The Villain is Soft and Clingy [Transmigration] - Chapter 13
Seeing Zhang Lan’s lack of reaction, Xia Zhitiao took the opportunity to rub her head twice more, saying, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
The junior sister remained blank, staring at her silently. Xia Zhitiao pondered, realizing something was wrong.
*This child probably got scared, didn’t she?*
She had been observing for a while. None of the disciples who came out were calm; they were either crying buckets or swaying unsteadily, having apparently encountered something terrifying.
She quickly reached out, cupped Zhang Lan’s cheeks, and gently comforted her, “It’s alright, don’t be afraid. Those were all fake.”
Zhang Lan finally stirred. She blinked, her delicate eyelashes lowering slightly. She placed her hand over Xia Zhitiao’s, and whispered, “Mm, they were all fake.”
She was silent for a moment, then suddenly broke into a wide smile.
“That so-called inner demon is nothing to worry about!”
Zhang Lan’s voice was much lighter, with a hint of triumph. “It was easily vanquished by me. Let’s see if it dares to cause trouble again.”
*Cause trouble again? Do you think confronting inner demons is like fighting bandits?*
However, seeing the junior sister’s vibrant appearance, she seemed to be fine.
Xia Zhitiao breathed a sigh of relief, withdrew her hand, and said with a smile, “Then congratulations on passing Master Qin’s final trial. Next is the full-peak trial competition. As long as you rank in the front, you can choose which peak you want to join.”
Zhang Lan pouted, saying, “If only this illusion realm were the last trial.”
Like a thief, she secretly glanced around, then leaned close to Xia Zhitiao’s ear, whispering, “I don’t want to live in that small wooden house anymore. The others are so noisy at night, I can’t sleep at all.”
“You’re getting bold, daring to secretly report to me?” Xia Zhitiao reached out and poked her cheek. “I know you don’t like socializing, but you still need to participate when necessary. The trial competition is team-based; be careful you don’t find anyone to team up with then.”
Zhang Lan didn’t know, but Xia Zhitiao had actually secretly inquired about her.
She heard that the junior sister particularly loved to sleep. Most disciples would rest when it was dark and chat before sleeping.
This child, however, would climb into bed as soon as the sun set if she had the chance, and even complained about others making noise. Once, she had an argument with her roommate and ran out to sleep under a tree with her bedding, not even afraid of catching a cold.
“The trial competition is still far off,” Zhang Lan protested softly. “I can just randomly form a team then. There’s always someone left over anyway.”
Xia Zhitiao once again experienced what it was like for the emperor not to worry while the eunuchs did—
That was Yashan’s trial competition! It was crucial for new disciples to officially join Yashan and begin practicing cultivation techniques. It was no laughing matter!
Xia Zhitiao had also participated in a trial competition once and knew how dangerous it was. But last time, she was a new disciple, and in a blink of an eye, she would be leading a team as a senior sister.
“How can that be,” Xia Zhitiao said, looking at Zhang Lan helplessly. “You still need to think more about how you’ll form a team then.”
Zhang Lan obediently agreed, saying, “I’ll listen to Senior Sister.”
Despite saying that, Xia Zhitiao still felt a little uneasy. Zhang Lan was a good child in every way, except for her dislike of socializing. She had been on the peak for so many days, yet still preferred to be alone.
As her senior sister, she definitely had to look after her more, but after all, the time they could meet was limited, and often Xia Zhitiao couldn’t take care of her.
At this time, if she had a good friend she could talk to and get along with, the situation would be much better.
As the two were talking, Qin Zhi came out of the grotto, supporting someone.
That person’s steps were unsteady, their face pale, and their sleeves were covered in dust, looking utterly disheveled.
*Hey, wasn’t that Wang Yan… one of the top-ranked disciples of the junior sister’s batch, and one of Master Qin’s favorites?*
Xia Zhitiao looked up in surprise and saw Wang Yan, supported by Qin Zhi’s arm, still unable to stand steadily, and she “plunked” down onto her knees.
Wang Yan covered her face with her hands, her body trembling uncontrollably. She kept muttering something in a low voice, but it was too incoherent for anyone to understand.
Her brother, Wang Ze, had come out earlier and was also pale and unsteady. It took him a while to recover.
Seeing his sister on her knees, he quickly ran over and gently put his arm around her shoulder: “It’s alright, it’s alright.”
“Brother, I, I saw that day,” Wang Yan said, her eyes tear-streaked and her voice choked. “Those people with beast-head masks, with bl00d patterns on their skin… I’m so scared, I’m so scared…”
Wang Ze continued to comfort her softly. Qin Zhi also sighed, patted Wang Yan’s shoulder, and said, “Rest for a while.”
*Is this the meaning of the illusion trial?* Xia Zhitiao looked at the two siblings, feeling a sudden discomfort in her heart.
Unlike modern, gradual psychological therapy, this illusion realm dug out the most hideous, hidden wounds in a person’s heart, cut open a wound, and forced them to recall the most unbearable, most painful memories.
“Facing one’s inner demons”—it sounded good, but it was just a disguised form of torment.
Healing scars inherently required time, and some pains could never be repaired in a lifetime. Forcing people to “face” them now would only make the wounds gape wider, worsening the situation.
Xia Zhitiao thought more and more, becoming somewhat lost in thought.
Her sleeve was gently tugged. Xia Zhitiao snapped back to reality. She turned her head and saw her junior sister looking at her, whispering, “Senior Sister, um, what are you thinking about?”
Xia Zhitiao had been watching the two siblings for a long time, and Zhang Lan beside her was extremely anxious.
She wanted to pull Xia Zhitiao but didn’t dare to disturb her. She hesitated for a long time, finally just tugging at her sleeve.
Zhang Lan felt terribly wronged. Xia Zhitiao had only looked at her for a little while, but she had stared at that pair of siblings for over ten minutes. *Were they really that good-looking…?*
Xia Zhitiao didn’t know that during her brief distraction, the junior sister’s mind had already twisted and turned, thinking a chaotic mess of things.
She absently “hmm-ed” and said to Zhang Lan, “I’m a little concerned about what that brother and sister said: beast-head masks, bl00d patterns on the skin—”
“Those are the symbols of the Shura Sect.”
Qin Zhi’s voice suddenly broke in. She stood with her arms crossed, calmly stating, “However, the Shura Sect has already been wiped out, not a single one left. The remaining scattered outer members have also joined other sects, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know.”
At this point, Wang Yan, who had just managed to calm down, suddenly flared up. Biting her lower lip tightly, her eyes bloodshot, she grabbed her wooden sword and was about to rush out, her voice heart-rending: “I, I will kill them—!!”
Wang Ze beside her immediately restrained her, gripping her arm. His voice was bitter as he gently comforted his sister.
Only when Wang Yan finally calmed down again did he slightly bow to everyone and say, “I apologize. Our family was… destroyed overnight, which is why she’s so agitated. Please excuse us.”
Although his words were vague, everyone understood what he meant.
They were just teenagers, thirteen or fourteen years old, who had suffered such a drastic change overnight, losing all their family members. No matter who it happened to, it wouldn’t feel good.
They should have been young masters and ladies of noble birth, yet they came to Yashan, braving hardships and passing various trials. There must have been an unresolved knot in their hearts.
—
The date for the trial competition was gradually approaching, and the training for the newcomers grew increasingly rigorous.
This time, Yashan’s recruitment started with over ten thousand people. First, they passed the most basic spiritual root test, then were evenly distributed among three peak masters for further learning and selection.
Through successive rounds of selection, with the survival of the fittest, Qin Zhi only kept 25 people, including Zhang Lan. The other two peak masters, though more lenient, only kept a little over a hundred people each.
In total, just over two hundred new disciples participated in this trial competition.
Qin Zhi was already notoriously strict. Now that the list was finalized, she showed even less mercy to the new disciples. The daily training and assignments practically piled up into small mountains.
The last time Xia Zhitiao saw her junior sister, Qin Zhi was literally picking up the “bean sprouts” by their collars and throwing them one by one down the cliff… It was truly inhumane.
Xia Zhitiao pondered. She prepared pastries and wound medicine, inquired about Master Qin’s teaching location, and specifically staked out a spot nearby, wanting to secretly slip something to Zhang Lan.
She found a hidden rock early in the morning. After waiting for nearly an hour, the junior sister’s figure suddenly appeared in the distance.
*The training ended so early today?* Xia Zhitiao was delighted. She quickly walked over and waved to her junior sister: “Zhang Lan, over here!”
To her surprise, Zhang Lan looked up, gave her a timid glance, then suddenly turned and ran away.
*What’s wrong with this awkward child?*
Xia Zhitiao quickly followed, but for some reason, the clumsy junior sister, who usually fell flat on her face while walking, suddenly became proficient in spiritual techniques. Her figure would appear and disappear, always maintaining a distance from Xia Zhitiao.
The two chased each other until finally, Zhang Lan stopped, standing by the quiet lake, looking at Xia Zhitiao.
“Senior Sister Xia,” she tilted her head slightly, her voice soft, “Are you looking for me?”
Xia Zhitiao silently looked at the person in front of her, then suddenly, with a “zing,” her Jiyan sword unsheathed, drawing a hot arc through the air.
The sharp, cold sword tip rested against the junior sister’s neck. Xia Zhitiao held the hilt, her voice chilling, the smile gone from her face: “Why did you bring me to Shuijing Lake?!”
“Senior Sister Xia, why are you pointing your sword at me?” The junior sister’s voice seemed a little wronged. She even took a step forward. “I just wanted to be alone with you.”
*Can’t you tell? You’re faking it too poorly. The junior sister wouldn’t talk with such pretense!*
Xia Zhitiao sneered. Her long sword remained at the other’s throat, and she asked, “Who are you?”
“Zhang Lan” stared at Xia Zhitiao expressionlessly for a while, then suddenly forced a smile.
That smile was truly a bit eerie, as stiff as a puppet being manipulated by strings.
“…You don’t need to know.”
She said slowly, the smile fading from her face. With an illusory grasp of her hand, a pitch-black ram’s horn dagger appeared, and she fiercely slashed towards Xia Zhitiao!
Author’s Note:
Small Theater:
Zhang Kuang: I was wondering why one after another, people like to impersonate me. It seems I should just find a chance to take down Yashan.