The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 1

“System?”

A clear, electronic voice echoed in her mind. Jian Li slowly exhaled in relief. “Good, you’re still here. I thought transmigrating was just a hallucination before death.”

Just moments ago, she had collapsed and died from overworking herself while playing games all night.

Unexpectedly, she had been bound to a system and informed that she had transmigrated into a game projection world. While the general plot followed the game’s storyline, the ending was destined for the world’s destruction.

And she, chosen by the Heavenly Dao of this world, now bore the responsibility of saving it.

At first, Jian Li had been devastated.

An orphan who had to work tirelessly from the moment she turned eighteen, she had painstakingly saved up for three years. She had just emptied her savings to make the down payment on a house when her life was suddenly cut short.

But then the system revealed that completing her missions would reward her with a billion yuan and a hundred more years of life.

A billion yuan?!

That was the ultimate dream for anyone wanting to laze around and do nothing!

Jian Li’s fighting spirit surged, her face radiating anticipation for the future.

In this space illuminated by a single beam of light, she took a deep breath, feeling her chest expand with newfound vitality.

As she stood up, her legs suddenly buckled, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Puzzled, Jian Li looked down and froze in shock.

Her limbs were covered in soft fur, and her hands had transformed into fluffy white “gloves.”

“System, what’s happening to me?”

“Oh dear, Host, I didn’t have enough energy for the teleportation, so there was a slight… deviation. In short, you’re now a snow leopard specifically for the Newbie Gift Package!”

“Your professional skills are seriously lacking,” Jian Li retorted, raising a paw in a futile attempt to assert her right to choose her species.

Ignoring her protest, the electronic voice swiftly changed the subject, “Urgent situation, Host! Yan Qingshuang needs your help.”

The moment she heard that name, Jian Li froze in terror.

Yan Qingshuang?

That was the future Great Demon God destined to destroy heaven and earth!

She couldn’t help but recall the crushing fear of being dominated by Yan Qingshuang in the final boss battle before her sudden death.

The boss’s second-stage transformation, with its absurdly thick health bar, had nearly led her to victory after exhausting all her efforts… only for a single misstep to seal her doom.

Jian Li waved a trembling paw. “Th-that… can I request a different mission? Aaaah—!”

Before she could finish, the air around her tore violently. After a dizzying whirl, she opened her eyes to find herself in a dimly lit cave.

The System’s voice rushed: “Host, Host! Yan Qingshuang is just half a mile ahead! There’s still time to save her!”

Jian Li muttered under her breath, “Wait, I haven’t even asked yet! How could the mighty Great Demon God need me to save her?”

“Because her fiancée just dug out her Golden Core.”

Jian Li frantically tried to recall the plot: Yan Qingshuang, seeking to enhance her cultivation, had ventured into a Mystic Realm guarded by a millennia-old demonic beast to seize the Lotus Heart Marrow. In a moment of crisis, she had even used her fiancée as a human shield.

Unexpectedly, her fiancée proved even more ruthless. Feigning compliance, she seized Yan Qingshuang’s unguarded moment to directly extract her Golden Core, casually slaying the demonic beast in the process before departing with cold detachment.

Stripped of her Golden Core, Yan Qingshuang would henceforth embark on a path of darkness, seeking to annihilate the world.

To save the world, Jian Li had to rescue Yan Qingshuang immediately.

The System, surprisingly reliable, had loaded a navigation function for her.

A holographic three-dimensional map materialized before her eyes, allowing Jian Li to quickly pinpoint her location: an unnamed cave.

She keenly detected lingering traces of Demonic Cultivator aura in the air.

As a feline creature with exceptional night vision, she cautiously navigated the labyrinthine cave, following the System’s guidance.

Just as she approached a corner near the cave’s depths, she froze.

Ahead, a writhing mass of darkness pulsed with surging demonic energy!

Jian Li’s heart leaped, and she instinctively ducked behind a large boulder.

This couldn’t be Yan Qingshuang; she hadn’t yet fallen to demonic corruption.

She strained her ears to listen.

The Demonic Cultivators were chattering excitedly:

“Heh heh, it’s been ages since we’ve encountered a cultivator with such fragrant spiritual energy. I’m starving…”

“Hold your horses. The Venerable Lord specifically instructed us to keep an eye out for beautiful cultivators from the Human Realm before she went into seclusion. She wants to savor them when she emerges.”

“With this cultivator’s looks, the Lord will surely reward us with Profound-Tier Demonic Artifacts!”

Beautiful? Savor?

Jian Li immediately realized: it was Yan Qingshuang!

Though she couldn’t see the person surrounded by the Demonic Cultivators, she clearly remembered the upcoming plot:

Yan Qingshuang was captured by Demonic Cultivators and taken to the Nine Netherworlds, where she suffered unspeakable humiliation at the hands of the Demon Venerable. After years of enduring hardship and plotting revenge, she finally turned on her tormentor, killed him, and seized his throne.

Thinking of this, Jian Li couldn’t help but admire Yan Qingshuang’s indomitable will.

Truly worthy of being the ultimate villain.

She scratched her furry belly and asked obediently, “System, how do I save her?”

The System swiftly displayed the shop interface, its dazzling array of items and runes overwhelming her senses.

Given that the Host has not yet begun cultivation and your Spirit Energy is currently 0, a Newbie Gift Package of 100 Spirit Stones has been issued. It is recommended to purchase the Sound-Masking Concealment Talisman.

The currency here differed from the original game; Spirit Stones were the universal currency.

Jian Li scanned the talisman’s description and decisively clicked “Purchase” with her furry paw.

A golden talisman materialized in her palm, its quality appearing remarkably high.

Without hesitation, she slapped it onto the ground, activating its runes.

Instantly, spiritual mist billowed forth, accompanied by illusory sounds that filled the entire cave.

The Demonic Cultivators descended into chaos:

“Ah! What’s happening?! I can’t see!”

“Damn it! Which sneak attack bastard dares to ambush me? Just wait until I—”

“Mother, your unfilial son shouldn’t have eaten you… Waaah…”

The three Demonic Cultivators were trapped in their own illusions, weeping and cursing, their behavior utterly disgraceful.

Fortunately, the talismans only affected Demonic Cultivators.

Jian Li seized the opportunity, parting the mist and swiftly locking onto her target—though she dared not look closely at Yan Qingshuang.

She clamped her teeth onto the woman’s collar, braced her limbs, and desperately dragged her toward safety.

After exerting every ounce of her strength, Jian Li finally pulled Yan Qingshuang out of the cave.

Before she could catch her breath, the System’s voice echoed again: “The Mystic Realm is about to close. Host, please evacuate immediately.”

No rest for the weary.

She hastily purchased a Teleportation Talisman from the System Shop, crushed it, and a spiritual light instantly enveloped them.

Moments later, they found themselves in a forest outside the Mystic Realm.

Lush greenery surrounded them, and a gentle breeze brushed their faces.

The beast and the woman lay sprawled on the ground like two flattened pancakes, utterly immobile.

Jian Li panted heavily, her tongue lolling out, and wearily turned her head.

Her gaze met a pair of indifferent, smoky-gray eyes staring unblinkingly at her.

Yan Qingshuang spoke softly, “You’re back…”

“Meow!!!”

The great villain had awakened!

Jian Li’s heart pounded wildly. Ignoring the woman’s cryptic words, she instinctively sprang backward to a nearby tree, wrapping her limbs tightly around the trunk and trembling violently. “Please don’t kill me…”

Yan Qingshuang’s Dantian was empty, her Golden Core gone. Her body felt weak and pierced with pain, as if a thousand arrows had pierced her heart.

Fortunately, her Sword Bone provided support, preventing her spiritual energy from completely draining away.

She parted her lips slightly, her voice weak. “Did I scare you?”

“Yes, you scared me! Your face is covered in bl00d, it’s terrifying! And your eyes look so fierce! Don’t kill me, I’m your savior now—no, your savior leopard!” Jian Li rambled on, complaining incessantly.

Yan Qingshuang struggled to circulate her spiritual energy. Darkness filled her vision, leaving her only able to hear the spirit beast’s soft, mewling cries.

She listened quietly, her expression unchanging, though a flicker of doubt stirred within her.

The System finally spoke up in Jian Li’s mind: “Host, you still can’t speak human language. And she’s blind now—just meowing won’t work.”

Jian Li fell silent.

Good grief, she realized, all that just now was my leopard’s little party.

At the same time, she was shocked: Yan Qingshuang can’t see?!

Is this for real?

With a nervous flutter in her chest, she released her grip on the tree trunk and crawled forward a few steps, stopping a meter away from Yan Qingshuang.

The woman lay there, barely breathing, showing no signs of aggression. Her beautiful eyes were indeed unfocused.

Perfect! The great villain is temporarily blind! My life is saved!

Gathering her courage, Jian Li widened her large eyes and carefully studied Yan Qingshuang.

She wore a frost-silver flowing cloud robe, lined with a tattered black undergarment that revealed numerous wounds of varying depths.

Her flawless skin, as white as snow, bore no resemblance to the terrifying, bl00d-stained appearance she had in the game.

Jian Li couldn’t tear her gaze away. Yan Qingshuang was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her raven hair cascaded like a waterfall, a few strands gently framing her forehead. Her brows arched like distant, cold mountain peaks, and the corners of her eyes tilted upward, accentuating the cool, smoky-gray irises tinged with amethyst.

Yet the soft contours of her face tempered the aloofness of her features, creating a harmonious balance.

Ignoring the bloodstains, this was a world apart from the villainous image Jian Li had in mind.

Lost in her reverie, Jian Li let out a soft “meow.”

Yan Qingshuang’s expression flickered slightly. “Thank you for saving me,” she murmured, her voice like shattered ice striking jade, sending a shiver down Jian Li’s spine.

Jian Li awkwardly meowed a few more times, inwardly chanting: You’re welcome, you’re welcome! Saving a life is more virtuous than building a seven-tiered pagoda, even if you’re an evil and troublesome Great Demon God.

Unconsciously, her long, fluffy tail flicked gently.

The tip of her tail brushed lightly against Yan Qingshuang’s slender wrist, leaving a faint tickle.

Yan Qingshuang’s eyelashes trembled slightly, but she remained silent.

Oblivious, Jian Li was busy searching the system’s shop for the Beast Language Module. “System, I want to buy this!”

“I’m sorry, Host, you only have 1 Spirit Stone left.”

The glaring “Insufficient Funds” message on the screen left Jian Li momentarily stunned, her tail whipping back and forth in frustration.

“What do I do now? She can’t understand me. How am I supposed to complete the mission?”

The System responded swiftly: “We’re running a promotion! Your first payment of 1 Spirit Stone grants you a chance to draw from a blind box!”

“I’ll take it!”

The shop interface flipped, revealing three wooden blind boxes for her to choose from.

Jian Li clicked one at random. The box slowly opened, and golden light surged forth.

A Golden Legend?!

As the light faded, a uniquely styled leather bracelet landed beside her paw.

Jian Li: “……”

Speechlessness was her native tongue.

The black leather bracelet was of high quality, adorned with a row of small golden eyelets connected by a silver chain, with a tiny bell dangling at the center.

It was hard not to let one’s mind wander.

The bracelet exuded an indescribable aura, both refined and subtly suggestive.

Jian Li felt as if she were being harassed by the object itself.

“System, what is its function?”

Please, please don’t let it be for anything indecent!

I’m still a pure-hearted little snow leopard!

The System replied: “Host, you’re in luck! This bracelet is adjustable. Simply have a human put it on you, and you’ll be able to communicate with them without any barriers!”

Jian Li exhaled in relief. “Thank goodness it’s just a bracelet! I thought it was going to be something… else.”

“What did you think it was going to be, Host?”

“Never mind.”

She turned her burning gaze toward the only human present, her eyes brimming with anticipation. “Meow!”

Yan Qingshuang slowly lifted her eyelids and asked softly, “Are you calling me?”