The sunlight filtered through the cabin window, signifying the start of the day that would change the duo's fate.
Jiu Xian groaned as he woke up, finding his surroundings unfamiliar, he glanced around. Yao Qing slept peacefully on her side of the bed, a smile plastering her serene face. The line of pillows seemed to have worked perfectly as it was still undisturbed, like a wall between them.
He quietly slipped out of bed and entered the main room.
The owner of the cabin sat in a wooden chair, legs crossed, drinking something from her cup. The aroma of herbal tea hit Jiu Xian's nostrils as hot steam curled out of the cup.
"Good morning...umm..." Jiu Xian hesitated, only now did he realise they had never asked how to address her.
She waved a hand lazily.
"Just call me Granny."
"So, Granny... about the conditions you mentioned—"
"Let's wait for your wife before we discuss thi—" She paused. "Never mind. She's here."
"She's not my wife." Jiu Xian murmured.
A loud yawn echoed behind him.
Yao Qing stumbled out of the guest room, half awake, tying her hair. Her robes were slightly crooked, sleeves uneven.
"...Morning"
"..."
"..."
Jiu Xian and granny both stared.
Yao Qing blinked, slowly noticing the silence. She looked down at herself.
Her eyes widened.
She spun around and darted back into the room, slamming the door shut.
Jiu Xian coughed and looked away.
Granny chuckled, shoulder shaking. "And you still claim she isn't your wife? I'm sure you two had your fun last night."
"We did nothing!" Jiu Xian blurted, face turning red. "We are just friends! And we maintained a proper distance."
"Then how do you explain the stifled noises I heard last night?"
"..."
Yao Qing returned, her cheeks were a shade of rosy pink and her clothes now adjusted properly. She avoided eye contact and quickly sat at the table.
"...can we talk about cultivation now?" Her voice tried its best to sound serious.
Granny fell silent.
The air in the cabin seemed to grow heavier.
"Yes," her voice lost all warmth. "Let us speak of your futures."
Her head did not move, yet Jiu Xian felt as if he were being examined from head to toe.
"Before talent… before strength… before cultivation—"
"I must first examine your hearts."
She slid her hand into her sleeve and withdrew two scrolls. The movement was slow, deliberate.
"Fill these."
Yao Qing accepted hers carefully. "This is the test?"
A dry chuckle came from beneath the hood.
"Yes."
Granny leaned back slightly in her chair.
Jiu Xian took the scroll, unfurled it and began to read.
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Q1) A no name male cultivator crashes your arranged marriage ceremony and tries to take away your wife saying that they love each other. What do you do?
1. Let her go~ (Face doesn't let you eat… why risk it all just to get your ass handed to you)
2. "Courting death!" and beat him to assert dominance
3. Tell him that he's a toad lusting over a swan.
4. Call for your father. Your father will call for his father… (offer him your clan on a silver platter)
Q2) You are walking on the street when someone accidentally collides into you; How do you respond:
1. You apologise for having eyes but not seeing mount tai.
2. You check for you storage rings and pouch.
3. You shout- YOU DARE!
Q3) You encounter a merchant in the flea market; he is selling a bunch items, but a rustic sword stands out to you. What do you do?
1. BUY!BUY!BUY! (Who knows it might be a heavenly treasure.)
2. Ignore the merchant
3. Take the sword and ask him to join your sect.
Q4) You enter encounter your sect's janitor –
1. You respectfully bow to him, (who knows if he is a strong cultivator in secret, after all he alone is responsible for cleaning the sect)
2. You curse at him for daring to look at you
3. Greet him and go about your day.
Q5) Your sect is destroyed by collusion of all other forces (righteous, evil, and even neutral) what do you do and you are the sole survivor.
1. Go there and fight to death
2. Rebuild your sect and continue its legacy, forgiving the enemy.
3. "Thirty years in Hedong and thirty years in Hexi, don't bully the young and poor."
Q6) You lose a fight against a cultivator who is a major real below you:
1. You call your daddy to fight for you.
2. You send your goons after him to teach him a lesson in secret
3. Cultivation world is full of weird people like him. You accept the loss and forget about him.
Q7) The ultimate question: If the Dao itself had a favourite flavour of tea, would it choose:
1. Bitter for humility.
2. Sweet for joy.
3. All flavours equally — because the Dao is just and all encompassing.
4. Screw the heavens. What's a god to a non-believer; what's flavour to the starved.
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Jiu Xian read the questions twice before slowly lifting his head.
"…Is this a joke?"
"No." Granny's voice came immediately.
A dry, wheezing sound followed — perhaps laughter, perhaps a cough.
"You must answer seriously if you want my guidance."
Jiu Xian pointed at the scroll. "Who really shouts 'YOU DARE!' in real life?"
A faint chuckle slipped from beneath the hood.
"Oh, child… you'll understand after your first encounter with a 'young master.'"
Yao Qing blinked. "A young… master?"
"You'll see," Granny said calmly. "Now stop stalling. Answer."
The room fell quiet except for the scratch of ink on paper.
At first Jiu Xian thought this was nonsense. A senile old woman amusing herself.
But as he moved through the questions, two of them made his hand pause. His mind stirred.
'These may not be a joke after all…'
Beside him, Yao Qing had also grown quiet, focused on answering the scroll. They finished writing and handed the scrolls back.
Granny took the scrolls and read them slowly.
Once…
Twice…
Then she spoke.
"You have made many mistakes."
Jiu Xian's heart sank, his eyes turned droopy.