Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 19

During her time in the Qinglan Valley, Hu Li profoundly enjoyed the pleasure that flute playing brought her.

As a result, she played the flute day and night, tirelessly. She practiced the entire musical score given to her by Shen Yijun to the point of being “magical” or, more accurately, to the point of “hearing it saddens the listener, and listening brings tears to the eye” in the most literal, physical sense.

It wasn’t until half a month later, when the immortal ferry to pick up contestants for the Grand Immortal Sect Tournament appeared high overhead and Gu Sheng emerged from seclusion, that she reluctantly put down the bamboo flute. She was then escorted back to the Tingfeng Cliff by Shang Miaoyun.

At the Tingfeng Cliff, Gu Sheng stood at the courtyard gate, taking Hu Li from Shang Miaoyun. “Junior Sister, thank you for looking after her for so many days,” she said gratefully.

Shang Miaoyun shook her head, blushing. “It was Master who took care of her.”

Gu Sheng understood and thanked her again. Then, holding Hu Li, she stepped onto the immortal ferry along with Shang Miaoyun, Min Xiuhe, and Yu Shibai, who was leading the team this time. They set off for the location of the tournament: the Cloud Jade Immortal Isle.

The Cloud Jade Immortal Isle was located in the Eastern Sea, born of the ocean, and perennially shrouded in mist, rarely experiencing fair weather.

The island housed hundreds of secret realms, each teeming with rare treasures and exotic beasts, a place that made every cultivator drool with desire.

However, the island was governed by the Immortal Alliance, so no cultivator dared to incur the Alliance’s displeasure. They could only wait for this once-every-five-years Grand Immortal Sect Tournament, when the secret realms opened, to try their luck on the island.

This year, the Immortal Alliance had invited all major and minor sects from the cultivation world, making the competition even more intense.

But everyone knew that the intensity lay mostly among the Five Great Sects of the cultivation world. The remaining minor sects were mostly just there to pick up scraps and had little real bearing on the competition.

The Five Great Sects were: Tianyan Sect, Piaomiao Sect, Miaoyin Sect, Wanfo Sect, and Hehuan Sect.

Both the Tianyan Sect and the Piaomiao Sect were immensely powerful, so to ensure fairness, the Immortal Alliance limited both to three entrants each. The remaining three great sects were each allowed thirty entrants.

This number of entrants might not seem like a big deal for solo fighting, but the key was that the tournament involved placing all participants into a secret realm for a team competition.

Therefore, Yu Shibai stood on the immortal ferry, looking at the three people lined up before him, with a massive headache.

One, though claiming the title of Young Sect Master, was perpetually sickly, staying closeted in her dwelling, refusing to see people; another, though practicing both talismans and arrays, was cowardly and hid from others; and the last one.

Yu Shibai’s gaze landed on the blank-eyed Min Xiuhe. A surge of nameless fury rushed to his head, and he nearly blacked out from anger.

How could this utterly frivolous one possibly have any hope of winning the sect’s championship?! Yu Shibai couldn’t help but question the reliability of the Floating Life Pagoda trial.

“Deputy Sect Master, when are we breaking up?” Min Xiuhe stood crookedly, ignoring Yu Shibai’s man-eating gaze. His eyes fell on Hu Li, who was comfortably sunbathing behind the Deputy, and he was filled with envy.

Hearing this, Yu Shibai pointed a finger at Min Xiuhe, sputtering out several “You’s,” but unable to utter a second word. In the end, he simply flicked his sleeve and stormed off.

As soon as Yu Shibai left, the three immediately relaxed. They looked at each other, and Min Xiuhe slung an arm around Shang Miaoyun’s shoulder and walked away.

Gu Sheng lingered for a moment. She walked over to Hu Li, glimpsed the little coal ball quickly burrowing into Hu Li’s fur, bent down, picked Hu Li up, and carried her into the room.

Apart from Min Xiuhe insisting on sharing a room with Shang Miaoyun, everyone else on the immortal ferry had their own private room.

Gu Sheng pushed the door open, walked around the folding screen blocking the front, and placed Hu Li on the couch.

Hu Li rolled over hazily, settling onto a cool patch.

She opened her eyes and realized she was sleeping on the Tianyan Sect uniform that Gu Sheng was about to change into for the tournament.

The uniform was a white-based Daoist robe, exquisitely embroidered with colorful thread that made the auspicious clouds appear lifelike and elegant.

Gu Sheng picked Hu Li up off the robe, then held the robe in her arms and lowered her eyes in contemplation.

She had always preferred wearing black or dark clothing because they conveniently concealed bloodstains, which made it easier for her to kill people.

This white Daoist robe was too pristine. Wearing it would make her actions very inconvenient, so she had no desire to wear it at all.

However, once on the Immortal Isle, everyone would be wearing white. If she alone wore black, she would stand out too much. After much hesitation, Gu Sheng finally waved her hand and put on the white Daoist robe.

Once the robe was on, a jade green token hung at her waist. The indented characters on it read: Tianyan Sect, Gu Sheng.

This was an identity token. Once inside the secret realm, it had to be scanned to verify identity.

Furthermore, if the identity token was crushed inside the secret realm, the owner was disqualified, and the person who crushed it received one point.

Consequently, at the start of the tournament, most people would try every possible means to protect their tokens. In previous years, some had even buried their tokens deep underground.

Unfortunately, the disciples of the Miaoyin Sect were highly skilled in tracking techniques, so this behavior quickly became an easy way to give away points.

Gu Sheng finished dressing, sat cross-legged on the couch, and began to meditate.

Hu Li lay beside her, skillfully using Gu Sheng’s leg as a pillow and settling in for a nap.

But just as she was about to fall asleep, the System, which had been repairing bugs for the past half-month, suddenly came back to life: “Hu Li, identity mapping: Male Lead, Male Secondary Lead. Mission issuing now.”

“Male Lead Mission: Lead the Tianyan Sect to sweep away the other sects.”

“Male Secondary Lead Mission: Help Gu Sheng win the tournament championship.”

“Mission issue complete. Host, please accept.”

Hu Li’s eyes widened. She bolted upright from her death-like sleep and exclaimed, “Even the donkeys in the production team don’t get worked this hard!”

After issuing the mission, the System expertly began its emotional manipulation of Hu Li: “Host, have you forgotten? You still haven’t completed the last mission. Therefore, you must make up for your mistake this time, or the Heavenly Dao will punish you.”

Hu Li looked at the electronic panel in her Sea of Consciousness and retorted angrily, “Gu Sheng is in seclusion! How was I supposed to attack her?”

System: “As long as your mindset doesn’t slip, difficulties….”

The System paused, then continued without batting an eye: “will always have a solution. Host, keep up the good work!”

With that, the electronic panel went dark, and the System went offline again.

Hu Li looked up at the sky, utterly miserable, and seriously considered jumping off the immortal ferry.

Boom! The immortal ferry violently shook, seemingly having collided with something.

Hu Li mentally slapped her own bad luck and looked out the window. The ferry had collided with another immortal ferry. The banner hanging on that ferry clearly read: Miaoyin Sect.

People from the Miaoyin Sect? Hu Li was confused. Driven by curiosity, she ran out of the room onto the wider deck to check the situation.

Behind her, Yu Shibai also emerged, his face cold as he stared at the three people descending from the opposing ferry. “What is the meaning of this action by your Miaoyin Sect?” he demanded sternly.

The leader of the Miaoyin Sect stepped onto the Tianyan Sect’s ferry, cradling a red-furred dog that looked exactly like Hu Li.

“Junior, Yu Yan, Young Sect Master of the Miaoyin Sect, greets Deputy Sect Master Yu,” she said. She put the dog down, walked up to Yu Shibai, bowed, and clasped her hands. “Junior apologizes for the intrusion, but I have a favor to ask.”

Yu Shibai’s expression softened slightly when he heard she was seeking his help. “What is it?” he asked.

Yu Yan took a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Yu Shibai with both hands. “This letter was written by my mother. I implore you to deliver it to Elder Shen Yijun of your noble sect.”

Shen Yijun was Yu Yan’s mother’s biological sister, but the two had parted ways due to a misunderstanding.

Later, Yu Yan’s mother wanted to reconcile with her sister, but Shen Yijun hid herself in the Qinglan Valley, avoiding all news from the Miaoyin Sect.

Left with no choice, she could only ask Yu Yan to deliver the letter during this Grand Immortal Sect Tournament.

Yu Shibai had heard bits and pieces of the story. He took the letter and told Yu Yan, “I will pass this letter on for you, but whether Elder Shen accepts it or not is not my concern.”

Yu Yan nodded her thanks, then walked over to the two red-furred dogs who were currently wrestling.

Her delicate brows furrowed as her gaze shifted back and forth between the two red-furred dogs. She couldn’t tell them apart until a pair of hands picked up one of the dogs.

Yu Yan looked up at the person. Seeing that the dog in their arms was very well-behaved, she assumed that dog belonged to the person. Thus, she picked up the remaining red-furred dog.

“Thank you, Fairy. May I ask your name?” Yu Yan asked the other person, holding down the inexplicably restless red-furred dog in her arms.

Gu Sheng stroked the fur of the red dog in her arms and smiled faintly, her eyes narrowed. “Gu Sheng.”

Gu Sheng, the sickly one? Yu Yan’s eyebrows slightly arched, and her eyes couldn’t help but show a hint of disdain.

Gu Sheng paid no mind to it. Holding the red-furred dog, she turned and headed back to her room.

Yu Yan realized her lapse in manners and quickly called out to Gu Sheng, “Young Sect Master Gu, my apologies for my earlier rudeness. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Gu Sheng turned sideways, glanced at her, said, “It’s fine,” and continued into her room.

Yu Yan watched Gu Sheng’s retreating back, her memory fixed on a splash of crimson on the hem of the other girl’s skirt. Doubt arose in her heart. “Did the Immortal Alliance-issued clothes come in that style?”

Confused, she wanted to chase after Gu Sheng and ask for details, but one of her companions urged her, “Young Sect Master, please hurry. We can’t delay the time.”

Hearing this, Yu Yan pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment, but ultimately followed her companion back onto her own immortal ferry.

The Miaoyin Sect’s immortal ferry was more intricately decorated than the Tianyan Sect’s, and it had many more people. Hu Li was surrounded by a group of disciples, feeling utterly resigned to her fate.

She wanted to squeeze out and leap back to the Tianyan Sect’s ferry, but each of the Miaoyin Sect disciples grabbed her, insisting she stay to listen to them play music and sing.

[The fox demon was left behind?!]

[Oh my god, they grabbed the wrong dog.]

[Fox Demon: Goodbye, Mother, I’m about to set sail on a distant voyage.]

[Fox Demon: I want to escape so badly, yet there’s no way to run.]

[The fox demon definitely isn’t thinking of lyrics. She must be thinking: These people’s flutes are nowhere near as good as mine.]

********

Hu Li was silent. As self-confident as she was, she genuinely thought these people’s flutes weren’t as good as hers.

Thinking this, Hu Li said to herself, “The destination is the same anyway, so it won’t be too late to find Gu Sheng later.” Then, she snatched the long flute from one of the disciples’ hands and began to show off her skills.

The flute notes erupted in a cacophony of grating sounds. The disciples of the Miaoyin Sect were jolted, one after another, and frantically covered their ears in agony.

Mental attack. This is what it felt like.

For some reason, they all felt a premonition of ‘dying before even achieving victory’ when looking at Hu Li.

The Grand Immortal Sect Tournament is in danger.

“Quick, get the flute back,” shouted one disciple whose sanity was barely intact.

Yu Yan was closest to Hu Li. Hearing the shout, she snapped out of her daze and quickly grabbed the long flute from Hu Li’s grasp.

With the long flute taken away, the still-unsatisfied Hu Li stretched out a paw to resist. Just then, the immortal ferry shook violently again, then began a rapid, uncontrolled descent.

Splash! A sudden sound of hitting the water rang out.

Hu Li’s mind went blank, and she passed out.

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