After Transmigrating Into a Pirated Novel to Teach Them a Lesson - Chapter 35

Ancient Demon City was indeed extremely bustling. Cultivators came and went in endless streams. After the people of the Yubing Sect entered the city, they first found an inn to stay in. Fu Chenxue knew Liu Changning was used to staying with her, so she only asked for one room.

Before this, Fu Chenxue had only been to Ciyin City and Fuling Sea. This was her first time seeing so many cultivators.

Those cultivators occasionally passed by the inn. They carried an immortal air, with crane-white hair and youthful faces. Some were even Nascent Soul powerhouses. Fu Chenxue was only at Golden Core and did not want to stir up trouble. As for Xue Linglong, her cultivation was not even comparable to Foundation Establishment, so she was even less likely to go out.

Hua Fengming told Fu Chenxue that in this trial, all disciples needed to enter Ancient Demon City’s Flower Butterfly Dream Realm to search for weapons. The Flower Butterfly Dream Realm was one of Ancient Demon City’s secret realms. Inside were all kinds of precious herbs, rare treasures, and countless magical artifacts. It was very suitable for a large sect like the Yubing Sect to use for disciple training.

The Yubing Sect raised its disciples in a rather free-range manner. Their goal was only one thing: to hope that all Yubing Sect disciples could form their Golden Cores, break through to Nascent Soul, and finally ascend to immortality.

Hua Fengming believed that the more dangerous a place was, the more precious the things one obtained there would be. This was also one of the reasons he had brought the disciples to Ancient Demon City.

After spending this time together, Fu Chenxue gradually discovered that Hua Fengming was someone who did not care about the process as much as he cared about the result. So she thought that for this disciple trial, if Changning could obtain the strongest magical artifact in the Flower Butterfly Dream Realm, that should count as increasing the plot’s Satisfaction.

So Fu Chenxue ran to ask Xue Linglong, “Do you know what kind of place the Flower Butterfly Dream Realm is?”

Xue Linglong was eating pastries in her room. When she saw Fu Chenxue arrive, she invited her, “Ancient Demon City has a Thousand Lantern Festival tonight. According to tradition, everyone can release a flower lantern. Do you want to go take a look?”

“Thousand Lantern Festival?” Fu Chenxue blinked in confusion. “What is that?”

“Mm… it’s about the same as celebrating the New Year. Remember to buy candy for your disciple,” Xue Linglong reminded her. “I heard Ancient Demon City has a custom. On the night of the Thousand Lantern Festival, masters all buy a bag of candy for their disciples. Don’t forget.”

There was even a custom like that.

Fu Chenxue remembered it and said that she would also do as the locals did and buy Liu Changning a bag of candy.

But she still did not know what kind of candy Liu Changning liked. White sugar? Pulled sugar? Or the simplest rock candy?

Fu Chenxue suddenly felt that she was a very unqualified master. It had already been three years, but aside from knowing that her disciple loved osmanthus cake and plum blossom pastries, she actually did not know what else Liu Changning liked to eat.

Fu Chenxue felt a little ashamed. Usually, she liked buying Liu Changning new clothes. Even if she spent all her spirit stones, she did not feel distressed. But Liu Changning never seemed to express any opinion. It was as if whatever Fu Chenxue thought looked good, Liu Changning thought was fine.

Was it because Liu Changning could not see, so it did not matter what clothes she wore? Fu Chenxue knew Liu Changning liked wearing the pale-purple disciple robes, and also liked draping Fu Chenxue’s outer robe over herself… But aside from those, there really did not seem to be any other colors or styles.

It just so happened that they could only go to the Flower Butterfly Dream Realm Hua Fengming mentioned the day after tomorrow. In that case, she would spend these few days seriously learning Liu Changning’s preferences.

After making this decision in her heart, Fu Chenxue continued asking her earlier question. “Do you know what kind of place the Flower Butterfly Dream Realm is?”

“It’s Ancient Demon City’s secret realm,” Xue Linglong said seriously.

Fu Chenxue said, “…Of course I know that. What I mean is, this should be something you came up with, right? What’s inside?”

Xue Linglong thought for a moment. “I previously set the Flower Butterfly Dream Realm to contain many precious magical artifacts. All cultivators can search inside for the herbs and treasures they need, but whether they can find them depends entirely on their own ability.”

“Then Changning can’t see. Will she be in danger if she goes in…” Fu Chenxue was very worried.

“No need to worry. Whether she can see or not doesn’t affect finding magical artifacts. The word ‘fate’ is very important. What belongs to you will be yours. Others simply can’t snatch it away.”

“That sounds like it makes a lot of sense…”

“So tonight, can’t we just happily go release flower lanterns?” Xue Linglong draped an arm around Fu Chenxue’s shoulder.

Fu Chenxue pondered for a while, then suddenly said, “No. I need to buy candy for Changning first. If others have it, she must have it too.”

After saying that, she hurried away.

After Fu Chenxue finished buying candy, she carefully wrapped it in soft paper before leaving the shop.

The shop owner asked her for six spirit stones. Looking at the peach-blossom-shaped candies, Fu Chenxue thought Changning would definitely like them.

She brought the candy back to the inn. As soon as she entered the room, Liu Changning clearly looked as if she had just woken up. Her expression was anxious. She wanted to get out of bed but could not find her shoes and socks.

Fu Chenxue knew Liu Changning was looking for her, because Liu Changning had taken an afternoon nap, and when she woke up, Fu Chenxue was gone. She must have been very worried. So Fu Chenxue quickly stepped forward and held Liu Changning’s hand. “Changning, Master is here.”

“Master?” Liu Changning touched that familiar feeling and finally relaxed. She hugged Fu Chenxue and murmured, “Master, where did you go? When I woke up, you were gone.”

Her tone was extremely pitiful, as if Fu Chenxue had deliberately abandoned her here.

Fu Chenxue did not dare break free. She could only obediently let Liu Changning hold her like this. Now the two were about the same height. Being held tightly like this by Liu Changning, Fu Chenxue felt it was hard to breathe. “Um… Master only went out for a walk. Right, Changning, there is a Thousand Lantern Festival tonight. Do you want to go take a look?”

“What is the Thousand Lantern Festival?” Liu Changning rubbed against Fu Chenxue’s soft hair, then rubbed against her neck. Her entire person seemed sticky and clingy.

“Mm… the Thousand Lantern Festival is Ancient Demon City’s festival. Everyone can go release a flower lantern by the river.”

Because she could not see, she would feel insecure. Fu Chenxue understood that very well. She patted Liu Changning’s arm. “Tonight, accompany Master outside for a walk, all right?”

Liu Changning smiled. “All right.”

Ancient Demon City at night was extremely lively. The sounds of gongs and drums crossed over one another, and cultivators came and went. Fu Chenxue was afraid Liu Changning would get lost, so she kept holding her hand while searching for the most beautiful flower lantern in the city.

“Changning, what kind of flower lantern do you like?” Fu Chenxue asked.

Liu Changning said softly, “Whatever Master likes, I like.”

“No, you have to choose for yourself. What color do you like? Is it purple?” Fu Chenxue touched Liu Changning’s pale-purple sleeve. “I see you usually wear this style of clothing, so you must like it a lot.”

Liu Changning felt that Fu Chenxue’s certain expression must be very cute right now. Unfortunately, she could not see it. She could only help Fu Chenxue tuck a falling strand of hair behind her ear and say warmly, “Actually, whatever clothes I wear are the same. But if I have to say what I like, then I like pure white, the color of snow.”

Fu Chenxue immediately nodded. “All right. Then we’ll go buy a pure-white flower lantern.”

Fu Chenxue wanted Liu Changning to be happy. She brought Liu Changning to many shops, just to find a pure-white flower lantern. When the lantern shop owner saw the two of them, he called out, “Fellow Daoists, what kind of flower lantern do you want to buy? I have everything here. Whatever you want, I have it.”

Fu Chenxue said, “Do you have a white flower lantern? The kind with nothing on it.”

Nothing on it? Wasn’t that just asking to write on it themselves?

The shop owner immediately took out a freshly made pure-white paper lantern. “Fellow Daoist, will this do? If it works, just give me ten spirit stones.”

Sure enough, this flower lantern was completely bare, with nothing on it.

Ordinary people would not buy this kind of flower lantern. They liked colorful ones, the more vivid the better. That way, they would look beautiful when released into the sky.

But Fu Chenxue did not think that way. She felt that as long as Liu Changning was happy, it was fine. She asked, “Changning, there’s nothing on this flower lantern. Is that all right?”

Liu Changning stroked Fu Chenxue’s fingers and smiled. “It’s all right.”

Fu Chenxue happily paid ten spirit stones, then left with Liu Changning holding the freshly made flower lantern.

Ancient Demon City’s river was called the Bodhi River. It looked extremely clear, just like mountain spring water, the kind one could scoop up and drink directly.

Fu Chenxue felt that the area around them had too many people and was too noisy, so she brought Liu Changning farther and farther away. Only when they reached the end of the Bodhi River did there become far fewer people.

Fu Chenxue was just about to say something to Liu Changning when she suddenly saw two people sitting by the Bodhi River. The two were shyly hugging each other. One of them wanted to run, but the other used a tail to tightly wrap around her, refusing to let her leave…

Wait, a tail?

Fu Chenxue blinked and confirmed that she had not seen wrong. It was a fluffy tail, and it even had a dark-green luster.

“Mm, you liar…” One person seemed to have been kissed until she could not breathe and tried hard to break free from the other’s embrace.

The other sounded very wronged. “How did I lie to you? Didn’t you come to Ancient Demon City to look for me…”

“Who came looking for you? Stop being so full of yourself…”

One should not eavesdrop on lovers flirting, but Fu Chenxue listened carefully twice and confirmed that she had not misheard.

That was none other than Xue Linglong’s voice.

Liu Changning beside her also noticed it. She could not help frowning. “Master, I think I just heard Elder Xue’s voice…”

Only then did the two people opposite, who had been full of affection, realize there were people nearby.

Fu Chenxue focused her eyes and saw that although the person holding Xue Linglong in her arms looked like a young girl in the prime of youth, there was a soft, fluffy tail hidden beneath her. Her pupils glowed faintly with dark green, and the snow-white civet-cat ears on top of her head were still trembling slightly.

Fu Chenxue: “…”

When Xue Linglong saw the two of them, her face changed drastically, and she hurriedly stood. “Why… why are you here?”

Fu Chenxue felt there was too much information to process. After a long while, she said, “Changning and I came here to release a flower lantern. What about you?”

That young girl hugged Xue Linglong at once. “We also came to release flower lanterns!”

Fu Chenxue said, “One human and one demon, releasing flower lanterns?”

Xue Linglong: “…”

Fu Chenxue could tell that this civet-cat spirit was the one from Dingbai Mountain. However, she did not know how the civet-cat spirit had found her way here, and Fu Chenxue did not want to meddle in other people’s business. She only curved her lips and said to Xue Linglong, “So you told me we could release flower lanterns here because you wanted to come yourself.”

Xue Linglong blushed. She pushed away the civet-cat spirit’s hand and said sternly, “No.”

The civet-cat spirit immediately became unwilling. She had already transformed into human form and had a name. Her name was Qingying.

Qingying hugged Xue Linglong and cried pitifully, “Weren’t you the one who came to find me first? Why are you turning your face and refusing to acknowledge me now—”

Xue Linglong pushed her away in flustered anger. “Who said I came to find you? I only… I only…”

Fu Chenxue felt she should not listen to the rest, so she said, “We won’t disturb you. Changning and I will leave first.”

Liu Changning was pulled away by Fu Chenxue, but the sound from earlier kept echoing in her mind. That sound was like someone repeatedly sucking on something… Were they licking candy?

Liu Changning was very studious. She tugged Fu Chenxue’s hand. “Master, the sound Elder Xue made just now… was she sneaking food?”

Author’s Note:

Fu Chenxue: Should I take out the candy or not?

Liu Changning: You should. nods