Affection decreased?
Despite all the misdeeds I’ve committed before, which never lowered my affection level, it actually decreased on its own without me doing anything?
Tang Xin found it hard to accept this change.
[Generating options…]
[Option 1: Say to Shui Qiu, “What’s going on? At such a critical moment, why can’t you concentrate? I’m really disappointed in you!”]
[Success rate 100%, reward: a protective talisman, entering the plot “Strangers Once More”.]
[Option 2: Say to Shui Qiu, “It’s okay, just rest on the side, Su Ling should be able to complete the mission on her own.”]
[Success rate 100%, reward: a Golden Core protective talisman, entering the plot “The Beginning of a Yandere”.]
[Option 3: Pat Shui Qiu on the head and give her an affirming look.]
[Success rate 100%, reward: a protective talisman with no defensive effect.]
“……”
The first two options clearly indicate that choosing them would significantly decrease the affection level, allowing me to smoothly achieve the main storyline goals.
But what do those two plots mean?
“Strangers Once More” and “The Beginning of a Yandere”, won’t they have any subsequent impact on me?
Tang Xin took a deep breath, placed her hand on Shui Qiu’s head, and smiled without saying a word.
Smiling on the outside, but inside…
Shui Qiu lifted her lowered head, showing a slightly surprised look.
Perhaps she also thought that her senior sister would either blame her or comfort her, instead of silently supporting her like this.
The girl with blue eyes closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“I understand, senior sister,” she opened her eyes again, looking much better, “I won’t let these emotions trouble me anymore!”
Wait, what did you understand? What emotion is troubling you? Why don’t I understand anything?
Bang!
While they were communicating, the Corpse Separation Beast didn’t stop its attack. You Ming’er and Su Ling were hit by tentacles, retreating repeatedly.
“The first form of the Ancestral Water Scripture,” a rejuvenated Shui Qiu, forming hand seals, an astonishing amount of spiritual energy gathered from all directions, transforming into streams of water, entangling with the tentacles, “Thousand Flowing Hands!”
Boom, boom, boom!
The tentacles of the Corpse Separation Beast were entwined by a large amount of water, losing more than half of its combat capability momentarily.
To think that a breakthrough would happen just like that, how absurd…
“Continue,” Tang Xin turned back to the battlefield, “Defeat this boss, and we can rest!”
…
The battlefield returned to normal.
Shui Qiu, from the rear, manipulated the streams of water, providing significant support for the battle of her three teammates.
Although her realm was not enough to confront the Corpse Separation Beast, which was almost on par with a Golden Core cultivator, her techniques had the characteristic of leveraging a lesser force to move a greater one.
The “Ancestral Water Scripture” she brought back from her family had already been shown to Elder Xuan Miao. She had started practicing the first form a long time ago but had never really grasped it.
Until just now, when she successfully used it.
“Your talent is undeniable,” the Grand Elder once said to her, “but having talent doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing. Cultivating your mental state is equally important.”
Mental state has always been my weakness.
Although the Xuanling Sect cleared the chaotic fire attribute Qi for me, it couldn’t immediately give me the heart of a strong person.
“I really am foolish…”
Shui Qiu muttered to herself.
“To actually doubt my senior sister!”
From yesterday to today, her mind has been in turmoil.
It wasn’t because she found out last night that her senior sister and Su Ling sneaked out together and even did things like patting heads, making her jealous.
Senior sister is the chief disciple of Xuanling Sect, bearing the responsibility of caring for every disciple of Xuanling Sect. It’s quite normal for her to find a junior sister for a private talk in the middle of the night and to have physical contact.
What confused her was that Senior Sister Tang was… just too gentle!
So gentle to everyone, whether it was herself, Su Ling, or other Xuanling Sect disciples, even towards You Ming’er, she was just so gentle.
Accompanying her back home, having heart-to-heart talks with Su Ling, training ordinary disciples, even treating a demonic cultivator who poisoned others with courtesy and convincing them with reason.
The gentle senior sister always treated everyone in such a gentle manner.
Realizing this, Shui Qiu couldn’t help but feel a bit of doubt and… fear.
What she feared was…
“Does senior sister care about me just out of habit?”
Just like encountering an abandoned pet, for a kind person, there’s no need for a reason to lend a hand?
So, between senior sister and herself… there actually wasn’t much connection?
This made her very confused, so confused that she couldn’t concentrate even when fighting with a Corpse Separation Beast.
However, it seemed like senior sister noticed this and immediately encouraged her with silent actions.
If she had just scolded casually or comforted her with a few words, it would mean she didn’t really care about her, indicating she was just one of the many people treated gently by her.
No!
Senior sister told her with her eyes.
Even someone as slow as her could understand the meaning of that look.
“You are special, so I believe you can overcome this!”
Her smile, her gaze, and the second head pat, all conveyed this message to her!
Ah, this is Senior Sister, powerful yet gentle!
…
“Fireball Technique!”
“Qingxuan Sword Art!”
“Soul Chasing Claw!”
Three spells struck the severely wounded Corpse Beast at the same time.
Boom—
This spirit beast, cultivated through demonic methods, possesses high attack power, substantial vitality, and AOE capabilities, but its defense is not particularly strong.
“Retreat twenty zhang!”
A large gash opened on the body of the Corpse Beast, from which a large amount of gray-white gas poured out. Any living corpses that came into contact with it rapidly decomposed into a puddle of mush.
The group quickly retreated to a safe area, watching everything unfold.
[Main quest completed, reward: “Comprehensive Knowledge of Demonic Spirit Beasts and Plants”]
Bang—
After an explosion, the massive body of the Corpse Beast turned into nauseating chunks.
“Tang Xin,” Su Ling’s face suddenly flushed, and she said in a somewhat suppressed voice, “Cover me, I’m about to break through!”
Classic protagonist behavior, fighting and then immediately breaking through, no helping it, that’s just talent, something others can only envy…
Tang Xin found her a safe spot, and Su Ling nodded in thanks, then sat down cross-legged to start cultivating.
“By the way,” Tang Xin turned her head again and said to Shui Qiu, “I didn’t have a chance to ask you just now, what exactly were you…”
[Current favorability: 100.00000…]
Hey, are you kidding me? Wasn’t it 90 before!
I didn’t do anything, so why did the affection level go back up?
“Senior sister, thank you!” Shui Qiu smiled. “I won’t doubt such things anymore…”
“Eh?” Tang Xin looked at her, completely baffled. “What things?”
“It’s just…”
The girl with blue eyes said shyly,
“The thing that I like senior sister the most!”
“???”