The Failed Female Supporting Character [Transmigration] - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Feng Qi was extremely satisfied with having successfully “clung to the thigh” of Ruan Lan. Getting to go out to “eat and drink” with her was well worth the cost of handing over that scavenged inner core, which she hadn’t even had time to warm in her hands.

In the days Ruan Lan wasn’t in Piao Miao Valley, Feng Qi could search the main peak a hundred times and likely never find where the secret realm was. Thus, it was far better to follow Ruan Lan and use her “golden finger” (protagonist cheat) to boost her cultivation.

In this world, powerful strength was the only thing one could truly rely on.

Chu Xinyu was already uneasy about Ruan Lan going out to train alone. When she heard Feng Qi was tagging along, her unease turned into deep worry. Especially seeing that Feng Qi had yet to even achieve Qi Refinement, she almost had the urge to knock her unconscious and drag her back to the valley.

However, it remained just a thought. Once Ruan Lan made a decision, she rarely changed it for anyone. Chu Xinyu could only watch anxiously as Ruan Lan set off with Feng Qi trailing behind like a little shadow.

…

Expectation vs. Reality

In Feng Qi’s imagination, Ruan Lan’s “training” would involve soaring through the sky on a sword, diving down whenever they sensed demonic energy to slay monsters, then continuing the search or finding a spot to meditate.

However, after leaving the immortal manor, Ruan Lan descended to the foot of the mountain, sheathed her sword, and chose to walk a relatively flat path.

“Master, aren’t we going to look for demons?” Feng Qi followed behind, her head swiveling to take in her surroundings. It was the height of summer; the scorching sun had cracked the earth, and the nearby plants lay withered and limp. The landscape was desolate.

The mortal realm was a place of constant suffering, threatened not only by demons but by the unpredictable whims of the heavens. Living was hard for mortals, and surviving in the cultivation world was no easier. By comparison, the Demon Realm was actually several times better off.

“There is no need to look,” Ruan Lan said softly. “The mortal realm is crawling with demons.” Her tone was flat, but her voice held a trace of coldness.

Feng Qi looked at Ruan Lan’s profile and suddenly didn’t know what to say. After walking in silence for a while, she whispered, “Master, you will definitely be able to change the mortal and cultivation realms.”

Being physically present in this environment made Feng Qi itch to change the world immediately, but only Ruan Lan had the power to do so.

Ruan Lan’s heart stirred. She glanced at Feng Qi, the corner of her mouth curving slightly. She said nothing, but reached out to pat Feng Qi’s head before continuing on as if nothing had happened.

Her hair really is as soft as when she’s a kitten, Ruan Lan thought, her fingers subconsciously clenching at her side.

…

The Desolate Village

Ruan Lan’s claim that demons were everywhere was no exaggeration. Before they had gone far, the faint scent of demonic energy drifted toward them. They neared a village, passing one or two corpses along the road.

The bodies had clearly been there for a while, emitting a foul stench in the heat. Ruan Lan walked up to them without flinching, scattering medicinal powder and covering them with white cloths that seemed to fall from the sky.

Feng Qi’s expression was stiff. As they passed the bodies, she quietly reached out and grabbed Ruan Lan’s sleeve.

“You’re a demon—are you afraid of this?” Ruan Lan glanced at her sleeve but didn’t pull away.

Feng Qi hung her head and said dryly, “I’ve only been a demon for a little while.” I only crossed over recently, after all.

Animal carcasses were one thing; human corpses were another. She needed time to adjust. With the consistently powerful and calm Ruan Lan by her side, Feng Qi’s tension slowly began to ease. Eventually, they reached a village that still carried the scent of living breath—but it was mingled with demonic aura.

Ruan Lan signaled Feng Qi to stay behind her, her light sword already in hand. The village was small, with only a few houses. Every door was tightly shut, and occasional groans of pain drifted from within.

…

The Encounter

Their presence alerted a demon hiding in the village, but the thick scent of blood gave away his position. With a wave of her hand, Ruan Lan’s sword intent shattered a dilapidated wooden hut.

A black-robed demon, huddled over a corpse and devouring its soul, turned his head. His eyes, filled with bloodthirsty madness, locked onto Ruan Lan.

“What a delicious aura,” the demon licked his lips, scanning Ruan Lan with cold eyes. “You must be that pure Water-Root disciple from Piao Miao Valley.”

He ignored Feng Qi entirely, seeing her as nothing more than an ordinary mortal.

“To think you were once an orthodox cultivator, yet now you’ve fallen so low as to consort with demons,” Ruan Lan said coldly.

“Cultivator?” The demon sneered, looking at his blood-stained hands. “Orthodox or demonic, what’s the difference? If the ‘righteous’ path could increase their power by consuming souls, they’d be worse than us.”

Ruan Lan didn’t waste words. She drew a circle on the ground with her sword and pushed Feng Qi into it. “Stay inside. Do not come out.” She then turned to intercept the demon.

The demon knew he was no match for her and tried to flee, but Ruan Lan’s sword intent completely sealed his escape routes. Desperate, he turned to fight. Although Ruan Lan was “only” at the Nascent Soul stage, her Triple-Edge Sword Technique was something even those at the Spirit Severing stage wouldn’t dare underestimate.

A beam of sword energy pierced the demon. Spitting blood, he used the momentum to lung toward Feng Qi. “If I’m dying, I’m taking a brat with me!”

He unleashed a burst of demonic energy to block Ruan Lan’s follow-up strike and lunged at Feng Qi with a dagger.

Feng Qi saw it coming. Unfazed, she turned her back to Ruan Lan and faced the demon. She gave him a tiny smile. Her eyes shifted to a brilliant emerald green, and a flicker of dark energy crossed her face.

The demon froze mid-air, his eyes wide with terror. Before he could react, the protective sword circle flared, and a sharp blade of energy tore through his chest. He collapsed, dead instantly.

The identity of the Demon Saintess is quite handy, Feng Qi thought. I don’t even have to use magic; I can just scare them to death.

…

The Aftermath

As her eyes returned to normal, Feng Qi turned back to Ruan Lan with a bright, innocent smile. “Master, your sword circle is so useful!”

Ruan Lan sheathed her sword and looked at her. “Your ears,” she reminded quietly.

Ears? Feng Qi touched her head and felt the fuzzy cat ears she’d forgotten to retract. She rubbed her hair awkwardly. “I… I think I was just scared,” she scrambled for an excuse.

Ruan Lan nodded, her gaze lingering briefly on Feng Qi’s lower back, wondering if a tail appeared at the same time. Probably, she mused.

Despite the noise of the fight, the village doors remained shut. Ruan Lan walked to a nearby hut and knocked. “I am a disciple of Piao Miao Valley. The demon is dead. If anyone is sick, I have medicine.”

After a long silence, the door creaked open. A gaunt woman with teary eyes rasped, “My mother… Please, Immortal, save my mother.”

Ruan Lan followed her inside.

While Ruan Lan was busy, Feng Qi walked over to the demon’s corpse. She hovered her hand over it, and wisps of demonic energy flowed into her palm until they vanished. It felt like the “fullness” she got from eating an inner core.

She looked up to find a small, thin child peeking from behind a doorframe. Feng Qi smiled and beckoned the child over.

“Big sister, I’m hungry,” the child whispered.

Feng Qi checked her storage stone but found no food. She led the child to Ruan Lan. Ruan Lan glanced at the girl and handed her a handful of dried meat and a canteen of clean water.

“Master,” Feng Qi leaned in, “do you keep those meat strips specifically for them?” She had wondered why a high-level cultivator carried snacks. It turned out they were for the starving mortals.

After administering medicine and food, Ruan Lan noticed Feng Qi staring blankly at the little girl eating.

“Stop staring.” Ruan Lan held a piece of dried meat to Feng Qi’s lips. When Feng Qi instinctively bit it, Ruan Lan withdrew her hand. “Go find an empty house and clean it up. We’re staying here for the night.”

Feng Qi chewed the meat, surprised. “Resting? But it’s still early.”

Ruan Lan looked out the window, her eyes turning cold. “There is another demon hiding here.”