Xu Yingqi struck Xiao Haotian hard enough to knock him unconscious onto the ground. She turned to look at Chang Le, her expression calm as usual. "Let's go. I'll take you back."
"Ah, oh..." Chang Le stammered a response, stepped onto the flying sword, and then looked back over her shoulder at Xiao Haotian, who was sprawled out on the ground.
In the book, Xiao Haotian was always portrayed as invincible and arrogant. Even when he suffered a slap to the face, it was the typical web-novel trope where a timely plot twist would occur, or an almighty elder would descend from the heavens, or some beauty—whether pure or seductive—would step in, or something else entirely. In short, it was utterly impossible for him to suffer the kind of scene happening right now: knocked out cold on the ground with a crowd of people watching. It was a true, unadulterated loss of face.
Otherwise, where would the readers' sense of gratification come from? Where would their anticipation lie?
Wait a minute, didn't Xiao Haotian have a portable elder dwelling inside him? Chang Le remembered that this elder had repeatedly helped Xiao Haotian trigger sudden power-ups for counterattacks, as well as dodge and escape danger. You could say he was an extremely useful and practical utility character in the early stages of the story.
Why hadn't he come out at all this time?
That defied all logic! That wasn't how novels were written!
Chang Le looked doubtfully at Xu Yingqi.
Noticing this, Xu Yingqi wore a look of mild bewilderment. Her gaze swept over Xiao Haotian, and she asked in confusion, "What is it?"
Chang Le shook her head. "It's nothing." After a moment of thought, she added in a low voice, "That man holds grudges and is very petty. Be careful of him in the future."
Xu Yingqi was a good person, and Chang Le couldn't bear to see someone who had stood up for her fall into ruin later on simply because of some protagonist halo.
After all, plots like this were everywhere in Xiao Haotian's story.
Famous second-generation heirs, cultivators hailed as geniuses—in the end, they either became stepping stones for Xiao Haotian or ended up in his harem. It looked as though a grassroots underdog was breaking through the class barrier, but the most ridiculous part was that in the later stages, the story would give this same grassroots-born Xiao Haotian some ridiculously prestigious background.
It was the classic hypocrisy of demanding equality above oneself while strictly enforcing social hierarchy below.
Chang Le couldn't voice all her misgivings about Xiao Haotian; after all, she was currently nothing more than an unremarkable outer sect disciple. Therefore, she could only do her best to minimize the chances of Xu Yingqi making an enemy of him, lest Xu Yingqi end up reduced to cannon fodder.
She wondered if that anonymous report letter had successfully reached the higher-ups.
Hearing this, a hint of a smile surfaced in Xu Yingqi's normally indifferent eyes. She reached out with a firm tug, pulling Chang Le onto the flying sword. Glancing at Xiao Haotian once more, a flash of disdain crossed her eyes. "Pay him no mind. A person like that—I could take on a hundred of them by myself."
Chang Le: "..."
Though that sounded very impressive, why did it feel like she was spoiling for a fight to the death with Xiao Haotian instead? Why on earth were you sprinting headfirst down the path of cannon fodder?
"Hspare those who can be spared," Chang Le advised. Seeing the unconcealed contempt in Xu Yingqi's eyes, she added, "Better to offend a gentleman than a villain."
Xu Yingqi glanced back at Chang Le and finally nodded. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind."
Only then did Chang Le finally let out a sigh of relief. Having just transmigrated here, Xu Yingqi was by far the person she had the most favorable impression of. Even if she left the Gushan Sword Sect later on, she didn't want Xu Yingqi meeting with any accidents because she had provoked Xiao Haotian.
She wracked her brain, but couldn't recall the name Xu Yingqi anywhere in the book. And Xu Yingqi's ordinary demeanor seemed to predetermine her low status in the story.
In this kind of male-oriented web novel, being female meant staying as far away from the male protagonist as humanly possible!
Chang Le thought it through thoroughly, when Xu Yingqi spoke up again. "Hold on tight? I'm about to take off."
Hearing this, Chang Le hurriedly grabbed Xiaobai, fumbling in a panic. Seeing this, Xu Yingqi cast a glance at Xiaobai and placed the little creature into her own spirit beast pouch. "Hold onto me."
Chang Le nodded. Having learned from her previous experience, she wrapped her arms tightly around Xu Yingqi's waist. As a Sword Cultivator, Xu Yingqi possessed a waist that was slender yet strong, and holding onto it provided an extraordinary sense of security.
Who knows, she might even have abs and a toned V-line?
Chang Le stealthily gave Xu Yingqi's waistline a quick grope, instantly feeling the taut muscle beneath her hands.
"Chang Le. Stop messing around."
The taking-off flying sword abruptly slammed on the brakes mid-air, and Chang Le's nose crashed directly into Xu Yingqi's back.
Lifting her eyes, she was about to complain when she caught sight of Xu Yingqi's crimson earlobes.
So she had embarrassed her.
Chang Le chuckled softly and raised a hand. It was her own fault—how could any girl possibly resist another girl's abs? Especially since she herself was a little lesbian. What little lesbian doesn't love a beauty with abs!
However, Xu Yingqi looked like an unbending, upright young sapling, which was why she had dared to make a move.
"Sorry, sorry, I'll never let my hands wander again. I was just, just a little envious, that's all."
Chang Le realized that this era was different from Blue Star; it bore more resemblance to ancient Chinese society, even carrying notions of male chauvinism and the three obediences and four virtues. Her actions just now had indeed been a bit too bold.
Xu Yingqi turned her head slightly, reached out to take Chang Le's hand, and pressed it firmly back against her waist. Her voice was slightly low. "Hold on properly. Be careful not to fall."
Chang Le let out an "oh," clamped her arms tightly around Xu Yingqi, and remained silent.
Xu Yingqi wasn't much of a talker either. Piloting the flying sword, she shot through the wind like lightning, sweeping past the otherworldly, ethereal scenery Chang Le had seen earlier, and headed straight toward the outer sect. The moment they crossed into the outer sect, Chang Le's breathing abruptly hitched. It felt as though she had suddenly been yanked from an oxygen-rich tropical rainforest right back into a concrete jungle of steel and iron—an intensely uncomfortable sensation.
Chang Le strained to breathe, but the air she drew into her body carried an unpleasant odor that made her quite uncomfortable.
Xu Yingqi landed the sword and set Chang Le down on the ground. Chang Le hopped off, but her legs suddenly felt weak, her head spun, and she almost stumbled and pitched forward.
Fortunately, Xu Yingqi was quick, wrapping an arm around Chang Le's waist to steady her and planting her firmly on the ground.
"Are you alright?"
Chang Le grabbed onto Xu Yingqi with one hand to steady her swaying body and shook her head. "I—what's happening to me?"
"There's a difference in spiritual energy between the inner and outer sects, and some people experience discomfort," Xu Yingqi replied. "The inner and outer realms of the Sword Sect are kept distinct also because outer sect disciples lack sufficient cultivation to contain a massive influx of spiritual energy; trying to practice in it tends to cause discomfort."
Chang Le was somewhat puzzled. "Is that so? But why am I..."
Besides, she hadn't even started cultivating yet.
As she was thinking this, Xu Yingqi added, "Indeed. As long as one doesn't practice breathing techniques, being in the inner sect poses no problem. However, there are those with exceptional natural talent, or spirit beasts, or spiritual entities taking human form, who will unconsciously inhale and exhale spiritual energy. Due to their insufficient cultivation, this results in physical discomfort."
Chang Le's heart tightened. She had almost forgotten that this body of hers was a spiritual entity in human form!
Her grip loosened slightly, and she subconsciously stepped back a few paces away from Xu Yingqi, giving an awkward laugh. "Is, is that so? It seems I still have some talent after all."
A flicker of amusement crossed Xu Yingqi's eyes as she said, "You make a fair point. Perhaps once you enter the inner sect, your progress will soar past everyone else's."
"Enter the inner sect?"
Are you kidding me? Seeing Xiao Haotian in the outer sect was already quite enough; she had to go to the inner sect to see him too? Even if she wanted to find a place to continue cultivating, she would go to a different sect—why on earth would she stay in this Gushan Sword Sect, destined as it was for turbulent times ahead?
Xu Yingqi misinterpreted Chang Le's remark entirely. After a moment of thought, she reached into her robes, pulled out another storage bag, and thrust it into Chang Le's hand. "I can see that Junior Sister is quite talented. Perhaps your cultivation will improve rapidly enough for you to pass the outer sect martial arts tournament and enter the inner sect. I have some items here that assist with cultivation; you might find them useful."
This Xu Yingqi really was an absolute saint!
Chang Le's eyes widened. This impulse to shove storage bags at people without a second word—aside from that naive airhead Wei Zhaoguang, only Xu Yingqi did things like this. Or was handing out storage bags some kind of hobby for inner sect disciples?
Deeply touched, Chang Le declined, "No, no, I already have the storage bag Senior Sister Wei gave me; I can't accept yours as well."
Hearing this, Xu Yingqi lowered her gaze and said, "You accepted Wei Zhaoguang's, but you won't take mine... In your heart, I suppose I cannot compare to Wei Zhaoguang after all."
What kind of petty jealousy drama was this? Chang Le chuckled despite herself.
Of course, she remained clear-headed; this was merely an illusion. She hurriedly explained, "No, it's just that my cultivation doesn't require so many things. Senior Sister Xu, you've already helped me a great deal. You should take these back."
"Then why did you accept Wei Zhaoguang's storage bag?" Xu Yingqi asked.
Chang Le paused. She couldn't very well say it was because she was planning to run away and Wei Zhaoguang just happened to show up and hand one over. Hesitating for a moment, she said instead, "I don't like Xiao Haotian. Rather than letting Senior Sister Wei give things to him, I'd rather have them myself."
Xu Yingqi frowned at this. After a moment of thought, facing Chang Le's resolute expression—the look of someone determined not to take even a thread from the masses—she finally withdrew her hand slowly and said, "Alright then... Even though you won't take mine, at least let us add each other on a Silk Slip. If you ever need anything, you can send me a message."
Chang Le naturally knew what a Silk Slip was. To put it accurately, this was a cultivation-world version of a smartphone. You could add friends, join group chats, or even post on forums. Mighty beings had used unimaginable mystical powers to weave a network with spiritual energy, allowing cultivators to communicate with one another.
It was just that this continent was boundless, divided into five regions and four seas, with forbidden zones and secret realms of all sizes scattered everywhere. Because this spiritual network could not cover the entire continent, it was usually centered around a single sect or one to several cities.
To put it simply, it consisted of multiple local area networks.
However, Chang Le possessed no such item. Her soul had been incomplete prior to this, and her current level of cultivation relied entirely on the natural abilities she had possessed ever since transforming from a spiritual entity into human form. Since her Divine Sense could not extend outward, she naturally couldn't use such a treasure either. Furthermore, her original self had been infatuated with Xiao Haotian, and all the supplies she had managed to scrape together had been given to him—as one could easily tell just by looking at her destitute little home.
High-end gadgets like a Spirit Communicator were even more out of the question.
A hint of embarrassment showed on Chang Le's face, and she murmured, "I—I don't have the money to buy one. Once I buy one later on, I'll add Senior Sister Xu."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yingqi fished a Silk Slip out of her storage bag and placed it into Chang Le's hand. "I happen to have a spare one. I'll give it to... well... I'll lend it to you."
Chang Le's eyes widened. She stared at Xu Yingqi, then frantically dug out the storage bag Wei Zhaoguang had given her, ready to fish out some Spirit Stones as she asked, "How much is it? I'll pay you now."
Xu Yingqi narrowed her eyes at the glaring character for "Wei" embroidered on the storage bag Chang Le had produced and said, "Three hundred high-grade Spirit Stones."
Chang Le's hand froze. Three hundred high-grade Spirit Stones? She didn't have that kind of money, and even if she paid it back later, her heart would ache. How did everyone in novels seem to own a Silk Slip? Surely not everyone was a multi-spirit-stone millionaire!
After a moment of silence, Chang Le abruptly whipped out a stack of blank talisman papers, raised her head, and looked eagerly at Xu Yingqi. "Senior Sister Xu, I've thought about it. As cultivators, how can we indulge in mobile phones—ah, I mean, Silk Slips? Why don't we stick to the ancient tradition of communicating through talisman scripts instead? One-on-one, absolutely private!"
Xu Yingqi: "..."
What should she do? She actually found herself a little tempted.
Xu Yingqi cleared her throat. "Rest assured, I'm not in a rush. Cultivators have long lifespans; whenever you've saved enough, just pay me back then."
With that, Xu Yingqi shoved the Silk Slip into Chang Le's hand. Then, with lightning speed, she stepped onto her flying sword. Standing on the blade, she looked down at Chang Le. "My spiritual imprint is already stored inside. You just need to drop a drop of blood on it to bind it to your soul, Junior Sister Chang."
Xu Yingqi's voice was very soft, giving the impression that she was in a quite pleasant mood. She said, "Junior Sister Chang, I'll see you in the inner sect."
With that, the flying sword lifted off and soared toward the horizon.
Unwittingly saddled with a debt of three hundred high-grade Spirit Stones, Chang Le stood there with a pale face, all light draining from her eyes.
Although Senior Sister Xu was a good person and hadn't imposed a strict deadline for repayment, Chang Le knew the contents of the book. She knew that in at most ten years, the Gushan Sword Sect would suffer its first major catastrophe. At that time, the middle-aged and young generations of the sect would suffer a cliff-like drop in survival, leaving Xiao Haotian as the sole dazzling genius of the younger generation. Countless fortuitous encounters and magical treasures would pour in after that, serving as his stepping stone to the position of Sword Master.
By then, even if Xu Yingqi miraculously survived, she feared that those three hundred high-grade Spirit Stones, which she currently disdained, would become very important to her.
In other words, she only had ten years to pay off her debt.
How many years had it been since her cultivation had made any progress?
Oh right, it had been fifty years—ten years was nothing by comparison!
Chang Le felt as though she had lost all color. Xu Yingqi had been very good to her, so naturally she couldn't take advantage of her for free, but how on earth was she supposed to make this money?
Looking at Xiaobai, who was romping around happily nearby, Chang Le couldn't help but sigh, "A human really doesn't live as well as a dog."
Walking listlessly back toward her room, she suddenly heard a cracking sound. Xiaobai lunged forward from behind, bit down on her hem, and yanked her backward. Chang Le stumbled back with a jerk, and the next second, she watched her house collapse entirely. The main horizontal beam crashed down precisely onto the spot where she had been standing.
Had it not been for Xiaobai's tug, she might have been crushed squarely by that beam.
And she had transmigrated only a short while ago; she hadn't yet grown accustomed to keeping a protective aura of spiritual energy wrapped around her body. If she had been smashed directly by that, with her frail physique that was barely stronger than an ordinary mortal's, her life would most likely have been forfeit.
Though she was a spiritual entity in human form, she was also the spiritual entity in the original book who had tripped and literally fallen to her death.
With a massive log like that crashing down...
Chang Le's face turned pale. Xiaobai stopped beside her, letting out soft whimpers and anxiously licking her hand.
Hugging Xiaobai, Chang Le took a deep breath. She hadn't even been transmigrated for a full day, yet she had already brushed shoulders with death three times.
Wasn't this frequency a bit too high?
Could it be that there truly was an invisible pair of hands "correcting" her destined fate and driving her toward death?
Are you kidding me?!
A fierce determination flashed in Chang Le's eyes. This was her second chance at life. Since she had survived by that riverbank, she could—and would—keep on living. She had broken free from this fatal destiny once; she wasn't about to let anyone force her back onto the predetermined track!