After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 52

Xu Jingqiu calmly withdrew her arm. “We’re not that close.” The calico cat stood beside her, baring its teeth at Chen Yulan.

Chen Yulan paid no mind to Xu Jingqiu’s aloofness or the cat’s hostility, waving for the female captain to lead the troops away. Once the unrelated personnel had departed, she smiled warmly and said, “Oh? I thought our life-and-death experience had brought us closer.”

She was referring to their time on the run. Xu Jingqiu glanced at the strangely dejected calico, picked it up, and only then turned to the smiling Chen Yulan. “Ah, that was so long ago. I can hardly remember it now.”

“Meow!” The calico let out a weak cry, placing its paw on her chest. Xu Jingqiu chuckled softly and gently squeezed the cat’s paw pad.

She had a feeling Chen Yulan might know this cat. “Do you recognize it?” Xu Jingqiu asked.

Chen Yulan’s smile faded slightly as she looked at the calico. “I do, but she’s not my cat. Aren’t you curious how I managed to appear here so promptly?”

Come to think of it, even Xu Jingqiu herself didn’t know where she was. If Chen Yulan had been following her, it seemed unlikely she hadn’t shown up for such a long time before.

Of course, Xu Jingqiu thought to herself, it wasn’t impossible that Yin Ruolan had intercepted her and prevented their meeting. “Why? And where is this place?”

Chen Yulan smiled faintly, reaching out to hook Xu Jingqiu’s chin and tilt it upward. “This is a subsidiary city of the Joyful Union Sect. As soon as I heard you were here, I came right away. Naturally, I could arrive so punctually~”

Xu Jingqiu frowned imperceptibly and took a small step back. “A subsidiary city of the Joyful Union Sect? Why are there so few people on the streets? And why are troops still arresting people everywhere?”

Typically, subsidiary cities of major sects were extremely prosperous. Relying on the sect’s influence, even ordinary people had access to more trade routes and safer living conditions, which naturally boosted the economy not to mention that many disciples of major sects were far from poor.

It was rare to see such desolation and widespread fear.

“What else could it be? The demon realm and the monster realm have merged. Penglai initiated the war, but the front lines have made no progress, and their numbers keep dwindling. Of course, they have to recruit from the mortal cities.” As she spoke, Chen Yulan’s casual tone carried a hint of anger.

The calico in Xu Jingqiu’s arms snatched back a strand of hair that Chen Yulan had been toying with and hissed at her in displeasure. Chen Yulan shrugged and refrained from further teasing.

Xu Jingqiu glanced coldly at another troop in the distance that seemed intent on making arrests but hesitated due to Chen Yulan’s presence. Her voice was icy. “Sending ordinary people without spiritual power to the battlefield? Has Penglai gone mad?”

Chen Yulan spread her hands helplessly, equally furious but unable to show it, lest not only she but all the disciples of the Joyful Union Sect suffer the consequences.

“Who knows? Penglai has long been insane, haven’t they? Aside from their own people, they treat everyone else’s lives as worthless as weeds.”

“Enough of these vexing matters. How about we discuss what comes next?”

Xu Jingqiu instinctively exchanged a glance with the calico cat in her arms, then felt she must have truly lost her mind from lack of rest thinking she could consult a cat about what to do next. “Next? Judging by your expression, it seems you want to invite me to the Joyful Union Sect for a visit?”

Chen Yulan nodded. “You guessed right. Look at the army over there. If I weren’t here, you’d likely be interrogated again. You’re too easy to capture here. Why not come with me to the Joyful Union Sect to rest?”

As she spoke, Chen Yulan leaned closer, once again assessing Xu Jingqiu’s condition. “I know you well enough your current state is far from ideal.”

Xu Jingqiu fell silent. She truly wasn’t in good shape, but going to the Joyful Union Sect. “Are you so certain I’ll be safe there?” Xu Jingqiu asked, her tone implying more than she said.

Chen Yulan naturally understood what Xu Jingqiu was referring to and, for once, dropped her smile. After a moment of silence, she spoke earnestly, “Yes, I’m certain. What happened before won’t happen again. I am now the Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect, and my influence has even surpassed the sect leader’s. As long as I’m there, no one in the sect can lay a finger on you.”

Seeing Chen Yulan’s serious expression, Xu Jingqiu found herself conflicted once more. Even so, she was reluctant to go. She preferred a quieter place to recuperate, like the Heavenly Order.

Just as she was about to refuse, Xu Jingqiu suddenly sensed something amiss, an aura emanating from Chen Yulan. It was faint, but unmistakably the presence of an Outer God.

It wasn’t possession or a symbiotic relationship like Ai Yanran’s; more accurately, it was residual energy from having been in close proximity to an Outer God for some time.

Someone associated with the Outer Gods had been near her. Xu Jingqiu’s eyes darkened, and under Chen Yulan’s hopeful gaze, she nodded in agreement.

Visibly, Chen Yulan brightened not with a practiced, artificial smile, but a genuine one. Meanwhile, the calico cat seemed to wilt even more.

Chen Yulan took out a spirit whistle and summoned her mount. Soon, a white crane flew over and, upon seeing Xu Jingqiu, immediately nuzzled its fluffy head against her cheek.

Xu Jingqiu chuckled softly, freeing one hand to pat the crane.

Even though she had witnessed how popular Xu Jingqiu was among demons and spirit beasts during their time on the run, seeing it again was still astonishing.

Chen Yulan also smiled lightly, sighing with emotion. “You’re still as popular as ever! You should know, these white cranes in our sect are usually aloof and indifferent to people. Only this one, who has been with me since it was young, is slightly friendlier.”

Yet with Xu Jingqiu, it was affectionate at first sight.

“Let’s go,” Xu Jingqiu said, not responding to Chen Yulan’s remark. “Is there only one?”

Chen Yulan smiled as if she had won a victory, moving behind Xu Jingqiu to wrap her arms around her and help her onto the crane’s back. Leaning close to her ear, she whispered, “No other choice. The war is intense right now, and having even one is quite fortunate.”

Xu Jingqiu still wasn’t used to such closeness and leaned forward slightly. “Oh.” The next moment, she was pulled back by the arms encircling her.

“Be careful, don’t fall,” Chen Yulan warned.

Xu Jingqiu and the calico cat both glanced down simultaneously, then quickly looked away and froze, not daring to move. There was no helping it if they fell now, it would be disastrous. They had no means of self-protection.

It was, quite high up.

Chen Yulan couldn’t remember how long it had been since she last sat so peacefully with Xu Jingqiu. It felt like a distant memory from long ago.

“Do you remember? We used to travel like this, sitting together on the back of a spirit beast.”

Xu Jingqiu instinctively tried to recall along with Chen Yulan’s words, but there were too many memories, and too much time had passed. Even with her memories restored, she couldn’t quite grasp them clearly. “It’s been too long. I can’t remember anymore.”

Chen Yulan didn’t mind. She cautiously moved closer and, seeing that Xu Jingqiu didn’t resist, rested her chin on Xu Jingqiu’s shoulder with relief. “It’s alright. I remember, and that’s enough. Can I lean on you and rest for a while?”

Xu Jingqiu tilted her head to look at the person leaning against her. Chen Yulan had already closed her eyes, her breathing steady, so Xu Jingqiu said nothing and simply patted the head of the clearly displeased little cat.

Had so much time really passed? The once impulsive and restless person now seemed capable of standing on her own.

It wasn’t until they reached the Joyful Union Sect that Xu Jingqiu lifted her shoulder to wake Chen Yulan. During the journey, Chen Yulan had indeed fallen asleep, and it felt as though someone had protected her and shielded her from the wind.

But when she woke up, the person in front of her had her back turned, as if the earlier sensations had been nothing but a dream.

Chen Yulan was the first to dismount, then reached out to hold Xu Jingqiu’s hand and help her down. Xu Jingqiu was still holding the little cat in her arms.

Returning to the Joyful Union Sect again, to be honest, Xu Jingqiu didn’t have the fondest memories of the place. Yet, as she looked around, it seemed much had changed. Many of the old things were gone, replaced by new ones.

Instinctively wanting to keep her distance, Xu Jingqiu realized that Chen Yulan, who had been supporting her earlier, hadn’t withdrawn her hand. Instead, she was still holding Xu Jingqiu’s hand.

Sensing Xu Jingqiu’s attempt to pull away, Chen Yulan tightened her grip slightly and smiled. “Don’t rush. I’ll let go once we reach our destination. It’s easier to enter the Joyful Union Sect if I’m holding your hand, and we’re less likely to be questioned. These are special times.”

That brief attempt made Xu Jingqiu aware that, in her current state, she couldn’t easily break free. Any struggle would surely cause a commotion, so she let it be.

Indeed, no one stopped them along the way. Compared to the past, when she had to sneak in and face layers of questioning even after resolving a crisis, it was much more peaceful now.

At most, every passerby simply glanced their way.

Chen Yulan’s courtyard was located at the peak of a mountain. According to her, it was the residence of every successive Holy Maiden. Traditionally, each Holy Maiden would inherit the previous one’s dwelling, perhaps adding a few things, but Chen Yulan had completely demolished and rebuilt it.

Back when Xu Jingqiu was being hunted, the previous Holy Maiden had played no small part in the efforts.

“Would you mind staying in the room next to mine for now? No one usually comes here,” Chen Yulan asked, leading Xu Jingqiu to the room, her tone unusually hesitant.

Xu Jingqiu glanced around the room. The calico cat jumped down and sniffed around before looking at Xu Jingqiu and meowing, as if quite satisfied.

Xu Jingqiu was rather pleased as well. The room was bright and simple, almost tailor-made to her preferences not at all like the “spare room” Chen Yulan had described earlier.

“Thank you. You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Xu Jingqiu said.

Chen Yulan breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you like it. I still have some official matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now. You should rest for now, if you need anything, just ring the bell.”

After giving a few more instructions, Chen Yulan finally left. Just as she had said earlier, the place was indeed undisturbed.

Already in a state of extreme exhaustion, Xu Jingqiu now found herself in a relatively safe environment. The moment she relaxed, fatigue washed over her. After setting up a defensive alarm, she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep instantly, not even bothering to cover herself with the blanket.

Naturally, Xu Jingqiu didn’t notice the calico cat, which had been lying nearby, jump onto the bed after she fell asleep and gaze at her with an almost human-like, complex expression.

Sensing the drop in temperature, the calico cat gently tugged the blanket over Xu Jingqiu and then curled up beside her, drifting into a deep sleep.

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