The Villain is Soft and Clingy [Transmigration] - Chapter 3

That soft, unhurried “Oh” made the standing woman’s heart clench, her brow twitching with an inexplicable sense of strong unease.

‘No, it can’t be. We are all outer sect disciples who failed the test,’ the woman suppressed the intense unease in her heart, comforting herself. ‘It’s just a bluff.’

Thinking this, she suddenly felt a bit more confident, took a forceful step forward, and her voice rose a few octaves: “Are you deaf?! Go now!”

Zhang Lan leaned against the wall. She lazily raised her hand, and between her slender white fingers, a clear, transparent petal shimmered.

She gently rubbed the corner of the petal with her fingertip, slowly saying, “How rare. You’re the first to dare to order me around like this.”

The leading woman was about to say something else when another gray-robed woman beside her suddenly stood up, tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, her voice trembling slightly: “Yuan Shuang, stop talking, come back quickly.”

Yuan Shuang frowned, saying, “What are you doing? Are you afraid of her?”

The woman shook her head, leaning close to Yuan Shuang’s ear, she whispered: “Look at the petal in her hand.”

The petal Zhang Lan held was truly strange. It had none of the usual veins of a plant, but was as clear and transparent as gold and jade, as if condensed from spiritual power.

Before Yuan Shuang could turn her head, Zhang Lan made her move.

With a flick of her fingertip, the petal instantly shot out. A cold gust of wind struck Yuan Shuang’s face, grazing her neck, and viciously embedding itself in the wall.

Yuan Shuang’s neck stung. She couldn’t help but reach up to cover it, only to find her hand covered in bl00d.

No, impossible. She was clearly just an outer sect disciple, how could she—

Zhang Lan lazily raised her eyelids, smiled inscrutably, and was about to speak when the wooden door behind her suddenly slammed shut with a loud “bang.”

Everyone was stunned, including Zhang Lan, who frantically turned her head, frozen in place.

Xia Zhitiao leaned against the door, her chest slightly heaving. She looked at one woman clutching her neck and several other women in gray robes, and sharply demanded, “What’s going on?”

She grabbed Zhang Lan’s arm, pulled her behind her, and snapped at the women, “I heard everything from outside! What kind of behavior is this, openly bullying someone like this!”

The women were dumbfounded. Yuan Shuang was stunned for a long time, then remembered that she had apparently shouted “Are you deaf?!” earlier, and it seemed Xia Zhitiao had happened to overhear.

“This junior sister just arrived on the mountain today, and this is how you treat her?” Xia Zhitiao grew more and more furious, her voice chilling. “You are truly bringing shame to my Yashan Sect.”

Bullying? That slender little girl just carved such a big gash, almost cutting off my head! Who’s bullying whom?!

Yuan Shuang had a bitter taste in her mouth. She clutched her neck, watching with wide eyes as the little girl, like a Beijing opera performer changing faces, let out a soft whine and clung to Xia Zhitiao’s clothes, hiding behind her.

“Senior Sister, they weren’t bullying me,” Zhang Lan sniffled, whispering, “They just asked me to fill the water tank outside the door…”

“Just fill the water tank outside the door?”

Xia Zhitiao remembered the enormous water tank outside the door, almost as tall as Zhang Lan, and was incensed.

The junior sister was so tiny; making her fill that water tank would mean she wouldn’t sleep all night!

“This is outrageous,” Xia Zhitiao took Zhang Lan’s right hand directly and led her outside. “Come on, we’re not staying here.”

Zhang Lan obediently let herself be led out. After a while, Xia Zhitiao slapped her forehead, remembering something important:

Although she had impulsively taken the girl away, where would Zhang Lan stay tonight?

The junior sister had been carefully observing Xia Zhitiao’s expression. Seeing her hesitate and stop, she also stopped and whispered, “You don’t need to trouble yourself, Senior Sister. I’ll just stay with those few people.”

Hearing this, Xia Zhitiao couldn’t help but look back.

She saw the junior sister’s gaze was candid and her expression serious, leaving Xia Zhitiao speechless for a moment.

She silently sighed, tightened her grip on Zhang Lan’s hand, and returned her gaze to the path: “My Yashan Sect is vast; it’s not so grand that it doesn’t even have a single habitable house.”

As she was pondering where to temporarily place Zhang Lan, the junior sister behind her eyes twinkled, and she eagerly edged closer.

She looked at Xia Zhitiao with sparkling eyes, blinking expectantly: “Then, then may I impose on Senior Sister?”

Xia Zhitiao was slow to react, hesitating, “Ah?”

.

A moment later—

“Thank you, Senior Sister!!”

Watching the junior sister excitedly spinning around the room, clutching her bedding and pillow, Xia Zhitiao rubbed her brow, sighing helplessly inwardly.

She was indeed too soft-hearted.

She originally had no intention of sharing a room with her junior sister, but seeing the other’s expectant look, staring at her pleadingly, the words of refusal suddenly got stuck in her throat and couldn’t come out.

Finally, Xia Zhitiao could only resignedly and helplessly nod, tacitly agreeing to Zhang Lan’s request.

Fortunately, the junior sister wasn’t an outsider. Although her excitement was somewhat unusual, her behavior was still very well-measured.

Before Xia Zhitiao could even speak, she very conscientiously took out a bamboo mat and spread it on the floor. Crouching down, she swayed her head, happily and meticulously arranging the bedding and pillow.

With such a serious demeanor, Xia Zhitiao didn’t even dare to tell her that although the wooden house looked small, next door there was actually—a room.

Zhang Lan’s movements were swift and clean. In the blink of an eye, she had made her bed, stood up from the floor, clapped her hands, and silently looked towards Xia Zhitiao.

This wasn’t Xia Zhitiao’s first time guiding new junior brothers and sisters. She pondered for a moment and said, “I’ll take you around Yashan.”

Although she hadn’t stayed on Yashan for long, she had pretty much memorized all the different places.

Anyway, there were only a few places: look at the mountains, look at the water, and at most, look at the cliffs. There was nowhere else to go.

If it came to interesting things, one would have to go down to the market. It was prosperous and lively, with plenty of people, much better than this desolate Yashan, where you rarely saw anyone else most of the time.

After leading Zhang Lan around, Xia Zhitiao found that this junior sister was quite interesting.

She yawned so much she almost fell asleep while looking at the Wanjian Pavilion, but then became interested in the deserted Library Tower. However, due to not yet being officially initiated, she could only look from afar.

Seeing that dusk was approaching, with ink-like colors painting most of the blue sky, Xia Zhitiao led Zhang Lan back.

Coincidentally, when they returned, they took a different path and happened to walk past a place Xia Zhitiao hadn’t visited much.

It was a deep lake. At first glance, it seemed ordinary and unremarkable, but as Xia Zhitiao casually took a second look, an inexplicable chill suddenly rose within her.

Looking closely, the surrounding ground was withered and dry, with no signs of plant growth. Even the vast lake surface seemed lifeless and still.

“This is Shuijing Lake. Usually, no one comes here, but occasionally disciples will come to practice spells or something.” Having played tour guide all day, Xia Zhitiao casually introduced the “scenic spot.”

However, Zhang Lan beside her uncharacteristically frowned, looking at the lake, and very softly muttered: “…Ruoshui?”

Xia Zhitiao was startled, she turned her head, and asked hesitantly, “What?”

“It contains the water of the Heavenly River; not even a goose feather floats, and birds’ feathers fall. It devours ten thousand lives.”

As Zhang Lan explained, she squatted down and poked the water surface with her fingertip: “And Ruoshui can also absorb spiritual power and use it. Look underneath.”

Xia Zhitiao also squatted down. She saw that beneath the colorless lake surface, there was actually a hidden secret.

Beneath the thick body of water, it seemed to store sunlight from the daytime, shimmering and clear, reflecting a vibrant scene—

As far as the eye could see, a vast space was hidden. Vines climbed the walls, rocks were scattered everywhere, and one could even see sand slowly rolling.

“It’s empty underneath?” Xia Zhitiao was incredulous. She couldn’t help but reach out, wanting to touch the water surface like Zhang Lan.

Water floating in the air, that was simply too illogical. Some highly respected old English gentleman would probably be flipping in his coffin, too angry to speak.

“—Don’t touch it.”

Xia Zhitiao’s hand was stopped mid-air. Zhang Lan gently held her wrist, her expression unusually serious: “Ahem, well… Grand-master said that Ruoshui devours spiritual power and should not be easily touched.”

Xia Zhitiao looked at her junior sister in surprise, silently complaining “Didn’t you just touch it?”, while obediently retracting her hand.

The junior sister nodded earnestly, looking serious, her small face puffed up round like a cute little soup dumpling.

Xia Zhitiao reached out and ruffled the other’s hair, saying, “Alright, let’s go.”

Zhang Lan made a soft sound, and while Xia Zhitiao wasn’t paying attention, she looked back at the lake a few more times, then trotted along to catch up.

.

For some reason, Xia Zhitiao slept exceptionally soundly that night. The chaotic dreams that usually flooded her mind suddenly stopped, allowing her to have a good, peaceful sleep.

When she woke up the next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Xia Zhitiao rubbed her eyes and immediately saw the bamboo mat laid out beside her.

The junior sister seemed not to have woken up yet. Her breathing was steady, her long lashes cast downwards, and she was curled up small, like a glutinous rice dumpling.

Xia Zhitiao called out a few times with no response. Just as she was about to take advantage of the other’s sleep and gently rub that seemingly soft cheek.

Unexpectedly, as soon as her hand reached out, Zhang Lan’s breathing hitched, her eyes suddenly opened, and then she abruptly sat up, startling Xia Zhitiao.

Zhang Lan stared at her, stunned for a full ten seconds, before dazedly saying: “…Good morning, Senior Sister.”

“Mm, get dressed and get up,” Xia Zhitiao stood up, pretending to be seasoned, and lightly coughed, “I’ll take you to the White Jade Altar to test your spiritual power.”

Zhang Lan nodded. After they both got ready, they immediately set off.

Halfway there, Zhang Lan suddenly secretly leaned closer, whispering into Xia Zhitiao’s ear, “Senior Sister, Senior Sister, what spiritual power stage are you?”

“Me?” Xia Zhitiao was a little surprised, but still replied, “Foundation Establishment, Third Stage.”

Zhang Lan gave a very serious “Mm” and then obediently retreated back behind Xia Zhitiao.

When they reached the White Jade Altar, the Grand-master had just arrived. He led Zhang Lan to the elevated platform, patted the central vast stone pillar, and said, “Place your hand on it. I’ll see your cultivation.”

Zhang Lan said, “Okay.”

With that, she gently placed her hand on the stone pillar. Suddenly, the stone pillar brightly lit up, overflowing with brilliant light, and the Grand-master couldn’t help but frown.

Author’s Note:

Small Theater:

Xia Zhitiao (pushing up glasses): I see. Shuijing Lake is a rare gas-liquid coexisting state.

Zhang Lan: Huh?