The Failed Female Supporting Character [Transmigration] - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Only Ruan Lan, Chen Lintian, and Feng Qi could enter the Secret Realm. The disciples of the Cloud Sect, unwilling to waste time waiting outside, agreed to meet Chen Lintian back at the valley later. Others followed suit, leaving only Liu Cheng, who insisted on staying behind to wait for them.

After being pushed into the Secret Realm by Ruan Lan, Feng Qi waited a moment. Seeing that the others hadn’t entered yet, she poked her head back out and caught a glimpse of Liu Cheng’s gaze as she watched Ruan Lan and Chen Lintian’s retreating figures.

Unlike her previous gentle smile, her eyes were now filled with a piercing coldness.

Startled by Feng Qi’s sudden appearance, Liu Cheng froze for a second before narrowing her eyes and offering a “friendly” smile. Feng Qi matched the expression perfectly without blinking, and was then promptly shoved back into the realm by Ruan Lan.

“Master, which sect is that woman from?” Feng Qi whispered into Ruan Lan’s ear the moment they were inside.

The warm breath brushed against the side of her neck. Ruan Lan tilted her head away uncomfortably and whispered back, “Lingyun Sect.”

Feng Qi rubbed her chin. The Lingyun Sect… no wonder that look screamed ‘villain.’

The name triggered a flood of plot points. In the original book, Liu Cheng was supposed to be “friends” with the original Feng Qi. She harbored a secret crush on Chen Lintian and was deeply envious of Ruan Lan. Despite Liu Cheng’s decent talent, she had a Triple-Spirit Root constitution, which paled in comparison to Ruan Lan’s pure Single-Spirit Root. In the story, she eventually manipulated the original Feng Qi to cause all sorts of trouble for the heroine.

I need to keep my distance from both the ‘fake friend’ and the ‘human space heater’ (Chen Lintian), Feng Qi thought. She was so distracted that she almost walked into Chen Lintian, who had suddenly stopped.

A hand caught her shoulder gently. Chen Lintian said warmly, “Watch your step.”

Feng Qi stiffened, gave him a brief look, and silently shuffled away to hide behind Ruan Lan.

“Don’t daze off,” Ruan Lan said, positioning Feng Qi at her right side. After a thought, she cast a shimmering barrier around her. Seeing Feng Qi’s confused face, she added, “Safety.”

Feng Qi remained silent. It was safe, sure, but with a glowing shield around her, she looked even more like a literal “shining” third wheel.

…

The Choice of the Gates

The cave was long but spacious, lined with glowing crystals.

“Senior Sister Ruan, let me lead the way,” Chen Lintian offered, seeing no end in sight.

“No need,” Ruan Lan declined politely.

The tunnel eventually ended at two identical stone doors. Ruan Lan stopped, her eyes fixed on them. “Which one should we choose?”

Chen Lintian hesitated. Feng Qi, however, pointed unhesitatingly to the right. “Let’s pick this one.” This was the door where three could enter; the left one was definitely not a place she belonged.

Ruan Lan didn’t argue. She pressed the mechanism and channeled her Qi. After a full minute, the door rumbled open. Taking Feng Qi by the wrist, she led the way in, followed by Chen Lintian.

Inside was a small stone chamber containing three chests and nothing else. Chen Lintian opened them to find herbs and spirit stones.

“Since there are three chests, shall we take one each?” Chen Lintian suggested, clearly intending to save one for Liu Cheng and her sect.

Ruan Lan swept one chest into her storage stone and replied indifferently, “Agreed.” She circled the room once more, found nothing, and turned to leave.

“Master,” Feng Qi whispered, grabbing Ruan Lan’s hand and surreptitiously pressing a ring into her palm. Ruan Lan looked at her in surprise; Feng Qi simply gave her a playful wink.

…

The “Catnip” Trap

As they exited, Ruan Lan prepared to open the left door. Feng Qi began to back away slowly. This is the room where the leads are supposed to bond alone… I need to make a smooth exit.

But Ruan Lan gave her no chance. As Feng Qi tried to slip away, Ruan Lan reached back and pulled her forward. Feng Qi was yanked into the room just as the stone door slammed shut with a heavy thud, leaving a polite Chen Lintian standing outside.

Feng Qi: “…”

Ruan Lan frowned at the door. After inspecting it, she said, “The spirit stone powering the mechanism needs to recharge. The next opening will be in roughly two days.”

“What about him?” Feng Qi pointed at the door.

“If he wants the treasures inside, he will wait.”

Feng Qi sighed. She had successfully managed to crowd out the male lead.

This chamber was identical in size to the first, but instead of chests, it featured a stone bed and a patch of vibrant red flowers that cast a crimson glow over the room.

“Mandarin Duck Grass…” Ruan Lan sniffed the air. It was a common plant that caused mild excitement, easily cleared by a cultivator’s Qi.

However, the moment Feng Qi entered, she felt wrong. Her nose itched, her palms felt weak, and a dizzying urge to transform into her cat form overwhelmed her. She flopped onto the stone bed, looking at Ruan Lan with watery eyes. “Master, I feel… strange.”

“It’s not the Mandarin Duck Grass,” Ruan Lan said, touching Feng Qi’s forehead and checking her pulse.

“There’s something else here…” Feng Qi mumbled, unconsciously rubbing her face against Ruan Lan’s hand.

Ruan Lan’s gaze swept the greenery until she found a withered, yellowish vine tangled among the red flowers. “There is also a Wood Heaven Muse.”

“What is that?”

“A common weed,” Ruan Lan paused, “but cats are extremely fond of it.”

Catnip?! Feng Qi’s eyes widened. She immediately buried her face in her arms to hide her expression. “Get rid of it! I… I hate that smell!” Even as she said it, she couldn’t help but take a deep, involuntary breath.

Because the leaves were brittle, Ruan Lan used her Qi to seal the plant away. She rubbed a bit of the dust between her fingers; she couldn’t smell anything, yet Feng Qi was having a massive reaction.

With Feng Qi occupying half the stone bed, Ruan Lan sat against the wall. She watched the girl, noting the softness of her jet-black hair as she toyed with a strand.

“Where did you find that ring?” Ruan Lan asked softly.

“In the first room,” Feng Qi muttered against her arm. “You two didn’t see it, so I picked it up. Open it… there’s good stuff inside.”

Ruan Lan didn’t look at the ring. Instead, she leaned in, tilting Feng Qi’s chin up to lock eyes. “You aren’t lying to me, are you?”

Feng Qi stared back blankly. Her nose twitched, catching a scent on Ruan Lan’s fingers—the residue of the “catnip.” Without thinking, she grabbed Ruan Lan’s hand and started nuzzling it.

As Feng Qi’s body temperature rose, Ruan Lan felt a skip in her own heart. She instinctively tapped a pressure point on Feng Qi’s neck, and the girl instantly fell unconscious.

Ruan Lan looked at her palm, then at the sleeping Feng Qi. She pulled out a handkerchief, dampened it with water Qi, and placed it on the girl’s forehead.

…

Hidden Spoils

Since arriving at the Immortal Abode, Feng Qi had been a constant source of surprise. Ruan Lan had originally taken her in out of duty and pity for her lack of talent, but here, Feng Qi had been the only one besides herself and Chen Lintian able to enter the Secret Realm.

Is her constitution truly that special? Ruan Lan covered Feng Qi with a cloak and finally inspected the ring.

It was a high-level storage treasure. Inside were nearly a hundred Immortal Stones and several jade bottles. Ruan Lan opened one and gasped. Ten-Thousand-Year Nectar? A single drop could increase a cultivator’s power by decades. There were four drops in total.

Ruan Lan tucked the bottles away and looked at the sleeping girl. She brushed a stray hair from Feng Qi’s face and whispered, “I will save half for you. You deserve the most credit.”

Secrets or not, it was clear that Feng Qi was on her side.