Holding the Sword to Carry Away Senior Sister (Transmigration) - Chapter 30

Bai Yueli did not seem to be in the inner sect; reaching this realization, Fu Yan could only turn and leave.

Fearing that Elder Zhou’s people might have her under constant surveillance, Fu Yan was not foolish enough to head straight down the mountain. Instead, she took a long, winding detour through the inner sect and stopped to purchase two Hiding Talismans and one Hedo Talisman.

The Hedo Talisman functioned similarly to the Explosive Talismans she had used before, equivalent to a single strike from an Early Hedo stage cultivator. As the name suggested, the Hiding Talisman could conceal one’s aura for a short duration—an essential tool for escaping or slipping away unnoticed. Given her modest strength, Fu Yan felt it necessary to have a few more life-saving trump cards.

Buying these talismans left the already cash-strapped Fu Yan “impoverished to the point of tears.” She hefted her remaining few hundred low-grade spirit stones and wiped away a metaphorical tear of bitter struggle.

By noon, since the Ranking Tournament had just ended, many disciples were eager to descend the mountain for experience. The path was crowded with departing figures. Fu Yan followed closely, blending herself into the throng.

Once clear of the Shui Ling Sect, she quickly took to her sword and headed north. Fearing pursuit, she did not dare linger along the way. Before nightfall, she arrived at her destination in one go: Luanjin Fort.

Luanjin Fort sat at the foot of Luan Mountain and was home to a minor cultivation family. Rumor had it that the Fort Master was at the Middle Hedo stage, making him a famous expert for a hundred miles around. However, his descendants were unremarkable; most found it difficult to even open their Qi Sea and step into the Opening Light stage.

The Fort had a history of several decades, and their primary business was a special ore that they traded with the great families of Chaoyang City. This “Liu Ore” was unique to Luan Mountain and was an essential material for forging weapons and refining certain pills. While not exorbitantly expensive, it was far from cheap for an average family.

Luanjin Fort handled the mining and processing. Because of this, they had made a fortune over the years. For this mission—the largest order in their history—they had sent requests to various sects in the Northern Region, offering very generous rewards to ensure safety.

The task was to escort a shipment of Liu Ore to Chaoyang City. Liu Ore required a specific maintenance method known only to Luanjin Fort, preventing others from encroaching on their business. Furthermore, the ore’s most peculiar trait was that it could not be stored in storage rings; it had to be transported by carriage. This was why the Fort placed such heavy importance on the escort.

In the evening, Fu Yan finally arrived at the foot of Luan Mountain. Looking at the massive Luanjin Fort, she walked straight in.

Upon hearing she was a sect disciple who had accepted the mission, someone immediately came out to greet her. After confirming her identity, they led her to a courtyard specifically prepared for guests. The buildings were made of high-quality sandalwood, consisting of four quiet two-story pavilions arranged around a courtyard with a small bridge over flowing water. It was a refreshing sight.

Walking into the courtyard, Fu Yan noted that the spiritual energy here was quite abundant. Luanjin Fort was indeed “dripping with wealth.”

“The pavilion on the far right is the resting area our Fort Master has provided for Shui Ling Sect disciples. The caravan will likely set out the day after tomorrow. Fellow Daoist Fu Yan may rest here for the next two days.”

The one leading her was a young man who looked as though he had just reached adulthood. He was fairly handsome with a cultivation at the Late Opening Light stage. He introduced himself as Han Shangzhi, the person in charge of the escort team.

“Alright,” Fu Yan responded simply.

Han Shangzhi left in a hurry, and Fu Yan headed into the rightmost pavilion. It was empty; it seemed the other Shui Ling disciples had not yet arrived. She chose a room on the second floor.

After leaving the courtyard, Han Shangzhi returned to his own quarters where another coordinator, Han Shangde, was waiting.

“I heard a Shui Ling Sect disciple arrived,” Han Shangde asked, looking up. “What’s their cultivation?”

“Just one so far,” Han Shangzhi sat down. “A disciple named Fu Yan, Middle Opening Light stage.”

“Another Middle Opening Light?” Han Shangde deflated, looking exasperated. “Lvzhu Gate and Fengling Sect each sent two Middle-stage disciples. Zilan Sect sent one Late-stage. Are these sects playing with us? Sending nothing but Middle-stage cultivators. This escort is going to be incredibly difficult.”

Han Shangzhi frowned slightly but wasn’t as pessimistic. He took a sip of tea. “What’s the rush? Not everyone is here yet. We’ll see how things stand when the full team arrives.”

“I told you we should have set the requirement to at least the Late stage!” Han Shangde huffed.

“What do you know?” Han Shangzhi stared at him coldly. “No family wants to sour relations with the sects. For the price we are paying, this is what we get.”

The rooms were well-kept, so Fu Yan didn’t have much to do. She settled in and noticed that a few disciples had arrived in the other pavilions, but she had no intention of going out to greet them. She would wait until everyone was present the next day. She sat on her bed and began her meditation.

The next morning, Fu Yan heard movement in the courtyard. She walked to the window and looked out. Two Zilan Sect disciples had arrived and were being greeted by their fellow sect member. That meant all three Zilan Sect slots were filled: two Late-stage and one Middle-stage. Not bad.

As she watched them enter their pavilion, she saw Han Shangzhi leading another familiar figure into the courtyard.

Shui Liuqing seemed to sense the gaze on her. She looked up toward Fu Yan’s window and flashed a subtle smile.

Fu Yan: “…” This woman is truly haunting me!

Fu Yan did not believe for a second that Shui Liuqing’s presence was a coincidence; she had clearly followed her. Knowing Shui Liuqing was here, Fu Yan knew the mission would not be peaceful. However, she wasn’t panicking; killing her would not be as easy as Shui Liuqing thought.

Shui Liuqing didn’t come up to the second floor, choosing a room on the ground floor instead. Fu Yan was happy to stay out of her way. She spent the entire day cultivating until she suddenly felt a familiar aura.

Fu Yan snapped her eyes open. Is that… Bai Yueli’s aura?

She got out of bed and pushed open her door. A white figure was standing at the top of the stairs.

“Senior Sister Bai?” Fu Yan blurted out in shock. She truly hadn’t expected Bai Yueli to take this mission.

Bai Yueli seemed equally surprised to see Fu Yan. Her expression shifted for a fraction of a second before she regained her composure. She walked over and asked, “You took this mission?”

Fu Yan nodded truthfully.

Bai Yueli’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. This mission was not simple; for someone of Fu Yan’s strength, it held a degree of danger. However, she said nothing, as it was Fu Yan’s own choice.

Just then, a servant hurried up the stairs. “Fairies, the escort team is fully assembled. We set out tomorrow at noon. Our Young Master has prepared a banquet tonight to thank everyone and allow you to get to know one another. Please follow me to the front hall.”

The front hall was brightly lit and filled with banquet tables. Fu Yan and Bai Yueli took their seats at the area designated for the Shui Ling Sect. Within fifteen minutes, all the disciples from the various sects had arrived.

Next to the Shui Ling Sect was the Lvzhu Gate. A man in green robes sat down in front of Fu Yan, directly adjacent to Bai Yueli. He immediately greeted her: “I didn’t expect to see Junior Sister Bai here. It is truly my good fortune.”

His voice was soft and his face was full of smiles. His gaze seemed glued to Bai Yueli from the moment he arrived.

Fu Yan understood instantly. This man was almost certainly a suitor. Given Bai Yueli’s beauty and power, she likely had many such pursuers in the Northern Region. Bai Yueli merely gave him a polite nod and said nothing. Fu Yan felt like giving her a thumbs-up; for a “greasy” pursuer like this, it was best not to even give him a second glance.

The man, seemingly used to her coldness, simply rubbed his nose helplessly.

Han Shangzhi stepped out to greet everyone, and the banquet officially began. “I welcome you all to the escort team. On behalf of Luanjin Fort, I am deeply grateful!”

Feeling bored, Fu Yan scanned the other disciples. Lvzhu Gate had two Middle-stage disciples and—she noted with surprise—the man in green was actually at the Great Circle of the Opening Light stage.

The Zilan Sect had two Late-stage and one Middle-stage. Fengling Sect was a bit more modest, with three Middle-stage disciples.

As Fu Yan observed them, they were observing her as well. Cultivators generally had little interest in worldly banquets; they were here to gauge the strength of their teammates.

“Alright, I won’t waste your time,” Han Shangzhi said. “The goal tonight is for everyone to get to know each other so we can look out for one another on the road.”

The disciples began introducing themselves. “Zilan Sect, Lin Qian, and my two junior brothers, Zhong Shen and Qin Huaihe.”

Then from Lvzhu Gate: “Qian Xun.” He looked at the man in green. “And this is our Eldest Senior Brother, Wang Qingyang.”

Someone gasped. “What? He’s the ‘Green Bamboo Young Master’ Wang Qingyang?”

Fu Yan paused, eventually recalling the name. She didn’t have a deep impression of him, only remembering that he was a powerful genius and Bai Yueli’s number-one pursuer. In the book, he was just a minor “cannon fodder” who was eventually crippled by the male lead.

While Fu Yan was reminiscing about the plot, Bai Yueli briefly introduced herself and Shui Liuqing. Naturally, all eyes moved between Wang Qingyang and Bai Yueli. Since they were the two strongest present and Wang Qingyang’s pursuit of her was public knowledge in the Northern Region, everyone had a look of gossip on their faces.

For some reason—perhaps because she knew he was cannon fodder—Fu Yan felt a prickle of annoyance toward Wang Qingyang. He was handsome enough, but he gave her a “greasy” vibe that she found irritating. She looked back at Bai Yueli, who sat there with an air of cold detachment, clearly not interested. Fu Yan felt a bit better seeing that.

As Fu Yan was lost in thought, the members of the Fengling Sect in the corner finally spoke up. Unlike the other groups, they introduced themselves individually. Fu Yan wasn’t paying much attention until she heard a calm voice:

“Fengling Sect, Fang Yu.”

Wait! Fengling Sect? Fang Yu?

Fu Yan’s eyes widened. She looked toward the corner with stiff, disbelief-filled movements. Sitting there was a youth of about seventeen or eighteen. He wore a plain white robe, and his face was marked by an expression of extreme grit and resolve.

The male lead, Fang Yu? Why is he here?

Fu Yan was shocked. She remembered that in the early stages of the novel, the protagonist never took this Luanjin Fort mission. Where did things go wrong?

And…

Fu Yan looked at Bai Yueli in front of her. These two weren’t supposed to meet until the Great Sect Competition six months later. The plot had completely deviated from the rails.

Was it because of my presence? A butterfly effect?

But Fu Yan hadn’t intended to interfere with the male lead’s path, and she hadn’t changed any major plot points yet. She truly couldn’t figure out where the error had occurred.

“Junior Sister Fu, what are you thinking about?” Shui Liuqing’s voice, full of feigned amusement, whispered in her ear.

Hearing her, Bai Yueli also looked back at Fu Yan. Fu Yan gave an awkward smile to show she was fine, and Bai Yueli looked away.

Fu Yan glanced sideways to see Shui Liuqing smiling at her in a way that made her skin crawl.

Looking at the predatory Shui Liuqing beside her, the determined Wang Qingyang in front, and the indifferent male lead Fang Yu across the room, Fu Yan suddenly felt utterly speechless.

What kind of chaotic mess scene is this??