After Rebirth, the Love-Struck Cannon Fodder Woke Up - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Startling Dream

◎ Secret Technique Blockade, Soul-Stirring Dream ◎

Feng Ruo was a little surprised and stopped her subsequent actions. “Miss Du knows my identity?”

As she spoke, the scene of her first encounter with the girl in the Immortal Inscription Building in Falling Glow Market instinctively surfaced in her mind.

At that time, she had teased the girl and was called a Demoness.

She was suspicious then but hadn’t thought deeply about it.

Now, it seemed Du Lianxin had known her identity since they first met.

Seeing the girl nod, Feng Ruo was even more certain that she was also a reincarnator.

With her initial guess confirmed, Feng Ruo felt somewhat pleased.

Shen Anlan had failed her in the previous life. Surely, she wouldn’t fall in love with such a cold and emotionless person again in this life?

Thinking of this, Feng Ruo slightly released the girl and spoke with a smile: “Miss Du, may I call you Lianxin?”

Gaining her freedom, the girl quickly retreated several steps, maintaining a sufficient distance, and nodded in response: “Of course. Senior can call me whatever you like.”

Feng Ruo raised an eyebrow, then gave a sly smile. “Any name is fine? Then how about I call you niangzi (wife)?”

Du Lianxin’s expression stiffened, and she retreated another half step. “Senior, please don’t joke.”

Feng Ruo’s smile remained unchanged. “How can this be a joke? Niangzi herself just said I could call you whatever I like.”

At this moment, Du Lianxin only regretted speaking without thinking. Furthermore, she was not skilled with words and had no idea how to refute her now.

Feng Ruo saw the girl’s cheeks flush crimson and knew that continuing would only annoy her and make her even more distant. So, she stopped at that point, changed the subject, and spoke of serious matters.

“Since Lianxin knows my identity, you are likely also a reincarnator. Then, Lianxin, do you know why I pretended to be a rogue cultivator to approach Shen Anlan?”

Seeing the girl remain silent, Feng Ruo continued: “My mother and I made a bet. Within ten years, I would steal the Clear River Sect’s supreme treasure, the River Map and Luo Scroll. If successful, my mother would pass the position of Asura Sect Master to me.

My mother said that only the strong can bear such a heavy responsibility. If I failed, she would pass the Sect Master position to my stronger Senior Sister.

My Senior Sister and I have always been at odds. Naturally, I was unwilling to have her become the Sect Master and be constantly suppressed by her. Thus, I began meticulous planning.

Shen Anlan is highly regarded by the Clear River Sect. If I could gain her trust and use her to act, the probability of success would be much higher.”

At this point, Feng Ruo sighed lightly.

“In the previous life, I originally only wanted to use her to steal the treasure, but Shen Anlan was extremely discreet outside. She rarely spoke when matters of the sect were mentioned. She also had the Congenital Dao Bone and would achieve extraordinary things in the future. My mother always wanted to eliminate her. After learning that my treasure theft had made no progress, she made me change my plan and target Shen Anlan instead…”

Du Lianxin already knew these things during her final moments in the previous life.

Hearing them now, she was not surprised, only feeling that something was amiss.

The dignified Demon Sect Saintess revealed a top-secret plan in front of a Daoist cultivator. Could she, having learned the truth, leave the Holy Land safely?

Feng Ruo was astute and noticed the girl’s concerns. She smiled and said: “Lianxin, let’s make an exchange. I have revealed my biggest secret. Will you also tell me your secret? Whatever is said in the Holy Land will be known only to you and me; no third person will know. I can swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao on this point.”

A Heavenly Dao Oath held a powerful constraint on cultivators. Once taken, if violated, the person would be plagued by bad luck, their strength would be halted at its current level, and their path to the Dao would be completely severed.

These words dispelled the uneasiness in the girl’s heart.

Du Lianxin hesitated for a moment and asked about one thing.

“Does Senior think… this world truly exists?”

Feng Ruo was momentarily stunned. “Is Lianxin referring to the Holy Land, or… the Grand Profound Realm?”

“The latter, I suppose.”

“This… the Grand Profound Realm certainly exists. Why does Lianxin suddenly have this idea?”

“Didn’t Senior want me to exchange secrets? This is the truth of the world I perceived during my final moments in the previous life.”

What Feng Ruo had said earlier was meant to reassure the girl. She hadn’t expected to truly hear any secret. What she heard now was far beyond her expectations.

“Can Lianxin tell me in detail?”

The girl’s face showed a trace of recollection.

“At that time, my consciousness was already somewhat blurry. I sensed in a flash of insight that I was in a world within a book. There were two main characters in the book: one was Senior Sister Shen, and the other was you, Senior. In that book’s setting, Senior and Senior Sister Shen were a couple and would eventually achieve a positive outcome, while I… was a tool person, existing only to cure Senior Sister Shen.”

Feng Ruo had expected to hear a secret related to the Heavenly Dao, but she hadn’t expected Lianxin to utter such unbelievable words.

No wonder… the girl was so resistant to her earlier.

“The so-called world in a book is, in my opinion, not credible. Lianxin, are you aware that Shen Anlan and I were mortal enemies in the previous life?”

Du Lianxin looked confused. “You are a Daoist cultivator, and one is from the Demon Sect. Your positions are indeed opposed, but according to the hint I received, you followed a path of love-hate entanglement. You shouldn’t be considered mortal enemies?”

Feng Ruo moved closer to the girl, pulling her to sit on the ground with her.

Because she was focused on thinking, her attention was diverted, and Du Lianxin did not resist.

Feng Ruo leaned against the girl’s shoulder and continued: “Shen Anlan and I only had mutual killing, with no trace of mutual love. In the previous life, I crippled her cultivation first. She was saved by you and hated me to the bone. Every time we met afterward, she decisively tried to kill me.

In the end, I did indeed die by her hand. Not only me, but the entire Demon Sect was destroyed by her.

Lianxin, don’t be influenced by the so-called world in a book. You also said that your consciousness was blurry then. How can you be sure that what you sensed was the truth of the world?”

“I…”

Du Lianxin was momentarily speechless. She indeed had no evidence to prove the concept of the world in a book.

Seeing the girl fall silent, Feng Ruo turned to ask: “In the previous life, Lianxin, you used a forbidden technique to save Shen Anlan. Where did you obtain that method?”

“The Peak Master of Pill Peak told me.”

“Is Lianxin referring to Gu Lin of the Clear River Sect?”

“That’s right.”

Feng Ruo quickly understood the key point.

“As far as I know, in the previous life, Gu Lin’s daughter, Gu Xianzi, also liked Shen Anlan. Gu Lin did this to conveniently eliminate you, the obstacle, so that Gu Xianzi could approach Shen Anlan more easily?”

Du Lianxin was noncommittal about this.

“Regardless of Peak Master Gu’s motive, the forbidden technique she gave me was indeed real. After I performed it, I cured Senior Sister Shen. When the Peak Master told me about the forbidden technique, she did not hide anything. She clearly stated the consequences. Even if she had selfish motives, it’s nothing major.”

Feng Ruo listened and shook her head repeatedly. “Lianxin truly has a kind heart. She clearly harbored intentions of exploitation toward you, yet you still speak up for her.”

“I’m merely stating the facts. Having been reborn, does Senior still plan to initiate the original plan?”

“I was born into the Demon Sect, destined to be hostile to the Daoist faction. I will see how things go. If Shen Anlan has also been reborn, the original plan will certainly not work. If not, I can continue to try. Lianxin, let’s agree now. If anything happens to Shen Anlan again, you are not allowed to foolishly go and save her!”

Seeing the girl not respond immediately, Feng Ruo seized her slender wrist and bit down on it.

Pain instantly spread. Du Lianxin instinctively hissed. Her train of thought was interrupted. She glared at the woman beside her, her eyes red-rimmed.

“Is Senior a dog? Biting people!”

Feng Ruo released her lips and chuckled: “I put a secret technique exclusive to the Asura Sect on it. In the future, whenever Lianxin attempts to use a spell harmful to herself, this secret technique will interrupt it, preventing its success.”

Hearing this, Du Lianxin quickly looked down and saw that the spot where she was bitten on her right wrist wasn’t bleeding but had a dark lotus imprint.

“I implore Senior to undo the secret technique.”

Feng Ruo put her arm around the girl’s waist, a smug smile on her face, but her words were firm.

“No way!”

Du Lianxin grabbed a section of the woman’s sleeve, trying to plead sweetly: “I will no longer interfere with Senior Sister Shen’s matters in this life. Please, Senior, undo the secret technique~”

Feng Ruo looked at the girl’s moist eyes and felt a momentary softening of her heart.

“…I said no means no. If you absolutely insist on me undoing the secret technique, then you must agree to one condition.”

Du Lianxin had a bad feeling but still held a sliver of hope, asking softly: “What condition?”

Feng Ruo leaned in toward the girl’s ear. “Marry me, be my Dao companion, or I’ll marry you.”

Her words carried an infinite sense of temptation.

Du Lianxin’s usually clear eyes showed a moment of confusion.

A voice deep in her heart seemed to urge her to agree to the person in front of her.

Biting her tongue, the instant pain brought her back to her senses.

The confusion in the girl’s eyes instantly dispersed, replaced by anger.

“Senior is shameless, actually using a Charm Spell on me!”

The fuming girl was particularly adorable in Feng Ruo’s eyes. She felt a slight regret for failing to trick her into making a promise.

Speaking of the Charm Spell, Feng Ruo had never used it on anyone since she began cultivating it. This first attempt ended in failure, making her briefly feel a trace of self-doubt.

Was her charm lacking, or was the girl’s willpower too strong?

Feng Ruo pondered for a moment and attributed it to the latter.

She had originally planned that if Lianxin agreed, she would immediately whisk her back to the Asura Sect to get married after leaving the Holy Land.

The Daoist faction values reputation the most. At that time, even if Shen Anlan recovered her past life memories, it was unlikely she would attack the sect to steal someone’s Dao companion, was it?

Although the Charm Spell failed now, Feng Ruo did not abandon the idea of whisking the person back to the Asura Sect.

However, the girl was highly wary of her at the moment, so she could only take it slow.

With a shift in her thoughts, she was about to think of a way to coax the girl to be happy, but she heard the girl speak first: “I only want to focus on the Dao path in this life and have no interest in romance. Senior, please don’t waste your efforts on me, as it will be fruitless. I will no longer request Senior to undo the secret technique on my wrist, and please stop joking about the term Dao companion.”

Her words were very resolute, but Feng Ruo was never one to give up easily.

The girl’s heart being so determined to sever ties with romance only proved that she was deeply hurt in the previous life.

Since Lianxin was currently focused on the Dao path, she would start from that aspect.

Thinking this, Feng Ruo waved her sleeve, taking out fifty thousand spirit stones, and set up a large Spirit Gathering Array.

The spiritual energy concentration in the Holy Land was already ten times that of the outside world. With the Spirit Gathering Array’s enhancement, the spiritual energy concentration inside the array directly quadrupled on top of the original level.

Seeing the girl look confused, Feng Ruo smiled and explained: “I was presumptuous just now. This array is my apology to Lianxin. Since we’ve come to the Holy Land, cultivating inside the array will yield twice the result with half the effort.”

At this moment, Feng Ruo had withdrawn her Charm Spell and appeared somewhat serious.

Du Lianxin had never believed that the Demon Sect Saintess truly liked her, so she assumed the other party had lost interest in teasing her now.

To her, this was a good thing.

She did not decline. The secret technique on her right wrist was still there. Feng Ruo’s previous actions had affected her, so offering the array as an apology was reasonable.

Adhering to the most basic concept of etiquette, Du Lianxin said thank you, walked to the center of the array, sat cross-legged, and quickly immersed herself in cultivation.

Feng Ruo, on a whim, squatted down in the distance, scooped up some fresh mud, and began molding clay figures in the girl’s image…

Clear River Sect, Falling Cloud Peak.

That night, Shen Anlan woke up from a nightmare, covered in a cold sweat.

If anyone were nearby, they would see her face was pale, and her body was faintly trembling.

Since recovering her past life memories, she had never fully adjusted her emotions. Tonight, she had dreamed of the thing she feared the most.

She dreamed that Lianxin was wearing a red wedding dress, but the bride who held her hand was not her, but her mortal enemy, Feng Ruo.

Her Lianxin didn’t want her anymore…

Recalling the relevant scenes in the dream, Shen Anlan felt a sharp pang of pain in her heart.

There were still eighty years until the Holy Land opened again. If, during this time, Lianxin deliberately avoided her and never came out, what would she do?

Could the dream just now be a premonition?

Could it be that… Lianxin was currently with Feng Ruo?

The thought of this possibility made Shen Anlan unable to sit still any longer. She immediately got up and rushed toward the Holy Land under the cover of night.

Although the Heavenly Restrictions blocked the way and her current strength couldn’t allow her to enter, as long as she got close enough, she would have a way to contact Lianxin…