"Interesting, but far too inefficient."
Bai Mengtian set down the bark notebook, blue flames burning in her eyes.
The blue fire danced, yet it gave off an icy, rational feeling, without a trace of warmth.
Li Fei understood. Tingbao was like an Ultraman Tiga suit actor, with two modes. One was rational mode, her eyes filled with blue flame, good for study and research. The other was emotional mode, her eyes glowing red, used for fighting and getting frisky.
"Is there a way to improve it?"
Li Fei asked hopefully.
The trip to the Demon-Sealing Continent had paid off handsomely, but it had its regrets too. The plan to mass-produce Saints, for one.
Miss Commander had used some backroom maneuvering to have Miss Stepdaughter conferred as a Saint and had held the sacrificial rite in the ancestral temple. And yet Lilith had felt no Fortune descend.
That meant the rite was still lacking in its occult elements, which was why the ritual had failed.
On top of that, since they'd rushed back for her birthday and to welcome the new year, they'd had no chance to pay their respects to the Transcendent wonder that might be the [Knowledge Tree]. That would have to wait.
A moment ago, Li Fei had taken out the Temple Keeper lineage's Legacy and the knowledge left behind by the Thousand-Year Tree Demon and let Tingbao look them over, to see whether she could find the flaw.
"The Demon-Sealing Continent plane, right? The natives there do have a distinctive system of theory and practice around [Fortune]."
"The Soul-Burial Spirit-Nourishing Grand Array," Bai Mengtian assessed, "uses souls laden with resentment as the medium to plunder the Fortune of living beings. The Sainthood ritual is closer to an Ascension Ritual. The difficulty isn't the rite itself but [completing the ritual steps] and [gathering the sacrificial materials]. Only when you manage both can Fortune be drawn onto you."
"So the latter leaves little room for shortcuts. At most you could adjust the types of materials. The former, though, can absolutely be switched to a more efficient plundering mechanism."
As she spoke, the atoms in the air began to separate and recombine, finally forming a fresh sheet of paper covered in writing. The title read, unmistakably, [Bai Mengtian's Edition of the Soul-Burial Spirit-Nourishing Grand Array].
"Tingbao, seriously, I could cry."
First-year freshman Li Fei naturally had no clue how much it meant to conjure paper out of the void with a casual wave. All she did was plant a gushy mua on Bai Mengtian's cheek, then tuck that sheet away with the bark notebook and the yellowed old tomes and hand the lot to Ram, who had made a special trip to deliver things.
"If you can sort out that plane's Fortune theory properly from start to finish, your graduation thesis is as good as done," Bai Mengtian reminded her thoughtfully, her eyes back to clear black and white.
"Mm… let me think about it."
Li Fei mused.
For the Spell Encyclopedia Lady, whose name was already etched into the school's history, a graduation thesis was no problem at all. All she had to do was write the title My Dean Mother on the cover and she'd become a glorious graduate of the Magic Academy.
But publishing an outstanding theory came with credit rewards…
"Staying at my place tonight?"
Bai Mengtian nuzzled against Li Fei.
"I've got plans tonight, you know."
Li Fei turned her down in a syrupy drawl, then casually scooped up the dragon tail and began massaging it with great diligence.
A shiver ran through Bai Mengtian. Her body went limp and her eyes grew ever more misty.
If just massaging the scales did this to her, what would happen if someone touched the core? Mama mia, don't even think about it, don't even think about it.
"Tingbao, can I bite you?"
Seeing Bai Mengtian sink completely into relaxation, Li Fei lowered her eyes and spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
That warm, damp whisper, scented with tea, loosened Bai Mengtian's mind even further, and she agreed in a daze.
"Mm-hm."
Li Fei smiled tenderly, lightly lifted her pale, soft arm, and only after making sure the muscles were completely slack did she quietly activate [Partial Transformation: Succubus Empress (Lips)].
"Ah—nom."
Teeth enhanced with an absurd bite force and physical penetration sank in without mercy.
"Ngh!"
Bai Mengtian's eyes flew wide. She shot upright like a flipping carp, sucking air through her teeth and clawing at Li Fei's chin. "Gentle, gentle…"
Even a sneak attack can't break her defense…
Li Fei let go, glanced at the tooth marks on the arm, and looked disappointed.
Loading a spell through the Blood Demon Scripture required essence blood, and one standard unit of essence blood from a Sequence 4 Transcendent went for around a hundred thousand gold coins, and only worked once. Far too expensive… She'd meant to borrow some from Tingbao, but it hadn't worked out.
I should've stacked Dragon's Strength first!
Li Fei blew on the tooth marks, rubbed them gently with her fingertip, and when Bai Mengtian relaxed again, coaxed sweetly:
"Can we try one more time?"
"No way!"
Bai Mengtian curled up at the head of the bed, eyeing her warily. "Bestie, are you changing class to vampire witch?"
"Not exactly."
Li Fei smiled bashfully. "I got hold of a spell tome a while back, and it needs the essence blood of a high-ranking being to record spells…"
"What grade is it?"
Kalida suddenly asked.
"It started out Blazing Sun, but it's damaged to a degree, so now it's at Dawn level."
Li Fei answered honestly.
"Then you'd better give up on using her."
Kalida sighed. "I once got a Radiant-grade spell tome, [Eternal Flame], and did the exact same thing you're planning."
"I succeeded, but the losses were heavy."
"What do you mean?"
Li Fei looked puzzled.
"One drop of her blood burst the tome and lit a little sun."
Kalida clutched her trembling heart and sighed. "A big city of several hundred thousand people was flattened. Thank goodness it was in Folded Space."
Li Fei's eyes went wide with shock.
"A Sequence 2 is really that terrifying?"
"Being a Sequence 2 is one thing, and being me is another!"
Bai Mengtian waved her fists indignantly. "I treat you two like family, and you treat me like a materials depot?"
But the moment the words left her mouth, she noticed Li Fei's eyes light up all at once.
She shrank back, trembling. "You two… you're not really treating me like a materials depot, are you?"
…
In the end, Li Fei failed to fleece her of any materials.
Though she'd suddenly realized how valuable Tingbao was, down to a single strand of hair being a Supreme-grade material, her great motherly love forced her to abandon the tempting get-rich scheme of locking Tingbao in a basement, drawing her blood every day, and cutting her hair once a month to sell at a steep auction price. Not that she'd do it even if she could win that fight!
As for Lady Kalida, she pointed out that for a Transcendent, blood was a kind of privacy that had to be guarded carefully. If it leaked, the risks were enormous, such as being hit with a Curse.
That was why high-Sequence Transcendents only shared their blood with people they were close enough to and could trust.
Likewise out of great motherly love, Li Fei politely declined Lady Kalida's seductive suggestion that they grow even closer.
After repaying the debt she'd run up auctioning off the Spatial Wonderstone, Li Fei took her leave of them. Carrying the paper bag Ram had dropped off on her way, she arrived at a familiar door.
She knocked softly, and almost at once she heard hurried footsteps behind it.
The door opened, and before Li Fei could say a word, a warm, soft embrace pressed tightly against her heart.
Lady Annie had clearly dressed with care today. Her coiled golden hair carried the fragrance of flower petals. She wore a thin pure white sweater and a gray gauze skirt that just reached her knees, with a ribbon of the same color tracing her slender waist. Her trim, delicate calves were wrapped in sheer blue-black stockings, which added a touch of quiet beauty to an otherwise plain and modest look.
She rose on her tiptoes, ankles slender enough to circle with one hand, and felt Li Fei's heartbeat, breath, and warmth. It was a long while before she lifted her head and studied Li Fei's face.
Seeing that slightly sickly, worn look, Lady Annie ached with tenderness. Motherly love and affection mingled in her water-blue eyes, hot enough to nearly melt Li Fei.
Lilith watched the two of them embrace in silence, her hanging bangs hiding her eyes.
"I'm home."
Li Fei raised the paper bag, drew Lady Annie over to the coffee table, and took out an exquisite gift box tied with a bow, along with a smaller, still-hot paper bag.
From the small bag she first took the cake Ram had delivered and handed it to Lady Annie, smiling. "Eat it while it's warm. I just made it."
As she spoke, Li Fei glanced at Lilith.
At home, Miss Stepdaughter usually wore a pink nightdress with white tights or bare legs, a simple, casual, ageless and cute look.
This time, however, Lilith wore a revealing mint-blue slip nightdress, and beneath its hem were rather daring black patterned stockings. Her pale skin glowed through the highly sheer core-spun material, and the taut, slender, straight lines of her legs brimmed with the vitality a young girl ought to have.
It was as if the tsundere little girl who loved to lash people with her twin tails had gone on a long trip and suddenly grown up, and had developed a small scheming streak too, quietly dressing up before seeing the one she loved, unwilling to let all of that person's attention rest on her rival.
Of course, Li Fei knew this was the limited-season Miss Stepdaughter. Once everyone could face each other's feelings openly and the lake of their hearts was calm, sooner or later she'd return to her old self.
"Don't just stand there."
Li Fei picked up a slice of cake and held it out to her.
Their fingertips brushed. It was the most ordinary contact imaginable, but Miss Stepdaughter jerked her hand back as if shocked, then pretended nothing had happened and glanced at her mother.
Lady Annie's gaze was as gentle as ever, and she'd noticed nothing amiss. That only made Lilith's heart heavier, guilt and self-reproach pressing down until she could hardly breathe.
Before long, two slices of cake were gone and the coffee had hit the bottom of the cups. Li Fei took Lady Annie's hand and stood, her smile especially radiant.
"Come on, let's go unwrap presents in your room."
Why couldn't they unwrap them in the living room?
Lady Annie blushed, told her daughter to "go to bed early," and followed Li Fei into the bedroom.
The bedroom light came on and fell across the wedding photo at the head of the bed, making the silver-haired bride with her flower-bright smile look even more radiant. The wedding ring on Lady Annie's hand gleamed under the light too.
Lady Annie pulled the bow off the gift box and, sure enough, found a Longevity Fruit inside. A sweet warm current welled up in her heart.
She stroked the hair at the back of Li Fei's head and said softly, "Lilith already gave me one, and I know this kind of treasure works less well the more you eat. Something this precious shouldn't be wasted. You're probably short on resources right now…"
"How could a gift for Teacher Annie ever be a waste?"
Li Fei said coquettishly.
Lady Annie hugged her without a word, and it was a good while before she let go and took a scarf out of the wardrobe.
"I knitted this for you."
"It's so pretty."
Li Fei turned it over, unable to put it down, then folded it carefully. "I'll keep it safe, I promise."
Keep it, not wear it, because Lady Zhihua had knitted the young madam a scarf too, and whichever one she wore, it would be hard to keep things even. Luckily, Li Fei was immune to heat and cold.
When she looked up, she found that Lady Annie's white sweater had been folded too. Now an off-the-shoulder gray gauze dress traced her slender, graceful figure, and it paired beautifully with the blue-black stockings.
For the usually modest Lady Annie, letting someone see her porcelain-pale arms was already a rare outfit.
"Teacher Annie, are you hot?"
The wicked student asked, knowing full well.
The older wife bit her lip, a faint tremor in her voice.
"Do I look nice?"
Li Fei smiled without answering and lightly tipped up her chin.
Red clouds had already spread across that plain, pale cheek. The shy, charming air of a married woman made Li Fei's pulse leap.
With her heart pounding in her ears, Li Fei gazed at her face in silence. She was still as frail and endearing as when they'd first met, yet the bitterness and haggardness that ten years had soaked into her bones had vanished without a trace. She was like a girl in the first flush of love, a sweetness in her every frown and smile, and yet her eyes still brimmed with motherly warmth, mature, unadorned, gentle as water.
"Even I'm moved just looking at you."
Li Fei slowly laid her head in her lap and murmured, "There's one more gift. Want to unwrap it?"
She swept aside the hair at the back of her head. The halter strap on her pale nape was tied in a bow too, identical to the one on the gift box.
…
The night was deep. Lady Annie, utterly spent, slept in her lover's arms.
Li Fei was still awake, leaning silently against the headboard, her palm resting on the older wife's sweat-damp back.
It was winter. Where had the sweat come from?
You'd have to ask the person who'd been standing outside the door, listening, for hours.
"Why aren't you asleep?"
Li Fei said softly.
The door creaked open, and Miss Stepdaughter appeared in the doorway, tears streaming down her face.
Cold moonlight lit her tear tracks. Her mint-blue nightdress was creased, and even her stockings had gone a little slack, as if she'd squatted or sat with her knees drawn up for a long time and the material that should have been taut had lost its give.
Only their color was still as deep as the night.
In a daze, Li Fei saw a bewitching flower bloom in the Forbidden night, poison dripping from its beautiful petals, vivid and steeped in Depravity, radiant and rotten, so sweet it turned bitter.
Having taken another step forward on the Way of Tea, Li Fei was struck by inspiration in that moment and, as if guided by the heavens, put on a look of contempt.
"You still dare come in? Aren't you afraid of being found out?"
Miss Stepdaughter faced the wedding photo at the head of the bed. The warm, sweet smiles of her two mothers, wholehearted and sincere, stung her eyes, and memories of the years she'd depended on Lady Annie surged up in her mind.
But Miss Stepmother's sneer, mocking and disappointed, chilled Lilith's heart all at once, and her self-blame, remorse and anger died away with it.
Even the last scrap of guilt became nourishment for the Forbidden flower in bloom, giving off a rich fragrance that stirred her heart and left its beat muddled.
"I won't be."
Tears broke through again. The blonde girl trod the pitch-black night, step by step, toward her stepmother.
"I'm sorry, Mom."
Lilith repented from the depths of her soul, and cast a Sleep spell.
____
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