Chapter Seventy-One: Turning the Tables-Raising a Future Overlord in the Cultivation World(Student Liu, who works everywhere)

Following Bai Shulan past the clear pond and artificial hills to the end of the covered walkway, they saw a side chamber with the inscription "Refined Elegance." Bai Shulan stepped forward and knocked on the door, just about to open it, when Jin Yiqiu’s coquettish rebuke drifted out.

“You two wait outside. I don’t need you in here just yet.”

Bai Shulan replied with a puzzled “yes,” then stepped back to guard the door. Qu Yiqiu swept her gaze around, noting that there were hardly any guards nearby. With a flick of her sleeve, she quietly released the Golden Ghost King.

Oblivious, Bai Shulan continued her vigil at the entrance, casting Qu Yiqiu a reassuring glance. Qu Yiqiu returned a small smile and dutifully waited by the door.

The last rays of sunset faded from the horizon. Bai Shulan and Qu Yiqiu hadn’t been waiting long before the chamber door opened on its own.

The first thing they saw was a pair of soft-soled boots, inlaid with jewels, under a curtain of dark gauze. Then, a flawless profile appeared, smooth as jade.

Qu Yiqiu dared not release her spiritual sense here; she lifted her gaze slightly, only to be struck by a sense of familiarity. These shoes looked so familiar—could this person, like her, be concealing their real appearance?

The man seemed to sense someone watching him. He turned, glancing past Qu Yiqiu to focus on Jin Yiqiu behind her. His affectionate, phoenix-like eyes curved in a spring-like smile, his deep voice low: “Fairy Yiqiu, as agreed, tonight you are mine.”

Qu Yiqiu looked up in surprise, only to realize the man was not speaking to her. She quickly regained her composure, lowered her gaze, and refrained from meeting his eyes.

Jin Yiqiu’s bewitching laughter floated out, gentle as water: “Yiqiu understands. Young Master Tang, you must leave quickly. A lady’s chamber cannot host a guest for long.”

Qu Yiqiu found herself covered in goosebumps.

She could not bear it any longer!

She absolutely could not allow Jin Yiqiu to keep using her name!

The man surnamed Tang’s lips curved in a faint smile as he turned and departed.

Once he was gone, Jin Yiqiu’s spring-like smile vanished, her face souring with displeasure: “You two really have the worst timing. Get in here and help me dress!”

“No problem, Fairy Yiqiu!” Qu Yiqiu’s eyes sparkled, and she replied faster than Bai Shulan.

She darted into the chamber.

Bai Shulan followed slowly, closing the door behind her. She had just turned around when she saw Jin Yiqiu sprawled on the floor, limbs flung wide.

Her eyes widened in shock, and she nearly cried out.

Qu Yiqiu, having anticipated this, quickly covered her mouth.

“The plan has started. Tonight, I’m going onstage in Jin Yiqiu’s guise!”

If she wanted to throw Spring Rain Pavilion into chaos, her identity as a mere maid would never suffice. But Jin Yiqiu, as the pavilion’s top courtesan, was second only to the madam in status. By disguising herself as Jin Yiqiu, Qu Yiqiu could go wherever she pleased.

Besides, Jin Yiqiu’s features did bear a certain resemblance to her own, making the disguise even easier.

Bai Shulan, hand over mouth, was stunned. She had thought You Ruoying’s cultivation was at most mid-foundation stage—she never imagined that, at such a young age, her cultivation had already surpassed Jin Yiqiu’s, reaching late foundation stage!

Qu Yiqiu quickly rifled through Jin Yiqiu’s storage pouch, her fingers closing around a Great Teleportation Talisman.

She slipped it quietly into her own storage ring, unseen by Bai Shulan.

The Great Teleportation Talisman was the key to controlling a teleportation array. Its presence on Jin Yiqiu meant there was likely a private teleportation array hidden near the Spring Rain Pavilion.

This was good news for her. Once she finished her business here, she could use the array to escape.

Examining the angry red mark at the nape of Jin Yiqiu’s neck, Qu Yiqiu wondered if she’d been too rough. Fortunately, Jin Yiqiu’s storage pouch contained plenty of drugs for inducing stupor or waking the unconscious.

Qu Yiqiu turned to Bai Shulan and ordered, “Go wait by the door. Don’t let anyone in.”

Bai Shulan nodded, stunned, and hurriedly slipped out, closing the door behind her.

Once she was gone, Qu Yiqiu communicated with Little Yan in her mind.

“Little Yan, can you partition off a separate space, like last time?”

Little Yan thought for a moment. “I can only control space within the Nether Domain. If we’re in the Nether Domain, I can create a private space.”

Qu Yiqiu’s thoughts moved quickly. “If I bring this woman into the space, can you mimic the appearance of this room?”

Little Yan closed his eyes, sensing the furnishings of the chamber. “That shouldn’t be a problem. You don’t want her to realize she’s in a different space, right? I’m ninety-nine percent confident I can do it.”

A delighted smile crossed Qu Yiqiu’s face. “That’s exactly my idea. You’re clever as ever, Little Yan. I’ll bring her in for questioning now!”

With that, she seized Jin Yiqiu by the shoulder and, with a thought, slipped into the space.

In no time, the space’s scenery transformed into a perfect replica of the Refined Elegance room.

Qu Yiqiu poured out a pill and forced it into Jin Yiqiu’s mouth. Seeing no response, she scratched her head in confusion.

“Is the drug’s effect not strong enough?”

She then fed her three more pills in quick succession.

As soon as all three pills were swallowed, Jin Yiqiu reacted. She clutched her throat, coughing violently. Upon seeing Qu Yiqiu’s face, her anger flared.

“You wretched girl! What did you feed me?!”

Without hesitation, Qu Yiqiu smacked her on the head.

The blow sent her flying, her vision swimming with stars, her head reeling.

Jin Yiqiu, unable to believe what had happened, fished out her personal mirror to check her appearance. The beauty in the glass had a hairdo in disarray, one earring lost, her face flushed in anger, and pain radiating from her neck.

Her eyes widened in fury, and she shrieked, “You must have a death wish, daring to lay hands on me!”

Never in her life had she been so humiliated!

In her rage, Jin Yiqiu didn’t stop to wonder how someone at the ninth level of Qi Refining could have overpowered her. She gathered her strength and unleashed a full-force strike, the power of a mid-foundation stage cultivator, at Qu Yiqiu.

Such an attack would be fatal to any practitioner still at the Qi Refining stage.

Qu Yiqiu’s gaze was icy, and she made no attempt to dodge.

Jin Yiqiu sensed something was amiss, but before she could react, a swift kick sent her crashing into the wall.

Blood surged within her, her meridians splitting like a web of cracks from the sheer force of the blow.

Struggling in pain, she crawled up, groping desperately at her waist and chest, only to find nothing.

Her precious mirror, shattered in the fall, now reflected her own fear-stricken, pathetic face.

Qu Yiqiu smiled faintly, tossing out two emptied storage pouches. “Looking for these?”

Jin Yiqiu’s hands trembled as she looked up at her, and it was as if a divine radiance shone from Qu Yiqiu’s disheveled form, illuminating her own ugliness.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

Now she knew—this so-called maid had deceived her completely.

From the very beginning, she had walked right into her trap…

Jin Yiqiu’s hands fell, limp and defeated.

She had intended to use the thousand-mile escape talisman in her pouch to flee, but now it was clear—her last hope had been stripped away along with everything else.

She had lost her final chance at escape.