85 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

### Chapter 85: Love Potion As He He scrutinized further, she noticed that Qin Miao's face had settled into calmness, making her earlier glimpse of her guilty conscience seem like an illusion. The young girl's eyes momentarily dimmed as she smiled and greeted the elder sisters among their fellow disciples. Having been dragged hastily along by Huai Ye, her current disheveled appearance drew heartfelt concern from the elder sisters. "How come our pretty little girl now looks like she’s fleeing from disaster!" The elder sister, slightly older than Huai Ye, took apart the hasty bun He He had tied and began redoing her hair, while chiding Huai Ye, "Last time I taught you painstakingly how to braid hair, yet you can't even help your junior sister fix her hair properly." Huai Ye was busy distributing monster cores she had collected along the way to her senior and junior sisters, much like distributing holiday gifts. Though they might not be exceptionally valuable due to incompatibility or low rank, they were still useful for her less skilled sisters. Upon hearing this, she frowned and replied, "What are you talking about? Why is it my fault again? Can't she braid her own hair?" The mischievous young girl sat contentedly amongst the sisters, one braiding her hair and another offering her candies from a storage pouch. She seemed at ease and well-adapted amidst the girls. Seeing this, Huai Ye felt a twinge of dissatisfaction, thinking that He He, who initially appeared like a pitiable stray pup abandoned by the road, had quickly learned to play cute to win affection after just a few days of care. He He murmured, "Yes indeed, if you hadn't pushed me into the dirt earlier, would I be covered in dust now?" "I was just getting out of an illusion and had to be sure you were real," Huai Ye explained defensively, not expecting her to complain. She felt a slight premonition that this grudge-holding junior sister would surely report it to Xiang Shi Yan upon returning to the mountain. The older sister rolled her eyes at Huai Ye and sighed, "See, you're giving Little He a hard time again. Can you act a little more like a senior sister?" "But aren't I your junior sister?" Huai Ye retorted, "You don't give me good faces either." "You've got the nerve; you're only a few months younger than me!" Watching the girls frolic amidst the mist-laden clearing, He He mused that Huai Ye had a relatively good reputation among the sect members. Though her personality somewhat mirrored Xiang Shi Yan's, she wasn't as unapproachable as Elder Yue Hua. The older sisters especially loved dressing up the beautiful young junior like a doll—now it was He He's turn to be molded by the sisters' hands. It seemed unlikely that these female cultivators, out of jealousy or some other motive, would conspire with Qin Miao to harm Huai Ye, He He thought. In contrast, the atmosphere among the male cultivators was tense. Qin Miao didn't have a good relationship with them. They had little to say to one another after a brief inquiry about why they were separated from the main group, lapsing into silence thereafter. He He had witnessed male cultivators of Yu Cang Shan bullying Qin Miao verbally and physically more than once. She understood the tendency for people not only to admire the strong but also to harass the weak. Everyone—allegedly dispassionate seekers of the Way included—spent their lives trying to climb to the top of the chain while exploiting those below in visible or covert ways. On the path of cultivation, Qin Miao was a dual-spirit root, yet her cultivation speed was slower than many triple-sprit root cultivators. In Yu Cang Shan, he was the beloved first disciple of Elder Yue Hua, yet extremely weak. Though Qin Miao was at the top of the chain, he allowed others to humiliate him without resistance, making him the perfect sacrificial lamb. To others, Qin Miao, lacking in apparent virtues (given her not particularly good temperament or heart), inexplicably attracted Xiang Shi Yan's favor, companionship from Huai Ye, and better resources than many others, which incited their envy. Conveniently, this lucky one lacked the means to fight back. He He disdained such base desires, thinking these cowards who flaunted strength by bullying weaker individuals were, in some ways, more contemptible than Qin Miao. However... upon reflection, could any male cultivator really conspire with Qin Miao? Would Qin Miao be willing to cooperate with them? In He He's opinion, if a female cultivator colluded with Qin Miao, he would inevitably benefit the most. If it were a male cultivator, however, Qin Miao would not only bear the brunt of betrayal's backlash but also face punishment as an accomplice once exposed. Huai Ye enjoyed a sound reputation among Yu Cang Shan’s female cultivators. Though she lacked patience, she was candid and generous when instructing junior sisters, often rewarding them with trinkets or snacks she purchased from the mortal world—likely an influence from Xiang Shi Yan. He He had received numerous such enticing but practically useless items from her while advancing to the fourth level of the Qi Refinement Stage. Among her peers, the girls who grew up alongside her knew her thoroughly, making it improbable for them to harm a friend over trivial conflicts involving men. Suppose instead a female cultivator harbored intentions against Huai Ye... A flash of insight struck He He, but after pondering the sisters she remembered, none seemed emotionally obsessed over this “glutton.” The sisters had already started preparing dinner. Leading the group, Brother Zheng took out fresh meat from his storage pouch, handing it over to the sister who had been bantering with Huai Ye earlier. The young man scratched the back of his head and said, "Since Sister Huai Ye is here, let's have Sister Wang showcase her culinary skills again and delight us." Zheng Yiwen, a disciple of Elder Jing Wu, was the second most notable among the generation of disciples in Yu Cang Shan, surpassed only by Huai Ye. The pair, being of similar age, once rivaled each other in their youth. However, after Huai Ye's astounding talent left him far behind, Zheng Yiwen abandoned his ambitions to surpass her in cultivation. Reaching the age where one admires and loves, his feelings toward his beautiful childhood friend evolved over time. Currently, few pursued Huai Ye not only because of her aloof demeanor towards suitors, but because Zheng Yiwen, the leading male cultivator in Yu Cang Shan's cohort, persistently pursued her, making any potential suitor wary of disrespecting him. This Brother Zheng was a single-spirit-root fire element cultivator, only half a year from turning twenty. He was fortunate to advance once more into the Nascent Soul Stage. His rapid advancement made junior disciples hesitant to cross him lightly. Zheng Yiwen's remarks were clearly an attempt to impress, evidenced by the teasing laughter among the sisters and the sycophantic chuckles from the other senior brothers. Qin Miao's face was flushed by the fire's glow, leaving He He unsure of her thoughts. At first glance, the boy appeared calm; however, during the collective laughter, he alternated between indignantly gripping his numb left leg and gazing at the fire with excitement. "Ha, so that's why when you hunted that Six-eyed Fire-devouring Hog, you only wanted the tender bits. You were catering to your lady's taste," Sister Wang teased, half-covering her mouth. "Pfft," He He stifled a laugh and turned to her sister, "Is gifting raw meat a thing now?" Another sister responded, "Little Sister might not know, but for someone as oblivious as Sister Huai Ye, giving her jewelry and clothes only leads to her stating sect robes suffice or that the elder's old clothes fit perfectly. Offering spiritual herbs or elixirs returns them doubly with casual disregard. The memory of food, though, sticks the longest!" Sister Wang, collecting the meat, chimed in resentfully, "That girl also had the nerve to say Sister Long's hairpin was prettier than the one I gave her!" Zheng Yiwen gave a light cough, unable to hide his embarrassment. Sitting obediently next to He He and waiting to be fed, Huai Ye overheard Sister Wang’s snide remarks about her, prompting her to retort angrily, "Didn't I wear the hairpin you gave me just fine?" The older sister challenged, "Where did you wear it?" Frowning, Huai Ye, though guilty, loudly declared, "I wore it for over a year! Don't deny it just because it dropped during the fight with the Purity Worms. I'll go back and get another the same." "Hmph, what do I care if you wear it or not? Don't make it sound like I forced you," said Sister Wang, smugly raising her chin. "You’re just too lazy to groom yourself, which is why we help out." "But your hairpins really don't look as nice as Sister Long's," Huai Ye muttered. "You little rascal! Don't expect another meal cooked by me again!" It seemed Sister Wang’s cooking truly was exceptional because Huai Ye stared in shock, then awkwardly and reluctantly offered, "There’s no need to speak so harshly between sisters. Everyone has their preferences. Sister Wang's choices are unique...but not without merit." Once Huai Ye faltered, Sister Wang finally let her be. Even more mortified, Zheng Yiwen recalled he too had gifted Huai Ye items meant to appeal to girls, yet it appeared she retained no memory of them. Just as he happened upon a means to delight her, Huai Ye seemed entirely disengaged, with her attention elsewhere. A subtle shift in Zheng Yiwen's expression alerted two observing him to tension simmering beneath his surface. A group of female cultivators laughed and playfully carved wooden skewers, threading the sliced meat onto them. The experienced sister had even brought her own set of seasonings in her storage pouch. They handed out the skewers, and everyone gathered around the fire to grill the meat together. Even though a storm had swept away the white mist, swirling fog still lingered at a cautious distance. The youths, however, remained unfazed, unaware of the peril lurking beneath this seemingly calm scene. Zheng Yiwen, diligently overseeing his skewer on the grill, managed to produce a particularly tender piece of meat. As a fire-aligned Golden Core cultivator nurturing the roast, its aroma was enticing. Despite the benefit that spiritual meat offered to cultivators, its effectiveness wanes as one's cultivation level grows. By the Golden Core stage, such indulgences were considered little more than distractions. The young man, pleased with his handy work, offered the skewer to Huai Ye. Although his persistent efforts were no match for her talent, years of rigorous cultivation had ingrained discipline in him, curbing his desires for mere indulgences. To him, indulging in such trivialities was hardly worthwhile, especially when something truly captivating lay just ahead... Huai Ye accepted without hesitation, trusting her fellow disciples implicitly, even one she had seriously rejected but who still persisted in courting her. Although she achieved the Golden Core formation at sixteen, her penchant for food remained, lacking awareness of how impurities could affect spiritual energy flow. Heavenly physiques, aren't they wonderful? Zheng Yiwen and Qin Miao mused, part envious, part disdainful. He He did not miss the fleeting darkness in their expressions. The fact that Qin Miao could share such a sentiment with someone who had bullied her struck He He as rather amusing. Zheng Yiwen was the most prominent of Huai Ye's open suitors. Sensing this long ago, it wasn't just Huai Ye's beauty he coveted, but other significant advantages too. However, Huai Ye was not one to be taken lightly. Whether she realized it or not, she almost never associated with male cultivators, except for Qin Miao, who was Xiang Shi Yan's disciple. This made Zheng Yiwen anxious; Qin Miao's mere presence left him uneasy. Indeed, much of the sect's brotherhood shared his disdain for Qin Miao, largely due to Zheng Yiwen's influence, mirrored by disciples like Sheng Qing, who trained under the same master, Jing Wu Elder. Qin Miao was aware of this sentiment; hence, she would not collaborate with Zheng Yiwen. Why act now, in such an inappropriate moment with many people around? Perhaps they simply happened upon Huai Ye in the Fog Gorge, or because the art of illusions was so rare and unpredictable that proof of coercion would be conveniently excused by blaming the fog’s deceit. Would the sect leader really punish him harshly? After all, as a sword cultivator, Zheng Yiwen's divine sense wasn’t particularly strong. Should an encounter with a powerful illusion beast sway him, his susceptibility was understandable. If Huai Ye, at mid-Golden Core stage, couldn't maintain control, how could they expect Zheng Yiwen, of lesser cultivation, to remain entirely unaffected? Even if the sect leader disbelieved, his master would certainly defend him, having surmised Huai Ye’s unique physique and concocted this plan accordingly... Moreover, once events transpired, regardless of the sect leader’s indignation, they would still weigh the risk of exposing Huai Ye's celestial body status. With advantageous timing, an auspicious meeting with Huai Ye in Fog Gorge seemed a divine endorsement, prompting Zheng Yiwen to advance his scheme. But, the observer often has an advantage—he underestimated Qin Miao. How did Qin Miao become aware of his plan? He He's slowly fading smile indicated her curiosity. Ever since Xiang Shi Yan rescued her, fragmented memories occasionally surfaced, revealing scenes unfamiliar to her, such as strangling a black-scaled snake demon in a grand hall which she witnessed in Xin Yang City. When did these events occur? Even if she knew of the plots against Huai Ye, how did Qin Miao predict the two groups would fortuitously meet in Fog Gorge, and how could she be certain Zheng Yiwen would risk his endeavor here? Rather than lessening, the mysteries multiplied, and before her stood a clueless fool, while a ravenous wolf, eyes aglow, eagerly awaited Huai Ye to devour the skewered meat from her hands. Perhaps abandoning this foolishness would suffice. Keeping an indifferent gaze toward the unfolding farce, He He considered leaving Huai Ye to her own devices. Though Xiang Shi Yan had entrusted her with this task, should Huai Ye encounter any trouble, it wouldn’t be blamed on He He. A flash of memory flickered—a girl standing firm against a massive white worm. He He heard herself say, “I want that skewer in your hand.” No one really focused on them, except for the two hungry wolves by the fire, who froze abruptly. “Yours looks bigger,” her junior sister coyly whined, “Can I trade mine for yours?” Huai Ye shot her a vexed glance but, upon noticing the abrupt shift in Zheng Yiwen’s expression, complied and traded skewers with her. Apparently, she was not as dense as imagined, subtly expressing her disregard and resistance to her clingy suitor. Yet, she likely couldn’t fathom her childhood friend’s lurking ambitions nor intentionally deflect her pesky junior sister’s interference. He He grinned contentedly, devouring the skewer imbued with the love potion. --- **Author's Note:** I posted this just twenty seconds before midnight, feeling incredibly strong! But since I wasn’t finished writing, I added a bit more content, sadly... Thank you for your support through votes or nourishing "nutrient solution" from April 7, 2022, to April 9, 35:59:37~. 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