Summer turned to autumn.
A crisp autumn wind swept by, gently swaying the trees. Colorful autumn leaves tumbled and danced in the air, creating a scene so picturesque it was breathtaking.
With only a few days left until school began, Lei Juan paid a sudden visit.
Seeing her senior sister Lei, whom she hadn't seen in nearly two months, Nian Jiaojiao couldn't help but lament:
If she hadn't seen her, she would have thought her senior sister had forgotten her.
Perhaps sensing Nian Jiaojiao's unspoken grievance, Lei Juan cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Junior Sister Nian, cultivators don't count the years. You'll understand this personally in the future."
Her master had entrusted Junior Sister Nian to her care, yet after leaving her at Baichuan Academy, Lei Juan had essentially neglected her.
Thinking of this, Lei Juan felt a pang of guilt.
She changed the subject, asking:
"By the way, Junior Sister Nian, how is your cultivation progressing recently?"
Nian Jiaojiao shared her recent experiences:
"Lately, for some reason, my strength seems to have reached a peak, and it's difficult to advance further."
Previously, due to her divine bestowal, she had directly reached the first realm: the Transcendent Realm.
After reaching the first realm, there was a long process of accumulating strength.
Once her strength accumulated to a certain extent, she would enter the second realm: the Manifestation Realm.
Hearing Nian Jiaojiao's words, Lei Juan assumed something had gone wrong with her cultivation.
She quickly grabbed Nian Jiaojiao's hand, closed her eyes, and probed her spiritual source into the latter's body to examine her.
This person in front of her was her master, no, she should be the precious gem of their Qingzhou miscellaneous studies sect. If anything truly went wrong, her master would surely banish her to the frontier.
After a while, Lei Juan released Nian Jiaojiao's hand, her expression turning somewhat strange.
She stammered,
"Nian, Nian, Junior Sister Nian, what exactly have you done? You're about to reach the Manifestation Realm."
Nian Jiaojiao had already had a guess in her heart, but she couldn't be sure.
Seeing Lei Juan's current state, she feigned a thoughtful expression.
Senior Sister Lei, believing there was indeed a "shortcut," became immensely curious.
Thus, under Lei Juan's expectant gaze, Nian Jiaojiao slowly said:
"It's nothing much, I've just been writing books, and they seem to be quite popular..."
Lei Juan's eyes turned red.
What books are you writing?
They have this kind of effect?
Were all the books I published before fed to the dogs?
Their effect is less than a tenth of yours!
After a long silence, she asked,
"What books..."
Nian Jiaojiao blinked her eyes:
"Hmm, you can buy them at the Qinglian Bookshop. You can buy anything written by Qinglian Jushi.
Oh, right, does anyone in our sect like reading novels? You can bring some back for them too."
Senior Sister Lei glanced at her junior sister.
This little one wants to make money from herself...
However, she never cared much for worldly wealth.
Junior Sister Nian has four husbands to support, she could understand...
Thus, Lei Juan looked at Nian Jiaojiao kindly and said decisively,
"Alright, I'll go to your family's bookshop and buy books later!"
Nian Jiaojiao: ???
Why are you suddenly looking at me with such maternal affection?
"Alright, let's get down to business."
Lei Juan sat up straight.
She sighed,
"Normally, you can only study up to the first two levels before officially joining our sect.
But now I'm worried that at your current speed, you'll enter the third level before even becoming a Xiu Cai."
Nian Jiaojiao smiled faintly and did not reply.
Lei Juan shook her head and continued,
"The transition from the first level to the second level is not detailed in the texts, as this part of our teachings is passed down orally..."
Half an hour later, Nian Jiaojiao walked out of the room, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Lei Juan, following behind her, looked as if her essence had been drained.
At this moment, Lei Juan's legs were trembling.
Junior Sister Nian truly lived up to her title as a divinely favored individual.
She was truly formidable!
As she passed through the main hall, she received the gazes of Nian Jiaojiao's four husbands.
Yuchuan: ???
Xuan Yi: ???
Nan Qing: ???
Xing Yun: ???
Lei Juan felt awkward and tried to straighten her back.
As a grown woman, she absolutely could not let men look down on her!
Thus, she murmured to herself,
I am strong! I am strong!
While muttering this, she shakily left the Nian residence.
Nian Jiaojiao escorted her to the door and bowed gratefully, cupping her fists.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Lei. You've worked hard."
Lei Juan's mouth twitched slightly as she waved goodbye.
"I'm leaving."
......
The Miscellaneous Studies Sect.
The mountain path here wound and coiled, with jagged rocks lining both sides and streams crisscrossing. Rivers often blocked the path, requiring one to cross on slippery log bridges.
After rounding a mountain peak, the entrance to the Miscellaneous Studies Sect came into view.
The disciples guarding the gate were surprised to see Lei Juan.
Why was Senior Sister Lei walking here?
She had always been generous, even lavish, with her spiritual source.
Today, she even looked a bit disheveled.
This disciple was unaware that her Senior Sister Lei had been "drained dry" by someone and could not spare any more spiritual source, needing time to gradually recover.
"Senior Sister Lei?"
Lei Juan glanced at the junior sister and raised her hand, gasping for breath,
"Quick, quick, come and help me!"
The two disciples at the gate exchanged glances and quickly stepped forward to support Lei Juan.
At this moment, the two disciples also noticed a bamboo basket, nearly as tall as a person, on Lei Juan's back.
One of the disciples asked,
"Senior Sister Lei, why aren't you storing such heavy items in paper?"
Lei Juan rolled her eyes.
It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she couldn't.
She said to the junior sister,
"Quickly take me to my master, Elder Qiu. I have something important to discuss with her!"
The gatekeeping disciples looked at each other, neither of them moving.
Did Senior Sister Lei expect them to contribute their energy?
The energy they painstakingly accumulated was so little, and Senior Sister Lei was too stingy!
Seeing that the two had no reaction, Lei Juan said irritably,
"Don't worry! I'll repay you double later!"
Lei Juan's words immediately brought smiles to the faces of the two disciples, who promptly took out their personal "implements" from their robes.
......
Three days later.
Today was the day Nian Jiaojiao would enter the academy for the first time as a Xiu Cai.
Early in the morning, she donned a purple robe embroidered with green patterns, over which was a light milky-white satin padded vest. The hem of the robe was turned up and tucked into the green jade belt at her waist, and she wore white deer hide boots.
This attire had been sent by the Qingzhou Prefecture Office as a reward for being the top scholar.
Nian Jiaojiao looked at the woman in the mirror. Unlike her previous unrestrained demeanor, she now appeared dignified with a hint of authority.
She actually possessed some of the bearing of an old scholar, no, a Confucian scholar.
Of course, this was mainly because her own looks were outstanding!
While Nian Jiaojiao was admiring herself, Yuchuan was continuously helping her straighten her collar.
"Chuan'er, do you think I'm being too ostentatious in this outfit today?"
Although she said this, Nian Jiaojiao had no intention of changing her clothes.
Yuchuan found his wife's appearance somewhat endearing and replied,
"It's getting late today. If you change clothes again, it will likely take a lot of time. Today is the first day, and being late would not be good..."
Nian Jiaojiao immediately nodded in agreement,
"Yes! You're right, let's go have breakfast!"
Yuchuan: (●'◡'●)