“The host has checked in for 100 consecutive days and received 【Novice Gift Pack】× 1. Open it?”
“Yes,” the girl lying amidst the branches for a nap responded lazily.
She wore a moon-white ruqun, her figure light and graceful, cradling her life-bound sword in her arms, surrounded by a full tree of pear blossoms. The light gauze at the hem of her dress fluttered in the wind, with butterflies dancing around her and spirit birds singing.
“【Novice Gift Pack】 has been successfully opened for the host. Obtained: one Foundation Establishment Pill, three low-grade spirit plants…”
“Foundation Establishment Pill?” Ning Ying tilted her head, her crisp, pleasant voice carrying a hint of innocence. “But I’m already at the Grand Ascension stage.”
Even the Supreme Elders in the sect were only at the Grand Ascension stage.
System: “???”
Listen to this—is that even human language?
“If the host doesn’t want it, then this system will recycle it…”
“Who said I don’t want it?” Ning Ying interrupted before the system could finish. She raised a delicate eyebrow slightly and reached out a hand toward the empty space in front of her. “Hand it over.”
Why refuse something free? She could always give it away—better than letting the system have it.
A pill, several spirit plants, and some miscellaneous items quickly appeared in her palm. Together, they weren’t worth many spirit stones.
Ning Ying opened her storage pouch and, while putting the items away, glanced at her spirit stone balance.
999,999 high-grade spirit stones, gleaming with the light of wealth. One high-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for 100 ordinary spirit stones, so the total was quite substantial.
Ning Ying felt a slight regret. If only she’d known, she would have recharged more money into the game back then.
That’s right—her cultivation level, spirit stones, cultivation techniques, and life-bound sword were all things she’d grinded for while playing the game before transmigrating.
It was one of those money-grubbing mobile games that lured her in with “draw a top-grade spirit root at the start,” followed by “recharge to get stronger.” First recharge gave a random chest, clearing dungeons dropped top-tier equipment, upgrading divine weapons dealt 9999 damage, plus open-world PK and passionate guild wars. If you’re my bro, come and fight me—the more she played, the more addicted she became.
Back then, Ning Ying had some spare cash and recharged a bit into the game. Although she couldn’t compare to the big spenders, she was incredibly lucky. Every time she opened a chest, her luck was explosive—ancient divine swords, peak-grade sword techniques all came easily, and her combat power shot up. She even became number one on the server; even the big spenders who’d dumped hundreds of thousands couldn’t beat her.
Her life-bound sword, the ancient divine sword Chongming, came from opening the first-recharge chest. At that time, a server-wide announcement went out, and many of the top-ranked players were green with envy. Some even offered huge sums to buy her account.
Ning Ying snapped back to reality and glanced at the Chongming sword in her arms. Her clear, lively eyes showed satisfaction—the kind of look a sword cultivator gives their wife. Then, she rode her sword to the sect’s main peak to collect her monthly stipend.
Although a true disciple’s monthly stipend was only 100 spirit stones, it was better to go; otherwise, her master would scold her again.
In others’ eyes, Qingyuan Immortal Lord was the leader of a sect, the paragon of the righteous path—the type who was pure, elegant, and otherworldly, untouched by mortal affairs.
But in her eyes, her master was like a “male mother”—not only meticulous and caring, showing concern for her, his closed-door disciple, but if she got up late and didn’t practice swordsmanship, he’d grab her by the scruff and drag her out of bed, saying things like… no sword practice, no master’s homemade breakfast.
Heavens above, she was at the Grand Ascension stage and had already learned all the sword techniques. Did she even need to practice?
But her master’s cooking was so fragrant! Although she’d long since achieved fasting, she still couldn’t resist temptation!
Fine, she’d practice swordsmanship QAQ.
A Grand Ascension stage expert could fly extremely fast on their sword. In the blink of an eye, Ning Ying had already arrived at the sect’s main peak. Familiar with the place, she went to a window and queued up to collect her monthly stipend.
The fifteenth of every month was when the Yaoyue[1]Yāoyuè Sect: Inviting Moon Sect jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1800165_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1800165_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); Sect distributed monthly stipends, so naturally, many disciples in sect attire had gathered here.
Ning Ying glanced up and spotted a familiar face.
The young man wore the blue robes of a menial disciple, with patches on his clothes. His jet-black long hair was tied into a high ponytail with a coarse cloth ribbon. Yet even so, his posture was still straight and graceful, with a natural elegance; his features were handsome, his eyes like cold stars.
This junior brother was an acquaintance of hers—nothing more than nodding friends. Although he usually trained hard, unfortunately, his spirit root was mixed and his aptitude mediocre, so his cultivation yielded half the results with twice the effort. Without the aid of elixirs and spirit plants, he’d probably waste his life away and remain a menial disciple into old age.
When he’d joined the sect over three months ago, the two had climbed the Immortal Stairs together. Although Ning Ying hid her cultivation, only showing Qi Refining stage strength, her wind-element celestial spirit root and exceptional bone structure couldn’t be faked. Qingyuan Immortal Lord noticed her at a glance and accepted her as a true disciple.
Although this junior disciple relied on his extraordinary willpower to climb the Immortal Stairs and gain entry, his talent was too low; he failed the outer disciple assessment and was assigned to the menial chores department, spending most of his daily cultivation time cutting spirit wood and mining spirit ore.
Ning Ying thought she might as well help him out—it wasn’t like she could use the Foundation Establishment Pill the system had given her.
“Junior Brother Chu! Junior Brother Chu!” Ning Ying stood on tiptoe and waved to greet him.
The young man turned back, nodded slightly at her, a faint smile at the corners of his lips. “Senior Sister Ning.”
“After you collect your stipend, don’t leave yet,” Ning Ying said quietly. “I… I need to talk to you about something…”
The disciples waiting in line, bored, looked toward the two, curiosity in their eyes.
“What does Senior Sister Ning want to see me about?” Chu Shuo couldn’t help asking. His time was precious—after queuing, he had to return to the chores department to work, or he wouldn’t have time for cultivation.
And besides… she was a true disciple highly valued by the Immortal Lord, while he was just an ordinary menial disciple. They were no longer in the same world.
The young man lowered his eyes, long lashes drooping, concealing the emotions within.
“There’s something I’d like to give you, Junior Brother…” Being watched by so many people and saying something easily misunderstood made Ning Ying’s expression somewhat unnatural.
In the clear afternoon light amid clouds and sky, the tips of the girl’s ears vaguely showed a faint blush. Her face was beautiful, her clear eyes sparkling with fragmented light, clutching a silk handkerchief in her hand, as if something was wrapped inside.
Chu Shuo looked at her, and suddenly his face flushed bright red.
“Alright, I’ll collect my stipend and wait for you over there, Senior Sister…”
The Yaoyue Sect disciples, keen on gossip, buzzed with discussion.
“Look, what’s that in Senior Sister Ning’s hand?”
“Looks like a handkerchief—could this be… something like a love token?”
“A love token? Senior Sister Ning and that random junior disciple?”
“Impossible, right? Senior Sister Ning is the Immortal Lord’s personal disciple. That menial disciple is really reaching above his station.”
“I get it—it must be that the menial disciple’s pining for Senior Sister Ning, but she doesn’t return his feelings. Helpless, Senior Sister Ning has to find a way to politely refuse, so she’s sending a message via handkerchief to spare his pride.”
“Want to go eavesdrop later?”
“Shh—you said it out loud; how can we still secretly listen?”
The disciples whispered among themselves, but with Ning Ying’s powerful spiritual sense, even without deliberately listening, she caught most of it.
Somewhat helpless, after collecting her stipend, she simply stuffed the handkerchief into Chu Shuo’s arms in front of everyone, her tone detached and cool: “This is a Foundation Establishment Pill, a few spirit plants, and a bunch of miscellaneous talismans—consider it thanks for your help when we climbed the Immortal Stairs.”
Although the Foundation Establishment Pill wasn’t a rare elixir, in the eyes of Qi Refining stage disciples, it was extremely precious. The spirit plants and talismans were icing on the cake. For a moment, many envious sounds came from the crowd.
“Sugar mama, look at me!!”
“I can!” “Me too!”
“Wahhh, Senior Sister Ning, actually I’ve liked you for a long time too!”
“How come there are live confessions happening here?”
Ning Ying didn’t really like this feeling of being watched. After all, the sect was full of masters, and her master’s strength was unfathomable. Her Grand Ascension stage cultivation was just so-so—better to keep a low profile in how she handled things.
For example—hiding her cultivation, a max-level big shot pretending to be a newbie.
Chu Shuo was momentarily stunned, the flush on his handsome face deepening. “Senior Sister, you haven’t even established your foundation yet. How could I take your pill…”
Ning Ying turned and walked away, casually waving behind her.
“My master has as many of these as you could want—just take it.”
She wasn’t worried about others robbing Chu Shuo of the pill; her master’s reputation was still useful. Although Qingyuan Immortal Lord was aloof and detached, unconcerned with worldly affairs, he was extremely protective of his own—something the entire Yaoyue Sect knew.
Chu Shuo tilted his face slightly, watching the girl fly away on her sword, momentarily lost in thought.
The young man secretly clenched his fist. With no background and low talent, he’d suffered contempt and exclusion in the menial department. Help in times of need was most precious—he’d work hard to grow stronger and repay her as best he could!
【Ding! Plot loaded successfully. Automatically activated the “vicious female supporting character” script for the host. Please complete tasks as required.】
Ning Ying, flying on her sword, suddenly heard the familiar system voice in her mind.
Ning Ying: “???”
“Aren’t you a check-in system? Since when do you issue tasks?”
【Actually, this system is a transmigration system. This world is a male-oriented trash-to-strong webnovel, and Chu Shuo is the male protagonist. Okay, host, please go back now and, in front of everyone, mock him for not knowing his place, for being a toad lusting after swan meat!】
Ning Ying: “…”
“Why didn’t you trigger the plot earlier? I’ve already given him the Foundation Establishment Pill. If I go back now and curse him out, won’t people think I have a split personality?”
【Because the plot module just finished loading—this system only learned about the plot too~ Your character is the vicious female supporting character who gaslights the male lead. Whatever you do, don’t break character.】
The corner of Ning Ying’s eye twitched. She flew back on her sword.
Behind a relatively remote building, Chu Shuo was surrounded by several outer disciples. They mercilessly mocked him and even tried to snatch the things Ning Ying had casually given him.
“So self-deluded. Someone like you belongs in the menial department doing chores for life. Forget about cultivation—it’s a waste having this Foundation Establishment Pill on you.”
“A toad lusting after swan meat. Someone like you, a trash cultivator, dares to covet Senior Sister Ning?”
“The Foundation Establishment Pill was bestowed by the Immortal Lord. We won’t take that—hand over the remaining spirit plants and talismans quickly, and we’ll go easy on you when we beat you up!”
“They’ve already said my lines for me. I don’t need to say them, right?” Ning Ying quietly negotiated with the system. Since she now knew Chu Shuo was the male lead, and following the principle of keeping a low profile to survive, it was better not to offend him too badly.
System: “…Fine, host, improvise. Just remember to humiliate the male lead!”
By now, those outer disciples had drawn their swords or formed hand seals, eager to make a move on Chu Shuo.
Ning Ying immediately landed on her sword, swept her sleeve, and the swords in those outer disciples’ hands fell to the ground. They, too, tumbled to the ground in disarray.
“How dare you touch my dog?” The girl’s tone was cold, her gaze sweeping over their heads.
The disciples lay dumbfounded on the ground: “…”
Wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare.
Senior Sister’s cultivation seemed stronger than Qi Refining stage.
Defeating them in one move—that had to be Foundation Establishment stage, right… Foundation Establishment stage experts were terrifyingly strong like this!
“In the future, only I can bully him,” Ning Ying said, forcing herself through the dialogue, nearly cringing with embarrassment. “You’re not worthy.”
“Yes, yes, we’re not worthy.”
The outer disciples replied with desperate self-preservation.
Chu Shuo stood there, his expression complex.
He hadn’t expected that the usually lovely and cute senior sister could have this side to her.
But somehow, she seemed even cuter!
His heart suddenly raced—was this the feeling of falling in love?
…
“What happened?” A clear, ethereal voice sounded above everyone. “Aying, finished collecting your stipend but not going back to practice swords? Why are you lingering here?”
“Immortal Lord.”
“Sect Leader Immortal Lord.”
The disciples who had been covertly gossiping instantly quieted, bowing to the white-robed beauty descending on his sword. He was tall and slender, his frost-like silver hair bound with a crown, white robes fluttering among the clouds—an immortal descended to earth.
Ning Ying shrank her head, all trace of her vicious female supporting character aura gone, replaced only by longing for slacking off.
“Master, I practiced swords this morning…”
Yun Qingyuan’s thin lips curved slightly, his pure white lashes drooping. His cool, beautiful features held a light expression, his voice ethereal and cold like a mountain spring, yet carrying an undeniable authority: “Come back with me.”
Ning Ying wanted to resist a little longer, but her master’s next words filled her with guilt.
“You gave your Foundation Establishment Pill to someone else. This master will grant you a new one.”
Ning Ying: Damn, how does Master know everything?
References[+]