The Failed Female Supporting Character [Transmigration] - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Ever since entering the world of cultivation, Ruan Lan had rarely spent her nights sleeping like a mortal. She lay on the bed with her eyes open, staring into the darkness, listening to the rhythmic breathing of the black cat curled up by her pillow.

Though the sound was faint, it was impossible to ignore.

Ruan Lan had never shared a bed with anyone for as long as she could remember. Although it was only a cat lying beside her now, the feeling was novel—yet, surprisingly, it didn’t repel her. Listening to that steady breathing, Ruan Lan gradually closed her eyes.

The night was dreamless. Sunlight filtered through the translucent window paper, illuminating the room. The curtains on both sides of the bed remained tied neatly to the pillars, allowing the orange light to spill directly onto Ruan Lan, who was lying perfectly still in her slumber.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Just as she was surprised by how deeply she had slept, the quilt on her chest shifted, and the tip of a cat’s tail poked out from the edge of the blanket.

Ruan Lan’s expression turned subtle. She lifted the quilt and looked down at the black cat sleeping on top of her. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes; normally, she was alert to the slightest movement even in sleep or meditation, yet she hadn’t noticed when the kitten had crawled onto her last night.

As the warm quilt was suddenly lifted, the black cat stood up groggily, turned around, and buried its head back into Ruan Lan’s body, not yet fully awake.

Footsteps sounded at the door. Ruan Lan snapped back to her senses, picked the cat up by the scruff of its neck, and whispered, “Quick, change back.”

The black cat blinked in dazed confusion. It took a moment to react, but the second the door to the outer room was pushed open, she jolted awake and shifted into human form without a second thought.

…

Awkward Mornings

The person who pushed the door open was Yu Qi. After a night of rest, her complexion had improved significantly. Finding Ruan Lan absent, she had naturally come looking for her. Usually, at this hour, her Senior Sister would be either meditating or studying sword forms.

“Senior Sister?” Yu Qi called out, walking toward the inner room. “Are you practicing?”

Before her eyes could sweep the room, a wave of spiritual energy pushed her back, and a boundary formed to block her entrance.

Ruan Lan’s cold voice drifted from within. “Go back for now.”

Yu Qi stared at the boundary in bewilderment, gave an affirmative reply, and turned to leave.

Outside, Ji Manqiu was leaning against the doorframe in a pink gauzy dress that left little to the imagination. Seeing Yu Qi emerge, her eyes swept over the screen with a playful glint. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Yu Qi muttered, confused by the sudden expulsion. She brushed past Ji Manqiu, but as her gaze accidentally landed on the woman’s cleavage, she quickly looked away and pursed her lips. “You…”

“Yes?” Ji Manqiu looked at her.

“Nothing,” Yu Qi said sternly. “The cultivation world is in chaos right now, and so is the mortal realm. Some cultivators don’t focus on their path and instead look for ‘unorthodox’ methods. Be careful not to get snatched away.”

Ji Manqiu raised an eyebrow. Her manicured finger hooked under Yu Qi’s chin as she teased, “Are you worried about me?” Her eyes suggestively swept over the places where Yu Qi had been injured.

“You—” Yu Qi’s face went cold. She swiped Ji Manqiu’s hand away and turned her head. “I will surely save your life once in the future. Then, we will be even.”

Ji Manqiu smiled. “Let’s find the opportunity to save me first, shall we?”

…

New Gear and Old Grudges

While they were bickering, Ruan Lan and Feng Qi finally emerged. Ruan Lan was dressed in light-colored robes, her hair pinned simply with a single hairpin, looking like a transcendent immortal.

Yu Qi dazed for a moment before calling out, “Senior Sister.” Then her eyes fell on Feng Qi, who was trailing behind. She froze. “Why are you wearing your Senior Sister’s clothes?”

Feng Qi was busy adjusting her belt with her head down. Hearing this, she looked up and said with a shifting gaze, “Master gave them to me.”

The clothes were the same style as Ruan Lan’s, only the color was more vibrant.

“Senior Sister, isn’t that the high-grade artifact you traded for at the Weapon Refinement Sect?” Yu Qi asked, her voice tinged with envy.

Ruan Lan nodded calmly. “Her cultivation is low; having an artifact on her person makes her safer.”

That’s a high-grade artifact! I didn’t even dare ask for it… Yu Qi looked at Feng Qi with a mix of envy and jealousy. It felt like her status as a “Junior Sister” had plummeted ever since Ruan Lan took a disciple.

Feng Qi avoided Yu Qi’s burning gaze, fingering her sleeves. She was still embarrassed by the frantic rush earlier. She made a mental note to ask Ji Manqiu if there was a way to avoid the whole “appearing naked upon transformation” problem. When she had suddenly materialized on top of Ruan Lan just now, it had likely given both of them a heart attack.

Fortunately, Ruan Lan had a good temperament; she hadn’t said a word and even gifted her an artifact. Feng Qi touched her cooling cheeks and exhaled slowly.

The party of two had now become four. They didn’t need to stay in the city any longer, but there was one thing to settle: revenge. The Wanyao Sect had tried to kill Yu Qi knowing full well who she was. Leaving without a reckoning wasn’t the style of Ruan Lan or Yu Qi.

However, when they went to find the three disciples in the city, the trio had vanished. Just outside Tianyi City, there were signs of a recent battle—demonic energy and an unknown spiritual aura had mixed, masking the tracks of the Wanyao disciples.

…

The Arrival of the Male Lead

Frustrated, Yu Qi walked ahead of the group, sword on her back.

“Could they have received a message and fled in advance?” Feng Qi asked Ruan Lan.

Ji Manqiu chimed in lazily, “Those cultivators didn’t know we were coming to Tianyi City. Who would have messaged them?”

“Then their luck is too good,” Feng Qi muttered.

“I think they left because of an emergency,” Ji Manqiu said, her smile holding a deeper meaning.

Feng Qi leaned in curiously. “Do you know why?”

The little fox in Ji Manqiu’s arms saw Feng Qi approaching and leaped into her embrace to nap. Ji Manqiu tapped Feng Qi’s forehead. “Don’t you feel that the demonic aura around here is thinner than before?”

“Demonic aura” was a forbidden topic between the two of them. Feng Qi instantly became alert, stopped asking questions, and scurried back to Ruan Lan’s side with the fox.

Ruan Lan glanced coldly at the fox. “You like it that much?”

Feng Qi froze, meeting Ruan Lan’s indifferent eyes. She gave a dry laugh, handed the fox back to Ji Manqiu, and walked obediently on Ruan Lan’s other side. “I don’t like it.” She had almost forgotten her promise to stay away from the “sinister” rogue cultivator.

As they walked, Yu Qi suddenly stopped, sensing a group of cultivators approaching. A moment later, a party of five appeared.

A man stepped forward with a gentle smile, nodding to Ruan Lan. “Senior Sister Ruan.”

Ruan Lan looked him up and down and replied coolly, “Junior Brother Chen.”

“Senior Sister, are you also heading to the Wanyao Sect?” Chen Lintian asked.

“The Wanyao Sect?”

Chen Lintian nodded. “The Wanyao Sect is being besieged by the Demon Realm. They’ve sent out pleas for help to all the major sects.” He showed Ruan Lan a communication jade. “My Master ordered us to go and assist.”

Yu Qi sneered. “Since when has the cultivation world become so charitable?”

Chen Lintian smiled. “Of course, those who help won’t leave empty-handed. The Wanyao Sect promised to gift their most precious stored pills.”

Feng Qi stared at Chen Lintian, her thoughts racing. Why is the male lead appearing now? According to the plot, they weren’t supposed to meet yet. But between herself, Yu Qi, and Ji Manqiu, the plot had already veered off the rails.

Wanyao Sect… Feng Qi pondered. Everything lately revolved around them. Which plot point did this connect to?

“Where is the Wanyao Sect?” Feng Qi asked Ji Manqiu.

“In Nanshan (South Mountain), I believe,” Ji Manqiu replied.

Feng Qi’s eyes widened. Nanshan? In the book, Nanshan eventually became the territory of the Cangyun Sect (the male lead’s sect).

So, the Wanyao Sect was the “fading old sect” she had barely mentioned in her writing—the one that was wiped out by demons, allowing the Cangyun Sect to take over their blessed land?

“Nanshan,” Feng Qi whispered to herself. If it really was Nanshan, they had to go. There was a specific place there she wanted to take Ruan Lan to see before anyone else.