After The Death Escape and Ascension, The Male Protagonist of Long Aotian Went Crazy - Chapter 20

According to the system, the plot had now entered its middle stage, the point where the male and female leads were supposed to deepen their feelings. Since the later arcs were still far away, Shi Hua decided to focus on the present storyline.

If she could complete as many minor plot points as possible, then even if she failed later, she could still ensure at least fifty percent completion.

But Shi Hua needed an identity—her appearance as a young maiden required a reasonable backstory.

“Huahua?”

Jin Qing waved his hand in front of her. When she came back to her senses, he leaned back against his chair.

Inside the council hall, only she, Qingxuan, and Jin Qing were present.

Chi Qingxuan was still at Bixu Palace handling follow-up matters, and Wu Ji probably wouldn’t return anytime soon.

For now, they needed to quickly draft a plan to prepare for the sect competition two years from now. This was tied not only to the sect’s resources but also to the Nine-Domain Snow Lotus that Shi Hua required.

Qingxuan sipped his tea. “At present, there aren’t many disciples eligible to participate. Those few with talent must be pressed to train harder. Before the secret realm opens, reaching the Golden Core stage shouldn’t be a problem.”

Xie Wanmian was already at the mid-Foundation stage. With her talent, she would likely form her core before the competition.

Among the juniors, the ones most worth attention were Xie An and Wei Shizhou.

No one knew when Chi Qingxuan would return. As for Wei Shizhou’s cultivation, it seemed it would have to be left to Shi Hua.

But Shi Hua had her own tasks to complete and really couldn’t take this on.

“I have private matters to attend to and fear I won’t have time to guide Wei Shizhou. I’ll trouble the two of you to instruct him instead. If you truly encounter problems you can’t resolve, then come to me.”

Since she put it that way, the two Immortal Lords couldn’t press further.

Jin Qing glanced between the two and said gravely, “There’s another matter. I asked Wei Shizhou about the Two-Rites Floating Life Formation. He claimed he’d learned a little from a fortune-teller on the street and that the formation was incomplete.”

That explained why he could set up the array.

As for how believable that was, best left aside for now.

Shi Hua knew it could not be so simple.

But it was no longer her concern.

After finalizing the plans, Qingxuan would temporarily oversee the sect, Jin Qing would assist, and Shi Hua would enter seclusion for a time. Xie An was also entrusted to Qingxuan’s care.

Now Qingxuan was truly burdened with work.

The two Immortal Lords exchanged silent glances.

Wasn’t Huahua going into seclusion a little too often?

Since Xie An was her disciple, Shi Hua left him manuals and techniques in his room before she sealed herself away in her courtyard.

After thousands of years, she had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be a maiden.

With her cultivation, no one in the realm could pierce through her disguise—except her junior brother.

【Immortal Lord, before proceeding to the next plot point, you need to meet the members of the protagonist’s group.】

“Mm.”

Shi Hua closed her eyes.

To be safe, she had already consulted Yun Yao about her puppet technique. Yun Yao’s craft couldn’t replicate her perfectly, but it could mimic her to about eighty percent.

Yun Yao hadn’t asked why Shi Hua wanted her puppet technique to impersonate her. She simply handed over the paper doll and carefully explained its use.

The two had been close friends for a hundred years; there was no need for many words—one request was enough for them to give their all for each other.

Shi Hua pinched the paper doll between her fingers and softly recited an incantation. The doll trembled, slipped from her grasp, and floated gently to the ground.

A flash of light.

The paper doll transformed into her likeness.

Soulless at first, it only gained spirit when Shi Hua injected a sliver of her own divine sense into it. After a few breaths, it blinked in confusion, gradually revealing a calm, detached demeanor.

Shi Hua nodded with satisfaction.

The puppet was linked closely to its master. It could wield two-thirds of Yun Yao’s strength, more than enough to fool others.

Shi Hua then walked to the mirror. Staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar face, she curved her brows in a smile, imitating her vague memories of youth.

In an instant, lifeless eyes brimmed with spring water; pale irises shimmered with dazzling light.

Her cherry-red lips tilted upward—

Bright, unrestrained.

Under the peach trees, crimson petals blanketed the ground.

A faint fragrance wafted in the air.

Wei Shizhou sat in a pavilion at the mountainside, resting his chin in his hands, lost in thought.

Three days had passed since their return from Bixu Palace.

Every night, he dreamt strange dreams. Upon waking, only fragments lingered—yet when pieced together, he knew exactly what those dreams were about.

Every fragment featured a maiden dancing with her sword.

The maiden teased him, pressing her fingertip to his chest, backing him against a tree, demanding to know if he had kept his promise not to seek out other female cultivators.

Her scarlet robe billowed in the wind.

Her fragrance enveloped him.

Though his eyes were blindfolded, he could still see her silhouette. Though his hands were restrained, her soft palms pinned them high above his head.

Wei Shizhou wanted to protest—that this wasn’t right, that they were destined to be enemies…

But the warmth of her kiss shattered every word.

His mind went blank.

Where was he? What was he doing?

The girl’s kiss was tender yet domineering. She bit lightly at his throat, scolding him for misbehaving and threatening to run off with another woman—she would have to punish him.

Wei Shizhou was young and full of fire, and he already had feelings for the girl. Stirred like this, his body reacted instinctively. He broke free, reversed their positions—only to bang his head on the ground and wake up.

Dazed, he realized he’d fallen off his bed. Worse, he was still very aware of his body’s reaction.

In dreams and in reality, he harbored thoughts about the girl he shouldn’t have.

It was Shi Hua! The very Shi Hua destined to kill him!

Remembering the past few nights, his ears burned crimson. He wanted to bury himself in the ground out of shame.

Each time such a dream came, he had to soak in the cold spring all night.

And the culprit? She toyed with him and left, acting as if nothing had happened.

Scoundrel!

As he cursed inwardly, a drifting petal landed before his eyes.

Wei Shizhou caught it, trying to calm his restless emotions.

“Wei Shizhou, get a grip! That’s Shi Hua—the one who’ll kill you in the future. You can’t let a few visions from the Two-Rites Floating Life Formation shake you. Stay sharp!”

Even so, her scarlet dress kept flashing in his mind, her face drawing closer, her playful eyes sparkling as her fingers wandered across his body.

Wei Shizhou shook his head violently.

Squinting toward the peach grove, he froze.

Who was that?

Not far away, someone approached.

Scarlet robes fluttered gracefully, the sash cinching a slender waist. Her dark hair was tied back, ends swaying with each step, lively and bright.

Wei Shizhou rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Was he hallucinating from dreaming too much? How could young Shi Hua appear here?

“Senior brother!”

The girl stepped into the pavilion, tilting her head at his stunned look. “Senior brother, could you tell me the way to the Sect Master’s immortal residence?”

That voice, that face—so familiar.

Wei Shizhou sprang up, horrified. “Y-you!”

“Me?” The girl blinked, pointing at herself in confusion. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Who are you?!”

How could she look exactly like Shi Hua?

The girl didn’t understand his rejection.

“My name is Jiang Qingwu. I’ve come to study at Xuan-yin Immortal Sect.”

Jiang Qingwu?

So not Shi Hua.

Wei Shizhou’s panic eased slightly, though his brows remained furrowed. “You’re not one of our sect’s disciples. How can you come here to study?”

Seeing his guard drop, the girl smiled and sat down. “Well, I’m just a loose cultivator without a sect. A hundred years ago, Sect Master Chi gave my family a jade token, saying that if any descendant wished to cultivate, they could seek him out here. So… here I am.”

Chi Qingxuan had never mentioned such a thing.

Wei Shizhou doubted her words, but the girl only twirled her hair and blinked innocently under his scrutiny.

Every frown and smile resembled Shi Hua’s reflection.

Could it be Shi Hua in disguise?

But why would she?

He couldn’t make sense of it.

【Immortal Lord, aren’t you worried the male lead will discover you?】

Since Shi Hua dared to create this persona, she was confident Wei Shizhou wouldn’t recognize her. Only Chi Qingxuan had seen her in this guise before. How could a mere Foundation disciple see through her?

Even if he did, what of it? With such low cultivation, he posed no threat.

The system scanned Wei Shizhou. Detecting no suspicion, it fell silent.

“Jiang…” What was her name again?

Shi Hua answered for him: “Jiang Qingwu!”

Wei Shizhou’s feelings grew complicated. Staring at this face identical to Shi Hua’s, all his previous improper thoughts vanished.

Only a suffocating weight remained.

“My master is not in the sect right now. I’ll take you to meet Immortal Lord Qingxuan instead.”

“Alright!”

The girl followed closely behind.

Feeling her curious gaze on him, Wei Shizhou grew restless, quickening his pace unconsciously.

The girl’s beauty was dazzling at first sight.

On the way, disciples who saw her whispered to each other, their gazes lingering on her and Wei Shizhou.

Her crimson skirt was like a flame, each flutter a display of unrestrained energy. She was too bright, like a fire that would burn anyone who approached—yet they couldn’t help but be drawn in.

Wei Shizhou disliked the way they looked at her.

“Miss Jiang, follow me.”

Shi Hua hadn’t been among the disciples for a long time. She found their cultivation impressive, a testament to Chi Qingxuan’s efforts.

But she couldn’t understand why Wei Shizhou had suddenly grown so cold.

“We’re here.”

She lifted her gaze and met Qingxuan’s eyes as he sorted through books.

He stepped forward with a scroll in hand. “And who is this?”

He couldn’t recall such a charming disciple within the sect.

Wei Shizhou lowered his eyes, adopting an official tone. “Immortal Lord, this is Miss Jiang. She came to study at our sect with the Sect Master’s jade token.”

“Oh?”

Qingxuan had managed the sect alongside Chi Qingxuan for a hundred years, but had never heard of this. His gaze sharpened as he studied her.

Shi Hua calmly produced the jade token.

It indeed bore Chi Qingxuan’s aura. She had won it from him long ago in a bet when they were under their master.

Since he was absent, she had no fear of exposure.

As expected, Qingxuan examined it with spiritual power and relaxed. “Since this was the Sect Master’s will, you may remain here for now. When he returns, we’ll discuss further… what’s your name?”

“Jiang Qingwu.”

Qingxuan nodded, thoughtful. “Very well. Stay with Xi Yan for your training. Shizhou will go with you. Pick a room in my quarters tonight. Tomorrow, Xi Yan will instruct you.”

Qin Xiyan, the story’s heroine, though not as gifted as Wei Shizhou, was still one of the most talented disciples. With her comprehension, she had already mastered most of what Qingxuan had taught.

With her guiding the juniors, Qingxuan felt at ease.

Wei Shizhou agreed.

He knew the next plotline was about developing feelings with Qin Xiyan. Originally, he had planned to refuse Qingxuan’s arrangement. But now, with this Jiang Qingwu—

She looked so much like Shi Hua.

No—she was Shi Hua.

Her expressions, her tone, all identical.

Her presence brought back flashes of those nightly dreams.

Wei Shizhou’s ears turned quietly red.

A secret, guilty joy began to rise within him.