My System, My Wife Feng Aotian [Transmigration] - Chapter 2

While 03 was still assuring the Host of its impeccable service quality across the void, the world suddenly blurred. The Host and the pink-robed woman below the steps vanished without a trace, leaving the system alone, adrift in empty space.

“……”

Something was wrong. 03 opened the Mission Panel.

Having served a variety of hosts, it was essentially a parasite living on them, moving with them wherever they went. This was the first time it had been abandoned by its host.

The Mission Panel was empty, with no prompts or instructions.

After a moment of calm, 03 sent another error report to the Main System, retrieved a blank panel from the database, and filled in the word “Map.” As the most outstanding employee of the Book Transmigration Department, it would never retreat in the face of difficulty.

If the mountain wouldn’t come to it, 03 would go to the mountain!

After meticulously scanning and recording the environment of the grand hall, 03 ascended. Its silver body pierced through the hall’s roof and continued upward, stopping high in the air.

Below the vast sky, winds swept clouds across the azure heavens. Beneath the clouds, verdant mountains stretched endlessly, with palatial structures built along their slopes. Waterfalls cascaded down, white cranes cried out as they soared through the mist, and their wings spread wide in flight.

Beyond the green mountains, the lush vegetation abruptly contracted, retreating into the confines of blue bricks and red tiles. Peach blossoms and willow trees adorned the endless cityscape, their vibrant hues dotting the horizon.

Floating in mid-air, 03 gazed at the vast landscape. The lines on the map panel rapidly formed, swiftly capturing the entire scene in an instant. Satisfied with its idle creation, 03 silently retrieved the landscape and focused back on work, scanning outward from the grand hall to build a map of the host’s current location.

Just as it finished scanning the area around the hall, a dialogue box suddenly popped up before 03.

Warning: Approaching 100-meter range from the host.

Almost got caught slacking off.
The silver light on 03’s data cluster flashed. Dawdling on the job would deduct performance points and affect its rating! With a swift swoop, it plummeted downward, flying rapidly within the 100-meter range. As it passed a mountain, it made an abrupt stop and landed outside the vermilion Gazing Mountain Pavilion.

03 quickly scanned the pavilion and surrounding mountain scenery into the map. Then, with unhurried grace, it flew into the pavilion and perched on Feng Jue’s shoulder.

Found her.

In the brief moment since 03’s arrival, Feng Jue had changed her attire. The floor-sweeping skirt was gone, replaced by a light outer robe. Her golden crown had been removed, and a vibrant peony now adorned her temple.

The woman in pink, who had been brewing tea in the hall earlier, sat across from Feng Jue in the pavilion. She lowered her gaze and smiled. “The Lianshan Sect has fallen into decline. Before Xue Bufan was crippled, there might have been hope for its revival, but alas…”

She chuckled and poured tea for Feng Jue. Despite her smile, her tone was icy. “Cultivators are as plentiful as carp crossing a river, yet those with exceptional spiritual roots are as rare as hen’s teeth. Where could the Lianshan Sect possibly find another Xue Bufan?”

Feng Jue sipped her fragrant tea, her expression serene as she gazed at the scenery outside the pavilion. The woman in pink studied her face and smiled. “Of course, the Lianshan Sect’s affairs have nothing to do with our Lanyang Palace. But the Palace Mistress is so soft-hearted. Even if we don’t offer compensation, who could fault us?”

A white crane landed beneath the pine tree outside the pavilion. It strode with graceful steps to the silk curtain, tilted its head, and peered inside. Suddenly, Feng Jue flicked a drop of tea onto the crane’s head.

The crane squawked in surprise, flapped its wings, and retreated to the pine tree. Feng Jue couldn’t suppress a chuckle at the bird’s flustered retreat.

“Palace Mistress!” the woman in pink exclaimed sharply.

“Hmm?” Feng Jue snapped back to reality, smiling sweetly. “Me, soft-hearted?”

“It’s just a small token,” Feng Jue said, holding her teacup. “It will honor the sisterly bond between our grandmother and the former sect mistress of the Xue Family, settle our karmic debt with the Lianshan Sect, and silence the gossip. What could I possibly be reluctant to give up?” She continued, “Now that my engagement to Xue Bufan is broken, and the only thing keeping Lanyang Palace and the Lianshan Sect from outright hostility is a thin veneer of politeness, what genuine affection could possibly remain?
The pink-clad woman murmured, “Even so, when the Xue Family sect leader sought the Phoenix Fire and was refused by the Palace Mistress, the Lianshan Sect may still harbor resentment.”

“Tsk.”

Feng Jue shot the woman an impatient glance. “Siyi,” she called sharply.

Startled, the woman lowered her head. “Yes.”

“You know better than anyone how sacred the Phoenix Fire is to Lanyang Palace. Even when the Old Palace Mistress lay dying during the joint assault on the Nine Heavens Sect, she never dared use it. Would I entrust this sacred flame to an outsider when I wouldn’t even give it to my own mother?” Feng Jue tilted her teacup, spilling the tea onto the floor. “The Xue Family knew the Phoenix Fire would never leave Lanyang City, yet they still dared to ask. Did they not expect to be refused?” She sneered. “Now that Xue Bufan has been crippled and his family knows he’s beyond cure, they’ll naturally try to squeeze every last drop of value from him.”

“I’ve reached the Great Perfection Golden Core stage, and Xue Bufan has been crippled. Our engagement is absolutely impossible now. The Lianshan Sect is in decline, with no hope of climbing the ranks. Their scheme is to force Lanyang Palace to break the engagement and extort concessions.”

Siyi nodded. Lanyang Palace would undoubtedly break the engagement. The higher a cultivator’s cultivation, the longer their lifespan. Mortals, however, rarely live past a hundred years. If the Palace Mistress were to truly marry Xue Bufan, she would enter seclusion for cultivation—three to five years at the shortest, thirty to fifty years at the longest. Upon emerging, she would find the once-handsome youth now gray-haired and aged, while she remained as beautiful as ever.

“I won’t compromise myself to such an extent for a good reputation. Besides, Xue Bufan has fallen from being the darling of the heavens to an ordinary mortal, unable to cultivate further.”

How could he endure such a fall in the Immortal Realm? We’ve both served our own purposes. Feng Jue sneered. By that logic, he should be thanking me.

Siyi couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re right, Palace Mistress. I was being foolish.”

“Human hearts are unpredictable,” Feng Jue continued. “Xue Bufan was the golden boy at Lianshan Sect, getting whatever he wanted. Now, it seems anyone can push him around. Even so-called familial bonds can be cold and heartless.”

She sighed.

Feng Jue glanced at the puddle of spilled tea on the floor, her lips curling faintly. “Whether it’s heartless or heartfelt, what does it matter to me? Even if it’s heartless, is it more heartless than the Great Dao? And even if it’s heartfelt, will it shield me from a thunder calamity?”

Fireworks fade, flames die, smoke vanishes. To Feng Jue, so-called love was nothing more than an illusion, a mirage.

Siyi chuckled at Feng Jue’s words and refilled her teacup, teasing, “I see now. Setting aside Lanyang Palace and Lianshan Sect, you have no feelings for Xue Bufan at all.”

Feng Jue shot Siyi a glance, her expression a mix of annoyance and amusement, hard to describe. Even if she didn’t set aside Lanyang Palace and Lianshan Sect, she’d only met Xue Bufan twice in total. What feelings could she possibly have for him? She was probably closer to that stupid crane outside the pavilion.

All because of the marriage arrangement Grandma made for her years ago, she’s been dragged into a pile of troubles and even lost so much. It’s truly not worth it!

Floating between the two women, holding a data teacup, 03 observed Feng Jue’s expression and recorded it, naming it: “Who Cares If He Dies?”

Siyi retrieved her Jade Gourd and refilled the teapot. Suddenly, she remembered something and said, “Back in the main hall, I saw the Xue family still wanted you to find a new husband within the Lianshan Sect. Although the Palace Mistress directly refused, it’s clear that the position of Lanyang Palace’s Palace Mistress’s partner is coveted by many. What are your plans for the future, Palace Mistress?”

Feng Jue wore an indifferent expression as she sipped her tea and chuckled softly. “As I said before, anyone who lacks the strength to stand by my side yet wants to marry me… do they think I’m some five-year-old girl who can be bought off with a piece of candy?”

Siyi nodded, counting on her fingers. “The Palace Mistress rules over Lanyang City, possesses peerless beauty, and boasts exceptional talent that surpasses all others. I’ve considered every young member of the cultivation world, but… even after counting and recounting, I can’t find more than a handful whose family background, appearance, temperament, and talent could truly match yours. Should we look further back in age?”

“Why must I marry?” Feng Jue asked irritably. “Instead of worrying about my wedding, you should be urging King Yama to hurry up.”

“My future cultivation partner might be waiting on the Bridge of Helplessness to be reincarnated.”

“…The palace is full of trivial matters. Please excuse me.” Siyi picked up her teacup, drained it, bowed to Feng Jue, and shook her head as she left.

Feng Jue stared after her, then burst out laughing after a long pause.

The Gazing Mountain Pavilion stood on a peak between the main hall and the precipice. To the left lay a sea of clouds, to the right a waterfall, in front the palace complex, and behind the towering peak. A gentle mountain breeze stirred the crimson and gold curtains hanging from the pavilion’s sides, as well as the hems of Feng Jue’s robes.

The smile on her face had vanished at some point. She stared silently at the crane pacing back and forth in the courtyard.

Silent as the crane was the System.

Since Siyi’s departure, it had been circling Feng Jue, pondering how to greet its host. Such a situation had never arisen in its previous operations; it had always naturally entered the greeting phase without hesitation. With that phase suspended, it hadn’t yet found the right moment to proceed.

The silvery-white orb circled once more before drifting to Feng Jue.

The woman who had been so imposing in the grand hall now wore an impassive expression. Her slender finger dipped into the teacup, drawing out a string of water droplets that arced into the air.

The dark clouds blocking the sun were pierced by the droplets. Golden rays of sunlight streamed through the thick cloud cover, illuminating the mountain peaks.

Feng Jue stepped out of the pavilion, the golden phoenix embroidery on her skirt seeming to come alive with each step. The proud Palace Mistress strode into the light.

The bright sunlight enveloped her, igniting the fire in her eyes and making the peonies at her temples pale in comparison.

“Lanyang Palace, Lianshan Sect, Phoenix Fire…” Feng Jue murmured, slowly unfurling her hands.

The sunlight sliced through the dark clouds, which suddenly collapsed into a torrential downpour. Beneath the pine tree, a white crane let out a piercing cry, spreading its wings and soaring into the distance, bathed in light and rain.

Feng Jue muttered, “Immortality.”
Her raised hand clenched into a fist, determination burning in her clear eyes beneath her long lashes.

The silver-white orb hovering beside her, 03, lit up with a small light bulb above its head.

“Good! 03 understands! 03 comprehends!”

Now’s the moment.

The silvery-white orb shot forward with a whoosh and materialized before Feng Jue.

Blinding sunlight instantly enveloped the silver light, and 03’s cold, mechanical voice reached Feng Jue’s ears.

[“Hello, dear Host. I am Cheat System 03, here for you.”]

[“I will do everything in my power to fulfill your wishes, no matter what. 03 will accomplish anything for you, Host!”]

Support My System, My Wife Feng Aotian [Transmigration]