The Thousand-Layer Schemes of the Sickly Beautiful Master - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She sat alone for a while, picked up the dusty shoe, and threw it over the cliff.

Should she cry?

Her eyes stung, and when she wiped them, there were salty tears. But it was only a sting. Her heart felt empty, unable to hurt, just lost and unreal.

People die, from accidents or old age. But her closest kin died early because of her.

Qing Zhuxue used her scraped legs to slowly climb the mountain. Though young, she had her own thoughts. She couldn’t go back to the world. Who would be the next innocent person hurt by her, someone’s father or mother?

Seeking immortals and asking for guidance to fulfill her father’s wish might be the only way to break her cursed fate.

But things didn’t go as hoped.

The sun soon set behind the mountain as her shadow moved slowly. The sky turned black as ink, heavy with clouds. Qing Zhuxue wasn’t a sharp night creature. Her human eyes were blind in the dark.

If it was just pure darkness, that would be fine. But there were small, bright spots, like ghostly fires jumping, circling her from a distance.

Maybe glowing bugs, or perhaps wolves that eat children.

With her little strength, she hugged a tree, slowly climbed up, and lay against the rough bark. Looking up, she saw no stars.

The night grew cold fast. She curled up tightly. Her new clothes weren’t thick, and her teeth chattered. By dawn, her eyelashes were covered in frosty snow.

Hearing rustling sounds, she stayed awake all night, nearly frozen. As the sky showed a faint white, the sun brought some warmth, and the glowing eyes disappeared one by one.

This saved her life.

She climbed down and kept walking, finishing the remaining stone steps. The weather wasn’t as clear as yesterday. The sky was cloudy, covered in dark ink. It felt low, pressing on her heart.

Qing Zhuxue held onto a small tree branch on the cliff, stepping on the stone steps, looking up.

She worried it might rain or thunder.

As expected, from her years of bad luck, a white flash of lightning struck a tall tree nearby.

The world lit up for a moment.

Run!

It was coming for her.

In that moment, Qing Zhuxue had only one thought.

A second bolt hit, smashing the bricks behind her, leaving them black. She lost her balance and rolled down the slope like a ball. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling countless tiny branches scrape her body, stinging all over. The fast roll made her tense.

Half-dead, she landed on flat ground. Lightning kept striking behind her. Too busy to think where she was, she got up, picked a direction, and ran with all her strength.

Her heart pounded. The thunder followed, always just missing her, like a proud cat playing with a mouse.

In her panic, she saw a rocky mountain ahead with a deep cave opening.

She had no other choice. Qing Zhuxue ran, using her small size to slip through the gap. A bolt of lightning hit a tree at the cave entrance, and a charred log fell, breaking into pieces. Dust rose, blocking the entrance completely.

She sat quietly for a bit, noticing the cave seemed solid, not likely to collapse. She pressed her lips, pushed the blocked entrance, but it didn’t budge.

No way out.

She looked deeper into the cave. It wasn’t fully dark; there was a faint glow.

Hoping for another exit, she stood, touching the damp walls.

The deeper she went, the brighter it got. But it wasn’t natural light. The warm glow was like her father’s oil lamp shining on their gray walls, cozy.

This wasn’t a wild cave. When Qing Zhuxue stepped on a carpet, she knew people lived here. The carpet was soft, white, and fluffy, like some animal’s fur.

The cave opened wide, decorated finely. On both sides were carved lampstands with glowing pearls and candles.

Qing Zhuxue, young and inexperienced, had never seen glowing pearls. She didn’t touch them, squinting to adjust to the bright light.

Following the endless white carpet, she saw a screen embroidered with flowers, birds, and insects. Behind it was a quiet, shallow pool, an eerie blue, with only occasional bubbles.

The water moved slightly, but she couldn’t see its source.

Was there an exit?

Qing Zhuxue knelt by the pool, feeling something below the surface. Through the unclear water, she saw…

Nothing.

A huge wave exploded, soaking her like a drowned rat. The cold water shocked her, and she backed away, hands supporting her body.

But it was too late to escape.

Water poured down, deafening her ears. It filled her mouth and nose, making her cough on the ground.

Coughing too hard, her heart raced.

“It’s already spring…”

A low, soft voice, tired as if just waking, spoke like a lover’s whisper.

Qing Zhuxue, surprised, lifted her wet eyelashes. No fierce water beast appeared, only a pair of half-closed, lazy, beautiful eyes.

It was a woman.

She leaned bonelessly by the pool, breathing softly. Her wet, light purple robe clung to her body, her dark hair flowing behind her.

Her heavy breathing stopped.

“Who are you? Did the sect leader send you?”

Sect leader?

Qing Zhuxue shook her head, confused. She hadn’t even reached the mountain, so how could she know a sect leader?

The woman leaned on the pool, lifting her lashes to study the clueless girl. Not wanting to scare her, she softened her voice. “Come here.”

Qing Zhuxue started to move but looked down. She was dirty from rolling down the slope, and standing here would soil the snowy animal fur.

“It’ll get dirty.”

She stepped closer to the wall.

“It’s fine. Come here.”

Hearing this, Qing Zhuxue stopped hesitating and obediently approached, squatting by the pool like a small animal watching a stranger.

The woman had gentle eyes and a soft charm with her loose hair.

Qing Zhuxue looked at her beautiful face and slender figure, thinking of her father’s constant talk of her mother. Village women were sturdy from work, but her mother was said to be delicate and the prettiest around, likely like this woman.

All beauties share something. This thought made the girl feel a natural closeness.

A hand touched her cheek, cool and soft. Qing Zhuxue thought it was just a pat, like an elder with a child. But after a light touch, the stinging scratch on her face stopped burning.

She touched it herself, amazed. The small wound was smooth again.

“Your face is fair. Be careful not to scratch it again.”

The woman pulled back her hand, sinking into the water. Her purple robe spread like mist. She closed her eyes again. “From your clothes, you’re not a Taichu Realm disciple. You must have wandered here. This is my retreat, not a playground. Go home, child.”

“Taichu Realm?” Qing Zhuxue said. “I have no home. I’m going to Taichu Realm. Sister, do you know the way?”

Maybe the term “sister” was too childish, but the woman smiled. “You little one, are you rushing to the mountain to be a disciple?”

Qing Zhuxue paused. She was seeking safety. Any shelter with food and drink was enough. Being an immortal’s disciple wasn’t something her eight-year-old mind had considered.

“I…” She didn’t lie well and said honestly, “I don’t know. Being one is fine, not being one is fine too.”

As long as she didn’t harm others.

“That’s unlucky. This isn’t the year for taking disciples. The next chance is in ten years.”

“Ten years…” Qing Zhuxue’s eyes widened. She didn’t grasp time well, but she knew ten years could grow another her and more.

While talking, the woman kept her eyes lowered, resting by the pool. She didn’t respond further, looking peaceful, as if asleep.

Qing Zhuxue glanced at the cave entrance, blocked tightly. She couldn’t get out. Even if she did, lightning might strike her, a dead end. She hugged her knees, leaned against the wall, and stayed quietly in the cave, breathing softly to avoid disturbing the owner.

Cold, wet, and without food for a day after walking so far, Qing Zhuxue was exhausted. Staying quiet, she fell asleep.

When she woke, she wasn’t curled in the cold corner but lying on soft animal fur with a small blanket over her.

Qing Zhuxue looked up. The woman sat cross-legged nearby, facing a bronze mirror, doing her makeup. She pinned her hair with a white jade hairpin and applied rouge to her lips. Hearing rustling, she turned slightly.

“Thank you.” Qing Zhuxue gripped the blanket, her voice soft.

“A small effort.”

Qing Zhuxue crawled up and looked outside. It was bright. The fallen tree at the entrance was gone, as if it vanished. She guessed the woman had gone out.

“If I’m not wrong, you’re homeless.” The woman pressed her lips in the mirror, setting down a delicate box.

Qing Zhuxue didn’t hide it and told her story. She rarely met people, so she had no guard. The woman’s gentle aura didn’t seem bad.

The woman listened quietly and smiled. She pulled out a white pastry and held it to Qing Zhuxue’s mouth, letting go when she took it. “Your stomach growls with every word. It’s noisy. Fill it first.”

It was sweet.

Her throat, dry from no water, struggled to swallow. The woman noticed, and her slender fingers formed a floating water droplet that drifted to Qing Zhuxue’s lips.

She wasn’t ordinary.

Qing Zhuxue saw it clearly now.

“Are you an immortal?”

The woman in purple said vaguely, “Hold out your hand.”

Her wrist was held, the woman’s touch like checking a pulse, then released. Qing Zhuxue looked puzzled, hearing a soft sigh. “Stay with me from now on, okay?”

“Why?” Qing Zhuxue thought more, frowning. “My fate brings harm. I’ll hurt you.”

“You saw I’m not mortal. I’m not afraid.”

She smiled but didn’t say why she wanted her to stay. She gave the girl a red cord. It wrapped around her ankle like it was alive, glowing faintly red, then fading.

“Wear this. It’ll keep you safe.”