She had been holding Meng Luoluo's hand just a moment ago, but now her hand held nothing at all.
While He Manting was still dazed, the sedan chair gave a slight sway. The moment the sway subsided, Meng Luoluo's voice rang out: "This is a funeral sedan, meaning the chair sits atop the coffin. Sister, don't look for me. You are in the sedan, and I am in the coffin."
Outside, two teams of people circled the funeral sedan to the ceaseless din of suonas and gongs.
Hearing the first half, He Manting had remained quite calm, but at the second half, she instantly lost her composure and instinctively reached for her sword.
Fortunately, Meng Luoluo moved quickly. The scene shifted instantly, returning to the moment when a bridal sedan and a coffin approached from opposite directions.
Instead of entering the sedan this time, He Manting stopped right in front of the two. The curtain lifted, and a bride wearing a red veil stepped out.
This time, He Manting did not impulsively draw her sword, choosing instead to wait for Meng Luoluo's explanation.
"Entering the illusion, the bride won't attack you proactively, but what's inside the coffin will. If you draw your sword first, the bride will fight you. She knows all your moves—even the ones you don't know yet, as long as you've ever seen them, she knows them too."
"If you don't draw your sword, there's no telling what crawls out of the coffin to fight you. Either way, you'll be facing a two-on-one. Does Sister want to try?" Meng Luoluo smiled slyly.
He Manting: "......"
Where on earth did this child pick this up? Once they got out, she was definitely going to have a serious talk with her.
"Sister surely didn't think that was all."
The scene changed once more.
Finding herself on a bed, He Manting opened her eyes abruptly to see that she was lying there in bridal robes. The room was hung with red silks and red candles were burning. Next to her was a... paper figure. Terrified, He Manting scrambled out of bed and drew her long sword.
The moment He Manting drew her sword, the paper figure's eyes moved. It stood up and made to attack her.
Fortunately, Meng Luoluo appeared in time, waving a hand to make the paper figure retreat while simultaneously sheathing her own long sword.
Seeing that her sister's complexion was not looking too good, Meng Luoluo spared her from experiencing any more firsthand. The subsequent scenarios were only observed from afar: bowing before a rooster in marriage; a bride sitting upright in a high seat within pitch-black darkness; and a pair of red embroidered shoes placed before a doorway in an all-encompassing void.
Meng Luoluo was just about to switch to another scene when she spotted Eldest Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Sister approaching not far away, prompting her to hurriedly retract the illusion.
As it turned out, Wang Shiyao and Shangguan Qingzhu had come to check if the little junior sister had woken up. If she had, they were to take her to the Main Peak Hall to answer a few questions and handle the aftermath—only to stumble straight into the illusion by sheer coincidence.
When the illusion ended, the group exchanged glances in silence. After a moment, He Manting finally broke the ice:
"Where did you learn all these things?" And she couldn't even learn anything wholesome.
Meng Luoluo thought about it. Naturally, she couldn't say these were memories from before her transmigration, so she could only murmur quietly, "These things just suddenly appeared in my head."
He Manting: "......"
The two senior sisters: "?"
Eldest Senior Sister spoke up first: "Was all that red we just saw the stuff that terrified so many people?"
Meng Luoluo nodded. "Is there something you need, Senior Sister?"
Wang Shiyao said, "Since she's awake, let's head to the Main Peak and clear this matter up to prevent any further trouble."
Hearing this, Meng Luoluo looked toward He Manting.
Wang Shiyao: "......"
"Fellow Daoist He, you should come along as well."
He Manting replied, "Thank you."
Main Peak Hall.
The sect master and numerous elders exchanged glances. Someone had mentioned earlier that this young child possessed formidable soul power, but nobody expected her to be this tiny.
Wang Shiyao introduced, "Sect Master, this is my junior sister, Meng Luoluo. And this is—"
Wang Shiyao momentarily didn't know how to continue.
He Manting stepped in: "Greetings, seniors. I am Meng Luoluo's cousin, He Manting."
Everyone frowned. The ancient He Family of Yuzhou—too formidable to offend, too powerful to cross. This was going to be tricky.
The sect master, named Huo Tianlei, wore a daoist robe and sported a wisp of a white beard as he sat upon the high seat of the main hall.
Meng Luoluo offered a reluctant bow.
The sect master smiled, walking forward a few steps to put on the most amiable expression he could muster.
Heaven knew, having to face a bunch of old stagers every day with a stern face meant he was practically forgetting how to smile.
The sect master asked, "What kind of illusion array did you use to make so many disciples so terrified?"
Meng Luoluo looked at He Manting, seeing which the sect master smiled and said, "It's fine, speak boldly. I'll take responsibility."
He Manting nodded as well.
Meng Luoluo pondered for a moment. "Weddings and funerals colliding."
Everyone: "......"
At that moment, Gu Ningyuan, the Peak Master of the Array Peak, rebuked angrily, "A mere child, full of nothing but deception!"
It was no wonder Peak Master Gu reacted this way; after all, the Array Peak couldn't break the illusion array and had suffered the heaviest casualties. How could he not be furious? They had lost both face and dignity.
Peak Master Gu quietly released a surge of spiritual pressure.
Seeing this, He Manting tightened her grip on her sword hilt, stepping in front of Meng Luoluo to block the pressure. She resolved that if the Chaoyun Sect truly intended to punish her little sister, she would unleash her family's backing—she refused to believe the Chaoyun Sect wouldn't fear an ancient clan.
Just as Meng Luoluo's Immortal Heart Bell was about to be triggered, the sect master intervened to disperse the pressure, casting a glare at Gu Ningyuan.
These people really never failed to give him headaches.
Meng Luoluo said, "If you don't believe me, you are welcome to enter the array and see for yourselves. But let it be known in advance—I don't know how to break it, so whether you can get out will depend entirely on you seniors."
Upon hearing this, the crowd hesitated. No one wanted to step into the array—save for Gu Ningyuan.
"Fine! I will go in and see for myself whether a little girl like you is lying."
Meng Luoluo added, "The array is randomized. If you want to experience the most terrifying parts, it's a bit difficult and will require some materials."
Everyone: "......"
Very well, what a clever child.
The sect master had no choice but to toss over a Storage Bag. Upon opening it, it contained one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones.
...
After Gu Ningyuan entered the array, everyone continued to exchange glances in silence, nobody bringing up the matter again. It was just that the Array Peak had lost face, compounded by a bit of petty pride.
Meanwhile, Meng Luoluo was thinking to herself: *Hehehe, I struck it rich! This illusion isn't just an illusion—it actually deals damage, and combined with the fact that it's not native to this world... tsk tsk tsk. Earlier, Master and Senior Sisters didn't seem to help me block that pressure either. Oh well, good or bad, I'll log it all for now and settle accounts together later, and then decide whether to save them or just run away with the female protagonist.*
One cup of tea, two cups of tea... Peak Master Gu still hadn't emerged. Everyone turned their gaze toward Meng Luoluo.
Meng Luoluo spread her hands helplessly.
In the end, they had no choice but to let everyone return for now.
As for whether he could eventually get out—he certainly would, it was just a matter of how badly injured he'd be. Coming out was inevitable; the difference in cultivation realms was right there.
...
Fan Peak Main Hall.
"What would you like to watch later? I'll have your sister take you."
"I am giving you this jade token—it's just a nominal title, and you don't need to call me Master. This will simply make it easier for you to look after Luoluo."
Meng Luoluo said, "Thank you, Master."
He Manting added, "Many thanks, senior."
"Do you have anything else on your mind? You may speak freely."
Meng Luoluo said, "Master, I would like to learn some more cultivation techniques."
"Sword and spell dual cultivation?"
Meng Luoluo nodded in assent.
...
The next day.
Eldest Senior Sister arrived as usual to teach sword forms, bringing along a stack of manuals on various techniques. None of them were Heaven-grade, however; the highest were Earth-grade.
Very well, they would do for now. Perhaps once her inherited memories were fully unlocked in the future, Heaven-grade techniques would become available.