Senior Sister Is Too Weak and Cannot Take Care Of Herself (Transmigration) - Chapter 6

Tang Huan’s heart was in her throat the whole way. She kept an anxious ear out for the thunder. Fortunately, by the time she reached the Qianhe Palace, only one bolt of lightning had flashed across the sky.

When Tang Huan entered, the atmosphere inside the palace was lively.

Just as Tang Huan had expected, a multicolored barrier stood behind the palace, a massive, transparent bubble suspended in the air that kept out the pouring rain.

Overnight, the open area behind the palace had been transformed. The foot of the rocky slope was now covered in a riot of flowers, with rare and famous spiritual plants. Several sets of white jade tables and chairs had appeared out of nowhere, laden with all sorts of flower-shaped pastries. Disciples, their robes fluttering, walked among them, drinking wine, playing the zither, and discussing cultivation.

The invitation had asked guests to bring their own eating utensils related to the theme. Tang Huan had initially thought it was a small, creative touch to match the event, but now she realized it was a subtle trap laid by Bai Feng.

She quickly spotted Wang Mengyao in the crowd.

Wang Mengyao’s demeanor was completely different from everyone else’s. While others were gathered in small groups chatting, she sat alone at a table, her head down, completely engrossed in eating.

“Ah Huan!” Wang Mengyao called out in surprise when she saw Tang Huan. “I thought you said you weren’t coming?”

“Perfect! There are so many delicious things at this party! Come and try some!”

Tang Huan took a few deep breaths to calm her ragged breathing and sat down next to Wang Mengyao as requested.

She had rushed over, terrified that Wang Mengyao would fall victim to Bai Feng’s plot, and now that she was here, she belatedly began to think about what to do next.

Her first instinct was to expose Bai Feng’s scheme, but as the words came to her lips, Tang Huan realized it was impossible. She had no proof that Bai Feng was the one behind it. Bai Feng could even twist the matter into a sect issue, claiming the Tianxuan Sect was deliberately trying to frame her.

Tang Huan had no choice but to abandon the idea of exposing Bai Feng for now. She would have to settle for the next best thing: finding the drugged pastries next to Wang Mengyao.

Wang Mengyao loved to eat, and her table was piled high with food. There were dozens of pastries, and Tang Huan had no way of telling which one was drugged.

When she asked Wang Mengyao about it, just as the squirrels had predicted, Wang Mengyao couldn’t tell her which pastries were from the banquet, which ones she had brought, or which ones other disciples had given her.

Tang Huan sighed, resigned to using the slow, clumsy method. She began to taste each pastry one by one, her eyes darting around the crowd in search of Bai Feng and Qin Su.

Bai Feng, still flawlessly dressed, was sitting to the side, talking to Ren Jingmu. And when she finally located Qin Su, Tang Huan sighed inwardly. Qin Su was indeed sitting directly at the base of the rocky slope.

Qin Su was talking to a cold-faced, black-robed female cultivator next to her.

“That’s Shi Yingying,” Wang Mengyao said, following Tang Huan’s gaze. She pursed her lips and angrily took a bite of a pastry. “Even though she looks weird and is always so gloomy, her swordsmanship is the best among all the disciples of our generation. She rarely leaves her cave. I only met her a few times when I was little with my dad. You probably don’t know her very well.”

“I don’t know what got into her, that she actually decided to come out of her cave today!”

“A person can’t stay in their cave forever. They have to come out and get some fresh air.”

Tang Huan replied absentmindedly, her brow furrowed and a bead of sweat forming on her nose. She had already tried several types of pastries but hadn’t tasted anything amiss.

She hoped that Shi Yingying would stay for a while longer. With such a powerful cultivator by Qin Su’s side, she might be able to protect her when the spiritual snakes went crazy.

But she didn’t know what Shi Yingying had asked Qin Su. Qin Su just shook her head, and as the second bolt of thunder rang out, Shi Yingying expressionlessly picked up her sword, pressed her lips together, and walked straight out of the Qianhe Palace.

Wang Mengyao pouted and angrily took another bite of a pastry.

The thunder sounded again, and Tang Huan grew more anxious. She couldn’t help but speed up her taste-testing. She took a large bite without thinking, and it got stuck in her throat. Panicked, she grabbed the nearest cup and drank the liquid inside in one gulp, barely managing to swallow the pastry.

The liquid was sweet at first, then left a lingering floral aftertaste. Tang Huan hiccupped, not bothering to think about what she had just drunk, and grabbed another pastry to try.

“Ah Huan, why are you eating so fast? Don’t rush, I won’t steal from you!”

Wang Mengyao leaned over anxiously and patted Tang Huan’s back, her voice full of worry. “Princess Bai Feng said this is their All Saint’s Temple’ strongest floral brew. It tastes sweet and mellow but has a very strong kick. You should take a Clarity Pill to sober up…”

Tang Huan shook her head. She couldn’t pay attention to Wang Mengyao’s words.

She glanced nervously at the sky. Through the transparent barrier, the clouds were growing thicker, and purple-red lightning was streaking through them. It seemed the third thunderbolt would strike any moment now.

Tang Huan had tried more than half the pastries and still couldn’t taste which one was drugged. Perhaps she had already eaten the one with the medicinal powder and just didn’t have the ability to taste it.

If she still couldn’t find the drugged pastry, she would have to come up with another plan!

Bai Feng’s target was Qin Su. If she could get Qin Su out of the banquet, would Bai Feng abandon her plan to use the spiritual snakes to attack?

Tang Huan’s eyes couldn’t help but go back to Qin Su.

Qin Su was still talking to someone.

A female cultivator in white robes was sitting where Shi Yingying had been. She held a small notebook, asking Qin Su questions and writing down the answers.

Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, but as Tang Huan watched Qin Su’s relaxed and at-ease posture, she was reminded of the venerable elders of the sect. Not in appearance, but in their attitude toward their fellow disciples. They were similarly generous, understanding, and unselfish, which made people want to get close to them.

The white-robed female cultivator in front of Qin Su looked a bit familiar.

Tang Huan searched the original body’s memories and remembered that her name was Huang Shuang. She was also a medical cultivator from the Baiwu Peak. Her medical skills weren’t as good as Qin Su’s, but she had an extremely sensitive nose that could smell the slightest changes in medicinal pills.

“Why is Huang Shuang here? Doesn’t she think the air outside her cave is too impure to go out?”

Tang Huan had been at her wits’ end, but seeing Huang Shuang, who was writing something with her head down, and remembering her unique talent, Tang Huan’s eyes lit up. A plan suddenly took shape in her mind.

“Senior Sister Qin wrote to invite her. You know Huang Shuang only listens to Senior Sister Qin,” Wang Mengyao frowned, her eyes showing more worry for Tang Huan. “Ah Huan, are you sure you don’t want a Clarity Pill? Your face is all red…”

Tang Huan let out a hiccup but still shook her head firmly. “I’m fine. I know what I’m doing.”

She would only have the courage to do what she was about to do with the help of this little bit of courage from the alcohol.

Tang Huan patted her burning face, straightened up, and pulled a white jade platter out of her storage bag. She put almost every kind of pastry from the table onto it, deliberately placing the ones with juice in front.

There was no time to lose. Tang Huan glanced at the cloudy sky, took a deep breath, and, ignoring the strange looks from everyone, walked straight up to Qin Su with the platter.

“Senior Sister!” As the alcohol took hold, Tang Huan’s cheeks grew hotter. When Qin Su’s clear eyes looked at her, Tang Huan felt like she had been thrown into a steamer. She was so hot she couldn’t breathe. It took a long time for her to find her voice again. “I’ve come to apologize. I’ve done so many wrong things in the past…”

“You’re drunk, Junior Sister,” Qin Su interrupted, her beautiful eyes looking very gentle. She spoke softly, “And you have never done anything to offend me…”

“No!” Tang Huan had expected Qin Su’s saintly nature to make her refuse her apology. She took another step forward with the white jade platter, almost poking the platter into the face of Huang Shuang, who was sitting next to Qin Su. “Senior Sister, I truly know I was wrong! I specially brought all these pastries to apologize to you. If you really don’t mind, please pick one and eat it…”

Before Tang Huan could finish, Ren Jingmu’s angry roar came from behind her. “Tang Huan! What tricks are you trying to play now?”

“Senior Sister, don’t pay any attention to her!”

Qin Su ignored Ren Jingmu. Her beautiful eyes blinked, and she carefully studied Tang Huan. Seeing the determination in Tang Huan’s eyes, she sighed softly and looked down at the pastries on the platter.

Ren Jingmu could no longer contain his worry. He abandoned Bai Feng and started walking toward them. The events were happening too fast for Bai Feng to feign her elegance, and her face twisted for a moment, ruining her refined and delicate look.

Huang Shuang, sitting on the side, slightly frowned. She looked at Qin Su, then at the pastries, and seemed to have noticed something was wrong with them.

Now!

“Tang Huan…”

Tang Huan heard Ren Jingmu’s furious roar from behind her. She swayed, pretending to be startled, and her hand trembled. The pastries on the platter fell, almost all of them landing on Qin Su’s pure white robes.

“Senior Sister, I’m so sorry. It’s my clumsiness,” Tang Huan said, “fumbling” to wipe Qin Su’s robes and only smearing the stains more. “These fruits have special sauces. A Dust-cleansing spell won’t get them out right away. Senior Sister, let’s go change your clothes! Mengyao’s cave is very close. She must have some clothes that will fit you…”

Tang Huan couldn’t afford to think anymore. The only way to thwart Bai Feng’s scheme was to get Qin Su and Wang Mengyao away from this dangerous place.

But Qin Su didn’t say a word.

Tang Huan looked up and met Qin Su’s clear eyes. Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, but Tang Huan was astonished to see a faint glimmer of interest in her crystalline gaze. It was as if an immortal who had always watched from afar was now vaguely touched by the mundane world.

However, there was no time to ponder Qin Su’s emotions. Tang Huan mustered up her courage and reached out to pull Qin Su away.

Qin Su’s eyes flickered slightly.

In that very instant, a massive roar of thunder exploded in the sky!

Tang Huan’s eyes widened, and she clenched her teeth. As she heard the sound of the rocks falling behind Qin Su, the memories of the original Tang Huan being tormented by Ren Jingmu flashed before her eyes like a slideshow. Without a moment’s hesitation, she leaped forward and threw herself at Qin Su.