Chapter 12 012 Approach him, betray him, take revenge on him...
"Wake up."
When Lu Yuanyuan heard someone say this to her, a strange fragrance wafted into her nose, making her feel comfortable all over, and she slowly woke up.
A strange, childlike face appeared above her, met her gaze, and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, you're really awake!"
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
She felt weak all over. When she touched her body, she found that she had changed into a snow-white Taoist robe with wide sleeves. When she lifted it up, she saw that the skin on her arms was delicate and fair, and there were no blood marks left by the demon. She also felt no hunger.
She found herself in a cave dwelling. More precisely, it was a spacious hall with white jade walls, a dome inlaid with pearls, and rows of wooden cabinets and medicine shelves. A golden, round-bellied alchemy furnace with a crane carving, as tall as a three-story building, stood in the center of the hall, wisps of smoke rising into the air, refreshing and not at all pungent.
The boy beside him snorted, "No need to look, this is Mount Shu. I fed you a healing pill to promote bone and blood healing. These minor scratches have already healed."
The child spoke while observing her reaction.
He was still young and not yet old enough to go down to the mortal realm for training. However, his senior brothers and sisters who had been to the mortal realm said that the mortals there were all trembling with fear and treated them with utmost respect.
If this mortal knew that he had not only come to the world of cultivation but also consumed an elixir of immortality, he would definitely be more excited than they were, and might even be so excited that he would dance with joy.
He was disappointed, however, as Lu Yuanyuan showed no sign of excitement.
Just then, a warm and gentle voice came from afar: "Fu Luan, has that mortal woman woken up?"
The newcomer was a man who appeared to be in his early thirties. He was tall and thin, with a dignified face and a composed demeanor. He wore a traditional robe with flowing sleeves, and his long black hair reached his knees, which was tied up with a short jade hairpin.
Lu Yuanyuan's heart stirred.
This fellow was none other than Qi Chang, her second senior brother from the same sect as her when she became a pill cultivator in her previous life.
The boy, called Fuluan, bowed to the man with a longing expression: "Daojun!"
Then, he turned back, puffed out his chest proudly, and introduced, "This is Qi Chang, the personal disciple of Master Xuyuan of Danqing Peak of the Shushan Sword Sect. You were able to survive this time thanks to his help."
Having spent so many years here in her previous life, Lu Yuanyuan was very familiar with the structure of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect and the way the disciples addressed each other.
There are two sources of disciples for the Shushan sect.
The first type of disciples were promising talents recruited from outside. Just like modern student recruitment, their sources were diverse. Some were independent cultivators, some came from families that were merchants of spiritual herbs or weapon refiners, meaning their ancestors had only a slight connection to cultivation. Others came from obscure small families in the cultivation world. This is because renowned and established cultivation families would keep their children by their side to nurture them and strengthen their own families, rather than sending them far away to other families.
In addition, when Shushan cultivators encounter promising young talents or children with a special connection while carrying out missions in the mortal realm, they will bring them back to Shushan.
Duan Lansheng was the child they found in the demon realm.
These disciples are collectively known as non-family disciples or outer sect disciples. After entering Mount Shu, they will start from the bottom, taking various courses and diligently cultivating. Only after forming a Golden Core can they go to the Mount Shu Mission Hall to receive sect missions, earn money and experience.
Shushan implements a strict assessment system, with each disciple having their own rank. Violating sect rules results in point deductions, while completing sect tasks earns points. Don't underestimate this point-based ranking system, because every year, the peak masters of the seven peaks select a few disciples from the top-ranked group to become their personal disciples—a position that every disciple aspiring to reach the pinnacle of immortality dreams of.
Qi Chang was the heir of a family specializing in weapon crafting in the cultivation world. To put it bluntly, they were the blacksmiths of the cultivation world. His family was very skilled at making weapons, but lacked cultivation in immortal arts. If things continued this way, they would be stuck in this trade for generations. So, back then, Qi Chang's parents risked everything to send their youngest son to Mount Shu.
Fortunately, Qi Chang lived up to expectations. He was a pill cultivator, and in Shu Mountain, pill cultivators were in a support role; even in battle, they didn't need to be at the forefront. Their entry requirements were lower than those for sword cultivators, and unless one intended to improve, they weren't forced to cultivate a golden core—of course, no one would truly not cultivate, since a golden core represented longevity.
Qi Chang not only cultivated his Golden Core within three years, but also became a personal disciple of True Person Xu Yuan. He was practically an idol to all the junior disciples in the sect who aspired to become Golden Core cultivators.
This young Daoist boy named Fu Luan is currently a disciple from a different family. Therefore, he cannot call Qi Chang "Senior Brother" but can only address him as "Daojun" (Daoist Lord).
The above is the first type of source of students.
The second route is through children born within the Shu Mountain Sword Sect. At least one of their parents is a high-ranking official in one of the seven peaks of Shu Mountain, making them direct disciples from birth. Skipping the years of hard work and learning on their own, inheriting the finest talents, and enjoying the best resources from a young age, they are truly born with a head start, worthy of being called the chosen ones.
The eldest sister of Shushan is the child of the current head of Shushan.
A variety of thoughts flashed through Lu Yuanyuan's mind. Seeing that Qi Chang had already walked to the bedside, she made a move to get up.
Qi Chang made a gesture of 'no need,' and nodded: 'No need, you can lie down.'
Lu Yuanyuan nodded, lay back down, and thanked him politely but firmly: "Thank you for saving me, Daoist Lord."
Qi Chang was somewhat surprised and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Of all the mortals he encountered, ten out of ten were noisy and boisterous when they saw him. This mortal woman, however, was quiet when she saw him.
That's good, at least he has some peace and quiet now.
Qi Chang scrutinized her, then asked with his hands behind his back, "How are you feeling now? Do you still remember who you are?"
Lu Yuanyuan said, "I feel like I have no strength... I remember my name is Lu Yuanyuan, I was kidnapped by a monster, and then you rescued me. I don't remember anything before that."
Since she had made up her mind to stay in Shushan, she couldn't say that she remembered who she was, lest she be sent back.
"It's alright. You're already weak, so rest well first and don't overthink things." Qi Chang turned to the boy: "Fu Luan, come with me."
Once they were out of Lu Yuanyuan's reach, Qi Chang instructed, "When she was brought here, the poison had already penetrated too deeply into her blood vessels. Unfortunately, Master is currently in seclusion, and I alone cannot remove the remaining poison; I can only suppress it with pills. When Senior Sister returns, I will send a message to ask her to come and examine Miss Lu. She is better than me at detoxification. Please keep an eye on her during this time."
Fu Luan said, "Yes!"
.
For the next two days, Lu Yuanyuan stayed in her cave, consuming a large number of pills each day. In addition, meals were delivered to her three times a day.
Mount Shu is not a vegetarian temple for monks; the meals include both meat and vegetables. Only a very small number of cultivators who have reached the stage of fasting abstaining from grains and vegetables.
In her previous life, when she transmigrated, it wasn't Fu Luan who took care of her; it seems this person was chosen randomly. However, Fu Luan still had a childlike nature and wasn't as arrogant towards mortals as other cultivators; she was quite easy to talk to.
On the third day after arriving at Mount Shu, Lu Yuanyuan's spirits improved a little. After lunch, she put down her bowl and asked, "Fu Luan, may I ask, do you know how that cultivator named Duan Lansheng, who came back with me that day, is doing?"
Her health points are running low, and she needs to ask Duan Lansheng for help.
Fu Luan's expression was somewhat strange, as if he felt a sense of disgust: "Him? Why are you asking about him?"
Lu Yuanyuan said, "He saved me, and I want to thank him."
Fu Luan muttered, "It might not be possible now; he's being punished."
Lu Yuanyuan lowered her eyes and said, "Could you take me to see him? I'd like to take a walk while we're there."
.
At Lu Yuanyuan's insistence, Fu Luan reluctantly led her out of the cave.
Anyway, Mount Shu isn't some forbidden area, so taking her around wouldn't hurt. Right now, he wasn't sure whether the Daoist Lord should take her in. If he were to send her back to the mortal realm later, Lu Yuanyuan wouldn't have many opportunities to see the scenery of Mount Shu.
Lu Yuanyuan wore a thicker coat. As soon as she stepped out of the cave, the scenery instantly opened up, with countless steep mountains unfolding before her eyes. Like an ink painting, wisps of smoke and clouds drifted by, and rainbows shimmered. It was magnificent beyond compare. The terrain here was very high, but not the highest. Looking up into the distance, she could still see several towering peaks, their summits hidden in the clouds.
"Those mountains that stretch to the horizon are the residences of the seven peak masters. See those white houses in the middle? Their personal disciples live there, not in the same place as us." Fu Luan introduced them like a little adult, leading her forward. However, after walking a few dozen meters, the path ended, and what appeared before them was a sheer cliff.
A ginkgo tree was planted beside the cliff, and a small red-tiled house was built under the tree, with a golden bell attached to its base.
“In Mount Shu, not every disciple has a sword; I don’t yet. There are also many places where we can’t fly on a sword, so we usually travel by carriage.” Fu Luan walked to the golden bell and shook it. The two waited a while, and suddenly, from where the clouds were churning, a dark shadow approached, and a cold, gust of wind swept against them—
Lu Yuanyuan's eyes widened.
A majestic and awe-inspiring four-legged black Qilin roared and descended from the sky, landing before them. Behind it dragged a massive carriage. Calling it a carriage wasn't entirely accurate, as it had no wheels, only four flames burning beneath it, and an open Qiankun bag was placed at the entrance.
"This is our vehicle, the Qilin Boat. A ride costs only one silver stone."
As Fu Luan spoke, he anticipated Lu Yuanyuan's naive and unsophisticated expression.
When he first arrived at Mount Shu, he was completely stunned by these things. He refused to believe that an ordinary person could be more composed than him.
However, he was disappointed. Lu Yuanyuan simply said "Oh" and nodded, seemingly understanding. Noticing the child staring at her, she paused, then looked over as well.
The two, one big and one small, stared at each other, wide-eyed.
"..."
"..."
Lu Yuanyuan was slightly puzzled, but seeing the child's hesitant expression, she suddenly realized what was going on and comforted him, "Don't worry, I'll pay you back for the fare."
In the world of cultivation, mortal gold and silver are useless. The hard currency here is spirit stones. They are divided into different grades and values according to their purity. In modern terms, they are equivalent to gold of different purities.
However, spirit stones aren't always so convenient. After all, they're too expensive, and getting change is a hassle. It's like going to the market to buy vegetables; nobody would carry a piece of gold with them.
Silverstone is a type of currency, one level below spiritstone. It is the residue left after spiritstone is refined.
A ride on the Qilin Boat costs one silver stone per person, which is equivalent to paying one yuan for a bus ride, making it a very good deal.
However, not all disciples from other clans possess a Golden Core and can accept missions. Disciples without a Golden Core can manage a comfortable daily life if their families are wealthy. Those from impoverished families can only earn a living by doing logistical work at Mount Shu.
It's true that Shushan provides food and accommodation, but it's not fair to waste other people's hard-earned money.
However, for some reason, Fu Luan seemed to get angry after hearing what she said.
"Who asked you for the fare!" He angrily pulled two round coins, each about the size of a fingernail, from his sleeve and tossed them into the Qiankun bag on the Qilin Boat. "Get on!"
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
What's she angry about? She promised to pay her back, why isn't she happy?
Forget it, I'd better keep quiet.
The two found a seat on the Qilin boat. The Qilin pawed the ground and soared into the sky, the scenery flashing by on both sides. The wind was strong, but not sharp enough to cut one's face. This was because a protective barrier covered the Qilin boat, preventing the people inside from being blown about.
Fu Luan crossed his arms and said, "You flew very steadily, didn't you? These Qilins were all personally raised by Shui Ren Peak. They raise many, many spirit beasts there. Aren't they amazing?"
Lu Yuanyuan was smart this time and didn't say anything that might cause trouble: "Mmm."
Fu Luan touched his chin, and his mood improved again.
The Qilin Boat circled in mid-air a few times before beginning its flight along the predetermined route. Along the way, some disciples boarded the boat, while others disembarked. Seeing a mortal sitting there, no one showed surprise. After all, this wasn't the first time a mortal had been brought back.
As time went on, the Qilin Boat's flight path became increasingly lower, and gradually no one boarded it anymore.
Because their destination—Xingshitai—is located at the darkest bottom of Mount Shu.
This is where the disciples of Shushan are punished; no one usually comes here specifically.
When Lu Yuanyuan stepped off the Qilin Boat, she felt water droplets falling on her face; it turned out to be raining.
A protective array hangs in the sky above Mount Shu, ensuring a gentle breeze and pleasant weather throughout the year. However, this special buff does not apply to the Punishment Stone Platform.
After all, the disciples who come here to be punished have all made mistakes, so how can we let them have an easy time?
Fu Luan took out two oil-paper umbrellas from his Qiankun bag, handed one to her, and silently led the way.
The path leading to Xing Shitai is located between two cliffs, and looking up, there is only a narrow strip of sky, which feels very oppressive. After walking along the damp black stone path for about twenty minutes, Lu Yuanyuan finally saw a low-lying rocky area.
Ahead lay a valley, and in the valley stood a dark platform. Now, kneeling upon it was a gaunt figure.
He was soaked through by the rain, his clothes clung tightly to his body, and his back was covered in blood and gore.
Fu Luan stopped and said disdainfully, "Look, the person you're looking for is right there. He just got whipped and will be locked up until tomorrow."
Why was he punished so severely?
"Because he killed people! You don't know, he's not human, he's a fox demon's child. This time when he went to the mortal realm for a mission, he really messed things up for everyone else. Four disciples went down the mountain with him, but what happened? He left the group without permission, and two of the four disciples were killed by the demon while trying to chase after him... It would be strange if he wasn't punished. Hmph, a demon is a demon, not of our kind, their hearts are bound to be different."
Lu Yuanyuan stood on the high platform, holding an umbrella, without saying a word.
In her previous life, she transmigrated a little later than she does now. At that time, Duan Lansheng had already finished his punishment, but this kind of punishment was not something that could be cured quickly. For a long time, he was teetering on the brink of collapse and could only walk with a limp.
She liked him, felt sorry for him, gave him medicine, and heard various versions of his story from others.
Because she was afraid of touching Duan Lansheng's sore spot, she didn't ask him what the truth was. She also took it for granted that those people must have bullied him, which was why he left.
In this life, she finally knows the cause and effect.
After Fu Luan finished speaking, Lu Yuanyuan tapped the umbrella handle lightly with her fingernails, turned her head to look at him, and asked, "Did Duan Lansheng admit it himself?"
Fu Luan snorted, "Of course he won't admit it! Who would admit to doing something wrong? But the two surviving disciples both pointed the finger at him. Hey, Lu Yuanyuan, haven't you seen many demons? Don't be surprised, they're all like that, cunning, despicable, and full of tricks..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw the person next to him suddenly step towards Duan Lansheng, his eyes wide.
Heavy rain poured down.
Lu Yuanyuan, holding an oil-paper umbrella, approached the boy covered in whip marks step by step.
She thought a lot these past few days.
Before coming to Mount Shu, her goal was to survive. To survive, she could put aside her dignity and lower her head to pretend.
But people are never satisfied with the status quo. After surviving, the next step is to think about how to live with dignity, how to fly higher, and not to stay in the mud for the rest of their lives.
She didn't just want to survive; she wanted to live a life different from her previous one.
She wanted revenge, she wanted to make Duan Lansheng cry too, to make him taste the pain and frustration she had suffered—the despair of working hard for something for a long time, only to suddenly fall from heaven to hell.
She wanted to destroy what Duan Lansheng valued most—his career and his love.
So, what should we do?
Will I strive harder, work diligently, and defeat him in my career?
She wasn't one to underestimate herself, but she knew it would be difficult. Duan Lansheng possessed an aura bestowed upon him by the author; his talent and fortune were both exceptional. Although he was currently just a fledgling, unknown, and unpopular sword cultivator, he was destined to rise to prominence and be remembered in the annals of the cultivation world for his meritorious service in slaying the Ghost Emperor.
Even if she cultivated day and night, it would be difficult for her, a mere cannon fodder hated by gods and demons, to surpass his achievements.
So, how about making him fall in love with you, and then betraying him cruelly?
Romance novels often feature a plot like this: the female protagonist wants to get revenge on a man of higher status who looks down on her. Her method is to win him over, let him experience the best of love, and then dump him, making him regret it for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, this method only works on the "female lead".
She's just cannon fodder; using this method is just a poor imitation and won't work.
So, she had a new idea.
Currently, she is under the system's control, unable to completely sever ties with Duan Lansheng, nor can she become his lover. Therefore, perhaps she should change her mindset, take a step back, and become his friend.
Duan Lansheng currently has no close friends, which presents her with the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
This time, her main goal was to increase friendship points. She thought she wouldn't fail before she even got started, thus avoiding Duan Lansheng's disgust and rebellion.
...
For the past three days, whenever Lu Yuanyuan closed her eyes, this was the thought that kept replaying in her mind.
She didn't know if this was presumptuous or if it would hurt him. But at least, this thought freed her from endless inner conflict and reversed her negative mindset.
From this moment on, she will get close to Duan Lansheng, gain his trust, and become the person he values most outside of love. She will approach him, betray him, and take revenge on him.
As the rain fell, Lu Yuanyuan took a deep breath and stepped onto the execution platform.
The goal has been set. But friendships aren't something that can be built overnight.
She could only do it using clumsy methods.
On the rough stone surface, drops of blood trickled down. She approached the kneeling boy, held the oil-paper umbrella over his head to shield him from the rain.
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