After Transmigrating into a Book as a Cannon Fodder Character, The System Turned out to be Completely Unreliable! - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: The Truth Behind the Fall of Rong Nation (Part 3)

The good days didn’t last long. Bad news came from Rong Nation—her royal father had fallen gravely ill.

Rong An stared at the letter in her hand, unable to believe it.

Fu Guang quickly learned of the news as well. He told her not to panic and accompanied her to find out what was happening.

The two returned to Rong Nation together. An attendant led them to the palace. As soon as Rong An entered, she saw many people kneeling on the ground, weeping.

“What is this?” Rong An could hardly believe it. Her legs refused to move, and with trembling hands, she gently peeled back the veil on the shroud. Beneath it lay her father’s lifeless body, his lifeless gaze fixed on the ceiling. Her entire body shook, and even the trembling of her lips was beyond her own awareness.

It took a long time before she finally spoke. “Mother, Father…?”

“Your father was killed by a curse.”

“What?” Rong An instantly lost control. She collapsed to the ground. Fu Guang supported her from behind as she crawled forward on her knees, slowly reaching out to touch her father’s pale, powerless face. “Father, your daughter is too late… Father!”

Her mother held her tightly, sobbing.

“Ahhhh—!” Rong An’s anguished cries echoed through the entire palace.

The funeral was held shortly after. She wore mourning clothes, her eyes dull and expressionless. “The one who cursed him—I’ll kill them!”

Through her cultivation, she had gradually pieced together the truth. A traveling merchant had come to the kingdom and offered to trade demon beasts for crystal stones.

Her father refused, saying that demon beasts were uncontrollable and could endanger the people.

That was why he had been cursed, bleeding from every orifice until he died. Rong An swore she would find the one responsible, even if it cost her life.

Fu Guang offered his help, and they quickly caught the suspect—a haggard-looking young man who seemed mentally unstable. He tried to bargain with Rong An.

“If you give me your tongue, I’ll bring your father back to life.”

In that moment, Rong An was strangely tempted. But Fu Guang felt something was off and tried to stop her. Rong An regained her composure.

But in the end, she couldn’t resist and went through with the deal. Seeing her mother crying day and night until her eyes nearly went blind broke her heart. She, too, wanted her father back.

What she didn’t know was that the price wasn’t just her tongue—but the lives of all her kingdom’s people.

By the time she realized this, it was too late. The country was in chaos, and a mysterious disease spread among the people. She couldn’t speak, and all she could do was claw at her own face. The source of her pain exploded inside her mind.

Her father didn’t return. The people died. And she lost her voice. Her resentment only grew. The only thought in her mind was:

“It’s all my fault! All my fault! They’re all dead! They’re all dead!” Black tears streamed from her eyes.

Fu Guang, seeing the situation deteriorating, realized Rong An had made a deal with that youth. “Rong An!”

His voice snapped her back to a shred of reason. She smiled weakly at him, her face now disfigured with scars and black tears—no longer recognizable.

“There’s still hope!”

When Rong An heard that, she ran to him in desperation. “Really?”

Fu Guang nodded. He could understand her mouthing.

“What is it?”

Fu Guang’s heart ached as he saw how far she had fallen. “Baicao Spirit Herb!”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a precious herb of our Baicao Sect. It can restore a person instantly.”

“Really?”

Fu Guang said, “Let me go get it.”

Rong An waited anxiously. But when he returned, his hands were empty.

“Where’s the Baicao Spirit Herb?”

Fu Guang remained silent. That was his answer.

Rong An staggered back several steps, shaking her head. Though she made no sound, it was clear she understood—he hadn’t brought it.

She regretted everything. Because he refused to bring the Baicao Spirit Herb, her heart filled with remorse.

Rong An completely fell into darkness. All the resentment and hatred were absorbed into her. The surroundings turned eerie and deathly still.

Fu Guang had expected this outcome. He used all of his spiritual power to absorb the negative energy from her. He turned into an old man with white hair. At that point, no one could clearly see what he had become—because the memory ended there.

Ye Lingxi felt deeply shaken, like she had just watched an intense movie.

The one most disturbed was Lan Mushu. Her long lashes trembled as she forced herself to speak. “Why?”

Ye Lingxi walked over. “Why what?”

“Why don’t I have any memory of all this?”

Ye Lingxi was also taken aback. “That’s right… why?”

“And why wasn’t the Baicao Spirit Herb used for Rong Nation?” Lan Mushu grabbed Rong An’s hand and asked, “Why?”

Ye Lingxi noticed her mood was spiraling and stepped in to stop her. “Don’t do this. Let’s talk calmly.”

Weren’t things fine just a moment ago? Why did it turn out like this?

Ye Lingxi clung to her thigh and shouted toward Ji Fuyu, “Come help already!” giving her a look.

Ji Fuyu hadn’t wanted to get involved, but seeing how things were going, she sighed and reached out, pulling Lan Muxu aside.

Rong An pointed at her, mouth moving, emotions chaotic.

“What is she saying?”

Ji Fuyu interpreted, “She said she already told you from the start.”

Lan Mushu was shocked. “You said from the start?”

Rong An nodded.

Lan Mushu recalled that at the beginning, Rong An had pointed at herself as if trying to explain something.

“Fine. Even if that’s true, why are you still here? Why isn’t my senior brother here? And why has the Baicao Spirit Herb vanished?”

Rong An shook her head and looked pleadingly at Ji Fuyu.

Ji Fuyu replied for her, “She says she doesn’t know. When she woke up, everything was already like this. She didn’t leave because this is her home. She has to stay—to guard Rong Nation’s last bit of honor, as punishment for her mistake.”

Lan Mushu looked ill. Ye Lingxi stepped in to comfort her. “Why didn’t I know any of this? Why?”

Ye Lingxi then added, “Weren’t you in seclusion back then?”

The atmosphere grew awkward.

Ji Fuyu rolled her eyes and pulled Ye Lingxi aside. “Why are you getting involved? This is her moment.”

Ye Lingxi: “…”

So you know the word “main character moment,” huh? And now you’re not competing anymore. Looks like you’re afraid your identity will be exposed.

“So, what now?” Lan Mushu asked.

Rong An gestured again. Ji Fuyu translated, “She said she’ll stay here for the rest of her life, repenting until the resentment completely disappears.”

“She’s still staying?” Even Ye Lingxi was afraid now. Why not just rebuild the place?

Lan Mushu asked one last question. “Did you catch that youth? And why is the crystal stone gone?”

Rong An lowered her head. “His companions destroyed it all. As for him, I don’t know where he went.”

Lan Mushu felt a mix of emotions. She looked at the girl before her, still her junior sister, yet she felt no connection. She had lost part of her memory of Rong Nation.

Who erased that part of her memory?

Senior Brother… where are you?

“Let’s go.”

Rong An chased after her, pulling on her sleeve, asking with gestures, “Where are you going?”

Lan Mushu replied, “We’re going to find our senior brother. Because the Baicao Spirit Herb disappeared along with him.”

Rong An slowly let go of her hand, then gestured, “If you really find him, tell him—I’m sorry.”

Lan Mushu looked at her face for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

She turned and left. Rong An watched them walk farther and farther away. Her feelings were a tangled mess. She turned back to look at the statue of Moonlight High Deity, tears falling.

She had lost herself to darkness and destroyed everything here. She had let down the people and the one she loved.

Muxu, I hope you find him. I can’t bring myself to apologize to him face to face. A streak of black tear rolled down her jaw as she slowly faded away—forever becoming one with the past of Rong Nation.

Ye Lingxi rushed forward to catch up with Lan Mushu. “Mushu, why are you walking so fast?”

As soon as she caught up, she saw Lan Mushu’s tears falling.

“You’re crying?”

Lan Mushu was surprised and wiped them away. She didn’t know why she was crying. “Maybe… that scene just now was too overwhelming.”

“What scene?”

“The entire population of Rong Nation died a hundred years ago. I’ll never again see its former glory with Senior Brother.”

Gone forever from memory. Forever.

Ye Lingxi tried to cheer her up. “But things like that… maybe it was fate.”

“Perhaps.” Lan Mushu sighed, already trying to let it go. “Let’s keep moving. We can’t waste time.”

Ye Lingxi looked up at the sky. “It’s just dawn.”

But the skies today seemed a bit brighter. Did the clouds finally clear?

Ye Lingxi jogged up beside Ji Fuyu. “Hey, can I play with your crow?”

“No,” Ji Fuyu refused without hesitation.

Ye Lingxi pouted. “So stingy. It’s just for fun. I won’t kill it.”

Ji Fuyu glared at her. The crow on her shoulder, Jing, looked at Ji Fuyu in panic—begging her not to let Ye Lingxi near him. He was afraid she’d play him to death.

“Do you think you can touch the king’s possessions?”

“Tch. I’ll let you play with my broken sword then.”

Ji Fuyu squinted at her and walked past.

Jing looked back at Ye Lingxi and shook his head: Her magic is sealed, she can’t summon her Longyuan Sword. If you give her your sword, aren’t you just handing her a weapon?

Ugh. These two are both hopeless.

Ye Lingxi was still unwilling to give up. She tried again to butter Ji Fuyu up. “Please?”

She pestered her nonstop, and Ji Fuyu finally snapped. “I said no!”

Her voice boomed with authority, startling Ye Lingxi so much that she fled to Lan Mushu’s side.

“I’m walking with you. That person is way too fierce.”

Ji Fuyu: “…”