I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script

Not far away, Jiang Yan and the others had lit a bonfire, placing the person rescued from the crocodile's belly beside it to warm up.

This individual had likely been trapped inside the crocodile for a longer time, as several hours had passed without them regaining consciousness.

Ji Ci was roasting a type of spirit fruit by the fire, its juices glistening, serving as an after-meal treat.

Bai Roushuang couldn’t quite comprehend this peculiar way of eating fruit, but after taking a bite, she found the refreshing sweetness of the fruit mingled with the charred aroma of its skin surprisingly delightful. She wondered just how much effort these senior brothers had put into perfecting their culinary experiments.

The little fox had probably already fallen asleep. Xu Shulou handed it over to another female demonic cultivator before strolling to the bonfire and sitting beside Bai Roushuang. "Were you feeling unhappy earlier?" she asked.

"N-no," Bai Roushuang stammered, her cheeks flushing slightly as she lowered her head. The irrational jealousy she’d felt earlier now seemed childish, and she hardly dared to admit it.

Xu Shulou smiled, flicking her fingers toward the bonfire. The flames instantly transformed into a leaping rabbit, darting and frolicking in the air. With another flick, the fire took the shape of a deer, chasing playfully after the rabbit, followed by butterflies, monkeys, elephants—all dancing and prancing around the group.

The desolate wilderness was suddenly transformed into a lively menagerie of flame-born creatures. Bai Roushuang stared, mouth slightly agape, while the other disciples of Dustless Island clapped and laughed in delight.

The spectacle resembled the shadow puppetry of the mortal realm, yet more three-dimensional, more lifelike.

Bai Roushuang couldn’t resist reaching out to touch a fiery butterfly, but Xu Shulou gently stopped her with a chuckle. "Careful."

Realizing her senior sister was indulging her like a child, Bai Roushuang felt warmth bloom in her chest. She leaned against Xu Shulou’s shoulder. "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Xu Shulou patted her head affectionately. "Good girl."

A sudden urge for honesty surged in Bai Roushuang’s heart. "Senior Sister, there’s something I’d like to tell you… privately."

"Alright." Xu Shulou took her hand, and the two soared into the air, landing atop a nearby peak where the bonfire and its dancing creatures were still visible in the distance.

"Senior Sister, actually, I—Lu Beichen and I—" Bai Roushuang mustered her courage and spilled everything in one breath, recounting every detail of her relationship with Lu Beichen without pause, leaving no room for interruption. She even found herself confessing trivialities like how many times Lu Beichen had picked his teeth in front of her on a certain day at a certain hour.

She had expected it to be agonizing, but once the words started flowing, they came easier, and a weight seemed to lift from her shoulders.

Her speech was rapid-fire, and when she finished, she anxiously awaited Xu Shulou’s reaction. The latter blinked. "Huh?"

"…" Bai Roushuang thought she’d have to repeat everything, her courage nearly deflating.

But Xu Shulou burst into laughter, tapping her forehead lightly. "I’m not a magistrate interrogating a case. Who confesses so thoroughly?"

Bai Roushuang hung her head. "Senior Sister, I’ve wronged you."

"There’s no need for that," Xu Shulou shook her head. "If the two of you are truly fond of each other, just have him come to me to discuss breaking off the engagement."

Bai Roushuang peeked at her expression cautiously. "Senior Sister… you’re not going to order me to leave him and never see him again?"

"Such matters should be your own decision," Xu Shulou had no intention of interfering with her junior sister’s romantic freedom. "If you wish to end things, I’ll help you return a gift even grander than the Nine Luminaries and Linglong Rain. If you wish to continue, that’s fine too—only, if you ever find he’s not the right one, I hope you’ll have the courage to cut ties cleanly."

Xu Shulou’s answer considered every possibility, offering both support and an escape route.

Bai Roushuang realized that being around her senior sister always made her prone to tears. Her eyes welled up again. "Senior Sister…"

Xu Shulou wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Don’t cry. If he ever wrongs you, I’ll go beat him up."

Bai Roushuang laughed through her tears. "Luckily, he’s no match for you."

The next morning, the long-unconscious man finally awoke, profusely thanking Xu Shulou and her companions. He rummaged through his storage pouch, pulling out an assortment of magical artifacts and spirit medicines as gifts.

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow. "How did you bring so much stuff into the secret realm?"

"Just selling odds and ends at the entrance to earn some spirit stones," the man admitted frankly. "If I run into someone in need of medicine inside, I can sell it at a markup. Life’s tough for rogue cultivators these days."

"…"

Given his struggles, Jiang Yan and the others politely declined his generosity, opting instead to patronize his makeshift business. "What interesting trinkets do you have?"

"This artifact…"

"Not interested," Jiang Yan shook his head.

"This talisman…"

"Don’t need it," Ji Ci refused.

"This vial of spirit medicine… still not taking it? You’ve got high standards," the man muttered, digging deeper into his pouch. "These are my best wares."

"This steamer of buns—ah, these are my own rations." He moved to tuck them away.

Jiang Yan’s hand shot out. "Wait—what filling?"

"Spirit pork. Much more tender and fragrant than mortal-world pork," the man launched into a sales pitch worthy of a seasoned merchant, describing the buns with poetic flair. "Diced spirit pork mixed with a touch of fresh scallions—one bite, and the aroma fills your mouth, rich but not greasy. Plus, it replenishes spiritual energy."

Jiang Yan nodded instantly. "Sold. What else do you have?"

Encouraged, the man puffed up proudly. "How about this—Dongpo pork?"

"Take it."

"Beggar’s chicken?"

"Done."

"Roast duck? Sweet congee? Scallion pancakes? Clam and egg soup…"

The group’s eyes gleamed as they crowded around him. "We’ll take it all!"

Meanwhile, Xu Shulou was by the pond, testing out the comb her junior sister had gifted her. She styled her hair into an elegant "wandering clouds" updo, admiring her reflection in the water and approving of her junior sister’s taste. She changed into a matching turquoise silk robe and, after some thought, altered the design on her fan to a landscape in azure hues, carefully attaching a jade pendant to its handle.

Just then, a tantalizing aroma wafted over.

Jiang Yan had just lifted the lid off the Dongpo pork when Xu Shulou appeared, drawn by the scent. He handed her the box without hesitation, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

Xu Shulou accepted it reverently, turning to the man. "Where did you get all these delicacies?"

"Ah, I make it a habit to seek out the finest local dishes wherever I go—whether in the mortal realm or the cultivation world. Can’t help it; I’m a gourmand at heart."

When Xu Shulou offered payment, the man waved her off. "You’ve done me a great kindness—pulling me from that crocodile, watching over me until I woke, and not even stealing my storage pouch. How could I take your spirit stones for a few snacks? Now, if you’d like any artifacts, that’s another matter."

"Not even stealing your pouch?" Ji Ci’s lips twitched. "What kind of people have you been dealing with before?"

The man grinned sheepishly.

Xu Shulou took a bite of the spirit pork-filled bun. The man hadn’t exaggerated—the bun was thin-skinned and generously stuffed, releasing a burst of savory broth as soon as she bit into it. Its delicious aroma filled her mouth. She asked curiously, “How was it preserved so well?”

Even the finest storage artifacts could only keep food fresh for three days. After all, the creators of such artifacts had never considered the need to carry around meals.

The man grinned proudly. “This food box is my own creation. As long as it remains unopened, it can preserve the color, aroma, and taste of the food perfectly for three months.”

Xu Shulou glanced enviously at the steaming bun in her hand. “Are you selling these?”

The man winced slightly, as if pained by the thought. “I do have a few unused ones, but the materials are rare. It took me ages to gather enough—”

Xu Shulou cut him off. “Name your price.”

“Nine hundred low-grade spirit stones per box.”

Truthfully, the man feared they might refuse. In the cultivation world, such things were considered trivial. Rogue cultivators already struggled to make ends meet, most resorting to fasting pills to stave off hunger, while those from major sects often acted as if they looked down on indulging in earthly desires—let alone spending spirit stones on such luxuries.

Xu Shulou nodded without hesitation. “I’ll take them all.”

Overjoyed, the man hurriedly pulled out all the unused food boxes from his storage pouch and laid them before Xu Shulou.

There were large ones, small ones, single-layered, and multi-tiered—over twenty in total.

Clutching the boxes tightly, Xu Shulou beamed with delight. “Now I can pack all the mortal-world delicacies I want.”

The Eldest Senior Sister’s happiness was truly simple, Bai Roushuang mused, resting her chin in her hand.

She had met many people who seemed to have no desires, who didn’t even know what they truly wanted—people who could drift through life without a care.

But Xu Shulou wasn’t like that. Even if she seemed easily satisfied.