By the time she finished speaking, You Ji Shàngrén was staring at Xie Zhaolin with wide, hopeful eyes, her little face practically saying, "I'm super useful, please keep me!"
Xie Zhaolin didn't speak for a while. She carefully sensed the feedback coming from the soul contract and confirmed that the other wasn't lying.
So that's how it is…
The so-called inheritance wasn't a lifeless manual at all, but this ancient monster who'd lived for who knows how many eras. And indeed, that was far more valuable than any fixed cultivation jade slip.
A living encyclopedia that could be consulted at any time, full of boundless knowledge and experience, was priceless.
But at the same time, the risk was enormous.
After all, this was the same old monster who had just tried to seize her body. Even if she was bound by the contract now, her mind and temperament were unfathomable. She had to stay on guard.
She gazed deeply at the ancient being disguised as a child, silently weighing the pros and cons in her heart.
"So," she finally said slowly, her tone unreadable, "you're saying that after all the trials, almost losing my soul, and pushing myself to the edge of death… the inheritance I got was you?"
You Ji Shàngrén nodded hard, forcing out an innocent smile. "That's right, that's right! Sister! With me, you've basically got everything You Ji Shàngrén ever learned! Guaranteed profit, no loss!"
Seeing her act cute again, Xie Zhaolin's mouth twitched uncontrollably. She took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to grab this old monster by the collar and shake her until a few treasures fell out.
"Fine." Xie Zhaolin nodded, her eyes turning razor-sharp. "Since you are the inheritance, then…"
Her thoughts stirred, and the power of the master-servant contract flared to life. One by one, clear rules branded themselves onto the core of You Ji Shàngrén's remnant soul.
Clause after clause, strict and unbreakable, were forcibly established by Xie Zhaolin.
You Ji Shàngrén felt the binding deep within her soul and her little face crumpled. She muttered, "Oh… got it… you're so mean, Sister…"
Though unwilling, under the absolute suppression of the contract, she could only obey.
"And another thing," Xie Zhaolin said coldly, ignoring that pitiful expression, "first, stop calling me 'Sister.'
Second, drop the innocent act. I don't like talking to an ancient monster hiding inside a child's body while pretending to be cute."
To Xie Zhaolin, that aged, dignified voice from before had been the creature's real self. This child form was just a disguise meant to lower her guard.
But when she said that, You Ji Shàngrén froze. Her little mouth opened slightly, and a look of genuine grievance filled her face.
"I… I'm not pretending!" Her voice cracked, almost tearful. "I really look like this!
That old voice was the fake one! I used my remaining soul power to simulate it! Because… because it sounded more dignified that way, like a wise expert or something!"
Xie Zhaolin blinked in surprise.
That… wasn't what she expected. She'd assumed from the start that the deep, authoritative voice was the truth, and this childish form was the illusion. But judging by the emotional feedback from the contract, the little one's feelings of grievance and anxiety were genuine.
Could it be that this ancient monster's true form was really that of a little girl?
The thought made her expression turn strange. An old monster renowned across the Cultivation Realm for crafting unmatched puppets, and her true body looked like a seven- or eight-year-old child?
She stayed silent for a moment, her emotions tangled, then asked tentatively, "So… your true self is female?"
You Ji Shàngrén tilted her head, her delicate brows furrowing as if she was lost in thought. She raised a tiny hand and rubbed her chin, clearly trying to choose her words carefully.
After a long pause, she said uncertainly, "Hmm… well… saying I'm female isn't wrong. But strictly speaking… yes, and no?"
Xie Zhaolin frowned immediately.
Yes and no? What kind of answer was that?
Watching the ancient being frown and struggle to explain her own gender only made the situation feel more absurd. An existence that had lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years didn't even know her own sex? Or… was there some hidden story behind it?
Still, Xie Zhaolin quickly lost interest in prying.
Male or female, old or young, it didn't matter. What mattered was that You Ji Shàngrén was now bound to her and held all the knowledge she needed.
As for whatever secrets this old monster still kept, there'd be plenty of time to dig them out later.
"Forget it." Xie Zhaolin waved her hand, dismissing the topic. "Keep whatever form you want, but the way you address me needs to change. From now on, call me Master.
As for your current form…" She glanced at the tiny soul body, her tone indifferent. "Since that's your true form, you can keep it."
You Ji Shàngrén visibly relaxed, her little face lighting up with a grin that still looked a bit too practiced for comfort.
"Got it, M… Master." She stumbled over the new word, then blinked up at her with an eager smile. "Then, Master can call me You You! It's my nickname! Sounds way cuter than You Ji Shàngrén, right?"
Xie Zhaolin gave a noncommittal hum. She didn't care much about names or nicknames. What mattered now was finding a way out of this silent chamber, and how she was going to "repay" Jiu Jiu.
She turned to leave.
But just as she took her first step, a faint murmur drifted from behind her.
"Sigh… if I'd known, I should've added a temperament test to the inheritance. Who could've guessed I'd run into such a freak…"
Xie Zhaolin's steps halted slightly. Without turning around, she asked casually, "Why didn't you?"
In the Cultivation Realm, almost every major inheritance included a trial to test one's temperament and moral character. After all, if the inheritor's heart was rotten, they could easily use that power for evil, sullying the legacy and even bringing disaster to the world.
But You Ji Shàngrén's inheritance, despite being incredibly intricate and challenging, lacked such a test entirely. That alone was suspicious.
It was, in fact, one of the main reasons Xie Zhaolin had been so cautious from the very beginning.