The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Seeing Lu Sangjiu turn back, Miao Miaomiao’s face once again showed a confidence that suggested she had everything under control.

She gave a faint smile. "It seems Ms. Lu is indeed interested in..."

But before she could finish, Lu Sangjiu had her by the throat.

Her expression was icy, her voice laced with killing intent. "Tell me, why would you think I’d be interested in a Demon Cultivator?"

Pain crossed Miao Miaomiao’s face as she struggled to answer. "Ms. Lu made a name for herself at the Sword Seizing Conference, so you must be someone who cares about her reputation... Anything involving a Demon Cultivator is a major affair. If Ms. Lu can achieve a great merit, you will... you will surely become famous all over again!"

Lu Sangjiu: "...That’s it?"

A trace of confusion flickered in Miao Miaomiao’s eyes. "Otherwise... what other reason could there be?"

The corner of Lu Sangjiu’s mouth twitched. She coughed lightly and released her grip. "It’s nothing. I didn’t realize you knew me so well."

’That scared me to death. I thought my secret was out. I was already wondering where to hide the body to get away with it.’

’Thankfully, it hasn’t come to that. This is still manageable.’

Freed, Miao Miaomiao clutched her throat and coughed violently for a while. When she looked up at Lu Sangjiu again, there was a hint of fear in her eyes, but she remained relatively composed.

"I didn’t realize Ms. Lu had such a short fuse."

Lu Sangjiu snorted coldly. "I just hate it when people act smart in front of me. But... you were right about one thing. If it’s a Demon Cultivator, I am a little interested."

She looked at Miao Miaomiao. "Come on, tell me the details."

Miao Miaomiao, however, said cautiously, "Ms. Lu, that’s not how you do business. What if I tell you the details now, and you just go off on your own? The task won’t be credited to me."

Lu Sangjiu said, "Oh. So, you want me to do the work, and you get the credit? You said yourself that anything involving a Demon Cultivator is a major affair. What makes you think you can have it so easy?"

"In a partnership, both sides get what they need."

Miao Miaomiao said flatly, "If I succeed as the Holy Daughter and immediately handle a matter concerning a Demon Cultivator, my position will naturally be more stable, and I’ll more easily win the trust of the Sect Disciples."

"If I fail to become the Holy Daughter, I can still use this incident to build some prestige and secure a place for myself within the sect... So this matter is very important to me."

Lu Sangjiu sneered. "But you know you don’t have the ability yourself, and if you ask other Sect Disciples for help, they might steal the credit. So you decided to target me?"

"Saying everyone else is busy was just an excuse, wasn’t it? But in that case, why not just get your master to help you out? Wouldn’t that be safer?"

Unfazed by Lu Sangjiu’s sarcastic taunts, Miao Miaomiao actually offered a serious explanation. "If I wasn’t currently unable to find my master, do you think I’d want to waste my breath on you?"

’Can’t find him?’ Lu Sangjiu had a sudden realization. ’Oh, right. He whisked away Ye Zhiyao to who-knows-where for a good time. How could he let his disciple disturb him?’

Pursing her lips, Lu Sangjiu added, "But as I’ve said, I’m Ms. Yan Zui’s friend. I could never help you betray her."

Besides, according to Miao Miaomiao, successfully handling this would cause tangible harm to Yan Zui. It wasn’t just a matter of picking sides anymore.

Miao Miaomiao was silent for a moment, then seemed to steel herself. She took out a fifth-grade Elixir Pill. "This is the most I can offer."

"I can confirm that the Demon Cultivator’s cultivation is below the Nascent Soul realm, so you won’t be in any real danger."

"All I need is for you to investigate the situation first. After the Holy Daughter selection is over, you and I will capture the Demon Cultivator together."

"When the time comes, you’ll gain both fame and fortune, and I’ll get what I want. Why must you be so fixated on Yan Zui?"

"So-called friendship, to put it bluntly, can’t compare to one’s own self-interest. Ms. Lu, you’d better think this through."

Lu Sangjiu fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "Alright, let me think about it before I give you an answer."

Upon hearing this, a pleased expression finally returned to Miao Miaomiao’s face. "Good. I’ll come back tomorrow. I hope Ms. Lu won’t do anything foolish."

Once the woman was gone, Lu Sangjiu narrowed her eyes, lost in thought.

A moment later, she subconsciously thought of going to discuss it with Xie Ningyuan, but when she turned and saw his door was still shut tight, she remembered how he hadn’t even come out for dinner last night, and her steps faltered.

’Could it be that the last Secret Realm caused his seal to loosen again, and now he’s too proud to admit it, hiding in his room to heal in secret?’

’Tsk, men are so much trouble.’

After some thought, Lu Sangjiu decided to help him preserve that little bit of pride. She didn’t disturb him, instead leaving the courtyard to find Yan Zui.

She had used a Barrier during her conversation with Miao Miaomiao, so Gu Jue hadn’t heard the specifics from his room, but he did sense Lu Sangjiu leaving.

And so, he, who had been sitting on his bed meditating, opened his eyes.

A moment later, there was a knock on Xie Ningyuan’s door.

"Open up."

Hearing Gu Jue’s voice, Xie Ningyuan was a little surprised. ’What’s this guy doing here? He has no reason to see me.’

He knew, of course, that Lu Sangjiu had left, so it was impossible that she had sent him. He was thoroughly perplexed.

But he didn’t want anyone to see him in his current state, so despite his curiosity, he simply replied without moving, "I’m busy."

But Gu Jue didn’t leave. He just said, "Open the door, or I’ll tell her what happened in the Mimosa Tree’s Illusion Realm..."

Before he could finish, Xie Ningyuan threw the door open, his face dark.

He glared at Gu Jue. "If you’re not afraid of the embarrassment, then go ahead and tell her! You think I’m scared of you threatening me with that?"

Gu Jue was unfazed. "Then you shouldn’t have opened the door."

Xie Ningyuan: "..."

’Wasn’t I just afraid that Gu Jue would have a rush of blood to the head and decide to take us both down in a blaze of glory?’

With a cold snort, Xie Ningyuan said irritably, "What do you want?"

Gu Jue took out a bottle of Elixir Pills and shoved it into his hand. "Fifth-grade Heart Returning Pills. They help alleviate backlash."

Xie Ningyuan froze. "You..."

Gu Jue said calmly, "It’s easy to guess. The Mimosa Tree’s Illusion Realm only amplified everyone’s emotions and desires. Since you came to believe you like her, it must mean you truly do."

"Your feelings were catalyzed by the Illusion Realm. As a Buddhist Practitioner, it’s not surprising that you’d suffer a backlash from your Cultivation Technique."

Xie Ningyuan went, "Ah," and said, "I wasn’t going to ask about that. I just wanted to say..."

Before he could finish, Gu Jue cut in, "No need for thanks. I just don’t want her to blame herself when she finds out."

"Uh... while I am grateful, I wasn’t going to thank you."

After a pause, Xie Ningyuan asked earnestly, "I was just going to ask if you have any more Heart Returning Pills?"

Gu Jue: "..."

After a moment of silence, he said expressionlessly, "No."

Xie Ningyuan’s face immediately filled with regret. "What a shame. Only one."

Gu Jue: "..."

’A single fifth-grade Elixir is already incredibly rare, and he’s asking if there are more... Does he think fifth-grade Elixirs are candy beans you can buy in bulk?’

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