After I Failed to Reform the Female Lead of a Tragic Novel - Chapter 5

The issue of the Xuanji Grass was a real headache. The next day, she headed straight for Mount Buzhou’s Library, determined to find another way to solve her problem.

In the original novel, the author would frequently arrange for a cornered protagonist to “accidentally” discover a mysterious ancient prescription in some dusty book—much like how the recipe for restructuring spiritual roots had “happened” to fall into Xie Yu’s hands.

Gong Dongling wanted to try her luck; perhaps she would actually gain something.

The Library was located on an independent, nameless peak near Mount Buzhou. If it weren’t for the fact that the Pavilion Master was quite easygoing and allowed disciples to fly there on their swords, getting to the Library would have been a massive ordeal.

Sword-flight was different from the simple internal circulation of spiritual energy during cultivation. It required a state of “man and sword as one,” where the mind and the sword’s soul connected. A simple hand seal should have been enough to take off.

But therein lay the problem: Gong Dongling realized the sword didn’t recognize her!

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reach that legendary state of mental connection. The sword gave no response to her spells.

The original owner’s Xuanling Sword was famous for its spirituality. When the original owner went missing in the Far North, Mount Buzhou sent wave after wave of disciples to find her, but they only found the grieving Xuanling Sword.

From the moment the disciples brought it back, it had fallen into a deep slumber, showing no signs of life.

That is, until Xie Yu arrived. The long-dormant Xuanling Sword had actually taken the initiative to recognize Xie Yu as its master.

A sword choosing a new master usually meant the original owner was dead and it had found a new destined soul. This outcome was expected by most, as the chances of Gong Dongling surviving were essentially zero.

Thus, the Master had simply followed the natural course and gifted Xuanling to Xie Yu. Who could have known that years later, Gong Dongling would return!

Xuanling naturally returned to its original owner’s hands, but this bizarre phenomenon of one sword recognizing two masters became a source of great friction between Gong Dongling and Xie Yu.

“Does this sword realize I’m a transmigrator?” Gong Dongling asked the System, her face full of complex emotions.

[The connection likely broke when you crossed over. Drop some blood on the blade; it recognizes your bloodline. It should begrudgingly let you use it, though I can’t guarantee there won’t be ‘accidents’ later…]

Skeptical but desperate, Gong Dongling pressed her finger against the blade. With a sharp shink, she sliced a wound.

As the blood dripped away, Gong Dongling’s face turned several shades paler. Fearing that blood loss would exceed the capacity of this frail body, she pulled out the medicinal powder she had used on Xie Yu and sprinkled some on the cut.

When she had applied it to Xie Yu, the girl hadn’t reacted at all. Now that she was using it herself, she finally understood the sensation—it felt like a dull knife sawing through tender flesh. It hurt so much she nearly saw stars!

“Is Xie Yu even human? She felt nothing from this?” She gritted her teeth and wrapped her hand in gauze.

However, once the Xuanling Sword tasted blood, the blade began to emit a red glow. It was awakened.

Following the previous method, Gong Dongling finally captured a red thread in her “sea of consciousness” and yanked it.

The thread seemed very reluctant, squirming in her palm. But Gong Dongling was determined not to let go. They reached a stalemate until the thread finally gave in and merged into her palm. In that instant, her mind shuddered, and her consciousness finally linked with the sword.

She reached out her hand. With a mere thought, the sword flew into her grasp.

After all that effort, Gong Dongling finally reached the Library.

From the outside, the Library looked like a small courtyard, but stepping inside revealed a vast, hidden realm. True to its reputation as the ultimate collection of knowledge, rows of towering bookshelves stretched into the clouds. Countless ancient books and bamboo slips were arranged with perfect precision—a magnificent sight.

While she stood there like a clueless tourist, not even knowing how to search for a book, an old man descended from above.

He was disheveled and untidy, with white hair and a beard that trailed onto the floor over his tattered gray robes. He held a gourd of wine and looked thoroughly drunk. However, his hazy eyes flashed with a sharp light the moment he saw Gong Dongling: “Oho! A little friend I haven’t seen before! A rare guest indeed!”

“These days, juniors who actually focus on reading are fewer and fewer. Back in my day, this Library couldn’t even fit all the people…”

He tried to stroke his beard, but finding it full of knots, he sheepishly retracted his hand.

“Senior, it is my first time here. I don’t know how to find the book I need. Could you give me some guidance?”

“Easy, easy. In fact, I’ve already calculated which book you want. It’s likely this one.” He flicked his finger. The bookshelves around them began to move with a series of mechanical groans. Within a blink, a new shelf landed before them.

Without even looking, the old man plucked a book at random and tossed it to Gong Dongling.

No way, every book here looks the same… Doubting him, she flipped the cover. Written clearly on the first page were the words: 《Record of the Xuanji Grass》.

?! Is it really that magical? Gong Dongling’s face was a mix of shock and “I want to learn this too.”

The old man chuckled and craned his neck to see the title: “Hmm—Record of the Xuanji Grass? I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before?”

Just then, a voice interrupted them: “You old drunkard! Isn’t that the book I wanted? Why did you give it to someone else!”

Gong Dongling looked up to see Xie Yu standing in the distance, glaring at her and the old man with resentment, even stamping her foot in annoyance.

Xie Yu stomped over. Ignoring Gong Dongling, she complained to the old man like an aggrieved little child: “Didn’t you say to leave it here, and I could take it once I finished warming your wine!”

The old man smiled squinty-eyed, showing no remorse: “I forgot. My memory isn’t what it used to be.”

Xie Yu was furious and snatched the wine gourd from his hand: “All you remember is drinking! You won’t be satisfied until it kills you!”

In Gong Dongling’s memory, Xie Yu was always a numb, cowering figure under pressure. She had never seen her so spirited and vivid.

The fifteen-year-old girl hadn’t yet reached her full height. Coupled with years of malnutrition, she looked smaller and thinner than her peers. But beneath her messy, tied-up hair, her plain, unadorned face already showed the beginnings of a world-toppling beauty.

Right now, her cheeks were puffed out in anger, displaying a lingering childish innocence.

Gong Dongling let out a soft laugh. Still just a kid, after all. So cute.

She wanted to tease her even more.

“Xie Yu, do you want the book?” Gong Dongling waved the thin Record of the Xuanji Grass in her hand, her smile widening. “Call me ‘Senior Sister’ and I’ll give it to you.”

Clutching the wine gourd, Xie Yu finally looked at Gong Dongling. The desire for the book was clear in her eyes, yet she said stiffly, “First come, first served. Since the Senior gave it to you first, then it’s yours to read first.”

Hearing this, Gong Dongling didn’t try to persuade her. Instead, she opened the book right in front of her and cleared her throat, reading aloud: “Xuanji Grass, found no more than a hundred miles to the Southeast, in the Ruoxu Illusion Realm. Often grows…”

Before she could finish a few lines, she saw Xie Yu awkwardly twisting her hands together, lowering her head as she whispered, “Senior Sister.”

“Huh?” Gong Dongling raised the book to her face, hiding the bottom half of her face where she was stifling a laugh. She blinked, pretending not to hear.

Xie Yu looked up, her face flushed red, and raised her voice: “Sen… Senior Sister!”

“Good girl.” Gong Dongling snapped the book shut and handed it over readily.

As Xie Yu joyfully reached for it, Gong Dongling paused, refusing to let go. She stared at Xie Yu: “You already knew about the Xuanji Grass?”

“I just wanted to look…” Caught off guard, Xie Yu felt a wave of guilt. She moved to withdraw her hand, but Gong Dongling let go of the book.

Xie Yu’s eyes followed Gong Dongling’s hand, only to notice that her hand was also wrapped in the same white gauze as her own.

The question she intended to ask about the Xuanji Grass turned into: “What happened to your hand?”

Gong Dongling was taken aback, realizing Xie Yu was asking about her injury. Her eyes curved into crescents again: “It’s nothing. I just accidentally cut myself. Thank you for your concern, Junior Sister.”

Xie Yu felt even more frustrated. She opened her mouth to interrogate her about the Xuanji Grass, but the old man interrupted her.

“Since she gave it to you, just read it. Why so many questions? Hurry up and go warm my wine and cook! Do you still want your allowance this month or not!”

As he spoke, he pushed Xie Yu toward the exit.

Reluctantly, Xie Yu left with the wine gourd and the book, leaving the old man and Gong Dongling alone again.

Gong Dongling prepared to take her leave as well, but the old man stopped her: “Where are you going? Stay and eat with us. That little girl isn’t much of a genius at cultivation and has a bad temper, but she’s unparalleled at cooking and warming wine. Her food tastes of the mortal world—it reminds me of the years I spent stranded in the human realm. If not for that, I would have kicked her out long ago.”

Gong Dongling shook her head: “Senior, you’re being dishonest again. You clearly look after her more than anyone.”

After reaching a certain level, cultivators almost never ate. The Pavilion Master keeping Xie Yu around to cook was clearly just an excuse to support her.

“How am I looking after her? She pestered me! Back then, after she finished her training, she’d run to the Library every other day. She only borrowed books for learning how to read and write. She got so obsessed she practically wanted to live here. Well, when she fainted from hunger, I had to take responsibility! So I just kept her as a chore girl!

Now that she can read, she still won’t leave. She just causes me trouble by trying to read cultivation manuals. It’s hilarious—she can’t understand them at all, and she even managed to burn my best golden-silk wood bookshelf. I don’t know what she’s trying to achieve!…”

The old man grumbled on, but there was no actual disdain in his tone.

Gong Dongling listened quietly, feeling a touch of emotion. None of this was ever mentioned in the original novel.

The Xie Yu here was different from the one in the book. She was a flesh-and-blood, resilient girl with her own value.

Behind the tragedy woven by the “tragic novel” plot lay Xie Yu’s true life—a life that belonged only to her.

“Senior, thank you,” Gong Dongling said suddenly.

The Pavilion Master seemed to understand what she meant. He snorted: “I’ll be thanking heaven and earth if you two just cause me less trouble!”