I Just Want to be a Throwaway Character - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: World Two

Four Years Later

Four years later, Lin Morou mercilessly grabbed Ji Wan’s blanket and stood at her bedside, staring at the woman with a cold expression. Ji Wan squinted, reluctantly pulled the blanket back over her, and mumbled, “Just a little longer.”

“Ji Wan, I’ll give you three seconds. Get up,” Lin Morou threatened, her face unmoving. This woman hadn’t woken up early a single day in four years, making a mockery of all the brainless disciples who praised her.

“Ugh, I’m your senior sister, you know. That’s rude,” Ji Wan said unwillingly, opening her sleepy, red-rimmed eyes. Her watery, almond-shaped eyes were exceptionally cute.

At sixteen, Ji Wan already had the makings of a great beauty; her every movement was graceful. She also had an alluring mix of innocence and naivety unique to her age. Thanks to the spiritual energy of the cultivation world, Ji Wan’s height had surpassed 160 cm, reaching an impressive 162 cm. What a victory! She thought confidently that she still had time to grow, even though the average height for female disciples in the cultivation world was 168 cm.

But Ji Wan’s height would never increase again.

Lin Morou almost wanted to laugh. Besides guiding her in cultivation, in what other way did this woman act like a senior sister? She had to be woken up, her room had to be cleaned, and she even needed someone to cook for her… Lin Morou didn’t want to admit that deep down, she didn’t want to be treated like a child by Ji Wan.

Ji Wan stood up and stretched languidly. Her clothes were loose from sleeping, revealing the elegant curve of her collarbones and shoulders. Lin Morou’s face flushed, but she quickly regained control of her expression.

Ji Wan ruffled her messy hair and stood in front of Lin Morou. She patted Lin Morou on the head and then compared their heights. Damn it, Lin Morou is only a tiny bit shorter than me now. Did she take growth hormones or something?

Feeling a bit deflated, Ji Wan went to her dressing table, sat down, and commanded Lin Morou, “Little Momo, help me tie my hair.” She felt no guilt at all about ordering a child around.

Lin Morou’s expression was one of disgust, but she still walked forward, accepting her fate, to help her senior sister, who was utterly useless at everything except cultivation. She didn’t realize she felt a quiet sense of joy—perhaps because she was needed.

With Lin Morou’s skilled hands, a simple and elegant hairstyle was quickly done. Ji Wan looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction. She then stood up, turned, and hugged Lin Morou. Lin Morou froze instantly. What is this woman doing?!

A second later, Ji Wan let go and admired the red ribbon she had tied in Lin Morou’s hair. “Hmm, it really suits you. Little kids should wear bright colors. Wearing white all the time makes you look too old.” Ji Wan crossed her arms, admiring her work. Lin Morou had a red ribbon in her hair. It was bright and eye-catching, making the little “iceberg” look much cuter, with a hint of human warmth.

But in the next moment, Lin Morou took it off in a huff, her voice filled with annoyance. “Ji Wan!” She had almost thought, just for a moment, that Ji Wan…

“Hey, it looked so good, Little Momo,” Ji Wan said, feeling disappointed as Lin Morou removed the red ribbon. Kids these days are hard to handle, she thought with a sigh.

…

The Secret Realm

When Ji Wan and Lin Morou were finally ready, they were just in time for the most important event. The Immortal Sect’s Secret Realm was opening for the first time in four years. Only disciples with a Golden Core cultivation stage or below, and under eighteen years of age, were allowed to enter. There was a time limit of only two weeks. So, all the sects were sending their disciples to train. As Ji Wan’s cultivation had reached the early Golden Core stage, she was naturally appointed the leader.

Ji Wan stood in place for a moment in thought. If she remembered the plot correctly, Lin Morou would have a great opportunity here. It would help her change her physique and jump directly from the Qi Refining stage to the advanced Foundation Establishment stage. After that, her path would be smooth, a key moment on her journey to becoming a hero.

Also, she had heard from System 111 that her Troublemaking Value was almost full. If she worked hard in the Secret Realm, she could complete the first mission without any problems. Ji Wan celebrated in her mind. “Yes! Mission One is a piece of cake. I’m amazing, hahahaha.”

The other disciples, unaware of her inner thoughts, saw Ji Wan’s calm, cool expression and the occasional frown on her face. They looked at her distant gaze and thought, “Senior Sister Ji Wan must be worried about our safety. She’s such a responsible senior sister.” Another one thought, “I must practice hard and make Senior Sister Ji Wan proud.”

Lin Morou, however, looked at Ji Wan and her eyebrow twitched. “Hmph. This woman is probably just thinking how annoying this all is and that she doesn’t want to do it.”

Soon, the Secret Realm opened, and disciples from all the sects flooded in. The realm had a spiritual energy suppression, so the powerful cultivators could only wait outside. Before Ji Wan entered, an elder gave her a list of what was good to collect and what to avoid.

Ji Wan led the group toward the designated training area. Along the way, there were all kinds of rare treasures and spiritual beasts she had never seen before. After setting up a base camp, Ji Wan arranged for the little kids to train within her protected area. Time passed quickly, and they would have to leave the next day. Ji Wan had already collected all the herbs and treasures she needed. Now, all she had to do was wait for Lin Morou’s opportunity.

Ji Wan found an empty spot and sat down to cultivate. Spiritual energy gathered around her in waves. Seeing this, the other disciples also entered a state of cultivation.

At that moment, Lin Morou felt a pull, and she unconsciously walked off into the distance. She gradually left Ji Wan’s safe zone and walked deeper into a forest. Lin Morou felt a voice calling to her and the guidance of a mysterious force. Finally, she stopped at a cave. She hesitated for a moment but then walked inside.

Ji Wan sensed Lin Morou’s aura disappear and stopped her cultivation. Is that kid okay? She shook her head. This is the protagonist’s opportunity, I shouldn’t interfere.

But when Ji Wan tried to resume her cultivation, she felt uneasy. She couldn’t focus. After an hour, she still couldn’t sit still. She’s only fourteen. She’ll be fine, right? After Lin Morou’s aura had been gone for an hour, Ji Wan couldn’t stay put any longer. But there were so many other kids who needed her. Ji Wan was in a dilemma.

…

The Search Begins

Night fell, and Lin Morou still hadn’t returned. Worried, Ji Wan arranged for a capable disciple to take over as team leader and went out to look for her. Ji Wan used her sword to track Lin Morou’s aura. Along the way, she saw two high-level spiritual beasts blocking the path. Ji Wan felt their immense Soul Transformation pressure and knew she was no match. She quickly hid in a secluded spot to observe.

Damn it, isn’t this Secret Realm supposed to have a cultivation level limit? What’s going on? Ji Wan’s expression became serious. She watched two giant beasts, tens of meters long, fighting each other. One had a bull’s head and a snake’s body, with a terrifying mouth and pitch-black, soulless eyes. Its scales were incredibly hard. Overall, it was a total eyesore, making Ji Wan’s little arms and legs tremble. She forced herself to calm down. “I’m not scared, not scared.” She looked at the other beast to soothe her nerves.

The other beast was a Nine-Tailed Fox, with silky, brilliant fur and enchanting, foxy eyes. Mysterious red lines covered its body, and its nine fiery red tails waved in the wind, making it look incredibly cool. Compared to the other monster, it looked beautiful.

The nine-tailed fox suddenly felt a strong gaze on it, but there was no malice. She didn’t have time to pay attention to it. A moment later, the bull-headed snake used some sort of technique, and a strong, menacing gust of wind struck from a great distance. The nine-tailed fox put up a spiritual barrier. Ji Wan was also protected inside it. There was a loud crash. Seeing the large trees around her collapse, Ji Wan felt a cold sweat break out on her back.

“Give up. You can’t defeat me. You’re only a hundred years old. How can you possibly defeat me?” The bull-headed snake spoke in a man’s voice.

“You wish! This time I will get the Crimson Blood Fruit,” the nine-tailed fox replied in a childish, loli voice.

“Oh my god, he’s bullying a little kid, that monster!” Ji Wan thought to herself. But she couldn’t do anything; she was no match for them. She could only watch. The two beasts fought again.

Ji Wan planned to sneak away and run. The nine-tailed fox was clearly at a disadvantage and was sent flying hundreds of meters by a powerful swipe of the snake’s tail. The fox was now motionless. The bull-headed monster didn’t bother to continue. It was just a young fox, no need to be too harsh. His goal wasn’t her. The bull-headed monster glanced at the defeated fox and left, disappearing into the distance.

Ji Wan felt like crying but had no tears. She hadn’t even run a few hundred meters yet when one of the beasts fell right in front of her. Right before her eyes, the tens-of-meters-long beast slowly shrank down to the size of a normal fox. Its nine tails also merged into one.

So cute! Ji Wan had planned to leave, but seeing the fox passed out and so badly injured, she felt it wouldn’t be right to just leave it. Ji Wan’s heart softened. It was definitely not because it was cute and she wanted to pet its head and scratch its chin.

Ji Wan picked up the fox and took out some wound medicine from her spatial pouch to bandage its injuries. The little fox, Ji Wushuang, tried to open her eyes, but she could only make out the gentle side profile of the girl before falling unconscious again. Ji Wan continued her search for Lin Morou, holding the little fox. The fox’s fur was soft and felt incredibly comfortable. It was a good thing Ji Wushuang was unconscious; otherwise, she would bite this rude human to death when she woke up.

As Lin Morou’s aura got closer, Ji Wan felt that familiar pressure again. “This is bad,” she thought. Ignoring her fear, she rushed toward Lin Morou.

…

A Familiar Light

By the time Ji Wan arrived, Lin Morou had already been brutally beaten. Her face was bruised and purple, blood was dripping from her mouth, and her white sect uniform was torn. A middle-aged man in a black robe stood in front of her, a jagged scar on his face. He threatened, “Little girl, hand over the Crimson Blood Fruit, and I’ll spare your life.”

Lin Morou didn’t say a word. Her icy gaze met the man’s. She slowly gathered her spiritual energy, intending to strike him with all her might. The man’s eyes narrowed, and he extended his hand. Lin Morou was lifted by her neck into the air.

“Heh, with your weak abilities, don’t even bother trying,” he sneered.

Lin Morou struggled, choking as his hand tightened around her neck. Her face was turning blue.

“Stop!” Ji Wan yelled, ignoring her fear. She put the little fox into her spatial pouch and took out her life-bound spiritual sword.

“Heh, another one who overestimates herself,” the man said, dropping Lin Morou and turning to face Ji Wan, a playful smile on his face.

Lin Morou fell heavily to the ground and coughed up a mouthful of blood. She forced herself to look at Ji Wan. That person, sword in hand, flew toward her and stood in front of her.

Like a ray of light, a warm feeling instantly enveloped Lin Morou’s heart. Her heart started to beat rapidly.

She came to save her again.