After Transmigrating as a Wealthy Woman: Don’t You Dare Touch My Baby! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 89

“Greetings, Elder!” At the gates of the Hehuan Sect, several disciples shouted in unison as Elder Chilian approached.

Chilian nodded. “Is everyone assembled?”

“Yes! However, Elder… Senior Brother Zhou Chen is still packing his things. We need to wait a moment,” a disciple said with a look of hesitation.

It was awkward. Chilian was leading the expedition to the Tianqing Secret Realm, but Zhou Chen—who was desperately seeking a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage—was also coming. Everyone in the sect knew they had once been master and apprentice. What they didn’t expect was for Chilian to bring her new disciple along as well.

“Elder, Junior Sister Zhong has only been in the sect for a short time. Taking her to the secret realm… won’t it be dangerous?”

“Yes, Elder. She has no way to protect herself. If we are tied down by enemies, she could easily get hurt.”

Chilian’s eyes sharpened. “Are you suggesting I cannot protect my own disciple?”

“No, that’s not—”

“Enough. She stays with me. She won’t be a burden to any of you.”

“We didn’t mean it that way!” The disciples looked at each other, feeling helpless.

“Master, the Seniors are only worried about my safety; they didn’t mean to doubt your strength,” Zhong Ying interjected smoothly.

In her robes, the little phoenix let out a small tui. This “Demon King” is so good at playing the “obedient student” act!

“Since Elder Chilian is confident, why are the rest of you wasting your breath with advice?” From a distance, Zhou Chen approached slowly, his expression calm but distant.

“Senior Brother Zhou Chen…”

Zhou Chen waved them off and bowed before Chilian. “Disciple Zhou Chen greets the Elder.”

Chilian gave a curt “mm” in response. “Since everyone is here, let’s go.”

Zhou Chen felt a sting of humiliation when he saw that her gaze didn’t linger on him for even a second. It had only been a few months since she kicked him out. When he was injured at the Tianqing Plains, she hadn’t visited him once. And now…

So, this is the replacement. Zhou Chen’s gaze finally landed on Zhong Ying. A female disciple. She was pretty enough, but she was a mortal. A “talented mortal” usually translated to “mediocre” in the cultivation world. After a month, she probably hadn’t even reached the early stage of Qi Refining.

The thought only fueled his resentment. Chilian had claimed his aptitude wasn’t good enough—so how much better could this girl be?

On the road, Zhou Chen’s frustration boiled over. He finally struck up a conversation with Zhong Ying.

“So you are the new disciple. I’ll call you Junior Sister; you may call me Senior Brother Zhou Chen.”

Zhong Ying nodded. “Senior Brother.” She wasn’t one to start trouble, but she followed a simple rule: If you don’t mess with me, I won’t mess with you. She knew Zhou Chen had no good intentions.

“I heard you were a mortal with decent talent,” Zhou Chen said loudly, ensuring everyone could hear. “You’ve been here over a month; how is your cultivation progressing?”

It was a petty move. Everyone knew she couldn’t compare to him. But he was furious that Chilian was treating her with a favor he had never received.

Zhong Ying replied calmly, “I’m doing quite well. And you, Senior Brother? I heard you were injured recently. Has your cultivation improved?”

Zhou Chen pursed his lips. “I am still at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, though I am close to reaching Golden Core.” He looked at her and smiled condescendingly. “Once you reach Foundation Establishment, you no longer need mortal food. With your talent, I’m sure you’ll get there within three years.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Chilian, who was leading the group, suddenly looked back. “She has already established her foundation.”

Zhou Chen: ? The other disciples: ??!

“Elder, how is that possible?! She’s only been here a month! How could she reach Foundation Establishment?!”

This was staggering news. A month ago, she was a mortal. Even reaching the Qi Refining stage would have been impressive, but Foundation Establishment?

“Elder, don’t joke with us!”

“The fastest I’ve ever heard of was three years. Who reaches Foundation Establishment in a month?!”

Chilian placed her hands behind her back and smiled mysteriously. A surge of pride welled up in her chest. Forget you lot; I’ve lived through an ascension and even I still find it hard to believe!

Zhong Ying remained unruffled. She walked up to the stunned Zhou Chen and whispered, “Senior Brother, actually, I’m almost at the Golden Core stage. What about you? Have you reached it yet?”

Zhou Chen’s pupils dilated. He felt as if he had been struck by a physical blow. He froze in his tracks, unable to move his legs.

She’s almost at Golden Core? Faster than me?

One month to establish a foundation and reach the cusp of a Golden Core? Was this the talent his Master had been looking for? Zhou Chen spiraled into a daze. Was I truly… never worthy?

Chilian noticed the exchange but said nothing, only curling her lip. It seemed her new disciple wasn’t exactly a saint. Zhou Chen had only needed a small push to reach his breakthrough, but now, he might be stuck for another five years. One sentence from Zhong Ying had become the straw that broke the camel’s back.

But Chilian didn’t stop her. She had cut ties with Zhou Chen to avoid “karma” after her rebirth. Besides, compared to a former Demon Venerable, Zhou Chen was nothing special. She had only taken Zhong Ying to spite Immortal Venerable Beimeng. Little did she know she had accidentally picked up a literal monster of a genius.

One other “person”—well, bird—witnessed this. Zhu Xingtong clicked her tongue. The Demon King is a true demon! That’s psychological murder! If Zhou Chen gets stuck in a mental “inner demon,” he’s finished.

She realized she didn’t remember a character like Zhong Ying in her original book. Did my early arrival change the plot and allow this “Demon King” to rise? This woman is definitely someone who will ascend in the future.

Zhu Xingtong made a mental note: I have to escape during this Secret Realm trip. I need to find Chilian… wait, Chilian is right there!

“Disciple, why is your chest so… bulging?” Chilian asked casually during a rest stop.

Zhong Ying looked down at herself, then looked at Chilian, and said bluntly, “I have a large chest.”

Chilian: ? (If yours is large, why are you looking at mine?!)

“You’re hiding something,” Chilian said, narrowing her eyes. She had been sensing a rich spiritual aura radiating from Zhong Ying the entire way—it was so concentrated it made her want to sit down and cultivate on the spot.

Before Zhong Ying could answer, the little phoenix poked her head out and chirped at Chilian: Demon Venerable, I’m here!

Chilian was startled to see a bird head. “A phoenix…?”

The Demon Venerable was indeed knowledgeable. Zhu Xingtong was about to give her a “thumbs up” when the “Demon King” holding her spoke up: “Master is mistaken. This is just a hybrid descendant of the phoenix line. It’s a Bluebird.”

Zhu Xingtong: ? Chilian: ?

“A Bluebird with rainbow feathers?” Chilian asked skeptically. “As far as I know, only the Divine Phoenix line has seven-colored feathers.”

“That’s why I said it’s a descendant. But it’s a hybrid. A fat Bluebird.”

Zhong Ying’s gaze was so certain that Chilian felt a bit embarrassed. “Is that so?”

“Yes. Master, you clearly haven’t spent much time in the sect’s archives.”

Chilian coughed awkwardly, realizing she was being called “uneducated” by her own student. “Haha, right, my mistake. It’s a Bluebird. Besides, a phoenix wouldn’t be this fat.”

Zhu Xingtong: ?! Have you no manners?!

Zhong Ying smiled thinly, stroking the bird’s feathers. Her eyes were cold, sending a shiver down the phoenix’s spine. Uh oh, the Demon King knows I want to run!

“Master, I found it on the back mountain. It was probably an egg left behind during a migration.”

Chilian nodded. “That explains why the spirit beasts were agitated lately.”

Zhong Ying stroked the bird again. “Little one, don’t think about running. You’re small. If you’re caught by others, they’ll tear you apart. Understand?”

Chilian added, “She’s right. Even a hybrid phoenix bird is a rare tonic for cultivators. If you weren’t my disciple’s pet, I’d have roasted you myself.”

The phoenix chirped indignantly. Are you guys even “righteous”?! All you do is threaten birds!

Zhong Ying tucked the bird back into her robes and used a spell to silence the phoenix’s hearing. Then she turned to Chilian. “Master, how do I form a spirit beast contract?”

Chilian whispered the incantations to her. “There are two types: a Forced Contract, which works best when the beast is injured and its spirit is weak, though they are hard to train. The other is a Mutual Contract, which requires both parties’ consent through a soul connection. Since the bird is young, I suggest the second one.”

Zhong Ying nodded. The second one was nice, but if the little bird remained “unreasonable” and tried to flee… she would simply beat it until its spirit was weak and force the contract.