A Consequence of Opposing the Heroine’s Halo (GL) - Chapter 5

Liu Sanye’s first time flying into the blue sky brought more terror than joy.

It was fine at first when the crane was preparing for takeoff, but once they were airborne, the whistling gale blew so hard she couldn’t even keep her eyes open. When she finally managed to force a sliver of sight, she saw a drop of thousands of feet! The sprawling houses and fields had all turned into tiny ants. With absolutely zero safety measures, Liu Sanye had no heart left to admire the scenery; she was scared half out of her wits.

Originally sitting up, she immediately switched to a “face-down, belly-crawling” position on the crane’s back.

Even her voice came out in a stutter: “I… think… we… could… fly… fly a bit lower…”

However, the wind was too loud and her voice too small. Chu Danxue and Jun Yining were flying on their swords far ahead, so no one could hear her.

Liu Sanye resigned herself to fate, burying her head even deeper. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her little face was deathly pale, and she was shaking like a leaf. Though she hated to admit it, the fact remained: the fearless Liu Sanye was actually afraid of heights.

Remembering there was another person on the crane’s back, a cowardly Liu Sanye instinctively crawled toward Bai Tong. Having someone nearby provided a small sense of security.

While resigning herself to her fate, she grumbled mentally: Not even a protective shield? I’m a mortal! What if I fall off and die? Zero stars! One out of ten! What a piece of trash book!

Liu Sanye was so scared and angry that she didn’t notice when Bai Tong took her hand. When she finally realized it, she was so startled she forgot her fear for a second, her eyes darting between Bai Tong’s face and their joined hands.

It wasn’t until the wind blew tears into her eyes that she blinked.

Bai Tong remained expressionless. She said, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.”

Despite the howling wind, they were close enough that Liu Sanye heard her clearly. Her tone was like an adult comforting a child.

Liu Sanye felt like she’d been hit with a critical blow. Although her body was only twelve, her soul was nineteen! Being comforted by a twelve-year-old—even a precocious one—made her feel like she had lost all dignity.

To save her misplaced “old face,” Liu Sanye withdrew her hand and forced herself to sit upright with a look of feigned composure. “You think I was crawling because I was afr— afraid?” To stop her voice from shaking, she paused before continuing, “I was just tired and getting ready to sleep face-down!”

After saying that, she guiltily stole a glance at Bai Tong.

Bai Tong nodded, seemingly believing her. “Oh. Then I won’t disturb your sleep.” She made a move to shift over and give her space.

Liu Sanye panicked and grabbed her. “Wait!”

“What is it?” Bai Tong tilted her head slightly with closed eyes, looking confused.

Liu Sanye gave a forced laugh. “Well… the thing is…” She couldn’t let Bai Tong leave; she’d be scared to death. She racked her brain and blurted out an excuse: “I just remembered you’re blind. What if you step into thin air? It’s too dangerous. Just stay next to me, I’ll protect you!”

With that, Liu Sanye hugged Bai Tong’s arm tightly, looking like she’d never let go.

Hearing this, Bai Tong suddenly covered her mouth and let out a light giggle.

Good grief, this kid actually laughed! Liu Sanye stared in shock, her surprise slowly turning into indignation. “You don’t think I’m lying, do you?”

Bai Tong stopped laughing and put on a serious, youthful face. “I know. You truly want to help me.”

At first, Liu Sanye didn’t catch anything strange and instinctively replied, “Exactly, I’m protecting you…”

A second later, she realized something was wrong.

She muttered to herself: Wait! Why is the heroine saying this to me, the villain? I’m following her to mess with her and steal her luck! Heroine, you dimwit, you should be on guard against me! Did I somehow accidentally raise my favorability with her?

Liu Sanye fell into deep thought. She stopped talking, and Bai Tong became quiet as well.

Bai Tong suddenly “looked” forward. The twilight sky should have been beautiful. She remembered when her parents were still alive; they often took her into the sky to see the magnificent mountains and rivers of the Eastern Province. Mountain ranges stretching for thousands of miles like reclining dragons, and mountain springs rushing through canyons like galloping horses… The great rivers and mountains were full of infinite changes, but now they were only images in her memory. All that remained before her eyes was a vast, dark void.

After the brief smile, sorrow shrouded her heart again. Bai Tong didn’t show her sadness; she simply lowered her eyes expressionlessly. She sat motionless, and combined with those stagnant grey pupils, she looked like a lifeless object.

Spiritual roots destroyed, eyes blind… even if I go to the Hegui Sect, I’ll probably just be a burden to others.

Two hours later, the group finally arrived at their destination: Mount Yuwang.

Mount Yuwang was a base provided by the Huajie Sect for Hegui Sect disciples to use when active near the Dragon-Transformation Mountains. It contained a teleportation array leading to the Hegui Sect.

In the book’s setting, the Hegui Sect was the top sect in the Eastern Province, so it made sense for the Huajie Sect to provide bases in exchange for protection. But making such a “luxurious” mountain a base was a bit… excessive.

When Liu Sanye saw Mount Yuwang, her jaw nearly hit the ground.

The “Yu” (meaning jade/precious stone) in the name was no joke. Under the moonlight, the mountain shimmered with multicolored lights. The entire mountain was “bling-bling,” nearly blinding Liu Sanye. A mountain made of gemstones, each the size of a house! What kind of billionaire’s world was this?!

Liu Sanye gasped in shock until Bai Tong noticed her reaction. Bai Tong warned her: “The Huajie Sect is famous for its formations. To prevent mortals from wandering in, they set up a Level 3 Illusion Formation around Mount Yuwang. It only affects mortals. Be careful; don’t trust your eyes.”

“Huh? What! An illusion?” Hearing it was an illusion, Liu Sanye shook her head and slapped her cheeks hard. Sure enough, the “Gemstone Mountain” vanished, replaced by a massive… “Chicken Leg Mountain”…

My god! What kind of monster is this! Seeing an entire mountain densely packed with KFC-style fried chicken legs, shimmering with golden oil, Liu Sanye was almost moved to tears by terror.

Then Bai Tong added another blow: “Mortals don’t usually see Mount Yuwang from this height, so the illusion might produce some strange, amplified effects for you.”

As soon as Bai Tong said that, the chicken legs began to rot and sprout maggots. Then, a woman’s hand with red-painted nails reached out from the pile! The hand was pale and long, extending infinitely. It grabbed the largest, foulest-smelling chicken leg on the mountain and prepared to shove it into Liu Sanye’s mouth.

Liu Sanye watched the rotting leg get closer and larger. She wanted to close her eyes, but they were wide with terror—wide enough to see the white maggots wriggling on the meat… Her stomach churned. Rotting chicken in front, a thousand-foot drop behind. She was in total despair!

Fortunately, a pair of cool, small hands covered her eyes just in time.

The owner of the hands asked, “What scary thing did you see? You’re so frightened you can’t even make a sound.”

With Bai Tong’s hands blocking her view, the chicken legs vanished. Liu Sanye patted her chest, catching her breath while wiping sweat onto her sleeve. “It was indeed terrifying. I saw chicken legs.”

Bai Tong: “…”

Liu Sanye added with an exaggerated gesture, “Good heavens, it was a whole mountain of chicken legs!”

Bai Tong: “…” Don’t normal people see ghosts or ferocious beasts? Regardless, Bai Tong didn’t ask further. After this incident, Liu Sanye refused to open her eyes until the crane landed safely within the bounds of the mountain.

Without the illusion, Liu Sanye finally saw the true face of Mount Yuwang. It was all rock with almost no soil, but many green pines grew from the stone, making the whole mountain look like a giant bonsai landscape. Lantern charms floated in the air, following people as they moved like mobile streetlights.

They hadn’t walked far when a middle-aged man with a long, flowing beard flew toward them from a cliff. He smiled and said, “I didn’t expect two True Persons to visit so suddenly. Forgive me for the lack of a proper welcome!”

Following behind, Liu Sanye heard the familiar lines and knew: The first person to give the heroine a “Cheat Code” had appeared.

The man before them was actually a Demonic Cultivator disguised as a Huajie Sect disciple. He relied on absorbing the cultivation of others to grow his power and was at the Middle Stage of the Golden Core realm. He had infiltrated this place ten days ago, killed all the驻守 disciples, and used his high-level transformation skills to wait for his next prey.

Unfortunately for him, he ran into Chu Danxue.

Chu Danxue’s cultivation was higher than his, and she saw through his disguise instantly. Frowning, she summoned her Natal Dharma Treasure: the Snow-Flame Butterfly. It looked like a frost flower but was actually fire-attributed and incredibly hot. As soon as it appeared, waves of heat rolled through the air.

Jun Yining didn’t realize what was happening. He pulled a folding fan from his robe and fanned himself. “Senior Sister, what are you doing? It’s roasting—”

Before he could finish, Chu Danxue grabbed him. “Watch out!”

Almost the exact moment they left the ground, the rock where Jun Yining had been standing exploded with a loud bang.

Knowing his identity was exposed, the Demonic Cultivator stopped pretending. His “skin” sloughed off to reveal a hideous, twisted face. He laughed sinisterly, “Below the Nascent Soul stage, a demonic cultivator is invincible among those of the same rank. Little girl, do you really think your Late Golden Core cultivation can defeat me?”