Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 23

Cultivators moved with astonishing speed. Before long, Su Weiyun led the Piaomiao Sect and Hehuan Sect to their historic meeting with the Miaoyin Sect, led by Yu Yan.

A gentle breeze rustled through the air as Su Weiyun stood opposite Yu Yan. Her gaze swept over Hu Li, who stood behind Yu Yan with her head bowed, looking utterly exhausted. A flicker of sympathy crossed Su Weiyun’s mind.

This undercover mission has truly been unfair to her.

But the decision had been made, and there was no turning back. Su Weiyun could only wait until they returned to the Piaomiao Sect to properly compensate Hu Li.

With these thoughts, Su Weiyun refocused on Yu Yan. “Young Sect Master Yu, what are your thoughts on our proposed alliance?”

Yu Yan crossed her arms, having noticed Su Weiyun’s meaningful glance earlier. She scoffed inwardly, thinking, This Su Weiyun is truly dense.

Then she replied, “The Miaoyin Sect is willing to cooperate with your Piaomiao Sect, but on one condition: we will only assist you in dealing with Gu Sheng. You must find your own way to handle the other two.”

Upon hearing this, Su Weiyun’s mind raced, quickly grasping Yu Yan’s intentions. However, since she still needed the Miaoyin Sect’s Tracking Technique to lure Gu Sheng like a fish, she chose not to argue and immediately agreed.

Yu Yan raised an eyebrow, surprised by Su Weiyun’s easy agreement.

“But rest assured,” she continued, “the Miaoyin Sect will also send half its disciples to help you deal with the Tianyan Sect.”

With that, she turned and gave Hu Li a meaningful glance.

Hu Li understood immediately. Leading ten disciples, she stepped forward and approached Su Weiyun.

“Fairy Su,” Hu Li said, bowing her head in a deliberate show of deference, her voice deliberately softened.

Su Weiyun’s ears inexplicably flushed hot again, and her heart skipped a beat. “Thank you for your trouble,” she replied.

Hu Li straightened up, meeting Su Weiyun’s gaze with a shallow smile. “This is the Miaoyin Sect’s sincerity, Fairy Su. There’s no need for formalities.”

With those words, she led her group to stand behind Su Weiyun.

The two women were now standing so close that Su Weiyun could almost feel Hu Li’s breath ghosting across the back of her neck.

A crimson blush rapidly spread across Su Weiyun’s cheeks, and her grip tightened on the sword in her hand.

But she quickly regained her composure, turning to Yu Yan. “Young Sect Master Yu, rest assured. The Tianyan Sect is in our hands now.”

Yu Yan glanced at her, then lowered her head to kick a pebble at her feet, her tone casual. “If that’s the case, then I appreciate Fairy Su’s efforts.”

With that, she had no desire to linger any longer with Su Weiyun. She turned and left with the remaining disciples.

********

After Yu Yan left, Su Weiyun steadied her nerves and turned to Hu Li, asking in a voice only they could hear, “Junior Sister Fang, did Yu Yan suspect something? Why else would she send you back to me?”

Hu Li looked at her and shook her head. “Senior Sister Su, Young Sect Master Yu didn’t suspect anything. She simply asked me to pretend to be her confidante. Sending me here was just a way to keep an eye on you—to be her informant.”

Su Weiyun avoided Hu Li’s gaze. “I see.”

This might be for the best, she thought. With Junior Sister Fang by my side, at least I can feel a little more at ease.

[This development suggests Su Weiyun might have a romantic rival soon.]

[That Fox Spirit knows how to flirt!]

[Su Weiyun, you’re being foolish! The Fox Spirit isn’t a good person!]

[Su Weiyun, open your eyes! She’s not your Junior Sister Fang!]

[Su Weiyun is blinded by love.]

[No wonder Su Weiyun was only the third female lead in the original novel, yet she was so ruthless with the shampoo and her schemes. Turns out, she’s not straight!]

[Su Weiyun: The human world isn’t straight.]

Hu Li glanced at the book reviews flashing above Su Weiyun’s head and quickly withdrew her hand from Su Weiyun’s grasp.

Then, she frowned slightly, thinking to herself, How exactly did the rewritten version of the original novel portray me? Why are these people either randomly shipping me with others or calling me a heartbreaker?!

This was utterly ridiculous.

Hu Li curled her lip, then suddenly noticed a flash of light behind Su Weiyun.

The Buddhist disciple burst from the bushes.

“Su Weiyun, return the Beads of No Delusion to this monk!” he roared, raising his staff and striking at Su Weiyun.

Hearing the shout, Su Weiyun swiftly pushed Hu Li aside, drew her sword, and parried the Buddhist disciple’s attack.

“What nonsense are you spouting? What Beads of No Delusion?” Su Weiyun’s sword clashed against the Buddhist disciple’s staff, a flicker of confusion crossing her eyes.

The Buddhist disciple’s gaze dropped to the Beads of No Delusion hanging at Su Weiyun’s waist. He sneered. “Still pretending, are you?”

With a twist of his wrist, he shifted the staff’s leverage point, changing his angle of attack and striking at Su Weiyun from a new direction.

Su Weiyun reacted with lightning speed, dodging the blow aimed at her Jing Hui Token. “If you want to eliminate me, just say so! Don’t hide behind such a high-sounding excuse!” she snapped.

The Buddhist disciple, who had already failed to retrieve the Beads of No Delusion, flew into a rage. “You petty thief, you vermin! You’ve truly infuriated this monk!”

“You’re a monk acting like this? You’re the real petty thief and vermin here!” Su Weiyun retorted.

Their words only fueled the battle, intensifying the already fierce clash.

Hu Li and the Hehuan Sect disciples who had been lusting after the Buddhist disciple watched calmly from the sidelines, all regretting they hadn’t brought sunflower seeds to crack while enjoying the spectacle.

********

After a long silence, the last remaining disciple of the Piaomiao Sect finally snapped out of his daze and called for help for Su Weiyun. Only then did this absurdly wordless yet fiercely contested battle finally come to an end.

“Su Weiyun, you’ll pay for this! This humble monk will see justice served!” the Buddhist disciple declared, brandishing his tin staff before vanishing into the dense forest.

Su Weiyun gripped her sword tightly, her gaze fixed on the direction the Buddhist disciple had disappeared. Gritting her teeth, she vowed, “The Wanfo Sect… I will destroy them!”

Hu Li, standing behind her, sensed her fury and stepped forward, lowering her voice to ask, “Senior Sister Su, could the Beads of No Delusion the Buddhist disciple mentioned earlier be these?” She pointed to the string of beads around Su Weiyun’s waist.

Su Weiyun lowered her head, following Hu Li’s gaze to the faintly shimmering beads at her waist.

“Junior Sister Fang,” Su Weiyun asked, her brow furrowing with murderous intent, “did the Miaoyin Sect truly send you to deliver these beads to me?”

Hu Li met Su Weiyun’s gaze steadily and nodded.

Then, she ventured cautiously, “Senior Sister Su, do you think the Miaoyin Sect might have deliberately used these beads to provoke conflict between the Piaomiao Sect and the Wanfo Sect, hoping to seize the top spot in the competition while we’re distracted?”

Su Weiyun fell silent, then detached the string of beads from her waist and placed it in her storage bag.

After a long pause, she said, “It’s not impossible. But right now, the Tianyan Sect is our top priority.”

With that, she bowed deeply to the Miaoyin Sect disciples, requesting their assistance in locating Gu Sheng’s token.

Before the Water Moon Mirror, Lingqing Zhenren watched this scene and clapped his hands in satisfaction. “Our Weiyun truly remains unshaken even when Mount Tai collapses before her! That Gu Sheng girl thought she could trick her, but she’s still too green.”

Shen Heyin glanced at him, remaining silent. She could only hope Yu Yan would wise up and secure Miaoyin Sect’s third-place position.

Yu Shibai ignored Lingqing Zhenren, raising his teacup to his lips and sipping frequently. He had laughed so hard earlier that his throat had gone hoarse.

********

In the Secret Realm, Hu Li gradually drifted to the back of the group.

Once she was sure no one ahead was watching, she pinched her fingers together and muttered a spell, sensing the Little Coal Ball. “Stop messing around and hurry up and follow Wanfo Sect.”

The Little Coal Ball paused its water play, grumbled in acknowledgment, and, using Gu Sheng’s token as a paddle, swiftly set off to find Wanfo Sect.

The Wanfo Sect disciples had only just reunited.

They excitedly gathered in a group hug, quickly counting heads only to discover that half of Wanfo Sect’s disciples had already been expelled from the Secret Realm.

Among those expelled, a significant number owed their fate to Su Weiyun’s “efforts.”

With fresh grievances piled atop old grudges, the Buddhist disciple could no longer maintain his composure.

Su Weiyun deserves a proper physical exorcism, he thought.

Yet when his gaze fell upon the innocent faces of his junior disciples, he suddenly felt he should be more magnanimous. I shouldn’t stoop to petty squabbles with Su Weiyun, who is also part of the righteous path.

“Ah, forget it,” the Buddhist disciple murmured, settling cross-legged beneath a tree and placing his tin staff beside him.

His hand instinctively reached for his waist, seeking the Beads of No Delusion, only to find emptiness.

That’s right, the beads I was supposed to be meditating with are still with Su Weiyun.

He took a deep breath, resolving to retrieve them from Su Weiyun after leaving the Secret Realm.

With this thought, the Buddhist disciple gradually calmed his mind and closed his eyes to begin chanting sutras.

Little did he know that the only patch of sacred ground Wanfo Sect had claimed for meditation would soon be invaded by outsiders.

The Hehuan Sect disciples followed the Miaoyin Sect’s leaders, encircling the Wanfo Sect’s Buddhist cultivators.

“Senior Brother,” a Miaoyin Sect disciple said uneasily, “this place is full of Wanfo Sect people. Did we come to the wrong place?”

“Impossible,” the leader replied. “The Miaoyin Sect’s Tracking Technique never fails.”

“But how could Gu Sheng, a female cultivator, possibly blend in with these Buddhist cultivators?”

“Tch, you’re just inexperienced,” a Hehuan Sect disciple who had previously conferred with Su Weiyun stepped forward. “Gu Sheng must have disguised herself and infiltrated their ranks.”

The Miaoyin Sect disciples fell silent, recalling Junior Sister Fang’s case and realizing the logic.

They raised their Artifacts, preparing for battle.

Most Hehuan Sect disciples were mere ornaments. Seeing the situation, they skillfully retreated, giving the Miaoyin Sect disciples room to maneuver.

The Buddhist disciple opened his eyes, casting a cold glance at the intruders. He recognized them as Su Weiyun’s people.

Excellent! he thought. I didn’t seek her out, yet she ambushes me with her lackeys!

Truly shameless!

The Buddhist disciple gripped his tin staff, rose to his feet, and, without wasting words on the group, swiftly eliminated the disciples at the front with a single flash of movement.

“Miaoyin Sect’s Wang Qi, Zhang Yue, Qi Yundi, Song Zheng, and Wen Qin have been eliminated. Wanfo Sect’s Jing Hui Token count increases by five, securing first place.”

The announcement echoed through each participant’s identity token.

The Buddhist disciple paused, surprised to learn that Su Weiyun’s followers belonged to the Miaoyin Sect.

Meanwhile, Su Weiyun, having rushed belatedly to the scene, squeezed through the Hehuan Sect’s decorative disciples. She watched as the Miaoyin Sect members transformed into streaks of silver light, soaring out of the Secret Realm. Her hands clenched into fists.

She had been counting on these Miaoyin Sect disciples to find Gu Sheng, but now this bald donkey had wiped them all out!

What infuriated her most was that the first place she had worked so hard to secure had been so casually snatched away by this bald donkey.

“Buddhist disciple, you’re certainly quick,” Su Weiyun sneered, then raised her hand, her blade flashing as five tokens instantly hung from her fingers.

The Buddhist disciple’s breath caught in his throat. He tried to intervene, but it was already too late.

With a swift motion, Su Weiyun crushed all the tokens in her hand, reducing them to fine powder that scattered across the ground.

The Buddhist disciple watched helplessly as his junior brothers were expelled from the Secret Realm one by one, his heart twisting with anguish.

Very well, Su Weiyun, he thought, clenching the staff in his hand. This feud is now sealed.

Hu Li, observing the tense standoff, quietly stepped back a few paces, thinking, Fight! Just fight already!

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