This, how could it be?!
Qu Xiangxiang stared at the woman before her—someone who looked exactly like her. Her heartbeat raced, her body trembled uncontrollably, and she bit her lip hard.
“What’s wrong? Don’t recognize me?” The woman stepped closer, anger flashing in her apricot eyes as she locked her gaze on Qu Xiangxiang’s face.
Qu Xiangxiang opened her mouth, throat tight as if blocked, and only after a long moment managed to whisper: “You… are Qu Xiangxiang?”
It was the vicious supporting character from the original novel—Qu Xiangxiang.
“That’s right.” The woman laughed, summoning Zhuoyue. Her delicate face twisted into something hideous, her red lips whispering like a ghost: “How does my body feel to use?”
Qu Xiangxiang couldn’t speak. A suffocating sensation like drowning overwhelmed her, and she shook her head helplessly. She had indeed taken over this body. But it hadn’t been intentional.
Suddenly, Zhuoyue coiled around her neck. Qu Xiangxiang gasped for breath, clawing desperately at the icy whip, her cries filled with despair.
“Give me back my body!”
That was the last thing she heard before losing consciousness.
…
Sunlight filtered through the thin paper window, filling the room. On the bed, long lashes trembled like butterfly wings about to take flight.
“No!”
She jolted awake, face pale, apricot eyes wide with terror, sweat beading across her forehead.
“Little sister,” a stranger’s voice entered her ears, “you’ve finally woken.”
Qu Xiangxiang turned toward the voice. A man stood there, his features upright and proper, his apricot eyes resembling hers by seven or eight parts, though his brows carried maturity and steadiness.
Her memories told her—this was Qu Weiran, her elder brother.
“Brother, why are you here?” She pressed her cold fingers to her pulse. “It’s still beating.” Her eyes lit up. “I’m not dead!”
So it had only been a nightmare? But why had the suffocation felt so real?
She touched her neck, still shaken.
Qu Weiran snorted. “If I hadn’t arrived in time, you’d already be dead.”
“I just woke up, and you’re already scaring me.” Though unsettled by the dream, her heart eased slightly.
“The Ghost-Faced Spider’s silk is highly poisonous.” He pinched her cheek angrily. “I told you to read more, but you never listen. And now you blame me for frightening you?”
Poisonous?
Qu Xiangxiang shivered, belatedly realizing the danger. “Then… am I alright now? Will there be aftereffects?”
“If you’ve woken, you’ll be fine.” He fed her a pill. “Take this, then try circulating your spiritual flow in your dantian.”
She obeyed, swallowing the pill and closing her eyes to focus. Inside her dantian, a faint stream of spiritual energy struggled like a sprout trying to break through soil, striving upward yet bound by some unseen restraint, churning restlessly.
“How is it?” Qu Weiran asked.
“It’s fine,” she said. “Just… the flow feels a little chaotic.”
Chaotic? Could it be…
He frowned slightly. “Perhaps it’s because you’ve just awakened. A few days of adjustment should suffice.”
She nodded, then suddenly grabbed his sleeve. “Brother, how many days have I been asleep?”
He held up three fingers. “Three full days.”
Three days? Her breath caught.
In the original story, the male lead had also slept for three days after bringing back the Soul-Losing Grass. On the third day, he met the heroine at the training grounds.
“No time!” Qu Xiangxiang hurriedly put on her shoes, ready to rush out. This was the iconic first meeting of the male and female leads—she couldn’t miss it!
“Qu Xiangxiang,” Qu Weiran pressed her down firmly, seeing how energetic she was despite just waking from illness. “What are you doing instead of resting?”
Human nature loved excitement. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. “I’m going to find Mu Hanzhang.”
At this, Qu Weiran’s face changed. “Mu Hanzhang? The half-demon you risked your life to save?”
Risked her life? Saved him?
Qu Xiangxiang felt something was off, but couldn’t pinpoint it. She hedged: “Mm, yes. He’s injured too, isn’t he? I need to check on him.”
Beyond witnessing the leads’ first meeting, she wanted to test Mu Hanzhang’s attitude toward her. After this “beautiful misunderstanding,” surely he wouldn’t want to kill her anymore… right?
“Qu Xiangxiang, you…” Qu Weiran ground his teeth, frustrated. “He’s half-demon. Have you thought about that?”
Thought about what?
She blinked, confused. “So what?”
“You truly care about him?” He rubbed his aching temples. “But haven’t you always despised half-demons?”
She scratched her nose, eyes darting mischievously. “He’s good-looking.”
Qu Weiran: “…”
“You’re being ridiculous!”
Qu Xiangxiang grew even more puzzled. In her memory, her brother wasn’t like the rest of the cultivation world who scorned half-demons. He sympathized with their plight and often taught her not to discriminate. Why was he so agitated now at the mention of Mu Hanzhang?
“We’re fellow disciples. Of course I care about his safety.” She thought he was worried about her health, unwilling to let her go alone. “Brother, if you don’t trust me, come with me.”
“…Then I’ll go too.” He glared at her, exasperated. “I want to see what that boy has that bewitched you so.”
Qu Xiangxiang: “…” Had her brother taken the wrong medicine? His words made no sense.
…
On the way to the training grounds, she felt uneasy. People’s gazes on her were strange—like they were seeing some rare beast. Their eyes held curiosity and excitement.
Confused, she pointed to her face. “Brother, is there something on me?”
“No.”
“Then why are they looking at me like that?”
Qu Weiran: “…” Obviously. The whole of Cangxuan Mountain knows the arrogant young lady risked her life to block the Ghost-Faced Spider’s venomous silk for that half-demon Mu. How could such gossip not spread?
What a disaster.
Qu Xiangxiang felt utterly uncomfortable under all those probing stares. Just as she was about to fully embrace her “vicious supporting character” persona and grab a low-level disciple to demand answers, a crisp voice rang out: “Qu Xiangxiang, I never imagined your taste could be this poor.”
She turned to see a coquettish young girl in red, hair tied in twin buns, skin pale as snow, brows dark as ink, holding a long sword and looking at her with a mocking half-smile.
“Yun Qingqing?” The daughter of Wuji Sect’s master Yun Qi—one of the prime cannon-fodder characters destined to court death in front of Mu Hanzhang.
Strange. In the original novel, Yun Qingqing was competitive and proud. She had been determined to obtain the Soul-Losing Grass, but when the despised half-demon Mu Hanzhang picked it instead, she grew furious and tried to cause trouble for him. At that moment, the heroine—newly arrived—stepped in, defeated Yun Qingqing, and scolded the crowd for watching idly. That scene at the training grounds marked the beginning of the male and female leads’ bond.
“What are you doing here?”
Wait—if Yun Qingqing was here, then who was supposed to go provoke Mu Hanzhang?
“Why shouldn’t I be here?” Yun Qingqing sneered, stepping back in disgust. Her tone was sharp, dripping with malice. “You’re going to find that bastard half-breed?”
Qu Xiangxiang nodded. How did she know?
Yun Qingqing gave a strange laugh. “So it’s true, then.”
“What’s true?”
Why was everyone speaking in riddles today?
“Good-for-nothing and bastard—it really is quite a…” Before she could finish the word “match,” Yun Qingqing’s eyes flew wide. Her throat convulsed as if pierced by a thousand needles, leaving her unable to make a sound.
“If you can’t speak properly, then shut your mouth.” Qu Weiran’s face was cold as he spoke.
Yun Qingqing flushed crimson with rage. Snarling, she raised her sword and lunged at him.
Qu Xiangxiang’s eyes narrowed. She felt the faint spiritual flow in her dantian surge restlessly. Without thinking, she infused her fingertips with energy, flashed forward, and struck Yun Qingqing’s acupoint, freezing her in place.
“Good-for-nothing?” Qu Xiangxiang snatched her sword, pressing it lightly against Yun Qingqing’s cheek. Her airy tone carried a sharp threat, as if she might slice open that delicate face at any moment. “Bastard?”
Yun Qingqing’s eyes filled with tears, her body trembling uncontrollably. No—this wasn’t right! How could the useless Qu Xiangxiang react so quickly? Hadn’t she always been the defeated opponent?
Qu Xiangxiang tossed the sword at her feet. “The great Miss Yun, and yet you couldn’t even bring back the Soul-Losing Grass. What a waste.”
Yun Qingqing, both furious and humiliated, trembled as a tear slipped down her lashes. The shame nearly made her bite through her lip.
This woman—she wasn’t the Qu Xiangxiang she knew.
…
After dealing with Yun Qingqing, Qu Xiangxiang couldn’t stand the beastlike stares any longer. She grabbed her sword and said to her brother: “Brother, why don’t we fly on swords instead?”
“On swords?” Qu Weiran thought for a moment, then nodded. “Fine.”
It was Qu Xiangxiang’s first time sword-flying. Qu Weiran vanished ahead, while she stood stiffly on her blade like a clumsy bird, arms aching as she struggled to balance. Her arms hurt so much—she couldn’t hold on!
Finally, as they neared the training grounds, she sighed in relief, lowering her altitude to land. But suddenly, a gust of wind blew her and her sword wildly off balance, making her look like a drunkard.
“Ahhh!” Landing smoothly was impossible. Flailing her arms, she shouted down at the crowd: “Move! Move out of the way!!”
The disciples below: “…”
What in the world was that? Terrified of being crushed, they scattered, leaving her a clear path.
Qu Xiangxiang squeezed her eyes shut, covering her face—not from shame, but from fear of ruining her looks. She braced for impact with the ground—only to crash onto something soft.
Huh?
She wriggled slightly. It didn’t hurt. Could she be the chosen one the novel forgot to mention?
“Qu Xiangxiang,” Mu Hanzhang groaned, glaring at her as she squirmed atop him in front of everyone. His ears flushed red. “Can you get off me?”
Her faint fragrance mixed with sweetness filled his nose. Her pale ear dangled less than an inch from his lips. Irritated, he turned his head away from her hair brushing his face, expression dark. It wasn’t the first time she’d fallen on him—but last time, chased by the Ghost-Faced Spider, she’d been unconscious and hadn’t wriggled around.
Damn it. Did this woman have no shame? If not for the watching crowd, he’d have thrown her far away.
Qu Xiangxiang’s lips twitched. That familiar cold voice… could it be…
She trembled, opening her eyes. “Mu… Mu Hanzhang?”
It was her first time seeing his face so close. Her heart thumped uncontrollably.
“Get up!” he snapped, barely restraining his temper.
“S-s-sorry!” she stammered, blushing furiously.
Heavens, why had she fallen on him again? Only now did she realize they were in the training grounds, with countless gossiping eyes sneaking glances. Face burning, she scrambled to get off him—only to step on her long skirt, slip, and tumble straight back into his arms.
Qu Xiangxiang: “…”
Forget it. She should just die.
Mu Hanzhang, nearly coughing blood: “…”
Was she doing this on purpose?
The heroine Ruan Qingtao, witnessing this scene: “…”
So this was the atmosphere of Cangxuan Mountain? So… open?
The onlookers: “…”
Shameless pair of lovers—no, shameless pair of dogs!