The Failed Female Supporting Character [Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“Why did I have to open my mouth?” Feng Qi lowered her head, staring intently at the roasted fish, her heart full of regret. She should have just focused on eating in silence.

The antagonism between the Righteous and Demonic paths in this world was a blatant fact; she didn’t need to confirm it. Due to the depletion of spiritual energy, the cultivation world was no longer as powerful as it once was. In contrast, those on the Demonic path were unaffected by the scarcity; their strength had actually surpassed the Righteous path. Demon cultivators, who once lived in hiding or remained within the Demon Realm, now roamed the Mortal Realm with arrogant abandon.

In reality, most “demons” committing atrocities in the Mortal Realm were ordinary cultivators who had succumbed to greed and suffered a “Qi Deviation,” turning into demon cultivators. Pure-blooded demons like Ji Manqiu, born and raised in the Demon Realm, generally had little interest in the human world. They could control their desires; they were bellicose but not bloodthirsty. They wouldn’t actively disturb the Mortal Realm unless provoked—but they could not tolerate insults. In the original book, it was the death of the Demon Saintess in the human world that triggered the Great War.

However, to the cultivators, there was no distinction: a demon was a demon.

“Demons are indeed hateful, but the cultivation world is also a place where the weak are prey to the strong. You cannot easily trust anyone, regardless of who they are.” Ruan Lan took Feng Qi’s hand and slipped a sky-blue jade bracelet onto her wrist. She whispered, “We will be here for over a month and will inevitably encounter other sects. This bracelet is a defensive treasure. If I am not by your side, it can protect you for a time.”

The bracelet was cool to the touch, much like Ruan Lan herself. Feng Qi stroked the jade, wondering—a cold jade bracelet can be warmed by the skin, but can the person in front of her be warmed as well?

“Master, I will definitely stay close to you,” Feng Qi said seriously. “Whatever I find, I’ll give it all to you.”

Ruan Lan flipped the fish over and said without looking up, “Find something first, then we’ll talk.”

Feng Qi hugged her knees and tilted her head, her eyes narrowing like a gluttonous cat. She smiled. “Don’t underestimate me. I have a very strong feeling about this place. I’ll definitely find some Immortal Stones.” After all, she was the one who designed this place.

…

The Glimmer of Opportunity

After finishing the fish, Feng Qi was sent back into the Spirit Spring for half a day. By the time Ruan Lan had finished gathering the nearby herbs, Feng Qi emerged looking like a drowned rat, her wet clothes clinging to her.

“Master…” she called out listlessly. For every second she spent in the spring, her internal demonic energy had been clashing with the spiritual energy. She had to stay hyper-vigilant to prevent any leaks. It felt like being submerged in high-concentration peppermint water—constantly, painfully “awake.”

Seeing her low spirits, Ruan Lan fed her a medicinal pill and used her power to dry Feng Qi’s clothes.

“What did you give me?” Feng Qi asked, clutching her throat.

“Nothing much, just a refreshing pill.”

So… I finally got out of the peppermint water, only to be fed a peppermint candy? Feng Qi slumped inwardly but maintained a bright smile. “Thank you, Master.”

As they left the valley, they encountered a mutated beast. It resembled a squirrel but was several times larger, with grey-black fur and exposed, sharp teeth.

“Master, what kind of beast is that?”

“A Flying Squirrel Beast,” Ruan Lan replied.

Feng Qi’s eyes flickered. She remembered this. Flying Squirrels were rare herbivores that loved shiny objects; their nests were often filled with treasures.

“Master, let’s look over there!” Feng Qi pulled Ruan Lan toward a towering giant tree. Ruan Lan didn’t refuse. With a flick of her sword, she sent a cross-shaped wave of energy into the canopy. The branches split apart, and shiny crystals rained down.

“How did you know something was hidden here?” Ruan Lan asked, picking up a crystal.

“Just a guess,” Feng Qi lied effortlessly. “When I was little, my mother told me they like to hide pretty things in their nests.”

Feng Qi searched the trunk until she found a square Immortal Stone hidden beneath the bark. She handed it to Ruan Lan. “For you, Master. You can use it to help your cultivation.”

“This is your ‘opportunity,'” Ruan Lan said, trying to give it back. “You can use it when you break through to Foundation Establishment.”

“But I can’t even draw Qi into my body,” Feng Qi laughed, closing Ruan Lan’s fingers over the stone. “So, Master should use it first.”

In Feng Qi’s mind, her goal was simple: be a “good” demon. If her identity was ever exposed, she hoped Ruan Lan would remember her as a “well-behaved” disciple and spare her life.

“I will find a way to help you,” Ruan Lan said seriously, pocketing the stone. “And I will supervise your cultivation strictly.”

“And if I stay like this forever? Would you expel me from the sect?”

Ruan Lan turned to walk ahead. Her cool voice drifted back: “No.”

…

Encounter with the Protagonist

After several days of traveling through marshes and ice plains, they returned to the valley. While Ruan Lan was identifying herbs, she suddenly looked to the right. “Someone is coming.”

A group appeared—men and women from two different sects. The leaders were a handsome man in dark robes and a gentle, smiling woman.

Feng Qi’s brow furrowed. She didn’t recognize them by sight, but when Ruan Lan greeted the woman as “Junior Sister Liu” and learned the man’s name was Chen Lintian, Feng Qi froze.

Chen Lintian. The male lead of the book.

He was the closed-door disciple of the Cloud Sect leader, a pure Fire Spirit Root, and the classic “devoted younger-brother-type” lead. Feng Qi immediately retreated behind Ruan Lan, trying to be invisible. She wanted to keep as much distance between the leads and herself as possible to avoid any future misunderstandings.

“Senior Sister Ruan, Brother Chen and I are planning to hunt a mutated beast with a 900-year-old water-attribute core. Join us,” the woman, Liu Cheng, invited.

Ruan Lan hesitated. A 900-year core was precious, but she worried about the disadvantage of having Feng Qi with her if a fight broke out over the spoils. Chen Lintian, sensing her hesitation, offered Immortal Stones as compensation for the others, showing great sincerity. Ruan Lan eventually agreed.

As they moved toward the beast’s location, the environment suddenly warped—the Immortal Abode was shifting again. When the world stabilized, they were in a new area.

Ruan Lan struck a tree with her sword, but it remained unmarked. “We are no longer in the valley.”

“This seems to be…” Chen Lintian paused.

“A Secret Realm,” Ruan Lan concluded.

A Secret Realm within the Abode was usually a hidden trial left by the master. Everyone was excited, but as they tried to enter, they found that most could see nothing but ordinary trees. Only Ruan Lan and Chen Lintian could see the entrance to the cave.

Liu Cheng’s smile turned strained. “It seems only the two of you can enter.”

Ruan Lan looked at the “invisible” Feng Qi and said, “Come here.”

“I have to try too?” Feng Qi asked, confused.

Ruan Lan took her hand and led her to the barrier. “What do you see?”

“Uh… trees,” Feng Qi lied, looking directly at the cave that had appeared before her eyes. “I don’t see anything else.”

Ruan Lan stared at Feng Qi’s face for a moment, then suddenly gave her a shove. Feng Qi stumbled forward, her hand landing directly on the mountain wall of the cave.

I really don’t want to be a third wheel! Feng Qi cried inwardly.