Lu Zhaozhao snapped out of her daze and said politely, "How could that be? I'm overjoyed that my junior sister has come to see me."
"Really?" Nian Zhi looked up at Lu Zhaozhao with bright, expectant eyes, and asked cautiously, "Can I come inside and have a heart-to-heart talk with my senior sister?"
Looking at her expectant expression, Lu Zhaozhao hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should agree.
Nian Zhi is the female lead in the original book, while Lu Zhaozhao is the villainous supporting character. So from the beginning, she wanted to keep her distance from Nian Zhi and avoid contact if possible. But now that Nian Zhi is standing in front of her, she can't refuse her request.
Therefore, she could only step aside to make way for Nian Zhi, who walked in expectantly, her watery eyes blinking as she looked around.
"Is something troubling you, junior sister?"
Lu Zhaozhao poured her a bowl of tea and asked directly.
Nian Zhi lowered her head hesitantly, like a wounded little rabbit, with a beautiful blush at the corner of her eyes, and her voice was soft and pitiful: "I have been in danger since I was a child, but fortunately my master saved me. My master taught me magic, and I am very happy."
When Yunxian was mentioned, Nianzhi's cheeks flushed slightly, showing a hint of shyness and making her appear even more like a young girl.
"But I lack talent. After so many years of cultivation, I still can't break through to the Qi Refining stage. I know that sects are major sects in the world, and those selected are geniuses among geniuses. It's understandable that they look down on me, but I..."
Her voice choked up, and she didn't continue. But Lu Zhaozhao could easily guess what she wanted to say next, but she didn't intend to delve into it and just laughed it off.
"Junior sister, don't worry. Master is highly respected, and no one would dare to bully you because of your status. Besides, judging from your aura, haven't you already reached the Foundation Establishment stage?"
Nian Zhi lowered her eyes shyly and buried her head even deeper: "Master heard the rumors in the sect a month ago, which is why he helped me, but I... I don't want to keep troubling Master."
"Junior sister, don't be sad. As long as you focus on your cultivation, you will be rewarded."
Lu Zhaozhao offered a few words of comfort, but Nian Zhi continued to recount her inner turmoil, her voice trembling more and more.
Seeing that her tears were about to fall, Lu Zhaozhao was about to say something to comfort her so that she could send this troublesome girl away.
Just then, a system electrical sound came, suddenly rising up just when Lu Zhaozhao had almost forgotten about its existence.
[Female lead detected. Host, please assume the role of the villainous female supporting character and launch sarcastic attacks on your cultivation journey. Refusal will result in corresponding punishment.]
Depend on!
Lu Zhaozhao's eyes instantly darkened.
When Nian Zhi saw Lu Zhaozhao's gloomy expression, she was startled, and tears instantly fell. She sobbed as if she had been bullied.
Lu Zhaozhao rubbed her temples in annoyance, and walked closer to Nian Zhi as she spoke: "What rumors? Is it that you are not worthy of being a disciple of Master, or that you are not qualified to enter Qinghui Sect?"
Nian Zhi nodded timidly, and Lu Zhaozhao continued, "If you ask me, what they said isn't wrong either."
Upon hearing this, Nian Zhi abruptly raised her head, looking at Lu Zhaozhao in disbelief.
Lu Zhaozhao rubbed her aching temples and continued, "Even the outer disciples of Qinghui Sect are quite talented in the cultivation world, let alone the disciples under our master. Our eldest brother broke through to the Golden Core stage after only three years of training and then overwhelmed all others at the Golden Banquet to win first place. I am also renowned and, without being immodest, I can say that I am one of the best among my peers. But what about you? You've been training for nearly four years and are still stuck at the Qi Refining stage, even needing our master's help to barely break through. It's been a month, and your Qi is still weak. Even if your talent is poor, a month of accumulation is more than enough. Elder Cang Jiong's first disciple's talent isn't outstanding either, but in terms of diligence, if he claims to be second, no disciple in the sect would dare to claim to be first, or he would be looked down upon. So, you have neither talent nor work hard enough, so why should anyone believe you?"
Her words were sharp and harsh, forcing Nian Zhi to burst into tears, like beads falling from a broken string.
She sniffed hard, hurriedly got up to escape, but Lu Zhaozhao, who had come up behind her, pressed her down and forced her to listen.
"You said you suffered danger from a young age, lost both your parents, and were left all alone. Yes, you are indeed pitiful, but what's done is done and cannot be undone. However, your master brought you back to Qinghui and personally taught you techniques, a treatment that neither my senior brother nor I have ever received. Yet, despite having such an opportunity, you spend your days complaining and blaming others, instead of striving to avenge your family. As for your experiences in Qinghui, I can only tell you that the cultivation world only respects the strong. Instead of complaining to me or my senior brother, you should seize the time to cultivate and shut these people up."
Looking at Nian Zhi, who was sobbing uncontrollably in front of her, Lu Zhaozhao felt a pang of pity and guilt. She had to complete the system's mission, so she could only use such sharp words to express her feelings. She hoped that Nian Zhi could understand her unspoken meaning, focus on her cultivation, return to the right path, and preferably not have any entanglement with her.
"Senior sister," Nian Zhi said weakly, "have you always looked down on me?"
"Hmm?" Her sudden question puzzled Lu Zhaozhao. Before she could react, Nian Zhi continued, "I noticed it when we were at Mushan. Senior Sister, your attitude towards me was different from your attitude towards others. Later, on the day of the sect assessment, you clearly saw with your own eyes how others slandered and defamed me, yet you were still so indifferent."
“Senior Sister.” Nian Zhi stood up and met Lu Zhaozhao’s gaze, her eyes filled with anger. “I heard that before I came, Senior Sister was one of the few female disciples in the sect, and she was also a disciple of Master and was very favored. Now that Senior Sister is treating me like this, is it because I came that Master and Senior Brother’s favor has been divided up, and that’s why Senior Sister dislikes me so much?”
Lu Zhaozhao was so angry at Nian Zhi's outburst that she laughed. It turned out that not only did Nian Zhi not understand her implied meaning, but she also came up with so many random thoughts.
Mushan? Assessment? She couldn't remember these things anymore, but Nianzhi was convinced that it was because she didn't like her.
What a joke! How could she possibly dislike the female lead?
"Junior sister, do you know how much I want to open your head and see what's inside?" Lu Zhaozhao still had a smile on her face, but her sharp eyes revealed her displeasure. "You say I don't like you, but your cultivation is so low that you're not even qualified to be my opponent. Why should I dislike you? As for the favor of others, sorry, I don't need those things."
Lu Zhaozhao's face turned cold. She looked at Nian Zhi, whose face was covered in tears, and said clearly, word by word, "Judging from the current situation, it seems that Junior Sister harbored resentment towards me from the very beginning."
"I didn't!" Nian Zhi denied loudly.
Lu Zhaozhao stopped her from refuting, and said seriously, "You know in your heart whether it is true or not, but even if it is, it doesn't matter to me. Just like refuting those who gossip about you behind your back, the best way to dispel doubts is to improve yourself."
"If you really want me to respect you, then show me what you're capable of."
After saying this, she released her hand from Nian Zhi's shoulder. Nian Zhi glared at her fiercely with her red, tear-filled eyes, stomped her foot, and ran out the door crying.
Once she was out of sight, the system notification appeared in my mind again.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the mission. Keep up the good work!]
"So stingy, not even a reward." Lu Zhaozhao muttered helplessly, slowly walking over to close the door.
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