After Rebirth, the Love-Struck Cannon Fodder Woke Up - Chapter 22.1

Chapter 22.1: Emotional Scars

◎ Past Life Memories, Time Reversal ◎

Before this, Shen Anlan had thought that the Secret Scroll fragment might be a treasure map or a record of unknown cultivation techniques or spells.

But now, she felt it was not the case.

The feeling of familiarity in her heart came suddenly. Was Junior Sister Du also influenced by this when she wanted to acquire this item?

The fragment was only half. Where was the remaining half?

Thinking this, Shen Anlan suddenly sensed something. She used her divine sense to perceive the outside world and found that Junior Sister Du had already left Welcoming Immortal Peak.

She immediately got up, left her cave dwelling, and sped along the road, arriving beside the girl.

Noticing that the girl seemed to be in distress, she immediately transmitted a query: “Junior Sister, did the Sect Master make things difficult for you?”

Du Lianxin slowly shook her head, transmitting her reply: “Don’t worry, Senior Sister. The Sect Master only asked a few questions.”

“Then why, Junior Sister…”

“It was just the recollection of some old matters. It has nothing to do with the Sect Master.”

Hearing this, Shen Anlan understood that the girl was unwilling to discuss the matter further. Thus, she changed the subject and brought up the Secret Scroll fragment.

She flicked her sleeve to take it out and mused: “What are Junior Sister’s thoughts on this item?”

Seeing the Secret Scroll fragment again, the intense intuition once again surfaced in Du Lianxin’s heart.

She composed herself and spoke directly: “In my opinion, the true purpose of this item may not be what it appears to be on the surface.”

This view coincided with Shen Anlan’s judgment. She continued to ask: “Can Junior Sister elaborate?”

Du Lianxin continued: “When ordinary people see this item, they are very likely to regard it as a route map to some ancient dwelling or hidden treasure, believing that finding the other half will allow them to decipher its secrets. But I feel that this item is not incomplete.”

Shen Anlan was slightly surprised. “Why does Junior Sister think so?”

Du Lianxin answered frankly: “It’s just intuition, based purely on subjective judgment, with no other reason. Senior Sister can just listen and disregard it.”

Shen Anlan recalled that the manager hosting the auction had mentioned more than once that the item could only be obtained by someone with an affinity. Could her Junior Sister be that person?

But… how to explain the feeling of familiarity she had previously experienced?

Could it be that… the treasure had more than one person with an affinity?

“Is Junior Sister willing to unlock the mystery of the treasure with me?”

Du Lianxin hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

She was indeed greatly curious about the secret scroll. She couldn’t miss this opportunity.

“How does Senior Sister plan to proceed?”

Seeing the girl agree, a hint of a smile appeared on Shen Anlan’s face.

“Since it’s a treasure, it must be able to withstand fire and water. I plan to try these methods one by one to see what results they yield.”

Du Lianxin had no objection to this.

At Shen Anlan’s invitation, she came to Falling Cloud Peak.

In her past life, she often came here. This was the first time she had set foot on this peak in this life.

Because of the auction incident at the Treasury Pavilion, many fellow disciples now knew that Shen Anlan and Gu Xianzi had bid for a treasure for her.

Along the way, curious glances were constantly cast their way, not with malice, but purely out of a desire for gossip.

Du Lianxin was initially very uncomfortable, but seeing Senior Sister Shen composed, she slowly began to adapt…

On the other side, after Gu Xianzi left the Treasury Pavilion and returned to Pill Peak, she immediately instructed her maidservant, Peony, to watch the movements at Welcoming Immortal Peak and inform her as soon as Junior Sister Du left.

About the time it took for an incense stick to burn, she was informed by Peony that Junior Sister had gone to Falling Cloud Peak with Shen Anlan. Gu Xianzi immediately set off.

Upon arriving at Falling Cloud Peak, she found the girl and Shen Anlan walking side-by-side, having reached the entrance of the latter’s cave dwelling.

Gu Xianzi immediately chased after them, arrived beside her Junior Sister, and gently hooked the sleeve of the girl’s garment, showing a hint of a wronged expression.

“Didn’t Junior Sister Du say earlier that she only wanted to focus on the Dao path? Why are you going to Senior Sister Shen’s cave dwelling after such a short time?”

Du Lianxin turned her head, meeting a pair of exceptionally beautiful peach blossom eyes.

Gazing at the hint of resentment in Gu Xianzi’s eyes, she had a momentary illusion that she had become a heartless flirt.

She was startled by this sudden thought and quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks and even her earlobes tinged with a rosy blush.

“Senior Sister Gu misunderstood. I am going to Senior Sister Shen’s cave dwelling only at Senior Sister’s invitation to jointly decipher the mystery of the Secret Scroll fragment. There is no other intention.”

Gu Xianzi was dissatisfied with this answer.

“Why do you have to go into the cave dwelling to solve the mystery? Can’t you do it outside?”

Shen Anlan glanced at her and said lightly: “This is between Junior Sister Du and me, and it has nothing to do with Junior Sister Gu.”

Gu Xianzi raised an eyebrow and said angrily: “How is it irrelevant? I am pursuing Junior Sister Du. Naturally, I don’t want to see Junior Sister being ambiguous with other women, especially when this woman is likely harboring ill intentions toward Junior Sister!”

She spoke very loudly, and many fellow disciples on Falling Cloud Peak and the nearby peaks heard her.

Du Lianxin blushed furiously. Stuck between the two Senior Sisters, she could neither advance nor retreat.

Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense, hinting at a potential fight, she secretly tugged at Gu Xianzi’s sleeve and, for the first time in her life, pleaded sweetly.

“I won’t go into Senior Sister Shen’s cave dwelling. Senior Sister Gu, please don’t be angry, and go back first, okay?”

Gu Xianzi took the opportunity to hug the girl, then raised her eyes to look at Shen Anlan, showing a highly irritating, smug smile.

Afterward, she shifted her gaze away, lowered her head, and sniffed the faint, elegant body fragrance emanating from the girl, her breath as sweet as orchid.

“Is what Junior Sister said true? Are you not trying to deceive me?”

“Of course not.”

Du Lianxin only wanted Senior Sister Gu to leave now to prevent her and Senior Sister Shen from fighting on Falling Cloud Peak and incurring sect punishment.

Gu Xianzi picked up a strand of the girl’s long hair draped over her shoulder and sniffed it at her nose, her eyes filled with a smile. “I want Junior Sister Du to leave with me.”

Shen Anlan, although somewhat angry when she heard the previous words, didn’t care too much. But now, she was truly furious.

The sect did not allow private duels. Therefore, she only cast a Fixation Spell. Taking Gu Xianzi by surprise, she froze her in place, then immediately pulled Junior Sister Du out of the grasp of the wicked woman.

Gu Xianzi was momentarily caught off guard and immobilized, unable to move, but she could still speak.

At this moment, her eyes were full of anger. She looked at the purple-clad woman who had brought the girl to her side, gritting her teeth and saying: “Shen Anlan, if you have the guts, undo the spell, and let’s fight fairly. What kind of skill is it to only resort to sneak attacks?”

Shen Anlan remained unmoved, only saying lightly: “Junior Sister Gu was the one who came uninvited and acted unreasonably first.”

At this point, she took out a sound transmission talisman and instantly activated it.

After whispering a few sentences, the talisman immediately transformed into a stream of light and flew toward Pill Peak.

Gu Xianzi heard the content of the sound transmission, and her heart grew even angrier.

“You’re actually running to report to my mother! Shen Anlan, I didn’t realize you were this kind of person. I was truly blind to have ever liked you! You’re useless except for a pretty face, and your temper is awful and stubborn. Hmph, Junior Sister Du would fall in love with anyone but you!”

As soon as her words fell, a streak of light rushed over from a distance.

Gu Lin was originally preparing to refine a high-grade pill. Upon receiving Shen Anlan’s sound transmission and learning that her daughter was causing a scene at Falling Cloud Peak, she immediately rushed over.

Seeing her daughter immobilized and Du Lianxin nearby, she quickly understood what had happened and felt a moment of exasperation.

Knowing your strength is inferior to Shen Anlan’s, you insisted on coming over to court trouble.

If it were her, if she truly wanted to win the Junior Sister’s favor, she would start with daily details, slowly wooing her, instead of making a scene in front of her love rival. This not only wouldn’t win any affection from the beloved person but would also deepen the love rival’s favorable image in the other’s heart.

Thinking of this, Gu Lin glared at her daughter, then looked at Shen Anlan with her usual smile.

“It’s Xianzi being mischievous and disturbing Junior Niece Shen. I apologize to Junior Niece Shen on her behalf.”

Shen Anlan first performed a salute, then responded lightly: “Peak Master, you are overstating. Since you have arrived, I will immediately undo Junior Sister Gu’s fixation spell.”

With that, she flicked her finger forward. Gu Xianzi, who was fixed in place, immediately regained her freedom.

As the daughter of the Pill Peak Master, when had Gu Xianzi ever suffered such a grievance? The moment the restraint vanished, she immediately drew her sword and attacked Shen Anlan.

The result was predictable.

The attack was blocked halfway by Gu Lin, and her daughter was thoroughly scolded by her mother with a dark face.

This matter could be big or small. If Shen Anlan truly wanted to pursue it, Gu Xianzi could not escape sect punishment.

In the end, Gu Lin ordered, in front of Shen Anlan, that her daughter be confined for six months…

After Gu Xianzi left, Shen Anlan was about to lead the girl beside her into the cave dwelling. However, when she reached out to take the girl’s right hand, she saw her take a step back, indicating her refusal.

Shen Anlan’s brows furrowed accordingly. Before she could ask, the girl spoke first: “Senior Sister Shen, I won’t go in. If Senior Sister doesn’t mind, we can stay outside the cave dwelling and slowly decipher the secret scroll.”

“Why? Is Junior Sister truly influenced by Gu Xianzi? Does Junior Sister have feelings for her?”

“Of course not. Senior Sister misunderstood. It’s just… the matter caused quite a scene earlier. Many fellow disciples already know. To avoid falling victim to gossip, maintaining a distance from Senior Sister Shen is necessary.”

Shen Anlan pursed her lips. “Why should you care so much about the opinions of others? Does Junior Sister dislike me very much?”

“No.” Du Lianxin shook her head repeatedly. “Why would Senior Sister think that? I have never disliked Senior Sister.”

Shen Anlan pressed on: “Since that’s the case, why do you want to keep your distance from me? We cultivators cultivate the Dao and the mind. Being too concerned about external rumors is detrimental to one’s state of mind and not a good thing.”

Du Lianxin took another step back. “I…”

For a moment, she wanted to tell the person in front of her everything about her past life.

She wanted to tell the person in front of her that in her past life, her devoted pursuit only earned her countless mockery and her coldness, leading to a tragic end…

Shen Anlan saw the redness at the corner of the girl’s eyes and immediately panicked.

“Don’t cry. It’s my fault. We won’t go into the cave dwelling. We’ll stay outside.”

She casually set up a restriction around them, isolating them from the prying eyes of fellow disciples on the peak. She cautiously approached the girl and held her in her arms.

Du Lianxin was immersed in sorrowful memories. Seeing the person who had been cold and heartless to her in her past life now offering comfort, her tears flowed uncontrollably, soaking Shen Anlan’s clothes.

Shen Anlan’s right hand was holding the Secret Scroll fragment. As time passed, a tear slid down and dripped onto it, instantly causing a dramatic change.

A dazzling golden light quickly emerged from the fragment.

The change came suddenly. To prevent harming the girl, Shen Anlan subconsciously flung the item in her hand away.

However, in the next instant, the golden light abruptly enveloped Du Lianxin. The girl, immersed in sadness, suddenly felt her consciousness go black and fainted.

At the same time, a teleportation force appeared out of thin air, carrying her away instantly, disappearing from the spot.

Shen Anlan’s arms were suddenly empty. She was greatly alarmed and was about to cast a spell to attack the Secret Scroll fragment. Just then, another change occurred.

The originally tattered fragment actually restored itself automatically, and golden runes emerged from it one after another.

A trace of power belonging to the Law of Time spread out.

After lasting for several breaths, the secret scroll slowly dissipated into ash. Countless memories appeared in Shen Anlan’s Sea of Consciousness…

She stood in a daze for a long time, shedding two streams of clear tears. She murmured a name repeatedly: “Lianxin.”

Shen Anlan remembered everything from her past life.

She was orphaned at a young age, witnessing the coldness and warmth of the human world, which fostered her aloof nature.

On a chance encounter, she met Immortal Xuan Su during her travels outside. She was accepted as a core disciple and brought back to the Clear River Sect.

During the spiritual root test, the Spirit Testing Plate shone with a seven-colored light, shocking the entire sect.

She was not only a Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator but also possessed a Congenital Dao Bone, making her a cultivation genius rarely seen in a thousand years.

From then on, Shen Anlan was highly valued by the sect and given heavy protection.

Fellow disciples treated her with respect, and her Masters and Elders were amiable. She was constantly exposed to goodwill.

However, her childhood experiences told Shen Anlan that all of this was conditional on her excellent cultivation aptitude.

If one day she encountered some misfortune and lost her Congenital Dao Bone, the goodwill would cease to exist, and malice would follow.

Due to this, even though Shen Anlan was exposed to countless acts of goodwill, she still maintained her cold and emotionless nature.

In her subconscious, she always kept herself separated from the outside world. This was a habit she had developed in her childhood, a form of self-protection.

If you don’t hold expectations for others, you won’t be disappointed.

Shen Anlan had always kept her distance from fellow disciples.

Until she met Du Lianxin.

That day, Shen Anlan happened to pass by the plain outside the Soul Mist Swamp and saw a group of demonic beasts besieging a girl. She casually unleashed a sword strike, eliminating the demonic beasts.

Before she made her move, the girl was already severely wounded but showed no sign of fear. Although there was despair in her eyes, a hint of ruthlessness was faintly visible.

At that time, she thought that if she hadn’t intervened, the girl would probably have resorted to a method of mutual destruction.

After saving the girl, Shen Anlan saw the identity token hanging on her waist and learned her name, Du Lianxin.

Knowing she was a cultivator of the sect, she gave her a high-quality healing pill and instructed her to take it.

The Coagulation Bl00d and Spirit Return Pill was the bitterest of all pills, but also a holy medicine for healing.

Taking this pill, no matter how severe the injury, there would be no more risk to life.

Shen Anlan watched the girl take the pill and frown beautifully. She thought that the other party, like herself, was someone who disliked bitterness.

Before reaching Bigu (abstinence from grain and other earthly foods), she loved to eat sour and sweet foods and never touched anything bitter.

Affected by this, she rarely took pills.

There were many outer-sect cultivators in the Clear River Sect. Shen Anlan did not take this encounter to heart.

She did not expect Du Lianxin to cling to her thereafter.

At first, she only felt impatience.

But every time she met the girl’s bright smile, she subconsciously recalled the look of near-death despair that appeared on her fair, delicately carved face during their first meeting.

Because of this, she couldn’t bring herself to say hurtful words.

She didn’t want to see the bright smile disappear.

Thus, with her repeated indulgences, the girl became more and more attached to her.

Then one day, the Falling Glow Market auction began. Many fellow disciples on the peak went to attend and join the excitement. The girl did not go. Instead, she came to Falling Cloud Peak with the personally woven and carved flower crown and hairpin and confessed her love to her.

Shen Anlan rejected her without hesitation at that time because she had never thought of spending her life with anyone else.

Since she began cultivating the Dao, her Master had repeatedly told her that romance was the most damaging thing. If possible, she should focus on the path to immortality in this life and never fall in love with anyone.

After rejecting her, she watched helplessly as the girl’s bright smile gradually faded, revealing a look of sadness.

At that moment, Shen Anlan took the flower crown and hairpin the girl had woven and carved with such care, as if possessed by a spirit.

When she came back to her senses, the two gifts were already in her hand. Thinking that returning them would only cause more pain, she simply kept them.

Shen Anlan had secretly worn the flower crown and hairpin in her cultivation cave dwelling. They were very beautiful and exactly to her liking.

She personally selected and crafted a jade box, carefully placing the gifts from the girl inside.

Due to her personality, and because some fellow disciples had seen the girl giving the gifts, Shen Anlan never wore the flower crown and hairpin outside to avoid causing trouble for the girl.

The girl had asked her about it, but she didn’t respond directly.

Why? Her mindset at the time… was probably a bit awkward.

Later, because the girl frequently ran to Falling Cloud Peak, the guards on the peak couldn’t overlook it and specifically asked Shen Anlan whether she wanted to stop the girl directly in the future.

In the eyes of others, the girl was just an outer-sect cultivator. Her frequent visits to the inner peak were truly inappropriate.

Shen Anlan refused the guard’s suggestion without any hesitation. Even she herself couldn’t explain the reason clearly.

At the time, she convinced herself with the word habit.

She thought that she had long become used to the girl’s presence.

The path of cultivation was long. It was quite nice to have such a person who would often come over, ask all sorts of questions, or try every means to make her happy and accompany her.

Little did she know, if it were another person, Shen Anlan would not have reacted this way from the start.

She was well aware that the girl liked her. To maintain a certain distance, she generally wouldn’t respond to anything except questions related to spells and techniques.

To prevent the girl from developing more inappropriate thoughts, Shen Anlan would even sternly rebuke any hint of a romantic topic and then change the subject.

However, when she unintentionally learned that an outer-sect female cultivator liked Du Lianxin, her first reaction was anger.

She felt that the person who belonged to her was being coveted.

For this, she even considered whether to secretly devise a plan to sever that female cultivator’s intentions, making the other party recognize her status and abandon any improper thoughts.

The person who belongs to her, even if she doesn’t like them, is absolutely forbidden for others to contaminate.

But ultimately, Shen Anlan did not do so.

This was because she had subtly tested the girl and found that the girl was completely unaware that her outer-sect Senior Sister liked her. Since that was the case, there was no need to do anything further, lest it backfire.

Nevertheless, Shen Anlan remained vigilant after that.

Occasionally, when the girl mentioned Ye Qiuwan in front of her, she would keep the girl at Falling Cloud Peak for a longer period, making her temporarily forget that person.

At that time, Shen Anlan did not realize that she had, unknowingly, fallen in love with the girl.