Chapter 86: Demonstrating Value
"Let's go!"
Seeing that Ye Yuqi had nothing more to say, Yuan Niya waved to Chu Feifei and then left the Steward Hall, leaving Ye Yuqi with a grim expression.
"Senior Sister, are you from Gu—"
As she followed Yuan Niya out of the Steward Hall, Chu Feifei couldn't hold back her curiosity.
"That's right, Junior Brother Gu Mo used up one of my promises to get you out." Yuan Niya nodded, not bothering to hide the truth.
Hearing this, Chu Feifei's heart tightened. A promise from an inner disciple—Gu Mo had used such a valuable favor just for her. She owed him a great debt.
"Senior Sister Yuan, where are we going now?" Seeing that Yuan Niya showed no signs of stopping, Chu Feifei asked. If they kept walking, they would be leaving Array Peak altogether.
"I'm taking you to Gu Mo, but he doesn't want anyone to know he's involved, so we need to take a long detour." Yuan Niya summoned her flying sword and signaled for Chu Feifei to get on.
Gu Mo had asked Yuan Niya to protect Chu Feifei, which clearly put him at odds with Ye Yuqi, an inner disciple. Yuan Niya had the backing of a Law Enforcement Hall elder as her master, so she wasn't concerned. But Gu Mo was just an outer disciple—he didn't want to expose himself and draw the hostility of an inner disciple so soon.
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"They're here!"
Inside a small hut in the spiritual fields, Gu Mo quietly waited for news. When he glanced at the transmission jade in his hand, a smile appeared on his lips. He activated the array protecting the spiritual fields, allowing two figures to slip in silently before the formation sealed them from sight again.
"Junior Brother Gu Mo, mission accomplished!"
Yuan Niya gestured toward the person behind her—Chu Feifei.
"Many thanks, Senior Sister Yuan!"
Gu Mo bowed deeply. Without Yuan Niya's help, resolving Chu Feifei's predicament would have been extremely difficult.
"Senior Sister, please wait a moment." Just as Yuan Niya was about to leave, Gu Mo stopped her and pulled Chu Feifei aside.
"Fairy Chu, what are your plans now?" Gu Mo asked. After what had happened, Chu Feifei's situation was precarious. The trouble wasn't just from Ye Yuqi—there was also an Array Peak steward involved, which was even more troublesome.
Gu Mo could ask Yuan Niya to protect Chu Feifei once, but he couldn't expect her to intervene every time.
"I... I don't know."
At this moment, Chu Feifei felt lost. If she returned, Steward Lan obviously wouldn't let her off easily. Even if, on the surface, they refrained from direct suppression out of respect for Yuan Niya, as an Array Peak steward, Lan had countless ways to deal with a mere servant disciple like her.
"Then how about I give you a suggestion?" Gu Mo offered.
"Mm!"
Chu Feifei nodded. Right now, Gu Mo was the only person she could rely on.
"Become Senior Sister Yuan's attendant and have her protect you." Gu Mo shared his thoughts. Right now, the only viable option for Chu Feifei was to find a true backer. Gu Mo himself wasn't strong enough to be that support yet, so the best choice was Yuan Niya.
"Will Senior Sister Yuan agree?" Chu Feifei was hesitant. Given her current situation, her chances of rising through the sect's ranks normally were slim.
However, she didn't actually mind the idea of becoming Yuan Niya's attendant. This senior sister had a good relationship with Gu Mo, and she trusted that Gu Mo wouldn't put her in harm's way.
But she was just a servant disciple—would she even be worthy of serving an inner disciple like Yuan Niya?
"She will, as long as you show your value." Gu Mo nodded. If he simply asked Yuan Niya to take in Chu Feifei, she might agree out of goodwill. However, that would make her view Chu Feifei as a burden he had forced onto her.
The truth was, Chu Feifei had enough value to make an inner disciple like Yuan Niya take her seriously.
"Alright!"
Chu Feifei nodded. She understood Gu Mo's meaning—at this point, hiding her true abilities was no longer realistic. And since she trusted Gu Mo, she believed this was the best solution for now.
Seeing her agreement, Gu Mo took her to Yuan Niya and explained their request.
"Take her in as an attendant? And without restricting her freedom?" Yuan Niya scrutinized Chu Feifei. To her, this girl seemed like just another ordinary servant disciple.
She had never taken on an attendant before, as she always preferred to act alone. And if she were to accept one, she'd want someone who could actually assist her—someone like Gu Mo, for example.
More importantly, Gu Mo's request was unusual. Without restricting Chu Feifei's freedom, she could leave at any time.
"Senior Sister Yuan, come with me."
Gu Mo knew that mere words wouldn't convince her, so it was time to reveal Chu Feifei's true value.
"Oh? Do you have something impressive to show me?" Yuan Niya followed Gu Mo into his hut, intrigued. She knew him well enough to be sure he wasn't the type to make unreasonable demands.
"Exactly."
Once inside, Gu Mo closed the door and sealed the windows. Yuan Niya tensed slightly—if she didn't know Gu Mo, she might have thought he was about to try something improper.
Then again, even if he did, she could easily overpower him. And why would he bring Chu Feifei along if he had such intentions? Unless... he had something even bolder in mind?
As wild thoughts ran through her mind, she suddenly saw the glow of Gu Mo's perfected-grade Cleaning Technique.
"Wait, Junior Brother Gu Mo, last time your Cleaning Technique still hadn't—" Yuan Niya started to speak, but before she could finish, the technique's light enveloped Chu Feifei.
Her eyes widened in shock.
She had practically considered Gu Mo's Cleaning Technique to be her exclusive benefit. Now, he was using it on another female cultivator?
A twinge of jealousy flared in Yuan Niya's heart. Even though Chu Feifei wasn't a competitor in any way, it still irked her.
But just as she felt that irritation, her expression quickly turned into sheer disbelief.
Under the perfected-grade Cleaning Technique, Chu Feifei shed her ordinary appearance, revealing an ethereal, radiant beauty.
An intoxicating fragrance spread from her body, filling the room.
As soon as Yuan Niya caught a whiff of it, she felt momentarily dazed. Her cultivation technique began circulating on its own.
"Hm?"
Just as a hint of displeasure rose in her heart, Yuan Niya's expression shifted to one of utter disbelief as she stared at Chu Feifei. Bathed in the radiance of the perfected-level Cleaning Technique, Chu Feifei instantly shed her mortal form, transforming into a dazzling, ethereal fairy.
Then, an intense and exotic fragrance began emanating from Chu Feifei's body. As the scent filled the air, Yuan Niya momentarily felt dazed, and her cultivation technique started circulating involuntarily.
"This… this is…"
Wasting no time, Yuan Niya swiftly sat down cross-legged and activated her cultivation method. Moments later, she opened her eyes, her gaze brighter than ever before.
The scent radiating from Chu Feifei actually aided her cultivation! As someone with a mid-grade Fire Spiritual Root, Yuan Niya practiced a fire-attribute technique—an exceptionally powerful method capable of leading directly to the Nascent Soul stage.
However, this technique had a particular flaw. Yet, somehow, the mysterious fragrance from Chu Feifei's body suppressed that very flaw.
How could Yuan Niya not be utterly astonished?
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