Hold Tight to the Female Lead's Thigh [Transmigration GL] - Episode 1

To be, or not to be, that is the question.

And Cui Taohua was currently facing this very question with utmost seriousness. Because she had transmigrated moreover, into a cannon-fodder female side character in a wuxia novel.

The old man selling steamed buns had watched this pretty young girl stand in front of his stall for a full hour before he couldn’t help but ask, “Little girl, what are you doing?”

Cui Taohua clasped her hands behind her back, her expression profound. “I’m contemplating the meaning of life.”

“…What?” The old man was instantly dumbfounded. But upon reflection, he realized that even at his age, he had never pondered such questions. His days were spent merely toiling to make ends meet. Yet this young girl, so tender in years, already possessed such enlightenment. Truly admirable. “And what, pray tell, has the young lady discerned?”

Cui Taohua slowly raised her head to look at him. “Do you really want to know?”

The old man nodded, his curiosity thoroughly piqued. “I do.”

Cui Taohua lowered her head in thought, then reluctantly sighed. “Since you’ve asked so sincerely, I shall generously enlighten you…”

The bun seller leaned in closer, intrigued by her mysterious demeanor.

At this point, Cui Taohua suddenly lowered her voice conspiratorially. “If you wish to know the details, hand over two buns first.”

“Get lost, you little beggar!”

________________________________________

The Square Tower was the largest and most luxurious tavern in Yan City. Anyone who had ever visited would recognize it. And Yan City happened to be a crucial hub in the southern kingdom, a thoroughfare for travelers from all directions. Merchants, tourists, and wandering martial artists flooded in daily, making it a place where all sorts of people mingled.

Most martial artists came to Yan City specifically for the Square Tower not only because its fine wines were rich and intoxicating, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste, but also because the tavern’s owner was none other than the legendary Bai Xiaosheng, the All-Knowing Sage of the martial world. In truth, while the Square Tower primarily sold wine, its secondary business was selling information.

“There’s no intelligence you can’t buy only prices you can’t afford.”

This was Bai Xiaosheng’s favorite saying.

Thanks to this, business at the Square Tower flourished, with customers arriving in droves.

Today, as always, the tavern was packed. The manager furiously tapped his abacus behind the counter, while the waiters scurried about, sweating profusely.

“Manager, I’d like to—”

“Here for the wine, sir?” The manager didn’t even look up, still calculating.

“No.”

“Here for a job, then?”

“Also no.”

Only then did the manager pause. The visitor was dressed in simple scholar’s robes, but “he” was far too petite. The oversized clothes hung awkwardly on “his” frame. To make matters worse, “he” was sneakily hiding “his” face behind a folding fan, looking utterly ridiculous.

“Then what might the guest be seeking…?” The manager deliberately left the question hanging.

Seizing a moment when no one was looking, the visitor swiftly untied a money pouch from their waist and slipped it to the manager. “I want to know how to join the Night God Sect.”

The manager’s expression remained neutral, but inwardly, he was stunned.

The Night God Sect’s Right Protector was a peerless beauty, the kind that could topple cities and outshine the moon. Many men sought to join just for a chance to bask in her radiance. But this petite guest before him was unmistakably a woman. Why would she want to join the Night God Sect?

Questioning a client’s intentions was a major taboo for information brokers. No matter how curious he was, the shopkeeper wouldn’t press further. He put away the silver and continued nonchalantly tapping his abacus, murmuring, “Go to Ruyi Hall in the northern part of the city.”

The visitor, guilty as a thief, glanced around nervously. After confirming no one was paying attention, he muttered a quick “Thanks” and hurried off.

After leaving the Four Corners Tower, Cui Taohua who looked nothing like a man despite her scholar’s attire asked several people before finally locating Ruyi Hall.

Ruyi Hall was a family-run clinic passed down through three generations, somewhat renowned in Yancheng. The elderly physician in charge was kind-hearted and generous, often providing free consultations and medicine, so business was decent.

As soon as Cui Taohua arrived, she saw a long line outside the clinic. To the uninformed, it might have looked like a grain distribution. Curious, she glanced around before stepping inside, only to find the place empty except for an old man in coarse clothes sitting by the entrance, lazily fanning himself with a tattered palm-leaf fan.

His dark, sun-weathered skin and tall, gaunt frame made it clear he was used to laboring in the fields definitely not the clinic’s physician.

“Excuse me, sir, why is there no one inside?”

The old man gave her a once-over. “Young lady, here for a consultation?”

Even in her scholar’s disguise, the old man had instantly seen through her. Cui Taohua felt a twinge of defeat. “I’m not here for treatment. The shopkeeper at Four Corners Tower sent me to find someone.”

“Find someone?” The old man fanned himself with one hand and pointed at the long line with the other. “Go queue up over there.”

Cui Taohua followed his finger, wondering if he’d misunderstood. “Sir, I’m not here for free medicine or a free consultation. I’m here to find someone.”

Worried the old man might be hard of hearing, she raised her voice.

“I know,” the old man grumbled, digging a finger in his ear. “No need to shout. You think I’m deaf?”

He gestured at the line with his tattered fan. “Everyone in that queue was referred by the Four Corners Tower’s shopkeeper to find someone. The line over here is for free consultations. If you’re here to find someone, hurry up and join the queue.”

Cui Taohua: “…”

What the hell? Were the Night God Sect’s benefits that good? This was more chaotic than a top state-owned enterprise’s recruitment fair!

Resigned, she trudged toward the seemingly endless end of the line, only to realize everyone in the queue was male and judging by their attire, most were martial artists, some even moderately famous.

How bizarre. The Night God Sect was a notorious demonic cult in the martial world. Ordinary martial artists should be avoiding it like the plague, so why were they scrambling to get in?

After standing for nearly two hours with no movement in the line, Cui Taohua was exhausted. She plopped down on the ground, too tired to care how dirty it was.

Just then, an extravagant carriage rolled into view, driven by a girl of about seventeen or eighteen dressed as a maid. It was unclear who was inside.

The moment the carriage appeared, the men in line erupted with excitement, as if injected with adrenaline. They whistled and rushed toward the carriage, surrounding it in an instant.

Curiosity killed the cat. Just as Cui Taohua was about to stand up and take a look around, the burly man sitting next to her shoved her to the ground. To make matters worse, the fall also twisted her ankle.

Cui Taohua gasped in pain, unable to stand up no matter how hard she tried. She could only inch her body slowly toward the wall to avoid being accidentally trampled.

Honestly, her current body was as fragile as tofu. If she were the leader of the Night God Sect, she wouldn’t recruit someone as weak as her either no need to waste funeral expenses if they died too easily.

This plan of clinging to the female lead’s coattails seemed increasingly hopeless…

Distracting herself with wild thoughts, Cui Taohua didn’t notice the sudden surge in the crowd’s clamor. The throbbing pain in her ankle sent cold sweat trickling down her back.

Given her injured state, she wondered if she could cut in line.

A pair of exquisitely embroidered shoes appeared abruptly before her eyes. A faint floral scent drifted into her nose, making her consciousness grow even hazier.

“…Are you alright?” The voice was like that delicate floral fragrance—not overpowering, yet lingering in her mind.

“Do I look alright when I’m writhing on the ground like a dying dog?!”

If her ankle hadn’t hurt so much that even speaking was exhausting, Cui Taohua would have loved to scream that out loud.

But no matter how much she wanted to, this weak tofu of hers could only fantasize. If she wasn’t mistaken, the person standing before her was likely the novel’s female lead, Guan Fusha. Guan Fusha had studied medicine for years, could kill with poison undetected, and possessed unfathomable martial arts skills slaughtering people was easier than yawning for her. This soft tofu of hers might have the ambition, but she certainly didn’t have the guts.

Cui Taohua weakly flailed her hand in the air, dramatically uttering the words “Save me” before finally giving in to the pain. She rolled her eyes back and pretended to faint, hoping to seize the chance to latch onto the female lead’s powerful coattails.

A faint smile curled at Guan Fusha’s lips, and the men around them collectively sucked in a breath, their hearts threatening to leap out of their chests.

“Lady Guan, I’m here to apply to join the sect!”

“Lady Guan, I want to marry you! I’ll pay any dowry you ask for!”

“Lady Guan…”

“Lady Guan…”

Before the men could get close, the maidservant who had been driving the carriage leaped forward, pulling a supple whip from her waist and lashing out at each of them with a sharp swish.

“Scram!” she sneered. “A bunch of toads lusting after swan meat, know your place.”

Rather than retreating, the whipped men glared at the maidservant, their expressions screaming “If we all rush her at once, we can definitely take down one measly servant!”

Unfazed, the maidservant immediately took a fighting stance.

“Xiao Yuan,” Guan Fusha suddenly called out, stopping her. “Toss that unconscious girl into the carriage. I’ll handle this.”

“Yes,” the maidservant replied respectfully. She hoisted Cui Taohua up with one hand and, as instructed, threw her into the carriage.

And yes, she really did throw her.

Cui Taohua, who had been pretending to faint, had originally planned to sneak a peek at the grand spectacle of “Guan Fusha vs. Three Hundred Burly Men.” But with that toss, her head slammed against the wooden carriage floor with a loud thud and she genuinely passed out.

…Damn it all, what kind of joke is this? I haven’t even joined the Night God Sect yet, and I’m already about to meet the King of Hell!