The Villain is Soft and Clingy [Transmigration] - Chapter 10

Zhang Lan pouted, calmly blending in with the other disciples, watching as the “Zhang Kuang” figure fought against several of the most skilled disciples. Swords flashed, sand and stones flew, a truly impressive display.

She was quite engrossed, not noticing someone had come up behind her and gently patted her shoulder.

*My cultivation has plummeted so much, I can’t even sense someone approaching me anymore.*

“Who?!” Zhang Lan snapped, simultaneously forming her fingers into a blade and slashing backwards.

Xia Zhitiao calmly said, “Me.”

Her hand-blade instantly softened. Zhang Lan blinked, then softened and clung to her, her voice holding a hint of flattery: “Senior Sister, you’re here too.”

Xia Zhitiao chuckled, “Don’t just talk about me. At the mention of Zhang Kuang’s name, half of Yashan rushed over.”

“That’s not Zhang Kuang,” Zhang Lan pouted, her cheeks looking puffed up. “Fake.”

Not just Xia Zhitiao, but the other observing disciples were initially scared, but slowly came to realize:

*This has to be a fake, right?!*

It was a joke. The Demon Sect Leader, whom Yashan constantly spoke of and occasionally cursed, not only was losing the fight but couldn’t even defeat one Core Formation and three Foundation Establishment cultivators. That was too weak!

Xia Zhitiao patted Zhang Lan’s shoulder, smiling somewhat helplessly: “Yes, I can tell. This ‘Zhang Kuang’ is probably the master in disguise, testing us.”

Zhang Lan flattened her mouth and said, “Oh.”

Xia Zhitiao noticed the junior sister’s puffed-up face, looking melancholy, and even a hint of… displeasure in her gaze towards the front.

*Is this child throwing a tantrum?*

She wanted to pinch those puffed cheeks, but fearing Zhang Lan wouldn’t like it, she held back her eager hand, tidied her sleeves, and continued to watch the fight.

Xia Zhitiao’s guess was quite accurate. After a short while, the “Zhang Kuang” sheathed her sword and lifted the mask from her head, revealing a familiar face.

“Alright, your reactions and organizational skills are excellent,” Qin Zhi smoothed her long hair behind her, and called out a few disciples: “Wang Ze, Mu Si, and Zhang Lan, the three of you, come here.”

“Master is calling you,” Xia Zhitiao nudged Zhang Lan. “Go quickly.”

Zhang Lan obediently hummed, taking a step and looking back three times, reluctantly leaving Xia Zhitiao and walking over.

She had witnessed the entire event. She wondered what was up with Master, suddenly calling her over.

Qin Zhi wore white robes, with layers of interwoven feathers, emanating a faint white glow. She nodded, praising Wang Ze and Mu Si for their performance today, then turned, her voice lowering, full of meaning: “Zhang Lan, come here.”

Zhang Lan reluctantly said, “Master.”

Qin Zhi, who usually wore a pair of clean white gloves, now slowly removed them. Several slender white threads were wrapped around the joints of her right fingers.

She reached out and took Zhang Lan’s wrist, her thumb pressing on her lifeline, injecting a faint stream of spiritual power. Zhang Lan, held by her, frowned deeply, her gaze displeased, but she did not withdraw her hand.

After a moment, Qin Zhi withdrew her hand, slowly put her gloves back on, her expression unchanged: “Still unable to use spiritual power?”

“Reporting to Master,” Zhang Lan said coldly, “The situation has improved slightly, but spiritual power remains very stagnant. I can only use relatively shallow techniques.”

Qin Zhi nodded slightly. She rested her chin in her hand, looking thoughtfully at Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan blinked. Her amber-like eyes held scattered points of light, like golden glass beads, slender and fragile.

Qin Zhi stood up. She walked past Zhang Lan, but paused beside her, lowering her head slightly.

She leaned in close, whispering in a voice only they could hear: “Your eyes are beautiful.”

…Huh? What’s wrong with my eyes?

Zhang Lan expressionlessly turned around, only to see Qin Zhi had already gathered her long sleeves and flown away on her sword.

She watched Qin Zhi disappear from sight in a blink, and confusedly reached out to touch herself.

Her eyes, nose, and mouth were all perfectly in their original places. No matter how much she felt around, she didn’t find anything strange.

Zhang Lan muttered inwardly, “How inexplicable.”

—

The wind howled, and the sharp sword-wind sliced through the sky, leaving a white streak.

With her sword sheathed, its radiant glow contained, Xia Zhitiao tidied her slightly disheveled sleeves and glanced at the surrounding scenery.

Although Yashan was mostly mountains and water, and the landscapes were similar, Master Qin Zhi’s Zhihe Peak seemed to have more clouds and mist than other peaks.

White mist permeated everywhere, enveloping the entire peak in layers, obscuring the surrounding view.

Xia Zhitiao was led into the study behind the main hall. To her surprise, Qin Zhi was waiting for her inside.

“Good afternoon, Master,” Xia Zhitiao respectfully bowed, saluting.

“No need for formalities, sit,” Qin Zhi’s face was expressionless. Her ink-dark hair fell casually over her shoulders, tracing patterns on her white feathered robe.

“The reason I called you to Zhihe Peak this time is about your junior sister,” Qin Zhi raised a hand, gently tapping her forehead, frowning, “…What was her name again?”

“Zhang Lan?” Xia Zhitiao was a little confused.

Qin Zhi nodded slightly, “Yes, it should be her.”

What about Zhang Lan? Xia Zhitiao was somewhat puzzled but found it awkward to ask directly.

She had tried to subtly inquire before. The junior sister, apart from being quiet and loving sleep, had always been well-behaved and never caused trouble. She wondered why Master was suddenly like this.

Qin Zhi wore pristine white gloves, her fingers unconsciously rubbing, creating a faint “rustling” sound.

After a moment of silence, she gently extended her hand, her fingertips seemingly unintentionally resting on Xia Zhitiao’s hand.

“Ugh—!!”

In an instant, Xia Zhitiao’s body felt like it was being torn apart. Countless chaotic images flashed before her eyes. Her ears buzzed, and she painfully hunched over.

“Hey, hey? What’s wrong?”

Qin Zhi hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. She hurriedly stood up, supporting Xia Zhitiao, who was unstable and nearly falling, and anxiously asked, “Are you alright?”

Xia Zhitiao’s mind was in a jumble. She tightly frowned, a thin layer of sweat already forming on her forehead. Her voice was slightly hoarse: “…I’m fine.”

“My bad, I read your memories without permission,” Qin Zhi patted her hand comfortingly, a little puzzled. “Most people wouldn’t even sense it; I didn’t expect you to be so sensitive.”

*Read my memories?*

Xia Zhitiao was completely bewildered. Although the situation of people flying on swords in this fantasy world was already very unscientific, this ability to read memories just by touching someone was a bit too much.

“However, your memories before the age of fourteen are very blurry, I couldn’t see them clearly,” Qin Zhi frowned slightly, a little puzzled. “It’s like they’ve been deliberately sealed.”

Hearing this, Xia Zhitiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although she didn’t quite remember what happened before, what if Master Qin Zhi saw all her modern cars, planes, and high-speed trains? Wouldn’t that scare her to death?

Due to Banana Peel King’s merciless abandonment of the novel, Xia Zhitiao didn’t know the specific settings of the novel she had transmigrated into. What if dissection techniques were invented, and she was labeled as an “alien” or something and…

*Stop, stop. The Yashan masters shouldn’t be that deranged, right?*

“My White Crane clan excels at weaving dreams and creating illusions. And simply by touching others, I can browse their past memories.”

Qin Zhi didn’t know Xia Zhitiao was mentally wandering, and continued to dutifully explain the setting, “In short, regardless of their power level, I can see more or less of their memories.”

She paused, her voice suddenly becoming more serious: “But what’s strange is that I can’t read your junior sister’s memories.”

*It’s even better if you can’t read them. That’s an invasion of privacy.*

Xia Zhitiao grumbled inwardly, but outwardly, she still inquired: “Like me, are they also sealed?”

“No, it’s different,” Qin Zhi pressed her fingers to her forehead, slowly rubbing her brow. “It’s a blank expanse, I can’t sense anything at all.”

She’s in Foundation Establishment yet can’t use spiritual power, her eyes are almost amber, and her memories seem to be deliberately blurred—

There were simply too many strange things about that person.

Qin Zhi pondered for a moment. She lightly tapped her finger, and pulled a dagger from her storage ring.

With a flick of her hand, the dagger traced an arc and landed in Xia Zhitiao’s hand.

Qin Zhi rested her chin in her hand and said, “Keep it. This weapon has been soaked in the spiritual spring for a long time and has a deadly effect on demonic cultivators and demons.”

Xia Zhitiao took the ram’s horn dagger, curiously examining it. Its sheath was black, with a silver edge, and it felt very good in her hand.

Qin Zhi gently put down her teacup, clasped her fingers, her voice flat and without any fluctuation: “If necessary, kill her.”

…What?

Xia Zhitiao’s eyes widened abruptly. The small dagger felt as if it had suddenly gained a thousand pounds, pressing heavily on her.

“I suspect that Zhang Lan’s memories are sealed due to the existence of a conflicting power. And in this world, the only one who can block the White Crane clan is the Demon Sect Leader herself.”

Qin Zhi said faintly, “Zhang Kuang’s whereabouts are uncertain, but she is unusually persistent about certain things. I suspect this Zhang Lan could very likely be her illegitimate daughter.”

Xia Zhitiao: “…………”

*Wait, wait. The first half made some sense, like a well-founded suspicion. But how did the second half suddenly change tone so drastically?*

Zhang Kuang had a special physique, so it was normal for Qin Zhi not to see her memories. The junior sister might indeed have some connection to her, but what in the world is an “illegitimate daughter”?

The junior sister looked thirteen or fourteen, and according to the novel Xia Zhitiao read before transmigration, Zhang Kuang was also very young. Where would she get such a—*grown* illegitimate daughter from?

Xia Zhitiao finally understood. Qin Zhi was probably one of the innocent people misled by rumors, thinking Zhang Kuang had lived for tens of thousands of years, completely unaware that she was much, much younger.

Seeing the sympathy in Xia Zhitiao’s gaze, Qin Zhi couldn’t sit still. She frowned and said, “What do you mean?”

“This disciple understands,” Xia Zhitiao replied calmly.

She bowed, casually tossed the dagger into her storage ring, and then left.

As she walked, she silently sighed: *How could such a noble and aloof Venerable Master be missing a screw in her head?*