Guide to the Rebirth of the Evil Woman in the Immortal Realm - Chapter 24.1

Inside the room, Ji Ting seemed to knock something over, letting out a loud clatter.

Shen Fuxin saw that Yu Zhanxu’s robes were soaked through with rain and her hair crown was wet, yet she remained blocking the door, refusing to let her in. Her posture was cold, but her voice was gentle. “Why go to such lengths, Senior Sister Yu?”

She reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair back behind Yu Zhanxu’s ear. This time, Yu Zhanxu did not dare move. She simply stood there, desperately suppressing the shiver brought on by Shen Fuxin’s warmth, terrified for the first time of losing her composure in front of her.

Her throat felt dry. Craving the fleeting tenderness of Shen Fuxin’s fingertips, she turned her head slightly and pleaded in a low voice, “Come back to Xuanyuan Terrace with me. My Master will like you.”

Shen Fuxin gave an “Oh” and withdrew her hand. “And if your Master does not like me?”

Yu Zhanxu answered irrelevantly, “I will be very good to you.”

Shen Fuxin smiled. The things she wanted had never been these. She did not need to be recognized by someone condescending to her, nor did she need someone to be “good” to her.

She remembered her past life. It had been a cold, lonely night just like this, with a wind that bit at the skin and snow piled up to the calves. Zhao Lanying had returned to the Azure Emperor’s Spirit Mountain, leaving Shen Fuxin alone in an immortal residence tens of thousands of miles away. That night, just like tonight, someone had knocked on her door while holding a red umbrella.

That house had been sealed with a barrier. She could not push the door open to leave, so she looked down from the window.

The one who had broken into the residence was Yu Zhanxu. She was wearing the red clothes Shen Fuxin remembered so well, her features vivid and beautiful, like a red camellia blooming out of season in the snow.

Shen Fuxin pushed open the window. Remembering Yu Zhanxu’s previous promises, a spark of hope flared in her heart. “Are you here to take me away?”

Yu Zhanxu held her umbrella and looked up, her lashes frosted over by the wind and snow. Facing Shen Fuxin’s gaze, she looked away. “I… I will beg my Master again to accept you into Xuanyuan Terrace.”

Shen Fuxin watched her through the gap in the window. The once arrogant Crown Princess looked very small, shrinking until she was just a red dot in her eyes. She instantly understood the Master of Xuanyuan Terrace’s intent, and she understood Yu Zhanxu’s intent as well. She closed the window. “Do not come again.”

But Yu Zhanxu continued to come every few days.

Sometimes she showed Shen Fuxin flowers plucked from Xuanyuan Terrace; other times, she set off novel fireworks beneath her window. As Shen Fuxin looked down through that sliver of a window, the more colorful and interesting Yu Zhanxu’s gifts were, the more pathetic she felt.

That barrier had completely severed her from the vibrant world outside.

Shen Fuxin was like a captive bird. Freedom circled outside the cage, visible but unreachable, finally driving her to madness. She plucked her own tail feathers until they were ragged and bashed her body until she was covered in blood, finally discovering the only way out. Since she could not find life within the cage, she could only seek death.

Now, hearing Yu Zhanxu’s words again and remembering the past, Shen Fuxin reached out and took hold of the paper umbrella.

She said softly, “Does Senior Sister truly mean that?”

Yu Zhanxu felt a brief surge of guilt; she had not mentioned anything about Shen Fuxin to the Master of Xuanyuan Terrace. But soon, a wave of ecstasy swept over her. She nodded emphatically and swore an oath, “I swear, I truly mean it.”

Shen Fuxin said no more and led her into the rain under the umbrella. Yu Zhanxu did not dare press against her, yet she craved her warmth, leaving half her body exposed to the pouring rain. She stared at Shen Fuxin, but Shen Fuxin looked only at the small red umbrella in her hand, a unique sense of satisfaction rising in her heart.

In this life, she was the one holding the umbrella.

Ji Ting leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, watching the two figures huddling together under the umbrella. Inexplicably, a subtle sense of irritation rose in her heart.

She stared at the small red umbrella as it vanished at the end of her vision and sneered. “Bringing such a tiny umbrella… she did that on purpose.”

Something made a clatter inside the wooden wardrobe. Ji Ting turned around to see the puppet with Shen Fuxin’s face crawling out, reaching for the candy jar. Ji Ting shook her head and stuffed a lotus flower into its hand.

The puppet looked at Ji Ting, confused.

“Do not take her candy,” Ji Ting said gloomily. “She is the type of person who counts exactly how many are left before she eats one…”

With something to play with, the puppet retreated back into the wardrobe to crouch. Ji Ting leaned against the door listening to the rain, feeling that something about this scene was very wrong.

The two who had gone far away, her staying behind to guard an empty room, the puppet that needed minding like a child, and the endless drizzling rain…

Ji Ting’s expression stiffened. She stopped thinking about this bizarre scenario, closed the door, and turned back to see the puppet staring at her through the crack in the wardrobe, its eyes seemingly filled with pity.

She took a deep breath. Was this any way to live?

Shen Fuxin held the umbrella as she walked down the steps, Yu Zhanxu following closely. Yu Zhanxu was both afraid that Shen Fuxin was angry and that she would regret her decision. Full of a cautious hesitation she herself had not noticed, she finally asked, “Where are we going?”

Shen Fuxin’s face looked dim behind the curtain of rain. She stopped at the entrance of the Sword Terrace and turned to Yu Zhanxu. “Will Senior Sister do anything for me?”

Yu Zhanxu had been pampered since childhood. In the mortal world, she was a Crown Princess whose every word was law; in the Immortal Realm, she had smoothly become the disciple of the Master of Xuanyuan Terrace. She believed there was nothing in this world she could not do, so she agreed immediately. “Of course.”

Shen Fuxin smiled. She stepped across the Sword Terrace barrier and led Yu Zhanxu beneath the two cauldrons. She said warmly, “I want these two cauldrons.”

Yu Zhanxu thought she simply wanted some cauldrons, so she coaxed her, “Once we return to Xuanyuan Terrace, I will buy you two better ones. I have money.”

Seeing Yu Zhanxu reach for her spatial bag to show off her wealth of spiritual stones, Shen Fuxin turned her head away. She looked only at the cauldrons taken from Zhao Lanying’s home. “I want these two.”

Yu Zhanxu’s hand froze. Taking without asking was stealing, wasn’t it? Her lifelong reputation for integrity could not be ruined over these two cauldrons.

She whispered, “Fuxin, why do you need these two old things? Wouldn’t new ones be better?”

Shen Fuxin ignored her, turned around with the umbrella, and walked away. The rain instantly soaked Yu Zhanxu’s other half. “Fine then. I will let Zhao Lanying bring these two cauldrons as a betrothal gift. Since you won’t give them to me, she will give them to me tomorrow.”

Yu Zhanxu’s heart went cold. She reached out to grab Shen Fuxin’s wrist.

Shen Fuxin, seemingly not satisfied with the damage done, twisted the knife further. “I have become the disciple of Great God Yandan. These were originally her cauldrons, which Zhao Lanying only happened to find by luck. If Xiao Ting were here, she would take them for me without a second thought. I am going back to find her.”

Driven nearly to her knees by Shen Fuxin’s fickle temperament, Yu Zhanxu tugged gently on her sleeve. She felt incredibly aggrieved but did not dare lose her temper. She whispered, “Do not go back. I will steal them for you.”

Shen Fuxin crossed her arms and watched as Yu Zhanxu made a difficult decision, using spiritual power to shrink the two cauldrons to the size of a palm. Yu Zhanxu handed them over, peeking at Shen Fuxin’s expression almost subserviently. “Here.”

Shen Fuxin put the cauldrons into her spatial bag and left the Sword Terrace. Yu Zhanxu followed her, watching the small red umbrella always staying ahead of her, showing no concern for her walking in the rain. She stepped on Shen Fuxin’s shadow as she climbed the stone steps, never feeling the mountain path was so long or so far.

Rainwater soaked deep into the stone steps. Yu Zhanxu looked down, and her heart suddenly ached uncontrollably.

The day Shen Fuxin was punished and severely injured, she had crawled back to the Green Chamber on all fours. What had she been thinking during that journey?

Yu Zhanxu remembered her own choice to stand by and do nothing. Part of her had wanted to teach the girl a lesson, to make her see Zhao Lanying’s true character. But looking at that trail of blood, what had she truly been thinking? Was she truly capable of disregarding everyone else’s opinion and giving everything for Shen Fuxin?

At that moment, Shen Fuxin stopped.

She looked down at the disheveled Crown Princess in the rain and said softly, “Senior Sister Yu truly intends to take me away, correct?”

Yu Zhanxu thought of Zhao Lanying, who was about to have her moment of triumph. A raw sense of possessiveness was stronger than any fleeting notion of love. She looked up at Shen Fuxin. At some unknown point, their perspectives had swapped.

“Yes,” Yu Zhanxu murmured. “Just wait for me in the bridal sedan tomorrow… Fuxin, I will definitely take you away.”

They walked back to the Green Chamber. As Yu Zhanxu watched Shen Fuxin enter her room, she made a secret decision. Tomorrow, she would only take Shen Fuxin. That envoy named Xiao Ting would be abandoned halfway.

She absolutely could not take Xiao Ting along!

Inside the room, Ji Ting rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling a sudden urge to sneeze.

Shen Fuxin returned perfectly dry, tossed the umbrella outside, and sat on the couch while peeling a plum candy.

Ji Ting spoke suddenly from the bathtub. “Finished chatting?”

The words made the hair on Shen Fuxin’s neck stand up. For some reason, the tone was so sour it could rival a bottle of plum candy. Shen Fuxin was used to soothing Ji Ting and tossed her a candy. “Enough. I definitely won’t forget you tomorrow.”

Ji Ting caught the candy. For a while, the only sound in the room was the rustling of candy wrappers. The rain had stopped the moment Shen Fuxin entered.

It looked like tomorrow would be a clear day.

The next day, the fifth day of the sixth month.

Lessons at the Sword Terrace were suspended. Shen Fuxin thought she had woken early, but today, someone was earlier than her. While she was still dazed, the door was knocked open.

Ji Ting, sleeping in the bathtub, was closer and opened the door. Several immortals rushed in holding wedding robes, shoes, and various jewelry, intending to thrust them all upon Shen Fuxin, who had just climbed out of bed.

She was pressed into a chair. As soon as she changed into the robes, immortals arrived to do her hair and makeup.

Shen Fuxin had gone through this process in her previous life. She had found it tedious then but had endured it without a word to maintain the so-called “decency” of her foster father’s house. Now, she didn’t care. Her father was as good as dead; she wouldn’t tolerate wearing a heavy gemstone crown.

She took everything off, a superficial smile on her face. “Take it all away.”

The immortals looked at each other in distress. “But these are sets; the Hongjing Immortal is wearing them as well.”

Shen Fuxin frowned, her smile vanishing. “Are you saying that without these things, she and I are no longer a pair?”

That wasn’t what they meant. Ji Ting stepped in to smooth things over with a laugh. “Fine, fine. Let’s not bicker over trivial matters and miss the auspicious hour.”

The immortals looked at Ji Ting. They had been too busy dressing Shen Fuxin to notice the envoy who had climbed out of the bathtub. Now that they looked closely, she was exceptionally refined and beautiful. If she stood next to the Hongjing Immortal, the envoy’s aura might even overshadow her.

One small immortal asked tentatively, “Has the Envoy entered a covenant with anyone?”

Ji Ting smiled but did not answer. Shen Fuxin, having finished removing the jewelry, slammed the headpiece onto the table, her tone cold. “Take it out.”

Seeing her persistence, the immortals dared not say more and placed the items back into the boxes outside. The moment they turned to leave, Shen Fuxin and Ji Ting exchanged a glance, and their figures vanished from the room.

Two puppets identical to them sat in their original positions.

The immortals placed the items down and turned back, only to see “Shen Fuxin” sitting at the dressing table giving them a cold glare. Its pale eyes shifted, and the other puppet waiting nearby smiled. “Why are you all dazed? Escort my master to the sedan.”

A red bridal veil was draped over the puppet, obscuring its vision. It stood up and, amidst the sudden swell of elegant music, stepped over the threshold. It was helped into the same bridal sedan Shen Fuxin had sat in during her previous life.

The sedan flew through the air above the Spirit Mountain, accompanied by several blue phoenixes and surrounded by divine birds. The immortals leading the sedan looked down at the red silk balls covering the mountain, somewhat surprised; it seemed the Hongjing Immortal had put a lot of thought into Shen Fuxin.

One could say Shen Fuxin was lucky. Not only had she caught Zhao Lanying’s eye, but she also possessed alchemical skills and had been taken as a personal student by a High God. The immortals looked at the banquet in the hall below and saw that many famous powerful figures of the Immortal Realm had arrived, making them even more diligent.

Halfway through the journey, the immortals at the rear of the sedan felt a sudden, fierce wind approaching.