The Failed Female Supporting Character [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Absorbing a demon core not only increased her cultivation but also brought a sense of satiety—a different, almost addictive sensation compared to a regular full meal.

Knowing that Ruan Lan and the others wouldn’t finish their battle anytime soon, Feng Qi brushed the dust of the core from her hands and shifted back into her original form to prowl through the valley.

Magical beasts in the Immortal Abode were scarce and highly cautious, so she didn’t find another one for a while. Instead, she stumbled upon several familiar locations from her own settings, reaping a few more Immortal Stones.

Wandering aimlessly, she eventually reached the site where Ruan Lan’s group was besieging the mutated beast. They had lured it into a relatively open area, but a glance at the scene revealed that things were not going smoothly.

The black cat peeked out from the bushes, balancing a large leaf on its head, watching the chaos with curiosity.

The situation was dire. When Ruan Lan and Feng Qi had been delayed in the stone chamber, Liu Cheng had already instructed the other disciples to start the hunt. Although Liu Cheng acted as though she had been waiting faithfully when they finally emerged, Feng Qi knew the truth: Liu Cheng had intended to seize the core before Ruan Lan arrived.

She was never one to submissively hand over a prize.

There were now about nine Nascent Soul stage cultivators present, including Ruan Lan. Normally, they could handle a mutated beast with some effort. However, three additional mutated beasts had suddenly appeared, surrounding the group from three directions. These beasts were breathing heavily, their eyes crimson—they were in a state of frenzy.

By the time Feng Qi arrived, a major clash had just occurred. All nine cultivators were injured to varying degrees. Two beasts were down, but the remaining two had regained some lucidity and were growling threateningly, though they hadn’t attacked again yet.

Ruan Lan was in the best condition among them, but her positioning was poor; she was separated from the group and blocked the beasts’ path of retreat.

Where is the ‘Hero Saving the Beauty’ moment? Feng Qi wondered, glancing between Ruan Lan, Chen Lintian, and Liu Cheng. Chen Lintian was too far away. The bridge of trust they were supposed to build during this encounter seemed to be collapsing.

“Senior Sister Ruan, to the right!” Chen Lintian shouted, lunging toward the beast on the right to create a pincer attack.

Liu Cheng, seeing Chen Lintian rush in, gave a coded look to her sect-mates and subtly retreated, crushing a hidden “Beast-Attracting Incense” hidden among the rubble. She watched Ruan Lan with narrowed eyes before joining the fray with half-hearted effort.

Sword light exploded around Ruan Lan. She stepped onto the head of one beast, her Water-Qi blade poised above her with a destructive aura. But just as she was about to strike, the environment warped.

The Immortal Abode was shifting again.

Distracted by the teleportation, Ruan Lan was nearly struck by a beast’s claws. Chen Lintian lunged to pull her back, but his hand hit a defensive barrier Ruan Lan had instinctively cast. She gave him a wary, cold look before flickering away and vanishing into the teleportation light.

As the others vanished one by one, only the half-dead mutated beast—the one with the Water Core—was left behind.

Feng Qi: “…” This is not how the book went.

The hero didn’t save anyone, and the leads were more suspicious of each other than ever. The black cat hopped out of the bushes, stretched, and looked at the dying beast with gemstone-green eyes.

Well, Chen Lintian’s bad luck isn’t my fault.

…

The Request to Follow

Ruan Lan teleported back to the vicinity of the Secret Realm. Sensing a faint scent of blood, her expression darkened until she saw Feng Qi sitting safely within the sword circle, absentmindedly drawing in the dirt with a rock.

“Master!” Feng Qi called out.

“We are leaving,” Ruan Lan beckoned.

“So soon?” Feng Qi dropped her rock and caught up. Noticing the blood on Ruan Lan’s sleeve, she asked, “Master, you’re hurt?”

“It is nothing.”

“Let me bandage it—”

“No need.”

They headed toward the main hall to regroup with the rest of Misty Valley. On the way, Ruan Lan asked indifferently, “You stayed in the sword circle the whole time?”

Feng Qi’s heart skipped. “Of course!”

Ruan Lan reached out and plucked a withered yellow leaf from Feng Qi’s head. She said nothing and kept walking. Feng Qi stared at the leaf in her palm and shut her mouth. That leaf definitely didn’t come from near the Secret Realm.

…

At the main hall, they met Chu Xinyu, another first-generation disciple. Ruan Lan handed her a storage stone filled with herbs. “Take these back to the Sect Leader.”

“Aren’t you coming back with us, Senior Sister?” Chu Xinyu asked worriedly. “The Mortal Realm is crawling with demons. It’s too dangerous to travel alone.”

Ruan Lan, adjusting her internal breath after taking a pill, shook her head. “I have my own plans.”

Feng Qi, listening intently, remembered the plot. Ruan Lan was supposed to spend three years “practicing” in the Mortal Realm, which actually meant slaughtering countless demon cultivators to build her reputation.

A slaughter of demon cultivators… Feng Qi’s mind whirled. One kills, one eats. It’s the perfect partnership!

She sat across from Ruan Lan with a fawning smile. “Master, I want to go with you.”

“Reason?”

“I’d be scared in Misty Valley alone,” Feng Qi mouthed the word ‘demon.’

“You said you liked Misty Valley.”

“I do… but I want to be with Master more.”

Ruan Lan remained unmoved.

Seeing no progress, Feng Qi pulled out an Immortal Stone. “Master?” No response. She pulled out another. “Master?” Still nothing.

Finally, she pulled out the 900-year Water Core she had scavenged from the dying beast. She held it up piteously. “Master, take me with you. I can find things like this for you!”

Ruan Lan looked at the “Fortune Cat” working so hard to please her. After a long silence, she finally nodded.