Along the way, Yu Xingwu was as cheerful as a carefree little bird, practically ready to burst into song. Her enthusiasm for watching the drama unfold was truly unmatched.
She also remembered to spend 200 points in the System Shop to purchase a Storage Ring.
She transferred the contents of her original Storage Ring into the new one.
Of course, she was clever enough to leave some things behind. Otherwise, the female protagonist might complain that the Storage Ring was empty, and her cheap father would certainly demand that she hand over everything.
That would defeat the entire purpose. So, as the saying went, one shouldn’t be too greedy.
The slightly awkward part was that Shen Zhuo and Ye Su were standing right beside her while she did all this.
Fortunately, she was quick-witted enough to claim that her original Storage Ring was full and she needed to free up some space. She then tucked the new Storage Ring into her sleeve so her cheap father wouldn’t see it and become suspicious.
…
Zhaoyao Peak was rich in spiritual energy, with gently sloping mountains and lush forests covering its summit. Beautiful scenery greeted visitors at every turn.
The Direct Disciples’ Residential Courtyards were built on a secondary peak. To reach the front hall on Zhaoyao Peak’s main summit, one had to climb a staircase formed from condensed spiritual power.
Towering trees stood before the main hall, their leaves rustling in the breeze.
The moment Yu Xingwu entered the hall, she spotted a man dressed in silver sword robes, reclining casually against the main seat directly ahead.
His jet-black hair was tied high and secured with a silver magical hair crown. Beneath his long, sword-like eyebrows were eyes that shone like stars. Sword Intent seemed to surround him, and his commanding presence made him impossible to ignore.
As someone who was hopelessly attracted to beautiful faces, Yu Xingwu immediately forgot about Yu Zheng, who was sitting to one side, and the female protagonist standing beside him.
Inside her head, she was screaming like a groundhog.
【Ahhhhh! As expected of the male protagonist!】
【That oppressive aura! That elegant, breathtakingly beautiful face! That sexy Adam’s apple! That firm, muscular chest, that lean waist, and those long, straight legs~ He’s literally a novel’s male protagonist brought to life!】
【And the best part is that he’s my master! What do I do? What do I do?! Master is so gorgeous I could eat him up! I want to defy all propriety! I want to become a rebellious disciple who dares to make a move on her own master!】
System: “…” Host, you really dare to dream! And what’s this about “your master”? Just how much have you had to drink to come up with such outrageous thoughts?
Shen Zhuo: “…” Heh!
Ye Su: “…” Didn’t Junior Sister like Shen Zhuo? Has she… fallen for someone else?
Sword Venerable Feng Chen: “?”
Sword Venerable Feng Chen’s cold brows furrowed slightly. His gaze settled on Yu Xingwu’s lips while the words he’d just heard continued echoing in his mind.
He had watched carefully just now. His youngest disciple clearly hadn’t opened her mouth.
Could it be that he’d spent too long in seclusion and was now hearing things?
Yu Xingwu stepped forward and respectfully saluted Sword Venerable Feng Chen. “Greetings, Master! Master, would you like some tea? I’ll pour you a cup!”
Yu Xingwu had never been so enthusiastic before. She had truly been dazzled by his beauty.
She quickly handed him a freshly poured cup of tea, looking every bit like an obedient, thoughtful, and well-behaved disciple.
Just as Sword Venerable Feng Chen was beginning to think he’d really imagined the voice, it sounded again.
【Oh my goodness! I’m dying! Even Master’s hands are gorgeous! Slender and long, yet beautifully shaped and fair. Who wouldn’t be mesmerized by them?! When I handed him the tea just now, I almost touched his hand! Boohoo!】
Sword Venerable Feng Chen: “…”
Shen Zhuo: “…”
Ye Su: “…”
The system warned, “Host, that’s the male protagonist. He’s not someone you should be fantasizing about. Please don’t let his beauty cloud your judgment. The male protagonist, the villain, and the second male lead are all in love with the female protagonist.”
Yu Xingwu froze, feeling as though the system had dumped a bucket of cold water over her head.
【That’s right! According to the future plot, the male protagonist will expel me, this vicious female supporting character, from the sect for the sake of the female lead, turning me into a stray dog. I’d have to be out of my mind to fancy him! You emotionally clueless old man, get lost!】
The system replied, “That’s more like it~ Hehe~”
Sword Venerable Feng Chen: “…” Male protagonist… emotionally clueless old man… Is she talking about me?
Old…?
It seemed those words hadn’t been an auditory hallucination after all. He really could hear her inner thoughts.
Expel her from the sect? What nonsense is she talking about?
His gaze unconsciously drifted toward the hand holding his teacup.
Didn’t she just say she wanted to touch my hand?
And that she wanted to defy propriety and make a move on her own master?
It seemed that his recent seclusion had caused him to neglect her discipline. She had become even more unruly and outrageous.
Meanwhile, Yu Zheng, who was sitting nearby, cleared his throat softly. His gaze settled on Yu Xingwu, and for some reason, he felt rather annoyed.
He had been sitting there all this time, yet she hadn’t even noticed him. She hadn’t so much as called him “Father.”
All she knew was how to serve tea to her master. It apparently hadn’t occurred to her to offer a cup to the father who had raised her.
Although he wasn’t her biological father, he had personally raised her since childhood. Had she now decided that he no longer existed in her eyes?!
Hearing the cough, Yu Xingwu finally looked toward Yu Zheng and noticed that his expression wasn’t particularly pleasant.
She assumed he was unhappy because she hadn’t surrendered Yanyun Peak and her Storage Ring.
Just as she was about to greet him respectfully, the system’s voice sounded.
“Storyline mission detected: Attempt to prevent the female protagonist from becoming your master’s disciple.”
“You must also recite the villainess’s prescribed lines: ‘What right does a useless good-for-nothing like her have to become Master’s disciple?! The only Junior Sister of Zhaoyao Peak can be me—Yu Xingwu!'”
Yu Xingwu jolted in alarm.
She knew that whenever a mission required her to recite specific lines, she absolutely had to complete it. Otherwise, she would die!
At that moment, she couldn’t care less whether the male protagonist, second male lead, or villain was present. Nothing was more important than staying alive.
Forgetting all about greeting Yu Zheng, she slipped into character in an instant and glared at him furiously.
She pointed an accusing finger at Yu Yuefu, her manner unbearably arrogant. “Why did you bring her to Zhaoyao Peak?! Are you planning to have her become Master’s disciple?!”
Yu Zheng froze.
After waiting all this time, the first thing he received from her was an angry accusation. Naturally, he was furious.
He was just about to reprimand her when Sword Venerable Feng Chen interrupted him. “Xingwu, don’t be rude. I have already decided to accept Yu Yuefu as my Direct Disciple.”
Seeing someone provide her with the perfect cue, Yu Xingwu was so grateful that she practically wanted to thank all eighteen generations of Sword Venerable Feng Chen’s ancestors.
Following his words, she delivered her prescribed lines in the most furious voice she could muster. “Master, how can you accept Yu Yuefu as your disciple?!”
“What right does a useless good-for-nothing like her have to become Master’s disciple?! The only Junior Sister of Zhaoyao Peak can be me, Yu Xingwu!”
The system announced, “Dialogue mission completed! Reward: 200 points. Rewards for dialogue missions will increase as the number of completed missions rises. Current balance: 550 points.”
On the outside, Yu Xingwu looked furious and practically beside herself with rage. Inside, however, she was so delighted that she felt as though she could fly.
She even remembered to comment on everyone’s expressions.
【Just look at how they’re frowning! Each one looks more upset than the last. They’ve only just met the female protagonist, and they’re already feeling sorry for her. They’re all hopelessly lovesick fools! They might as well form a group and go dig wild vegetables together[1]“Digging wild vegetables” (挖野菜) is popular Chinese internet slang used to mock someone who is hopelessly “love-brained” (恋爱脑). It originates from the folklore and … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3694190_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3694190_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.】
【But then again, once the female protagonist becomes Sword Venerable Feng Chen’s disciple, she’ll be the new Junior Sister. That means my days as the Junior Sister are over. How quickly people’s affections change!】
Sword Venerable Feng Chen: “…” I’m only accepting another disciple out of consideration for the Grand Elder. What does that have to do with feeling sorry for her?
Shen Zhuo: “…” Not only is she stupid, but her eyesight is terrible too. I have no interest in feeling sorry for a complete stranger.
Ye Su: “…” Why would we need to form a group to dig wild vegetables? If Junior Sister wants to eat wild vegetables, I can go dig some for her.
What surprised all three men the most was that they had expected Yu Xingwu to cry and throw a tantrum upon discovering that she wasn’t Yu Zheng’s biological daughter.
And indeed, they had just witnessed her making an unreasonable scene.
Yet her inner thoughts told them that she didn’t seem particularly sad or upset at all.
On the contrary, she actually seemed rather happy…
References[+]