Chapter 9
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This chapter is edited by Bakhtawar Kakar. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 9: Spring Comes, and Everything Comes Back to Life
Xia Qingqing cried for a long time before she finally stopped.
Shrinking into a corner, her misty eyes made her look like a scolded kitten.
She was furious.
Bai Lian had scolded her so harshly—twice! In her entire life, even her father had never scolded her like this.
Just because you saved me once?!
Xia Qingqing’s lips trembled. She tried countless times to summon the courage befitting a disciple of the Tianji Sect, to stand up and argue with Bai Lian. But every time their eyes met, she felt all her strength drain away.
She couldn’t do it.
She really couldn’t.
As Bai Lian had pointed out, how could she possibly resist someone like her in this state?
Before she could even raise a hand, Bai Lian could knock the wind out of her with one punch, leaving her spasming on the floor, unable to fight back. Bai Lian would then probably pin her down with a foot and grab her collar to drive the point home.
The more Xia Qingqing thought about it, the more terrified she became.
Her legs went weak, and she fell heavily to the ground once more.
PA.
Curled into a ball, she didn’t even dare to glance in Bai Lian’s direction.
“Well,” Bai Lian said calmly, “now tell me what happened to you today.”
She picked up the top-grade magic sword Xia Qingqing had dropped and handed it back to the trembling girl.
From what Bai Lian knew, the Tianji Sect was among the top sects in the East Divine Land, with a history that included several immortals. Judging by Xia Qingqing’s demeanor, she was likely someone important within the sect.
If the Tianji Sect discovered that one of its disciples had been attacked, it would undoubtedly send reinforcements.
The Red Moon Sect, by comparison, wasn’t even a major force in the Sand Region, let alone a rival to the Tianji Sect.
Still, Bai Lian didn’t let her guard down.
If the Red Moon Sect dared to pursue Xia Qingqing, it meant they were prepared. Bai Lian wasn’t certain what gave them such confidence.
Perhaps they had attacked without knowing Xia Qingqing’s identity and decided to eliminate her and her companions once they realized their mistake. That way, the Tianji Sect would never learn the truth.
Or perhaps someone more powerful was backing them.
Xia Qingqing bit her lip, her face full of grievances, as she began recounting her story.
“This afternoon…”
As Bai Lian had suspected, the situation had escalated from a minor dispute.
A stall owner whom Xia Qingqing had scolded had called for reinforcements, but those people were quickly defeated by Xia Qingqing’s Elder Martial Sister.
The trouble began when her Elder Martial Sister chose to spare them instead of finishing them off.
“By evening,” Xia Qingqing continued, “those people returned with members of the Red Moon Sect. They were numerous and strong. Although my Martial Sister is powerful, she was caught off guard and captured after being poisoned. I escaped from the inn with my younger Martial Brothers, but we were scattered during the escape.”
“Stupid!”
Xia Qingqing flinched violently, her body trembling.
Stop scolding me! I know I messed up!
[Task completed. Light Skill +2.]
Bai Lian glanced at the system prompt with satisfaction. This had been one of the simplest tasks she had ever encountered.
Even Su Youwei, who often found Xia Qingqing silly and naive, couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her. Perhaps because she, too, had recently been humiliated by Bai Lian in gobang.
“I’m scolding you for your own good,” Bai Lian said, her tone softening slightly. “You might be the eldest lady of the Tianji Sect, but outside its walls, people won’t necessarily recognize you.”
“…”
Xia Qingqing didn’t dare to refute that. She had already experienced it firsthand—especially with Bai Lian, who treated her more like a servant girl to be ordered around.
“But my Martial Sister is still in their hands…” Xia Qingqing said hesitantly.
Bai Lian shook her head. “What’s the rush? As long as you don’t get captured, there’s a good chance they won’t harm your Elder Martial Sister.”
“Oh.”
Xia Qingqing nervously fidgeted with her fingers.
Now that she thought about it, Bai Lian seemed to have a point. If she had recklessly rushed out earlier, it would have only pleased the Red Moon Sect.
In other words, Bai Lian had saved her life.
Twice.
But…
Why are you so mean?!
Couldn’t you have explained things more kindly? If you had, I… probably would’ve listened.
Feeling guilty, Xia Qingqing murmured, “Thank you.”
Bai Lian had intended to praise Xia Qingqing for her quick understanding, but just then, a new system task appeared:
[Task 1: “It seems that you’re not entirely hopeless.” (Reward: Broken Jade Steel)]
[Task 2: “Thank me? No need. Just don’t cause any more trouble, and I’ll be the one thanking you!” (Reward: Talisman +1)]
“……”
This woman really can’t be praised!
But… would Task 2 be too harsh?
Bai Lian hesitated briefly, but in the end, she delivered the reprimand as required by Task 2.
[Task completed. Talisman +1.]
“I…”
Xia Qingqing’s expression grew even more aggrieved.
What she didn’t realize, though, was that most of her resentment toward Bai Lian had quietly dissipated.
“I’ll never cause trouble for you again,” she muttered.
“That’s fine,” Bai Lian replied.
Huh? Was that… a compliment?
The tears welling up in Xia Qingqing’s eyes were replaced with a faint glimmer of hope.
But before she could feel too pleased, Bai Lian scolded her again, leaving her deflated and back in her seat.
“Do you have a way to contact the Tianji Sect?” Bai Lian asked.
Xia Qingqing nodded quickly. “I have a communication talisman.”
“Then contact them first. We’ll figure out the rest afterward.”
Xia Qingqing hurriedly began activating the talisman.
While they waited, Bai Lian noticed a commotion outside the inn. She carefully leaned over to observe and saw a group of cultivators holding spirit dogs.
The dogs bore a striking resemblance to the one she’d killed back at Su Youwei’s residence.
The group of cultivators seemed ready to enter the inn to conduct a search.
That’s fast.
Bai Lian quickly calculated the situation. She could take out all the intruders on her own, but avoiding attention would be far more challenging—especially with those spirit dogs involved.
These spirit dogs were particularly adept at making noise.
Reaching into her pocket, Bai Lian touched the pouch of Ecstasy powder she’d brought along.
Lucky.
With swift precision, she used the Ecstasy powder. Moments later, the search party, along with their dogs, collapsed without a sound.
“We can’t stay here anymore,” Bai Lian declared. “Let’s move to another location.”
Su Youwei readily agreed. If given the chance, she’d make sure to repay those people with interest.
Xia Qingqing, on the other hand, didn’t dare to voice any objections.
As they were preparing to leave the inn, a sudden thought struck Bai Lian. She decided to try something new.
She set up a small magic circle, carefully placed one of the fainted spirit dogs and a cultivator inside it, and then fed the spirit dog a dose of [A Pool of Spring Water].
Standing outside the magic circle, she smiled. “I’ve created an opportunity for you. Make good use of it!”
As they left, Bai Lian felt a strange sense of renewal in the air. It was as if she could already smell the arrival of spring.
Zhu Xian
That’s cruel lol 😂