T/N: This chapter was translated by Elysian Pit. I DO NOT own the translation and all credit goes to the original translator. I’ve picked up this novel to continue where the previous translator left. Thank you ❤️
While Jian Xingzhi was experiencing rolling down the mountain, Qin Wanwan was wandering in dreamland.
In her dream, a sparkling golden gate stood before her. It was high in the clouds, linked from the sky to the ground by a flight of long stairs.
Qin Wanwan heard the splashing of water, as if there were waves coming from a distance.
Standing in front of the gate, she raised her head and caught sight of three big words written above – The Gate of Immortality.
The Gate of Immortality*?
[T/N: 登仙门 – Dēng Xiān Mén. 登仙 means Ascend to Immortality/To become Immortal. The Gate of Immortality.]
Qin Wanwan tilted her head in confusion.
The rumors she heard about The Gate of Immortality was that the The Gate of Immortality in the Immortal Realm was actually the Dragon Gate in the so-called ‘Carp Leaping over the Dragon Gate’* in the Mortal Realm. It was a special passage opened by the Immortal Realm for the Dragon Clan. Those who have Dragon’s blood running on their veins could cross over The Gate of Immortality and directly ascend.
[T/N: 鲤鱼跃龙门. To make a significant advance in one’s career/To get one’s big break, In Ancient Legend, a carp jumped over the Dragon Gate (referring to the narrowest Dragon Gate in where the Yellow River roars down, now called Yu Men Gate), and it changed into a dragon.]
So… why was she here?
Before she had the time to think about it, she heard a dragon chant. The roar of the surrounding waves waned away and the sound of the System blared, “Host? Are you still alive, Host?”
Qin Wanwan’s eyes rolled. She first smelled the aroma of medicine. Barely managing to open her eyes, the first thing she could see was the hanging herbal bags on top of her bed.
“Host, you are awake.”
38’s voice was emotional, “You scared me to death! I thought you were going to die!”
Qin Wanwan didn’t pay any attention to it. She gathered her mind on the bed and covered her stomach. At that time, the clear voice of Shen Zhiming came from her side.
“I have lifted the curse on your body. and your Bai-shishu has treated your wounds. You will be fine after some rest.”
Subconsciously, Qin Wanwan’s body twisted over to Shen Zhiming’s direction when she heard his voice. She noticed Shen Zhiming sitting at the table. Song Xiniang stood behind him and looked over at Qin Wanwan with deep concern.
Qin Wanwan paused. The pain in her stomach was an instant reminder of what had occurred before she was unconscious. She dared not move and pushed down her nervousness. Her mind geared fast to think of how to deal with these great figures.
Shen Zhiming and Song Xinian spared her life, they even saved her the moment they saw her on the verge of dying. In accordance with the original plot, these two people could be regarded as the people who raised the original owner themselves. It’s impossible for them not to have the slightest affection for her. It’s just, under the impetus of the plot, their bits of intelligence and care for the original owner was reduced to dust, so as to let them fall in love with the female fead.
She could take advantage of their excessive care for Su Yueli.
If she wished to go down the mountain, there were three most important things she must do. Heal her wounds, clear the false accusation and her grievances, and send Shen Zhiming away somewhere far.
Shen Zhiming’s cultivation was too high. She could hardly do anything under his watchful eyes. Only if Shen Zhiming left could she do more by using her Sea of Consciousness.
Qin Wanwan’s mind rotated fast.
Shen Zhiming eyed her quietness. Suddenly, he stood up and walked up to her.
Qin Wawnan fidgeted from dread the moment he moved. Shen Zhiming lowered his head to look at her, there was some compassion for her in his eyes.
He understood this disciple of his. She may be proud and capricious, and she was also overbearing. But, she would never show her weakness for others to see. Cultivation was everything to her.
And now, she had become like this…
She would rather die than plead guilty……
“Master will ask you for the last time…”
Shen Zhiming gazed at her deeply as he asked, “About Yueli, are you really not the one who hurt her?”
“Ignore him.”
“It’s really not me!”
The System and Qin Wanwan uttered at the same time. As soon as she shouted, Qin Wanwan sensed an electric current rushing through her body. The pain made her shudder and she subconsciously clutched Shen Zhiming’s trousers.
Shen Zhiming froze but Qin Wanwan was in too much pain to figure out the situation. She squeezed out the tears because of the pain as she looked at Shen Zhiming with tearful eyes, “Master, it’s really not me.”
“Release me first.”
Shen Zhiming pretended to be calm while holding onto his waistband. Qin Wanwan wasn’t aware of what she was pulling at all. She only felt the electric current rushing through her body and a yell in her ear, “Host, you are the great female lead, you shouldn’t explain it so easily! You have to act cold, be relentless, and silent!”
“No great female lead is not as pathetic as me! Hold back your words, won’t you?!”
Qin Wanwan clasped Shen Zhiming’s trousers tightly while defying the System’s instructions to the very end. She witnessed what happened to ‘Jian Zhiyan’! She didn’t want to be hurled onto the soil and rolled down the mountain!
Using the trousers of Shen Zhiming as her decompression device, she tugged them hard to vent her pain as she woefully clarified,
“We were all seriously injured that day. A… A Grade 9 porcupine sprang out from behind Junior Martial Sister. I hastily pushed her down the cliff to avoid her being injured by this porcupine! The Tracking Pearl must have recorded it! I really didn’t intend to harm her!”
Qin Wanwan spouted her thoughts. Since Shen Zhiming cared about Su Yueli, let him focus on how to wake Su Yueli up so she could send him out from Wen Xin Sect.
“I’m at a loss as to why she is unconscious. There must be another reason! Master, hurry up and save Junior Martial Sister, don’t waste time on me!”
“You let go.”
But, at this moment, Shen Zhiming could care less about Su Yueli’s life and death. He only cared about his trousers being on him right now. He gritted his teeth and repeated while clutching his waistband. But Qin Wanwan only shook her head vehemently, “Master, I won’t let it go, if you don’t believe me, I won’t let it go! ”
“Let go!”
“No!”
“Qin Wan!”
“Wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuuwuwu* Masteeeeeer! Hurry and help me save Junior Martial Sister! Or it will be too late!”
[呜呜呜呜呜呜 – wū wū wū wū wū wū. Onomatopeia for crying. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH MasterUUUU!]
It was so painful. The electric current that ran through her body was truly excruciatingly painful. She felt like she was about to break down. She could just wail and shed bitter tears because of the pain, hardly holding on with her already injured body. If Shen Zhiming didn’t promise her this time……
Shen Zhiming closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He resisted the urge to slap this rebellious disciple to death with his palm. He curbed himself from executing the idea and declared, “Master believes in you for the time being. Now, take your hands away.”
Qin Wanwan ultimately relaxed her grasp on his trousers. She fanned her eyes at Shen Zhiming with tears hanging from her eyelashes, “Really, Master?”
“Master will personally check the secret realm.”
Shen Zhiming breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her let go of her grasp on his trousers.
“Jusy take care of your injuries first. If you didn’t hurt her, Master will give you justice. However, if you really hurt her,” Shen Zhinming stared down coldly, “Don’t blame Master for disposing you from this Sect.”
“Master, don’t worry,”
Qin Wanwan straightened up. She lifted her hand and vowed with a candid expression, “With Qin Wan’s life, I swear to Master that I have no intention of harming Junior Martial Sister.”
Anyway, it’s Qin Wan’s life and she was no more.
In Shen Zhiming’s belief, cultivator vows were bound by Heaven. Upon seeing this, Shen Zhiming pondered for a while. He acknowledged her plea and chose to believe Qin Wanwan for the time being as he said.
Hearing her vow, 38 in her Sea of Consciousness could only sighed with disappointment, “You really have no sense of shame……”
Qin Wanwan completely disregarded the System’s ridicule and presented her docile look to Shen Zhiming.
“You have to rest first.”
Shen Zhiming quietly stepped back, a little farther away from Qin Wanwan. He then glanced at Song Xinian as he instructed, ”I am going out for a while, take care of your Junior Martial Sister.”
“I understand.”
Song Xinian bowed. Qin Wanwan saw Song Zhiming was leaving and quickly opened her mouth, “Master, one more thing.”
Shen Zhiming heard this and tilted his head to her. Qin Wanwan’s voice shrank, “I think, Jun-shaozhu is plotting something against me.”
Shen Zhiming and Song Xinian glanced at each other. They obviously were not convinced.
Qin Wanwan’s eyes glazed by another bunch of fresh tears as she voiced aggrievedly, “Just now, on the Judgment Stage, I felt that he seemed to have done something to me, and then I lost my Golden Core cultivation in an instant! Master, I’m a useless person now. If you’re not here, one can imagine what will Jun-shaozhu do to me…”
Shen Zhiming didn’t react to her words while Song Xinian furrowed his brow.
They couldn’t figure out Jun Shu’s plan to Qin Wanwan, but the Spiritual Power of Qin Wanwan indeed disappeared too fast. And at that time, Jun Shu was closest to her. Only the two of them knew what transpired.
Shen Zhiming mulled it over. He raised his hand and pointed it to the center of Qin Wanwan’s eyebrows. Qin Wanwan felt two Spiritual Powers rushed into her body.
“One is Master‘s sword spell and the other is a tracker. You can call your Senior Martial Brother to help you if you face any inconvenience. At a critical moment, if you face danger, Master‘s sword spell can keep you safe. So for a few days, you should stay soundly in the Wen Xin Sect until Master comes back. If you try to flee…”
“I won’t flee!”
Qin Wanwan quickly shook her head before declaring, “I will wait for Master to come back and wash away my grievances.”
“Mn.”
Shen Zhiming didn’t say much. Seeing Qin Wanwan’s obedience, he nodded and turned to leave.
Qin Wanwan finally could rest her heart at ease when she saw Shen Zhiming leaving. She not only managed to clear Shen Zhiming’s suspicion on her, but she also got a bonus sword spell from him. For now, she was away from Jun Shu and could heal her injuries with peace of mind. Now, to plot for the next step……
Song Xinian stood by Qin Wanwan’s side even after Shen Zhiming’s departure. He saw Qin Wanwan touching her forehead, like a child.
Studying her mien for a while, Song Xinian chuckled, “Junior Martial Sister hasn’t been this close to Master and me for years.”
Qin Wanwan paused her movement. She pretended to wrung out a bitter smile, “Isn’t it because both of you are partial to Su-Junior Martial Sister since she arrived in Wen Xin Sect?”
Qin Wanwan exhibited a bit of sadness on her face, “You ignored me since then. Senior Martial Brother may not know this, but, at that time I fought with the porcupine for nine days and nine nights in the secret realm, I was waiting for Senior Martial Brother and Master to save me. But both of you…”
Song Xiniang showed an awkward expression at her words. He froze in place before mumbling slowly, “Junior Martial Sister has always been strong. We all thought…”
“Though that I wouldn’t die?”
Qin Wanwan angled her head and stared bleakly at Song Xinian, “Then, Senior Martial Brother, now that I’ve become a waste, can you be nicer to me?”
“Junior Martial Sister doesn’t have to be disheartened.”
Song Xinian became serious as soon as he heard that, “With Junior Martial Sister’s innate talent, it’s not difficult to rebuild the Golden Core.”
“It’s not difficult to rebuild the Golden Core,” Qin Wanwan sighed, she was too invested into her play. “But people’s hearts are like water. Once spilled. you can never retrieve it.”
“Junior Martial Sister…” Song Xinian guiltily lowered his head, “I…”
“Senior Martial Brother doesn’t have to be sad, though.”
Perhaps she was in line with the setting of the female lead, but eventually, the electric current on her body subsided. Qin Wanwan tilted her head and gave a sage-like smile, “I chanced upon a walk on the life and death’s path, I now understand that I’ve been too imposing in the past. Yesterday’s events are yesterday’s death. From today onwards, we must properly cherish the time we spend together.”
“What Junior Martial Sister said is correct,” Song Xinian was glad, “Junior Martial Sister, if you want anything, just let this Senior Martial Brother know.”
“Senior Martial Brother,” Qin Wanwan looked into the distance, with a profound understanding of life and death, “In the past, I have always restrained my desires and abstained from the excitement in the mortal world. I have never enjoyed the bustling presence of this world. Now I want to have a try.”
“What does Junior Martial Sister want?”
“Braised pork.”
She glimpsed back at Song Xiniang and asked meekly, “Can Wen Xin Sect’s chef make it?”
Song Xinian was taken aback but was fast to react. “I can go down the mountain and buy it for you.”
“That would be great.”
Qin Wanwan beamed. “Since you will go down the mountain, you might as well buy some more.”
“What else does Junior Martial Sister want?”
Examining Qin Wanwan’s pale face and recalling the past where his Junior Martial Sister was alone, only accompanied with her sword and her Golden Core, Song Xinian felt a little heartbroken.
If Qin Wan was wronged, he would have wronged his Junior Martial Sister greatly and nothing was enough to make it up.
If she wasn’t… Master most likely wouldn’t let her off. After all was said and done, this Junior Martial Sister was raised by his own hands. If she treaded the evil path, in the last journey of her road, he still wished to send her off with a good parting.
Qin Wanwan didn’t notice Song Xinian’s complicated state of mind. She listened to Song Xinian’s offer and opened her mouth right away, “I want to eat — thousand-year egg, salted duck, shredded chicken, roast goose, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, meatballs, large meatball, pepper eggplant, osmanthus cake, mung bean cake, taro cake…”
With such a large list, Song Xinian took out a pen from his Qiankun* bag and began to write it down.
[乾坤袋 – Qiánkūn Dài; Qiankun Pouch/Bag. A pouch/bag that is able to hold more than it appears able to carry. It is used by cultivators to carry items]
Qin Wanwan seemed to treat this as her last meal and continued to list, “Fried chestnuts, fried pine nuts, rock sugar gourd, plum candy…”
“Junior Martial Sister,”
In the end, Song Xiniang did not mince his words and took it in his hands to bring a stop to Qin Wanwan, “Please say no more, Senior Martial Brother will catch a chef up the mountain for you.”
As if Song Xiniang was afraid Qin Wanwan would ask for more, he disappeared from the room in a flash.
Song Xiniang left, and Qin Wanwan finally fell back to the bed with a ‘plop’.
Staring at the ceiling blankly, she muttered, “Is this the legendary punishment for being OOC?”
“So you also know you are being OOC?”
38 heaved a sigh, “After numerous arduous attempts, you finally succeeded to hide the Dragon Core. Yet, you deceived Shen Zhiming to go to the secret realm. He will be aware that you killed the Azure Dragon in that secret realm. You killed Azure Dragon, which means you swallowed the Dragon Core. When he returns, he will dig your Dragon Core right away.”
“Is that so?”
Qin Wanwan closed her eyes and enjoyed the pleasure of simply lying in bed. She relaxed completely and voiced carelessly, “Before he returns, I will wash Qin Wanwan’s grievances and go down the mountain.”
“What other grievances?”
“Is there a problem with your calculation these days?”
Qin Wanwan was feeble, her breath was present but her vigor was absent. “According to the situation on the Judgement Stage, even if I stabbed myself, Shen Zhiming may let me go down the mountain out of justice and moral principle, but will Jun Shu, that dog, let me go? I am seriously injured and if June Shu plans to ambush me in secret, what do you think will happen? Haven’t you thought about it?”
“I thought about it,” 38 justified, “We’ve calculated that you should escape first, and then find a place to digest the Dragon Core. Then, Jun Shu will ambush you and torture you. You will be in a cell, tortured day and night. There, you will experience difficulties and enlightenment, you will advance because of the hopeless situation and become a fugitive! When Su Yueli awakens, your grievances will be washed away automatically! Then, they will regret it, but your relationship with them has become absolutely irreconcilable! This kind of female lead who bathed in blood and advanced through difficulty, isn’t it just awesome!”
Qin Wanwan: “……”
She understood. Simply put, the awesome female lead in this System’s mind was someone who would take reckless actions before thinking.
“Why don’t you make the female lead,” Qin Wanwan counseled thoughtfully, “use her brain to stabilize the situation first and find out the truth later. She will go down the mountain when she has healed so that she can flee easily. Shen Zhiming and Song Xiniang have some affections for Qin Wan. Why can’t you just use their feelings to make things more relaxing? Why must the female lead stab herself?”
“You’re right…” 38 murmured, “It makes sense…”
But 38 reacted, “I thought you were stupid?”
“Big Fella.”
[大兄弟 – dà xiōngdì. Great fellow comrades. The “大” refers to the great position of 38 rather than the literal “Big”]
Qin Wanwan shut her eyes wearily, “Laziness is different from foolishness. Just like cowardice is different from stupidity. Please, respect my IQ.”
“Isn’t that wonderful,”
38 attempted to cheer her up. Its words were full of yearning. “Let’s not waste time, hasten up and go down the mountain. Save Jian Zhiyan and start the main task. Both of you will have a wonderful adventure around the world together!”
Qin Wanwan remained silent.
Having a wonderful adventure around the world together? Did the System think she had so many lives to spare?
That dunce, without the strength of Jian Xingzhi, wanted to replicate the force of Jian Xingzhi. He pretended to be strong and ended up in a fucked-up situation. This kind of character was usually cannon fodder whose use was for comedic relief and to cause troubles. If she allowed him to follow her, how many lives should she store to safely help him solve the problem he caused?
He stabbed her when he got to his feet. The phantom pain lingered on her stomach even now.
What part of him was a soft rice man? He was, without a doubt, a scum man!
The more Qin Wanwan thought about it, the angrier she became. After she found a way to get down the mountain, she would sell that man to a good family and let him live a peaceful life. In that way, she could be considered to have completed the task.
As for ascending……
Qin Wan’s last wish only said to protect Jian Zhiyan. She did not say she wished for Jian Zhiyan to ascend, did she?
Qin Wanwan planned the future contentedly. Thinking of her braised pork, she closed her eyes again.
And at this moment, Jian Xingzhi, who was lying at the foot of the mountain, finally opened his eyes.
The blue sky and white clouds above entered his vision when he opened his eyes. The leaves drifted down. A carp jumped over the lake beside him. Jian Xingzhi inhaled a deep breath.
Turning over he sat cross-legged on the ground and handily drew a restoration array on the ground. A bunch of complex arrays were superimposed on it.
Setting the back of his hand on his knee, he started meditating. The array soon came to life.
“Bi… Big Boss…”
System 666 trembled, “You… What are you doing?”
“I’m thinking of a way to kill you.”
Jian Xingzhi closed his eyes and pledged in all sincerity and seriousness, “Then, I will kill those people in Wen Xin Sect and have my revenge.”
666: “……”
If you want to kill me, you don’t need to let me know about it. Honest opinion.
The author has something to say:
In the beginning, the two leads adapted to the System and were obedient. After they adapted to the System, the System could only watch the Long Aotian razed Wen Xin Sect within 10 chapters.
[Mini Theater]
666: “This Host is the most difficult one I’ve ever brought.”
38: “Whose Host is not?”
666: “Why do you never side with me.”
38: “I am also extremely weighed down by this matter. Also, I am not obliged to always listen to you. ”
666: “I am also with you in this matter, you know.”
38: “Is your Host also not obedient?”
666: “Not only is he disobedient, but he also wants to kill me.”
38: “……”
