After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 51

A damp sensation spread across her forehead, as if something was licking her, followed by the touch of something furry brushing against her.

Next to return was her hearing, a faint “meow” sounded by her ear. Struggling for a moment, Xu Jingqiu barely managed to open her eyes a slit. One eye remained white with a golden pupil, while the other was eerily black with a red vertical slit.

The calico cat was clearly startled by those eyes, hopping back a step before cautiously approaching again.

Xu Jingqiu forced herself to sit up, her head still throbbing with a splitting pain. It took a while for the discomfort to subside, and only then did she notice the little cat persistently rubbing against her.

A slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Xu Jingqiu patted the kitten’s head, picked it up, and gazed into the distance at the city ahead. Another wave of headache washed over her.

Where had she ended up? She didn’t recognize this city, nor did she know how long she had been unconscious or how much time had passed in the real world.

“Meow!” The kitten stretched out a paw and patted Xu Jingqiu, letting out another pitiful cry, “Meow~”

Xu Jingqiu scratched the kitten’s head as she walked and asked, “Are you hungry? Let’s go into the city and see if there’s any food for sale. Let me check good, the money Ye Shuran gave me is still here.” In fact, she was quite well-off.

Coincidentally, not far past the city gate, there was a steamed bun shop. Only an elderly man was tending it, and one basket of buns had already gone cold with no one buying them.

Xu Jingqiu walked over and bought a basket of buns. She fed one to the kitten first, then stored the rest away.

Perhaps because her disheveled appearance looked somewhat pitiful, the shopkeeper kindly gave her two extra buns, his face filled with deep sympathy and pity.

Xu Jingqiu: …

Maybe she should change her clothes first?

The kitten obediently crouched by the shop entrance, nibbling on its fresh bun. Xu Jingqiu entered the shop and casually picked out a set of simple blue clothes suitable for movement. She had initially thought she might need to pay extra to get new clothes, given her current state, but the shopkeeper didn’t seem to mind at all.

The shopkeeper wasn’t young either a middle-aged woman running the shop alone. Xu Jingqiu wasn’t used to being waited on, so she paid extra for a room to wash up. She even brought the kitten in and gave it a thorough cleaning before changing into her new clothes.

The calico, forced into an unexpected bath, was clearly displeased. But since it had no idea how many days it had gone hungry and Xu Jingqiu was its only source of food, it eventually hopped onto her shoulder and followed her out.

At first, Xu Jingqiu didn’t notice anything unusual, but as she ventured deeper into the city, she realized it wasn’t just the two shops she had visited earlier, the streets were largely devoid of young people. Everyone she saw was either elderly, children running around, or people with disabilities.

Something was off. The city’s scale and level of development were considerable, yet the population seemed somewhat desolate, lacking young and able-bodied laborers. Typically, such a situation was more common in underdeveloped areas.

She needed to find someone to ask, and maybe grab a bite to eat while she was at it.

Following a tantalizing aroma, Xu Jingqiu finally settled on a noodle shop. After ordering a bowl of noodles, she struck up a conversation with the owner.

“I came from outside and don’t know what’s been happening here. Do you know why there are so few young people around? Where have they all gone?” Xu Jingqiu was the first to break the silence.

The shop owner was startled by the question. She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before beckoning Xu Jingqiu closer and lowering her voice. “I was wondering how a young woman like you dared to walk the streets alone. If you ask me, once you finish that bowl, you should leave quickly if you don’t have urgent business.”

“You don’t know recently, soldiers have been everywhere arresting people. Almost all the young ones have been conscripted, so naturally, few are left. Even if there are any young people remaining, they wouldn’t dare show their faces!”

Xu Jingqiu raised an eyebrow, surprised by this revelation. She leaned in conspiratorially and asked quietly, “Conscripted? Is there a war somewhere?”

The shop owner, who seemed like someone who enjoyed gossip but had no one to share it with lately, couldn’t hold back now that she had an audience. “Ah, how would we common folk know? You know how those in power are, they’re eager to collect taxes and conscripts, but they never share any information. People like us are kept completely in the dark.”

“Look, this war has been going on for a year now with no end in sight. They initially claimed they’d achieve victory within a week, but now I hear they can’t even get close to the enemy’s territory. If this continues, I don’t know if my little shop can survive.”

A year… So, she had been gone for at least a year. Xu Jingqiu nodded, realizing she wouldn’t get more information by pressing further. She placed a silver ingot on the table, bid the shop owner farewell, and left.

The calico cat glanced at the shop owner, who was taken aback by the strangely human-like look in its eyes. By the time she recovered, both Xu Jingqiu and the cat had vanished, leaving only the silver ingot on the table.

Even so, Xu Jingqiu decided to stay in the city for a while to assess the situation though not because she didn’t know the location of Tian Zhi’s base. Her powers were still depleted. While she could still use the Heavenly Rule Compass, it was best to conserve energy whenever possible.

She rubbed her chin and caught sight of a hooded figure scurrying past nervously. She swiftly moved in front of him and asked, “Excuse me, could I ask for directions?”

The man flinched, initially thinking he was being apprehended. Upon seeing it was a young woman, he relaxed slightly. “Wh-what is it?”

“Do you know roughly which direction Tian Zhi is in?”

To her surprise, the man reacted as if she had mentioned some terrifying monster. Covering his ears, he shouted, “I don’t know!” and fled.

Xu Jingqiu soothed her startled cat and heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She slipped into an alley and vanished from sight.

A well-equipped military unit marched down the street, escorting a group of captives. The man who had run away earlier was not among them.

It seemed these were newly arrested individuals, while the previous man had managed to escape.

Without lingering, Xu Jingqiu turned and left, using a bit of her recovered energy to disguise herself as an elderly person.

She found an inn and took a room on the third floor. The owner gave her a few extra glances when she paid, which made Xu Jingqiu wary. Before leaving, she discreetly planted a listening device.

In a cultivation world, such gadgets were unheard of, so there was no need to worry about being discovered.

“Yes, a female cultivator. She used some method to alter her appearance. I could tell, she definitely wasn’t an old woman.”

Just as expected, Xu Jingqiu overheard the owner negotiating with someone, discussing how much the information was worth. Unfortunately, they didn’t touch on the topics she was interested in, how this war had started or who was fighting whom. She still had no idea.

But she could make some guesses.

Little Calico looked at her with concern, nudging her hand to be petted. Sensing the cat’s unease, Xu Jingqiu smiled and ruffled the fur on its head. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious.”

With that, she scooped up Little Calico and glanced out the window. A military unit was approaching, setting up a barrier to trap the area. She chuckled silently, scanned her bracelet over the door, and when it opened, the hallway of the inn was gone.

From a rooftop farther away, Xu Jingqiu watched as the soldiers searched floor by floor. She quickly lost interest and turned to leave.

Better to move on. It seemed the people here didn’t know much, and staying would likely be a waste of time.

Since patrols frequently roamed the streets, Xu Jingqiu opted to travel across the rooftops. It wasn’t until she reached the city’s outskirts, where buildings grew sparse, that she descended.

Little Calico hopped down and crouched by her feet, grooming itself before baring its teeth at the armed soldiers drawing near. Xu Jingqiu remained calm and unhurried, watching their approach with a faint smile.

“The city has a rule: all those of eligible age must enlist, especially cultivators. You should comply,” the female captain at the front declared.

Xu Jingqiu chuckled lightly, crossing her arms and tilting her head. “But I’m not from here. Do passersby have to follow your rules too?”

Seeing her lack of cooperation, the captain frowned. “Do you have proof?”

Xu Jingqiu countered, “How can you prove that I am from here?”

The captain fell silent. She truly didn’t know; she had come after receiving a report about a female cultivator evading conscription and wandering the city. But if this person really wasn’t a local.

“She really isn’t. I can vouch for her.” An unexpected voice drew everyone’s attention.

When she saw who it was, Xu Jingqiu’s pupils trembled slightly. She hadn’t expected to run into Chen Yulan here. Could this be a city affiliated with the Hehuan Sect?

Chen Yulan currently the Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect and its future sect leader.

When they first met, Xu Jingqiu had just fled the Duyun Sect and was being hunted, while Chen Yulan had been framed and forced to escape her own sect, pursued by assassins.

They had endured some difficult times together until the truth came to light, bringing that chapter to a close.

However, something unpleasant had happened between them in the Hehuan Sect, prompting Xu Jingqiu to leave once more.

What rotten luck, Xu Jingqiu thought, to run into that troublesome person again.

If Wen Banxia and Yin Ruolan could be described as the reserved, inarticulate type, then Chen Yulan was practically the embodiment of smooth-talking in Xu Jingqiu’s eyes.

Chen Yulan had rushed over after receiving a message from her subordinates, not originally holding out much hope only to actually catch sight of Xu Jingqiu.

Her smile brightened considerably as she turned to the female captain and said, “This is my friend. She’s a wandering cultivator, just passing through.”

The female captain paused briefly before giving Xu Jingqiu a slight bow. “My apologies. I mistakenly thought you were lying earlier. I’m sorry.”

Xu Jingqiu waved a hand dismissively. “It’s fine. We don’t know each other, so misunderstandings are natural.” Then, she turned to Chen Yulan, her eyes unable to conceal her confusion. “Why are you here?”

Chen Yulan chuckled softly and suddenly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around one of Xu Jingqiu’s arms. “Of course, I came to find you! It’s been so long since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?”

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