Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 59

“Gu Jinghe?!” Hu Li finally reacted.

She glanced down at the formation beneath her feet, then swiftly drew a longsword, its tip aimed directly at Gu Jinghe.

Gu Jinghe raised an eyebrow at the sight. He calmly reached out and grasped Hu Li’s sword, scoffing, “Do you really think you and this blade can pose any threat to me?”

As he spoke, he moved to snap Hu Li’s sword in half. But just as he was about to exert force, his hand froze mid-motion.

Immediately, everyone behind him also froze, their expressions frozen in place as if time itself had stopped.

Simultaneously, the lively street vendors’ cries outside the window, Feng Xianyue’s startled gasp from beyond the door—all sounds vanished completely. The world seemed to have hit the pause button.

Hu Li tightened her grip on the sword and glanced sideways at Gu Sheng, only to find her frozen in place as well.

Host, the System has paused the entire world for you. You can safely put down the sword now, the System’s voice echoed in her Sea of Consciousness.

Hu Li snapped back to attention. After a moment’s thought, she asked the System, “You really stopped time?”

That’s right. This System has—

Before the System could finish, Hu Li abruptly thrust her sword at Gu Jinghe.

The System: ……

The System froze for a moment, then shouted, “Host, don’t be rash!”

Hu Li calmly replied, “I’m perfectly calm.”

As she spoke, she even increased her force, stabbing Gu Jinghe repeatedly.

But she soon noticed that while each sword pierced Gu Jinghe, there wasn’t a single drop of blood.

Could there be a delay? Hu Li pondered, then added a few more stabs for good measure.

The System: ………….

Watching Hu Li stab away with tireless enthusiasm, the System finally sighed, “Host, after time stops, none of your actions can harm Gu Jinghe.”

“Huh?” Hu Li’s hand froze mid-stab. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

She grumbled at the System, rubbing her aching arm in frustration.

The System: ………………….

It was utterly speechless. Is this really the priority right now?!

“Host, aren’t you curious why I stopped time?!” the System demanded urgently.

Hu Li shook her head, expressionless. “Not really.”

With that, she rolled up her sleeves and tried to pick up Gu Sheng to escape. But every time she reached the door, an invisible barrier slammed her back.

After several failed attempts, Hu Li reluctantly abandoned the idea of fleeing.

“Tell me,” Hu Li said patiently, “why did you freeze time?” But the System, which had just upgraded to a new electronic panel in her Sea of Consciousness, was now a chaotic mess of black and white static.

Seeing this, Hu Li silently set down her longsword and frantically shook the malfunctioning System, calling out, “System, I can’t live without you!”

As she spoke, she flipped her hand, and three incense sticks appeared in her palm, along with a nearby incense altar.

The System’s electronic panel flickered, its gaze landing on the memorial tablet placed on the altar. It nearly short-circuited again.

For the tablet bore two large characters: “System.”

The System suspected Hu Li had wanted it dead all along. How else could she have prepared this elaborate setup?!

Gritting its teeth, the System furiously crashed around in Hu Li’s Sea of Consciousness, then shouted, “Host, get a grip!”

Hu Li, dizzy from the System’s rampage, shook her head and quickly reassured it, “Alright, no more jokes. Just tell me the bad news already.”

The System had never interfered with her missions before, let alone frozen time. Hu Li knew this meant the System was about to deliver some truly terrible news.

Calming down, the System heard Hu Li’s thoughts and muttered, “It’s definitely not good news.”

Hu Li didn’t catch it. “What did you say?”

“I mean, a new mission is about to be issued,” the System said, taking a deep breath and switching to its mechanical voice. “Host, this is the plot point where Gu Jinghe kills his own daughter to prove his Dao, and it’s your final plot mission after transmigrating into the novel. You now have two choices: first, perform a Soul Swap with Gu Sheng and let her follow the plot; second, take Gu Sheng’s place and follow the plot yourself.”

Kill his own daughter to prove his Dao? Hu Li seized on those words, her gaze turning icy as she stared at the righteous Sect Master of the Tianyan Sect standing before her.

So, in the original novel, Gu Jinghe’s murder of his own daughter had truly been for his own selfish gain.

Hu Li had vaguely sensed this back at Fortune Inn, but she had never dared to believe it.

Now it was clear: Gu Jinghe, that old scoundrel, was utterly despicable.

As she thought this, the System prompted her again: “Host, please make your choice.”

Snapping back to reality, Hu Li looked at the two options on the Electronic Panel in her Sea of Consciousness and unhesitatingly chose the second.

Having already experienced that sense of helplessness in Gu Sheng’s dream, Hu Li was determined to never let Gu Sheng suffer the Immortal Slaying Nail again.

“System,” Hu Li said, turning to Gu Sheng beside her, “do you have a way to send Gu Sheng somewhere Gu Jinghe will never find her?”

Having made her choice, Hu Li glanced at the crowd surrounding Myriad Treasures Residence, determined to help Gu Sheng escape their clutches.

********

The System, sensing Hu Li’s concerns, swiftly responded, “Rest assured, Host. I’ll send Gu Sheng to an Alternate Space. Once you’ve completed the plot, I’ll release her.”

“Right, and Shopkeeper Feng and Feng Xianyue too. Send them as well.”

These two were innocent, and Hu Li didn’t want them dragged into this mess. Nor did she want Gu Sheng to lose two more people she cared about.

“Understood, Host.”

“One last question.” Hu Li took a deep breath. “After this plot point, will I die?”

“Well, that’s…” The System scratched its nonexistent head. “Don’t worry, Host. The female lead is the Heavenly Dao’s beloved daughter. She won’t die.”

Hu Li nodded, understanding. “Then let’s proceed with the plot.”

The System hummed in agreement. First, it teleported Gu Sheng, Uncle Feng, and Feng Xianyue to the Alternate Space. Then, the moment Hu Li raised her sword again, it resumed the flow of time.

“Gu Jinghe,” Hu Li called out, her gaze meeting his once more. In the next instant, her sword flashed forward an inch, the tip slicing across his neck, drawing a few drops of blood.

Gu Jinghe lowered his eyes, glancing indifferently at the blade. With a sudden surge of strength, he gripped the sword tightly, wrested it from Hu Li’s hand, and flung it to the ground.

“Where is she?” Gu Jinghe’s face turned toward the spot where Gu Sheng had vanished. “What have you done?” His tone carried a hint of impatience.

Hu Li circulated her Spiritual Power, summoning the sword back into her hand, where it transformed back into the Red Jade Hairpin.

“I naturally sent her away,” Hu Li said coldly, inserting the hairpin into her hair.

“Such loyalty to a Fox Demon,” Gu Jinghe murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly, a flicker of displeasure crossing his gaze. But he quickly suppressed his emotions, instead binding Hu Li with the Immortal-Binding Rope and ordering the disciples behind him, “Take her back to Tianyan Sect.”

With that, he vanished from the spot, shrinking his stride to an inch.

*******

Moon-Gazing Peak at Tianyan Sect was shrouded in dense mist.

Within the Sect Master’s residence, lamplight flickered and danced through the hazy white mist, its glow blurred and indistinct.

Hu Li was imprisoned in a secret chamber by Gu Jinghe. The chamber was sealed with layers of powerful restrictions, making escape utterly impossible.

At the center of the chamber lay a formation. Within it, Hu Li was bound by chains materialized from spiritual power. Every movement she made caused the chains to rattle and tighten further.

Gu Jinghe stood before her, looking down at the figure sprawled within the formation. His voice rang with righteous indignation: “Gu Sheng, you should have foreseen this day when you colluded with the Demon Race.”

As he spoke, he stepped closer, scrutinizing her face—a face that bore a striking resemblance to Qi Shiyi’s between the brows. A cold smile twisted his lips. “You truly take after your mother. Both of you are so rebellious, so utterly disregarding the honor of the Immortal Sects.”

Hu Li glared up at him, sneering. “You’re the one who’s utterly shameless.”

Gu Jinghe frowned.

Hu Li continued, her voice sharp: “You’re not killing me for the sake of your so-called Immortal Sects. You’re doing it for yourself!”

Since Gu Jinghe is determined to kill me anyway, I might as well give him a piece of my mind, she thought.

“You shameless hypocrite! You couldn’t ascend on your own, so you planned to kill your own kin to prove your Dao and sever your attachments. But killing family would tarnish the reputation of the Tianyan Sect Master, wouldn’t it? That’s why you concocted this scheme to smear me with false accusations!”

Hu Li spat out the words, ignoring the chains binding her. She struggled to her feet, met Gu Jinghe’s gaze, and continued her tirade: “Others may not know what you did to my mother, but do you truly believe you can deceive yourself? You old bastard! The real reason you can’t ascend is because of your countless sins. Even the heavens refuse to accept you as their dog!”

After regaining her memories, Hu Li learned fragments of the past.

Most of what she knew about Gu Jinghe came from Hu Zhizhi.

It turned out Gu Jinghe was a classic “phoenix man”—a man from humble origins who rose to prominence through marriage.

He never would have become Sect Master of Tianyan Sect if he hadn’t married the only daughter of the previous Sect Master. That marriage was the foundation of his current power.

But “marriage” was hardly the right word.

It was more a matter of manipulation and coercion.

******

Gu Jinghe had orchestrated the scheme, pressured by the previous Sect Master, to tear Qi Shiyi and Shen Yijun apart and force Qi Shiyi to marry him.

Gu Jinghe was well aware of his own role in this affair. He glared coldly at Hu Li, a flicker of murderous intent flashing through his eyes, though he kept it hidden. Instead, he unleashed his Spiritual Pressure, forcing Hu Li to kneel before him.

“Gu Sheng, you’ve colluded with the Demon Race and now dare to defy and slander your own father. It seems our bond as father and daughter has truly come to an end.”

With that, he seized a chain from the array. A subtle shift in his thoughts caused the remaining chains binding Hu Li to tighten abruptly, sending a searing current coursing through her body.

The electricity was bone-chilling. Hu Li’s vision blurred with pain, yet she made not a sound.

Gu Jinghe watched the scene impassively for a long moment before rising and leaving the Secret Chamber.

Outside, a servant waited. Seeing Gu Jinghe emerge, he bowed respectfully and asked, “Sect Master, how should we deal with the Young Sect Master?”

Gu Jinghe closed the chamber door, settled onto a meditation cushion, poured himself a cup of tea, and said to the servant in a low voice.

“Tomorrow, summon the disciples from all nine peaks and nine valleys. Execute her publicly before them all.”

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