A Consequence of Opposing the Heroine’s Halo (GL) - Chapter 4

Chu Danxue’s expression remained indifferent, but Jun Yining, standing beside her, was utterly disappointed. “Sigh, this isn’t what I imagined at all. I actually feel quite let down…”

Chu Danxue was also slightly surprised, but she maintained excellent control over her expressions and revealed nothing. She continued with the official procedure: “All things have spirits. Now, open your eyes and tell me—what is the first thing you see?”

Liu Sanye opened her eyes and saw countless green specks of light, like fireflies, permeating the air. Around the large trees, they seemed to converge into a magnificent, flowing river of green fluorescence.

Intending to hide her true strength, Liu Sanye deliberately understated the amount of qi she could see. She said, “I see a few green spots of light gathering toward the big tree.”

What Liu Sanye described was exactly what a person of average talent should see.

Before Chu Danxue could speak, Jun Yining couldn’t help but chime in: “The five elements favor Wood. It seems our Green Wood Peak will have a new disciple within a hundred years. I have high hopes for you~”

Liu Sanye had displayed nothing more than mediocre talent. She had no idea where this guy got the confidence to think she could pass the numerous outer disciple assessments and enter Green Wood Peak within a century.

However, even if she did enter Green Wood Peak a hundred years later, she likely wouldn’t see this “big brother” again. In the book, Jun Yining would be captured by demonic cultivators early on to be used as a sacrifice, dying a miserable death as every drop of his blood was drained.

Knowing the plot, Liu Sanye couldn’t help but look at Jun Yining with a hint of pity.

Jun Yining felt a chill down his spine from her gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Liu Sanye never blushed when lying. She replied, “The Immortal Master has such high expectations for me; I’m simply overwhelmed by the favor.”

Jun Yining: “…”

Liu Sanye then turned her head toward Chu Danxue. Chu Danxue’s fate was even worse. Before the heroine grew powerful, Chu Danxue was the top figure among the younger generation of the Hegui Sect in terms of both beauty and aptitude. But the author likely felt she blocked the heroine’s light too much and wrote her off!

In the original book, Chu Danxue was coveted by a Demon Lord due to her beauty. She was ambushed and captured during a trial. Under the Demon Lord’s torture, she could neither live nor die. When the heroine finally infiltrated the Demon Palace to save her, Chu Danxue’s hamstrings and tendons had been severed, and her entire cultivation was destroyed. Proud as she was, she begged only for death, and the heroine granted her wish.

And so, Chu Danxue died just like that!

Compared to these two, Liu Sanye suddenly felt that her own death in the original plot wasn’t so bad.

Liu Sanye’s train of thought was drifting so fast she didn’t notice Chu Danxue’s gaze shifting. “I haven’t asked for your name yet, young friend?”

Liu Sanye was snapped back to reality and hurriedly answered, “My name is Liu Sanye. Liu as in willow, Sanye as in three leaves.”

Chu Danxue politely introduced herself and Jun Yining in return. She asked Liu Sanye, “Sanye, I see you have much on your mind. Is there something you wish to say to Junior Brother Yining and me?”

Liu Sanye was startled. How did she catch me just by me thinking about the plot? Is my “thinking face” that obvious?

She replied without missing a beat, “No, I just think the two Immortal Masters are too beautiful. Sanye has never seen such beautiful people, so I was dazed for a moment.”

Jun Yining immediately beamed. “You little girl, you’ve got a sweet tongue for your age.”

Chu Danxue didn’t press further. Instead, she asked if Liu Sanye was willing to become a disciple of the Hegui Sect. Liu Sanye agreed, and Chu Danxue pulled out a crane totem seal from her storage bracelet. “This is a Soul Tool of the Hegui Sect. From now on, you are a disciple under our sect.”

The moment Liu Sanye received the seal, she changed her form of address: “Thank you, Senior Sister!”

The villager who had previously claimed Liu Sanye couldn’t go fell silent instantly. The village’s gossip shifted yet again. Is it really that easy to become an Immortal Master these days?

As it turned out, it wasn’t. A full day of testing passed, and in the entire village, no one besides Bai Tong and Liu Sanye possessed a spiritual root.

“The testing is complete. We must leave now. Everyone, please return,” Chu Danxue announced. The villagers sighed; the next chance wouldn’t come for another ten years. Looking at the two “candidate Immortals,” some were envious and some were jealous, but most felt a deep sense of helplessness.

As the sun began to set, Chu Danxue summoned the celestial crane to prepare for departure.

Before leaving, Mother Liu called out to Liu Sanye. Liu Sanye paused, expecting some kind of emotional mother-daughter farewell scene. Instead, Mother Liu pulled her aside and whispered instructions to keep a close watch on Bai Tong.

Liu Sanye stumbled, nearly losing her footing.

Mother Liu’s logic was truly bizarre. Her daughter was becoming an Immortal, yet instead of trying to stay on her good side, she said something so cold. No wonder the original character blackened so easily—she was starving for affection!

Liu Sanye wasn’t as sensitive as the original. If Mother Liu was heartless, she would be too. She smiled at Mother Liu and said, “Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

Mother Liu patted Liu Sanye’s head. “You really are a good daughter, much more obedient than your rebellious sister, Dahua.”

Hearing the name “Dahua,” Liu Sanye just chuckled and said nothing. Honestly, she admired the original’s older sister, Liu Dahua. Dahua couldn’t stand her crazy mother and ran away at thirteen, eventually dying in the belly of a wild beast in the mountains. She was a true warrior.

The conversation between Liu Sanye and her mother lacked any typical parental warmth. From start to finish, her mother just kept repeating: Watch Bai Tong, watch Bai Tong.

Mother Liu’s hair was already gray, and her face was so wrinkled she looked like a woman in her eighties. She used her rough hands to constantly stroke Liu Sanye’s hair. Her grip was heavy, and she ended up undoing the straw tie holding Liu Sanye’s hair together, even pulling out several strands of thick, black hair in the process.

“I only have this one son,” Mother Liu said. “You must help your mother.”

Liu Sanye, mourning her lost hair, gave a forced smile. “Don’t worry, don’t worry…”

Mother Liu’s cloudy eyes looked at her intensely. “Then make an oath, okay?”

“Huh? An oath too?” Liu Sanye was shocked.

Mother Liu looked at her lovingly. “Just say: ‘If I fail to cure my brother’s illness, may I die a horrible death’.”

Liu Sanye wasn’t just shocked anymore—her entire worldview was being overturned. Crap, this mother is even scarier than I imagined.

But an oath didn’t seem like a big deal. In the book, the heroine would send the Mandui fruit back within two years anyway. Just as Liu Sanye was about to raise her hand to swear, Bai Tong—leaning on her branch—approached from nowhere.

Bai Tong simply said to Liu Sanye, “It’s time to go.”

Then, without another word, she took Liu Sanye’s hand and led her toward the celestial crane, completely ignoring Mother Liu’s hysterical shouting from behind.

“Sanye! You haven’t sworn yet! Hurry and swear!”

Liu Sanye was led away passively. For some reason, her hand felt frozen in Bai Tong’s grip. What’s going on? Isn’t Bai Tong usually the “don’t touch me” type? Why did she suddenly take my hand and bail me out? Accident or intention? Or has she been transmigrated into as well?!

Liu Sanye’s mind was a tangled mess of a thousand threads. Fortunately, Bai Tong soon returned to her character; once they were far enough from Mother Liu, she immediately let go and didn’t speak another word to her.

Liu Sanye figured maybe she just had a momentary lapse in judgment.

Mother Liu, not having received a clear answer, actually chased after them and had the audacity to try and force the oath in front of Chu Danxue. Though Chu Danxue was well-bred and respectful toward mortals, that didn’t extend to someone acting as deranged as Mother Liu.

With a flick of her sleeve, Chu Danxue sent Mother Liu flying five meters away. Her face darkened. “I already told everyone to return. Do you require me to personally escort you?”

Mother Liu was so shaken by the Immortal’s pressure that she couldn’t speak for a long time. Her legs shook, her teeth chattered, her face turned pale, and she promptly fainted.

Chu Danxue’s action surprised Liu Sanye. She looked up at her, and at that moment, Chu Danxue looked back. Their eyes met, and Liu Sanye quickly lowered her head in fear.

Chu Danxue’s voice came from above. “Do not worry. I merely helped her calm down.”

Liu Sanye swallowed hard, a voice in her heart screaming: Is this the legendary magic? That was so… cool!

Chu Danxue then told Liu Sanye and Bai Tong to board the crane. Since Bai Tong was blind, Jun Yining used a spell to lift her onto the bird’s back. Liu Sanye had to climb up herself. The crane’s feathers were incredibly smooth, and it took her quite a bit of effort to get on.

Chu Danxue watched from the side and suddenly asked, “Was that your mother?”

Liu Sanye nodded.

Chu Danxue continued, “From this day forward, she is no longer your mother.”

Liu Sanye hadn’t seen such a line in the book and looked at her curiously. “Why?”

“You have entered the path of immortality,” Chu Danxue explained. “Naturally, you must sever your mortal ties.”

“Oh.” Liu Sanye nodded, though she didn’t really take it to heart—it was just a standard trope in cultivation novels.

Sitting on the crane’s back, Liu Sanye looked at the shimmering, brilliant feathers. As she gently stroked them, a seed was planted in her heart. What kind of place is the cultivation world, really? She had only imagined it before; now she was about to see it. She couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.

The sunset glow painted the horizon red. Chu Danxue and Jun Yining drew their swords and streaked toward the fading light. Then, the celestial crane let out a long cry and took flight, riding the wind toward the setting sun.