After I Failed to Reform the Female Lead of a Tragic Novel - Chapter 6

During their conversation, Gong Dongling learned that the Pavilion Master’s surname was Shen, and he only allowed her to call him Old Shen.

Seeing Old Shen bring Gong Dongling to the table, Xie Yu knew the old man loved dragging others into his drinking sessions. However, seemingly afraid that Gong Dongling might misunderstand something, she spoke stiffly: “It was the Pavilion Master who invited you, not me. Don’t think you can use this to get close to me.”

Saying this, she shot a glare at Old Shen: “You old drunkard, drinking yourself silly isn’t enough, you have to drag others into it too!”

The nickname “Old Drunkard” had its own history. According to Old Shen, when they first met, he was even more disheveled than he was now. Xie Yu had snuck into the Library and encountered him; thinking he was just a homeless drunk who lived there, she called him “Old Drunkard” repeatedly. Even after learning he was the Pavilion Master, she had grown used to it and never changed her address.

Old Shen possessed a “Schrödinger’s memory.” Sometimes he could recall ancient events in excruciating detail, rambling to Gong Dongling one after another; other times, he would forget what he had just said a second later.

Xie Yu had already placed the dishes on the small wooden table under the willow tree. There were three plates: stir-fried shepherd’s purse, green onion tofu, and a small dish of sliced braised beef to go with the wine.

The green vegetables and pale tofu intermingled in a fresh contrast, looking translucent and glistening with a light sheen of oil. The beef, a mix of lean and fat soaked in marinade, gave off an aroma that instantly triggered one’s appetite.

Gong Dongling hadn’t eaten a proper meal since transmigrating. Usually, she didn’t feel hungry and didn’t think much of it, but the moment these fragrant dishes were placed before her, her defenses crumbled.

In reality, these were the most common home-cooked dishes, lacking modern seasonings or the refinement of contemporary food. But compared to the pills used as food in the cultivation world, this was a feast fit for a king!

As they sat down, both Xie Yu and Old Shen had bowls and chopsticks, but Gong Dongling only had a small silver cup for wine.

Gong Dongling was starving. She looked at Xie Yu with a pitiful, aggrieved expression: “A-Yu… why don’t I have any chopsticks?”

“Don’t talk to me…” Xie Yu’s expression suddenly turned to shock. “Wait, you eat this stuff too?”

“What? Am I not allowed to eat it?” Gong Dongling was confused. She had heard that eating was bad for cultivators, but couldn’t Inedia Pills be used to absorb impurities?

It was no wonder Xie Yu was shocked. In her experience, aside from the untidy and alcohol-addicted Pavilion Master Shen, no cultivator touched this kind of food.

Cultivators were very wary of food, believing it only became “mortal impurities” in the body, which was detrimental to cultivation. Even disciples who hadn’t reached the Inedia stage (fasting) used medicinal pills to replace grains.

However, not everyone could afford these pills. Xie Yu was the prime example of someone who couldn’t.

Not only did they not eat, they were profoundly disdainful of it. When training in the mortal realm, it was as if catching a whiff of “mortal smoke” would defile their pure celestial bodies.

Ironically, wine—also a product of the mortal world—was incredibly popular in the cultivation world. The double standard was blatant.

Xie Yu had been a mortal since childhood, a survivor of famine who escaped with her grandmother. What were grains and livestock to her? She had eaten weeds and tree bark; she didn’t care about “impurities,” nor could she afford to.

Since she hadn’t reached the Foundation Establishment stage, she hadn’t mastered the art of Inedia.

When she first joined the sect, she only picked recognizable wild fruits to stave off hunger. But after the physical drain of cultivation, fainting from exhaustion was common. It was only since she started warming wine for Old Shen that she was able to “hitch a ride” on his meals.

In her mind, Gong Dongling was different. Raised in a celestial sect and pampered by her Master and Senior Brother, she surely had never touched such “coarse food.”

But Gong Dongling wasn’t the original owner. Having enjoyed gourmet food for twenty years, how could she be so strict with herself? She suspected most cultivators only gave up food so easily because they had never experienced how wonderful it could be.

Unexpectedly, Old Shen shared her sentiment: “Those juniors… their cultivation is mediocre at best, yet they act so pretentious. They treat food like some kind of terrifying beast. Our little friend Gong is much more genuine.”

Xie Yu brought over a set of utensils for Gong Dongling, her expression strange, still unable to believe she would eat her cooking.

But a second later, she saw Gong Dongling put a mouthful of food into her mouth. Her eyes narrowed unconsciously in satisfaction, looking like the lazy, well-fed cat in front of the house.

Watching her, Xie Yu somehow felt that these simple, familiar dishes tasted even better than usual.

Influenced by her family’s private chef in her past life, Gong Dongling was a picky eater. She often couldn’t stand others’ cooking. Having spent so much time in hospitals, her assistants would bring her simple greens and tofu porridge; yet, compared to those, Xie Yu’s cooking was actually a step above.

“It’s delicious!” Even though Xie Yu was ignoring her, Gong Dongling didn’t hold back her praise.

Xie Yu didn’t reply and turned her head away. But if one looked closely, the tip of her ear peeking through her hair had turned a bright shade of red.

After eating, Old Shen swayed out with his wine gourd for a walk, leaving only Xie Yu and Gong Dongling at the table. Both had their own thoughts, specifically regarding the Xuanji Grass, but neither spoke, as if waiting for the other to show a weakness first.

Gong Dongling stood up and performed a Cleansing Spell on the table. Not only the porcelain plates and chopsticks but even the table itself became brand new. She said to Xie Yu with interest: “The Cleansing Spell is so convenient. If there were spells for cooking, one wouldn’t have to do it by hand; a meal would be ready with a flick of a finger.”

Xie Yu finally lost her patience and stood up: “Don’t change the subject. What did you mean by mentioning the Xuanji Grass earlier?”

“…Correct, I am looking for the Xuanji Grass. You must have also received news that it has reappeared in the Ruoxu Illusion Realm, right?” Gong Dongling continued stacking the plates, her movements calm and steady.

“Who was it? Who told you the news?!” Xie Yu was somewhat urgent. She wanted to know the identity of the mysterious person who sent her letters so badly that she lost her composure.

After tidying the plates, Gong Dongling leaned three fingers on the table, bending her body slightly to look directly at Xie Yu on the same level: “Want to know? Guess why I need the Xuanji Grass. If you guess right, I’ll tell you.”

Xie Yu instinctively pressed the Record of the Xuanji Grass in her arms. She recalled a phrase Gong Dongling had read aloud earlier that caught her attention: Mild properties.

Generally, only herbs with mild properties could be used to treat cold or heat poisons. And for a rare spiritual herb like the Xuanji Grass, which gathered the essence of heaven and earth over a century, its uses would be even greater…

“It’s the Cold Qi,” Xie Yu finally answered.

Gong Dongling followed through by revealing the name of the Eldest Senior Brother, Qiu Yan. Since Xie Yu would eventually find out the mysterious person’s identity anyway, she decided to speed up the unmasking.

Only by unmasking Qiu Yan could he be forced to take a side. Xie Yu needed his help, especially when dealing with certain “historical” issues left by the original plot.

Hearing the name Qiu Yan, Xie Yu frowned. She was not familiar at all with this Eldest Senior Brother who traveled all year round. They had only met a few times; she had never suspected him during her own investigations.

“I don’t know your purpose for needing the Xuanji Grass, but since Qiu Yan shared this news with both of us at the same time, his goal must be to make us fight over it.”

Gong Dongling smiled faintly and said no more.

Xie Yu’s eyes darkened. She suddenly understood the meaning of Gong Dongling telling her this. It seemed many people wanted to add dry wood to the fire between them, wishing the flame would grow hotter.

But then a thought occurred: Gong Dongling wasn’t exactly a good person either. Why did she instinctively believe her? Her heart turned cold.

“I don’t believe you. I’ll only know the truth once I confirm that person’s identity myself.”

Gong Dongling knew Xie Yu didn’t trust her. She spread her hands and gave a helpless smile: “I plan to go to the Ruoxu Illusion Realm soon. You can come with me, Junior Sister. If you truly need it, I won’t fight you for it.”

Whenever the Ruoxu Illusion Realm or the Xuanji Grass were mentioned, Xie Yu became much more guarded. She looked up, her ink-black eyes fixed on Gong Dongling: “Isn’t having Cold Qi in your body very painful? Why would you give the Xuanji Grass to me?”

“You probably won’t believe me if I say it, but I truly came here just for you. I hope you can become a better version of yourself. Right now, that is more important than my own affairs. That’s all.”

Yes, Gong Dongling had made her decision. She would leave the Xuanji Grass for Xie Yu so she could reconstruct her spiritual roots.

From then on, Xie Yu could do as she wished—cultivate normally with her Ice Spiritual Root and enter the immortal path with dignity, rather than being abandoned by everyone, having her roots destroyed, and being forced into the demonic path because she had no other choice.

As for herself, so what if she couldn’t cultivate? She was just a passerby in Xie Yu’s long journey to immortality. Once the mission was done, she would return to her own world.

Since she came here to protect Xie Yu, she should at least help her succeed in this world.

Gong Dongling’s words were somewhat abrupt, a pure expression of her internal feelings. She didn’t expect that Xie Yu, who had been silent for a long time, would suddenly say: “I’ve had something I wanted to give you.”

Xie Yu led Gong Dongling back into the sea of books in the Library’s main hall. She closed her eyes slightly, her lips moving as she whispered something. The bookshelves began to move again.

“How do you also know Old Shen’s method for finding books?” Gong Dongling felt a suspicion that she had been pranked by the old man.

“As long as your intent is connected to the bookshelves, you just tell them the name of the book. The Pavilion Master was purely tricking people; I’ve been by his side for nearly three years and I’ve never seen him use a single spell.” Xie Yu was finally willing to communicate, though her tone remained stiff.

While they spoke, a book came to a steady halt in front of Xie Yu. She took it down: “I once saw a recipe in this book for a pill that suppresses Cold Qi. However, the materials are rare, the production is difficult, and it requires long-term consumption. You can decide for yourself.”

After a moment of hesitation, her voice softened slightly: “Pills can’t eradicate it, only suppress it. Regarding the Xuanji Grass, there is no such thing as ‘giving’ it away. We will each use our own abilities; whoever gets it first, it belongs to them.”

Gong Dongling took the book, unable to speak for a long time. She hadn’t expected Xie Yu would give her this.

In her mind, she recalled a specific scene from the original novel.