Acting as the Vicious Second Lead [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 43

“Senior Sister, wake up…”

A voice like silver bells rang in her ears, filled with worry. It felt as though it were drifting from a great distance, making it difficult for her to grasp.

Who is calling me?

Qin Xiaoxiao tried to think, but her head throbbed with agony. Her mind was a complete blank, and she had no idea what was happening.

Vaguely, she felt someone dabbing at her forehead with a soft cloth. The movements were hurried and heavy, betraying the person’s current state of panic.

In a moment, she mustered all her strength.

She could barely twitch a finger.

Then, consciousness rushed back.

As she opened her eyes, Qin Xiaoxiao felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if her skin and flesh were being torn apart—a burning, searing ache.

Instinctive tears welled up, and she gasped, her gaze instinctively darting toward her body.

She was dressed in a simple white gown of exquisite craftsmanship. Because her hand was resting on her abdomen, she could see golden bamboo leaves embroidered on her sleeves—a mark of luxury and status.

Unfortunately, due to the struggle with the bandits, the white dress was stained with mud and grey dust, looking wretched. A long gash had been cut across her chest, leaving the fabric torn to shreds.

Beneath the fabric, what met her eyes was not a scene of allure, but layers of blood-stained cloth wrapped tightly around her chest like bandages, making it hard to breathe.

“Senior Sister, you’re awake!”

The voice that had called out to her earlier rang out again from just above her.

“I… I thought you wouldn’t wake up.”

“Thank goodness, you didn’t sleep forever.”

Hearing this, Qin Xiaoxiao turned her head toward the sound.

The sky was clear, and the trees were lush with dark green leaves, swaying with a rustling sound.

Before her sat a young girl on the grass. Aside from her lips, which were pale and devoid of color, her features were exquisite and flawless. With a delicate nose, white teeth, and skin like jade, her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom. She wore her hair in a guan bun, with silver-white ribbons hanging down, making her look all the more charming. Her apricot-shaped eyes were filled with concern.

She wore a matching white gown with golden bamboo embroidery on the cuffs. She held a handkerchief embroidered with red leaves, stained with damp patches and grey dust.

It seemed she had just been wiping away Qin Xiaoxiao’s cold sweat.

Observing that the girl’s attire matched her own, Qin Xiaoxiao guessed they must belong to the same organization and were wearing their designated uniforms.

Yet, on the girl, the same outfit looked refined and ethereal—she was a little fairy in the flesh.

On the other side:

Seeing that her Senior Sister had awakened but was staring at her blankly, seemingly in pain from her wounds, the girl asked, “Does it hurt a lot, Senior Sister? Let’s rest a little longer.”

She hesitated as she spoke.

They were currently being hunted, and they had a mission to complete; they should be moving on. But she couldn’t bear to see her Senior Sister suffer if the journey worsened her condition. Thus, she chose to stay, even if it meant delaying the master’s secret orders.

Qin Xiaoxiao was completely unaware of her Junior Sister’s internal struggle or their dire situation. She simply nodded in agreement.

“To think the Chief Disciple of the Qingyun Sect is so pampered. The Sect Leader ordered you to accompany and protect us, yet you are no match for mere commoners and have ended up in this state.”

A man standing to the right, who had remained silent until now, suddenly sneered at the idea of them staying behind.

In his eyes, the Senior Sister’s days were numbered.

When they were surrounded by bandits earlier, he had clearly seen her take a blade to the chest—the wound had been deep enough to expose her internal organs. Although the Junior Sister had used various potions and bandages after they escaped, she was surely as good as dead or permanently disabled. Her strength would undoubtedly be diminished.

The sect had no need for mediocrity, and she no longer deserved the position of Chief Disciple. Since she was no longer the brilliant, high-status Senior Sister, he saw no reason to keep up appearances and cater to her.

Moving on quickly to complete the mission and claim the credit—that was what mattered.

Thinking this, the man walked toward the two of them. “Qingxue, let us leave at once.”

He then looked at the woman lying on the ground and added, “Don’t bother with the dying dog on the side of the road.”

“Nonsense!”

The girl, called Qingxue, felt a flush of anger rise to her face. She glared at the young man and rebuked him: “Senior Sister… she was injured because she was protecting us!”

“How can you say such a thing? Where is your conscience?”

“Fine, you have all the skill, and Senior Sister can’t help. Then go on your own and leave us out of it!”

Her eyes were cold.

The young man was enraged. “You…”

He swallowed the curse that had reached his throat, let out a “Tch,” and walked away.

Watching him leave, Qingxue bit her lip.

Qin Xiaoxiao closed her eyes and lay still on the ground, pretending to be dead. However, she had heard every word of their conversation.

Based on the clues, Qin Xiaoxiao realized which novel she had transmigrated into—the one mentioned in the files given to her by the Transmigration Department.

The novel was titled Martial Hegemony.

As the title suggested, it was completely different from the “sweet romance” world she had previously experienced. Martial Hegemony was a male-oriented, blood-pumping epic about conflict in the Jianghu.

It depicted the male lead’s journey to the top, his crusade against the Demonic Sect leader, and his final victory in unifying the Jianghu.

Yes, there was no harem.

Absolutely no romance.

The male lead was a complete martial arts fanatic, obsessed with gaining power and indifferent to affairs of the heart. In reality, the author had written it this way just to subtly cater to a “bromance” audience.

No girls? No problem. The author had the male lead share life-or-death moments and back-scrubbing sessions with his best friend. When the male lead told his buddy, “My dearest friend, aside from the martial path, you are the most important existence to me,” the comment section had blown up with fans shipping them.

To this, Qin Xiaoxiao could only think: As long as you’re happy, it doesn’t concern me.

The owner of the body she now occupied was named Xia Xi. She was the male lead’s disciple, promoted to Chief Disciple due to her exceptional talent.

Outwardly, the original host was righteous and a model for the sect, always caring for her frail Junior Sister. But deep down, she was a sinister villain. In private, she abused small animals and cruelly tortured prisoners, all while maintaining her kind, virtuous image in public.

She enjoyed the praise during the day and vented her sadistic urges at night—a comfortable life that lasted until the day of the mission where Qin Xiaoxiao took over. They had gone to Xiling Town to capture a fugitive, were ambushed by bandits, and the original host was gravely wounded.

Even though they eventually killed the bandits and captured the fugitive, the original host’s body was never the same. She required half a year of recovery. During that time, while others progressed, Xia Xi stagnated and fell behind. The male lead, seeing her decline, stripped her of her title and gave it to her Junior Brother, Yang Hu.

Unable to accept the downfall, Xia Xi became paranoid and twisted, eventually colluding with the Demonic Sect and betraying her master. When her actions were exposed, she framed the innocent Yan Qingxue, using her as a scapegoat. She personally tortured the girl until she was covered in blood, reveling in her betrayal.

But eventually, the truth came to light. The original host was expelled from the sect. After she was cast out, the “blackened” Yan Qingxue hunted her down and repaid her cruelty tenfold.

Thinking of this, Qin Xiaoxiao felt a pang of phantom pain in her chest.

She pulled herself back to reality and glanced at the obedient Junior Sister by her side. She sighed internally. Who would have thought that two people currently as close as sisters would eventually become bitter enemies?

For now, that doesn’t matter. The priority is the “cheat” system.

She excitedly searched her consciousness and found the wooden box. She opened it, and a surge of power flowed into her. The instructions appeared in her mind:

(Cheat Type: Black Finger / Power-up) Name: Martial Arts Bonus Daily Limit: 3 uses Duration: 10 minutes Time Limit: One World Details: In a violent world where blades have no eyes, are you, a clumsy player, worried about dying before you’ve even started? Don’t worry, you have gained otherworldly power that will make you invincible. But to maintain balance, there is a daily usage limit. Try not to die too quickly!

…Silence.

This is too much!! Qin Xiaoxiao furrowed her brows. In the last world, it only hinted she was “clumsy.” Now, it explicitly called her a “clumsy idiot.”

Suddenly, a curse from afar broke the peace.

Qin Xiaoxiao opened her eyes and looked to the left. A crowd of nearly a hundred people approached. The man in the lead was dressed in green and wore a fox mask. He was holding the Junior Brother, Yang Hu, by the throat.

“Go to hell! You damn parrot, let me go!” Yang Hu yelled, his face turning red from suffocation.

The masked man simply tightened his grip.

“Senior Sister,” Yan Qingxue’s expression changed. She stood up, trying to look calm. “You must run. I will hold them off.”

Knowing they couldn’t win, the girl still stood with unwavering determination.

“None of you are escaping,” the fox-masked man chuckled, signaling his men to capture them.

Qingxue fought bravely, but she was soon overwhelmed and suffered a deep cut to her arm. Blood dyed her white robes red. She gasped, and in that moment of weakness, more blades swung toward her.

This was a losing battle.

In this critical moment, Qin Xiaoxiao pushed aside her chest pain. She scrambled up, drew her sword, and activated the power-up.

A surge of power flooded her meridians. The searing pain in her chest was replaced by a warm, comfortable sensation, as if she were soaking in a hot spring. She felt a massive amount of internal energy gathering in her dantian.

This is it.

She didn’t have much time. Qin Xiaoxiao curled her lips into a smile, gripped her sword, and charged forward while her Junior Sister and Brother watched in astonishment.

“Get your hands off my Junior Sister!”