After transforming into a fairy, I, in my simulation, wreaked havoc in the cultivation world.

Three months later, the entire city of Bailu knew that the stunningly beautiful female musician from the Drunken Dream Pavilion had fallen for the city lord.

You did not conceal this matter; in fact, you gradually revealed your true feelings through repeated probing.

Bai Shouzhou never gave you a direct answer, but he never directly rejected you either.

Not refusing is already a tacit agreement, but they're just too embarrassed to refuse.

[On this day, as you were taking a nap in your attic, that ethereal voice rang in your ears once more:]

"Have you heard?"

【...you said.】

"A wolf demon at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage has arrived on the northern mountain. It's said to be a female wolf, and extremely ferocious!"

【Beishan? ! 】

Your brow furrowed; that was the location of the elemental ore vein.

The reason you didn't directly mine the vein was because there was a guardian beast at the early Foundation Establishment stage there, and now another one at the mid-stage has appeared?

[Trouble, looks like the plan will have to be changed again.]

Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and a petite figure peeked in.

"Sister Qianqian!"

The pink figure pounced into your arms without a word, rubbing against your chest.

"I've told you so many times, you have to call me Aunt Qian."

You gently stroked the girl's fluffy little head with a loving expression.

[The person who arrived was Bai Youyou. In just three months, she had gone from initial hostility to current dependence. A naive young girl's heart is so easy to manipulate, and she seems to really enjoy clinging to you.]

"No way! You're not that much older than me."

Bai Youyou pouted, looking unhappy.

In her opinion, that dull-witted father was completely unworthy of a woman as beautiful as Qianqian.

【"Sigh~"】

Upon hearing this, you lowered your eyes and sighed softly, a hint of sorrow creeping across your brow.

"Aunt Qian, don't be sad."

Seeing you like this, the girl felt a sudden pang of guilt, her heart clenching.

[After all, it was her father who caused this emotional debt, so as a daughter, she should naturally bear some responsibility, especially since Sister Qianqian is such a good person.]

"Aunt Qian, I'll let you in on a little secret: Father's been spacing out less often lately."

Bai Youyou's eyes darted around, and she told you everything she had recently gathered.

"And your father will be participating in the Hundred Cities Martial Arts Tournament in a month; you can find an opportunity to go with him."

The opportunity has finally arrived.

The Heavenly Phoenix Dynasty's power structure was extremely crude, dividing cities into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, each with its own jurisdiction. After all, it was a world where individual power reigned supreme, so no major chaos was likely to occur.

The competition for resources naturally boils down to force, and the top rewards include Foundation Establishment Pills.

[Bai Lu City is at the bottom of the Yellow-level cities. Although Bai Shouzhuo would occasionally make a show of visiting it, he reportedly never actually participated, since Bai Lu City truly doesn't have any Qi Refining cultivators worth mentioning.]

[This is precisely why you've been diligently practicing magic in recent years. Without revealing your identity, you naturally have no choice but to use these unremarkable methods to achieve victory.]

The only problem now is my identity.

[Martial artists participating in the Hundred Cities Tournament must have an extremely close relationship with the city lord, such as being a disciple, brother, child, or even... a Daoist partner.]

At this thought, a hint of melancholy flashed in your eyes.

"But Youyou, what right do I have to accompany you..."

"You're just too cowardly!"

The little girl was so anxious she was jumping up and down, her words carrying a hint of disappointment and frustration.

"Father definitely has feelings for you, otherwise why would he invite you to play the zither at the manor so many times? Why don't you just tell him directly?"

"But...but..."

Your pretty face flushed bright red, and you stammered for a long time, unable to speak.

"Oh dear! Aunt Qian!"

Bai Youyou panicked and, without saying a word, grabbed you and headed outside.

"Hey? Where are you going?"

"I'll take you to find your father."

"No, I...I haven't done my makeup yet..."

The girl didn't answer, she just gripped your wrist tighter and kept moving forward.

[Drunken Dream Pavilion isn't far from the City Lord's Mansion; in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Bai Youyou dragged you to Bai Shouzhuo's presence.]

"What are you doing here?"

"Aunt Qian likes you and wants to go to the Hundred Cities Martial Arts Tournament with you."

Bai Youyou made a face, then turned and ran away, not forgetting to leave behind the comment:

"If it's Aunt Qian, I have no objection!"

You stood frozen in place, your ears suddenly flushing red, the heat spreading up your neck. Your fingertips nervously twisted the hem of your clothes, and you couldn't sit still.

After a while, seeing that the other person didn't move, you secretly raised your eyes and glanced at them.

Bai Shouzhuo is staring at you, lost in thought.

Hehe~

[You chuckle to yourself, thinking, "The same style as my deceased wife, isn't that exciting?"]

Today you wear a simple white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), your black hair cascading down your back like a waterfall, without any pearls or makeup. Your clear skin makes your features appear even more gentle, like pearls glistening with morning dew.

The old love is like a dream, nowhere to be found; the new love is like the sun at its zenith.

In a daze, the figure in my memory gradually overlapped with the person before me, yet they were so distinctly different.

They are different, but...

Bai Shouzhou exhaled deeply, but he couldn't suppress the surging emotions in his chest. His heart, dormant for so many years, was finally cracked open.

You took in every change in his expression.

It's done.

So you blushed, bowed slightly, and said softly:

"My lord, Qianqian wishes to play a tune for you."

Your bright eyes, brimming with affection, gaze upon him without reservation.

Bai Shouzhuo's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his fingers curled slightly inside his sleeve, and even his voice took on a gentleness he himself was unaware of.

【"good."】

[The backyard of the City Lord's Mansion.]

You sit gracefully in the pavilion by the pond, dressed in pristine white, your long, slender fingers gently plucking the strings of the zither.

As the music began, Bai Shouzhou sat opposite him, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on his knees in response, as if both echoing and reminiscing.

Gradually, the originally gentle and soothing melody was subtly tinged with a touch of loneliness and sorrow.

Bai Shouzhuo opened his eyes, about to speak, when he clearly saw a tear silently slide down your cheek, falling onto the strings of your zither and stirring a barely audible tremor.

His throat tightened, and the words he was about to say were abruptly swallowed.

The music grew increasingly urgent, and your eyes grew redder and redder until... you almost fooled yourself.

"Stop playing."

A large hand suddenly pressed down on the strings, followed by a delicate fragrance enveloping you.

You lifted your tear-filled face, staring blankly at the man before you, finally unable to control your emotions, and buried your face in his arms.

"Waaah~ My lord! I don't like playing the zither."

Bai Shouzhuo paused, but still reached out and embraced the woman in his arms.

"Okay, then I won't play it anymore."

...