After Redeeming The Beautiful and Tragic Heroine [Transmigration] - Chapter 24

After resolving the issues in the Sleepless City, Yu Yuan and her group returned to the Miaoyin Sect.

Once at the sect, Yu Yuan, whose eye injury hadn’t healed yet went straight back to Qinglan Peak.

The remaining members, Wei Haoran and the forcibly detained Xue Qingshu, were tasked with counting the external disciples and reporting the events of the Sleepless City to Yu Qinzhong.

As for Qin Niang, who had followed them to the sect, she was taken away by the elder responsible for processing new disciples.

******

At noon on Qinglan Peak.

Yu Yuan, leaning on a bamboo cane, thanked the disciple who had escorted her back. She then gently pushed open the door to her small courtyard and slowly walked inside.

Inside the house, the System whose limited-edition skin today was a husky was leaping and scampering about. Every so often, it would let out a loud “Awoo!” toward the window lattice, emphasizing its presence.

Yu Yuan paid it no mind.

She sat down on the prayer cushion and began groping around the table in front of her until her hand found the teapot.

She shook it, and the teapot rattled, indicating there was still water inside.

With the teapot secured, Yu Yuan cautiously reached out again to feel for her teacup.

However, just as she touched the teacup, the room door was flung open with a “Bang!” followed by Yu Qinzhong’s voice ringing out: “A’Yuan!”

Startled, Yu Yuan instinctively let go of the teapot.

It fell to the floor with a loud, distinct clatter, and the shattered pieces landed near her leg.

This time, Yu Yuan had learned her lesson and didn’t reach out to touch the fragments. She simply waited for Yu Qinzhong’s reaction.

As expected, immediately after the teapot broke, Yu Qinzhong urgently cried out: “A’Yuan, don’t move!”

After he spoke, he crossed the few steps to Yu Yuan’s side in a hurry. With a wave of his hand, all the broken porcelain vanished from the floor by her leg.

Once he was sure the fragments were gone, Yu Qinzhong sat down across from Yu Yuan.

He casually picked up a teacup from the table, then flipped his hand to conjure a pot of warm tea. He poured the cup about eighty percent full and finally placed the teacup into Yu Yuan’s hand.

The cup was warm.

Yu Yuan took a moment to feel it before bringing it to her lips, taking a few sips to moisten her terribly dry throat.

After clearing her throat, Yu Yuan didn’t try to hide the fact that she had secretly gone to the Sleepless City. She spoke frankly to Yu Qinzhong: “Father, I was wrong to go to the Sleepless City this time and cause you worry.”

Although she wasn’t particularly close with Yu Qinzhong, his concern for her had never wavered.

Therefore, Yu Yuan genuinely didn’t want to upset him.

By this point, Yu Qinzhong’s anger had largely subsided.

He looked with resignation at the white gauze covering Yu Yuan’s eyes and asked, “How are your eyes? How about I go to Huichun Valley and find a medic-maiden to look after you for a few days?”

A medic-maiden? Yu Yuan quickly shook her head: “Father, I can manage on my own. I don’t need anyone to look after me.”

Those ‘White-Clothed Angels’ from Huichun Valley—summoning one would mean dragging half the sect’s medical cultivators along.

Yu Yuan felt suffocated just thinking about it.

But fearing Yu Qinzhong wouldn’t be reassured, she added: “This injury on my eye will heal in ten days to half a month. Please don’t worry, Father.”

Yu Qinzhong: …

He fell silent, still mentally debating whether to bring a medic-maiden over to care for her.

Yu Yuan keenly sensed his thoughts and quickly diverted his attention: “Father, did Master tell you about what happened in the Sleepless City?”

Yu Yuan had heard that Immortal Lord Wen Ti was immediately seized by another elder upon returning to the sect and ordered to write a full report.

Yu Qinzhong nodded: “Your master told me. That City Lord privately cultivated Shadow Corpses and then failed to control them, allowing them to escape and harm you—and others. He is truly an absolute scoundrel!”

The last sentence was clearly tinged with a bit of personal bias.

Yu Yuan pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile, then steered the conversation toward her true objective.

“Father, the Lord of Sleepless City only raised a few Shadow Corpses, and it caused such a massive disaster. I worry that the Demon Prison Pavilion in the back mountains.”

She trailed off, but her meaning was perfectly clear.

Yu Qinzhong’s expression darkened when he heard this: “You’re right, we must indeed strengthen the guard at the Demon Prison Pavilion. Our Miaoyin Sect absolutely cannot have an incident like the one in the Sleepless City.”

Yu Yuan rubbed the teacup with her fingertips, then tentatively asked: “Father, has the Demon Prison Pavilion ever had an accident before? Or, has there been any unusual activity?”

“Of course not,” Yu Qinzhong immediately replied, then realized his error. “A’Yuan, why are you asking this? Are you still planning to go after that Phantom Demon?”

Yu Yuan: …

Was it that obvious?

She felt guilty but insisted defiantly: “Father, why would I be planning anything regarding her? You are overthinking things.”

Yu Qinzhong poured himself a cup of tea and answered Yu Yuan: “A’Yuan, whenever you lie, you use that exact tone. I’m not stupid.”

Yu Yuan: ……………

Couldn’t he just be a little bit stupid? Doesn’t your daughter deserve to save face?

It would have been nice if he’d just played along!

She pouted in frustration, holding her teacup and remaining silent.

Yu Qinzhong knew he had exposed his daughter’s little scheme again.

He smugly raised an eyebrow, then realized he didn’t know how to continue the conversation with Yu Yuan.

And so, the father and daughter sat opposite each other, drinking cup after cup of tea. They must have gone through a dozen pots without uttering another word.

Until a voice finally broke the silence.

“Big Sister! A’Yan has come to see you!”

Yu Yuan’s hand trembled, nearly causing her to drop the teacup again.

Yu Qinzhong’s hand also trembled, and he failed to hold onto his teacup.

“Clatter—”

That familiar sound.

Yu Yuan: …

She felt her tea set was truly having a rough time within this single day.

Yu Qinzhong quickly gathered the broken fragments from the floor and looked toward the girl in the peach-pink dress who rushed in through the door.

“A’Yan, stop being so reckless. You almost frightened your sister, do you realize that?”

Yu Qinzhong put on a stern fatherly façade.

Yu Yan narrowed her eyes at him and said bluntly: “Father, why are you here at Big Sister’s place? Didn’t she find you annoying?”

An expression of disdain appeared on her face, which was almost an exact replica of Yu Yuan’s.

The corner of Yu Qinzhong’s mouth twitched, and he was left speechless.

Yu Yan gave a triumphant little hmph, sat down next to Yu Yuan, and grabbed her arm.

“Big Sister, what happened to your eyes?”

Yu Yan leaned close to Yu Yuan, staring at the white gauze over her eyes.

Yu Yuan could feel her breath on her face and gently pushed Yu Yan away: “Just a small injury. It will heal in ten days to half a month.”

Yu Yan said, “Oh, is that all?”

Yu Yuan nodded and then asked: “I thought you and First Senior Sister went to the Immortal Alliance. Why did you come back so early?”

Yu Yan sneakily picked up Yu Yuan’s teacup, took a sip, and answered: “The Sect Competition was moved up. Father called Qin Beilu and me back.”

“The Sect Competition was moved up?” Yu Yuan hadn’t heard Yu Qinzhong mention it.

Yu Qinzhong, listening in next to the two sisters, quickly explained to Yu Yuan: “The decision was made three days ago. You weren’t in the sect at the time.”

Yu Yuan: “I see.”

It wasn’t a vital matter. She could just find an excuse not to participate, as she did every year.

Yu Yan heard the plainness in Yu Yuan’s voice and realized her sister probably wasn’t aware of the changes to this year’s competition. A slight smile played on her lips.

“Big Sister, you won’t be able to escape this year, you know.”

Yu Yan practically lay half-sprawled in Yu Yuan’s lap, crossing her legs.

Unable to push her away, Yu Yuan let her be.

“In my current state, with my eyes like this, I naturally can’t participate,” Yu Yuan stated matter-of-factly.

Yu Yan chuckled, wiggling her little feet, and told Yu Yuan: “Big Sister, the Sect Competition is on the fifteenth of next month. Your eyes will have time to recover.”

Yu Yuan still resisted: “Even if my eyes get better, I’m sure I’ll accidentally sprain my ankle before the competition.”

Yu Qinzhong, who was standing by listening to Yu Yuan shamelessly making excuses to skip the competition: …

This Sect Master is still here, you know!

“A’Yuan, do you know why the Sect Competition was moved up?” Yu Qinzhong spoke up, reminding the sisters of his presence.

Yu Yuan hadn’t realized Yu Qinzhong was still there.

She touched her nose and skillfully switched to her compliant mode, speaking obediently to Yu Qinzhong: “The decision was made by Father and the Senior Uncles. Your daughter would not dare to criticize.”

Yu Qinzhong: ……………

Stop pretending! Are you really the type of person who wouldn’t dare to criticize?!

Yu Qinzhong took a deep breath, smiled, and informed Yu Yuan: “A’Yuan, the reason the Sect Competition was moved up involves the Hehuan Sect.”

Yu Yuan: .

She had a bad feeling about this.

Yu Qinzhong: “The Hehuan Sect sent an invitation, requesting our Miaoyin Sect’s younger disciples to participate in their sect’s ‘Single Thread of Fate’ event.”

Yu Yuan: ..

She really didn’t want to hear the rest.

Yu Qinzhong continued: “But as you know….”

He didn’t have time to finish before Yu Yan mischievously interrupted him, telling Yu Yuan: “But Big Sister, you know that once you enter the Hehuan Sect, it’s like falling into a deep sea, and integrity is lost on the way. So, no one in our sect wants to wade into those murky waters.”

“But with no one going, Father was afraid of snubbing the Hehuan Sect and causing friction between the two sects. So, he and a few elders came up with a particularly nasty plan: move up the Sect Competition and have the last four ranked disciples go, just as a gesture.”

Yu Qinzhong argued: “This is a consolation prize! Losing the competition, but getting to travel outside the sect for a bit? Isn’t that nice?”

Yu Yuan: …

Listen to yourself! They’re going to the Hehuan Sect!

Yu Yuan vividly remembered a Senior Sister who had gone to the Hehuan Sect full of life, only to return to the Miaoyin Sect utterly distracted and never quite the same.

The story was that she had her heart broken by a player.

Another version of the story was that the Senior Sister had been a player herself, confidently declaring she’d win over half the Hehuan Sect.

Yet, even the player got played, losing both her heart and her body.

Yu Yuan was terrified.

To make matters worse, Yu Yan added a final blow: “Big Sister, anyone who doesn’t participate in this year’s Sect Competition will automatically be considered the last-place finisher and must go to the Hehuan Sect, oh~”

Yu Yuan: ….

She knew she should have stayed in the Sleepless City for a few more months!

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