Chapter 3: Her Pretty Boy

Yun Wan's furnace-like constitution meant she couldn't walk far. Within an hour, she was panting and flushed.

Not wanting to appear weak before the bodyguard she'd finally secured, she forced herself forward a few more steps through sheer willpower.

Xie Tingyun, noticing her exhaustion, offered to rest, instantly endearing himself to her.

Yun Wan selected a clean spot, gathered some firewood, and said to Xie Tingyun, "Brother, can you light a fire?"

Fire manipulation was a fundamental technique in the cultivation world, generally practiced by cultivators who had reached the Qi Refining stage. Of course, Yun Wan was an exception.

Xie Tingyun sat leaning against a tree, his glance lazy, his body motionless. His voice drifted over slowly, "The Five Thieves reside in the heart, manifesting in the heavens. The universe resides in the heart, and all transformations are born from the body."

"?" Yun Wan paused momentarily. "Huh?"

Xie Tingyun closed his eyes. "Figure it out yourself."

...Figure it out myself?

Yun Wan's eyes widened, confusion swirling in her mind.

She had read this in one of her master's books. It roughly explained that the laws of nature govern the interdependent interactions of all things. As long as one understands these principles alongside the laws of one's own transformation, one can harness the laws of nature. No matter how volatile the world becomes, everything remains within these laws.

Was the boss's meaning... that she should first understand herself, then explore the transformations of the Five Elements, and finally integrate her body with the Dao, so that she could naturally manipulate this simple fire technique?

Wonderful!

Truly wonderful!

Yun Wan sat cross-legged, her qi sinking into her dantian.

She shut out all external sounds, her consciousness following the flow of spiritual energy within her body. The spiritual energy circulated through her like an invisible breeze, sometimes passing through her limbs, sometimes flowing through her internal organs.

The universe resides in the mind; all transformations originate from the body.

Yun Wan adhered to this law of transformation, gradually gaining mastery over the flow of spiritual energy.

Tentatively, she directed all her energy toward her fingertips, then opened her eyes and tapped her fingers along the pile of firewood. A small flame emanated from her fingertips, instantly igniting the dry wood.

Watching the sparks dancing in the night, Yun Wan experienced shock first, then pure delight.

Success!

She'd mastered the art of fire manipulation!

They say nothing is impossible if one sets their mind to it, and she knew this body was no slouch!

Yun Wan was so ecstatic she nearly kowtowed to Xie Tingyun, becoming his disciple on the spot.

"As expected of you, Brother Xie! I'm grateful for your guidance!" After composing herself, Yun Wan clasped her hands together and offered him a martial arts salute.

Xie Tingyun stared blankly at the blazing fire, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before he quickly closed his eyes again. "You're welcome."

Yun Wan was inwardly impressed by the man's otherworldly composure, yet also felt a twinge of inferiority.

While she didn't know his origins, his calm demeanor suggested he was a formidable figure.

Heaven had been kind to her—while she hadn't been blessed with a good body, she had been blessed with an excellent bodyguard.

She believed that with Xie Tingyun by her side, she would reach Kunlun Sect safely, and perhaps even learn a great deal from him along the way.

Yun Wan had initially wanted to ask Xie Tingyun to find some food nearby, but then, considering that he was teaching her for free, it seemed inappropriate to ask him to perform hard labor as well.

After a brief rest, her strength had recovered somewhat. After some thought, Yun Wan took the initiative and headed toward the forest.

"Where are you going?"

"To find something to eat. Brother Xie, please wait a moment. I'll be back soon." Fearing that Xie Tingyun would insist on helping, Yun Wan quickly added, "I can still handle this small matter. Don't worry, Brother Xie."

Xie Tingyun's Adam's apple bobbed twice, and he remained silent, watching her disappear into the forest.

Their resting place was a small woodland a hundred miles outside Gouwu Mountain.

Thanks to the roe owl's presence, neither birds nor beasts, nor skilled cultivators dared approach this place, and no one dared set foot on the surrounding terrain.

Yun Wan's life before her transmigration had been far from easy.

Orphaned at a young age, she lived with her grandparents in the village. She was chopping wood and washing clothes at four or five years old. Though she later became a boxer, she had ample life experience, and simple tasks like climbing trees to pick fruit or catching fish in the river posed no problem.

A few steps deeper, a vast orchard came into view.

Yun Wan selected a fruit-laden tree, used a dagger to pierce several holes in its trunk, stepped on them, and climbed up carefully.

Her physique was truly unfit—even climbing a tree left her exhausted. Yun Wan resolved to improve her constitution before joining a master. Even if she couldn't master ultimate martial arts, she couldn't become a burden to others.

As she contemplated this, she packed all the fruit she'd gathered into a storage bag and prepared to descend. But then, Yun Wan noticed a clear spring in the middle of the forest.

From her elevated vantage point, she could see farther.

Unlike ordinary springs she'd seen before, the water was crystal clear, with a faint luminescence lingering around it. Obviously, this was no ordinary spring water.

Yun Wan glanced down at her filthy clothes, stained with the roe owl's saliva. Even without mysophobia, she still felt disgusted.

How about... going over to soak for a while?

As she hesitated, she saw someone enter her line of sight.

It appeared to be a man.

He removed his outer robes, and the contours of his body under the moonlight were powerful and striking.

The man raised his hand to remove his crown.

Suddenly, his eyes pierced through the darkness.

Yun Wan froze, and before she could hide, she saw the man summon a leaf. The leaf between his fingertips transformed into a sharp blade, cutting through branches, and rushed toward Yun Wan with fierce wind.

She dodged just in time, but the tree behind her wasn't so fortunate. The blade split the once-sturdy trunk in half, instantly throwing her off balance. Seeing the tree about to topple, she quickly leaped from it to the ground. Just as she was about to flee, a soft sword pointed directly at Yun Wan's throat.

The girl, approximately sixteen or seventeen, wore a veil revealing a pair of willow-shaped brows and almond eyes. While her clothing wasn't overly ostentatious, the fabric and jewelry suggested wealth or nobility.

"Who are you?" the girl demanded sharply.

Yun Wan didn't dare act rashly and answered honestly, "I'm just a passerby."

The girl sneered, "You're walking alone through Gouwu Mountain in the middle of the night? Who are you trying to fool?"

She clearly didn't believe her.

Yun Wan was about to continue her defense when the young man who had been bathing materialized before them.

Upon seeing his face, Yun Wan froze completely.

He was handsome with bright eyes, but his gaze was cold and severe, making him appear arrogant and unapproachable.

This face merged with a person in Yun Wan's memory, and Yun Wan nearly blurted out his name—

Chu Lin.

That's right, Chu Lin, the genius hero of the original novel. Midway through the story, to capture the original owner, he exploited her feelings for him and deliberately lured her into a trap, allowing a swarm of ghouls to devour her flesh, blood, and soul, leaving her trapped in the netherworld, unable to resurrect.

The original owner hated everyone except Chu Lin; she doubted everyone except Chu Lin.

And him? He loved the world but betrayed Yun Wan, saving the three realms but not her.

Yun Wan stared at him intently, unaware that her gaze held a different meaning in others' eyes.

"Did you follow us deliberately?" The girl thrust her sword forward, nearly slicing Yun Wan's throat.

She regained her senses. "You're overthinking it. I just said I was merely passing by."

"Ha," the girl sneered. "I understand now. You climbed so high just to spy on my senior brother bathing!"

Senior brother?

Yun Wan had a vague recollection of her.

Chu Lin was a disciple of the Jingyue Sect. This girl was the sect leader's only daughter, Qin Zhiyan. Leveraging her master's and the sect's indulgence, the Jingyue Sect leader's daughter had become incredibly overbearing. Her possessiveness toward Chu Lin was intense, bordering on obsessive. Yet, like Yun Wan, she was just another supporting actress in this novel who gets slapped in the face by the heroine.

A similarly vicious supporting character destined to die young—what gave her the right to be so arrogant?

Yun Wan, feeling a sense of injustice, used a finger to remove the sword from her neck. "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Just because I was picking fruit from a tree when you caught me, I'm a peeping Tom?"

Qin Zhiyan pressed, "What else?"

Yun Wan said calmly, "Then let me ask you, did your senior brother bathe?"

"Yes!"

"Did you see it with your own eyes?"

Qin Zhiyan argued, "I was watching from behind, of course I know."

"Oh~~" Yun Wan's tone stretched out, her eyes holding a meaningful look.

Qin Zhiyan suddenly realized she'd fallen into Yun Wan's trap. If she said that, wouldn't Senior Brother...

At this thought, she was at a loss for words. She ignored Yun Wan and hurriedly explained to Chu Lin, "Senior Brother, I didn't peek at you bathing... bathing. This... this ugly wretch is slandering me and framing me!" She grew increasingly angry, glancing at Yun Wan sideways before launching a personal attack.

"A respectable woman wouldn't be wandering this remote wilderness. I think you've been following us all this way, captivated by my senior brother's appearance. Now that I've caught you, you're trying to tarnish my reputation. Don't you even look in the mirror and see what kind of person you are? Are you worthy?"

Yun Wan honestly looked dreadful.

Not only was she filthy, but she also reeked of roe owl saliva. With her carefully concealed features, she certainly resembled the ugly wretch Qin Zhiyan described.

But!

Even if she were to spy, she'd want to spy on her own handsome bodyguard, not Chu Lin!

"Oh." Facing Qin Zhiyan's furious glare, Yun Wan smiled. "I was attracted to your senior brother's beauty and followed him. Then you suddenly followed me. If you weren't attracted to my beauty, why follow me? By your logic, you must not be a proper girl from a proper family either."

Qin Zhiyan had never encountered such rhetoric. Her eyes widened. "You? You? I wouldn't be attracted to an ugly woman like you!"

Yun Wan retorted, "Then why would I be attracted to your senior brother?"

"You're... you're slandering me!"

"You're talking nonsense."

"You're framing me!"

"You're being unreasonable."

For each phrase Qin Zhiyan uttered, Yun Wan countered with a retort.

After three exchanges, Qin Zhiyan's lips trembled with fury and her eyes misted with tears.

Yun Wan looked Chu Lin up and down, suddenly reaching out with a brazen gesture. Facing the shocked pair, Yun Wan shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Nothing special, not even half as good as my pretty boy."

Chu Lin, as the male protagonist of this cultivation novel, wouldn't kill innocent people indiscriminately.

Yun Wan was certain he wouldn't make a move, and also expected that her boss had the ability to rescue her from thousands of miles away, so she acted naturally arrogant.

Sure enough, this behavior directly made Qin Zhiyan burst into tears. Seeing her charging forward angrily with her sword, a small stone the size of a soybean suddenly flew from the distance and struck the hilt precisely, causing the sword to deviate three inches. Chu Lin became instantly alert, raised his sword and looked toward the forest—

"Who?"

His thumb pressed against the scabbard, ready to unleash his sword at any moment, and the atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

In the dark night, a man slowly approached.

Long hair, black robes, cold and detached features.

He glanced at Yun Wan and spoke a few words lightly: "Her pretty boy."

Previous/Next