Miss Cousin is Always Busy

"Is she that strong?" Jun Zishu said. However, despite her words, she wore a nonchalant expression on her face.

"The rumors might be exaggerated a little, but you can still learn a thing or two from her techniques, so you should still be careful."

"I know. I'm heading out now. I'll get the cultivation technique if I can, but don't blame me if I can't," Jun Zishu said as she waved goodbye at Qian Yun. Then, without waiting for Qian Yun to say anything back, she quickly executed her qinggong and flew back to her courtyard.

…

"What did my dad find you for?"

Qian Xing was still in Jun Zishu's courtyard, lying in her wicker chair while basking in the sun.

"Why are you still here?" Jun Zishu asked as she glanced at Qian Xing. However, she did not stop her feet as she entered her room and stuffed clothes into a sack.

"I was waiting for you to come back. Are you going out?"

"Shh." Jun Zishu put a finger on her lips, signaling for Qian Xing to be quiet.

Although confused, Qian Xing closed his mouth as he watched Jun Zishu pack.

"Go ask Stepfather if you want to know what I'm leaving to do."

"What if you've run away already by the time I return?"

"Why would I do that? Don't worry and just go. Can't you see that I'm still packing? Who knows? If you talk about it with Stepfather, you might even get to come with me."

"You must wait for me, then."

"Go on, go on."

Jun Zishu waved Qian Xing off.

After Qian Xing left, Jun Zishu stuffed a few more sets of clothes and some money into her sack. Then, she put the sack on her back and left her room.

Wait for Qian Xing? There was no way she would do that.

If Qian Xing were to follow her, how was she supposed to complete her mission?

Not to mention, Qian Xing was one of Shen Zheyan's harem members in the original storyline. It'd be terrible if the two met and hit it off with each other.

After leaving her courtyard, Jun Zishu made her way to the stable, found herself a good horse, and left the Demon Cult's headquarters.

There was no character setting that Jun Zishu needed to strictly adhere to in this world. So, she behaved like any normal child would and gradually altered her personality as her body grew up.

Currently, she was known as the Demon Cult's "Witch," and she was a smart and troublemaking girl. She did not differentiate between right and wrong, and she did things based entirely on her liking.

Following the map Little Fairy provided, Jun Zishu figured out Shen Zheyan's general pathing and decided to lay in wait at one of the places that Shen Zheyan would pass through.

As to how they would reunite with each other, Jun Zishu already knew how she would go about doing so.

…

Jinling City.

As one of the largest cities on the continent, Jinling City was incredibly prosperous. Endless streams of people entered and left the city, and plenty of people were hawking their wares along the city streets.

However, Jinling City wasn't known for just its prosperity. It was also famed for its red-light district.

The city had an entire street populated with brothels of varying standards, and one could find all sorts of women here. Men who visited this red-light district would quickly find themselves entranced by this place, with some even losing their souls here.

At this time, Jun Zishu stood on the balcony of a certain brothel, a smile on her face as she watched a young man and a young woman walking over from the distance.

Anyone could tell at a glance that these two people were martial artists as the woman carried a sword in her hand, while the man carried a folding fan in his hand and a short flute around his waist.

The woman in white carrying a sword was Shen Zheyan.

Jun Zishu narrowed her eyes as she looked at the man walking beside Shen Zheyan.

The moment Jun Zishu laid eyes on this man, Little Fairy also had her database updated. Immediately, she relayed the updated information to Jun Zishu.

The man was called Wei Zinan, and he was a member of the Medicine Valley. He had come out to experience the world recently, and he was also one of Shen Zheyan's future harem members.

Currently, though, Wei Zinan and Shen Zheyan remained purely as friends. Although Wei Zinan had already started showing interest in Shen Zheyan, Shen Zheyan remained ignorant of his feelings.

…

"As expected of Jinling City. It really is lively here," Shen Zheyan exclaimed as she looked at her surroundings. Since she left her sect in the south, this was the first time she had come across such a prosperous location. There was no comparison between Jinling City and the places she had visited before.

"That's right. I've visited this place once before. How about having a stroll around the city after we find a place to stay?" Wei Zinan suggested, his eyes focused on Shen Zheyan.

"Okay."

After Shen Zheyan walked a little further forward, she heard the sound of giggling entering her ears. Among them, one sounded especially pleasing to the ears, and she couldn't help but turn toward the source.

On the second-floor balcony of a certain building, several beautifully dressed girls were having a merry conversation among themselves. Out of these girls, one of them looked exceptionally beautiful and graceful. Even though this girl covered half of her face with a straw fan, it did not hide her enchanting beauty at the slightest.

When Shen Zheyan looked at this girl, she found that the other party was also looking at her.

"Who said I'm afraid to jump? So what if I jump down?"

Jun Zishu retracted her gaze from Shen Zheyan and shook her fan as she teased the young ladies around her.

"Don't scare us, Big Sis Yan Xi."

"Scare you? I'll give you the scare of your life today."

After saying so, Jun Zishu turned around and looked downstairs. Then, she called out to Shen Zheyan and Wei Zinan, saying, "Mighty warriors, please wait a moment."

"Are you talking about us?" Wei Zinan as he pointed at himself. He couldn't help but feel a little confused by this situation.

Shen Zheyan also stopped walking and stared at Jun Zishu in confusion.

"Yes, you two. If I jump down from here, will you two catch me?"

"Of course."

Shen Zheyan nodded. However, she still failed to grasp the girl's intentions.

However, the next moment, Shen Zheyan's eyes widened, and her heart constricted.

Without any warnings, the enchanting girl had suddenly jumped off the balcony, her red dress fluttering in the air like a blooming flower.

Without sparing a second thought, Shen Zheyan hurriedly leaped forward, both her feet lifting off the ground as she caught the falling girl in midair. Then, after securing the falling girl in her embrace, she landed steadily on the ground.

Although a bunch of gasps and voices of exclamations came from upstairs, Jun Zishu paid them no heed as she focused her gaze on Shen Zheyan.

Meanwhile, Wei Zinan, who had originally intended on saving the "damsel in distress," silently walked up to Shen Zheyan, complicated feelings filling his heart.

"What you did was incredibly dangerous," Shen Zheyan said with a frown. However, despite her disapproval, her hands kept on holding onto Jun Zishu firmly.

"It's because you said you would catch me."

Jun Zishu smiled and blinked her eyes at Shen Zheyan, her innocent appearance making it difficult for others to berate her.

"Thank you for saving my life, Miss Warrior. My name is Yan Xi. Dare I ask for Miss Warrior's name?"

"Shen Zheyan."

Yan Xi… Yan Xi… Shen Zheyan repeated this name twice in her mind. She couldn't help but get the feeling that she had heard of this name before. Yet, she couldn't figure out where she had heard it from.

Meanwhile, Jun Zishu inwardly clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction when she saw that Shen Zheyan showed only a small reaction to her name. She knew that the protagonist wouldn't remember her.

To think you even promised you would remember me. I was right in betting my carrot. Tsk, women.

"Have you had enough of hugging me yet, Miss Warrior? Can you let me down now?"

Shen Zheyan was surprised that she was still embracing Jun Zishu even now. Hurriedly, she settled Jun Zishu on the ground, feeling slightly embarrassed.

However, Shen Zheyan felt that she couldn't be blamed for her actions. Jun Zishu's waist was simply too thin and soft. The girl was very light, so much so that Shen Zheyan felt as if she was holding onto a sack of feathers while carrying the girl in her arms.

"You two must not be from Jinling City, right?"

"No, we came from another place."

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

"We plan to find one right now."

Jun Zishu asked, and Shen Zheyan answered, their interactions looking quite harmonious. It didn't look like they were people who had met for the first time at all.

"How about staying in our Light Incense Pavilion? I can let you stay for free."

"This… Thank you for your offer, but it is probably inconvenient for us to stay in this place. Not to mention, Zheyan is a lady," Wei Zinan, who had remained silent all this time, said as he looked at Jun Zishu with a troubled look on his face.

"Don't they say that martial artists don't mind the trivialities in life? What's the matter? Are you two disgusted with this place of desires as well?" Jun Zishu asked, a wounded expression on her face as she looked at Wei Zinan.

"How can that be? I didn't mean it that way," Wei Zinan said while waving his hand. Then, he stopped conversing with Jun Zishu and looked at Shen Zheyan.

Seeing this, Jun Zishu stamped her foot and whispered something into Shen Zheyan's ears.

In response, Shen Zheyan hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. Then, she looked to Wei Zinan and said, "Brother Zinan, I've decided to stay here. If you find it inconvenient, you can look for an inn to stay at, and we can meet up again tomorrow."

"Huh? But you're a girl, Zheyan. Isn't it inappropriate for you to enter such a place?"

"I don't have such thoughts at all," Shen Zheyan said, shaking her head. Then, she looked at Jun Zishu and continued, "I'll go with you. Lead the way."

Subsequently, Jun Zishu and Shen Zheyan made their way into the Light Incense Pavilion, with Wei Zinan following them in confusion.

As they entered the building, Wei Zinan could no longer hold back his curiosity and asked Shen Zheyan via a mental link, "Why did you agree to her offer, Zheyan?"

"She said she needs my help for something. I can't leave her be," Shen Zheyan responded.

Realization dawned upon Wei Zinan, and he quickly caught up with Jun Zishu and Shen Zheyan.

After traveling with Shen Zheyan for some time, Wei Zinan knew just what kind of person Shen Zheyan was.

Shen Zheyan was an upright and affectionate person. She was also a kind person who'd help anyone in need. Now that a weak girl was asking her for help, she definitely wouldn't sit idly by.

Wei Zinan couldn't help but admire Shen Zheyan's excellent character. Even though the other party was a courtesan, she still chose to help the other party without hesitation.

It was currently daytime now, so the Light Incense Pavilion was without customers. After entering the building, Jun Zishu led Shen Zheyan and Wei Zinan to her room on the third floor and carefully closed the door behind them.

"You said that you needed our help just now, Miss. Can I ask what you need help with?" Shen Zheyan asked Jun Zishu after putting her sword on the table.

"I'll be candid with you, warriors. Tonight is my defloration night. Mother has already decided to sell me to a wealthy businessman, but my heart is reluctant to submit. I originally thought I was at a dead-end, but I never expected to meet you two. Seeing as you two are very strong, can I ask you to talk with Mother and let me leave with you two?"

"This…"

Shen Zheyan was stunned. She never expected to hear such a revelation.

"Although I jumped down as a joke just now, part of me also wanted to seek death. Warrior Shen, since you've already saved my life once, can you help me out one more time?" Jun Zishu pleaded with watery eyes. "Also, you two don't need to spend any money. I've secretly stashed during my time here. All you need to do is speak on my behalf. If Mother refuses to let me go, you can use your sword to scare her, and she'll quickly give in. Please, I beg of you."

After saying so, Jun Zishu quickly dug out the money she had hidden under her bed and offered it to Shen Zheyan.

"I'll do the talking. I'm a man, so it'd be more convenient for me to do such a thing," Wei Zinan said, indirectly agreeing to Jun Zishu's request.

"I'll go with you," Shen Zheyan said.