Chapter 50: Impression Value

Zora knew that while the human body always contains the same organs, limbs, and skeleton, there are vast differences in texture and shape. When she took a life, she never noted the viscosity of the blood, the pressure of the arterial spray, or the structure of the bones beneath the flesh.

Unlike Vane, she neither feared nor enjoyed slaughter; it was simply a task done when required.

Zora touched his brow bone. His eyebrows looked sharp, but beneath her touch, she found them exceptionally soft and smooth, not bristly at all. The youth had handsome features; even by the standards of the wide world, he possessed a face that inspired admiration. Though his looks were as sharp as his spear—never soft—they could, surprisingly, be called beautiful.

Zora didn't care much for looks, but that didn't mean she was ignorant of beauty. Beautiful things always brought a sense of pleasure.

The night grew deep and the dew heavy, a chill invading the air, but inside this room, everything seemed isolated, forming a world of its own. Zora’s fingertips could feel his blood flowing. She lifted her eyes and met Vane’s dark pupils; he was focused, staring intently into her eyes throughout.

The girl's breathing remained steady, but their breaths gradually synchronized. Zora glanced down at his chest, knowing he was adjusting his rhythm to follow hers.

He was catering to her.

His gaze was glued to her.

His face leaned into her palm, rubbing and grazing against her.

The youth leaned forward, his clothes even brushing the edge of the bed. Because his head was tilted back, his ponytail wound around his calves—at some point, he had shifted to a kneeling position.

A strange atmosphere.

Zora suddenly detached herself from the playfulness, sensing the flowing ambiguity in the air. She furrowed her brow, failing to grasp its meaning. What was happening?

She didn't understand subtle beauty, the heartbeat of ambiguity, or the tension of a secret probe. Zora merely caught the scent of the temptation he involuntarily radiated and automatically applied it to things she understood.

"Are you trying to trade your body for something?" she asked sincerely.

"..." Vane snapped awake almost instantly.

She had compared him to those who traded flesh for profit, yet her eyes held only curiosity. The girl didn't intend it as an insult, because his status was simply one level below hers. It was an act clearly regarded as filthy and base, yet she spoke of it as if he were going out to buy an ordinary osmanthus cake.

The person being questioned couldn't even summon a shred of anger at the insult.

"...No," Vane’s throat was dry, his voice low. "I wouldn't."

She just doesn't understand these things,

he thought.

She simply doesn't know. Her concepts are different; she isn't insulting me or looking down on me.

Vane thought this again in his heart. Having found a reason, he complacently stopped wondering why he wasn't angry.

"Oh." Zora nodded. Her fingertips still lingered on his chin. Vane had grown much since their first meeting; the youth’s features were leaning toward maturity.

Zora asked curiously: "Do you know your own birthday?"

"I do," Vane paused. "And yours?"

"I don't know," Zora answered quickly, then pulled the topic back. "What do you usually do for your birthday?"

Deceive people, steal food from demon cultivators, live a day identical to the one before.

Vane recalled his past, discreetly observing her expression to guess her intent. After a moment, his dark eyes moved, and he suddenly smiled: "I would release sky lanterns, eat longevity cakes, enjoy the moon and flowers, and drink wine."

Zora’s face showed no concern, only naked novelty: "So many things."

She had never done them. After coming to this world and losing the extreme pressure of survival, Zora had begun to notice other fun and interesting things; the curiosity she had discarded in her original world seemed to explode here.

Zora: "When is your birthday?"

Vane quickly calculated her itinerary and the movements of the cultivators in the sect lately, settling on a date: "It's at the beginning of next month."

The youth’s birthday was changed completely in this moment, and he had no intention of changing it back.

"Isn't that soon?" Zora was somewhat happy, the corners of her lips turning up just a tiny bit. It wasn't obvious, but her eyes were very bright. She ordered him directly: "Then you must be prepared. I will come and play then."

"Okay."

The roles of the birthday celebrant and the guest were reversed, yet neither of them cared.

Since they were departing for Floating Cloud Valley tomorrow, the two stopped chatting. Although Vane wanted to suggest staying here—since it would be more convenient to comb her hair and tidy up in the morning—Jin Chuyang had already sent word for him, so he had to excuse himself.

Zora, unaware of the youth’s convoluted thoughts, gave a yawn, rolled into her blankets, and closed her eyes to sleep. Vane closed the window and raised his hand slightly; the candle was instantly extinguished. The room fell into darkness. He took one last look at the mound under the covers, then gently closed the door and left.

Jin Chuyang had been very distressed lately. His disciple was good in every way, but he was rarely in the Jintao Hall. He was either out in the world killing monsters and eliminating enemies, or he was following Zora step by step. Jin Chuyang sometimes couldn't even find the boy, feeling like he didn't actually have a disciple.

Knowing his disciple was going to Floating Cloud Valley tomorrow, he had summoned Vane. He knew with a strand of hair that the boy was definitely following that young friend Zora. Vane hadn't arrived yet, and Jin Chuyang sat lost in thought in the hall.

He suddenly remembered his previous two disciples. One was steady, the other lively; the Jintao Hall never had a quiet day. Yet they had been killed by ordinary people of the Demon Realm while they were in an extremely weakened state!

—The Demon Realm is truly deserving of death.

The door was pushed open. The youth in black martial attire entered. His expression was calm, yet he suddenly lowered his head and bowed, as if he hadn't seen the killing intent surging in his master or heard the hateful words about the Demon Realm. The youth was a picture of respect.

"Master."

After a moment of frozen silence, Jin Chuyang composed himself and spoke: "You are going to Floating Cloud Valley tomorrow?"

"Yes." He kept his head down, his hands still in a salute.

"Then you must remember to be careful in all things. It seems a seal for a Demon Realm passage is near Floating Cloud Valley; its position changes constantly. Occasionally, people from the Demon Realm escape using various methods. If you encounter an escaped demon cultivator, just run for your life. People of the Demon Realm are cruel, heartless, and devoid of humanity. Do not pity them or believe them; a pitiful person must have a detestable side."

Vane agreed from the bottom of his heart: "Yes. Your disciple will keep it in mind."

"Then, you may return." Jin Chuyang hesitated as if he wanted to say more but ultimately remained silent. In truth, because their weapons were different, Jin Chuyang could only help him with internal cultivation; Vane had always been groping his own way with the spear, studying and researching through books. He had even been to mortal battlefields, watching from the sidelines just to observe generals who used long spears. He had mastered the dusty spear techniques of the December Sect and mixed them with the essence of other styles.

It seems that Zora is the same,

Jin Chuyang thought after Vane left. Zhou Shijin's sword style was incredibly free and easy, while Zora's was clean and efficient—focused entirely on the blade, devoid of killing intent, yet every strike took a life. He couldn't tell what else she had learned besides the sect's sword style; it was likely everything Zhou Shijin knew, combined with Zora's exceptional comprehension, turned into something of her own. She had only been learning for a short time, yet a style of her own was already subtly forming, as if she had been tempering it for many years.

A sigh echoed in the quiet Jintao Hall. "The younger generation is to be feared."

By the time Zora woke up, Vane had already packed the bags. He combed her hair, and Zora used a cleansing spell, feeling much more awake. They traveled on sword and spear as usual, but near the mountain woods of Floating Cloud Valley, the paths became numerous and they had to walk. The entrance to the valley was protected by a stone array, making it hard to find a marker.

The two walked for a long time before finding the piles of strangely shaped stones. Zora looked at Vane. Vane stepped forward voluntarily, using the sect token to break the array. The stones shifted with a roar, moving around the two. Dust and soil filled the air as they moved faster and faster, becoming mere blurs.

Zora stepped back cautiously, standing back-to-back with Vane. Neither knew if this was truly the entrance to the valley, and they were on high alert.

Suddenly, the stones stopped. The surrounding trees grew frantically, blotting out the sun and forming vines that tightly enveloped the two and the stone pile, sealing them off completely. After a moment, they all retracted to their original state.

What appeared before them were two towering mountain peaks facing each other. A sliver of light could be glimpsed through the narrow path between them. Outside the path, a massive boulder several people high bore the characters "Floating Cloud Valley." The handwriting was graceful and free, possessing a sense of profound leisure.

Zora approached. Below the boulder was a smaller stone carved with small characters.

—If seeking treatment for illness, look for doctors or willing medicine cultivators; saving the dying and helping the injured is not the duty of a medicine cultivator.

—Royals, nobles, and officials are forbidden from entry.

—The path to the Dao is walked through practice. The path of alchemy is infinite. Only through repeated failure and trial is the Great Dao achieved.

Vane glanced at it. A simple set of rules. The stone surface beneath the rules was very smooth, likely polished by the repeated touches of those who came to the valley. He let his gaze linger for a moment before looking away with no interest.

Zora entered the narrow path. After a few steps, the view suddenly opened up. Floating Cloud Valley was surrounded by mountain walls, yet because the territory was so vast, there wasn't a shred of the confinement one might expect.

The Oracle was woken by its alarm and shouted as soon as it opened its eyes: [Why are we at Floating Cloud Valley at this point in time!]

Zora: "?"

Vane went to talk to people; she had nothing to do.

Oracle: [Do you remember the plot! At this time, the leads should be in a cold war after a fight. When the male lead leads people to fight monsters, the villain is present. The female lead isn't familiar with the villain and has barely met him, but as the two leaders, they say a few words, and the male lead gets jealous, and then this happens, and that happens, and the villain does this and that... huh?]

It realized the main leads weren't together at all. The plot seemed to have been scrambled into a mess by the host.

...Fine, no panic. Whatever happens to the leads happens.

The Oracle calmly went to look up the host's information—then went silent, startled by her

Impression Value

.

Impression Value was a general evaluation of the host by other supporting characters. It wasn't complete; it couldn't check characters with strong world luck like the villain or the main leads, but it could look at ordinary background characters. Since this was unrelated to the mission and it couldn't check the villain, the Oracle rarely used it. Opening it was just to check the host's living environment and whether she could survive—hosts with red names hated by thousands were easily reduced to ashes. Completion of the mission took a backseat to staying alive!

The Oracle stared at the Impression Value others had of Zora in silence.

...What did "Kind-hearted benefactor" mean? Chun Ling? Wasn't that a female supporting character?

Kind-hearted... who?

It kept scrolling.

"Disciple," "Cute disciple," "Very cute disciple," "Very, very cute disciple"...

So much nonsense. Was this person lacking vocabulary?

"Promising junior," "Sword Sovereign in training," "Genius," "Childlike nature," "Sincere and honest," "Diligent and eager to learn," "Extremely high comprehension"...

Oracle: [?]

Did it just see the male lead's title?

"Good friend," "Beneficial friend," "The best friend who guided me to make more friends," "Honest, trustworthy, reliable, friendly, brave, kind, decisive, fearless"...

This person had a long string of praise that made the Oracle's eyes ache.

"Strange person," "Wow, playing master and servant," "Genius," "My genius friend," "How did you know my friend is a genius?"...

Oracle: [.]

Why does it feel like I'm being bragged at?

It scrolled through hundreds of pages in disbelief—yes, there were thousands of disciples in the December Sect alone, and everyone knew her. The impressions were overwhelmingly positive. Combined with the Sect Leaders and Immortals of other sects, all people of status, the impressions of Zora were excellent. It was a screen full of glowing praise; people were praising Zora until she sounded like a saint.

[...]

Who is this? Who are they talking about?

The Oracle closed the page, questioning its existence.

[Host, did you save the sect? Or repel some great monster?]

Vane had finished talking somehow; those people had trustingly spilled all the information. After seeing the token, they led the two to the Sect Leader’s location.

Zora: "No."

Oracle: [?]

From the first time it met the host, she had severed the villain's tendons. It had been terrified, leading to an impression of a "ruthless host" and wondering "can such a cruel host truly complete a mission in a world that hates evil?" Later it became "Eh, seems she can complete it" and "Hope the host doesn't attract too much hate before finishing, stay alive."

Who would have thought that Zora, simply by being herself and acting on her own will, could gain so much goodwill and even admiration? Then again, the host was highly talented and transparent; naturally her actions were unique and the results unexpected.

The Oracle looked at the little sun over the villain's head representing an excellent mood, which popped up one after another. Logically, when Vane talked to others, his mood should shift to thinking or follow the conversation, but it didn't. There was no change. This only meant that while he was extracting information from others, his mind was still on Zora, and he was successfully getting information with ease.

Oracle: [.]

As expected of a villain.

But didn't this represent pleasing progress for the host—!

The Oracle processed this for a long time before slowly saying: [Host, I think I need to adjust my programming. You have a childlike nature; naturally, I cannot apply worldly standards to you. Perhaps someone truly can win hearts without doing great deeds or self-sacrificing. I believe you can definitely comp—]

"The Valley Master is waiting inside. Please enter, Fellow Daoist Zora."

Vane naturally waited outside. Zora entered to focus on the task. She cut off the Oracle: "Hibernate."

Oracle: [—#@!]

It instantly went silent, perfectly obedient. Just as it had said before, when told to hibernate, it hibernated.

Valley Master Ning Chi looked like an immortal, her white hair pulled back. She sat in a chair with a kind smile: "Young friend Zora? Sect Leader Ling asked me to check your pulse. No need to worry; if I were to harm you, it would be equivalent to declaring war on the December Sect, and we medicine cultivators cannot win that fight."

She was even softer than Ling Zhihuan, making one feel an involuntary closeness.

Zora nodded, frowning. After a moment's hesitation, she allowed her spiritual power to enter. Though Ning Chi sensed her resistance, she was a great power after all and easily entered the girl's meridians. The Valley Master's spiritual power was like a trickling stream, nourishing her spiritual paths.

"..." After a while, the power was withdrawn. The thoughtfulness in Ning Chi's brow melted away, and she smiled: "The path of your spiritual power through your meridians seems slightly different from ordinary people, but no matter; the effect of cultivation is the same."

The world is large, and there are many strange ailments—some of which are not ailments at all but innate traits. The Valley Master simply treated Zora as one of these cases and relaxed upon finding no danger. Furthermore, Zora's spiritual power was so pure; did she have not a single stray thought? Ning Chi examined her closely. To have a heart so clear—no wonder Sect Leader Ling placed such high hopes on her.

Zora didn't care either way. Hearing that it didn't affect her cultivation, she cast the matter aside.

If the Oracle were still present, it would surely scream: [Duh! She's from a different world; of course there's a difference!]