Ink Pitying Stars... Heartless

"Fellow Daoist, is there still a need to hide?"

Jiang Che's casual remark instantly shattered the composure of Mo Lianxing, who had been concealed within the Soul Nurturing Ring.

[As expected, he already knew of my existence.]

Jiang Ruoxu grew even more flustered.

"Master... Master, it seems you've been discovered!"

"My brother is this badass? Even you couldn't evade his notice?"

Mo Lianxing sighed softly within the ring.

[Disciple, though I am currently in a soul form hidden within the Soul Nurturing Ring, a true powerhouse would still be able to detect me. Young Master Jiang's master is likely observing from the shadows. There's no lying our way out of this.]

Mo Lianxing's words left Jiang Ruoxu momentarily stunned, an inexplicable dread creeping into his heart.

Wait, Master, since when do you address him as "Young Master Jiang"?

[Ah~ Since Young Master Jiang has already recognized me, there's no point in hiding any longer.]

[I shall emerge from the Soul Nurturing Ring now. Be careful not to misspeak later!]

Mo Lianxing retrieved a mirror from within the ring, examined her reflection, and nodded in satisfaction.

In the next moment, her entire form materialized outside the ring!

......

A radiant glow flashed from the ring on Jiang Ruoxu's finger, and an ethereally beautiful figure appeared before Jiang Che's eyes.

Though Mo Lianxing was merely a soul, her appearance was nearly indistinguishable from a living person—save for a faint translucency.

Clad in snow-white robes, her waist-length raven hair cascaded like a waterfall. Her face was breathtakingly exquisite, as if crafted to captivate the world itself.

Her figure was graceful and alluring, her proportions flawless. A delicate orchid-shaped seal adorned the corner of her eye, and an innate celestial aura seemed to radiate from her very bones.

Mo Lianxing was indeed as dazzling as the stars in the night sky.

"This humble one, Mo Lianxing... pays her respects to Young Master Jiang."

She gave a slight bow, her tone deferential. After all, she was at his mercy, and with Jiang Che's mysterious and formidable master looming in the background, she had no choice but to lower her pride.

Jiang Ruoxu gaped at his master's stunning visage, and for a fleeting moment... he found himself entertaining improper thoughts about her!

"No... this can't be! How could I harbor such feelings for my own master? She's been like a parent to me... I must never commit such a disgraceful act."

As the young master of the Jiang family in the capital, Jiang Ruoxu had never lacked beautiful companions growing up. Yet he had always been single-mindedly devoted to martial cultivation. Who would have thought his first stirrings of affection would be directed at his own master?

To encounter someone so extraordinary in one's youth is a curse—for the rest of one's life will forever be haunted by their shadow. This was precisely what Jiang Ruoxu was experiencing now.

Meanwhile, Jiang Che raised an eyebrow as he studied Mo Lianxing.

Damn, what a knockout! A true celestial beauty—a perfect 10, no question about it.

In Jiang Che's harem, there were plenty of 98s and 99s—like the pampered Yu Wan'er, the noble lady Ye Mengyao, or the kitten-like Su Mianmian—but only a handful could claim full marks.

Yet Mo Lianxing wasn't just flawless in appearance; her otherworldly aura sent a thrill through Jiang Che.

His body gave the highest compliment a man could offer a beautiful woman.

He was up!

...

"So you're Jiang Ruoxu's master? To exist as a soul... your peak strength must have been decent."

Jiang Che casually appraised her.

[In my prime, I was merely at the Nirvana Realm. I must seem laughable to Young Master Jiang~]

Mo Lianxing was now convinced that an unfathomably powerful figure stood behind Jiang Che.

"Ah, the Nirvana Realm? That's... passable, I suppose."

Jiang Che nodded, filing away this new cultivation tier for future reference.

Though he was only a Grandmaster himself, that didn't stop him from looking down on Nirvana Realm experts.

Mo Lianxing's soul nearly wavered in shock.

She had been quite proud of her former cultivation level—after all, she had once stood at the pinnacle of her world.

Yet Jiang Che's evaluation was... "passable"?

Just how terrifyingly strong was his master?

Listening to her inner monologue, Jiang Che nearly burst out laughing.

His reputation rested entirely on her imagination!

"You've been hiding in that Soul Nurturing Ring as my little brother's master."

Mo Lianxing hastily waved her hands. "Master is too grand a title. Think of me more as a guardian."

"Heh, how amusing, Senior Mo. Five thousand years of soul age... yet you speak like a maiden. I half-expected a crone."

"Though cultivation is an arduous path, maintaining one's innocence throughout is truly rare."

Jiang Che's teasing left Mo Lianxing wide-eyed. How had he discerned her soul's age?

Jiang Che's air of mystery deepened.

Yet while his words praised her purity, they carried an odd undertone—as if implying she'd wasted five millennia.

Awkward!

"You flatter me, Young Master Jiang. Though my soul has endured five millennia, I spent most of it in deep cultivation—especially after reaching the Nirvana Realm, where endless cycles of rebirth consumed my time."

Jiang Che nodded sagely, continuing his act.

What did he know about cultivation? Dual cultivation was his only expertise!

He hadn't the faintest clue about Martial Domains, having stumbled into the Grandmaster realm purely through his system's boosts.

......

"Young Master Jiang, my soul is on the verge of dissipation. All I seek is a single Soul Nurturing Pill."

Mo Lianxing finally revealed her purpose.

"Brother, I'm begging you. You can see my master's condition—without that pill, she'll vanish soon!"

Jiang Ruoxu chimed in.

The master-disciple duo gave Jiang Che the distinct impression of freeloaders.

Jiang Che produced the pill, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Senior Mo, you must know how precious a Soul Nurturing Pill is—let alone a Supreme-Grade one. This is a seventh-tier elixir... even my master only gave me one."

"Moreover, this was meant to stabilize my soul when I break through to the Divine Transformation Realm..."

Helping others required making it seem like a struggle—otherwise, they'd take it for granted and see you as a pushover.

Jiang Che knew this well. No one got something for nothing from him.

Mo Lianxing's expression froze.

Using a Supreme-Grade Soul Nurturing Pill for mere soul stabilization? What a waste of a treasure!

In her heyday, she would've snatched it without hesitation, declaring, "This item has a connection with me!"

But now, reduced to a pitiful state, she could only gaze longingly.

Hearing her inner thoughts, Jiang Che was thoroughly amused.

So this isn't the fairy sister after all, but actually the witch sister!

Mo Lianxing, Mo Lianxing... Damn, doesn't that just sound like "no conscience"?