“You did very well.” Wei Liang’s deep voice echoed softly in Lin Jiu’s ear, like an intimate whisper between lovers. Whether intentional or not, his lips gently grazed her earlobe, leaving behind a chilling sensation akin to icy snow that caused her to shiver reflexively.
He straightened up, gently striking the back of her hand as his expression and tone returned to their usual icy yet gentle demeanor, “I’ll be back soon.”
Lin Jiu was left bewildered by his split-personality behavior. She blinked, looking blankly at Wei Liang and then at Liu Qingyin, finally realizing the truth—
‘Isn’t this the oldest and most cliché way to break someone’s heart? By deliberately showing affection to another woman, the male lead is trying to make the female lead give up on him!’
‘But why does the side character always have to be dragged into the main couple’s emotional whirlpool, huh?! What did the original Lin Qiu do to deserve this?!’
As soon as Wei Liang and Liu Qingyin left the room, Lin Jiu jumped out of bed, hastily put on her wedding robe, and immediately chased after the two. Eventually, she reached the wooden suspension bridge that connected this mountain with the neighboring peak.
Wei Liang’s sect was called Wanjiangui Sect,1 which was quite an arrogant name. However, Wei Liang was powerful enough to hold the name. Besides his strength as an individual, seven of his disciples had reached the height of cultivation with the title of Great Sword Immortal, with him standing above them as the Great Sword Monarch.
The seven great sword immortals lived on separate peaks, encircling Wei Liang’s main peak like stars around the moon. Each peak was connected by suspension bridges that formed one continuous path.
By the time Lin Jiu reached the bridge, Wei Liang and Liu Qingyin’s figures had long disappeared into the distance. The wind was fierce at this height, causing the bridge to sway violently. With only two long iron chains to hold on to as handrails, Lin Jiu was immediately struck by a wave of fear.
The original Lin Qiu had mediocre talent, achieving the basic Foundation Establishment stage at fifteen but unable to sense sword intent after two years. As a result, her cultivation resources were cut off and given to her younger brother, Lin Dong. Now, Lin Qiu’s cultivation had barely reached the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment, making her just slightly stronger than an ordinary person. Nevertheless, while she might have improved strength and endurance and could withstand hunger for longer periods compared to her previous life, falling into the bottomless chasm below would undoubtedly result in her death.
‘Forget it, forget it.’ Lin Jiu backed off. ‘It’s just one senior brother who isn’t following the plot, right? It’s never worth risking my life for a man!’
Just as she was about to retrace her steps, a gust of wind suddenly howled up from the depths of the mountain, causing the bridge to shake violently. It twisted like a snake, giving Lin Jiu no time to react. Her feet slipped, the bridge flipped a full ninety degrees, and she hurriedly clutched the iron chains for dear life. With her feet stuck in the gap between the wooden planks, she hung in the air, swaying back and forth with the bridge and completely at the mercy of the fierce mountain wind.
Lin Jiu’s mind went blank. No one could understand the feeling of falling to one’s death better than her. Just that morning, her parents and younger brother had barged into the one-bedroom apartment she had just purchased, demanding that she transfer the property to her brother for his upcoming marriage.
Of course she had refused without hesitation. Ten years ago, when they discovered she had cancer, her so-called family kicked her out of the house and abandoned her to fend for herself. From that day on, she no longer had ties with those people.
Fortunately, her condition hadn’t worsened over the years, allowing her to work hard and save enough money to buy herself a small place of her own. She hadn’t even had time to enjoy it when her ‘family’ had sniffed out the scent of opportunity and come crashing into her door. Bloodsucking leeches were nothing compared to them!
When she stood firm and refused to transfer the apartment to her brother, her father, in a moment of ruthless resolve, pushed her off the building, over thirty floors high.
In that last moment, Lin Jiu realized that people’s eyes could truly speak. She saw the menacing expression on her father’s face, telling her that spending a few years in prison in exchange for a house in the city for his son was worth it!
She died too quickly, never getting the chance to tell those heartless people that she had only paid the down payment—they wouldn’t be able to afford the monthly mortgage!
Moreover, she had used her mobile phone to livestream the entire ordeal to her friend. A father guilty of intentional homicide, a mother who only cried and complained, and a younger brother who was spoiled into uselessness by a pair of parents who favored boys over girls… their fates would now be tied to a living hell for the rest of their lives!
Even as Lin Jiu endured the searing pain of shattered organs and smashed bones, she managed to put on a malicious grin on her last breath. However, she never expected that death wasn’t actually the end. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a novel she had once read, clad in a red bridal gown and veil. As she sat in confusion on the festive bridal bed, she inherited all of Lin Qiu’s memories.
’Is this… Heaven’s way of saying my last fall wasn’t dramatic enough, and it’s time for me to fall again?’
Looking down into the bottomless chasm below, Lin Jiu took a deep breath and gripped the iron chains tightly, tightening her hold even more.
She must hang in there. Her mid-stage Foundation Establishment physique was much stronger than that of an ordinary person. As long as she held on, the wind would eventually stop.
Steadying her mind, Lin Jiu closed her eyes and concentrated on feeling the surrounding wind. She wouldn’t die here. She would live and live better than anyone else.
Finally, the wind slowed down. Lin Jiu carefully tried to lift herself…
…when a force suddenly tried to pull her away from the chain.
Lin Jiu gripped even harder, her knuckles cracking audibly.
“Let go,” an exasperated voice came from a slightly higher position.
“Huh?!” Lin Jiu quickly looked up, almost twisting her neck in the process, and saw Wei Liang’s tall figure. One of his hands was holding her by the waist while the other resting casually behind his back.
His red robe fluttered wildly in the mountain wind, making his face appear even paler and his hair darker, creating a sharp contrast.
Seeing that she still wouldn’t let go, Wei Liang raised his hand. With elegance and precision, his slender fingers effortlessly cut through the iron chain, causing it to swing in a wide arc before dropping into the chasm.
Lin Jiu was still holding onto a short section of the chain when she fell directly into the cold embrace.
“What is it? Can’t even bear this brief separation?” Wei Liang turned her around to face him. His face remained cold, but there was a hint of teasing in his calm tone.
“I just wanted to check if that senior brother is really dead or not,” Lin Jiu said with a sigh.
A slight twitch appeared on Wei Liang’s lips, but his words were interrupted by the sudden arrival of Liu Qingyin, who gracefully rode her sword through the wind.
What greeted the love-struck female lead was this scene: Lin Jiu, nestled entirely in Wei Liang’s arms, her face pale, her eyes slightly red, and her hands clutching the broken iron chain. There was a unique kind of charm about her—a mix of vulnerability and indescribable allure.
Liu Qingyin’s face paled even more. Unable to maintain her composure any longer, she immediately turned and flew off on her sword.
Under the moonlight, a trace of a cold smile flickered in Wei Liang’s eyes. Casually stepping on the wind, he carried Lin Jiu to the Yunhe Peak2, where his chief disciple, Qin Yunxi, resided.
Cultivators’ residences may not seek luxury, but they prioritize the site’s richness in spiritual aura. As soon as Lin Jiu set foot on Yunhe Peak, she instantly felt refreshed, the cool and concentrated spiritual aura seeping into her lungs with every breath. Clearly, cultivating in such a place would yield twice the results with half the effort. In comparison, Wei Liang’s main peak could be considered barren.
The seven great sword immortals of the Wanjiangui Sect each had numerous disciples under them, who in turn also took disciples, and so on. If any of these peaks were pulled out on its own, it would still rank as a large sect.
With Qin Yunxi regaining consciousness, the disciples of Yunhe Peak naturally wore expressions of joy. Seeing Wei Liang approach, they bowed their heads in deep respect and quietly stepped aside to make way, “Greetings to Sword Monarch.”
Wei Liang entered Qin Yunxi’s abode3 with Lin Jiu. Qin Yunxi lay on a cold jade bed, his face deathly pale, his eyes only half-open. Three people stood around him—aside from Liu Qingyin, there were two male disciples, ranked second and fourth among the seven. During the battle between righteous and evil, three of Wanjiangui’s seven great sword immortals had fallen, leaving only these remaining three and Qin Yunxi, whose life and death were uncertain.
“Master!” The three cupped their hands with reverence and stepped back slightly.
Wei Liang walked forward, his cold eyes gazing down at Qin Yunxi. For some reason, Lin Jiu felt that Wei Liang’s mind wasn’t really there. Though he appeared to be looking at his disciple, the man’s gaze didn’t seem to focus on Qin Yunxi at all.
Lin Jiu, however, was the opposite. Driven by curiosity, she stepped forward to inspect the man lying on the bed. Qin Yunxi, who should have been dead, was alive—this was certainly variable, and as a fellow tragically fated side character, she welcomed any variables that could change the predetermined plot of the novel.
Qin Yunxi’s primordial spirit had been severely damaged. Although he had regained consciousness, his expression remained dull, and even moving his eyes seemed a struggle. Upon hearing the movement, he slowly shifted his gaze toward Wei Liang and Lin Jiu.
In Lin Jiu’s eyes, Qin Yunxi resembled a computer running very, very, very slowly. Even the tiniest actions caused a delay of several seconds. Watching him, Lin Jiu felt as though she was getting a lag too.
Qin Yunxi’s gaze finally settled on Wei Liang’s face. Then, Lin Jiu saw his expression change, very, very slowly. His eyes gradually began to glimmer, as though he had a thousand words he couldn’t express. His breathing became strangely rapid, an intense contrast to the slowness of his expression, creating an odd mix.
“Eldest Senior Brother! Do you have something you want to say to Master? Don’t rush, take it slow!” Liu Qingyin hurried forward, pressing down on Qin Yunxi’s wrist, channeling spiritual aura into him to help calm his emotions. “Those devil cultivators have all been wiped out. You just need to rest now, don’t overthink things!”
Qin Yunxi struggled to shift his gaze to Liu Qingyin’s face, his eyes slowly filling with pain—and within that pain, there seemed to be a deep, hidden affection.
Lin Jiu wasn’t surprised. It was given for all male characters to be drawn to Liu Qingyin, the female lead.
As if sensing Lin Jiu’s gaze, Qin Yunxi slowly shifted his eyes toward her, his stare fixed on her red wedding robe.
Lin Jiu’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly felt a wave of intense hatred rushing toward her. Caught off guard, she instinctively took two steps back, but the malice followed her like a shadow, seeping into her body! The sensation was indescribable, like being pierced by an ice spike.
Horrified, Lin Jiu looked up, but everyone else in the room appeared completely normal. No one seemed to notice anything unusual about her.
‘Boom!’ In the next moment, a deafening roar exploded in her mind, and the chaos within her spiritual sea was swept away. In the midst of this, she ‘saw’ a lotus bud quietly suspended within the boundless expanse of spiritual sea.
When Lin Jiu tried to ‘touch’ the black lotus bud with her consciousness, a revelation struck her. New information appeared in her mind, telling her what she needed to know. This object was called the Karma Lotus, originating from an ancient bloodline. In the Lin family, only once every thousand years would someone awaken the Karma Lotus. Once awakened, the Karma Lotus required a continuous absorption of malice from others.
Evil and sin were the nourishment for the Karma Lotus. If the lotus did not receive enough sustenance, it would backfire on its host, draining them completely.
Of course, with the drawbacks came benefits—each time a petal of the Karma Lotus opened, the host’s cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. When the outermost eight petals bloomed, the host could unleash a powerful killing technique, easily capable of destroying Nascent Soul-level cultivators! The Karma Lotus had five layers in total, and the power of unlocking all its petals was unimaginable!
Lin Jiu was so shaken by the discovery that it took her a long while to pull her consciousness out of the spiritual sea. She stared at Qin Yunxi lying on the cold jade bed, her emotions mixed and hard to describe, ‘Just how much did this person hate Lin Qiu, to immediately trigger her innate bloodline awakening?’
She stood still, locking eyes with Qin Yunxi. Inside her spiritual sea, the Karma Lotus slowly extended one petal before it stopped, only halfway blooming.
Lin Jiu lifted her eyes and glared at everyone in the room, one by one. Unfortunately, aside from Qin Yunxi, none of the others held enough malice toward her.
She lowered her gaze, her heart pounding—perhaps the original villainous side character in the novel had also awakened the Karma Lotus, which led her down a path of self-destruction. Turns out, it wasn’t just about unrequited love and hate…
Steadying her thoughts, she reviewed her memories again and found that the original Lin Qiu had no real interactions with this Qin Yunxi.
‘No, seriously, where has such deep hatred come from?’
‘Oh well, since he harbored such unreasonable malice toward me, I couldn’t be blamed for taking full advantage of it!’
Lin Jiu raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
< Previous | TOC | Advanced TOC |Next >
Translator’s note:
Hello everyone, I’m happy to introduce you to my newest project: Wake Up Male Lead, You Belong With The Female Lead! (WUML). This is a novel by one of my favorite authors, so I am very excited! Another translator has actually taken upon this title, but they stopped translating midway and deleted their site, which is why I am quite comfortable starting it over on my site.
For this first week, I am aiming for daily release (5 days in a row, one chapter per day), and then it will follow my regular, twice per week schedule starting next week (Tuesday & Thursday). For my regular readers, this is the replacement novel for The Healer Demands Payment! which will enter indefinite hiatus (by the author) soon.
For new readers, you may also want to check my other titles:
My Son is a Reborn Villain (Modern, finished)
Greetings, Ninth Uncle (Historical, finished. My most read title)
My Whole Family Are Villains (Modern, finished)
Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt (Modern, ongoing)
Daughter of the Dao and Devil Venerables (Cultivation, ongoing)
The Healer Demands Payment! (Cultivation, ongoing)
After Transmigrating into a Cannon Fodder Real Daughter, the Plot Changes (Modern, ongoing)
Enjoy!
Wants more chapters?
Click this page for the status of sponsored chapters.
Click this page for advanced chapters TOC.
- Wanjiangui (万剑归) literal translation more or less means ‘unity of ten thousand swords.’ This phrase symbolizes the idea of all swords converging back to their origin, typically referring to ultimate mastery or unity.
- Yunhe (云鹤) means Cloud Crane, with the character Yun (cloud) taken directly from Qin Yunxi’s name.
- Dongfu (洞府) literally translates as cave dwelling and is the legendary abode of immortals.
Just two chapters and I’m already hooked. I love xianxia. This looks to have plenty of comedy as well. Can’t wait!
Thanks!