Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 27

With Hu Li’s departure from the Water Moon Secret Realm, the Immortal Sect Grand Competition drew to a close.

Above Cloud Jade Immortal Island, Immortal Skiffs of all sizes crowded the sky, gradually descending to the ground. After collecting their disciples, they slowly ascended again, departing from the island.

Among them, the Immortal Skiffs of the Five Great Sects were particularly massive, so the Immortal Alliance had arranged for them to leave last.

Hu Li stood at the edge of the crowd, thinking she still had half a day before leaving the island. She decided to explore a small town on the island first.

The town was a property of the Immortal Alliance, and the shops lining its streets were all run by cultivators from the alliance.

Originally, these shops primarily sold artifacts and cultivation manuals.

However, with the influx of participants for the Grand Competition in recent days, the Immortal Alliance had allocated additional personnel to open food stalls.

As Hu Li strolled through the bustling streets, she stroked the head of the Little Rainbow Dragon coiled around her wrist, her gaze sweeping over the colorful banners lining the streets. Finally, she stopped in front of a wonton shop.

Food in the Cultivation World typically consisted of immortal herbs and dew, with few options for more down-to-earth fare.

Seeing the wonton shop, Hu Li didn’t hesitate. She stepped inside without a second thought.

The shop’s wooden sign leaned against the entrance. Hu Li glanced at it, ordered a bowl of fresh meat wontons, and sat down on a long bench inside, her mind drifting.

She was still thinking about Gu Sheng. Ever since Hu Li had left the Secret Realm yesterday, Yu Shibai had been dragging her around to visit each of the Five Great Sects, giving her no chance to slip away.

As a result, she had no idea how Gu Sheng’s injuries were healing, relying solely on the occasional book reviews that popped up to speculate.

But all night, the reviews had been obsessing over the phrase “I’m shipping them!” offering no useful information whatsoever, just endless, over-the-top shipping fantasies.

Sighing, Hu Li slumped forward onto the table, preparing to bury her face in her arms and find some peace.

But just as her head was about to touch her arm, a hand suddenly stopped her.

Then Su Weiyun’s voice drifted down from above: “So, your name is Gu Sheng.”

A chill ran down Hu Li’s spine. She jerked her head up, her gaze meeting a face she knew all too well.

*********

[The Fox Spirit’s romantic debts have come to collect.]

[Su Weiyun, stop being so love-struck! Demand answers from the Fox Spirit about why she deceived you!]

[The YunHu pairing is actually pretty cute.]

[I’m shipping Su Weiyun and the Fox Spirit for one second.]

[The original author should just rename the novel: “When the Villainous Second Female Lead Pretends to Be the Protagonist and Turns the Third Female Lead Gay.”]

[The Fox Spirit is nothing but a heartbreaker. Su Weiyun, please, for your own sake, see her true colors!]

********

“Fairy Su,” Hu Li said, forcing a smile while trying to ignore the book reviews floating behind Su Weiyun. Her foot, hidden beneath the table, shifted silently, preparing to flee.

To Hu Li, Su Weiyun truly seemed like a heartbreaker.

“Don’t rush off,” Su Weiyun said, sliding into the seat opposite her. Her foot pressed against Hu Li’s restless, outward-probing foot. “I’m not here to accuse you of anything.”

Hu Li withdrew her foot and sat up straight, her voice betraying her guilt as she asked, “Then what brings Fairy Su here?”

“Can’t I visit you without a reason?” Su Weiyun countered.

Hu Li fell silent, unable to reply. But in her heart, she thought, Even with a reason, you shouldn’t come.

As she thought this, her gaze shifted, and the shopkeeper happened to place her wontons on the table.

“Fairy Su, these wontons look delicious. Why don’t you have a bowl?” Hu Li gently stirred the wontons in her bowl with a spoon, thinking this would be a good way to change the subject.

She casually asked Su Weiyun, then, without waiting for a response, turned to the shopkeeper and said, “Another bowl of fresh meat wontons for this fairy as well.”

With a sly smile, Hu Li buried her face in the bowl and began eating in small, dainty bites.

Su Weiyun stared at Hu Li, realizing the other woman was clearly avoiding her. She bitterly chuckled to herself, feeling foolish for misinterpreting Hu Li’s actions in the Water Moon Secret Realm.

She had thought Hu Li might have some affection for her, after all, Hu Li had crushed the final token—Su Weiyun’s own.

“Gu—”

Su Weiyun opened her mouth to call out to Hu Li, wanting to gracefully put an end to her feelings. But before she could finish the first syllable, Hu Li pushed something toward her, interrupting her.

It was a Spirit Elixir Branch. Su Weiyun’s pupils constricted slightly in surprise and delight.

Spirit Elixir Branches were the finest material for crafting sword sheaths. One of Su Weiyun’s reasons for aiming to win the Immortal Sect Grand Competition was to enter the Immortal Forest and obtain a Spirit Elixir Branch to make a worthy sheath for her blade.

Hu Li glanced up at Su Weiyun. “Fairy Su, consider this Spirit Elixir Branch my way of making amends.”

In the original story, she remembered the goals of everyone vying for victory in the Immortal Sect Grand Competition—except for Su Weiyun’s.

So, while gathering treasures in the Immortal Forest, she specifically collected items that Su Weiyun, Yu Yan, and even the Buddhist disciple might want. Her plan was to compensate them after leaving the Secret Realm, hoping to ease her conscience.

Originally, she’d intended to deliver these items using Teleportation Talismans. She hadn’t expected Su Weiyun to come looking for her in person.

“Fairy Su, tricking you during the Immortal Sect Grand Competition was truly a last resort. Please don’t hold it against me,” Hu Li said, wiping her mouth after devouring the last few wontons. She explained this to Su Weiyun, whose expression remained inscrutable.

Snapping out of her daze, Su Weiyun shifted her gaze from the Spirit Elixir Branch to Hu Li.

“Fairy Gu,” she asked abruptly, “may I call you by your name from now on?”

Hu Li considered this for a moment. Figuring a mere title was insignificant, she nodded. “You may.”

Su Weiyun, barely concealing her delight, feigned composure and said, “Then you can just call me Weiyun from now on.”

Hu Li gave a casual “Mm-hmm” as the shopkeeper arrived with the bowl of wontons Su Weiyun had ordered.

Hu Li generously pulled a silver leaf from her Storage Bag and handed it to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper accepted the payment with a smile, urging Hu Li to visit again soon.

Hu Li readily agreed.

As the shopkeeper left, Hu Li and Su Weiyun were once again alone at the table, exchanging awkward glances.

Hu Li sat stiffly, fidgeting with her fingers in the awkward silence, feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles, her mind racing with thoughts of escape.

Fortunately, this uncomfortable situation didn’t last long. Yu Shibai suddenly appeared nearby, waving at Hu Li and calling out, “Sheng Lass, it’s time to set off!”

Hearing his voice, Hu Li sprang up from the bench, eagerly bowed to Su Weiyun in farewell, and hurried away.

Su Weiyun remained seated, watching Hu Li’s retreating figure, her hand clutching the Spirit Elixir Branch tightly. Only when Hu Li had completely disappeared did she reluctantly tear her gaze away.

Meanwhile, Hu Li, finally free of Su Weiyun, breathed a sigh of relief. She followed Yu Shibai, who was chattering incessantly, onto the Immortal Skiff, her steps feeling noticeably lighter.

*******

The Immortal Skiff was arranged as usual.

Hu Li glanced around, but seeing no sign of Min Xiuhe or Shang Miaoyun, she asked curiously, “Martial Uncle Yu, where are Senior Sister and Junior Sister?”

She hadn’t seen Min Xiuhe or Shang Miaoyun since they left the Secret Realm. Their continued absence made her uneasy.

Yu Shibai pursed his lips. “You know how those two are always glued together. I saw them board the skiff earlier, before I called you. They didn’t even bother to tell you.”

Remembering he hadn’t yet reported Gu Sheng’s victory to Tianyan Sect, Yu Shibai hurried back to his cabin.

Hu Li was now alone on the vast Immortal Skiff.

After standing alone for a moment, she walked toward the cabin marked with Gu Sheng’s nameplate.

Inside, Hu Li locked the door and cast a protective barrier before dispelling her Illusion Technique, reverting to her true appearance.

She approached the bed, performed a hand seal, and chanted an incantation to retrieve Gu Sheng from the small space within her Storage Bag, gently placing her on the bed.

Gu Sheng remained unconscious, her steady breathing offering Hu Li a small measure of relief.

As for the remaining anxiety, Hu Li carefully removed Gu Sheng’s outer robes, then partially unbuttoned her inner garment. Only after meticulously examining her body and confirming that all wounds had healed did Hu Li finally relax completely.

********

After redressing Gu Sheng, Hu Li sat on the edge of the bed, her gaze falling on the incense burner placed beside it.

Elder Qi had given her a herbal pouch earlier. She had taken the contents to a pharmacy to identify them—all were calming herbs, particularly suitable for burning as incense.

Hu Li opened the burner’s lid, retrieved the herbal pouch from her Storage Bag, and poured the herbs into the burner.

She then pressed two fingers together, silently chanted an incantation, and the herbs instantly transformed into fragrant powder, which began to smolder.

Closing the lid, Hu Li stretched her neck, loosening her muscles, before settling down beside the bed. She put on her Scent-Veiling Bracelet, transforming into a red-furred dog, and silently guarded Gu Sheng.

Wisps of white smoke curled from the burner’s vents, carrying the faint herbal fragrance that quietly permeated the room, lingering around their noses.

Having been awake all night, Hu Li’s eyelids began to droop under the calming scent.

Her head nodded lower and lower, her vision gradually blurring.

Finally, a muffled thud echoed as Hu Li collapsed to the floor, fast asleep.

The room fell into complete silence, broken only by the soft, rhythmic breathing of its occupants.

After a long while, the lock on the door clicked open, then clattered to the floor.

*******

The protective barrier Hu Li had placed on the door flickered briefly, attempting to repel the intruder, but in the next instant, it was effortlessly shattered.

With the barrier broken, the intruder pushed open the door, stepped over the threshold, and entered the room.

Demonic Qi radiated from her entire being, and a Dark Purple Demonic Mark—symbolizing the Demon Race’s royal lineage—adorned her forehead.

She calmly circled around the screen, her gaze lingering for a moment on Gu Sheng, who lay unconscious on the bed, before shifting to Hu Li.

“Fox Demon,” she murmured, crossing her arms. Her eyes moved to the incense burner.

The incense was still burning, though the white smoke had thinned.

The woman lifted the burner’s lid, set it aside, and retrieved a sachet from her sleeve. She poured the fragrant powder from the sachet into the burner.

Then, rolling up her sleeves, she picked up the incense chopsticks and meticulously arranged the powder, relighting the incense.

This time, the incense burned with a faint purple smoke, its aroma more intense than before.

The woman blocked her sense of smell, replaced the lid on the burner, and gently waved her hand, dispersing the purple smoke into the air.

“You two mustn’t waste the Demon Race’s finest Deep Nightmare Incense,” she chuckled softly as she rose and slowly walked out of the room.

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