zhè sì wèi dōu shì hé dào xiū shì ， mù guāng zhuó zhuó dīng zhe shèng tāi lǐ fán ， zì shēn qì xī yǒng dòng 。
这四位都是合道修士，目光灼灼盯着圣胎李凡，自身气息涌动。
These four were cultivators who had reached the Dao Integration Realm, their gazes fixed intently on the holy embryo Li Fan. Their own auras began to stir.
lǐ fán zé shì sī háo méi yǒu jǐn zhāng de shén sè ， cháo zuǒ yòu gǒng le gǒng shǒu ：“ jǐ wèi qián bèi shāo ān wù zào ， dài wǒ zuì zhōng què rèn yī fān 。”
李凡则是丝毫没有紧张的神色，朝左右拱了拱手：“几位前辈稍安勿躁，待我最终确认一番。”
Li Fan showed no signs of tension as he respectfully bowed to the sides: "Senior predecessors, please calm down for a moment while I confirm this."
“ bù guò ， wǒ xū yào fēn chū yī lǚ shén shí ， qù nà lǐ ！”
“不过，我需要分出一缕神识，去那里！”
"But," he continued, "I need to send out a fragment of my divine consciousness to that place!"
shuō zhe ， lǐ fán yòng shí zhǐ zhǐ xiàng le zhèng pā zài zhǎng zhuō shàng chén shuì de yǎn fǎ xiǎo luó lì 。
说着，李凡用食指指向了正趴在长桌上沉睡的衍法小萝莉。
Saying so, Li Fan pointed at the Derivation Method Little Maiden who was sleeping on the long table.
sì wèi hé dào xiū shì hù xiāng kàn le yī yǎn 。
四位合道修士互相看了一眼。
The four Dao Integration cultivators exchanged glances. They all looked hesitant.
quán dōu miàn yǒu nán sè 。
全都面有难色。
Li Fan remained silent, waiting for them to make their decision.
lǐ fán zhǐ shì ān jìng de děng dài tā men zuò jué dìng 。
李凡只是安静的等待他们做决定。
"Boy, is there no other way?"
“ xiǎo zi ， méi yǒu qí tā bàn fǎ le ma ？”
“小子，没有其他办法了嘛？”
Li Fan replied calmly: "It's about treating a specific condition with the right medicine. If we misdiagnose and force treatment, it might cause even greater damage."
lǐ fán dàn dàn dì huí dá dào ：“ suǒ wèi duì zhèng xià yào 。 ruò shì wù zhěn bìng yīn ， qiáng xíng shī jiù 。 fǎn dào yǒu kě néng zào chéng gèng dà sǔn huài 。”
李凡淡淡地回答道：“所谓对症下药。若是误诊病因，强行施救。反倒有可能造成更大损坏。”
"But it’s just a fragment of my divine consciousness, used only for observation and communication. It can’t possibly harm an ordinary person..."
“ bù guò shì zuì xì wēi yī lǚ shén shí bà le ， zhǐ yǒu chá kàn 、 gōu tōng zhī yòng 。 kǒng pà lián fán rén dōu wú fǎ shāng jí ……”
“不过是最细微一缕神识罢了，只有查看、沟通之用。恐怕连凡人都无法伤及……”
"If you’re really not sure, then forget it."
“ ruò shì shí zài bù fàng xīn ， nà jiù suàn le 。”
“若是实在不放心，那就算了。”
After some discussion among them, they decided to let the holy embryo Li Fan try.
sì wèi hé dào xiū shì yòu shāng yì le yī zhèn 。
四位合道修士又商议了一阵。
Immediately after Li Fan sent out a fragment of his divine consciousness, he felt four different ones approach like chains.
zuì zhōng hái shì jué dìng ràng shèng tāi lǐ fán shì yī shì 。
最终还是决定让圣胎李凡试一试。
The five were connected as one entity. They could share everything they saw and heard, and communicate with each other.
lǐ fán fēn chū yī lǚ shén shí zhī hòu ， zhǐ gǎn dào lì kè yòu sì dào bù tóng de shén shí rú tóng suǒ liàn bān ， pān fù ér lái 。
李凡分出一缕神识之后，只感到立刻又四道不同的神识如同锁链般，攀附而来。
"Let’s go."
wǔ zhě lián jiē zhe yí gè zhěng tǐ 。
五者连接着一个整体。
Four voices echoed in Li Fan's mind simultaneously.
suǒ jiàn suǒ wén quán dōu kě yǐ gòng xiǎng ， gèng kě yǐ hù xiāng jiāo liú 。
所见所闻全都可以共享，更可以互相交流。
Knowing this was necessary for protection, Li Fan had no objections.
“ zǒu ba 。”
“走吧。”
In the next moment, the five divine consciousnesses flew into the Derivation Method Little Maiden's识海.
sì dào shēng yīn yī qí zài lǐ fán xīn zhōng xiǎng qǐ 。
四道声音一齐在李凡心中想起。
A world filled with golden light floated with one magical technique after another.
zhī dào zhè shì bì yào de fáng hù cuò shī ， lǐ fán yě bìng wú yì jiàn 。
知道这是必要的防护措施，李凡也并无意见。
It resembled a sea of books, vast and immense.
xià yī kè ， wǔ dào shén shí yī qí fēi rù yǎn fǎ xiǎo luó lì shí hǎi zhōng 。
下一刻，五道神识一齐飞入衍法小萝莉识海中。
The divine consciousness entered and almost lost its way.
mǎn shì jīn guāng fú yào de shì jiè ， piāo fú zhe yī běn yòu yī běn de gōng fǎ 。
满是金光浮耀的世界，漂浮着一本又一本的功法。
Li Fan could clearly see the names of the techniques passing by him. If he wished, he could explore their contents in detail.
wǎn rú shū jí de hǎi yáng ， tài guò liáo kuò yǔ hào hàn 。
宛如书籍的海洋，太过辽阔与浩瀚。
Without four powerful divine consciousnesses watching, Li Fan resisted the urge to spy on the countless techniques. He manifested a form and shouted loudly: "Little guy, stop pretending to be asleep! Get up!"
shén shí jìn rù qí zhōng ， jiù jī hū mí shī le fāng xiàng 。
神识进入其中，就几乎迷失了方向。
Though his voice was not loud, it stood out in this world of magical techniques.
lǐ fán kě yǐ qīng chǔ de kàn dào zài zì jǐ shēn biān piāo guò de gōng fǎ de míng zì ， shèn zhì ruò shì kě yǐ ， tā yě néng jìn qíng liú lǎn gōng fǎ de nèi róng 。
李凡可以清楚的看到在自己身边飘过的功法的名字，甚至若是可以，他也能尽情浏览功法的内容。
It spread firmly around him.
rú guǒ méi yǒu sì dào qiáng dà shén shí zài yī páng hǔ shì dān dān de huà 。
如果没有四道强大神识在一旁虎视眈眈的话。
The divine consciousnesses of the four Dao Integration cultivators also appeared at that moment.
qiáng rěn zhù kuī tàn zhè wú shù gōng fǎ de yù wàng ， shén shí yǎn huà chū shēn xíng ， cháo zhe zhōu wéi fàng shēng dà hǎn ：“ xiǎo jiā huo ， bié zhuāng shuì le ！ kuài chū lái ！”
强忍住窥探这无数功法的欲望，神识衍化出身形，朝着周围放声大喊：“小家伙，别装睡了！快出来！”
"Are you saying Derivation Method Jade is pretending to sleep?"
shēng yīn suī rán bù dà ， dàn zài cǐ chù mǎn shì gōng fǎ de shì jiè zhōng ， què wán quán shì yí gè yì lèi 。
声音虽然不大，但在此处满是功法的世界中，却完全是一个异类。
"How can that be possible?"
jiān dìng bù yí de cháo zhe zhōu wéi kuò sàn 。
坚定不移的朝着周围扩散。
They were utterly surprised and stared at Li Fan blankly.
ér nà sì wèi hé dào xiū shì de shén shí ， yě zài cǐ kè fēn fēn xiǎn chū shēn xíng 。
而那四位合道修士的神识，也在此刻纷纷显出身形。
Li Fan ignored them, continuing to shout: "Little guy, do you think pretending to sleep will reduce your work? What’s yours is yours! You can’t escape it!"
“ nǐ shuō shén me ？ yǎn fǎ jué shì zài zhuāng shuì ？”
“你说什么？衍法珏是在装睡？”
"Once you wake up, you’ll still have to continue deriving. And you need to make up for the time you’ve missed..."
“ zěn me kě néng ？”
“怎么可能？”
Li Fan sounded like a heartless boss urging his subordinate to work harder.
gēn běn méi yǒu xiǎng guò zhè ge jié guǒ ， tā men mǎn liǎn de bù kě sī yì ， zhí lèng lèng dīng zhe lǐ fán 。
根本没有想过这个结果，他们满脸的不可思议，直愣愣盯着李凡。
Even the four Hall Guardian Dao Integration cultivators couldn't help frowning at this.
lǐ fán què shì méi yǒu dā lǐ tā men ， zhǐ shì yī jiù zì gù zì cháo zhōu wéi hǎn zhe ：“ xiǎo jiā huo ， nǐ yǐ wéi zhuāng shuì gōng zuò jiù néng jiǎn shǎo ma ？ shǔ yú nǐ de ， zǒng guī shì nǐ de ！ táo bù diào de ！”
李凡却是没有搭理他们，只是依旧自顾自朝周围喊着：“小家伙，你以为装睡工作就能减少吗？属于你的，总归是你的！逃不掉的！”
Unbeknownst to them, a small figure suddenly appeared above Li Fan's head.
“ děng nǐ xǐng lái ， nǐ hái bú shì yào jì xù tuī yǎn ？ shèn zhì hái yào bǎ zhè duàn shí jiān qiàn de bǔ shàng ……”
“等你醒来，你还不是要继续推衍？甚至还要把这段时间欠的补上……”
Holding a wooden stick twice her size, she was about to strike Li Fan from above.
lǐ fán rú tóng hēi xīn de lǎo bǎn cuī cù zhe xià shǔ gàn huó ， zuǐ lǐ dié dié bù xiū 。
李凡如同黑心的老板催促着下属干活，嘴里喋喋不休。
"Zhou..."
lián sì wèi hù fǎ táng hé dào tīng le ， dōu bù jīn wēi wēi zhòu méi 。
连四位护法堂合道听了，都不禁微微皱眉。
"You're awake!"
rú cǐ ， bù zhī guò qù le duō jiǔ 。
如此，不知过去了多久。
The four Dao Integration cultivators were overjoyed upon seeing the scene.
“ chǎo sǐ le ！”
“吵死了！”
Though Li Fan’s actual combat strength was weak, he wasn’t so obviously attacked that he couldn't dodge it.
yī dào jiāo xiǎo de shēn yǐng hū de chū xiàn zài lǐ fán tóu dǐng 。
一道娇小的身影忽的出现在李凡头顶。
He dodged the Little Maiden's attack with a flash of movement.
shǒu lǐ ná zhe gēn bǐ zì jǐ hái yào dà shàng jǐ bèi de mù bàng ， jiù yào cháo zhe lǐ fán dāng tóu huī jī ér xià 。
手里拿着根比自己还要大上几倍的木棒，就要朝着李凡当头挥击而下。
She carried the wooden stick on her shoulder and angrily approached Li Fan: "What little guy? I’m several thousand years old! Much older than you!"
“ zhōu ……”
“周……”
Li Fan’s expression darkened as he rebuked her: "If that’s so, why do you insist on pretending to sleep?"
“ nín xǐng le ！”
“您醒了！”
"Many people are worried about you!"
nà sì wèi hé dào jiàn zhuàng ， miàn sè dà xǐ 。
那四位合道见状，面色大喜。
The Little Maiden's body trembled, and her aura weakened instantly.
lǐ fán suī rán shí jì zhàn lì hěn ruò ， dàn yě bù zhì yú rú cǐ míng xiǎn de xí jī dōu duǒ bù guò 。
李凡虽然实际战力很弱，但也不至于如此明显的袭击都躲不过。
But she then snorted coldly, forcing herself to be defiant: "It’s none of your business! You’re such a nuisance! If it weren’t for you, they wouldn’t have noticed!"
shēn xíng shǎn dòng ， duǒ guò le yǎn fǎ xiǎo luó lì de gōng jī 。
身形闪动，躲过了衍法小萝莉的攻击。
As she spoke, she secretly patted the giant wooden stick on her shoulder.
yī huī jī kōng ， xiǎo luó lì jiāng mù bàng káng zài jiān shàng ， qì hū hū lái dào lǐ fán miàn qián ：“ shén me xiǎo jiā huo ？ gū nǎi nǎi wǒ kě shì jǐ qiān suì le ！ bǐ nǐ bù zhī dào dà duō shǎo bèi ！”
一挥击空，小萝莉将木棒扛在肩上，气呼呼来到李凡面前：“什么小家伙？姑奶奶我可是几千岁了！比你不知道大多少倍！”
She sized up Li Fan with an unfriendly look in her eyes.
lǐ fán zé shì miàn sè yī chén ， hē chì dào ：“ jì rú cǐ ， wèi hé xiǎo hái mú yàng ， zhí yì zhuāng shuì ？”
李凡则是面色一沉，呵斥道：“既如此，为何小孩模样，执意装睡？”
Li Fan turned his head to face the four Dao Integration cultivators and bowed respectfully.
“ bù zhī dào yǒu duō shǎo rén dān xīn nǐ ma ！”
“不知道有多少人担心你嘛！”
Everything was left unsaid between them.
yǎn fǎ xiǎo luó lì shēn qū yī dǒu ， qì shì shùn jiān ruò le xià qù 。
衍法小萝莉身躯一抖，气势瞬间弱了下去。
"Little ancestor, why are you throwing a tantrum again..."
bù guò suí hòu tā lěng hēng yī shēng ， qiáng xíng zuǐ yìng dào ：“ yào nǐ guǎn ！ nǐ zhēn fán ！ yào bú shì nǐ ， tā men gēn běn kàn bù chū lái ！”
不过随后她冷哼一声，强行嘴硬道：“要你管！你真烦！要不是你，他们根本看不出来！”
The white-haired old man came over to the Little Maiden with a wry smile, looking helpless.
yī biān shuō zhe ， tā yòu qiāo mī mī mō le mō jiān shàng de jù xíng mù bàng 。
一边说着，她又悄咪咪摸了摸肩上的巨型木棒。
"Do you know how much trouble the Hall of Guardians has been in these few days? How many urgent matters have had to be delayed out of helplessness..."
dǎ liàng zhe lǐ fán ， yǎn shén shǎn guò bù shàn de guāng máng 。
打量着李凡，眼神闪过不善的光芒。
"What does it matter to me!" The wooden stick vanished from her shoulder. She covered her ears and pretended not to hear.
lǐ fán zé shì zhuǎn tóu kàn xiàng sì wèi hé dào ， gǒng le gǒng shǒu 。
李凡则是转头看向四位合道，拱了拱手。
"I’ve worked for two thousand three hundred and twenty-seven consecutive days! I’m already exhausted! My promised vacation was suddenly canceled!" she said indignantly.
yī qiè jǐn zài bù yán zhōng 。
一切尽在不言中。
"I don’t care! I want my leave!"
“ wǒ de xiǎo zǔ zōng a ， nín zěn me yòu shuǎ xiǎo pí qì le ne ……”
“我的小祖宗啊，您怎么又耍小脾气了呢……”
It turned out that Derivation Method Jade had been forced to pretend to be asleep due to this reason.
nà wèi bái fà lǎo zhě ， cǐ kè kǔ xiào zhe lái dào yǎn fǎ xiǎo luó lì miàn qián ， yī liǎn wú nài 。
那位白发老者，此刻苦笑着来到衍法小萝莉面前，一脸无奈。
The four Hall Guardian Dao Integration cultivators all sighed in resignation.
“ nín zhī bù zhī dào ， jiù zhè jǐ tiān ， hù fǎ táng jī hū tān huàn 。 duō shǎo jǐn jí zhī shì dōu qiáng xíng bèi wú nài yán hòu ……”
“您知不知道，就这几天，护法堂几乎瘫痪。多少紧急之事都强行被无奈延后……”
"This isn’t without a cause..."
“ guān wǒ shén me shì ！” jiān shàng mù bàng xiāo shī ， xiǎo luó lì wǔ zhe ěr duǒ ， yī fù wǒ bù tīng 、 wǒ bù tīng de yàng zi 。
“关我什么事！”肩上木棒消失，小萝莉捂着耳朵，一副我不听、我不听的样子。
They kept offering words of comfort and advice, but it took considerable effort to persuade the Little Maiden to agree to rest for one more day before returning to work.
“ wǒ yǐ jīng lián xù gōng zuò liǎng qiān sān bǎi èr shí qī tiān le ！ yǐ jīng hěn xīn kǔ le ！ běn lái zhī qián dā yìng wǒ de jià qī ， yòu tū rán méi le ！” tā qì gǔ gǔ dì shuō dào 。
“我已经连续工作两千三百二十七天了！已经很辛苦了！本来之前答应我的假期，又突然没了！”她气鼓鼓地说道。
After speaking, the Little Maiden disappeared with an angry expression.
“ wǒ bù guǎn ！ wǒ jiù shì yào xiū jià ！”
“我不管！我就是要休假！”
The others were forcibly expelled from her consciousness.
méi xiǎng dào jū rán shì yīn wèi zhè wèi yuán yīn ， dǎo zhì yǎn fǎ jué qiáng xíng zhuāng shuì 。
没想到居然是因为这位原因，导致衍法珏强行装睡。
Returning to their bodies, they looked at the light ball whose character changes had returned to normal and sighed in relief.
sì wèi hù fǎ táng hé dào jù shì wú nài kǔ xiào 。
四位护法堂合道俱是无奈苦笑。
"Little brother, how did you spot that Derivation Method Jade was pretending to sleep?"
“ zhè yě bú shì shì chū yǒu yīn ma ……”
“这也不是事出有因吗……”
The white-haired old man turned to Li Fan curiously after a change in his demeanor.
sì rén nǐ yī yán wǒ yī yǔ ， bù duàn chū yán ān wèi 、 quàn jiè 。
四人你一言我一语，不断出言安慰、劝诫。
"Unfortunately, it’s a unique skill I can’t reveal," Li Fan replied, not treating the Dao Integration cultivators as equals and refusing to answer their question.
pǒ fèi le yī fān gōng fu ， zhè cái bǎ yǎn fǎ xiǎo luó lì quàn de huí xīn zhuǎn yì 。
颇废了一番功夫，这才把衍法小萝莉劝的回心转意。
A hint of embarrassment flashed across the old man's face but quickly disappeared without further comment.
dā yìng zài xiū xī yī tiān ， jiù chóng xīn gōng zuò 。
答应再休息一天，就重新工作。
In his view, this young cultivator could instantly diagnose Derivation Method Jade’s "condition."
shuō bà ， xiǎo luó lì qì gǔ gǔ de xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
说罢，小萝莉气鼓鼓的消失不见。
His expertise in 'medicine' was likely extraordinary.
jǐ rén yě bèi qiáng xíng qū zhú chū le luó lì shí hǎi 。
几人也被强行驱逐出了萝莉识海。
Even if his true form wasn’t a Dao Integration cultivator, he wouldn’t be much weaker.
chóng xīn huí dào zì jǐ shēn qū de zhòng rén ， kàn xiàng yuǎn fāng zì fú biàn huàn sù dù biàn dé zhèng cháng qǐ lái de guāng qiú ， bù jīn shū le yì kǒu qì 。
重新回到自己身躯的众人，看向远方字符变幻速度变得正常起来的光球，不禁舒了一口气。
"Haha, it doesn’t matter. As long as Derivation Method Jade wakes up," the other three Dao Integration cultivators laughed and tried to smooth things over.
“ zhè wèi xiǎo xiōng dì ， bù zhī shì rú hé kàn chū yǎn fǎ jué shì zhuāng shuì de ne ？”
“这位小兄弟，不知是如何看出衍法珏是装睡的呢？”
"Speaking of which, I helped you solve such a difficult problem. Shouldn’t there be some reward?" Li Fan asked suddenly.
bái fà lǎo zhě zhè shí hòu kàn xiàng lǐ fán ， hào qí de wèn dào 。
白发老者这时候看向李凡，好奇的问道。
The four were taken aback.
tài dù hǎo le bù shǎo ， bù shì zhī qián nà bān lěng mò 。
态度好了不少，不似之前那般冷漠。
The white-haired old man reacted the fastest: "Of course! There must be!"
“ què shì dú mén jué jì ， bù biàn tòu lòu le 。” lǐ fán yě méi yǒu bèi hé dào xiū shì dàng zuò tóng bèi duì dài de shòu chǒng ruò jīng ， zhǐ shì jù jué le huí dá zhè ge wèn tí 。
“却是独门绝技，不便透漏了。”李凡也没有被合道修士当做同辈对待的受宠若惊，只是拒绝了回答这个问题。
"The reward is easy to arrange. However, we need your help to keep the fact that Derivation Method Jade has malfunctioned a secret."
bái fà lǎo zhě de liǎn shàng bù jīn shǎn guò yī sī gān gà 。
白发老者的脸上不禁闪过一丝尴尬。
"What do you want?"
bù guò hěn kuài jiù xiāo shī bú jiàn ， méi yǒu fā zuò 。
不过很快就消失不见，没有发作。
Li Fan pondered for a moment and replied: "I haven’t decided yet. If I have any future needs, I’ll come back to find you. What do you think?"
zài tā kàn lái ， zhè wèi nián qīng xiū shì ， jìng rán néng yī yǎn jiù kàn chū yǎn fǎ jué de “ bìng zhèng ”。
在他看来，这位年轻修士，竟然能一眼就看出衍法珏的“病症”。
The old man stared at Li Fan for a moment before accepting without refusal.
“ yī ” zhī zào yì ， kǒng pà fēi tóng xún cháng 。
“医”之造诣，恐怕非同寻常。
He handed over an jade pendant as proof of identity.
tā de běn zūn ， jí biàn bú shì hé dào xiū shì ， yě ruò bù liǎo duō shǎo le 。
他的本尊，即便不是合道修士，也弱不了多少了。
With everything back on track, Li Fan returned to the waiting space and resumed his place in line, awaiting the derivation of magical techniques according to the original order.
“ hē hē ， méi guān xì 。 zhǐ yào yǎn fǎ jué xǐng guò lái jiù hǎo 。” qí yú sān wèi hé dào xiào hē hē de dǎ zhe yuán chǎng 。
“呵呵，没关系。只要衍法珏醒过来就好。”其余三位合道笑呵呵的打着圆场。
(End of Chapter)
These four were cultivators who had reached the Dao Integration Realm, their gazes fixed intently on the holy embryo Li Fan. Their own auras began to stir.
Li Fan showed no signs of tension as he respectfully bowed to the sides: "Senior predecessors, please calm down for a moment while I confirm this."
"But," he continued, "I need to send out a fragment of my divine consciousness to that place!"
Saying so, Li Fan pointed at the Derivation Method Little Maiden who was sleeping on the long table.
The four Dao Integration cultivators exchanged glances. They all looked hesitant.
Li Fan remained silent, waiting for them to make their decision.
"Boy, is there no other way?"
Li Fan replied calmly: "It's about treating a specific condition with the right medicine. If we misdiagnose and force treatment, it might cause even greater damage."
"But it’s just a fragment of my divine consciousness, used only for observation and communication. It can’t possibly harm an ordinary person..."
"If you’re really not sure, then forget it."
After some discussion among them, they decided to let the holy embryo Li Fan try.
Immediately after Li Fan sent out a fragment of his divine consciousness, he felt four different ones approach like chains.
The five were connected as one entity. They could share everything they saw and heard, and communicate with each other.
"Let’s go."
Four voices echoed in Li Fan's mind simultaneously.
Knowing this was necessary for protection, Li Fan had no objections.
In the next moment, the five divine consciousnesses flew into the Derivation Method Little Maiden's识海.
A world filled with golden light floated with one magical technique after another.
It resembled a sea of books, vast and immense.
The divine consciousness entered and almost lost its way.
Li Fan could clearly see the names of the techniques passing by him. If he wished, he could explore their contents in detail.
Without four powerful divine consciousnesses watching, Li Fan resisted the urge to spy on the countless techniques. He manifested a form and shouted loudly: "Little guy, stop pretending to be asleep! Get up!"
Though his voice was not loud, it stood out in this world of magical techniques.
It spread firmly around him.
The divine consciousnesses of the four Dao Integration cultivators also appeared at that moment.
"Are you saying Derivation Method Jade is pretending to sleep?"
"How can that be possible?"
They were utterly surprised and stared at Li Fan blankly.
Li Fan ignored them, continuing to shout: "Little guy, do you think pretending to sleep will reduce your work? What’s yours is yours! You can’t escape it!"
"Once you wake up, you’ll still have to continue deriving. And you need to make up for the time you’ve missed..."
Li Fan sounded like a heartless boss urging his subordinate to work harder.
Even the four Hall Guardian Dao Integration cultivators couldn't help frowning at this.
Unbeknownst to them, a small figure suddenly appeared above Li Fan's head.
Holding a wooden stick twice her size, she was about to strike Li Fan from above.
"Zhou..."
"You're awake!"
The four Dao Integration cultivators were overjoyed upon seeing the scene.
Though Li Fan’s actual combat strength was weak, he wasn’t so obviously attacked that he couldn't dodge it.
He dodged the Little Maiden's attack with a flash of movement.
She carried the wooden stick on her shoulder and angrily approached Li Fan: "What little guy? I’m several thousand years old! Much older than you!"
Li Fan’s expression darkened as he rebuked her: "If that’s so, why do you insist on pretending to sleep?"
"Many people are worried about you!"
The Little Maiden's body trembled, and her aura weakened instantly.
But she then snorted coldly, forcing herself to be defiant: "It’s none of your business! You’re such a nuisance! If it weren’t for you, they wouldn’t have noticed!"
As she spoke, she secretly patted the giant wooden stick on her shoulder.
She sized up Li Fan with an unfriendly look in her eyes.
Li Fan turned his head to face the four Dao Integration cultivators and bowed respectfully.
Everything was left unsaid between them.
"Little ancestor, why are you throwing a tantrum again..."
The white-haired old man came over to the Little Maiden with a wry smile, looking helpless.
"Do you know how much trouble the Hall of Guardians has been in these few days? How many urgent matters have had to be delayed out of helplessness..."
"What does it matter to me!" The wooden stick vanished from her shoulder. She covered her ears and pretended not to hear.
"I’ve worked for two thousand three hundred and twenty-seven consecutive days! I’m already exhausted! My promised vacation was suddenly canceled!" she said indignantly.
"I don’t care! I want my leave!"
It turned out that Derivation Method Jade had been forced to pretend to be asleep due to this reason.
The four Hall Guardian Dao Integration cultivators all sighed in resignation.
"This isn’t without a cause..."
They kept offering words of comfort and advice, but it took considerable effort to persuade the Little Maiden to agree to rest for one more day before returning to work.
After speaking, the Little Maiden disappeared with an angry expression.
The others were forcibly expelled from her consciousness.
Returning to their bodies, they looked at the light ball whose character changes had returned to normal and sighed in relief.
"Little brother, how did you spot that Derivation Method Jade was pretending to sleep?"
The white-haired old man turned to Li Fan curiously after a change in his demeanor.
"Unfortunately, it’s a unique skill I can’t reveal," Li Fan replied, not treating the Dao Integration cultivators as equals and refusing to answer their question.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across the old man's face but quickly disappeared without further comment.
In his view, this young cultivator could instantly diagnose Derivation Method Jade’s "condition."
His expertise in 'medicine' was likely extraordinary.
Even if his true form wasn’t a Dao Integration cultivator, he wouldn’t be much weaker.
"Haha, it doesn’t matter. As long as Derivation Method Jade wakes up," the other three Dao Integration cultivators laughed and tried to smooth things over.
"Speaking of which, I helped you solve such a difficult problem. Shouldn’t there be some reward?" Li Fan asked suddenly.
The four were taken aback.
The white-haired old man reacted the fastest: "Of course! There must be!"
"The reward is easy to arrange. However, we need your help to keep the fact that Derivation Method Jade has malfunctioned a secret."
"What do you want?"
Li Fan pondered for a moment and replied: "I haven’t decided yet. If I have any future needs, I’ll come back to find you. What do you think?"
The old man stared at Li Fan for a moment before accepting without refusal.
He handed over an jade pendant as proof of identity.
With everything back on track, Li Fan returned to the waiting space and resumed his place in line, awaiting the derivation of magical techniques according to the original order.
(End of Chapter)