After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 31

In a place unseen, Qu Tao irritably rubbed the ring on his finger.

This shouldn’t be happening. Since Wen Banxia was one of his destined companions, shouldn’t she have sought him out for the next phase of their relationship after learning that the rebellion was his doing and hearing the rebels’ propaganda within her sect? Why had she instead driven them out? Was this some kind of reverse psychology, a ploy to lure him over? Did that mean he needed to go to the Duyun Sect to find Wen Banxia? And since the female lead, Chen Yulan, was likely with her, this would be a perfect chance to make progress with her as well.

Their last meeting had been too brief, probably leaving no impression. This time, he could deepen her memory of him. The only question was whether the two women would end up fighting.

As Qu Tao’s thoughts wandered, the consciousness within the ring remained silent for a while before speaking. “According to the plot, your influence is still in its early stages. You haven’t met her yet, so it’s normal for her not to know.”

“So, should I go find her now?” Qu Tao felt a surge of eagerness, already taking a step forward, only to be called back. “No, what you should be doing now is stabilizing your followers and continuing your cultivation. Your current strength is still too weak, which hinders the growth of your influence.”

The words “too weak” struck a nerve, but since the consciousness in the ring was the only one who recognized his uniqueness and provided him with resources, Qu Tao gritted his teeth and suppressed his frustration.

As a rare single-spiritual-root prodigy, he had expected great acclaim after the sect competition. Yet, only a minor sect had been willing to take him in. To make matters worse, his assigned mentor wasn’t even the sect leader but a minor elder far removed from the sect’s core affairs.

The cultivation techniques he received were all low-level and practically worthless. Years of effort had yielded little progress, and now they claimed he hadn’t worked hard enough? In the end, the sect leader even assigned him to sweep the courtyards.

Fortunately, this humiliation led him to discover a treasure ring in a forgotten corner. The senior inside bestowed upon him a technique that allowed him to reach the Foundation Establishment stage overnight.

He knew it all along it was never his fault. He simply hadn’t been noticed!

The senior told him he was one of the key figures destined to shape the world, known as the “male lead.” Alongside him was the “female lead,” Chen Yulan, the Saintess of the Hehuan Sect.

He had seen Chen Yulan during the sect competition, and she was truly worthy of him. In addition, the young mistress of the Duyun Sect, the sovereign of the Demon Realm, and the young chieftain of the demon tribe were all destined to become his companions.

In the end, he would stand atop the world, peerless and unrivaled. This was the fate he deserved, not obscurity in some forgotten corner where no one recognized his worth.

But it was alright now, he had finally encountered his opportunity. He even had his own faction, and now the sect leader had to defer to him.

According to the senior, his previous misfortunes were all due to someone stealing his destiny: Xu Jingqiu. Not only that, this person had also taken one of his destined companions, becoming the Demon Sovereign’s consort.

He would settle every one of these debts.

As for how to reclaim everything, it began with developing his influence, steadily expanding it until he could replace Penglai’s standing.

Although Qu Tao was still quite dissatisfied that he couldn’t immediately take over, he held back his frustration since the senior had indeed helped him somewhat.

No matter, the opportunity would come soon!

Meanwhile, after arriving at a remote city-state, Yin Ruolan found that Xu Jingqiu still hadn’t woken up. She simply bought a carriage, decorated the interior slightly to make it at least comfortable to lie down in, and then gently placed Xu Jingqiu inside.

Away from the familiar environment, Xu Jingqiu subconsciously furrowed her brow, as if dreaming of something unpleasant, showing signs of discomfort.

Seeing this, Yin Ruolan half-knelt down and gently patted Xu Jingqiu, smoothing out her furrowed brow with her hand while softly comforting her. It was rare to see her looking so vulnerable, what exactly had she experienced in her dream?

To be precise, what else had she endured in the past? Would she remember their shared history?

Feeling a pang of heartache, Yin Ruolan leaned closer, pressing her forehead against Xu Jingqiu’s. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. I’ll always be by your side.”

After comforting her, Yin Ruolan stood up. “Take good care of her. Don’t let her fall, or I’ll hold you responsible,” she said sternly to the little white tiger.

The little white tiger: …

She didn’t dare to resist or growl back the only person who could back her up was still unconscious. Bai Yi looked at Xu Jingqiu with a headache, wondering what to do.

In the end, she actually came up with an idea. Bai Yi simply enlarged herself a bit, leaned against Xu Jingqiu, and lay down, blocking her securely before turning to look at Yin Ruolan.

Yin Ruolan nodded in satisfaction and went out to drive the carriage, leading the group onward toward the demon realm. They would arrive soon. Once there, she could find someone to take a look at Xu Jingqiu. After one last glance into the carriage, Yin Ruolan gave the order to depart.

Was it just her imagination, or had the temperature in the demon realm dropped slightly again?

Strictly speaking, the demon realm was divided into five main cities and some smaller subordinate towns. Beyond that, in the remote and harsh areas, there were many desolate villages where the demons living were anything but kind, they survived by robbing passing humans and demons, as the land was utterly unsuitable for living, barren and incapable of sustaining plant life.

When they had passed through before, these people had remained quiet. It was uncertain whether they would emerge to rob them this time.

As they reached the outskirts of a desolate village, Yin Ruolan raised her hand, signaling everyone to stop and stay alert, drawing their weapons. Liu Ruichu rode up beside Yin Ruolan and exchanged a meaningful glance.

Yin Ruolan pointed toward the demons at the back, indicating that Liu Ruichu should go protect the other demons, she alone was enough here. Inside the carriage, Bai Yi, who had been lying down, lifted her head and looked outside with a serious expression before standing up.

The movement finally stirred the person who had been sleeping soundly. Xu Jingqiu rubbed her eyes, unaware of what was happening. A large tiger head leaned over and gently nuzzled her, and she drifted back into a hazy sleep.

No, her head was still spinning, making it hard to distinguish reality from dreams. When she opened her eyes, each eye seemed to see a different scene, and the dizziness was unbearable.

She tried to sit up, but after lifting herself slightly, she fell back weakly.

Every treatment session was like this, and from the very first session until now, the duration of the treatments had grown longer, the aftereffects had become more severe, and their persistence had extended further. She had no idea how long this one would last.

Xu Jingqiu knew it was because her memories were far too fragmented. The longer this went on, the more memories she lost, making the treatments increasingly difficult and creating a vicious cycle.

“Mmm…” Xu Jingqiu let out a pained groan and curled up slightly.

Bai Yi could only watch anxiously, her only recourse being to tuck the blanket securely around Xu Jingqiu and stand guard, waiting either for their destination to arrive or for Xu Jingqiu to recover.

Yin Ruolan also heard the noise. Originally, she had planned to wait a little longer, but now she abandoned that idea entirely. The demons behind her nodded in unison, raising their weapons to signal they were ready. Only then did Yin Ruolan wave her hand to give the signal.

The procession moved forward, every member concealing their battle intent perfectly, ensuring that the enemies lurking in the shadows remained unaware. When they reached the midpoint, Yin Ruolan cast a cold gaze over the mounds rising from the snow and spoke icily, “Stop hiding. Did you really think your concealment was so profound? Such an obvious trap, do you take me for a fool?”

No sooner had she spoken than ragged demons burst forth from the snowdrifts, weapons in hand, charging without a word. The demon forces behind Yin Ruolan needed no command; they surged forward, and chaos erupted instantly.

The largest carriage naturally became the primary target. Some of the attackers even split off to engage Yin Ruolan, while others charged straight for the carriage. To their surprise, however, Yin Ruolan seemed unconcerned. With a wave of her hand, she decapitated wave after wave of assailants as effortlessly as slicing melons. As for the carriage at the rear, she paid it little mind at the moment.

Just as the attacks were about to strike the carriage, it shattered from the inside. A white tiger burst out, carrying someone on its back. The moment they leaped free, the carriage was hacked to pieces.

Half-conscious, Xu Jingqiu thought: Huh?

No, this is too bumpy. I’m dizzy. I feel sick.

What’s happening now? Instinctively, Xu Jingqiu held her head and tightened her cloak around herself, only then noticing she was clutching a daisy. She felt a moment of confusion before guessing who must have left it there.

She couldn’t sense Wen Banxia’s presence. She was gone. After a brief silence, Xu Jingqiu carefully stored the flower in a separate space within her storage ring, then finally took a moment to assess the situation.

Demons were locked in combat with other demons, while Bai Yi carried her around in a frantic dash. The scene was utter chaos. Was she dreaming? Why were demons fighting each other? Was it a power struggle?

And also… “So, you can grow bigger!” Xu Jingqiu exclaimed in amazement.

Bai Yi: …

Is now really the time to be focusing on that?

Before Xu Jingqiu could observe further, a hand lifted her from the tiger’s back, holding her securely in a protective embrace.

A familiar voice sounded by her ear, soothing the relentless dizziness and nausea: “How are you feeling? Still unwell?”

Xu Jingqiu nodded weakly; she had woken up earlier than expected this time and was far from recovered. This was likely her most vulnerable state.

“It’s alright, we’ll handle this quickly. Once it’s done, we’ll go home,” Yin Ruolan said, holding a sword in one hand while shielding Xu Jingqiu with the other, her eyes gleaming with a crimson light. “Demons are coming. Be careful of the attack.”

Demon attack? Demons? Aren’t demons something from the West? Isn’t this a cultivation world with an Eastern setting?

Just as Xu Jingqiu was about to ask, the sound of something cutting through the air and flesh tearing echoed beside them, and the scent of blood instantly filled the air.

“…”

Maybe it’s better to wait a bit.

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