And so, Shu Fu clung tightly to the neck of the great white goose—no, Senior Brother Honghu—experiencing firsthand what it meant to be "borne aloft by the wind like the roc, soaring ninety thousand miles in a single day."
The Honghu soared into the heavens, stretching its magnificent form against the clear blue sky, its back like Mount Tai and wings like clouds hanging from the heavens—a truly majestic sight.
Cutting through the clouds, bearing the azure sky. Mountains and rivers thousands of miles away passed in the blink of an eye.
Shu Fu lay sprawled on the Honghu's back, feeling the wind and mist rushing past, gazing down at the mountains, plains, and cities flashing by below. For a moment, she emptied her mind, immersing herself fully in the awe and joy of soaring through the skies, just like the wide-eyed Fangfei beside her.
Only now did she truly realize she had stepped into an entirely different world.
At the same time, another question in her heart was resolved: Jiang Xuesheng and Liu Ruyi had traveled thousands of miles to Qingcheng not only to uphold justice but also because the distressed "big orange" possessed Honghu blood—making it one of Liu Ruyi's own kin.
Unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.
Fangfei was stunned speechless, taking a long moment to recover before clapping her hands like a child at a festival for the first time. "Miss, Senior Brother is so big!"
Shu Fu: "That phrasing is a bit ambiguous. Children shouldn’t say things like that."
Fangfei quickly amended, "Senior Brother’s bird is so big!"
Shu Fu: "That’s not Senior Brother’s bird—Senior Brother is the bird. Never mind, I shouldn’t say anything either."
From beneath them came Liu Ruyi’s laughter, clear as a spring. "No matter. It’s not wrong either way. Whether it’s ambiguous or not, the meaning’s the same."
Translated plainly: "I am very big, in every way."
Though some parts were said to be absent in ordinary birds, the Honghu was a divine creature known as one of the "Five Phoenixes"—who knew if divine birds were different?
"Ahem—"
Shu Fu nearly choked on her own breath. Just as she was about to tell him to rein it in, Jiang Xuesheng’s languid voice drifted over. "Big, you say? How big, exactly?"
"..."
Liu Ruyi immediately deflated, muttering meekly, "Naturally, it cannot compare to Master."
Shu Fu: "Huh?"
Wait—
What kind of filthy nonsense are you two spouting? Are these fake master-disciple rivals seriously comparing that?!
She turned to look at Jiang Xuesheng, only to see him sitting cross-legged, palms upturned, his ink-black hair fluttering in the wind, his jade-like face serene and unreadable. His posture and expression exuded solemnity and grace, as transcendent as an immortal.
By all appearances, he was not the type to spout such vulgar nonsense.
But Shu Fu was certain—he had just said something filthy.
Men are truly terrifying.
Just as she was sighing to herself, Liu Ruyi chuckled softly and announced, "We’re here."
Fangfei pouted in disappointment. "So soon? I wanted to fly longer!"
Shu Fu felt the same but kept it to herself. Instead, she leaned forward, widening her gaze to take in the "immortal mountain" now before them.
The "immortal mountain"—the Jiuhua Sect, one of the Four Great Immortal Sects—lived up to its reputation.
As far as the eye could see, clouds and mist swirled around lush, verdant peaks stretching endlessly for hundreds of miles. Winding streams cut through overlapping ridges, with cascading waterfalls and crystal-clear springs—a breathtaking landscape.
Amid the rolling mountains, several steep, solitary peaks rose abruptly, towering into the clouds like giants among men, their majesty unmatched.
From above, the nine peaks formed a natural arc, resembling the Big Dipper in the night sky.
Though not the Jiuhua Mountain Shu Fu knew, its grandeur and beauty matched the poetic descriptions perfectly.
"Jiuhua’s peaks pierce the clouds like swords, their verdant haze stretching endlessly. To the north, they seem to sever the land; to the south, they touch the heavens." This was precisely the sight before them.
"See that?" Liu Ruyi smiled. "The tallest one is Tian Shu Peak, where the sect leader resides. Master, given the commotion we caused this time, should we report to him first?"
"Very well." Jiang Xuesheng’s tone was casual, as if he were just popping over to a neighbor’s house. "We captured a Lingxiao City elder. The news must have reached him by now, and knowing Zhiyuan, he’s probably fretting. That man overthinks everything—best to put his mind at ease."
"Ah..."
Before he could finish, a long, distant sigh echoed through the air, blending seamlessly with the wind, water, and birdsong—like a wisp of cloud drifting across the sky or the steady breath of the mountains.
The voice said, "Tanhua, are you sure you’re here to put my mind at ease—not to send me to my grave?"
"..."
To Shu Fu’s ears, the words carried a profound melancholy, as if lamenting the vastness of heaven and earth, along with an unmistakable aura of immortality.
In both senses of the word.
Poor sect leader. Poor, poor sect leader.
The sect leader sighed again, his voice faintly mournful. "Tanhua, did you have fun out there?"
"Passably." Jiang Xuesheng replied breezily, utterly ignoring his grievances. "I only crippled one of Lingxiao City’s dogs this time. Feels a bit lacking."
Sect Leader: "If you had your way, you’d probably flatten the entire Jiuhua Sect. Tanhua, I’m one step away from the Great Ascension Realm. Do me a favor and let me live another two hundred years, won’t you?"
Jiang Xuesheng dismissed the concern. "With your talents, Sect Leader, a mere century of secluded meditation would suffice—not just for Great Ascension, but even ascension to immortality."
The sect leader smiled gently. "I thank you for that."
Shu Fu’s eyebrow twitched. She couldn’t shake the feeling he actually meant, "Go f yourself."
The voice of the unseen sect leader paused abruptly, then perked up with curiosity. "Tanhua, did you pick up another stray?"
Shu Fu’s eyebrow twitched again.
Just how many "little sisters" has this immortal brother collected?
"Indeed, two this time. The younger one will go to Dong Ming Peak—I’ll speak to the peak master about taking her in." Before Shu Fu could even feel a pang of jealousy, Jiang Xuesheng patted her head amiably and added, "The older one is... a bit different."
"How so?" The sect leader’s interest was piqued, his earlier melancholy momentarily forgotten. "Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to her as a personal disciple? Zhao Yun would be overjoyed."
"Zhao Yun is your second senior sister," Liu Ruyi whispered to Shu Fu. "She’s always wanted a girl to play with and complains that I’m a ‘fake sister.’"
Shu Fu replied bluntly, "She’s not wrong."
"Oh? You’re siding with her before you’ve even met?" Liu Ruyi shot her a mock glare. Unfortunately, in his current goose form, none of his usual charm came through.
A pouting goose looked more like a meme than anything else.
Realizing his current form lacked appeal, Liu Ruyi stopped leisurely circling and gradually descended, choosing a gentle slope on Tian Shu Peak to land. He lowered himself carefully, allowing Shu Fu and the others to disembark.
Then, with a shake, he transformed back into his breathtakingly beautiful human form.
Of course, even in his true form, he was stunning—every feather and curve flawless, the very picture of a "birdlike Xi Shi."
But after all, he was still just a bird. In front of him, humans rarely felt their hearts flutter—they mostly just wanted to pet him, or even pluck him bald.
Liu Ruyi carried deep psychological scars from this.
Fortunately, Shu Fu was too preoccupied to pet him at the moment.
"Is this Tianzhu Peak?"
As soon as she landed, she craned her neck to take in the surroundings, sweeping her gaze across the slopes.
Tianzhu Peak had a grand name, but the actual scenery was serene and elegant.
A lush bamboo forest encircled the mountainside, its verdant stalks tall and graceful, exuding a refreshing coolness that soothed the soul at first glance.
Further up, plum, apricot, and pear blossoms dotted the landscape in delicate, diluted hues—like gauze, like mist—softly draping the mountain slopes.
A smooth stone staircase, meticulously carved, wound its way up from the foot of the mountain, stretching all the way toward the summit.
Cultivators had no need for such steps, so Shu Fu guessed they were likely for new disciples.
This small detail alone spoke volumes about the sect leader’s thoughtfulness.
Tianzhu Peak seemed like a place where disciples were doted on.
"Come, I’ll introduce you to Zhiyuan," Jiang Xuesheng said, his hands tucked into his wide sleeves, his tone as casual as his posture. "Zhiyuan is good-natured and fond of children. No need to worry about him giving you a hard time. My only concern is that he might find you so endearing, he’d try to steal you from me."
Shu Fu hummed in acknowledgment, though she didn’t take it seriously.
I doubt I’m that much of a Mary Sue, she thought.
Jiang Xuesheng added, "He’s done it before."
Shu Fu: "He actually stole someone?"
Jiang Xuesheng: "Indeed. Strangely enough, that child back then claimed the sect leader was more amiable, that being with him felt comfortable, while being around me gave them the creeps. Am I not amiable?"
Shu Fu: "..."
Oh. Yeah, I can see that.
Liu Ruyi had landed close to the peak, and with their cultivation levels—plus Fangfei’s robust physique—the trio soon ascended the stone steps to the summit.
The sect leader’s residence, also known as the Jiuhua Sect’s grand hall, stood as tall as a seven- or eight-story building, adorned with jade carvings and crimson eaves—exactly the kind of celestial palace Shu Fu had imagined.
The only incongruous detail was the sea of flowers surrounding the majestic, ethereal structure.
Pale blue, soft yellow, blush pink—all in gentle watercolor tones, blooming in large, dreamy clusters. From a distance, it looked less like an immortal’s abode and more like a child’s painting.
Does the sect leader have such a… pastel aesthetic?
Jiang Xuesheng, sensing her puzzlement, explained leisurely, "These flowers were all planted by Tianzhu Peak’s disciples. Zhiyuan permits them to cultivate spiritual plants, and to preserve the scenery, most choose soft-toned blossoms. Over time, it’s become like this."
Shu Fu: Ah, so it’s a symbol of harmony within the sect.
Now that she understood, even the pastel flowers seemed to carry a warmth that softened her heart.
Just then, the nearby flower bushes rustled, and a fluffy head popped out. Without greeting anyone, the figure addressed Liu Ruyi directly:
"Xiaoxiao, you’re here! Perfect. Senior Sister brought back some Pearl-Lost Grass from the East Sea, and I’ve just planted it here. Take some back later to share with everyone at Yaoguang Peak."
Liu Ruyi, unfazed, smiled and replied, "Sure."
(Shu Fu noted that Liu Ruyi’s formal name was "Liu Xiao," so "Xiaoxiao" must be his nickname.)
When she looked closer, she saw the speaker was a delicate young master, no older than fifteen or sixteen, with a jade crown and a vermilion dot between his brows.
He seemed unusually sensitive to cold, bundled tightly in a frost-colored cloak, his fair face nestled in the fur collar. His eyes, bright and liquid, shimmered with an unusual bluish-black hue in the sunlight, giving him the air of a mischievous little fox.
Given that immortal mountains knew no seasons—eternally spring—his attire was rather excessive.
Probably a disciple with a cold constitution, Shu Fu mused.
Standing closest to him, she noticed a petal caught in his dark hair. Without thinking, she stepped forward, murmured "Excuse me," and reached out, using a wisp of spiritual energy to pluck it free.
"Does this… have any use?" she asked, carefully presenting the petal on her palm.
The boy tilted his head, his luminous eyes studying her before crinkling into a fox-like grin.
"Of course it does. Thank you."
He accepted it, then turned and dashed toward the grand hall, his cloak fluttering like a wisp of mist behind him. "Tianhua, hurry up! All the peak masters are gathered today to discuss opening the Xianyun Platform. Everyone’s swamped."
Opening the Xianyun Platform? Isn’t that… the entrance exam?
This is happening way too fast.
Shu Fu had no desire to reunite with the male lead or get tangled in the female lead’s scheming. The later the exam, the better.
As the boy breezed up the steps, she hurried after him—only to freeze abruptly at the grand hall’s entrance.
The reason? Two figures stood at the doorway.
Oddly enough, one was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, wrapped in a cloak—identical to the young master from the flower bushes, as if they were twins.
The other was a tall young man whose presence was so overwhelming, Shu Fu’s eyes stung just from a glance, forcing her to look away.
He wore a lake-blue inner robe and a moon-white outer coat, his snow-white hair cascading to his waist. His face, though handsome, was as expressionless as ice—the very picture of an aloof immortal, straight out of a xianxia novel.
In short: textbook cultivation protagonist vibes.
Searching her memory of the original story, Shu Fu felt this white-haired immortal seemed familiar, like someone significant.
Could he be the legendary "Master Qiu"?
As she pondered, the boy from the flower bushes stepped forward, transforming into a streak of light that merged into the cloaked youth at the doorway.
Then, the white-haired man spoke coldly:
"Master, you’ve been letting your avatar wander again. If Master Huaigu sees this, he’ll surely rage about your frivolity and unsuitability as sect leader."
"Did I want the position?" the boy—now clearly the sect leader—retorted with a blink, his expression exasperated. "Senior Sister Ming Xiao won’t return, and the others are either too temperamental or too weak. I can’t trust them. If Uncle Huaigu took over, within three years, the Jiuhua Sect would become the Ling Family’s backyard."
"..."
The white-haired man ignored this and turned his piercing gaze to Shu Fu at the foot of the steps.
"You’re the new disciple Tianhua took in? The sect leader and Tianhua may spoil their disciples, but I won’t. Report to the lecture hall immediately. If you fail the entrance assessment, you’d best leave now and find another sect."
Shu Fu: "..."
To most, such words would be a slap to the face, humiliating and harsh.
But Shu Fu wasn’t most people.
She’d surfed the internet for what felt like centuries, consumed enough bizarre fiction to fill a library, and encountered enough ridiculous antagonists to level a mountain.
A petty bully like this? Please.
With her wealth of experience, it wasn’t hard for her to see that this silver-haired immortal meant no harm—he was simply cold, strict, and blunt, the type of stern but well-intentioned disciplinarian. A few words of reprimand from him wouldn’t even sting.
The reason she fell silent, however, was twofold. First, the sheer shock of "Holy shit, this is the sect master?" "The sect master is just a kid?" and "His hair is so thick, he’ll never have to worry about balding!" Second, the attitude of the silver-haired immortal triggered her memory, reminding her of his character in the original story.
Shu Fu lifted her head and fixed him with a gaze so profound it bordered on pity. To an outsider, the depth of her stare might have been mistaken for the lovesick infatuation of a maiden struck by love at first sight.
But in reality, what ran through her mind was:
Yes, I remember you.
You are the sect master’s first disciple, the head senior brother of the Jiuhua Sect, a textbook example of a classical tsundere man.
Later, when the female lead succumbed to demonic cultivation, and the male lead and Master Jinghai moved to execute her, none of the disciples dared to intervene. Only you, out of loyalty to your fellow disciple, instinctively stepped forward to take the blow.
It wasn’t until that moment the female lead realized that the harsh disciplinarian of all those years was actually a good person.
But by then, the male lead had already reached the pinnacle of his power, invincible and unrivaled. A mere supporting character like you—not even a love rival—didn’t even get the chance to receive that long-overdue "good guy" card before your heart shattered, and your soul returned to the afterlife.
You died so tragically, Senior Brother...
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