Category: After I Abandoned the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]

Chapter 43: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (End) p2

After a while.

Qiongying finally stopped talking, looking at the master and disciple expectantly. However, she soon heard Gui Mian say hesitantly: “There are indeed some inconveniences in returning to the sect.”

She also looked at her master.

Chaos’s identity hadn’t been revealed to the world yet, and it was still uncertain if the celestial realm would resort to other methods. Gui Mian didn’t want to return to the Sword Sect now and deal with all those people and matters.

Su Mingxiu understood the meaning behind her words. She reached out and pulled Gui Mian’s neck towards her. After their lips met, she let go and looked at Qiongying silently.

“Uh…” The other two people in the courtyard were dumbfounded.

Gui Mian didn’t expect Su Mingxiu to reveal their relationship to an outsider, while Qiongying was simply… speechless.

She seemed to understand something, yet also understood nothing. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Gui Mian and the Jade Elder. After a long while, she stammered, her face flushed red, and jumped up from her seat: “I’ll… take my leave.”

These two, master and disciple, indeed, it seemed, weren’t convenient to return to the Sword Sect.

After all, their relationship…

Qiongying’s mind was in a daze, she couldn’t even speak properly. In the end, she didn’t even remember how she left the courtyard. When she came back to her senses, she found herself standing at the foot of the mountain.

And there was a blood demon’s head by her feet.

—It was a parting gift from the two cultivators in the formation.

She picked up the blood demon’s head and walked out of the mountains. She met her junior sister from the Sword Sect, who had come to meet her. They brought the blood demon’s head back to the camp, preparing to exchange it for some medicine at the cultivators’ market below the mountain. They overheard a storyteller recounting the tale of the cultivator’s tribulation in the northern border.

“It is said that the two great cultivators were a pair of twin lily flowers, their beauty unmatched…”

“Ridiculous.”

Her junior sister commented casually, pulling Qiongying forward. “There are no yao with such high cultivation in the nine continents. They were clearly two human cultivators, and they’re making up such stories…”

Qiongying stopped in her tracks, her gaze distant as she looked towards the storyteller.

Lily flowers?

A pair?

Two female cultivators?

She murmured in a daze: “Maybe… in a way, it’s close to the truth?”

Her confused junior sister: “Huh?”

That night.

In the warm spring water, the leaves of black and white lotuses intertwined. A deep red robe lay on one of the flowers.

As the water rippled, a beautiful back pressed down on the cluster of lotuses, crushing the petals and pistils into juice that spread throughout the warm spring.

Gui Mian opened her eyes and saw countless tiny, transparent bubbles containing different scenes rising in the water. Above her, Su Mingxiu met her gaze with a gentle smile.

The scenes recorded by the surrounding lotuses also included images of their intimate moments. Seeing different versions of herself entwined with Su Mingxiu, her face flushed even redder.

“Like it?”

Noticing her stronger reaction than usual, Su Mingxiu’s voice transmission reached her mind.

Gui Mian knew that whether she nodded or shook her head, the outcome would be disastrous. She simply moved to kiss Su Mingxiu’s lips and transmitted back: “A few days ago, I had a dream.”

“In the dream, Master and I were in another world, and you treated me very well, giving me everything I wanted.”

“Oh?” Su Mingxiu kissed her back forcefully.

She thought Gui Mian was about to ask another one of those deathly questions, but to her surprise, her little disciple continued: “Unfortunately, Master only granted me ninety days. Now that I think about it, it seems you owe me a lifetime.”

“How do you want me to repay you?”

…

Ripples spread across the water, making the black and white lotuses sway.

The moon climbed up the mountain slope. Somewhere below the mountain, a gathering was taking place. Unlike decades ago, the lotus lanterns made by people weren’t floating on the water, but were lit and released into the sky.

Red, green, purple… colorful lotus lanterns slowly rose into the air, like stars about to take flight, their lights twinkling.

Someone suddenly emerged from the water, opening their eyes drowsily. Seeing countless small wishes rising towards the sky under the starry night, their light-colored eyes cleared, and their red lips parted, uttering: “Another spring has come…”

The person embracing them from behind also looked up, seeing the countless lotus lanterns in the sky.

Su Mingxiu chuckled softly and suddenly reached out, pointing towards the Milky Way—

In an instant, the stars trembled, the Big Dipper shifted. The sky became a canvas, the stars ink. The twinkling stars, guided by the Earth Immortal’s power, moved involuntarily in the sky, finally forming the shape of a lotus flower.

“Little girl, are you making a wish this year?”

Su Mingxiu asked, nibbling on Gui Mian’s flushed earlobe.

The dazed person looked at the lotus in the sky and the lotus in the water and murmured unconsciously: “Yes, I wish for you to grant me a hundred years.”

The stars in the distant night sky and the lotus lanterns seemed to have truly heard her wish.

As Gui Mian finished speaking, the stars shone brightly, even the lotus Su Mingxiu had formed with the stars seemed to be ignited.

Then, under the vast sky, countless starlight fell from thousands of miles away, the boundless light converging on this small courtyard.

The black and white lotuses in the spring, bathed in the rain of starlight, also emitted a faint glow. For a moment, it seemed as if all things in heaven and earth were listening to her wish, and the divine being who truly granted her wish responded gently: “As you wish.”

A hundred years later.

A new secret realm appeared in the nine continents.

Inside the secret realm was a vast lotus pond, its fragrance overflowing. There were black and white lotuses of strange varieties. Two wine cups lay by the pond, intertwined with countless red threads.

Legend had it that the ultimate treasure of this secret realm was this pair of wine cups.

The cups could swallow heaven and earth, contain the sun and moon, but they could only be activated by love.

Countless cultivators flocked to the secret realm, eager to obtain this treasure. They painstakingly crossed the eerie lotus pond, but they couldn’t even move a single red thread wrapped around the cups.

Over time…

A new rumor spread in the cultivation world, saying that this pair of cups was a treasure accidentally left behind by a pair of immortals who had shared a wedding cup in this realm. The cups were filled with the love of the immortal couple, how could others possibly move them?

And countless love stories about these “Wedding Cups” were born, circulating throughout the nine continents.

Chapter 43: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (End) p1

The soil flew, quickly cleared by a spell, forming a neat pit. A mountain spring was channeled into it, and a few spirit stones were scattered as a formation. Soon, a clear, steaming hot spring appeared before Su Mingxiu.

As this world followed the path of cultivation, she didn’t need sleep and could devote all her time to cultivating. Therefore, she hadn’t had the chance to test if her insomnia was still a problem.

But she and Gui Mian still had a long time together—

The countdown timer that had always been visible after completing a mission disappeared along with the system’s extraction. This meant that as long as she wished, their time in this world could be extended indefinitely.

Now, tempered by the celestial lightning, Su Mingxiu’s body possessed the strength of an Earth Immortal, making her the most powerful being in the nine continents. The lightning not only healed her hidden injuries but also cured her heart demon problem from the Great Ascension stage.

With infinite time ahead and sufficient strength, she could now afford to indulge a little. Su Mingxiu actually enjoyed soaking in hot springs, feeling comfortable, relaxed, and carefree.

Her sleeve fell, dropping an ordinary seed into the water.

The seed sprouted in the water, growing jade-green leaves and a slender stem.

After an unknown amount of time…

Another presence appeared beside her, causing ripples on the calm surface of the spring. Amidst the swirling white mist, Su Mingxiu’s eyelashes fluttered. When she opened her eyes, she saw the person who had slipped into the water beside her.

In the mist, a beautiful white lotus landed on the other person’s shoulder, shamelessly trying to peek between them.

Gui Mian’s red clothes, soaked in water, clung to her wrist, deepening in color. She pushed the white lotus off her shoulder, smelling its faint fragrance. Suddenly, she remembered the sea of flowers she had annihilated on Mount Lingyu.

She didn’t pluck the lotus. After taking a sniff, she let it go and wrapped her arms around Su Mingxiu’s neck.

“Done chatting?”

Su Mingxiu let her hug her, her gaze sweeping over the spring. At some point, white lotuses had bloomed, filling half of the spring.

But even more striking was a black lotus blooming silently behind Gui Mian.

Its ink-black petals and bright red pistil looked dangerous, eerie, and alluring, drawing one’s gaze and holding it captive.

Su Mingxiu wrapped one arm around Gui Mian, her other hand reaching out to touch the black lotus.

The person in her arms, her long, black hair spread out in the water, intertwined with Su Mingxiu’s hair. But instead of separating them, Su Mingxiu even stirred the tangled strands with her fingers, smiling as they became even more entwined.

“Yes,” Gui Mian leaned against her shoulder and replied softly. “It’s truly not a good thing.”

This system, it kept saying she was the protagonist, that it would force her to follow a predetermined fate.

According to it, the Celestial Emperor was the most powerful being in this world, free and unrestrained. But did they truly have freedom?

They couldn’t even pursue their own beloved and even resorted to killing her and Chaos’s descendant in anger…

As the child of Chaos, who would face countless assassinations upon entering the celestial realm, Gui Mian looked down on that position and the person sitting there.

She found it pointless.

Thinking of this, she hugged Su Mingxiu even tighter. Their bodies, submerged in the water, pressed against each other, their breaths mingling and amplifying each other’s presence.

“Will Master stay with me here forever?”

“Yes.”

As Su Mingxiu leaned towards the black lotus, her fingertips about to pluck it and tuck it into Gui Mian’s hair, they both sensed another presence approaching.

The warm mist still lingered in the air, but the intimacy was abruptly interrupted.

Su Mingxiu extended her divine sense and was surprised to see a familiar face.

The person who had stumbled upon them was someone she knew.

As she sensed the newcomer, Gui Mian also saw their appearance clearly. She had originally thought that if it was a mortal, she would simply wave her sleeve and send them away with a spell. But…

It was actually an acquaintance from the Sword Sect.

Remembering the future that the “system” had revealed, Gui Mian pondered for a moment and, to Su Mingxiu’s surprise, got out of the water first. Her spiritual energy evaporated the water droplets on her body. She said, “I’ll go take a look.”

Su Mingxiu responded casually. Seeing a few strands of Gui Mian’s hair still tangled with hers, she reached out to untangle them with a spell. But Gui Mian was faster. She swiftly cut off the tangled strands and hid them in her palm, a mischievous smile appearing on her face: “These are mine now.”

Childish.

Su Mingxiu sighed inwardly but let her have her way, watching as Gui Mian disappeared from sight.

Qiongying had been led into this deep mountain while chasing a demon.

Ever since the strange incident in the northern border, where the thunder tribulation had ultimately led to the ascension of the Demon Lord and one of her generals from the eastern abyss, the originally formidable demon army had become leaderless. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the four major sects launched their demon-slaying operation, targeting the demons with precision.

Qiongying was the deputy general of this operation.

She was chasing a blood demon, but somehow, she strayed into a complex formation. Not only could she no longer sense the demon’s aura, but the formation itself also puzzled her.

It wasn’t unfamiliar, but the way this formation was set up looked very much like the Sword Sect’s style.

But…

All the Sword Sect disciples were out fighting demons, why would they be here?

Confused, Qiongying walked deeper into the formation and found a simple courtyard. Out of courtesy, she stopped cautiously at the gate, bowed, and announced her sect and name, briefly explaining her purpose.

“This humble one is Qiongying, a disciple of the Sword Sect. I have no intention of disturbing your cultivation, Senior. I stumbled upon this place while chasing a blood demon—”

Creak. The door opened.

The person standing behind the door slowly adjusted their clothes, tucking their long hair behind their ear. An exceptionally handsome face appeared before Qiongying’s eyes.

The person outside the door was stunned for two seconds, then exclaimed in surprise: “Junior Sister Gui Mian?!”

Decades ago, when she learned that Gui Mian and Elder Lingyu had disappeared while training outside, she was the one who had gone to the eastern border most frequently.

Unfortunately, the two places were too far apart. The only two missions Qiongying had that were related to the eastern border only reached its edge.

Naturally, she didn’t know about the new young Lord of the Demon Realm, nor did she know what kind of influential figure her junior sister had become. She also didn’t know that the strange thunder tribulation in the northern border a few days ago was this junior sister’s doing.

Qiongying still remembered how Elder Lingyu had entered seclusion for a long time because of Gui Mian. Now, seeing Gui Mian, confirming that her aura was still as familiar as before, and not some kind of illusion created by a mountain spirit, Qiongying walked towards her, her voice filled with concern: “Where have you been all these years?”

“Have you been staying here all this time? Do you know how worried the fellow disciples of the Sword Sect, and your master, Elder Lingyu, have been—”

Her words were cut off again.

Qiongying saw a very familiar figure appear from behind the corner of a small house.

Grey ink-stained robes, a cold and aloof face, and that unfathomable aura of power. Who else could it be but their Sword Sect’s Jade Elder?

Qiongying felt her mind short-circuit.

She couldn’t understand what was going on in front of her.

Gui Mian, however, calmly invited her in for tea. After Qiongying entered the house, Gui Mian casually made up a lie, saying that she had been rescued by someone in the eastern border back then, but she had lost her memories and had been cultivating for a long time, waiting for her master to find her.

This flimsy lie, however, made Qiongying believe it without a doubt.

She didn’t even put down the teacup in her hand and asked hurriedly: “Why didn’t you return to the Sword Sect?” This righteous new generation eldest disciple looked at the Jade Elder worriedly. “When we learned that you had left Mount Lingyu, Master, the Sect Master, thought you didn’t want the Sword Sect to be involved in the conflict and decided to go to the demon army alone to kill the Demon Lord.”

“We haven’t heard from you for so long, the sect is very worried about your safety.”

Hmm.

Hearing these trusting words again, Su Mingxiu felt a surge of complex emotions. But it didn’t show on her face. She only replied calmly: “The Demon Lord has indeed been dealt with, there’s no need to worry.”

If that person, after being taken to the celestial realm by the golden Heavenly Ladder, could still return in one piece, then it would be a miracle.

She wondered what the Celestial Emperor, who was so intent on persecuting Gui Mian and had been staring at the Heavenly Ladder, must have felt when they saw two demon heads ascending.

“As expected of Elder Lingyu, always putting the sect first! I admire you greatly!”

Qiongying put down her cup and righteously steered the conversation back, asking if there was anything she could help Su Mingxiu and Gui Mian with, and mentioning that she would report their contributions to the sect as soon as possible.

Gui Mian, sensing her unwavering righteousness, couldn’t help but remember that in the system’s arrangement, her original path was to lead the demon army and attack the Sword Sect—

The one who would come out to fight her back then… was Qiongying.

Out of consideration for their past friendship, she would spare her senior sister’s life. But the injuries would leave a lasting impact on Qiongying, making her unable to compete for the position of Sect Master. She would then be betrayed by Changqi and Changsheng and die prematurely.

Gui Mian narrowed her eyes and unconsciously moved her hand hidden in her sleeve.

Inside the house, within a floating formation…

Crackling sparks erupted, electrocuting the unsuspecting system. The system thought numbly, What the hell was the reason this time?

It had said everything it needed to say, what had it done to provoke these two again?

…

Chapter 42: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (22)p2

The master and disciple chose an auspicious day to attempt their breakthroughs and undergo their tribulations.

Gui Mian’s cultivation could also reach the Great Ascension stage. After discussing their suspicions about the celestial realm’s intentions, they felt that instead of the celestials suppressing their cultivation and coming to this small world to hunt Gui Mian down, it would be much easier to lure her to the upper realm and then chase after her.

After all, the tactics they had used against her other body during its tribulation wouldn’t work again.

—It was worth mentioning that now, having merged with her other body, Gui Mian possessed all her memories.

The celestial realm must have known this, but they hadn’t sent anyone suspicious to approach her, which meant they had decided to change their tactics.

This meant that if Gui Mian underwent her tribulation and became the only one who could open the Heavenly Ladder, the possibility of her success was even higher.

Having said that, Su Mingxiu still made thorough preparations for her tribulation.

It was the middle of winter in the nine continents. The barren northern border was covered in frost and snow. Undergoing tribulation here wouldn’t affect other places. But judging from the first thunderbolt, it seemed a bit anticlimactic.

It didn’t even melt the frozen ground.

Su Mingxiu took out numerous magical artifacts to protect her disciple. Seeing the dark clouds gathering above, she narrowed her eyes, but she didn’t let her guard down.

Then came the second, the third…

After forty-five thunderbolts, half of the total, none of the artifacts Su Mingxiu had brought to help Gui Mian had been damaged.

In the original owner’s memories, her tribulation hadn’t been so light and gentle. Back then, the entire Sword Sect had been covered by thunderclouds, and low-level disciples didn’t dare to step out of their masters’ cave abodes.

The fact that it had left injuries on her Great Ascension body that even hundreds of years of treasures from heaven and earth couldn’t heal showed how terrifying and ruthless that celestial lightning had been.

The sixty-third… the seventy-second… the eightieth—

The thunderbolts struck one after another.

But their power didn’t stack.

It was as if both sides had tacitly agreed to just go through the motions. The last thunderbolt was even more impatient than the previous ones. It practically emerged from the roiling clouds at the same time as the eightieth bolt.

In the blink of an eye, Gui Mian quickly slapped a talisman on herself. At the same time, the talismans on Su Mingxiu’s robe flew into the air. The ink strokes detached from the fabric, transforming into dazzling gold as they danced in the sky.

The eighty-first thunderbolt was originally hurtling towards Gui Mian. But halfway through, as if attracted by something, it abruptly stopped in mid-air like a snake caught by its throat, wriggling its tail reluctantly, and landed on the other person.

The last thunderbolt contained body-tempering energy.

Anything struck by this lightning would be reborn with enhanced resilience.

As expected, the pain in her meridians, which had been acting up from time to time, vanished in an instant after being struck by this thunderbolt. Her sea of consciousness expanded, the spiritual energy in her meridians surged endlessly…

For a moment, it seemed as if all living beings in the nine continents were within her perception.

But Su Mingxiu didn’t indulge in this warm and comfortable feeling. She quickly opened her eyes and looked towards Gui Mian, only to see her disciple instantly transform into a grey mist, rushing into her fingertip. As the celestial lightning continued to reshape her body, the mist traveled through her blood vessels and her sea of consciousness—

It found something strange in the deepest part.

Almost as soon as Su Mingxiu’s body tempering was complete, the grey mist left her body. Gui Mian breathed a sigh of relief and showed Su Mingxiu a tiny object, smaller than a grain of rice, lying in her palm.

“Disciple has completed the task.”

As soon as she finished speaking, before they could even examine this object, they were enveloped by a golden light.

The light was incredibly dazzling. They could even faintly hear ethereal music playing in their ears. Celestial cranes danced above their heads, and colorful flowers, usually seen only in spring, bloomed from the charred soil beneath their feet.

The master and disciple exchanged glances. Gui Mian closed her hand and retreated to the right, while Su Mingxiu retreated to the left.

The golden light followed Su Mingxiu.

As she looked up, she faintly heard voices congratulating her on becoming an immortal from within the golden light. She didn’t know which celestial being was responsible for guiding her ascension. In any case, she simply looked up and said: “You’ve got the wrong person.”

As if unaware of the allure of immortality, Su Mingxiu waved her hand dismissively, indicating that the golden light of the Heavenly Ladder had targeted the wrong person.

Perhaps having never encountered such a situation, the light surrounding her flickered for a moment, then shifted towards Gui Mian.

Gui Mian ran even faster than her master. “I’m not ascending—”

The last thunderbolt hadn’t struck her. To ascend to the celestial realm without being tempered by it would be asking for trouble. She wasn’t that foolish.

The voice from the sky disappeared.

Only the flickering golden light, swaying between them, seemed to be suffering from indecisiveness, shining on one then the other. Realizing that neither of them was willing to ascend and that they were even pushing the opportunity onto each other, the golden light, in a fit of anger, enveloped them both.

Well, this was great.

The master and disciple exchanged glances. It seemed that the celestial realm was determined to take Gui Mian away, even offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal.

Now, no matter where they hid, the dazzling golden light shone on them, complete with celestial cranes circling, floral fragrance wafting, and ethereal music playing.

They looked at each other again and, in perfect unison, used the thousand-mile journey technique, heading towards the Demon Realm, leading the golden light to its doorstep.

Tribulations were rare in the nine continents, so the commotion from their eighty-one thunderbolts had already spread far and wide. Even the Demon Lord and her demon generals were standing at the top of the abyss, looking towards the northern border.

Who knew that in the blink of an eye, they would actually see these two ascending immortals.

As their eyes met—

Gui Mian and Su Mingxiu each grabbed a demon from the audience and tossed them upwards into the golden light.

The Demon Lord and Fox Nine, suddenly granted the opportunity to ascend: “??”

The legend of the reopened Heavenly Ladder quickly spread throughout the nine continents.

Even the taverns in the mortal world turned the scene from that day into stories and ballads, excitedly recounting how two cultivators, valuing love over immortality, gave up their chance to ascend.

But the two involved had no time to deal with these legends.

Inside a bamboo hut in the mountains.

On the open-air bamboo platform, an object was suspended in mid-air, enveloped by a formation inscribed with talismans, emitting a seven-colored light. It had tried to escape, but every time it touched the edge of the formation, crackling sparks would appear.

At this moment, Su Mingxiu poked the object inside the shimmering bubble. “System?”

“Weren’t you quite capable when you were threatening me before? Why aren’t you talking now? Don’t want to?”

“Uh…” The system, having been burned by fire, drowned in water, and now trapped in this electrifying formation, didn’t want to speak.

Gui Mian leaned on the bamboo platform and also poked the object. She didn’t control her strength, seemingly deliberately shocking the little thing with the edge of the formation.

“Master.”

“Was it this thing that made you extract my sword bone and Golden Core?”

Su Mingxiu, no longer restricted from leaving or speaking, nodded happily.

Ever since being extracted during the tribulation that day, the system had been as quiet as a chicken, either playing dead or plotting something.

But Su Mingxiu enjoyed the peace and quiet in her sea of consciousness and didn’t want to hear its annoying mechanical voice anytime soon. She simply threw it to Gui Mian, letting her play with it however she liked. Torture it, treat it as a toy, it didn’t matter—

“I’m going to dig a spring.”

Gui Mian wanted to help, but seeing her master wave her hand dismissively, she stayed where she was. Listening to the crackling electric sounds from the formation, she blinked her innocent eyes and poked the object while shocking it: “Your name is System?”

“How about we have a chat?”

The rice-sized object, which had been playing dead until now, finally responded coldly: “Chat about what?”

Chapter 42: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (22)p1

It was obviously quite difficult to train Gui Mian to freely navigate Su Mingxiu’s sea of consciousness within a short span of a few dozen days. Especially since every failed attempt resulted in being dragged into a whirlpool of pleasure by her master.

She was truly terrified.

After Su Mingxiu subtly expressed her thoughts, Gui Mian pondered for a long time and came up with a plan. “Master, why don’t we try using the celestial lightning from ascension?”

Great minds think alike.

“But…” Su Mingxiu thought of her heart demon problem and hesitated. Gui Mian leaned closer and whispered her plan.

The system, residing within Su Mingxiu’s mind, listened to them plotting against it.

[…]

So much for friendly cooperation?

They were extracting its information while trying to kill it?

“What’s the point?” It sighed helplessly. “Even if you extract me from your sea of consciousness in this world, I’ve already left a mark on your soul. If you still want to restore your soul in the original world, you’ll need my help eventually.”

In other words, even if they managed to extract and beat it up, after a few hundred years, when Su Mingxiu wanted to go to the next world, she would still need to put it back.

So Su Mingxiu replied calmly: “Then let me ask you, after the ending of the last world, you should have guessed that I wouldn’t be well-behaved in this world either. Seeing how calm you are now, you must have prepared for me to cause trouble again—”

[Then why did you include so many things in the mission that would get me struck by lightning?]

[…]

The system went strangely silent.

Su Mingxiu answered for it: “Because it’s fun, right?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’d also find it fun to extract and beat you up—we’ll settle the next world’s matters in the next world.”

The system said seriously: “That’s not it. I’m doing this to warn you, the future I’ve arranged for you and the protagonist is the best for both of you.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

Su Mingxiu’s sudden response caught Gui Mian’s attention.

They were currently heading towards Black Tortoise’s location, preparing to coax back their excellent mount, no, their spirit pet—

Hearing Su Mingxiu’s voice, Gui Mian stopped abruptly and asked: “Master, who are you talking to?”

She couldn’t sense any other presence within a hundred miles.

“Hmm,” Su Mingxiu thought for a moment. “Arguing with the ‘answer’ in my head.”

Gui Mian couldn’t understand, assuming it was related to Su Mingxiu’s heart demon. She secretly decided to speed up her plan.

Black Tortoise was nestled in a place close to a human market town.

During the time it spent with Gui Mian, it hadn’t slacked off on its cultivation. Living up to its name, Black Tortoise, it had truly awakened its ancestral bloodline. However, realizing that its master was constantly clinging to Su Mingxiu, it didn’t want to be caught in their lovey-dovey atmosphere and decided to find a quiet place to stay.

It could also cultivate abilities and transform into a human form. So it chose to protect this area, becoming a mountain god for the humans.

On the first and fifteenth day of each month, humans would come up the mountain to offer sacrifices. Its true form rested on the barren mountain, tall and resembling a small peak, indistinguishable from the surrounding mountains.

When Gui Mian found it, she saw a Wishing Tree by its shell, covered in red knots. After circling the small mountain god temple a few times, she smiled and said: “Since you’re happy here, do as you please.”

“If you get tired of playing, you know how to find me.”

Su Mingxiu went down the mountain and strolled through the market, buying a few colorful hair ties. Thinking that the master and pet needed some time alone, she returned quite late.

However, only after the market crowd dispersed did she realize that Gui Mian was leaning against the entrance, waiting for her.

People came and went, many casting glances at her. But she remained with her eyes closed, leaning against the railing as if dozing, until she sensed a familiar presence stop before her.

“Done browsing?”

She opened her eyes, meeting Su Mingxiu’s dark gaze, and smiled brightly.

“How long have you been waiting? Why didn’t you come over?” Su Mingxiu raised her hand, her sleeve falling down to reveal the colorful hair ties on her wrist. Seeing Gui Mian’s long, loose hair, she couldn’t resist the urge to help her tie it up. She walked behind Gui Mian and gathered her waist-length hair.

Gui Mian closed her eyes, thinking about the possessiveness that always plagued her when she was with Su Mingxiu. She murmured, “I thought this would make Master more comfortable…”

If she had gone with Su Mingxiu,

She couldn’t help but feel irritated by the gazes directed at her master. It would ruin Su Mingxiu’s mood, and in the end, everything would revolve around her again.

When she went to see Black Tortoise earlier, Gui Mian vaguely realized that constantly keeping everything by her side wasn’t true possession.

The fingertips weaving through her hair were exceptionally gentle. As Su Mingxiu tied her hair up, she leaned closer to Gui Mian’s ear and whispered: “I’m more comfortable when you’re here.”

Seeing her disciple’s slightly flushed ears under the sunlight, and the gazes of the surrounding people, she initially wanted to take off the hair ties from her wrist. But after a moment of hesitation, Su Mingxiu suddenly let Gui Mian’s hair down again.

Concealing that alluring sight.

Gui Mian turned her head, looking at her in confusion.

Su Mingxiu didn’t explain. She took Gui Mian’s hand and, as they walked away, asked softly: “Where’s Black Tortoise?”

“It wants to play outside for a while.”

Hearing this explanation, Su Mingxiu looked at Gui Mian in surprise. After a while, she chuckled. “I thought you would bring it back.”

“Did Master want me to bring it back?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I was just thinking, you’ve finally understood what love is.”

It was possession.

And also letting go.

“Is Master praising me?”

“Yes.”

“Such a dry compliment, it lacks sincerity.”

“Oh?”

“Why don’t you let me have my way tonight?”

…

The two ethereal figures walked away under the sunlight, their shadows stretching long, but their hands remained tightly clasped together.

Chapter 41: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (21)p2

There was no time like the present.

Gui Mian had originally planned to find an opportunity to feed Black Tortoise some delicious food and coax it back, but since there was a new plan, she temporarily put her beloved pet aside.

She and her master found a remote and secluded place in a deep mountain forest, setting up barriers and formations. Gui Mian brought out that body. At first, she felt uncomfortable looking at this face that resembled her own. But half an hour later, she couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise: “Eh?”

It was so strange.

In this body, she truly felt a strange sense of familiarity.

The grey mist could flow freely through the meridians of this body without taking away any spiritual energy. It was too strange.

Su Mingxiu, beside her, nibbled on her ear. “So, do you want to eat it?”

Eat myself?

This bizarre thought popped into Gui Mian’s mind. She shook her head. But in the next moment, the body, having been infused with chaotic energy, as if activated by something, suddenly sat up from the makeshift stone platform, startling them both.

Grey mist emanated from the body, connecting to Gui Mian’s fingertip. She seemed to have received a lot of information in that instant and couldn’t help but shake her head.

Seeing this, Su Mingxiu reinforced the surrounding barriers, preparing to protect her.

But the exchange between Gui Mian’s two bodies ended too quickly—

Two arms simultaneously wrapped around Su Mingxiu’s shoulders.

Two voices, one gentle, the other hoarse, called out from both sides: “Master.”

She abruptly retracted her divine sense, realizing that Gui Mian was playing tricks on her. So she pulled both arms towards her, and in the next second, she pinned down the two figures with identical faces but different clothing styles.

The one on the left was dressed in red, the alluring style adding a touch of charm to her innocent face. The one on the right was wearing a yin-yang daoist robe, her demeanor impeccably proper, only her bewitching golden eyes betraying her true nature.

“What game are you playing with me?”

The color in Su Mingxiu’s black eyes deepened. She asked casually, but the grip on their waists tightened.

They both leaned in towards her, as if offering her a choice. They said in unison: “Which one does Master like more?”

“Uh…” Again?

Su Mingxiu snorted, and in the next instant, a light flashed from her body, and an avatar with half her face separated from her. She raised an eyebrow, as if asking Gui Mian:

How many more can you transform into?

Gui Mian was stunned, looking at this strange avatar. Before she could react, the avatar released its spiritual energy, pressing it against her forehead—

The grey mist tumbled into Su Mingxiu’s sea of consciousness.

The person who had been mischievous just now was now incredibly well-behaved, trying her best to control her trembling. She looked at Su Mingxiu with her innocent eyes and asked seriously, “Is Master taking me to find the ‘answer’?”

The person approaching her smiled. As usual, she conjured the crimson room. As she reached Gui Mian, she replied unhurriedly: “Indeed, it’s time for you to find the answer.”

“Then are we…?”

Gui Mian’s eyes sparkled. If she really had a tail, it would be wagging excitedly by now.

Unfortunately, Su Mingxiu ignored her. A thin red string appeared in her hand at some point. As the little disciple froze, not daring to move, Su Mingxiu carefully tied her up.

“Hmm?” Gui Mian was still confused when, with a twist of the knot, five identical red string ends appeared in her hand, presented to her.

“But before we find the answer, let’s play a game.”

She said slowly, her eyes downcast, “Only one of the five strings in your hand is the key to undoing these knots. You have one chance. If you can untie them, you win.”

She couldn’t always let her disciple ask the questions.

A master also needed to test her disciple’s progress.

Gui Mian was tightly bound, her hands immobilized. If this were in reality, it would be fine. But in Su Mingxiu’s sea of consciousness, she didn’t even know how to walk, so she could only talk.

As expected—

The next moment.

Her head was pressed against the five red strings. “Choose.”

Gui Mian belatedly realized that her master was getting back at her for making her answer those questions earlier. She blinked her light-colored eyes and said in a soft voice: “Master…”

“Not choosing?” Su Mingxiu’s hand on the back of her neck didn’t loosen. “Should I choose for you?”

Gui Mian whined in refusal, making a last-ditch effort: “What happens if I choose wrong?”

The curve of Su Mingxiu’s lips widened. “If you choose wrong… well, it’s just like how I spent that night with you in the red-light district, playing games all night.”

Oh.

That wasn’t so bad.

Gui Mian couldn’t figure out how her master had tied these knots. She vaguely saw traces of the Eight Trigrams formation, but she didn’t bother thinking too hard. It was just a night of playing with Master, she wouldn’t lose anything.

So the little girl randomly picked a string with her mouth.

But she forgot.

The length of a night in the sea of consciousness wasn’t under her control.

Moreover, for her, who now understood love and desire, her master wouldn’t play those string figure games anymore. Instead…

The night in the sea of consciousness was long. No one knew how much time had passed.

Gui Mian whimpered, unable to form a complete sentence. Her lips, originally pale, had turned a deep, luscious red. The little girl, knowing that pleading was useless, was desperate to escape from her master.

The red silk quilt was a tangled mess, stained with dark and light marks.

A long knot was pressed beneath it.

But the master of this sea of consciousness didn’t stop her. Instead, she watched with amusement as Gui Mian shifted between her human form and the chaotic grey mist, her voice pleasant as she asked: “Trying to run?”

The person whose skin was rubbed raw by the quilt could only look back at her pitifully. She had barely managed to get some distance away when her ankle was caught.

Seeing the deep red mark on her ankle, Su Mingxiu slowly massaged it, seemingly considerate, but her grip wasn’t gentle. It almost left fingerprints on Gui Mian’s fair skin.

She chuckled softly. “You learn fast.”

She was referring to how Gui Mian, in her sea of consciousness, had gone from being too scared to move to being able to crawl out of her embrace.

So she set a new learning task for her good disciple: “Continue.”

“If you can escape tonight, I’ll let you off the hook.”

And if she couldn’t—

Gui Mian’s hoarse, tearful whimpers were the answer.

Chapter 41: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (21)p1

[You’ve been very quiet lately.]

Su Mingxiu spoke to the system in her sea of consciousness, her tone hinting at a nostalgic fondness for its troublemaking.

The system choked, managing a weak reply: “Interfering with the female protagonist’s fate is prohibited. You shouldn’t be in a relationship with her at this time.”

Hearing this familiar formula and tone, Su Mingxiu chuckled. “It’s not the first time anyway, you’ll get used to it.”

[…]

The system wanted to retort that it couldn’t get used to it, but before it could formulate a better strategy to deal with Su Mingxiu, Gui Mian walked over and took Su Mingxiu’s hand. Immediately, the system fell silent again, as if it never existed.

The more silent it was, the more it confirmed Su Mingxiu’s suspicions.

—It seemed that Gui Mian in this world could definitely sense the system’s presence, or perhaps even pose a threat to it.

Otherwise, based on its behavior in the previous world, it would have caused chaos while they were entangled in their spiritual connection.

“Back so soon?”

Su Mingxiu was taking a nap on the branch of a towering tree, sunlight dappling through the leaves and falling on her clothes and face. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

Gui Mian sat down beside her, her red robes draping over the branches. She played with Su Mingxiu’s fingers, only calming down after their fingers intertwined. She said casually, “I’ve cut ties with the Demon Realm.”

Thinking about the things Su Mingxiu didn’t know, Gui Mian pondered for a moment and continued: “The reason I stayed in the Demon Realm before was… Chaos’s body fell into the Demon Realm. My cultivation method is different from humans, yao, and demons. Chaos should have been classified as a yao, but because it could absorb demonic energy,

The yao race didn’t acknowledge its existence. Since my birth, I haven’t had any memories of inheritance techniques. So I had to be close to its body to comprehend the cultivation method.”

“The demon race has been suppressed by the cultivation world for thousands of years, lying dormant in the abyss of the eastern border. The Demon Lord needed my help to seize this opportunity, when no one in the cultivation world has ascended for a thousand years, to redraw the map of power.”

There were some things Gui Mian didn’t say.

For example, decades ago, the Demon Lord sent Fox Nine to sow discord, twisting Su Mingxiu’s actions and fueling Gui Mian’s hatred towards her, day after day.

If Su Mingxiu hadn’t patiently stayed by her side, filled with negative emotions, perhaps their current situation wouldn’t be so harmonious.

Gui Mian kept a mental ledger. On that ledger, the Demon Realm’s kindness and transgressions towards her had already been balanced—

She wouldn’t help the cultivation world, nor would she help the Demon Realm. She would remain neutral, that was her stance.

“I haven’t asked you,” Su Mingxiu said, resting Gui Mian’s head on her shoulder. They could only find places to stay in the wilderness now, because their antics on Black Tortoise’s back had finally angered the spirit beast. And Gui Mian, prioritizing her master above all else, refused to appease her pet, leading to a cold war between the master and pet that lasted till this day. “Does your birth father have anything to do with the severed connection to the Heavenly Ladder in this world a thousand years ago?”

“Why would Master think that?” Gui Mian looked at her with surprise.

Oh.

The reason was simple.

Su Mingxiu thought, the setting of the story was laid out, the protagonist’s identity was obvious. She had been in this cultivation world for so long, and there were only a few explanations for the severed connection to the heavens. It wasn’t hard to guess.

One explanation was that a cultivator, after ascending, violated the celestial laws, angering the celestial realm and bringing down punishment.

Recalling the ancient records mentioning that the celestial being who slayed Chaos imprisoned its consciousness in the upper realm… and now, there was a descendant of Chaos remaining in this world, the story was too easy to guess.

It was probably some kind of forbidden love affair.

There were countless stories about forbidden love between immortals in novels.

She didn’t say anything, and Gui Mian didn’t press further, finding a comfortable position in the crook of her neck. “It is related. The three races know very little about this matter. The Demon Lord only learned about it by chance and told me.”

But this information probably had many embellished and omitted parts.

Gui Mian knew this, and during her decades in the Demon Realm, she had been very careful, not leaving any leverage for the demons to exploit.

After her cultivation reached a certain level, it became even harder for the demons to find an opportunity to harm her. Because this little Chaos still retained her habits from the Sword Sect. Whenever she encountered something, she would ask why, then search for relevant records in ancient books, confirming that what she consumed was safe and harmless before accepting it.

The system, hearing their conversation, made a sound of despair in Su Mingxiu’s mind.

According to the original plot of this world, Gui Mian was supposed to be a protagonist betrayed by her sect and master, relying on the power of the Demon Realm to rise again and seek revenge against the righteous factions. Later, when the Demon Realm’s army reached the Sword Sect, she would discover that her birth mother was the powerful cultivator who ascended from the Sword Sect a thousand years ago.

To uncover the truth about Chaos’s death and her mother’s story, the protagonist, leading the demon army to attack the Sword Sect, would resolutely abandon the demons and cultivate as a human, reopening the Heavenly Ladder connecting this world to the celestial realm.

The human race, the demon race, the celestial race… the plot would unfold before Gui Mian.

After finally unraveling the mystery of her birth, she would become the new ruler of the celestial realm.

This was the protagonist’s supposed path of growth, but look at how the plot had changed under Su Mingxiu’s interference!

Hearing the sound of despair, Su Mingxiu asked the system in her mind, “Do you want to consider sending me the rest of the world line plot now?”

The system, unable to predict what kind of chaos she would create next, hesitated for a moment and asked: “If I send it to you, will you make the protagonist’s plot return to its original course?”

[That depends on what kind of protagonist you want.]

[I want her to be free from all constraints and threats within the three realms.]

[Oh, you want her to become the Celestial Emperor?]

[So what if I do?]

[Then your vision is too narrow.]

Su Mingxiu seemed to have forgotten all the times she had been tricked by the system and calmly discussed the plot with it, even offering some “helpful” suggestions.

System: [?]

It was about to ask Su Mingxiu what she meant by “narrow vision” when she naturally moved on to the next topic: “Friendly cooperation starts with spoilers. Tell me first, what’s the setting for that body that looks exactly like Gui Mian?”

[Oh, that’s the shell Chaos used to inhabit in this world, it contains all her memories. But it chose to live an ordinary life, thinking it could escape the celestial realm’s pursuit. Unfortunately, it was ambushed during its tribulation and only its soul managed to escape, waiting for an opportunity to rise again.]

Tsk.

Su Mingxiu asked patiently, “If I were to return Gui Mian’s Golden Core and sword bone to that body…”

“Then that body, having lost its soul and only retaining its instincts, would kill the murderer of its new shell out of self-defense.”

Now that Su Mingxiu had completed the mission, the system had no leverage over her. Compared to its previous arrogant and manipulative behavior when issuing missions, it was now practically an open book.

Unfortunately, the trap hidden within these words was too vicious.

For the original owner, who wanted to extract Gui Mian’s sword bone and Golden Core, she would end up with a lover who would never wake up but would take her away forever, a fitting end for a villain.

For Su Mingxiu, who had to complete the mission, she would end up with a completely blackened disciple, beyond saving, who could only walk the path set by the system, and she herself would be killed by an empty shell.

This vengeful system, after being tricked by her in the last world, had set up a dead end for her in this one.

—Thankfully, she had resolutely refused to transplant the sword bone and Golden Core into that body.

As if afraid of Su Mingxiu holding a grudge, the system quickly added: “Anyway, you’ve already avoided all those traps, and you’ve successfully completed the mission in this world. I promise, as long as you can continue to complete missions successfully, you can choose whatever identity and background you want in those small worlds.”

[How tempting.]

Su Mingxiu said this to it, then suddenly turned to Gui Mian and asked: “You should still have that body I asked you to keep, right?”

After spending so much time with her, this was the first time Gui Mian heard her mention that person.

Although she had confirmed with Su Mingxiu many times and vaguely realized that her master wasn’t using her as a substitute for that body, hearing her mention it, Gui Mian still felt a bit unhappy. She closed her eyes and replied: “Lost it.”

“Lost it?” Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow.

The little disciple reached out and pulled Su Mingxiu’s head down, raising her neck to bite her lips. It wasn’t too hard, but compared to her previous ferocity, this strength felt more like a small threat. “What, does Master find her more pleasing to the eye than me?”

Su Mingxiu readily tasted the food offered to her lips.

After a long while, she let go. Seeing that Gui Mian’s lips had turned a bright red, she replied slowly: “What a waste to lose it. I was thinking, if you kept it, you could eat it to nourish your body.”

“Uh…” Gui Mian looked at her uncertainly. “Eat it?”

And nourish her body?

Su Mingxiu knew she thought she was joking, so she rephrased: “You don’t have to eat it. We can choose a day when we’re bored and study the connection between that body and you.”

If they were on Mount Lingyu in the Sword Sect, Gui Mian would definitely be furious upon hearing these words. But now, having been appeased several times, the little disciple saw that her master had no ulterior motives, only genuine concern for her. She put aside her displeasure and said hesitantly: “Then… I’ll take a look?”

“Okay.”

Chapter 40: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Goo4d-for-Nothing (20)p2

After achieving the “Nothing was discussed, and even a teammate was killed” accomplishment in the war council tent, Gui Mian took Su Mingxiu back to Black Tortoise’s shell.

Her cultivation method was different from the demons, as well as the yao and humans. So she usually avoided staying too close to the demons.

Su Mingxiu, seeing that Gui Mian seemed to be in a bad mood, started taking things out of her storage pouch.

Juicy, fragrant spiritual fruits, fresh spiritual fish, a plucked flying crane, a copper cauldron for cooking… and a magical artifact of unknown origin, used as a tablecloth.

Gui Mian: ?

Su Mingxiu casually set up a picnic on Black Tortoise’s back, using her magic to process the food. Soon, a pot of steaming fish soup was ready. Meeting Gui Mian’s confused gaze, she said calmly: “Didn’t I say it’s lunchtime?”

After a pause, she asked with confusion: “What, you didn’t like the mortal food yesterday, and now you don’t like spiritual food either?”

As if she didn’t expect Su Mingxiu to prepare all this for her, seeing the mountain of delicacies piled up, Gui Mian pursed her lips and suddenly said: “Let me do it.”

She was the disciple, there was no reason for her master to do all the work.

Hearing these words, Su Mingxiu suddenly remembered the burnt lotus flower pastry she had eaten by the hot spring in the previous world. Her expression became complicated, but before she could stop Gui Mian—

The smell of burnt food reached her nose.

She followed the smell and saw a spiritual fish… corpse, charred black by Gui Mian’s magic.

“Uh…” A look of confusion appeared in Gui Mian’s eyes. As if trying to prove herself, she quickly grabbed another fish. Before Su Mingxiu could even advise her, another inedible charcoal briquette appeared on Black Tortoise’s back.

Seeing her reach for the remaining ingredients, Su Mingxiu decisively grabbed her wrist. “How about… we have some soup first?”

“Not enough.” Gui Mian shook her head resolutely.

Su Mingxiu had originally thought that she had prepared enough food to feed her disciple for a while. But at this rate, she was starting to worry about her own reserves.

The next moment, she said decisively: “Then have some appetizers first?”

Appetizers?

Fifteen minutes later.

Gui Mian burped softly, her face flushed, her head lowered in shame. She didn’t dare to look at her master, who looked somewhat weak after feeding her with her spiritual energy.

She set up several layers of barriers, preparing to let Su Mingxiu meditate and recover.

“Full?”

The person she was protecting saw the barriers but didn’t choose to recover her spiritual energy. Instead, she leaned closer, pinched Gui Mian’s ear, and asked with a smile.

Gui Mian nodded.

“Then it’s my turn?”

Hearing these words, the innocent-looking girl instinctively turned her head to look at the pot of soup, belatedly remembering the matter. But her head was quickly turned back.

Then, her forehead was pressed against—

Inside her sea of consciousness was still the festive wedding chamber.

Gui Mian’s face was flushed. It took her a lot of effort to control her strength and raise her hand. Just when Su Mingxiu thought her little disciple was about to resist, her hand covered Su Mingxiu’s eyes.

“Don’t look…”

She felt that she must look ugly now, consumed by desire.

After a pause, she asked: “Wasn’t Master the one who was hungry?”

W-why was she being fed again?

Gui Mian frowned, thinking, she was already full.

Hearing her innocent and confused tone, Su Mingxiu almost couldn’t control the urge to devour her whole within her sea of consciousness. She followed Gui Mian’s movements and closed her eyes, her eyelashes brushing against Gui Mian’s palm. Her voice also became hoarse.

“This way, I can also be full.”

Is that so?

Gui Mian thought for a moment and whispered a few words.

“What?”

The person whose eyes were covered thought her hearing was also affected and wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly.

Pressed against the quilt, her face redder than the silk fabric, Gui Mian’s throat moved, her lips parting as she repeated what she had just said: “More, please.”

“Ah!” Su Mingxiu had thought she was already being outrageous enough, but being encouraged by her good disciple, she only wanted to… bully her even more.

Her soft laughter reached Gui Mian’s ears. The person whose consciousness had been pulled in couldn’t help but tremble from this stimulation. But she only dodged slightly, then leaned towards Su Mingxiu again, hearing her master’s slightly helpless voice continue:

“Gui Mian.”

“You’re making it hard for me to control myself.”

The feast she had originally planned to savor slowly, she now wanted to devour it all in one go.

The person who heard her words slowly tilted her head, leaning towards Su Mingxiu, meeting her kiss with her own. She replied obediently: “As long as Master is happy, that’s enough.”

So.

For the rest of the night, she was pressed against the deepest part of her master’s sea of consciousness, lost in a world of insatiable pleasure.

At first, Gui Mian was obedient, letting Su Mingxiu do as she pleased. But as she began to understand the terrifying power of their intertwined consciousnesses, she tried to suppress the urge to escape, pleading softly with Su Mingxiu—

But somehow…

The more she begged, the more intense the waves crashing against her consciousness became, making her words choppy and incoherent, until she couldn’t utter a single word.

But the little disciple was still very well-behaved. Even when she lost consciousness, she remembered that she couldn’t control her power and couldn’t rampage within Su Mingxiu’s sea of consciousness. So she didn’t even dare to escape, letting Su Mingxiu indulge completely.

Chapter 40: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (20)p1

“The answer lies deeper.”

Over the past few decades, Su Mingxiu had been continuously expanding her sea of consciousness, trying to figure out how the system was bound to her. But unfortunately, her cultivation could only progress to the Great Ascension stage—

If she had enough time, perhaps if she could undergo another tribulation and use the opportunity to temper her body with celestial lightning, she might be able to completely understand where the system resided within her.

Now, she led Gui Mian deeper into her sea of consciousness. But those areas were even harder to see through than Gui Mian’s chaotic true form.

Gui Mian looked intently, as if trying to memorize the appearance of Su Mingxiu’s sea of consciousness. Su Mingxiu whispered in her ear, “You have eighty days to find the answers you seek here.”

Gui Mian suddenly turned her head. “Why eighty days?”

Su Mingxiu thought of the countdown timer she could always see. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but due to the system’s restrictions, she couldn’t reveal anything more. Her hesitant expression was also reflected in Gui Mian’s eyes.

“Okay.”

Gui Mian whispered, “This is the last time I’ll trust you, Master.”

She addressed Su Mingxiu as “Master” again. For a moment, Su Mingxiu felt as if her naive little disciple had returned. Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she leaned closer to Gui Mian’s ear and whispered: “Don’t call me Master.”

Her voice was as light as a feather. “It excites me.”

“Uh…” Gui Mian froze on the spot.

Her obedient and motionless appearance made Su Mingxiu want to tease her even more. The urge she had suppressed with great difficulty surged up again. To prevent the little girl from crying again, she could only send Gui Mian’s consciousness out of her sea of consciousness, setting her free.

The grey mist withdrew from Su Mingxiu’s body with lightning speed. As it returned to Gui Mian’s body, her ears turned red in the darkness.

“Eh?”

A soft echo sounded in the cave.

The pitch-black cave didn’t hinder their vision. Su Mingxiu clearly saw Gui Mian’s flushed ears. After making a sound and seeing Gui Mian’s discomfort, she knew she couldn’t tease her too much and casually changed the subject: “I thought you would absorb all my spiritual energy.”

After all, in the past, whenever Gui Mian released her true form, she would uncontrollably devour everything around her.

She didn’t expect her to have such self-control now.

Gui Mian turned her head, thinking, Who wants your spiritual energy? Her lips moved, but she didn’t speak. After a moment of silence, she brought up another topic: “That woman in the lotus… the one who looks like me, who is she?”

Su Mingxiu pondered for a while.

“Hmm… your past life?”

“Ah!” Gui Mian glared at her. “I don’t have a past life!”

The woman in the ink-stained robe tried another explanation, but before she could speak, she was interrupted again: “Even if I did… wouldn’t that mean you love my past life, not me?”

“Not entirely.”

“Oh? Does Master perhaps love everyone equally?”

“Uh…” Here we go again.

The deathly question-and-answer session had begun.

Su Mingxiu guessed that this was because she didn’t have the memories of the previous world. Now, no matter if she answered that she loved the person in front of her more, or the one in the past, or both, it would sound like a scumbag’s excuse. The best solution was—

To silence the questioner.

So she grabbed Gui Mian’s red collar and pulled her closer, their lips meeting once again.

“Keep asking,” she said with a playful smile in her voice. “Let’s see how many more questions you can come up with.”

“Uh…!” Gui Mian instinctively tried to push her away. Unfortunately, putting on a shattered armor again was easier said than done. Her hand, pushing against Su Mingxiu’s clothes, wavered between resistance and surrender. In the end, even the talisman patterns on Su Mingxiu’s robe seemed to feel sorry for her conflicted emotions and moved aside on their own, leaving only a wrinkled patch of fabric for Gui Mian to grasp.

Naturally, she couldn’t ask any more questions.

As dawn broke.

Demon Realm’s war tent.

A person with a pure and innocent face stood beside the throne, their vibrant red clothes the most beautiful sight in the tent. But the throne, which should have been theirs, was occupied by a person with a cold expression and an ethereal aura.

They were surrounded by demons and monsters, black demonic energy filling the air. In this intimidating atmosphere, the touch of white stood out even more.

All eyes were on them.

But Gui Mian seemed oblivious. She asked, “How are things in the Southern and Northern Realms?”

Silence met her question.

She turned her gaze towards the demon generals, her brow slightly raised, as if wondering what battle they had gone through to become mute overnight.

Fox Nine coughed softly and reminded her: “The affairs of the Demon Realm are perhaps not for cultivators to know.”

He was practically asking Gui Mian why she had brought such a big spy here.

After he finished speaking, many demon generals who had been holding back voiced their agreement, some even speaking rudely: “Young Lord, not just any stray cat or dog can be brought into the war council tent.”

Gui Mian’s expression shifted slightly.

No one saw how she did it, but when she raised her left hand, it was already holding a black thread. The thread quickly condensed into a light-absorbing black blade in her hand.

The other end of the black blade was connected to the speaker by a thin thread.

Everyone present was stunned upon seeing the black thread. Fox Nine was the first to speak: “Young Lord!”

His tone was urgent, but he was too slow. With a flick of Gui Mian’s wrist, the blade sliced towards the speaker’s neck—

Splat.

Blood splattered onto the nearest demon general’s face.

For a moment, the tent was so silent that even the sound of breathing couldn’t be heard.

Gui Mian released her hand, and the black blade disappeared. But the disgust on her face was evident, like a delicate white lotus whose petals had been stained with mud. She lightly shook her hand.

“So dirty.”

Such thick, seemingly ineradicable desire, truly disgusting.

As soon as she finished speaking, a handkerchief with a faint fragrance covered her hand. Gui Mian was stunned and instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Su Mingxiu caught her wrist and whispered: “Don’t move.”

Actually, Gui Mian’s words were just an expression of her emotions. She had spent so long in the Demon Realm, what kind of blood hadn’t she touched? But only Su Mingxiu took her words seriously and used such a clean handkerchief to wipe her hand.

…Why did she deserve this?

Su Mingxiu raised her eyelids slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips. Her tone still carried a hint of guidance: “It’s almost lunchtime. We need to clean our hands properly.”

So all the demons in the war council tent watched as the Great Ascension cultivator demonstrated how to thoroughly clean one’s hands.

They didn’t dare to speak, nor did they dare to ask anymore.

After all, the one who had protested was still lying there dead.

The strange atmosphere persisted until Su Mingxiu put away the handkerchief. Gui Mian quickly withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back. Looking around, she felt everyone was an eyesore. So she tugged at her master’s sleeve and said: “Since demon beasts aren’t suitable to be in the war council tent—”

“I’ll take my leave. You can discuss your matters.”

Su Mingxiu readily stood up and followed her out.

The other demon generals: ??

What did she mean by demon beasts not being suitable? Did the young Lord consider herself a cat or a dog?

Fox Nine sighed and spoke again, this time choosing his words carefully. He advised Gui Mian to leave Su Mingxiu outside and even offered to send someone to take good care of the cultivator.

Gui Mian, remembering what Su Mingxiu had said to her in her sea of consciousness, felt a lack of interest in the affairs of the Demon Realm. She casually made an excuse: “She can’t leave me.”

To her surprise, the person beside her added:

“It’s true.”

“I want to see you every moment.”

Fox Nine: “…”

He watched them leave with a dark expression, silently calling out to the Demon Lord in his heart. If the Demon Lord didn’t come soon, their army might just disband on the spot.

Chapter 39: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (19)p2

Originally Gui Mian didn’t want to touch her. After all, the body of a Great Ascension cultivator was indeed beneficial to her current cultivation level.

But seeing Su Mingxiu provoke her again and again, as if she was sure Gui Mian wouldn’t do anything, Gui Mian, in a fit of anger, released a wave of grey mist, drilling into Su Mingxiu’s meridians.

She decided to drain all of Su Mingxiu’s spiritual energy!

Let her know the consequences of provoking her!

The grey mist entered Su Mingxiu’s meridians, roaming through the vast network of spiritual energy, unconsciously guided by Su Mingxiu towards her dantian, then towards her sea of consciousness.

Finally, the grey mist stopped before the sea of consciousness.

She knew that this place couldn’t be damaged. If she invaded it, let alone curing Su Mingxiu’s heart demon, her master might not need any cure in the future, she would be completely crippled.

But at this moment, an unknown force suddenly pushed the grey mist into the sea of consciousness.

Gui Mian: “!!”

The grey mist didn’t dare to move, even condensing into a human form within Su Mingxiu’s sea of consciousness. The miniature figure said angrily: “Are you crazy?”

Leaving her in the sea of consciousness, did Su Mingxiu want to die?

As soon as she finished speaking, Gui Mian saw the scenery of the sea of consciousness change instantly. Soon, she found herself in a room decorated in festive red. The walls were adorned with double happiness characters, red candles were burning on the table, even the bed curtains and quilt were red.

A figure appeared behind her. As their arms wrapped around her waist, both of them trembled.

The contact between their souls felt much more intense than physical contact.

Gui Mian instinctively tried to break free, to transform back into grey mist, when she heard Su Mingxiu’s chuckling voice: “My good disciple, you have to be quiet here, or you might have to arrange Master’s funeral early.”

The mist stopped moving and condensed back into a human form, stiffly pulled into Su Mingxiu’s embrace.

Finally able to hold her, Su Mingxiu felt a sense of satisfaction. But she had underestimated her own willpower. Transforming her sea of consciousness into this wedding chamber was initially just a prank to tease Gui Mian, matching her red clothes.

But in this room, seeing that face dressed in festive red like a bride, her hidden desires were amplified.

She could only close her eyes, not daring to look at the captivating scene that stirred her heart.

Gui Mian, held in her arms, tried to struggle free, but she couldn’t control her strength. Frustrated, she saw Su Mingxiu holding her comfortably, as if her scheme had succeeded. She couldn’t help but turn her head and bite Su Mingxiu’s lips.

This time, she didn’t hold back at all, as if she was using her head as a weapon, ramming it straight into Su Mingxiu.

Fortunately, Su Mingxiu dodged in time. Otherwise, both of them would be in trouble.

Seeing the fleeting look of shock in Gui Mian’s eyes, Su Mingxiu chuckled. She seemed to have guessed the other party’s actions. She leaned in again, her lips kissing the tip of Gui Mian’s nose.

“Want to bite me again?”

“I’ve always wanted to ask, are you a dog, little Chaos?”

Gui Mian: “…”

Ever since Fox Nine had taught her about the various demon races, she knew that each race had its own dignity, especially Chaos, a great demon born with heaven and earth. How could she be compared to those lowly dog demons?

Seeing the anger rising in her eyes, like a firecracker about to explode, Su Mingxiu chuckled and cupped Gui Mian’s face, her lips moving down to her chin. Before her kiss landed, she said indulgently, as if coaxing a child: “Don’t be angry, I’ll let you bite.”

She truly offered herself up to Gui Mian.

But the grip on Gui Mian’s face didn’t loosen. After all, this was within her own spiritual platform, her sea of consciousness. Su Mingxiu had absolute control over everything here.

Gui Mian couldn’t close her jaws, she could only let Su Mingxiu have her way… The hunter, who had boasted about going hunting, was now trapped in the prey’s snare. She could only be examined helplessly, her fur stroked inch by inch by the prey.

—Now the hunter was about to be sold by the prey.

Tears welled up in the corners of the little girl’s eyes, whether from anger, shame, or frustration. In any case, when Su Mingxiu finally released her, those clear and beautiful eyes were filled with tears.

She looked like she had been terribly bullied.

This made Su Mingxiu, who had wanted to do something even more outrageous, feel a pang of guilt.

She could only cover Gui Mian’s eyes with her hand, wiping away the teardrops on her lips. After a soft sigh, Su Mingxiu whispered: “Don’t cry.”

Hearing this comforting tone, Gui Mian, who hadn’t even intended to cry, felt even more tears streaming down her face, as if her tear ducts had lost control.

It must be Master’s sea of consciousness playing tricks.

She thought as she cried.

Su Mingxiu couldn’t wipe away her tears no matter how hard she tried. Feeling like she was only making things worse, she suddenly thought of something. She transformed the room, with its red candles and double happiness characters, into a swirling mist and led Gui Mian towards the depths of her sea of consciousness.

At the very center, a miniature figure was meditating with its eyes closed.

It was the Nascent Soul avatar in Su Mingxiu’s sea of consciousness.

This miniature figure should have looked exactly like her. But perhaps because the Golden Core that had hatched this Nascent Soul came from Gui Mian, the little figure that appeared before them now was half Su Mingxiu, half Gui Mian.

As if their appearances had merged.

The little figure’s eyes were slightly closed, one half cold and aloof, the other half pure and innocent. Despite the different appearances on each side, its features were strangely harmonious, creating a unique beauty.

Because no one had ever seen her Spirit Severing form in these past decades, no one in the world knew that the Jade Elder had such a strange little figure inside her.

Seeing its appearance, Gui Mian’s eyes reddened even more. She thought of the tribulation at the edge of the Demon Realm abyss decades ago, not understanding what this person was trying to prove.

“Why are you showing me this?”

Gui Mian closed her eyes, wanting to say “Your disciple is long dead” again, or to finally ask the question that had been buried in her heart for so long: If you knew this would happen, why did you hurt me in the first place? What’s the point of making amends now?

“Now that things have come to this—”

Her cold words were suddenly interrupted by Su Mingxiu: “Now that you’ve spent decades in the Demon Realm, I see that they don’t seem to be preventing you from leaving. There must be a reason why you have to stay.”

Su Mingxiu wanted to reveal everything. Ever since Gui Mian returned, she had been expecting the system to interfere with their interactions, to make things difficult for her like it did in the last world.

But the system was silent, as if it didn’t exist. If it weren’t for the ninety-day countdown still ticking, Su Mingxiu would have thought it was gone.

It was better that it didn’t speak up.

Su Mingxiu decided to investigate the system later. Right now, the most important thing was the person in front of her.

Su Mingxiu pointed at the Nascent Soul and said to her disciple gently: “I kept it and nurtured it well, just to tell you that now you understand human emotions and have become strong enough. Nothing in this world can threaten you. If you want to be a demon, be a demon. If you want to be a monster, be a monster.”

After a pause, she said the most important line: “And if you want to be human, my sword bone, my Nascent Soul, they’re all yours. Gui Mian, you must remember, there’s nothing in this world that you ‘should’ or ‘must’ do.”

Within the nine continents, I want you to be free from all constraints, to come and go as you please, to follow your heart. Only then will our time as master and disciple not be in vain.

Gui Mian naturally understood the meaning behind her words.

Or rather…

She understood all of Su Mingxiu’s unspoken intentions for the first time. She could discern the love and care in her master’s tone, all the good emotions contained within those words, even the ugly desires had disappeared.

The crack in her heart widened, and the walls she had built up to protect herself crumbled in an instant.

Drip.

It was the sound of water dripping in the cave, echoing in Su Mingxiu’s sea of consciousness.

Gui Mian’s vision blurred. With her walls crumbling, her soft inner self was exposed, all the fragments that had been carefully offered up and then shattered.

She asked: “Then why did you…”

“Why did you abandon me?”

Why didn’t you want me? Why didn’t you come looking for me?

Do you know how much I missed you?

Chapter 39: The Destined-to-be-Abandoned Good-for-Nothing (19)p1

Gui Mian was startled at first, then, as if remembering something, her gaze darkened again. Her golden eyes stared at Su Mingxiu, a hint of disdain flashing within them.

The person sitting across from her didn’t look up. Sensing her gaze, she swallowed the food in her mouth and said with a smile: “Let me guess what you’re thinking.”

“Are you thinking that I truly have no bottom line, willing to cut my flesh and feed it to the eagle for the sake of the Sword Sect, for the ‘hostage’ you’re holding?”

Her little disciple, her thoughts exposed, remained silent.

But her silence was an admission.

Su Mingxiu placed her chopsticks on the plate. “Whether I’m willingly giving it to you or compromising for someone else—Gui Mian, you’ll experience it yourself in due time.”

She picked up the small wine cup beside her, brought it to her lips, smelled the faint aroma of wine, then put it down listlessly.

…With the most delicious feast waiting, who could still be interested in these ordinary things?

Casually placing a silver ingot on the table, Su Mingxiu stood up and left the table. The person sitting across from her, looking at the remaining dishes, remained silent for a while. Then, with a wave of her sleeve, she cleaned the plates before getting up and following Su Mingxiu.

The threads of affection binding Su Mingxiu couldn’t be severed unless Gui Mian willed it. This also meant that no matter where Su Mingxiu went, Gui Mian could sense her whereabouts. So she wasn’t worried about her master escaping.

But she didn’t expect that, after leaving the restaurant, her master would walk towards a nearby brothel.

Gui Mian was no longer as naive as before. After decades of cultivation in the Demon Realm, with the cunning Fox Nine by her side and surrounded by the bold and unrestrained demon citizens, she had seen too much lust and had long understood the purpose of those red threads she had played with in the red-light district that night.

She reached out and stopped Su Mingxiu, her hand on her shoulder. The little disciple who used to only reach her shoulder was now as tall as her, easily keeping up with her pace—

As Su Mingxiu turned around, she saw the young Lord in red sneer. “When did I say I wanted to eat like this?”

But the person in front of her didn’t change her expression. She replied calmly, “You can choose whichever way you like.”

“Uh…” Gui Mian didn’t believe her.

Noticing the gazes of the surrounding people gathering again, many of them directed at Su Mingxiu, Gui Mian felt a surge of displeasure, as if her possession was being coveted.

But she didn’t want to find a room here, because she found it dirty.

The closer they got to the brothel, the more she could smell and see the surging desires, a color she loathed.

In the next instant.

Grey mist spread out, enveloping them both, and instantly transported them to a desolate mountain outside the town.

“Drip.”

They appeared in a cave. The faint sound of water dripping from stalactites could be heard from above. Su Mingxiu, having been enveloped by her disciple’s mist three times in such a short time, somewhat understood her ability… It was like a demon beast using its original form to grab something and then teleporting.

She guessed that Gui Mian probably didn’t use this technique on others. After all, during teleportation, there was a risk of being injured by the other party.

Thinking of this, her expression softened even more. There wasn’t a single ray of moonlight in this dark forest and cave, but her eyes were filled with warmth.

Gui Mian saw her expression clearly, and her resolute heart wavered for a moment:

…Was she really… looking at her?

“Trusting me so much, aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt you?” Su Mingxiu’s voice, close to her ear, sounded less cold than usual, whether it was because of her warmth or their proximity.

Gui Mian lowered her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Because those thin red threads around Su Mingxiu’s neck, as long as Gui Mian willed it, could instantly separate her head from her body.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t dare, it’s that I won’t.”

Su Mingxiu corrected her.

She wouldn’t, and she couldn’t bear to.

Gui Mian didn’t respond. Just as Su Mingxiu’s kiss was about to land on her ear, her fingertip twitched, and the person standing beside her involuntarily ducked—

The kiss only grazed her neck, not landing directly.

Tsk.

Naughty.

If this were before, if the little one dared to tease her like this, she would have been pinned down and spanked.

But times had changed. Su Mingxiu sighed inwardly, knowing that she hadn’t coaxed Gui Mian back yet and couldn’t keep bullying her.

So, after Gui Mian released her grip, she straightened up, pulled Gui Mian into her arms, and said helplessly: “Since you won’t let me touch you, then you do it.”

The person who now understood too much blushed slightly.

But she didn’t want to let Su Mingxiu have her way. She turned her head away and deliberately bit down on Su Mingxiu’s neck, ignoring her Great Ascension cultivation and spiritual energy.

A sharp pain instantly shot through Su Mingxiu’s mind.

She inhaled sharply, trying to maintain her composure.

Then, she raised her right hand and caressed the back of Gui Mian’s neck. Just when the person in her arms thought she was about to be pushed away, the fingers stroking her neck didn’t increase their pressure.

As if Su Mingxiu was content with just touching and embracing her, not seeking anything more.

Gui Mian bit down harder, smelling the spreading scent of blood. Although she had cultivated in the form of a demon beast in the Demon Realm for these past years, she wasn’t like other demons who would capture and devour cultivators.

She didn’t want to, and she didn’t like eating people.

So, no matter how much she hated this master, she couldn’t bite down any further. She could only raise her head and turn away with feigned disgust. “You taste… disgusting. I changed my mind.”

Su Mingxiu’s collar was stained with blood, the white fabric now a deeper shade of red.

As if she couldn’t feel the pain, she didn’t even tighten her embrace. She only lowered her head and asked, “Oh? The taste is bad? Then where do you like?”

“Nascent Soul?”

After a cultivator formed their Nascent Soul, they needed to move it to their spiritual platform for further cultivation during the Spirit Severing stage, then advance to Great Ascension. From then on, there would be a miniature version of themselves residing in their body.

The way Su Mingxiu asked, it sounded like she would dig out her own Nascent Soul as food if Gui Mian just nodded.

Gui Mian didn’t answer, trying to escape from her embrace. However, her silence was misinterpreted by Su Mingxiu. She quickly grabbed Gui Mian’s hand and guided it towards her head—

But Gui Mian flung her hand away.

“I don’t like anywhere.”

Gui Mian pushed her away with a cold expression, as if she wasn’t the one who had taken a bite just a moment ago, her fickleness making it impossible to guess her thoughts.

Su Mingxiu chuckled and teased her: “Don’t like it? Or am I not nourishing enough?”

Nourishing enough?

Hearing her words, Gui Mian turned her head away and replied stiffly: “Not nourishing at all, and I don’t like it.”

If other demons in the Demon Realm’s camp heard this conversation, they would definitely risk their lives to advise their young Lord.

Heavens! The flesh and soul of a Great Ascension cultivator, if that’s not nourishing, what’s the point of other treasures?!

“Oh…”

Su Mingxiu pretended to believe her.

But having the person she longed for constantly before her eyes, neither letting her touch nor acknowledge her, was truly unbearable. She didn’t want to let go of this only topic they could talk about.

“Really not eating?”

She held Gui Mian’s wrist, refusing to let go. After a while, as if confirming, she asked again. At the same time, spiritual energy emanated from their touching skin, like a tempting dessert, wrapping around Gui Mian’s hand.

“Ah!” Instinct was faster than reason. The grey mist emerging from her body rushed towards the spiritual energy.

However, Su Mingxiu was like a villain using a carrot to lure a donkey. As soon as the grey mist approached, the spiritual energy retreated back into her body, leaving the little girl grasping at nothing.

“Ugh…” Gui Mian’s expression darkened even more, and she tried to shake Su Mingxiu off with a wave of her sleeve.

Su Mingxiu struggled to suppress her laughter, afraid of angering her disciple. After all, you had to stroke a small animal’s fur in the right direction.

She deliberately lowered her voice and tempted: “There’s so much spiritual energy in my body, are you really not going to try it?”