"If you have the guts, then make me fall. Otherwise, I will stand and walk this path to the end."
Shu Fu, the Qi Refining stage cultivator who fought above her level, the personal disciple favored by Master Tanhua, the headstrong female sword cultivator who bit off more than she could chew, and the first examinee to decipher the mechanism's illusions and point her sword at the great demon. With so many popular elements combined, the scene of her breaking the formation quickly spread by word of mouth, attracting the attention of interested parties throughout the Jiuhua Sect.
It was only then that Master Huaigu realized she was born with a rebellious streak. Like Jiang Xuesheng, she had no respect for her elders and defied orthodoxy; her submission was never sincere. He was so angry he smashed two teacups on the spot.
Master Jinghai was not surprised at all. From the moment Shu Fu pointed out his misuse of the idiom, he knew she was a troublemaker.
As for Jiang Xuesheng himself, he had been smiling ever since Shu Fu referred to him as "how Sir this and Sir that." His smile was as warm as a spring day and hadn't faded even after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. He looked utterly delighted.
The merman Si Fei swam two laps in the cold pond, racking his limited fish-brain, but still couldn't figure out why his master was so happy. Perhaps it was because his junior sister respected her teacher and honored the Way, and Master felt gratified.
But he himself also respected his teacher and honored the Way! Why didn't Master ever smile at him like that?
He just didn't get it.
Meanwhile, back with the others, after Shu Fu triggered the mechanism, the loud noise startled Ye Shusheng and Lin Xiaomei, who hurried towards the source. They arrived to find themselves staring, utterly bewildered, at the giant statue of Master Huaigu.
"What... what is this?"
"I'm not sure either. Might be performance art."
Shu Fu deadpanned, talking nonsense with a straight face.
She had no intention of hiding the truth. Pointing at the pitch-black hole beneath the lotus pond, she briefly explained the whole story.
Barring any surprises, the great demon guarding the Purple Jade Pot, the boss worth three thousand Rouge Pearls, was likely hiding deep within that cave.
"In that case, let's quickly find a way down."
Ye Shusheng rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I'm a body cultivator. I'll take the lead. If there's any danger, like hidden mechanisms or projectiles, my protective aura can handle it."
No kidding. Your aura is so awesome it even deflects romantic luck.
Shu Fu gave a dry laugh in her heart and nodded. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye. Please go first then, I'll follow. Fellow Daoist Lin..."
Lin Xiaomei hurriedly said, "I'm going down too."
"Alright, be careful."
Shu Fu gave a noncommittal nod. She untied a bright red cord from her wrist, tied one end securely to Master Huaigu's statue, and threw the other end far down into the abyss. That flash of vivid red disappeared briefly into the darkness before vanishing from sight.
Shu Fu grabbed the red cord with both hands and gave it several strong tugs to confirm it was firmly secured. Only then did she turn to Ye Shusheng and say, "After you."
Ye Shusheng looked surprised. "Fellow Daoist, this is..."
"A little gadget from Yaoguang Peak. Doesn't have any special uses, just two advantages: it's sturdy, and it's long. I specifically asked Sir to prepare it for me."
"Those two points are plenty useful."
Ye Shusheng's usually stern expression relaxed, revealing a rare hint of admiration. "Fellow Daoist, you are very thorough in your considerations."
Shu Fu said casually, "Just average, really."
It truly was average, just applying her past experience from surfing the web.
As the protagonist of a xianxia novel, one often accidentally falls off cliffs or gets one's spiritual power sealed, preventing sword flight. Of course, one must carry a sturdy, durable rope.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, do you want to test the rope too?"
She turned to look at Lin Xiaomei and couldn't help but frown. "Fellow Daoist, what is that in your hand?"
"Huh?"
Lin Xiaomei jolted, as if waking from a dream, and only then noticed she was still holding something.
The object's shape, color, and luster were too distinctive. Shu Fu recognized it at a glance: it was the red coral Master Huaigu had placed in the bridal chamber, a rare treasure from the East Sea.
It was just unclear why a piece of it was broken off and held in Lin Xiaomei's hand. The cut surface was smooth and even, as if severed by some sharp blade.
"This, this is..."
Lin Xiaomei hurriedly hid her hands behind her back, mumbling, "I liked it so much, I couldn't help myself and secretly broke off a branch. I was in such a hurry earlier, I forgot to put it away."
"..."
If there had been a trap in that, I probably wouldn't even know how I died. Shu Fu thought with lingering fear.
Even a gentleman like Ye Shusheng couldn't help but show a troubled expression upon seeing this. "Miss Lin, we are in the middle of a trial right now. For you to still be thinking about acquiring such extravagant items is somewhat..."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Lin Xiaomei apologized, flustered, a film of tears misting her large eyes. "When I was young, I saw a wealthy young lady get married. Her dowry procession was very long, and in it was a fine tree of red coral. I'm a nobody, like a blade of grass... I was so envious..."
"Ever since then, I've always thought... how wonderful it would be if I could live like her, and own such beautiful coral."
She raised her eyelashes slightly, cautiously gauging Shu Fu's expression. "It's... it's normal, right? Sister Shu Fu, you're a girl too. Don't you like coral?"
"It's not that I don't like it..."
Shu Fu's expression was complicated, unsure where to begin.
The love of beauty is common to all; of course she liked beautiful coral ornaments, and she could understand Lin Xiaomei's humble origins.
However, in the story "Weak Waters Three Thousand," for the female protagonist Jiang Ruoshui, "coral" was not a beautiful image. In fact, it was even the source of a calamity.
The reasons for this were not something to be shared with outsiders.
"Never mind, keep it. Anyway, this is a secret realm. The objects here are replicas, so no need to worry about damaging them."
"Mmm, thank you, sister."
Lin Xiaomei thanked her softly and gently, tucking the red coral into her robe. But Shu Fu noticed the light in her eyes dimmed the instant she heard the word "replicas."
While Shu Fu and her group were busy, Qi Yuxuan and Fang Wanqing, having collected Rouge Pearls downstream, also began turning back to head towards the mountaintop.
Naturally, this was also Fang Wanqing's suggestion.
"The great demon isn't downstream, so it must be at the source upstream. By the time we arrive, there will likely already be guests who have fought a round with the great demon."
"If they succeed, so be it. If they fail and the great demon is injured, wouldn't it be a sure thing for us to strike then?"
Qi Yuxuan deeply agreed, sighing in admiration at Fang Wanqing's brilliance and intelligence. She truly was a rare and excellent helpmate.
Along the way, Fang Wanqing seemed as if she had grown up in the secret realm, possessing an intimate knowledge of the Purple Jade Pot's terrain and demon beast distribution. Just by following her suggestions, pointing where she said and striking where she indicated, they could effortlessly reap a bountiful harvest, with Rouge Pearls flowing into their pockets like water.
Qi Yuxuan was full of praise and didn't find anything amiss in all this.
Fang Wanqing was the girl he fell in love with at first sight. She was clever, perceptive, and could predict events like a prophet. What could possibly be wrong with that?
Moreover, he already knew that the Fang clan Fang Wanqing came from had close ties with the Jiuhua Sect elder Master Huaigu and enjoyed his considerable favor.
This trial was also set by Master Huaigu. Even if Fang Wanqing received hints in advance, it wouldn't be strange at all.
In his view, when Master Huaigu claimed to be "fair" and gave Shu Fu all sorts of trouble, he was acting impartially and upholding justice with an iron will. If Master Huaigu were to show favoritism towards the descendant of an old acquaintance out of sentiment, then he would be a passionate and righteous man of his word, a man who valued promises above all.
The Jiuhua Sect's renowned double standards—you deserve to have them.
Just then, a flicker of firelight suddenly appeared at the edge of Qi Yuxuan's vision. He turned to look and saw Fang Wanqing holding a delicate paper crane between her fingers. For some reason, the crane suddenly burst into flames on its own, blossoming into a small spark at the tip of the girl's pale, jade-like finger.
Qi Yuxuan asked in confusion, "Wanqing, what is this?"
"It's nothing."
Fang Wanqing raised her head with a radiant smile, her lovely face blooming like a flower. "Before coming here, I made an agreement with a friend, asking her to help me with a certain matter. It seems now that the agreed-upon task has been accomplished."
Seeing her joy, Qi Yuxuan responded with a gentle smile of his own. "Since Wanqing is happy, it must be a good thing."
"Yes, naturally it is a tremendously good thing."
Fang Wanqing's beautiful eyes shifted, her gaze lively and captivating. "Yuxuan, you have no idea how happy I am."
"This way, my heart is finally at ease."
At this very moment, in the Jiuhua Sect.
"Outrageous! This is utterly outrageous!"
On Tianquan Peak, Master Huaigu, unaware that his reputation was taking a hit, was scowling with a dark face, venting his frustration loudly. "That youngster Jiang Ruoshui is arrogant, boastful, and a hopeless case! I merely asked her to perform the courtesy of a junior, and she actually dared to..."
"Uncle-Master, please calm your anger."
Master Jinghai still wore his usual expressionless, cold face, his voice as clear and icy as dark ice from a deep valley. "She has been following Master Tanhua, influenced by his presence..." At this point, he glanced down at a book of common sayings and their explanations by his hand and corrected himself, "...corrupted by bad company, so naturally she has learned this arrogant temperament."
After this trial, the swordsmanship talent Shu Fu displayed was no less than Qi Yuxuan's, and in terms of willpower and courage, she even surpassed him. Despite his thousand reluctances, Master Jinghai had to admit she indeed had some skill.
Such a promising seedling had been claimed early by Jiang Xuesheng and had already been tainted by his temperament. Master Jinghai felt nothing but depression and resentment, unconsciously partaking in a bit of sour grapes.
Master Huaigu's anger had not yet subsided; he huffed and puffed, his beard blowing. "Wasn't that a misunderstanding? It was that Fang family girl, stirred by jealousy, who exaggerated in front of me, saying things like how she was endlessly pestering Young Master Qi, and how Young Master Qi, remembering their past affection, always protected her..."
"So it seems,"
Master Jinghai frowned slightly, lost in thought. "If the Fang family hadn't brought Fang Wanqing to pay her respects to you, and if you hadn't heard those words from her, you wouldn't have had Jiang Ruoshui enter the Purple Jade Gourd?"
"Of course not!"
Master Huaigu's eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up high. "A Qi Refining cultivator entering the Purple Jade Gourd—do you think I'm unaware of the dangers? I was only thinking that the Qi family boy's swordsmanship was superb, he would surely protect her, ensuring she wouldn't come to harm, while also testing that boy's abilities for you."
"..."
Master Jinghai felt a heavy weight sink in his heart. He was silent for a long while before slowly uttering, "Uncle-Master."
"What is it?"
"In the cave beneath the lotus pond... were any other mechanisms arranged?"
Master Jinghai chose his words carefully. "For instance, mechanisms that, if handled improperly or if one mistakenly triggers a trap, would severely weaken one's strength or cause serious injury?"
"Mechanisms? Why would I need those?"
Speaking of his proud design, Master Huaigu's expression softened slightly, and he stroked a long strand of his beard with smug satisfaction. "The cave walls are lined with Spirit-Sealing Stones. One cannot fly on a sword nor use spiritual power inside; they can only rely on physical techniques to descend. If that rope breaks, the fall alone will be enough for them."
Master Jinghai: "..."
Although he wasn't well-read and his academic results were average, as a swordsman who routinely slayed demons and monsters, he had seen his share of schemes, plots, and intrigues. Unlike his simple-minded uncle-master, as he pieced together various clues, he gradually began to see a pattern emerging.
For example, Shu Fu originally didn't need to enter the Purple Jade Gourd. The reason she faced such difficulties was because of a seemingly casual remark from Fang Wanqing.
For example, Fang Wanqing knew full well that she and Shu Fu disliked each other. By taking the initiative to suggest going downstream, she naturally led Shu Fu to head upstream instead, encountering the great demon ahead of them.
For example, even though Fang Wanqing was the descendant of Master Huaigu's old acquaintance, her familiarity with every plant and tree within the Purple Jade Gourd was somewhat excessive.
And, most crucially—
Every demon beast, monster, mineral, and spirit plant within the Purple Jade Gourd had been personally selected by him, and each was engraved with a talisman spell for "turning into crimson pearls upon death."
Therefore, he clearly remembered—
Among them, there was not a single one that matched the vine that attacked Lin Xiaomei in the snow pine forest.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, what's wrong?"
In the bottomless cave, Shu Fu gripped the red rope tightly with one hand, looking up towards the small square of starry night sky at the cave entrance and the motionless figure of Lin Xiaomei, who showed no sign of coming down.
"Come down quickly."
"Yes, sister."
Lin Xiaomei replied softly. Backlit, Shu Fu couldn't make out the expression on her face.
The slender, frail, pitiful-looking girl, the girl who wholeheartedly wanted to cultivate the Dao to change her fate, gradually faded into the obscure, indeterminate shadows.
A flash of fire appeared in her hand. A small paper crane, along with the flicker of guilt that passed through her eyes, instantly turned to ashes in the flame.
When she looked up again, only a cold, detached indifference remained.
"I'm coming."
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