The instant he heard that voice, Qin Yi froze on the spot.
Slowly, he turned around—only to be greeted by a breathtakingly beautiful face, seductive enough to overturn kingdoms.
It was indeed Su Meier.
Of all people, she was the last one he had ever expected to encounter in this desolate wilderness.
Wasn't she supposed to remain in her lavish cave-dwelling, attended by her countless maids and male companions?
What was she doing here of all places?
And judging from the direction she had come from, it was clear she had just passed through the Sancai Market.
Why would she personally go there?
Couldn't she simply send a servant?
What matter could possibly be important enough to bring her out herself?
One question after another rose in Qin Yi's mind, but he quickly forced them all down.
The most important thing right now wasn't to figure out her reasons—
it was to get away from her as quickly as possible!
Because no one knew better than Qin Yi just how dangerous this woman truly was.
Her gentle kindness toward Liu Meng existed only because Liu Meng still held value to her.
But to someone like him—a supposed stranger she had never met before—there was no way she would draw near without reason.
Such abnormality always spelled disaster!
Could it be… she intended to refine him into a Servant Slave?
"Forgive me, I still have matters to attend to. I'll be taking my leave."
Without hesitation, Qin Yi clasped his fists in the barest of salutes, turned on his heel, and prepared to depart.
But before his foot had even fully landed, a waft of fragrance brushed past his nose, and Su Meier's slender figure ghosted in front of him, blocking his path.
"And where do you think you're going?"
Tilting her head, her phoenix eyes studied him with playful interest, her voice dripping with alluring charm.
Qin Yi's expression stiffened.
Despite his cultivation having already reached the fourth layer of Qi Refining, he still couldn't gauge Su Meier's depth.
Just like her movement a moment ago—he hadn't even seen how she appeared before him.
There was only one explanation.
Her cultivation was far beyond anything he could imagine.
Damn it… just what realm had this woman reached?
He realized then: unless he offered her a convincing explanation, there was no escaping her today.
His face darkened, and he forced three words through clenched teeth:
"The Scripture Pavilion."
This was not a random excuse.
Not only had he truly planned on going there to choose a new technique, but the Scripture Pavilion was a heavily-guarded sect domain. Crowded with disciples, it was a public place.
Even if Su Meier harbored sinister intentions, she would hardly dare act recklessly in such a setting.
If he could just make it inside, secure a new cultivation method—then even if something happened afterward, at least it wouldn't all be in vain.
But the moment Su Meier heard his reply, her bright phoenix eyes shimmered even brighter.
"The Scripture Pavilion? What a coincidence! I was just heading there myself," she said in feigned surprise. "Since that's the case, let's go together! I can even help you pick out a technique. After all, I am the Sect Master's daughter—there are plenty of things you don't know that I might know perfectly well."
Qin Yi was utterly bewildered.
Why was Su Meier suddenly treating him with such warmth?
If she had discovered his true identity as a split incarnation, that didn't make sense either.
Had she known that both he and Liu Meng were fragments of the same self, she would never be acting this way.
So… if not that, then why?
With the number of men in her cave-dwelling—dozens at the very least, perhaps even a hundred—she couldn't possibly be lacking for company.
No matter how he turned it over in his head, he couldn't make sense of her behavior.
Meanwhile, Su Meier had already taken out a small, palm-sized spirit boat from her storage pouch.
She blew lightly across it, and the boat expanded in an instant—transforming into a two-seater flying vessel that floated gracefully in mid-air.
"Come up," she said.
Leaping aboard herself, she extended a pale, slender hand toward Qin Yi, her smile carrying no room for refusal.
Qin Yi sighed inwardly, resigned. With no other choice, he too leapt onto the boat.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected occurred along the way.
The spirit boat streaked forward like a beam of light, racing directly toward the Scripture Pavilion.
In a matter of moments, the towering structure suspended in the air loomed before them.
Without slowing, Su Meier guided the vessel straight onto the platform before its grand entrance.
Naturally, she slipped her arm through Qin Yi's as though it were the most natural thing in the world, leading him down from the boat and into the pavilion.
She leaned in, voice teasing:
"So, what sort of technique are you looking for? Tell your senior sister, and I'll help you pick something good!"
Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, lips curved in a smile both graceful and sly. Even the way she clung to his arm carried a girlish sweetness, almost coy.
The sight of her in such a posture sent chills prickling across Qin Yi's skin.
Truthfully, he had seen many of Su Meier's faces before—whether the seductive enchantress from their first encounter, or her usual lazy elegance.
But this… this tender, bashful girlishness—
this was the very first time.
The sudden shift was jarring.
Struggling to keep his expression steady, he quickly answered:
"I want a technique that can rapidly improve my cultivation. Even if it carries severe side effects, I don't mind."
But the words left his mouth with an unbidden sigh.
In truth, even up until now, he hadn't fully decided which kind of technique he should pursue this time.
In terms of cultivation, he already had a rough path laid out; there wasn't such urgency.
What troubled him more was that he had yet to learn a proper offensive technique. In battle, he was still at a clear disadvantage.
Thinking about it this way, perhaps choosing a combat-oriented secret art would serve him better.
"What's wrong? Why the sigh, junior brother?"
It was as if Su Meier could sense his inner turmoil; she immediately asked.
Again, Qin Yi felt a stab of discomfort—but he decided to stop hiding and laid out his dilemma openly.
Su Meier's eyes lit up at once. Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along deeper into the Scripture Pavilion.
"Come with me!"
"I know a secret technique that's just perfect for you!"