The Villain is Soft and Clingy [Transmigration] - Chapter 19

Zhang Lan nodded. The bearded Grand-master chuckled, “Haha,” pointing to the rows of seats below, “Up there are Void Transcendence and Core Formation cultivators. Your senior sister is down here with the Foundation Establishment ones.”

Zhang Lan scampered down, bouncing and leaping. She peered at the Foundation Establishment section for a while, spotting a familiar figure in the center.

“Senior Sister!” she called out from afar. Seeing Xia Zhitiao wave back with a smile, she excitedly ran over.

The peak competitions progressed from lowest to highest realm, from Qi Condensation all the way to Void Transcendence, and finally to the Yashan peak masters, to determine the strongest in each realm.

Xia Zhitiao was at Foundation Establishment, Five Stage, so there was still some time until her competition. She shifted over, making space for her junior sister: “Why are you here?”

Zhang Lan wore a white robe today, its collar neatly folded, and even her normally casually tied long hair was much more prim. She clutched a small bundle in her arms like a treasure.

She sat down next to Xia Zhitiao, probably after being lectured by a master. She didn’t slump against her like usual, but sat upright.

“You actually combed your hair properly today?” Xia Zhitiao observed her for a moment, asking with a smile.

Zhang Lan blinked, “I usually just tie it loosely, but during assembly, Master scolded me for ‘not being proper,’ so I had to tie it again.”

*Sure enough, that’s it.* This child usually didn’t bother to comb her long hair properly, just tying it up quickly. Now that it was so neat, there had to be something unusual about it.

Xia Zhitiao picked up a small strand of her long hair. The soft, dark strands glided over her fingers, leaving a lingering coolness.

“Senior Sister, I brought you something,” Zhang Lan said, hugging the bundle, smiling mysteriously at her.

She unfolded the layers of blue-dyed silk cloth, revealing an exquisitely crafted wooden box.

A faint fruity aroma diffused from it. Inside the box were various pastries, a dazzling array, arranged in the shape of a blooming flower.

She presented the bundle to Xia Zhitiao like an offering, her eyes unblinking, shining with eager anticipation.

“Isn’t this Baiwei Pavilion’s signature pastry? They only sell three of those pastries a day,” Xia Zhitiao was initially surprised, then feigned slight anger, “—Be honest, when did you sneak out?”

The junior sister’s smile froze. She glanced aside somewhat guiltily, whispering, “Last night.”

“I seem to recall a rule,” Xia Zhitiao raised an eyebrow slightly, “that Yashan disciples are not allowed to descend the mountain arbitrarily?”

Zhang Lan said earnestly, “I’m not officially a disciple yet. I’ll only be formally initiated after the trial competition.”

*It seems that’s actually true.* New disciples were in an awkward position—they weren’t outer sect, nor were they official inner disciples of Yashan. It was unclear if they had to abide by Yashan’s strictures.

“What twisted logic,” Xia Zhitiao said, resting her chin on her hand, her voice amused. “This time is an exception. Don’t let it happen again.”

The junior sister nodded vigorously, pushing the pastry tray further forward.

*Was this showing deference or bribing?* Xia Zhitiao chuckled inwardly. She reached out and took a small, delicate almond cake, accepting the child’s gesture.

And honestly, Baiwei Pavilion truly deserved its reputation as the best eatery far and wide; its signature pastries were indeed exceptional.

The thin almond slices were cut like budding peach blossoms, adorning the center, and the shortbread was sprinkled with a thin layer of powdered sugar. It melted in the mouth, soft, sweet, and with a subtle fruity aroma. Eating an entire piece didn’t feel cloying at all.

The junior sister anxiously watched Xia Zhitiao. Seeing her nod in approval, she completely brightened, her eyes curving into crescent moons, triumphantly saying, “I knew Senior Sister would like it!”

“It is indeed delicious, but with so many pastries and such a big box, I can’t possibly eat all of it,” Xia Zhitiao gently pushed the pastry tray back. “You went to such trouble to bring them; you should eat some too.”

Saying this, she carefully examined the diverse pastries in the wooden box, selected a peach blossom cake, and offered it to Zhang Lan’s mouth: “Try this.”

Zhang Lan’s eyes suddenly widened, her amber-like eyes seemingly holding tiny specks of starlight, looking clear and bright.

Xia Zhitiao felt a sudden wave of pressure, seeing the other’s expression of immense gratitude.

The peach blossom cake wasn’t very big to begin with. Zhang Lan took it in one bite, her mouth full, and mumbled indistinctly, “Mmm, thank you, Senior Sister!”

Xia Zhitiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She patted her back, “Speak after you’ve finished eating.”

As the two shared pastries, the competition below was in full swing, already nearing the final match of the Qi Condensation stage.

“Final match of the Qi Condensation stage!” The officiating senior brother stood in the center of the arena, calling out loudly, “From Zhengxue Peak, the fifth-stage disciple, Jiang You, against Yuwan Peak’s fourth-stage disciple, Ling Xishi!”

Most Qi Condensation disciples were young and had only recently joined, so their fights were quite unremarkable. Everyone was waiting for the Core Formation and Nascent Soul senior brothers and sisters, and the peak masters’ matches.

Xia Zhitiao heard one of the names and suddenly looked up, her breathing quickening a bit.

Finally, the legendary favored child of destiny, the female lead of the novel—Ling Xishi.

Although the author “Banana Peel King” didn’t explicitly state it, and the novel leaned towards an ensemble cast, all signs indicated that Ling Xishi was the chosen daughter of destiny in this novel.

Regarding her background: both parents deceased, a miserable childhood; regarding her aptitude: naturally full spiritual power, a one-in-a-million single spiritual root, and a cheat-like ‘Heavenly Spirit’ bloodline—a textbook protagonist setup!

Thinking this, Xia Zhitiao’s gaze became a bit more fervent. She didn’t even bother with the pastries anymore, her entire attention focused on the arena.

A woman in blue robes slowly walked out. Although her clothes were old and patched in several places, they couldn’t conceal her countenance, as bright as a shining star and as beautiful as a hibiscus flower.

It was as if she was born to be the favored child of this world.

Xia Zhitiao watched her, holding a long sword, her posture upright and tall. She couldn’t help but softly exclaim, “As expected of the protagonist, she’s so beautiful.”

This sentence was originally meant to be an internal thought, but Xia Zhitiao, without realizing it, accidentally blurted it out, allowing the junior sister beside her to hear every word.

By the time Xia Zhitiao reacted, Zhang Lan was nervously tugging at her sleeve, quietly leaning closer.

The young girl’s features were clean, her contours not yet fully matured, like a budding flower, faintly revealing her future stunning appearance.

She opened her amber-like eyes, the corners slightly drooped, as if she were utterly wronged and wanted Xia Zhitiao to give her an explanation.

Zhang Lan didn’t speak, just looked at her pitifully. Xia Zhitiao felt a little pressured. She reached out and stroked the other’s hair, saying, “What’s wrong?”

“Senior Sister…”

Zhang Lan’s eyebrows were lowered. She secretly peeked at Xia Zhitiao through her fingers, her hands gently clasped together, asking nervously, “Am I pretty?”

Author’s Note:

Zhang Kuang: I feel wronged, I feel sad. I’m preparing to pack up and attack Yashan now.