After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 54

When the familiar damp sensation returned, Xu Jingqiu opened her eyes to find the sky outside already bright, and herself in the room Chen Yulan had prepared for her.

Her head was slightly dizzy, the reaction was more intense than she had anticipated.

She had little tolerance for the drugs of this world, and even a simple mist powder had managed to knock her out.

Casually comforting the anxious little cat, Xu Jingqiu held the cat in her arms and walked to the door, unsurprised to find the same female captain guarding the entrance.

“Hello,” Xu Jingqiu greeted calmly, showing no trace of dissatisfaction or panic at being confined.

The captain was taken aback by her composure, pausing briefly before nodding in return. “Good morning, Miss Xu. My name is Jingli. I am under the Saintess’s orders to ensure your safety.”

Xu Jingqiu nodded, accepting the situation with equanimity. “Ah, I see. Thank you for your efforts. By the way, will breakfast still be delivered?”

Jingli hadn’t expected Xu Jingqiu’s first concern to be about food rather than her nominal protection which was essentially house arrest. “Yes, I will arrange it immediately. What would you like?”

“Something light, with a bit of meat,” Xu Jingqiu replied, stroking the calico cat once more. Feeling that she might be acting too calmly, she added, “Oh, and is it possible to take a walk outside?”

So she hadn’t noticed that earlier? Jingli’s slightly furrowed brow relaxed as she shook her head, denying the request. “I’m afraid not. The sect is currently in some turmoil, and the Saintess has ordered that no one may leave without her permission.”

As expected, Xu Jingqiu’s expression darkened. To prevent her from attempting to force her way out, Jingli racked her brains for a way to placate her. “The Saintess will resolve the matter soon, and then you’ll be able to. Wait, who’s there?”

Xu Jingqiu had already noticed the uninvited guest who had abruptly entered the courtyard. The calico cat in her arms was bristling with fear, and it was only then that Jingli sensed the intruder her perception lagging behind even the cat’s.

This calico cat. No, now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. Xu Jingqiu quickly refocused her thoughts and turned her gaze to the cold, aloof woman standing in the courtyard, sensing the undisguised killing intent emanating from her.

But she had no memory of this person.

Jingli had already sheathed her sword and bowed with clasped fists. “Greetings, Sect Leader.”

The Sect Leader of the Joyful Union Sect. A new face. Xu Jingqiu did her best to suppress the nearly uncontrollable killing intent in her eyes, though her left eye stung from the intensity of the emotion.

This person was somewhat dangerous but only somewhat. Still, caution was necessary. A year ago, she hadn’t encountered this individual. “May I ask what brings you here? I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“No,” Ji Yiliu spoke, her voice as icy as her appearance. “I know you, and I remember how you single-handedly threw the entire Joyful Union Sect into chaos back then. Though at the time, you were probably too focused on escaping to notice me.”

Xu Jingqiu watched Ji Yiliu warily but maintained a relaxed demeanor. “Is that so? I truly don’t recall seeing you. Did I accidentally harm you that day? Though I suspect not.”

Ji Yiliu nodded indifferently. “Indeed. You were weak and incompetent back then. The thought of you injuring me was nothing but a fantasy.”

Xu Jingqiu: “In that case, where does your hostility come from?”

Ji Yiliu glanced at the cat nestled in Xu Jingqiu’s arms, then turned her gaze to Jingli, who was steadfastly guarding Xu Jingqiu under Chen Yulan’s orders. Frowning slightly, she said, “There are too many people here. Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“That won’t do,” Jingli refused firmly, despite the pressure. “The Saintess has ordered that Miss Xu is not to leave without permission not even if the Sect Leader demands it.”

In fact, the Saintess’s exact words were, “Especially not the Sect Leader.” Jingli didn’t know why the Saintess was so wary of the Sect Leader, but her duty was to follow the Saintess’s commands.

Only then did Ji Yiliu truly look at Jingli, letting out a cold laugh. “She’s certainly raised a loyal dog.”

Seeing that Ji Yiliu seemed genuinely intent on taking action against Jingli, Xu Jingqiu spoke up, redirecting Ji Yiliu’s attention back to herself. “I don’t think there’s anything for us to discuss. I’ve never harmed you, and I have no memory of you. There’s nothing to talk about.”

Facing Xu Jingqiu, Ji Yiliu’s voice turned icy. “That’s not for you to decide.”

For a moment, the three stood in a standoff or more accurately, Ji Yiliu and Xu Jingqiu were locked in confrontation. Jingli’s strength placed her among the upper echelons of the Joyous Union Sect, but she was clearly no match for Ji Yiliu, the Sect Leader.

This person Xu Jingqiu narrowed her eyes. Her strength surpassed even Yin Ruolan’s from a year ago. She was undoubtedly at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, far beyond what the leaders of other sects could contend with.

Yet, judging by the stalemate at the frontlines, it seemed this person had no intention of taking action. What was she really after?

Perhaps growing extremely impatient, Ji Yiliu suddenly struck out. Both the calico cat, hissing and arching its back on the ground, and Jingli, who stood before Xu Jingqiu with her sword drawn, were sent flying.

Xu Jingqiu swiftly retreated, scooping up the calico with one hand and steadying Jingli with the other. A faint red glow seeped through the cloth wrapped around her left eye.

The Heavenly Ruler on her wrist flew out, transforming into a shield that blocked the attack. This single strike gave Xu Jingqiu a clearer estimate of Ji Yiliu’s strength, she was already touching the threshold of the Ascension Realm.

As the shield vanished, Ji Yiliu slowly withdrew her hand and said indifferently, “Now, can we talk alone?”

Xu Jingqiu transformed the Heavenly Ruler back into a bracelet, thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Fine. But I should mention, I don’t know how to fly on a sword.”

Both the calico and Jingli tugged at her, but Xu Jingqiu reassured them, “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” If she didn’t agree, this woman likely wouldn’t leave.

Xu Jingqiu handed Jingli a pill that Yin Ruolan had given her earlier and fed one to the calico as well before stepping forward. Ji Yiliu placed a hand on Xu Jingqiu’s shoulder and, lifting her effortlessly, turned and left, leaving the cat and Jingli alone in the courtyard.

Jingli swallowed the pill, struggling to steady her breathing, then picked up the kitten that Xu Jingqiu had been holding. “I cough we need to find the Saintess.”

Meanwhile, Ji Yiliu didn’t take Xu Jingqiu flying on a sword. Instead, using her authority as Sect Leader, she directly transported them to the forbidden grounds.

The area was barren nothing but desolate land, much like the demon realm.

After setting Xu Jingqiu down, Ji Yiliu took a few steps back to create distance. Xu Jingqiu shot her a puzzled glance before surveying their surroundings, all the while keeping her guard up.

Suddenly, a long sword appeared in Ji Yiliu’s hand, thrusting toward Xu Jingqiu. Reacting instantly, Xu Jingqiu waved her hand, and the Heavenly Ruler transformed into an identical long sword to block the attack.

The blades clashed, sparks flying as they met. Ji Yiliu was forced back five steps, while Xu Jingqiu only retreated slightly.

As soon as she steadied herself, Xu Jingqiu’s sword morphed into a pistol, firing shots at Ji Yiliu. While stabilizing her footing, Ji Yiliu deflected the bullets with her sword.

Not expecting the bullets to be effective anyway, Xu Jingqiu took advantage of the chaos to throw a smoke bomb, transformed from a talisman in her other hand. Unsure of what it was, Ji Yiliu instinctively slashed at it, causing smoke to billow out.

Ji Yiliu quickly covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve, but Xu Jingqiu was already charging forward, spear in hand, thrusting toward her. Ji Yiliu blocked the strike by holding her sword in front of her chest, but the sword shattered upon impact.

After breaking the sword, Xu Jingqiu stepped back and vanished into the smoke. At the same time, she deployed several drones to interfere with Ji Yiliu, making it impossible for her to pinpoint Xu Jingqiu’s location.

Once her sword shattered, Ji Yiliu quickly replaced it with a better one, all the while pondering what kind of spear that was.

The God-Slaying Spear this was the most powerful weapon Xu Jingqiu could currently manifest, typically used to combat Outer Gods. However, since this place was isolated from the outside world, she wasn’t worried about being detected. She was only using it for self-defense.

This was already her limit, and she was far from fully recovered.

Lost in the fog and unable to determine what was interfering with her, Ji Yiliu activated a sword formation, sweeping the area indiscriminately.

A series of crackling sounds echoed as the smoke cleared. Though Ji Yiliu remained unharmed, the surroundings were littered with unrecognizable debris.

Xu Jingqiu raised an eyebrow at the sight and pulled out another talisman.

Her abilities were ever-changing, and Ji Yiliu couldn’t discern any pattern. Moreover, the weapons Xu Jingqiu wielded were far from ordinary, making it truly difficult for Ji Yiliu to gain the upper hand.

If there was any weakness, it was that Xu Jingqiu’s physical condition was weaker than that of an average cultivator, only slightly stronger than an ordinary person.

Once again forced back by an unknown gadget, Ji Yiliu discreetly collected a drop of blood and sheathed her sword.

Xu Jingqiu also breathed a sigh of relief. The God-Slaying Spear remained in its form as she transformed a talisman into a healing spray, applying it expressionlessly to the wound on her face.

“Not bad skills,” Ji Yiliu remarked suddenly, her tone as calm as if she were commenting on the weather. “You certainly have quite a few interesting gadgets.”

“You flatter me,” Xu Jingqiu retorted, rolling her eyes. “What exactly do you want?”

Ji Yiliu replied, “I just wanted to confirm something. You’re not from this world.”

Xu Jingqiu figured it wasn’t hard for the other to guess after seeing the modern weapons she had thrown out. She shrugged and said, “So? What are you going to do about it?”

Ji Yiliu fell silent again. Xu Jingqiu simply sat on the ground, having no energy left to conjure a chair or anything else. Fortunately, her strength was gradually returning.

Once I recover a bit more, I’ll break through this barrier and leave, Xu Jingqiu thought to herself, all the while keeping a watchful eye on Ji Yiliu. Just then, she saw the other woman raise her hand again.

Instinctively, Xu Jingqiu raised the God-Slaying Spear, but a hand gently pressed hers down. A familiar voice sounded in her ear: “It’s alright now. I’m here. Sorry for the delay.”

Xu Jingqiu withdrew the Heavenly Ruler and let out a long sigh. “It’s nothing, just an old injury that hasn’t fully healed yet.”

Chen Yulan, seeing that she was merely a bit weak and not seriously injured, finally relaxed. She then turned to Ji Yiliu with a displeased expression. “She is my guest. What is the meaning of this, Sect Leader?”

Ji Yiliu replied indifferently, “Just testing her capabilities. I have matters to attend to and will take my leave now.” With that, she turned and vanished.

Xu Jingqiu felt bewildered by the encounter. When Chen Yulan suddenly took her hand, she was so startled she nearly drew her weapon. Only after realizing it was Chen Yulan did she suppress the Heavenly Ruler’s fluctuations. “Shall we head back now?”

Chen Yulan’s expression remained stern. “Yes, let’s go back. I have some control over this place as well. If she ever approaches you again, just ignore her. This forbidden area cannot pull you in without your consent.”

As the surroundings swiftly faded away, Xu Jingqiu spotted the calico cat running toward her, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Mm, I’ll remember that.”

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