Yu Suisui returned to her seat.
Damn, the Law Enforcement Hall had stirred up such a big commotion—why hadn’t Steward Niu informed her?
Yu Suisui decided to remove Old Niu from the list of “reasonably likable Law Enforcement Hall stewards” and place him under probation for the time being.
In reality, this was an unfair accusation against Steward Niu.
Although he had been promoted, he was still just the steward captain of North Peak—at most, a minor supervisor. How could he possibly be aware of such high-level decisions?
Bai Shuang, knowing her young lady was close to Xie Rongjing, naturally shared her worries and tried to comfort Yu Suisui.
“Young Lady, perhaps Young Master Xie wasn’t forced into this.”
Really?
Yu Suisui glanced at Xie Rongjing and noticed he still wore that detached yet composed expression, which eased her mind a little.
Maybe she was overthinking it—she could still slack off a bit longer.
“Mhm, mhm.” Bai Shuang continued, “Maybe he isn’t the real Young Master Xie at all, but a fabricated puppet. The real Young Master Xie has been imprisoned somewhere…”
Yu Suisui: …
She realized her maid was even worse at comforting people than she was.
“Have you been reading any strange storybooks lately?”
As they spoke, the sound of fireworks exploding suddenly rang in their ears, accompanied by a melodious strain of celestial music.
What was the point of setting off fireworks in broad daylight?
Besides, with so many bright things in the sky right now, no one would even see them clearly.
Yu Suisui’s confusion was answered the next second.
Someone loudly announced, “Second Young Lady has arrived—”
People around her turned to look, and Yu Suisui followed suit, tilting her head to see.
A massive Vermilion Bird had landed in the center of the square, and from it descended a beautiful young woman in a vibrant red dress.
At first glance, the girl’s features bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Yu Suisui’s, but after a second look, no one would mistake the two young ladies.
She was radiant and bold, with a fiery crimson feather adorning the tip of her eyebrow like flowing flame.
“It’s Second Young Lady!” “Second Young Lady is here!” “Only Second Young Lady can command a phoenix—truly a favored daughter of the heavens!”
The atmosphere instantly shifted from a solemn gathering to a fan meet-and-greet.
The Vermilion Bird let out a clear cry, and golden fire rain began to fall from the sky. It didn’t burn but tingled pleasantly upon contact.
Yu Suisui had initially worried that her own entrance was too flashy, but seeing her sister’s far more extravagant display put her at ease.
She sifted through her memories about this younger sister.
Her sister was named Yu Chuchu, a year younger than the original host, and widely recognized as a prodigy within the Tian Zhao Sect.
Rumors said she had reached the First Realm at age five, the Second Realm at eight, and the Triple Realm by thirteen. Now, nearing sixteen, she had firmly reached the mid-Triple Realm. Their father, Sect Leader Yu, held high hopes for her, believing she might even break through to the Fourth Realm before turning twenty.
Compared to the quiet and unremarkable original host, this younger sister was essentially the face of the Tian Zhao Sect and a source of pride for both Yu Qianqiu and the original host.
But Yu Suisui wasn’t the original host and held no deep affection for Yu Chuchu.
She simply thought—this cannon-fodder sister and she were somewhat kindred spirits in misfortune.
That’s right. In the original plot, Yu Chuchu’s fate wasn’t exactly rosy either.
Just like every protagonist in a progression fantasy had a “don’t bully the youth for being poor” backstory, this world’s male lead, Xia Ling, was no exception.
Xia Ling came from a cultivation family, and arranged marriages between major clans or sects were common. He and Yu Chuchu had once been engaged.
Originally, the marriage contract was meant to be with the eldest daughter of the Yu family. But shortly after the original host was born, Medical Cultivators determined she suffered from congenital deficiency. Forget marriage—even maintaining basic health was uncertain. Thus, the engagement fell to the second daughter.
Who could have predicted that over a decade later, Xia Ling’s innate talent would prove so lacking? Nearing eighteen, he had barely reached the first level of cultivation.
In contrast, Yu Chuchu had been the darling of heaven since childhood, raised with boundless affection and indulgence. Naturally, she looked down on a good-for-nothing like Xia Ling.
Not only did she break off the engagement, but she also arrogantly humiliated him.
Her tone couldn’t have been worse, her words couldn’t have been harsher.
As for what happened next… it’s easy to guess.
Xia Ling was, of course, no waste. His body was like a peculiar, massive power bank—cultivation progressed at a snail’s pace until fully charged, but once enough energy accumulated, it was a true case of “great oaks from little acorns grow.”
If the antagonist Xie Rong Jing was a prodigy, then the male lead Xia Ling was the hardworking type.
Spirit techniques others mastered in a few tries took him months of grueling practice to barely grasp. Sword forms others picked up casually required him to grind his hands calloused before he could even approximate them.
Before his awakening, he embodied the principle of “I am the master of my fate” to the extreme.
If once wasn’t enough, he practiced twice. If twice wasn’t enough, ten times. If ten times wasn’t enough, thousands upon tens of thousands of times.
In the end, fate did not let him down.
Xia Ling would become the strongest in the world, his name renowned across the land, with prestige and wealth easily within his grasp.
By contrast, Yu Chuchu at that time… was merely a destitute Xianmen young lady who had lost everything after her family was annihilated.
The two were no longer in the same social stratum. The male lead had even forgotten she existed—she was utterly reduced to a backdrop in a satisfying revenge story.
…
Sui Sui sighed.
These days, even cannon fodder had it tough.
She was cannon fodder who died for the antagonist; Yu Chuchu was cannon fodder serving as a foil for the male lead. One major, one minor—truly, birds of a feather flock together.
The minor cannon fodder noticed her gaze and, surrounded by a crowd, swayed gracefully toward her.
Yu Sui Sui responded with a polite smile.
“Yu Sui Sui, what are you doing here?” The minor cannon fodder lifted her chin haughtily. “You look perfectly healthy to me. Were you pretending to be sick all along?”
Yu Sui Sui: ?
The hostility was overwhelming. Why must cannon fodder make life difficult for fellow cannon fodder?
“Hey, I’m talking to you.” Yu Chuchu shot her a glance.
Yu Sui Sui said, “I thought you would address me as ‘elder sister.'”
“Hah?” Yu Chuchu acted as if she’d heard the most ridiculous joke. “Yu Sui Sui, I’m about to reach the late stage of the Triple Realm.”
Yu Sui Sui: “Impressive, impressive.”
“How’s your zither practice going?” Yu Chuchu crossed her arms, preening like a proud peacock. “Oh, I almost forgot—you just reached the second level half a year ago, didn’t you?”
Yu Chuchu emphasized the words “second level,” laughing with ostentatious glee. “Congratulations, elder sister.”
Yu Sui Sui replied sincerely, “Thank you.”
Every one of Yu Chuchu’s barbs felt like striking a soft dough, igniting a nameless fury within her.
Truth be told, she hadn’t paid this elder sister much mind before. Though useless, Yu Sui Sui had always been considerate, often sending people with gifts.
No matter how poorly Yu Chuchu treated her, Yu Sui Sui never got angry and would even gaze at her with admiration.
—[“Chuchu, this little hairpin is made from the tail feathers of an Ink Spirit Bird. It’s for you.”]
-【Tch, I’ve long grown tired of wearing this thing. Unlike you, I’m a Triple Realm Spirit Cultivator—I can easily capture ink spirit birds whenever I want.】
-【Wow~ Our Chuchu is truly amazing!】
Though she used to complain, she never particularly disliked this useless older sister.
But today, she genuinely found the other person somewhat irritating.
Feeling deeply unsettled, her words naturally turned sharp.
And though her sister remained unbothered as always, it did nothing to diminish her anger.
Yu Chuchu snorted coldly and led her fan club to settle in seats far away from Yu Suisui.
Good riddance.
With that crowd around, they’d only block her view of Xie Rongjing.
Yu Suisui nibbled small bites of the pastries before her. There was one glutinous rice ball she particularly liked—pale green on the outside with black bean paste filling, somewhat resembling Xie Rongjing.
When one becomes sufficiently idle, it becomes difficult to get angry over trivial matters. Like just now, she remained perfectly calm.
As for why her cheap younger sister was so furious, she could guess the reason.
It was nothing more than feeling that Suisui didn’t admire her enough.
Well, there was no helping that.
There’s always someone better beyond the current best. Having witnessed Xie Rongjing—a genius among geniuses—she naturally felt less awe toward ordinary talents like Yu Chuchu.
If forced to pretend, she could manage.
But it would cost extra.
Resting her chin in both hands, Yu Suisui thought that even her performances before Xie Rongjing were quite perfunctory. Even with extra payment, she probably wouldn’t improve much.
Speaking of Xie Rongjing—was it her imagination, or had his complexion grown even paler?
He was already fair-skinned, but now even his lips lacked color. Standing there with his peach blossom eyes lowered, he resembled a pristine, sickly beauty.
As if sensing her gaze, the sickly beauty lifted his eyes toward her direction.
Yu Suisui swiftly turned her head away.
Wait, why was she nervous?
She straightened her posture and looked at him openly.
Cultivators all possessed sharp eyesight, so she clearly saw—Xie Rongjing also instantly averted his gaze.
…
Just as Yu Suisui was considering whether to send Bai Shuang to deliver a message, the sect celebration began.
She saw the original body’s father, who appeared no different from her memories—an elegant, amiable middle-aged male cultivator with jade-like features and an upright aura, seeming approachable without airs. When disciples cheered “Sect Leader!”, he smilingly waved back.
Sect Leader Yu stood firmly on the high platform, scanning the surroundings. When his gaze fell upon Yu Suisui, he likewise nodded kindly at her.
The first day of celebrations mainly involved listening to various speeches.
After Sect Leader Yu spoke, the elders took turns. After the elders, the hall masters spoke. After the hall masters, the guest advisors spoke. Before the guest advisors could finish, the sun was already setting.
Yu Suisui spent the day eating, even napping on the table at one point. Her seat was rather inconspicuous, so nobody noticed her—or if they did, nobody dared comment. When she woke from her nap, she just happened to catch her father returning to the stage to announce the successful conclusion of the Tian Zhao Sect’s first-day celebrations.
The crowd rose orderly, returning to their residences amidst praises like “May Tian Zhao Sect last ten thousand generations!” and “The Sect Leader is wise and mighty!”
Yu Suisui couldn’t help asking Bai Shuang: “Will the second day be like this too?”
“What does Miss mean?”
“With so many people giving speeches…” Yu Suisui couldn’t quite remember when she’d fallen asleep. “Did they all finish speaking?”
“Not yet.” Bai Shuang listened quite attentively, counting on her fingers: “Only three of the thirty guest elders have spoken so far, with twenty-seven remaining. After the guest elders finish, there are still outstanding inner sect disciples and core disciples who need to speak.”
Oh…
She’d rather die than come again next time.
Though there wouldn’t be a next time anyway, Yu Suisui thought.
As the celebration concluded, people gradually dispersed. Yu Suisui wasn’t in a hurry to leave immediately – she planned to approach the Law Enforcement Hall for clarification before they departed.
The Law Enforcement Hall was the last group to leave.
The sky had darkened, and the once bustling square stood empty and desolate. Ninety-nine towering pillars emitted golden light, illuminating the night as bright as day.
Yu Suisui approached the departing Law Enforcement Hall contingent.
Unexpectedly, Yu Chuchu was among the group, standing right beside Gongsun Lan.
Gongsun Lan was that blue-robed talisman cultivator – Yu Suisui now knew his name, and also learned he came from a background of rogue cultivation, currently serving as a guest elder at Tian Zhao Sect while working part-time at the Law Enforcement Hall.
“I’ve heard all about it.” Before Yu Suisui could speak first, Yu Chuchu said triumphantly: “Consorting with a Devil Seed? My dear sister, you never cease to amaze.”
Yu Suisui corrected her: “He has a name.”
Yu Chuchu’s eyes widened. She seemed to have expected Yu Suisui to deny everything outright and had prepared to expose her on the spot. Never did she expect to merely be asked to change her wording.
“Yu Suisui, have you gone mad? Going to North Peak to defend such a thing, and even forming some mutual appreciation with him?”
Yu Suisui realized her cheap younger sister was truly skilled at courting death… and with remarkable discernment at that.
Not only offending the male lead, but also provoking the ultimate antagonist.
Quite selective, really.
In comparison, she herself – equally offended as the sister – seemed like a free gift in a buy-two-get-one deal, utterly lacking in prestige.
However, not everyone shared this perspective.
[Young Miss.]
She suddenly heard someone calling her. Like Gongsun Lan’s earlier voice transmission, these words appeared directly in her mind without any warning.
It was Xie Rongjing’s voice.
Yu Suisui nearly lost control of her expression.
The great antagonist was truly… versatile and talented.
Yu Suisui looked toward Xie Rongjing. He had maintained an aloof expression throughout, as if equally disdainful of everyone present.
But now, he directed a slight curl of his lips specifically at Yu Suisui, just like when they first met – appearing gentle and harmless on the surface, with only subtle delight concealed deep in his eyes.
[Young Miss, do you hate?]
Xie Rongjing’s voice transmission flowed through her mind like sickly sweet candy laced with poison.
[Your sister has a healthy body, exceptional talent, and everyone’s affection. Yet Young Miss can only keep company with me… She stole everything from you. You should hate her, shouldn’t you?]
Yu Suisui couldn’t perform voice transmission, leaving her to endure Xie Rongjing’s one-sided murmuring in her head.
His voice was pleasant, his tone soft, like a demon’s whisper.
[Didn’t Young Miss say you would stand with me?]
Xie Rongjing couldn’t suppress a soft laugh, his voice transmission softening several degrees.
[I’m so touched.]
[As repayment, shall I help you kill her?]