal, Jian Li possessed a keen sense of smell. Her bestial nose was particularly effective at tracking scents over short distances.

 

Jian Li crouched before Yan Qingshuang’s wardrobe, hesitated briefly, then opened it.

 

The top drawer held clean undergarments—black, white, pink… the scent of soapberry mingled with Yan Qingshuang’s intoxicating body fragrance.

 

Too embarrassed to sniff closely or even look properly, Jian Li closed her eyes like a proper lady and pushed the drawer shut with her paws.

 

Feeling overheated, she stuck out her tongue to cool down.

 

Opening the largest cabinet revealed Yan Qingshuang’s usual clothes, mostly plain white.

 

Jian Li recalled their earlier fight. The wealthy girl’s attire had been dazzling and extravagant, clearly the mark of someone raised in luxury.

 

Maybe I should buy Yan Qingshuang some pretty dresses after I earn some money.

 

Jian Li’s thoughts often jumped from one idea to the next. Before even starting her search, she found herself carving the words “dresses” into a stone slab.

 

Following the scent, she dashed to the backyard. In the quiet of the night, her sharp eyes spotted a frail figure lying motionless on the ground.

 

Above the figure floated a long white dress, swaying in the shape of a human form.

 

At first glance, Jian Li thought it was a female ghost, her heart pounding in terror. But she quickly realized the motionless figure was Yan Qingshuang.

 

“Little Shuang!” she cried, rushing to her side. With her paw, she brushed aside the strands of hair obscuring Yan Qingshuang’s pale, weary face, her paw pad gently touching her cheek.

 

She shook Yan Qingshuang urgently. “Wake up, Little Shuang!”

 

Yan Qingshuang opened her eyes, propping herself up on her elbow. She smiled faintly at Jian Li. “Hmm… Xiao Li, why aren’t you asleep?”

 

Jian Li’s expression was frantic. She pressed her small body against Yan Qingshuang’s stomach to keep her from collapsing.

 

“You’re in this state, yet you’re still worried about my sleep? What happened? Did you just faint?”

 

The night was dark. Yan Qingshuang sat up straight, deliberately arranging her robes to conceal a small patch of bl00d on the floor that hadn’t been cleaned up properly. Her voice hoarse, she said, “I probably just recovered a bit of Spiritual Power and exhausted it all at once. I couldn’t handle it and fainted while hanging up the laundry.”

 

Jian Li felt a pang of sympathy. The Great Tonic Pill shouldn’t be wasted like this.

 

She sighed, “I had something I wanted to tell you, but never mind, it’s not important. Can you still walk?”

 

Yan Qingshuang nodded. “Yes. Take this.”

 

A pill materialized in her hand. Jian Li leaned in to sniff its faint medicinal fragrance. “Is it very bitter?”

 

Yan Qingshuang didn’t answer. As soon as she swallowed the pill, she began coughing uncontrollably.

 

Jian Li rushed behind her and patted her back to help her breathe. Yan Qingshuang was so thinly dressed and so frail—how would she endure the winter?

 

Jian Li’s movements slowed, her gentle pats turning into kneading, until her hand finally stilled.

 

Yan Qingshuang pulled her forward, cradling her between her legs. She murmured softly, “What’s wrong?”

 

Jian Li pouted, her face troubled.

 

Yan Qingshuang didn’t press her, waiting patiently for her to speak. In her arms, Jian Li gazed up at the moon hidden behind dark clouds, the night sky studded with countless stars.

 

Jian Li was still in a daze, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. She had so many questions, but seeing Yan Qingshuang’s half-dead state, she felt too embarrassed to bombard her with inquiries.

 

The cold wind ruffled Jian Li’s fur, growing increasingly bitter. She shivered, wrapping her tail around herself. “Let’s go back inside,” she said.

 

Yan Qingshuang hummed in agreement, carefully stowing the Bl00d-Rending Needle she had been concealing in her sleeve. She retrieved her Bamboo Staff and began to walk.

 

Back in their room, Jian Li lay on the bed, gnawing on her tail, her brow furrowed.

 

After Yan Qingshuang finished bathing, her hair still slightly damp, she sat on the edge of the bed, drying it with a towel.

 

Jian Li nudged Yan Qingshuang’s thigh—soft, fragrant, and so inviting. It was the perfect spot for her daily naps.

 

Yan Qingshuang’s cool fingers brushed against Jian Li’s ear. “Do you have something to say?”

 

Jian Li scratched at her paw pad, torn between seizing the moment to ask everything and her anxiety about losing Favorability. This seemed like the kind of situation where her Favorability might drop.

 

Yan Qingshuang asked her to wait a moment, then rose to hang up the cotton cloth. Returning to the bed, she beckoned Jian Li closer. “Speak your mind. Otherwise, it will keep weighing on you.”

 

Jian Li: “Will the medicine make you feel better?”

 

“Mm, a good night’s sleep will do the trick,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

 

Jian Li hummed in response, stubbornly kneading her paw pads as she murmured, “I upset you today, didn’t I?”

 

Yan Qingshuang reached out and cupped Jian Li’s paw pads in her palm. “No.”

 

“But I stood you up for dinner,” Jian Li persisted. “Did you even eat anything tonight?”

 

“I had a late-night snack,” Yan Qingshuang said.

 

Jian Li shot to her feet. A single bite of meat for a late-night snack? Could that even be considered a meal?

 

She knew cultivators practiced Grain Abstinence, but Yan Qingshuang usually had some porridge and a small side dish. How could she possibly manage with her weakened state?

 

“I’ll go make you something to eat!”

 

Jian Li wobbled as she tried to hop off the bed. As she leaped, Yan Qingshuang swiftly pulled her back. “What can you even cook?”

 

Asking someone who had lived on street food and instant noodles their entire life what they could cook was a loaded question. In the past, Jian Li would have confidently declared, “I can make instant noodles with an egg and a sausage!”

 

But the Cultivation World only had eggs—no sausages or instant noodles. She began kneading her paw pads again, rubbing them together as she lowered her head. “Porridge?”

 

“Making porridge takes half an hour,” Yan Qingshuang said. “You should be asleep.”

 

Jian Li wanted to say more, but Yan Qingshuang gently laid her down and tucked her in. “Be good, Little Shuang. You need to sleep to grow.”

 

Grow what? Jian Li’s anger flared. She threw off the covers and protested, “Grow, grow, grow! You keep repeating yourself! What’s the point of me growing if you don’t even care about your own health?!”

 

“I’ll worry about you, Little Shuang,” Jian Li said, her voice trembling with emotion, on the verge of tears.

 

Yan Qingshuang quickly got up, put on her outer robe, and picked up her Bamboo Staff. “Alright, I’ll go make food.”

 

Still acting the same as always, never arguing with her, Jian Li’s anger instantly dissipated. “Fine. I’ll chat with Huahua while you eat. She’s probably trying to reach me through the Spirit Mirror.”

 

Yan Qingshuang, who had already taken a few steps away, stopped, turned back, and confiscated her Spirit Mirror. “I’ll make food. Xiao Li should sleep.”

 

Jian Li’s hands were now empty. Why had Yan Qingshuang suddenly taken her Spirit Mirror? She blinked her clear eyes and smiled. “Okay. You eat well too, and then get some rest.”

 

Yan Qingshuang hummed in agreement.

 

As long as she took care of her health, she didn’t need the Spirit Mirror.

 

Yan Qingshuang rolled up her sleeves, reached into the rice jar, and scooped out a large bowl of Spirit Rice into the iron pot. She then bent down to ladle clear water and tossed firewood into the stove.

 

Even these simple movements nearly overwhelmed her. Cold sweat streamed down her face as she coughed up a mouthful of bl00d, clutching the countertop for support and gasping for breath.

 

After resting briefly, she knelt and crushed a cleansing Talisman.

 

She had pushed herself too hard, eager to resume her cultivation as soon as possible, pushing her body to its absolute limit.

 

What used to require a hundred cycles of refinement could now be achieved in just a few days, thanks to Jian Li’s Pills, allowing her to quickly restore her body to its initial cultivation state.

 

She picked up the Spirit Mirror and sent a message to Chang Chi: Junior Sister Chang, do you have any Aromatic Pills on hand?

 

When no reply came, Yan Qingshuang pulled up a small stool and sat down. The white congee bubbled in the pot, but her Spiritual Sense, which had remained dormant since her return, showed little sign of awakening.

 

Just as she was about to collapse, Jian Li threw herself onto Yan Qingshuang, the wall behind her preventing her from falling.

 

Jian Li frantically wrapped her arms around Yan Qingshuang’s leg. “Little Shuang, were you sleepy just now? How come you didn’t notice me coming?”

 

Yan Qingshuang steadied herself, reached up to Jian Li’s neck, and gently pinched her nose. “You woke up just because you smelled the porridge?”

 

Jian Li chuckled, nuzzling her nose against Yan Qingshuang’s fingertip. “I wanted to keep you company, but mostly I was afraid you’d try to trick me. I came to supervise you.”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “Really?”

 

Jian Li: “Guess.”

 

Yan Qingshuang smiled, mentally tracing Jian Li’s features. “I bet you weren’t thinking of me at all,” she said dramatically. “Otherwise, why didn’t you come to make sure I took my medicine?”

 

Jian Li let out a dramatic “Aiya!” and clung to Yan Qingshuang’s arm. “I just forgot! I’m so busy every day, you know.”

 

This was actually true. Jian Li had been busy searching for missions in the Spirit Mirror. Tasks that paid too little weren’t worth taking, while those that paid too much were beyond her capabilities.

 

Stuck between a rock and a hard place—how relatable! After thinking about it for a while, Jian Li grew hungry. She knew that as long as she stayed by Yan Qingshuang’s side, food and drink would always be available.

 

Yan Qingshuang: “Hmm, Busy Beast, Xiao Li. After you finish your porridge, let’s go back to sleep together?”