When Mei Man heard this, an unexpected calm settled over her.
After all, from her perspective, it had been strange enough that Yu Guiya treated her as a friend in the first place.
He and Fan Zilang had known each other for ages. They were both Exorcist Envoys and often spent time together. As for her, she had nothing to offer him, and they had only met a handful of times.
But she had never expected him to sink so low—to join forces with Fan Zilang and deliberately trick her into trusting him.
What was his purpose in doing this? Or rather, what exactly had she gotten in the way of that they had gone to such lengths to deal with her?
She stood in silence like a wooden statue, listening as Fan Zilang said from inside the room, “That’s more like it. When you first heard that the Immortal Lord had taken in a mortal, you practically ran off to question him. But once you met her, you put on an entirely different face. To be honest, I really thought you’d gone soft.”
This time, Yu Guiya answered without pause. “How could that be?”
“Good. As long as you haven’t. Hmph! A mongrel with nothing but a mortal body dares climb above me? If she has any sense, she’ll leave while she still can. But if she insists on hanging around here…” His voice turned vicious. “Sooner or later, I’ll finish her off.”
Mei Man’s face darkened, her gaze so cold that it held not the slightest trace of emotion.
Bastard.
He wanted to finish her off? Fine. Let’s see who would be the first to destroy the other.
She tightened her grip on the tray and heard the two of them begin discussing the letter.
Just as she had guessed, Fan Zilang had forged it. He had never truly intended to have her attacked by a vicious beast; he merely wanted her to believe in Yu Guiya’s methods.
Mei Man wanted to listen for more, but several hurried footsteps sounded behind her.
She glanced back and saw one of the teahouse attendants. He said, “Hey! What’s taking you so long? It’s taken you forever to deliver a few cups of tea.”
The voices inside the room abruptly fell silent.
“I was afraid I’d spill them.” Mei Man pushed open the door, entering with an expression as calm as ever.
She did not raise her head, but she could feel both men staring at her.
The attendant said, “The lids are on. It’s not that easy to spill tea.”
“Mm.” When she finally looked up, Mei Man tugged at the corners of her mouth and put on a smile she would never normally wear. “Please enjoy your tea.”
Fan Zilang was still in a foul mood and could not be bothered to respond.
Yu Guiya, however, smiled and thanked her.
But the attendant did not leave. Just as Mei Man carried the tray out, he suddenly grabbed her and looked at her suspiciously.
“Wait. When did you get here? I’ve never seen you before, and there haven’t been any new workers these past two days. You—don’t leave! Who are you? Did you use a disguise technique?”
The attendant had transformed himself with puppet arts. He was clearly no ordinary person, and he recognized at once that she was an impostor.
Mei Man’s expression shifted slightly. Without hesitation, she raised the tray and slammed it into his arm.
The attendant cried, “Ow!” His face twisted in pain as he stumbled backward and crashed through the door of the private room.
Mei Man turned and ran.
Afraid of causing even more trouble, she took a shortcut. Reaching the stairwell, she grabbed the railing and vaulted over it, leaping straight down from the second floor.
Fortunately, she had never slacked off while training her physical techniques. Her movements were swift, light, and nimble.
Inside the room behind her, Fan Zilang sprang to his feet. Always eager for excitement, he hurriedly asked, “What happened?”
The attendant clutched his arm and shouted frantically, “Thief! Catch the thief!”
“A thief?!” Fan Zilang immediately perked up. He shot Yu Guiya a look. “Let’s go!”
The two of them rushed out of the room one after the other, just in time to see a figure dash out of the teahouse. The figure was moving so fast that the naked eye could barely make out any features.
“Whoa! That thief can really run. Not bad at all.” Admiration flashed through Fan Zilang’s eyes, along with the eager look of someone itching for a contest.
Yu Guiya laughed at him. “Keep dawdling and she’ll be long gone.”
“Come on, come on! Let’s see what kind of thief would dare cause trouble in our Immortal Lord’s residence.” The two of them hurried downstairs and gave chase.
Mei Man had not run far when she heard shouting behind her. It was Fan Zilang’s voice.
“Don’t run!”
She thought bitterly that he really did take her for an idiot. Suddenly, a streak of silver light flew into the corner of her vision. She quickly twisted aside. The silver light struck the blue brick on the ground, smashing its corner to pieces.
She did not even want to imagine what would have happened if it had hit her.
That bastard! That wretch!
Mei Man glanced left and right, spotted a low wall, seized the top, and vaulted over it.
On the other side was a spirit-beast shop. Its courtyard was packed with all kinds of spirit beasts—ordinary cats, dogs, birds, and rabbits, as well as ferocious wolves, tigers, and leopards.
The spirit beasts began to grow restless at the sight of this uninvited guest. In an instant, the courtyard erupted with meows, barks, tiger roars, and wolf howls, deafening in their intensity. Quite a few of the beasts charged toward her.
Mei Man had already heard the commotion from the other side of the wall, but she was not afraid. Compared with the enormous white wolf Shen Shushi had transformed into, these not-yet-grown creatures were practically babies.
She pulled some dried meat from her pocket and tossed a few pieces into the herd. Once the leaders had tasted them, she flung a whole handful toward the base of the wall.
In an instant, the spirit beasts surged forward, scrambling over one another for the dried meat. Most of those that did not eat meat were harmless anyway.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Mei Man circled around and climbed over the wall at the opposite end of the courtyard.
As for Fan Zilang and Yu Guiya, so intent were they on catching her that they followed her over the wall.
By the time they realized what was happening inside, it was too late.
The moment they landed, they saw two wolves fighting over the meat, with a snarling tiger wedged in beside them.
Fan Zilang cried out in panic, “Aah! What kind of cursed place is this?!”
Hearing the howls behind her, Mei Man did not slow down even once.
Before long, the two men caught up with her again. Fan Zilang’s shouting had grown even louder, with curses tumbling out one after another—“I’ll chop you to pieces!” “Go to hell!” “You piece of trash!”
They were now on another main street. The cultivators on both sides turned at the commotion and naturally caught sight of her.
Fan Zilang bellowed, “Catch her! She’s a thief—a thief!”
Mei Man knitted her brows in fury. She ducked into a narrow alley nearby, vaulted over another wall, and slipped into a less crowded street.
Judging that the effect of the disguise pill was about to wear off, she hesitated over where to hide. Then she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure—
Xie Xu was walking out of a shop, several medicinal herbs hanging from one hand.
While no one was paying attention to her, Mei Man abruptly changed direction. In three quick strides, she reached him and grabbed his arm.
Sensing someone approaching, Xie Xu tried to move aside, but a hand shot out from the side and seized his forearm.
He frowned and instinctively tried to shake the person off.
“I—” Mei Man was so exhausted that she could only force out that single word. She abruptly dragged him into the nearby alley, positioned him in front of the entrance to block the view, then held onto his arm and bent over, gasping for breath.
Xie Xu froze for a moment. Recognizing her, he naturally steadied her.
At the same time, the disguise pill’s effects gradually faded, and Mei Man returned to her original appearance.
She had run more than half a street, climbed walls, and sprinted without pause. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, her face flushed bright red, and she was so out of breath that she could barely speak.
“Manman.” Xie Xu’s face remained expressionless as he calmly wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Why are you cultivating in the Spirit Market? There seem to be rather a lot of people here.”
What was wrong with this man?!
Mei Man felt as though her soul had nearly been shaken loose from her body. She had no strength to explain and simply picked out the most important part.
“Someone’s chasing me.”
From not far away came shouts rising and falling in volume.
Xie Xu cast a sidelong glance in that direction and saw two figures running toward them. The one in front was especially agitated, shouting “Catch the thief!” as though he had spotted a demon cultivator.
Several cultivators who had no idea what was going on were following them as well.
He turned his gaze away, then suddenly took a Clearwater Pill from his mustard-seed pouch. After wetting a handkerchief, he carefully wiped her face, neck, and hands again.
“Slow your breathing,” he said, his expression unchanged.
Mei Man adjusted her breathing, but her throat was so dry it felt as though smoke were rising from it. She could not help coughing several times.
Xie Xu crushed another Clearwater Pill, first rinsing the handkerchief and then soaking it again.
The water released by the Clearwater Pill was far too cold and harsh to drink. He glanced at the pile of plants on the stone platform to the left, pulled out some plantain herb, washed it, and placed it in her mouth.
“Plantain herb,” he explained.
Mei Man understood and chewed a few times. Its slightly bitter, fresh fragrance spread through her mouth, easing the stinging in her throat.
She took the handkerchief from him and buried her face in it, regulating her breathing.
Xie Xu poured some water into his palm. Once his palm had cooled, he pressed it against the back of her neck.
The footsteps outside drew closer and closer. Someone shouted, “I think I just saw someone run in there!”
Mei Man quickly wiped her face a few times and lifted her head.
Xie Xu took back the handkerchief, casually smoothed her disheveled bangs, and put the handkerchief back into his mustard-seed pouch.
The moment he tightened the pouch, the group arrived at the mouth of the alley.
Xie Xu turned around and shielded Mei Man behind him.
Fan Zilang came to an abrupt stop and frowned.
“Who are you? Move aside—wait!” His gaze suddenly sharpened. “Who’s behind you? Make her come out!”
Yu Guiya’s tone was much calmer than his. “Fellow Daoist, we’re pursuing a thief. If the person behind you is your friend, please let us pass. If not… perhaps you could ask her to come out, so we can avoid any misunderstanding.”
The other cultivators chimed in one after another. Xie Xu moved aside, but one arm remained protectively in front of Mei Man, ensuring that not even a glimpse of her could be seen.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Mei Man stayed behind him, using her hand as a fan and fanning herself repeatedly.
There were too many cultivators crowding the alley. She could not be sure whether any of them were capable of seeing through the effects of the disguise pill, so she did not dare use it again.
Xie Xu moved aside readily, but that only made Fan Zilang more suspicious.
“Wait. Have the person behind you come out. I—”
“It’s me.” Mei Man felt that her face was no longer so hot and stepped out.
Fan Zilang was stunned. “How is it you?!”
Yu Guiya’s smile faded as well.
“Someone came running in just now and nearly knocked me over.” Mei Man pointed at Xie Xu. “Fortunately, this fellow Daoist helped me steady myself, so I didn’t fall.”
Fan Zilang had not considered for a moment that she might be the thief. He hurriedly asked, “Where did that person go?”
Mei Man hesitated, looking as though she was extremely reluctant to tell him. Only after the others began urging her did she raise her hand and point toward the tall wall at the end of the alley.
“They went over it,” she said.
“I knew it! I knew it! Is that thief a monkey or something? How many walls have they climbed over already? And they still have the strength to keep going!” Fan Zilang cursed as he charged forward, followed by a large group of cultivators.
He had nearly forgotten why they were pursuing the thief in the first place. At this point, he only wanted to catch the person who had been making a fool of him.
From the corner of her eye, Mei Man saw the cultivators vanish over the wall one after another, like dumplings dropping into a pot. She almost laughed, but barely managed to hold it in. The moment she turned her gaze back, it met Yu Guiya’s.
The trace of a smile that had just formed on her lips vanished at once, and instinctive revulsion welled up in her heart. But this was not the time to openly turn against him, so she greeted him, “Senior Brother Yu.”
Yu Guiya asked, “Junior Sister, who is this?”
Mei Man replied, “We knew each other when I was in the outer sect. We happened to run into each other just now.”
“I thought he was your friend.” Yu Guiya smiled at Xie Xu and stepped forward. “I am—”
Mei Man suddenly retreated several paces, turning her face slightly away. Her intention to avoid him was unmistakable.
Yu Guiya’s smile stiffened.
Mei Man hesitated, seemingly at a loss for words. After a moment, she finally said, “I’m sorry, Senior Brother, but you’re somewhat… disgusting.”
Those brief words were sharper than needles.
Yu Guiya’s breath caught abruptly. The color drained from his face, and his chest felt unbearably tight.
With Xie Xu, a stranger, standing nearby, the humiliation of being openly disliked in front of another person was even worse.
He could not stop replaying her tone and expression in his mind, yet he still had to force a smile onto his face.
“What did you say?”
Mei Man took in his reaction and sneered inwardly.
This bastard enjoyed toying with other people, yet he could not bear a few harsh words himself.
She pretended not to understand and pointed at him. “Your clothes.”
Yu Guiya lowered his head and looked at himself. Only then did he notice the numerous strands of animal fur clinging to him. His sect robes were torn and disheveled, and patches of mud were stuck to them as well.
So that was what she meant.
He relaxed slightly, some color returning to his face. With an awkward smile, he said, “I’m sorry.” He cast a Dust-Cleansing Art and unconsciously took a step back. “I ran into a bit of an accident just now and ended up barging into a spirit-beast seller’s courtyard.”
Mei Man nodded without asking any further questions.
She glanced at the tall wall and said, “Senior Brother was pursuing the thief with Senior Brother Fan? If you keep wasting time here, won’t he blame you?”
Yu Guiya felt a little uncomfortable at that. “Junior Sister, even if I’m pursuing a thief, it’s because I chose to do so. I don’t owe him anything. Why should I be afraid of his blame?”
“Oh. I only saw you constantly cleaning up Senior Brother Fan’s messes, so I thought perhaps you owed him some favor, or that you were one of his household servants.” Mei Man paused, and a hint of apology suddenly appeared between her brows. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good with words. I meant that he seemed to be ordering you around—no, that’s not what I meant either. I only wanted to say—”
“It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it.” Yu Guiya interrupted her. His expression had already become strained, and his tone was stiff. “But I owe him nothing, much less am I his servant, at his beck and call. We simply happened to run into a thief and joined forces to pursue him.”
“Then Senior Brother Yu, you should hurry along. Don’t let the thief get away.” Mei Man deliberately moved around him as though there were something filthy on his body and she found him repulsive. “I still have things to buy, so I’ll be going.”
Xie Xu followed her example. Though he said nothing, he walked around Yu Guiya as well, looking as though he would rather press himself against the wall than pass too close.
Yu Guiya felt a heavy knot in his chest, yet he still had to pretend that nothing was wrong as he watched her leave.
After they had gone some distance and confirmed that no one was nearby, Xie Xu finally asked Mei Man, “You really dislike that person from earlier?”
Only when it came to people she hated would she begrudge them even a little of her attention to make sarcastic remarks.
“Those two bastards.” Mei Man’s expression darkened. “They can keep chasing. Even if they catch that thief in their next life, they won’t catch them in this one.”
Xie Xu recalled her earlier complaints in his presence and realized that those two must be the “even more insufferable inner-sect cultivators” she had mentioned.
He was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “Should we deal with them?”
Mei Man merely looked at him as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Her expression turned cold and sinister.
“No need. I have a better plan.”
After returning to her cave dwelling, Mei Man cast Fan Zilang and Yu Guiya completely out of her mind and devoted herself to researching the Meridian-Reforming Pill.
Over the next half month, she read through a great many books and thoroughly studied the Meridian-Reforming Pill. Combining what she had learned with the method for refining the Spirit-Nourishing Restoration Pill, she eventually devised an improved formula—one that could nourish and protect the meridians while reconstructing them, minimizing the possibility of damage as much as possible.
Mei Man also asked Shen Shushi for several puppet people specifically intended for testing medicine. She claimed that she wanted to test a fasting pill.
She succeeded four times.
The puppet people’s meridians were reshaped, and every tendon and bone in their bodies became tougher and stronger.
Moreover, puppet people who succeeded in taking the medicine a second time would almost never encounter any problems.
But there had been one failure.
Not long after taking the elixir, that puppet person exploded, scattering wooden splinters all over the room.
Four out of five.
The odds of success seemed quite high, but she knew that as long as they were not one hundred percent, there was always a chance of failure.
And once it failed, everything would be over.
On the third day after devising this method, Mei Man locked herself in her room and swallowed the Meridian-Recasting Pill she had personally modified.
