**Chapter Excerpt: A Tale of Two Choices**
With the unwelcome presence gone, the group eagerly embarked on their treasure hunt.
Beneath the ice, amidst shimmering points of light, lay their prizes. Everyone turned expectantly to Xu Shulou. "Eldest Senior Sister, you pick first."
Xu Shulou smiled and lightly touched one of the glowing orbs. A brilliant light enveloped her, transforming into a hairpin adorned with the sun and moon—the *Eternal Ascension Hairpin*. With a flick of spiritual energy, it shifted again, this time into a lotus-shaped *Pearl Hairpin*, perfectly matching her dress.
"It's a water-based artifact that can change forms at will," she explained, testing its weight in her palm. "It can freeze water—useful in battle."
The cave held several more treasures. One by one, the group claimed their rewards—some obtained magical artifacts, others rare herbs.
When it was Bai Roushuang's turn, she received something unusual: a teardrop-shaped pendant resembling a storage charm. Upon touching it, she glimpsed an ethereal field inside.
"What is this?"
Jiang Yan chimed in, "I’ve seen this before! It contains an acre of spirit farmland. You can grow any spiritual or mortal crop—just get the seeds. It can also be refined and upgraded."
"Upgraded for better effects?"
"Upgraded for… more farmland."
"..."
Xu Shulou recalled the novel’s plot: in the original tale, Bai Roushuang had complained to Lu Beichen, sulking that Xu Shulou’s treasure was superior. Lu Beichen then pressured Xu Shulou into swapping.
In the dream, Xu Shulou had argued fiercely: *"She didn’t even contribute—getting any treasure is already generous. Why should she get to choose?"*
Lu Beichen frowned. *"Fine, I’ll forfeit my share. Let her have it."*
Defeated, Xu Shulou relented.
Now, in reality—
"So I’m supposed to… farm?" Bai Roushuang pouted, disappointed. "That doesn’t sound impressive."
But her mood lifted instantly. "Well, at least I can grow delicious spirit plants for you, Senior Sister!"
Dream and reality overlapped—then diverged sharply.
Xu Shulou chuckled, reaching to pat her head. "Then I’ll thank you in advance."
Before her hand could land, a voice interrupted: "What kind of strange artifact is *this*?"
The little fox spirit held a jade bed, intrigued.
"That’s a flying artifact," Xu Shulou explained, eyeing it enviously. "I once wanted to forge one—lie down and travel a thousand miles a day, even tuck under a blanket if it’s cold. So effortless. But the Sect Master vetoed it, calling it ‘undignified.’"
The fox, now in human form, smirked coquettishly. "Simple—I’ll fly you around, Senior Sister Xu… May I call you ‘Senior Sister,’ like Bai does?"
She tilted her head, eyes wide and pleading.
Xu Shulou nodded. "Of course."
"..." Bai Roushuang muttered to Jiang Yan, "Fifth Brother… ever tried roasted fox?"
Jiang Yan startled. "What’d the fox do to you?"
Bai Roushuang flushed. "Nothing. I just dislike people faking helplessness to manipulate Senior Sister’s kindness."
Jiang Yan laughed. "Relax. She’s not as naïve as you think."
"I *know* she’s not naïve! But… she’s too trusting. Even if she’s tricked, she’d never punish that fox."
Ji Ciye, healed from his injuries, joined in. "Don’t overthink it. If Senior Sister were truly spineless, how’d she earn her reputation as a prodigy?"
Bai Roushuang paused. True—Dustless Island kept a low profile, and Xu Shulou never competed in sect tournaments. If she were a pushover, how did her prowess become known? *Did she just keep beating up Lu Beichen? How many times would that take?*
Meanwhile, the remaining treasures were claimed—two by demonic cultivators, one by a rogue cultivator. By unspoken rules, rogue cultivators typically surrendered half their finds to their protectors. Some greedy groups even seized everything.
Here, the rogue cultivator offered half his spirit herb, and the fox proffered spirit stones as compensation. Both were refused.
Xu Shulou shook her head. "Consider it a gesture of goodwill."
Just as the rogue cultivator praised her generosity, she added, "Besides, we looted plenty of spirit stones earlier. This trip’s already profitable."
"..."
Jiang Yan called out, "One artifact left, Senior Sister. Your turn."
Xu Shulou reached for the final orb—only to vanish into a vortex.
Bai Roushuang, who’d subtly edged the fox aside to stand closer, instinctively grabbed her… and was pulled in too.
---
**"Lu Beichen!"** A grating voice cackled. **"Your fiancée and your sweetheart are in my grasp! Time to choose!"**
Bai Roushuang startled. *What?!*
She opened her eyes to a new scene: bound and dangling from an ancient tree, her spiritual power sealed by *Immortal-Binding Ropes*.
*Whoever did this really overestimates me…* she mused. *Using Immortal-Binding Ropes on a cultivator who hasn’t even reached Foundation Establishment?*
**"Release them!"** A man’s voice rang out. Bai Roushuang turned to see Lu Beichen—handsome, gallant, and utterly clueless.
The voice taunted, **"Which will it be, Lu Beichen? The fiancée chosen by your sect, or the lover you adore?"**
Bai Roushuang was baffled. *Choose? Since when does Senior Sister need rescuing by* him*?* She glanced up and froze—Xu Shulou was tied up too, higher on the tree. *If even Senior Sister’s caught… how strong is this enemy?*
"Rou’er! Don’t fear—I’ll save you!" Lu Beichen declared.
Bai Roushuang stared. "*Senior Sister* is the one in danger. Can you even handle this?"
Lu Beichen’s heroic expression faltered. "Rou’er, you’re clearly distraught. I’m coming!"
"Save *her* first!"
"Rou’er, your compassion moves me—but I *must* rescue you!"
"What kind of time is this for you to be putting on an act of devotion?" Bai Roushuang had no patience for his games and shouted urgently, "Are you an idiot? If she comes down first, she can help you fight! What’s the point of rescuing me first? Just to have me stand there looking pretty?!"
"..."
Lu Beichen fell into stunned silence at her retort, and even the villain seemed momentarily confused, his eyes darting between them as if unsure what was happening.
In her panic, Bai Roushuang caught sight of her senior sister, bound and dangling from a nearby tree, who had begun swinging back and forth with momentum.
She blinked. Was her sister treating this like a swing? What excellent composure...
Before she could fully process it, Xu Shulou swung higher and higher, launching herself toward Bai Roushuang like a human projectile. "Grab me!"
At that moment, Bai Roushuang trusted Xu Shulou unconditionally. Without hesitation, she struggled against her restraints, stretching out desperately. When she realized she couldn’t quite reach, she pushed off the tree trunk with her toes, propelling herself forward in an ungraceful, almost comical lunge—only to latch onto her senior sister’s leg midair.
The onlookers below watched in stunned silence as the two of them struggled through this awkward, desperate reunion.
Xu Shulou’s hands were still bound, and now she had a junior sister clinging to her leg. With a flexibility that defied logic, she managed to brush against the bracelet on her wrist. A flash of white light enveloped them both.
When Bai Roushuang opened her eyes again, she was back in the ice cave where they had started. Rubbing her temples, she realized she was lying on the ground, several senior brothers hovering over her with concern.
"Junior Sister, you lost consciousness just now. How are you feeling?"
Lost consciousness? Bai Roushuang frowned. "Where’s Senior Sister Xu Shulou? She—"
She pushed herself up and spotted Xu Shulou standing nearby, eyes closed as if meditating, surrounded by a few others. Slowly, her senior sister opened her eyes and looked down at Bai Roushuang. "Junior Sister, are you all right?"
"That just now was..." Bai Roushuang pieced it together—the artifact had drawn their souls into another illusion. But while Xu Shulou had remained poised and dignified, Bai Roushuang had been left sprawled on the ground, covered in snow. If Jiang Yan hadn’t caught her in time, she might have face-planted straight into the ice.
Grumbling, she got to her feet and brushed off the snow. "What kind of artifact is this? Another thing like the Heart Mirror, testing our inner demons?"
This Void Abyss Secret Realm clearly wasn’t a proper realm—why did it keep testing people’s minds?
Xu Shulou shook her head. The scene of them tied to the tree was from a storybook, something she had once dreamed of. Still confused herself, she turned the question back. "Do you think what we saw could have been real?"
"It had to be fake. Forget whether Senior Sister would ever need Lu Beichen to rescue her," Bai Roushuang scoffed. "My original name was Bai Shuang, but the brothel matron thought it was lacking, so she added 'Rou' to make it Bai Roushuang. I’ve always hated being called 'Rou-er.' If we really were in love, I’d never let him call me that."
She paused, then added, "Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless I wanted something from him—then I wouldn’t dare make a fuss over small things like that."
"I see." Xu Shulou nodded. It seemed the so-called perfect romance from the storybook wasn’t as flawless as it seemed.
What the world called a match made in heaven, what outsiders saw as an ideal love—perhaps the people involved didn’t feel the joy others imagined for them.
"Senior Sister..." Jiang Yan and the others looked at her with concern. "That artifact forced your souls out of your bodies. It’s far too dangerous."
"I know." Carefully, Xu Shulou tucked away the bracelet, now just a faint shimmer of light, resolving not to use it again until she fully understood its power.
