After spending so much time together, Bai Ji'an had long understood Xia Lianqiao's true nature. No matter what, it was hard to believe that Xia Lianqiao had just gotten herself into such a mess in order to save someone.
Li Langhuan, however, wasn't as suspicious. She hurriedly turned to the little girl and asked, "Yingying, was it Sister Xia who saved you just now?"
The little girl, tears welling up in her eyes, nodded and sobbed, "Wuwu... it was Sister Xia who saved me."
Xia Lianqiao's mind had always been quite sharp, and her memory was good. After realizing she had transmigrated into a novel, she quickly pieced together the current situation based on the available information. She tilted her head and thought for a moment, suddenly recalling which part of the story she had landed in.
This was likely the early arc of *The Path of Cultivation*, titled "The Evil Flood Dragon and the Ruthless Dao."
This part of the story revolved around the male lead, Bai Ji'an, and the female lead, Li Langhuan, who traveled to Chen County in the East Sea's Daliang Kingdom in search of the Jade Dew Elixir. There, they befriended the county magistrate, Chen Mengfu, and his family.
They soon learned that a century ago, an evil flood dragon had appeared in the nearby sea, demanding that the Chen clan offer a child—either a boy or a girl—as a sacrifice every ten years, to be thrown into the East Sea.
The flood dragon had threatened that if the Chen clan refused, tried to deceive her, or fled the area, she would flood Chen County.
The Chen Mengfu family had governed this county for generations and dared not abandon their people. They had no choice but to endure this hardship.
They had previously sought help from cultivators, but true cultivators with real power were rare in the mortal world, and most lived in seclusion, detached from worldly affairs.
As a prominent noble family with many members, the Chen clan reluctantly resorted to selecting an unpopular child from their lesser branches every ten years to offer as a sacrifice, barely managing to survive.
When Bai Ji'an and Li Langhuan arrived, Chen Mengfu knelt before them, begging for their help. The little girl in front of them, Xia Lianqiao vaguely remembered, was Chen Ying, one of Chen Mengfu's lesser daughters from a concubine, and the bait to lure the flood dragon out of its lair.
With Chen Ying's confirmation, Bai Ji'an had no choice but to believe the situation. Bai Ji'an, who had lost his parents at a young age and experienced the harshness of the world, was outwardly warm but inwardly cold and distrustful. He glanced at Xia Lianqiao with a slight frown, still feeling that something was off.
He couldn't shake the suspicion that Xia Lianqiao might have saved Chen Ying to cover up her own misdeeds, especially after she had pushed Li Langhuan off a cliff and was now trying to hide her actions.
Xia Lianqiao wasn't stupid and could see Bai Ji'an's distrust. However, she was naturally optimistic and chose to ignore it, as the original Xia Lianqiao had a history of misbehavior. After all, Bai Ji'an's dislike was directed at the original Xia Lianqiao, not her transmigrated self.
Thinking this, Xia Lianqiao's inner self couldn't help but clench a fist in determination.
It didn't matter what Bai Ji'an thought of her. The most important thing was that her OTP (one true pairing) had to get married.
Yes, that's right.
After the initial shock, fear, and turmoil of realizing she had transmigrated, Xia Lianqiao quickly regained her composure.
Since she was already here, she couldn't exactly ask the heavens to send her back. She might as well make the best of it, cling to Bai Ji'an—who was destined to ascend to immortality—and focus on cultivating herself. If she could achieve the legendary state of breaking through the void, great. If not, she could always beg Bai Ji'an to take her back with him.
Having set her main mission in a second, Xia Lianqiao also gave herself a side quest.
Along the way, she could indulge in some sweet moments and, with her own efforts, ensure her OTP walked down the aisle. Was that too much to ask?
With this thought, Xia Lianqiao's active mind couldn't help but wander. Could it be that she was chosen by the heavens as a fangirl?
Sent on a mission to protect Bai Ji'an and Li Langhuan's love story?
Just then, another flash of white light descended.
It was Ling Chongxiao, returning.
Li Langhuan quickly set aside her thoughts and turned to the matter at hand. "Brother Ling, what happened to the flood dragon?"
The young man, with his jet-black hair flowing and dressed in pristine white robes, had eyes as cold as ice. "I severed one of its limbs, and it retreated into its lair, refusing to come out again."
"There's definitely something fishy about this. Chen Mengfu must be hiding something from us."
Li Langhuan frowned with worry. "But it's getting late. If the flood dragon refuses to come out, are we just going to wait here indefinitely?"
Ling Chongxiao replied, "We can return to the Chen residence first and get more details. I've already set up a formation flag. If the flood dragon tries to flee its lair, the formation will alert me, no matter how far away I am."
Li Langhuan's eyes widened slightly, and she clasped her hands in gratitude, her face lighting up with a bright, sunny smile. "I see! In that case, we can finally catch our breath. Thank you so much for your hard work, Brother Ling."
Xia Lianqiao couldn't help but be dazzled by that smile, feeling a little dazed. *Ugh, my precious daughter is so charming with her career-focused mind.*
At that moment, Bai Ji'an also spoke up, uttering just four words: "Thank you, Brother Ling."
Ling Chongxiao nodded slightly but didn't respond to Bai Ji'an. As for Xia Lianqiao, he completely ignored her.
But Xia Lianqiao, a true shipper at heart, didn't mind at all. To her, just being in the same frame was sweet, and a single glance was enough to spark a thousand fantasies. As a level-twelve scholar of the Bai-Li ship, she couldn't help but feel her fangirl radar going off like crazy.
Xia Lianqiao: *It's sugar!*
And it's sugar with a hint of rivalry!
Bai Ji'an, why are you so cold to Ling Chongxiao? Would it kill you to say a few more words? Aren't you supposed to be charming, gentle, and polite? Are you jealous? Are you?
Ling Chongxiao, you just said so much to my precious Li Langhuan, and now you're acting all aloof again? Is your favoritism that obvious?
With a wave of his hand, Ling Chongxiao summoned a flying boat and instructed everyone to board.
Chen Ying, still shaken, clung tightly to Xia Lianqiao. Li Langhuan had intended to take Chen Ying on board first to tend to her injuries, but the little girl refused to let go of Xia Lianqiao. Faced with the pitiful sight of the teary-eyed child, Xia Lianqiao reined in her wandering thoughts and solemnly took Chen Ying's hand to board the boat.
This was Xia Lianqiao's first time riding a flying boat, a staple of cultivation novels, and she couldn't help but look around in awe, much like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time.
It wasn't that she lacked experience, but this flying boat was simply too extravagant.
The boat was over four hundred zhang long—more like a flying palace than a boat. It was adorned with intricate carvings and towering pavilions, with faint colorful lights shimmering along its hull. Spirit cranes flew around it, and from a distance, it looked like a whale leaping out of the sea of clouds.
Fortunately, Chen Ying was just as wide-eyed as Xia Lianqiao.
The two of them, one big and one small, stood there with matching expressions of amazement.
Bai Ji'an, who had been observing Xia Lianqiao all along: "..."
Li Langhuan couldn't help but smile and walked over to Bai Ji'an, her hair fluttering in the wind, looking like a proud elder. "I think Sister Xia has a childlike innocence. Brother Bai, why are you so fixated on her?"
Bai Ji'an glanced at her, and when Li Langhuan gave him a confused look—*Is there something on my face?*—he couldn't help but sigh deeply, a bitter smile on his face. "I really don't know how you developed such a personality."
"Huh? Is there something wrong with my personality?" Li Langhuan asked, puzzled.
Bai Ji'an chuckled, hinting at something without saying it outright. "If I were to sell you out right now, you'd probably still think I'm a good person."
Li Langhuan, though a bit naive, wasn't stupid. After a moment's thought, she understood the underlying meaning. "Brother Bai, are you still concerned about Sister Xia?"
Bai Ji'an didn't respond.
Before he could confirm, Li Langhuan hesitated and then spoke up. "I know what you're worried about."
Over the past few days, Li Langhuan had also noticed Xia Lianqiao's infatuation with Bai Ji'an and her hostility toward herself.
"But Sister Xia just lost her father not long ago. She's in a vulnerable state right now, so it's possible she's just lost her way."
After a moment of thought, Li Langhuan leaned against the railing and explained, "Besides, the path of cultivation is about purging the desires, obsessions, and evil thoughts of the mortal world, allowing the divine consciousness to overcome greed, anger, and ignorance."
"The Dao values life, and its benevolence is boundless. It’s a fateful encounter that we can journey alongside Fellow Daoist Xia for a time. I spoke up for her because I saw how she saved Chen Ying and felt that her nature isn’t inherently bad."
As she spoke, the young woman’s expression was calm and composed, her words measured and deliberate, clearly having thought things through beforehand.
Bai Ji'an, however, responded indifferently, "If you let her go today, what if she doesn’t recognize your kindness in the future? If you repay malice with virtue, how will you repay virtue?"
Li Langhuan replied with firm conviction, "Naturally, I would repay virtue with virtue and malice with justice.
"I’m not someone who can’t distinguish right from wrong. Today, I’m giving her a chance because she targeted me.
"If she doesn’t change her ways in the future, I won’t be so generous.
"Moreover, Fellow Daoist Xia is the daughter of your old friend. Surely, before things reach that point, you’d step in to discipline your friend’s only child, wouldn’t you?"
The young woman before them, though sometimes awkward with words, was at other times remarkably clear-headed and articulate.
Bai Ji'an couldn’t help but laugh, "So you’re just shifting the responsibility onto me?"
Meanwhile, Xia Lianqiao was slightly startled. She had been comforting the frightened little Chen Ying, counting clouds with the child, but now she quietly led Chen Ying aside.
"Big Sister Xia, weren’t you going to find Big Sister Li?" Chen Ying asked, looking up at her in confusion.
Xia Lianqiao couldn’t resist patting the little girl’s head.
She had overheard most of the conversation between Bai Ji'an and Li Langhuan. Gazing at the distant clouds drifting by, Xia Lianqiao let out a long sigh, feeling deeply moved.
In the book, Li Langhuan appeared to be a carefree and naive sweetheart, but in reality, her Daoist heart was as clear as a mirror. Once she made up her mind, she carried out her duties methodically and without hesitation.
She truly was Xia Lianqiao’s most beloved treasure. Just thinking about how her precious Langhuan would meet a tragic end, her soul and spirit utterly destroyed, Xia Lianqiao felt her nose sting and tears well up in her eyes.
Coming to this world was undeniably frightening, but Langhuan had still set aside past grievances and became the first to extend an olive branch, showing her kindness.
As a devoted supporter of the Bai-Li pairing, Xia Lianqiao was determined not to let such a fate come to pass. But as for how to achieve that, she hesitated, unsure of the best course of action.
To push the pairing, she first needed to earn the trust of both parties, right?
So her immediate priority was to clear her own negative reputation as the villainess.
Starting with Bai Ji'an probably wouldn’t work, and Ling Chongxiao was even less likely. After some thought, Xia Lianqiao decided to focus on winning over the kind-hearted Li Langhuan first.
Then there was Ling Chongxiao. As the obstacle to the Bai-Li pairing, Ling Chongxiao appeared cold and aloof, but in reality, he was a schemer who had repeatedly disrupted the budding romance between Bai Ji'an and Li Langhuan.
Moreover, Ling Chongxiao had many disciples under his strict command, and Li Langhuan was deeply afraid of her little master and adoptive father. Her death was also directly linked to Ling Chongxiao.
Thus, Xia Lianqiao’s current side mission was clear.
Win over Li Langhuan’s favor while exposing Ling Chongxiao’s true nature to her!
"Beautiful angels are calling you from afar, brave maiden. Go forth and create miracles."
Just as Xia Lianqiao was preparing to face new challenges and devise new strategies, she faintly heard someone calling her from behind. Turning around, she saw that Li Langhuan and Bai Ji'an had finished their private conversation.
Li Langhuan was now seated at the edge of the deck, between Bai Ji'an and Ling Chongxiao, looking at her earnestly and waving her over. "The wind is strong by the railing. Come sit here," she said cheerfully.
Xia Lianqiao’s gaze involuntarily fell on the trio.
Before her, Bai Ji'an, Li Langhuan, and Ling Chongxiao were seated in that order.
Xia Lianqiao: ...
While Langhuan’s intentions were good, not everyone could sit so comfortably between Ling Chongxiao and Bai Ji'an!
With Langhuan inviting her over, the question arose: Should she sit between Bai and Li, or between Ling and Li? Or perhaps next to Bai Ji'an, who clearly disliked her, or Ling Chongxiao, who would eventually kill her?
Alternatively, maybe she shouldn’t be on the deck at all—she should be at the bottom of the ship.
This was the first major dilemma Xia Lianqiao faced after her transmigration.
Before her, Ling Chongxiao sat in his white robes, a high crown on his head, a blood-red mark between his brows. His expression was impassive, his eyes closed as he meditated. Since his dramatic entrance, he had been largely silent, showing no sign of the future villain he would become.
After a moment of hesitation, Xia Lianqiao summoned her courage, her inner self silently clenching a fist, and strode over to Ling Chongxiao.
As a devoted shipper of the Bai-Li pairing, she naturally chose to sit between Ling and Li.
Today, she would manually dismantle the cursed Ling-Li connection!
But the moment she moved, Ling Chongxiao opened his eyes.
His dark, inscrutable gaze, as deep as black water, rested on her without a trace of emotion.
Xia Lianqiao, holding little Chen Ying’s hand, mustered her courage and uttered her first words to the man who would become her nemesis: "Um... Fellow Daoist, could you perhaps move your esteemed leg a bit?"
Ling Chongxiao: ...
Ling Chongxiao remained expressionless.
Ling Chongxiao stood up.
Ling Chongxiao turned and walked away.
The entire interaction was devoid of any communication.
Xia Lianqiao: ...
She couldn’t help but glance at Bai Ji'an.
Bai Ji'an’s handsome brows were furrowed, his expression far from friendly.
Xia Lianqiao: ... The obvious disdain from both of them made it incredibly awkward for her to save face.
Xia Lianqiao: Forget being a captivating Mary Sue—being transmigrated only to be universally disliked by both the male lead and the supporting male character, with negative charm points, really makes one question the fairness of the heavens!
