When Yue Zhao spoke about all this, his eyes practically sparkled.
Before Yun Jin arrived, he had been driven every single day by the pressure to survive. He had no choice but to plan with all his might, to cultivate like his life depended on it, trying to carve out a future—for himself and for everyone else.
But then, Yun Jin came.
When she first arrived, Yue Zhao had only one thought in mind.
Protect her. Keep her out of harm's way as much as possible.
In the end?
Yun Jin never needed his protection in the first place. She could create one miracle after another all on her own. In the end, it was Yun Jin who protected them. Back then, when little junior sister said she wanted to establish a Holy Land of her own—
Their master hadn't taken it seriously. But Yue Zhao had.
In terms of cultivation, he couldn't offer much. In a mid-tier sect, he might be considered a top talent, but in a high-tier sect or a super sect, he was barely above average. And compared to disciples of a true Holy Land, he was nothing.
His one real advantage was the commercial mindset he brought with him from the modern world.
Founding a Holy Land would require a vast amount of spirit stones.
So that task—he would take on.
While junior sister handled everything else, he would make sure she never had to slow down just because she lacked spirit stones. Wherever his commercial network expanded, the Tianxing Sect's influence would follow.
These thoughts, Yue Zhao didn't speak aloud. He didn't need to.
Compared to everything Yun Jin had done, his efforts felt small.
But even so, he would keep expanding his business empire and become Yun Jin's unshakable support.
"Right," Yue Zhao suddenly slapped his forehead. "Xiao Jin, didn't you say before that you wanted to try some thrilling and scary games? I thought about it, and I built a haunted house in one corner of the market. Come on, I'll show you."
Haunted house?
Yun Jin grinned.
She had only made a passing comment, and yet Senior Brother had already gone and built the whole thing.
She'd long suspected—
Compared to emotions like shock, fear was much more profitable when it came to harvesting emotional value. But she wasn't some evil villain who could just go around scaring people all the time. That haunted house was the perfect solution.
However—
To make sure all that emotional value actually reached her, she needed a special setup.
Yun Jin glanced at Gu Jinghong. He was her answer.
Yue Zhao led the two of them through the bustling marketplace. Sure enough, tucked away in a quiet corner stood a rundown-looking building with a rickety sign barely hanging on, the words "Haunted House" scrawled on it.
Despite its remote location, the place was surprisingly lively with visitors going in and out.
Yun Jin cast a curious look at Yue Zhao.
He chuckled. "There are five different themes inside. Cultivators who enter are asked to wear a special wristband that temporarily seals their cultivation. If they forcibly use their power, the challenge is declared failed on the spot. We're currently running a promotion—if someone can complete a theme without their heart rate exceeding a certain threshold, they get ten top grade spirit stones. Clear all five without going over the limit, and they win a hundred.
To attract more people, this challenge is free for now. The wristbands can be forcefully broken if needed, though that counts as a failure. So naturally, a lot of curious types are giving it a try. Junior sister, want to go in and play?"
Yue Zhao looked at Yun Jin with a mischievous smile.
He had personally selected each of the five themes. All peak-level traditional horror. Even Yun Jin would have a hard time walking out with a smile.
But Yun Jin immediately caught onto Yue Zhao's playful tone. She gave a light cough and said, "No, no, I'll pass. I like the idea of playing, but I never said I wanted to go in myself."
Yue Zhao: "???"
Was that even a reasonable statement?
Yun Jin quickly pulled Gu Jinghong over. "I brought Gu Jinghong today so he can play. He's a pervert. He enjoys this kind of thing."
Yue Zhao gave Gu Jinghong a look.
Gu Jinghong, face calm as ever, nodded. "If my master says I enjoy it, then I do."
Yue Zhao chuckled and waved him off. "Alright then. Go have fun."
"Yes," Gu Jinghong responded and stepped into the haunted house.
He had a vague sense that his master had a task for him related to this haunted house. Just what kind of task, he'd probably have to go in and find out for himself.
Once Gu Jinghong disappeared inside, Yue Zhao and Yun Jin headed over to Linjiang Tower. They ordered a few unique dishes and listened to a storyteller spinning tales. It was all very pleasant.
Yun Jin bit into a piece of meat and suddenly asked, "Senior Brother, did you recruit Senior Sister Mu Hua over here?"
Yue Zhao chuckled. "Mu Hua wasn't well regarded in the sect. Her kitchen business didn't bring in much money either. I'm paying her ten times more here. She handed the sect's dining hall over to someone else voluntarily."
Yun Jin nodded repeatedly. "You struck gold, Senior Brother. Senior Sister Mu Hua's cooking is pretty amazing."
"Of course," Yue Zhao took a sip of wine. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have worked with her for so long."
They chatted as they ate, even managing to catch up on some of that wild tale, Immortal Breaks Through the Firmament, when finally, news came from Gu Jinghong.
There was a link between master and servant. Yun Jin wiped her mouth. "Gu Jinghong's out. Let's go check on him."
When Yue Zhao and Yun Jin arrived—
Gu Jinghong was standing there, dazed.
The moment he saw Yue Zhao, his expression shifted ever so slightly.
Once upon a time—
He thought he was the biggest pervert in the Tianxing Sect.
But now—
He was convinced. The real pervert was Yue Zhao, who had actually written those scripts.
Reading the look in Gu Jinghong's eyes, Yue Zhao gave a small cough. "Well? Fun?"
Gu Jinghong replied in a flat tone, "It was acceptable."
Then he turned to Yun Jin.
Waiting for her command.
Yun Jin grinned and reached out to pinch his chin. "Senior Brother, what do you think? Isn't my servant good-looking?"
Good-looking?
Yue Zhao was momentarily stunned.
Gu Jinghong's pupils contracted slightly. For some reason, the tips of his ears turned a little red.
Yue Zhao gave him an odd look. "Acceptable?"
Quoting Gu Jinghong's earlier words.
Yun Jin didn't notice Yue Zhao's weird expression. She grinned. "I think he's got potential. With the right styling, he could scare thousands of young men and women to tears!"
Yue Zhao hadn't quite caught on.
Huh??
What kind of twist was this?
Yun Jin explained, "I was thinking, what if we renamed the most terrifying monsters in each theme to 'Gu Jinghong' and gave them masks of his face? Have the real Gu Jinghong even play a few himself. Whichever scenario is the scariest, throw in a monster named Gu Jinghong—can't go wrong."
Yue Zhao: "???"
What kind of bizarre request was that?
Was this… was she holding a grudge?
But Yun Jin was completely serious. The haunted house was already generating a huge amount of emotional value, but unless that value was tied to her, she couldn't absorb it.
She didn't have time to collect it herself, so Gu Jinghong would have to do it for her.
Soon, as Senior Brother expanded the haunted house franchise across the cultivation world, the name Gu Jinghong would become a thing of nightmares.
He wouldn't even need to show up anymore. Just hearing the name would make children tremble.
While she harvested all that emotional value in the background, she'd go right on being everyone's favorite cute and loveable junior sister.
This plan… was absolutely perfect.
===
Yun Jin, what kind of plan is this???
ヽ(￣(ｴ)￣)ﾉ