The waiter’s long, drawn-out cry interrupted Luo Qingchen’s train of thought.
“Coming right up, guest! Your Plain Noodles with extra green onions!”
The coarse porcelain bowl was thumped onto the table, steaming hot and fragrant with the scent of green onions.
Luo Qingchen didn’t touch her chopsticks.
She picked up the bowl, stood up, and walked straight toward the most conspicuous table in the center of the lobby.
The group from Hidden Sword Mountain occupied the best spots in the hall.
Ling Xiyue sat alone at one table, while her junior brothers and sisters were crowded around another table nearby, separated by a clear divide.
Luo Qingchen walked right up to Ling Xiyue, placed the coarse porcelain bowl on the table, pulled out a bench, and sat down with poise.
“Hi there~ Immortal, would it be convenient to share a table?”
At that moment, all the noise in the lobby died down.
The rogue cultivators stopped their chopsticks and looked over as if watching a play.
The disciples of Hidden Sword Mountain were stunned at first, and then their expressions shifted in unison.
A male disciple in green robes slapped the table.
“Where did this brat come from? You must be blind! Do you even know who this is? There are so many empty tables around, yet you insist on pestering our Senior Sister. You must be crazy to try and climb the social ladder!”
“Exactly. Any random cat or dog thinks they can cozy up to our Senior Sister,” a female disciple chimed in, her face full of disdain.
Ling Xiyue looked up.
There was no expression on her exquisite, cold face.
Her gaze passed over the steaming bowl of noodles and landed on Luo Qingchen’s face.
“There are several empty seats nearby,” Ling Xiyue said.
Her voice was cold, revealing neither joy nor anger.
“If you have something to say, speak plainly.”
Luo Qingchen ignored the shouting disciples completely.
She pulled a pair of bamboo chopsticks from the container, tapped them on the table to align them, and let out a heavy, meaningful sigh.
“Ahem.”
Luo Qingchen cleared her throat and lowered her voice, feigning an air of mystery.
“I am the 138th generation, and the final sole successor of the Physiognomy Sect. Just now, while I was drinking tea in the corner, I accidentally caught a glimpse of your features, Immortal…”
She paused deliberately, shaking her head repeatedly.
“Oh dear, oh dear. It is bad, truly terrible.”
The male disciple in green robes laughed out of anger.
“What nonsense! Our Senior Sister is the pride of our sect! Who do you think you are, coming here to spread such delusions and bewitch people?”
Even though they usually marginalized and found it difficult to get along with this Senior Sister, they still couldn’t stand it when a random nobody tried to approach her.
“Shut up.”
Ling Xiyue spat out the two words.
The male disciple in green robes instantly fell silent, his face flushing red as he sat back down in frustration.
Ling Xiyue looked at Luo Qingchen, her tone remaining flat.
“Tell me more.”
‘Hooked.’
Luo Qingchen’s heart bloomed with joy, but she maintained a profound and inscrutable expression on her face.
She turned her head and waved toward the counter.
“Waiter! Slice 2 pounds of your best sauce-braised beef and warm up a flask of *Shaodaozi*! Send it to this table!”
The waiter, who was worried about the lack of business, beamed at her words.
“Right away! One moment, guest!”
Luo Qingchen turned back and gave Ling Xiyue a wide grin.
“To meet is to have fate. It’s my treat. Let me add two thin dishes as a small token of my respect. You don’t mind, do you, Immortal?”
Ling Xiyue nodded slightly.
“It is fine.”
Luo Qingchen rested her chopsticks across the bowl and leaned forward slightly.
“I have observed your features, Immortal. Your forehead is full and your jaw is well-rounded. By all rights, this destiny should be one of smooth sailing with the God of Wealth.”
Luo Qingchen began to recite the pretentious jargon she had read in novels in her previous life, combining it with the intelligence she had just overheard.
“Within your sect, you must be deeply favored by your elders, and you surely never lack cultivation resources. Most importantly, your talent is exceptional, far surpassing your peers.”
Ling Xiyue said nothing.
However, Luo Qingchen keenly noticed that the fingers holding the teacup relaxed slightly.
Flattery never goes out of style.
This cold goddess probably heard plenty of praise from elders and bitter remarks from her peers, but hearing it calculated so seriously by a complete stranger felt entirely different.
“Unfortunately.”
Luo Qingchen changed her tone and let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head again.
“It is truly, truly a pity.”
Ling Xiyue couldn’t help but ask, “A pity for what?”
The surrounding Hidden Sword Mountain disciples also pricked up their ears, each of them staring at Luo Qingchen as if she were a fool.
They wanted to see what kind of flowery lies this girl could spin.
To try and scam their Senior Sister — she was truly looking for death.
The waiter came trotting over with a tray.
“Guest, your sauce-braised beef and *Shaodaozi* are all here!”
A large plate of thickly sliced beef was served with a dish of minced garlic and aged vinegar, along with a flask of steaming-hot, strong liquor.
Luo Qingchen swallowed her saliva.
Over the past month, in order to avoid potential pursuers and because she had no money, she had been sleeping in the wild and eating whatever she could find.
She had dug up potatoes and gnawed on wild fruits.
Once, she had even eaten the wrong kind of poisonous mushroom, resulting in diarrhea for 3 days that nearly made her vomit her stomach acid.
Heaven knows how she, a corporate slave who ate takeout for every meal in her past life, had managed to survive.
She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of beef with the perfect ratio of fat to lean, dipped it in the garlic sauce, and stuffed it into her mouth.
The aroma of the meat filled her senses; it was tender and flavorful.
Luo Qingchen ate with her eyes curved in a smile, chewing contentedly.
She poured herself a cup of *Shaodaozi* and downed it in one go.
“Wahoo! That hits the spot!”
Ling Xiyue simply watched her eat in silence.
Luo Qingchen ate three pieces of beef in a row before finally putting down her chopsticks and wiping her mouth.
“The pity lies in the fact that even though you have clearly done nothing, everyone around you finds you an eyesore.”
Luo Qingchen lowered her voice, striking right at the sore spot.
“Does it feel like they all want to make things difficult for you, yet you can’t see it on the surface? Do you always feel a sense of unease in your heart?”
The air suddenly went still.
The expressions of the Hidden Sword Mountain disciples all changed.
These words had essentially ripped away their final shred of pretense.
Ling Xiyue’s grip on her teacup suddenly tightened.
A crack finally appeared on her eternally frozen, iceberg-like face.
“Do you know why this is?” Ling Xiyue’s voice trembled slightly.
“Of course I know.”
Luo Qingchen leaned back and crossed her arms, putting on the air of a master.
“You, my friend, have a major problem with your destiny. Heaven is jealous of your talent, and you have fallen into the alignment of the Lone Star of Malice.”
Luo Qingchen began to talk nonsense.
“If this situation isn’t resolved, at best you will be deserted by everyone, and at worst… you will meet an early grave.”
Ling Xiyue frowned slightly.
“How do I resolve it?”
The moment for the final play had arrived.
Luo Qingchen suppressed her racing heart and tried to keep her tone sounding flat and professional.
“It’s easy.”
Luo Qingchen held out a hand, palm up.
“Give me the most valuable item in your storage bag. I will use it as a medium to perform a ritual for you and change your fate! The curse will be broken instantly.”
A deathly silence filled the lobby.
2 seconds passed.
*Crash!*
The male disciple in green robes smashed the teacup in front of him and stood up abruptly.
“You witch! You’re looking for death!”
He pointed at Luo Qingchen’s nose and cursed loudly, “We have nothing but respect for our Senior Sister! Who do you think you are to come here and sow discord? You even dare to try and swindle our Senior Sister’s treasures! I think you’re tired of living!”
The other disciples also stood up, one after another, placing their hands on the hilts of the swords at their waists.
“Senior Sister, don’t listen to her nonsense! This is clearly a traveling con artist!”
“Kill her! Cut out her tongue!”
The situation became tense and volatile in an instant.
Luo Qingchen sat on the bench without moving.
She even picked up another piece of beef and stuffed it into her mouth.
Internally, however, she was cursing like a sailor.
This Ling Xiyue looked like a naive girl with no social experience who would be easy to fool.
But these fellow disciples of hers were definitely not easy to deal with.
This was trouble.
‘My 3-year lifespan isn’t even warm yet. Am I really going to check out in this inn today?’
Luo Qingchen swallowed the beef and looked up at Ling Xiyue.
Success or failure depended entirely on this Senior Sister’s attitude.