NOVEL NEXT Chapter Twenty-Two, Successful Strategy
Do what you want to do.
And take responsibility for your actions.
Yan Rouwan thought for a moment; it sounded pretty nice.
“Okay.”
“I’ll join.” She suddenly laughed.
This was the first time Sang Zhe saw Yan Rouwan smile.
Ever since she was captured in the Demon Cultivators’ prison, she always had a serious, deeply resentful expression as if she hated herself to the bone.
But at that moment, her smile was filled with ease and relief.
Instead, it made Sang Zhe realize that this person in front of him was indeed a stunning beauty from the Water Moon Sect.
A sea of flowers without color, a single red among the greens.
Especially now that she had shed those unnecessary burdens, her relaxed and carefree aura made her look exceptionally charming.
【Yan Rouwan’s strategy progress.】
【100%.】
“By the way.”
“As a company senior’s gift to a new employee.”
Sang Zhe snapped his fingers.
From the bushes behind him, two cats—one black and one white—suddenly popped out.
Yan Rouwan’s beautiful eyes lit up with surprise as she quickly squatted down to scoop up the two cats into her arms.
“Jiao Jiao, Hei Xia!”
The black and white cats snuggled into her embrace, affectionately rubbing against her cheek and licking her neck with their tiny tongues.
“I finally feel free.”
Sang Zhe let out a苦笑: “You don’t know. Taking care of these two little troublemakers for a few days nearly tortured me to death.”
In his past life, Sang Zhe had no experience in raising cats.
Just browsing videos online made it seem like raising cats was no big deal.
Even easier than raising dogs since you didn’t have to walk them every day.
But in reality, Sang Zhe felt like half his life had been drained away by these two little ancestors.
Not only were they ridiculously shedding hair, but Sang Zhe was also allergic to cat hair.
He sneezed from the time he woke up until midnight.
The smell of cat poop was an abstract thing. The cat litter couldn’t cover that stink.
The most annoying part is that these two little troublemakers often jumped onto his bed at midnight, sleeping on his chest.
Recently, he kept thinking his chest was tight and he might die from overwork.
“Sigh.”
“Sure enough, taking care of pets is something you have to see others enjoy.” Sang Zhe sighed.
Suddenly, Yan Rouwan exclaimed, “Huh?”
“Jiao Jiao, you—you’ve gained spiritual wisdom?!”
“I can actually understand what you’re saying?!”
Sang Zhe froze.
You should know that it’s quite rare for ordinary beings to gain spiritual wisdom.
Many demon beasts take hundreds or even thousands of years in blessed lands to awaken their intelligence.
He didn’t expect this little ragdoll cat would also gain spiritual wisdom just from being around the child of fortune every day.
But.
Why did it feel like something was off?
At that moment, Yan Rouwan held Jiao Jiao, with excited tears welling up in her beautiful eyes:
“You mean, you’ve forgiven me?”
“That’s wonderful… I—I’m so sorry…”
While one person and one cat were embracing and confessing, Sang Zhe suddenly asked the system suspiciously:
“System, did this cat suddenly gain wisdom? Why was it not earlier and not later, but right after Yan Rouwan’s strategy progress maxed out?”
【……】
“And, wasn’t Yan Rouwan at the lower level of the Yuan Ying stage? How did she suddenly leap to the Transformation stage?】
【……】
“And before, I remember Zhang Xiaoying was the same as me in Foundation Establishment, right? When did her cultivation reach the peak of Yuan Ying?】
【……】
“…Why aren’t you talking?”
【……】
Sang Zhe: “Why do I feel like you’re a newborn hiding things from me?”
【Host’s knowledge is insufficient; system has no data.】
What the heck.
Meanwhile, Yan Rouwan and Jiao Jiao were whispering something secretively.
It looked just like girls sharing secrets in a bedroom.
Every now and then, she would look over at Sang Zhe with shining eyes.
Suddenly, Yan Rouwan reached out to Sang Zhe and beckoned.
“Hand it over.”
“What?”
“The soul imprint.” Yan Rouwan blinked, “Aren’t you making me your servant?”
“Uh… Actually, as long as you join the company, it wouldn’t matter—”
“Hand it over!” Yan Rouwan suddenly frowned.
The pressure of the Transformation stage surged, making Sang Zhe shiver as he had no choice but to obediently hand over the demon cult’s soul imprint.
Wait.
Why do you make it feel like you’re forcing me to accept you?
Yan Rouwan took the soul imprint, her beautiful eyes lingering on it, and after a moment, she gracefully knelt on one knee, warmly and reverently lifting Sang Zhe’s hand.
“Yan Rouwan is willing to bear this soul imprint, belonging to Sang Zhe for life, never to betray.”
Then, she held Sang Zhe’s hand, imprinting the soul mark on her own spirit.
At that instant, a soft, intoxicating moan escaped Yan Rouwan’s cherry lips, nearly melting Sang Zhe’s bones.
Moments later, she slumped, drenched in fragrant sweat, into Sang Zhe’s arms.
Between her brows, a cryptic pattern appeared, one only vaguely visible to Sang Zhe.
Sang Zhe, however, was comfortably holding a beautiful woman.
But remembering that he had just carried five lives on his back not too long ago, he felt his excitement wear off.
“Uh, sister, can you stand up now?”
“I can’t stand.” Yan Rouwan gently hugged his neck, her beautiful eyes blinking with a hint of playful reproach:
“After all, bringing me back is your job. Just carry me back.”
Sang Zhe: “?”
This can count as overtime?
I really have bad luck, why do I have to work overtime wherever I go?
But the most frustrating thing was that Sang Zhe really had no way to deal with her.
With a sigh, Sang Zhe wrapped his arms around Yan Rouwan and let her cling to his neck and press against his chest.
Meanwhile, he was already calculating how to ask for more overtime pay on this trip back.
“By the way.”
“What?”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you for what?”
“Thank you for helping me see the truth.” Yan Rouwan suddenly rested her small head on Sang Zhe’s shoulder, looking as docile as an napping kitten.
“Now that I think about it, living under that false adoration was pretty disgusting.”
“I also owe you an apology. When you betrayed the sect back then, I didn’t notice a thing.”
“But now, you don’t hold grudges and are willing to lend me a helping hand.”
Sang Zhe thought for a moment and replied: “You’re overthinking it, it was just work.”
“Yes, yes, just work~”
Yan Rouwan suddenly smiled sweetly, then gently leaned against Sang Zhe’s embrace.
Sang Zhe was quite burdened.
He was holding a stunning beauty, just like this.
Even though he was being a gentleman, he still inevitably touched soft spots.
Long, lovely legs and a delicate, soft waist.
“What’s wrong? Your expression doesn’t look good.” Yan Rouwan laughed mischievously.
“Nothing.” Sang Zhe replied seriously, “Mainly, you’re just too heavy.”
Yan Rouwan’s eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of murder.
“Uh, I misspoke. It’s the cats that are heavy.”
Right.
Sang Zhe wasn’t just holding Yan Rouwan.
But also the two chubby cats that jumped into her arms.
“Good, Jiao Jiao, Hei Xia, scratch him!”
“Hey, hey! Wait! Ah—”
As the sun gradually set, Sang Zhe’s silhouette with Yan Rouwan gradually disappeared at the foot of the Immortal Sect Mountain.