Shen Yun could feel that Xiaojiu had completely opened her mind to him.
No wonder...
She was a newborn life. Ever since she developed a sense of self, her memories were filled with every little detail between her and Shen Yun. That was why she had said, "Xiaojiu likes Master the most," the moment they met. Even from Shen Yun's perspective, his image in Xiaojiu's memories seemed to have a built-in beauty filter. Sparkling and radiant.
Wait—
Shen Yun suddenly realized something. Those scenes in Xiaojiu's memories were all of him. But hadn't he transmigrated?
"Xiaojiu..." Shen Yun couldn't help but take a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly. "Did you actually transmigrate here with me?"
"Huh? Master doesn't remember what happened back then?" Xiaojiu was also a little surprised.
Then, the scenes in Shen Yun's mind rapidly spun, rewinding to the time before his transmigration. He had been completely engrossed in playing a game on his phone. Then, a ray of green light entered his body. He fainted right away. The green light gradually covered his head, eventually enveloping the entire house before vanishing.
The scenes ended there.
So, he had transmigrated along with this entire house!
The last shred of worry in his heart completely vanished into thin air. At first, he had been somewhat concerned. If Xiaojiu's feelings stemmed from their interactions over the past three years, wouldn't it be terrible if she eventually discovered he wasn't the Shen Yun of this parallel world? These past three years happened to be the exact time frame where the two worlds diverged. Now, he could finally put his mind at ease.
With his taut nerves suddenly relaxing, a wave of exhaustion washed over Shen Yun. After all, he had been awake all night and constantly on edge.
"Xiaojiu, I'm going to rest for a while," Shen Yun said, stifling a yawn. "I can't hold on much longer."
"Do you need Xiaojiu to serve you?" Xiaojiu's eyes visibly brightened.
"..."
Looking at Xiaojiu's beautiful face, Shen Yun couldn't help but widen his eyes again. That offer was super tempting! However...
"That's all. I'm going to rest now."
Shen Yun practically fled back to his room. That had been too close for comfort. It was absolutely possible for such a thing to happen. In the embrace of such a gentle and beautiful companion, any lofty ambitions could be eroded. Otherwise, where did the saying of "forsaking an empire for a beauty" come from?
Thank goodness for the Bodhi Branch.
Shen Yun sighed in relief. The exhaustion was truly unbearable now, so he collapsed onto his bed and instantly fell asleep.
Downstairs, Xiaojiu sat alone on the sofa. She suddenly curled up, sinking completely into the spot where Shen Yun had just been sitting. Cupping her face, she greedily inhaled the lingering scent he had left behind, her expression filled with shyness and infatuation. It took quite a while for her to recover.
Her gaze swept across the room. This was her first time looking at this familiar house from such a perspective. In her memories, she was either being held in Shen Yun's hands or left on a table.
"Let's give it a thorough cleaning."
Xiaojiu stood up, full of energy, ready to be a competent little maid. But then, her expression suddenly changed.
Some information surfaced in her Divine Thought. They were messages sent by her master's father via a social media app. Although she had become a demon spirit, her true form was still a smartphone, so she could still receive electromagnetic signals.
[I saw the news. Are you okay?]
[Can you reply to me if you see these messages?]
[I've already applied to leave the city and am on my way. If you receive this message, please let me know you're safe.]
[Something happened to your sister too. I can't lose you!]
[...]
Taking everything into account, there were dozens of messages. From last night all the way to now.
Xiaojiu looked up, her Divine Thought sensing that her master upstairs had already fallen asleep. So, she drafted a reply in her master's tone.
[I'm very safe.]
After hesitating for a good while, she added another line.
[I was the one undergoing the heavenly tribulation last night. I have already formed my Golden Core. Don't worry about me anymore. What happened to Jiayi?]
After sending these two messages, Xiaojiu glanced upstairs again with a guilty conscience. She was familiar with her master. Although he still harbored some resentment toward his artistic and philandering father, that resentment had faded significantly over the past few years. Moreover, her master cared quite a lot about his younger half-sister. Therefore...
"If it were Master, he would probably reply like this too," Xiaojiu said, sticking her tongue out playfully. It was a pity that no one was around to see this cute and mischievous expression.
After a short wait, another message arrived. This time, it was a voice note.
"I just heard the news about you from the mayor as well. To think... you actually possess such talent in cultivation." Shen Yun's father's voice carried a hint of bitterness and exhaustion. "This era belongs to you. Indeed, there is nothing more I can do for you... but Jiayi... she's been kidnapped."
Kidnapped?
A bright spark of electricity flashed across Xiaojiu's bangs. Her pitch-black eyes filled with anger. That was her master's own sister!
In an instant, leveraging the immense computational power of her Golden Core, she began gathering and processing a massive amount of information from the internet, focusing specifically on East City, where her master's father lived. Soon, she found the relevant information and arranged a few key news reports in chronological order.
[Sanyao Company claims its drugs can help people step onto the path of cultivation. With over a hundred successful cases, it triggers a buying frenzy among the masses.]
[SHOCKING! Sanyao Company exposed for selling fake drugs; Chairman He Anhe has absconded.]
[TERRIFYING! Hundreds of delusional followers leave home late at night to follow Sanyao Company. Whereabouts unknown.]
What had happened seemed obvious on the surface. A company sold fake drugs, and some people, unwilling to give up their hopes of becoming Cultivators, ended up being abducted.
However, Xiaojiu acutely sensed that something was wrong.
Profit.
If it was for money, what was the point of abducting so many people? Furthermore, based on her impression of her master's sister from her memories, Jiayi seemed to be a very cultured and well-behaved girl. She wouldn't do something like leaving her parents in the dead of night just to become a Cultivator.