What if I screw it up

The Eastern Victory Divine Continent.

Inside a first-class guest room at the Pingjin Jade Pavilion.

"Leader, who are you writing to?"

A woman in a pale yellow dress looked curiously at Li Yingling as she gently placed the candied fruits Li Yingling had asked for on the table.

Li Yingling, holding the brush herself, replied with a cold expression, "To my master."

Zhang Miaoyu's curiosity grew. "Were the previous letters also for them?"

"Yes."

"Then why haven’t you received any replies?"

Li Yingling couldn’t help but raise her head and glance at Zhang Miaoyu, whose cultivation was high but whose brains were lacking.

Back in the sect, she thought the dumbest people were her junior brothers and sisters. Only after leaving did she realize fools were everywhere.

Even her second junior brother would probably be considered a genius here.

Had she misunderstood him all this time?

Her tone turned icy. "We’re constantly on the move. Where do you expect my master to send replies?"

Zhang Miaoyu froze for a moment before her face lit up with realization—that made perfect sense.

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder about Li Yingling’s master.

Her leader had already made quite a name for herself shortly after arriving in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent—Cold Sword Fairy.

Unrivaled among Golden Core cultivators, Zhang Miaoyu even suspected that newly ascended Nascent Soul experts might not stand a chance against her.

But it wasn’t just her cultivation that left others in awe—it was her terrifying intellect.

The disparity between ordinary people and Li Yingling was stark.

Calling her "flawless in strategy" wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Though some of her plans seemed outlandish at first, those who followed them meticulously always emerged unscathed, if slightly shaken.

After a couple of such experiences, the team had unanimously agreed—this was just how geniuses operated.

The only flaw in their otherwise perfect leader was her aloofness. She rarely mingled with the group, speaking more only on rare occasions when she was in a good mood.

Most of the time, she kept a detached demeanor, leading the team to assume—Li Yingling must be a prodigy from one of the Central Continent’s elite sects, sent out to temper herself.

After all, a cultivator with divine abilities, flawless foundations, and a razor-sharp mind couldn’t possibly come from an ordinary sect.

She was also generous, dividing spoils strictly according to prior agreements, even when her contributions far outweighed others’.

Li Yingling was nearly flawless, and this near-perfect reputation had quickly drawn many to her side.

Some even speculated she might be a core disciple of one of the Central Continent’s Eighteen Immortal Sects.

Now that she mentioned her master, Zhang Miaoyu couldn’t help but wonder—what kind of supreme expert could have nurtured someone like Li Yingling?

Would she have heard of this master’s name?

Curious, Zhang Miaoyu asked, "Leader, what’s your master like? Are they as cold as you?"

Li Yingling lowered her head and continued writing. "My master is quite easygoing."

"Oh… Then, since they trained someone as incredible as you, they must be brilliant too, right?"

"Mn. If you spoke three sentences to them, they’d know exactly how to swindle you out of everything—even make you count the money for them after selling you off."

"Eh?!" Zhang Miaoyu blinked, her expression indignant. "No way! I’m not that stupid!"

Li Yingling set down her brush and looked at her. "My master is far smarter than me. They often scold me for being thoughtless."

"Then… I suppose that might be possible." Zhang Miaoyu chuckled awkwardly. "But since you’re so kind, your master must be too, right?"

Li Yingling neatly folded the letter. "Very much so."

Zhang Miaoyu froze in disbelief—because for the first time, she saw a faint smile on Li Yingling’s face!

"Done asking?" Li Yingling stood. "After this mission, I’ll be moving on alone. I won’t be taking any of you with me."

"Wha—?!" Zhang Miaoyu jolted back to reality. "Leader, you can leave the others, but take me! I can’t function without you—I don’t even have to think when you’re around!"

Li Yingling didn’t respond. She stored the letter and candied fruits in her spatial ring before pushing open the door and stepping out.

Downstairs in the main hall, over a dozen cultivators—all at least early Golden Core—were drinking and laughing boisterously.

The entire hall was in an uproar. Though Pingjin Jade Pavilion catered exclusively to cultivators, the other guests had fallen silent, not daring to speak.

This wasn’t the Central Continent—this was the Eastern Victory Divine Continent.

A group of over a dozen Golden Core cultivators was a terrifying force, one that even most sects couldn’t muster.

But the moment the door creaked open, the raucous hall fell silent.

All eyes turned to the figure standing on the top floor.

Li Yingling gave a slight nod. "Time to work."

"Yes, Leader!"

Not a single voice questioned her. Any doubts had long since been replaced by unwavering trust after countless successes.

Li Yingling’s gaze remained calm, but her mind was already wandering—where to go after this?

The outside world wasn’t as dangerous as she’d imagined. She wondered how her second junior brother had managed to struggle so much.

Should she invite him to join her?

---

Towering City.

Beneath the tranquil surface, turbulent undercurrents raged.

Fortunately, Chen Baiqing had already bought gifts for everyone.

Admittedly, he had a sharp tongue—he’d claimed he wouldn’t get anything for the fifth junior brother, but he’d still picked something up.

He’d even secretly prepared a gift for Chu Xingchen and seemed to be planning a small surprise for their master.

Though Chu Xingchen hadn’t received any messages from Chen Mouguang, the rumors alone made it clear how chaotic things had gotten.

Mist Mystic Temple, a sect once backed by the Taidao Sect, had been sending out Nascent Soul elders to patrol the region every few days.

The news couldn’t be suppressed.

Eventually, they’d stationed Nascent Soul elders outside permanently.

Some fool from one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects had seized the opportunity, rallying allies to launch a direct assault on Mist Mystic Temple.

They’d only retreated after forcing the sect’s reclusive grand elder to intervene.

A bold move, to say the least.

According to Chen Mouguang, while the stunt was reckless, it had yielded valuable intelligence.

Yet the mastermind behind it all, Chen Mouguang, spent most of his time leisurely gathering reports from the safety of Eternal Peace Funeral Parlor.

Mist Mystic Temple was now stuck between a rock and a hard place. With their attention divided, their situation had deteriorated rapidly.

And once the other Eighteen Immortal Sects realized there were no consequences for such actions, they grew even bolder.

Now, even mortals were whispering about Mist Mystic Temple’s scandals.

---

Eternal Peace Funeral Parlor.

Chu Xingchen pushed open the half-closed door, leading Chen Baiqing inside.

At this moment, Chen Mouguang could be seen earnestly giving instructions to the others. Sensing Chen Baiqing's arrival, he turned around and spoke with a serious tone:

"The Taidao Sect has decided to intervene. Their people are currently taking over affairs at the Mist Mystic Temple."

"Under Elder Bai's forceful insistence, the Tianyan Sect has already dispatched reinforcements, and they are on their way."

"However, time is pressing. We may need to act first. I’ve compiled a detailed report—would you like to review it, Senior?"

Chu Xingchen accepted the information jade slip handed to him.

Chen Mouguang wore a slightly helpless smile. "Perhaps we’ve overstepped this time. The Taidao Sect’s delegation is unexpectedly formidable. Though they’re trying to control the situation without letting their elders step in and risk embarrassment..."

"Among them is the Taidao Sect’s head disciple—Daoist Yuyang, personally taught by the sect leader himself."

"Little is known about him, except that he’s at the Divine Transformation realm and has reportedly mastered the Taidao Sect’s supreme technique—the Great Unity Divine Art."

"I wonder… can you handle him, Senior?"

After absorbing the jade slip’s contents, Chu Xingchen looked at Chen Mouguang and asked:

"What if I crush him instead?"

Chen Mouguang took it as a joke and played along:

"In that case, I’d kowtow to you twice without hesitation."