The Villain Is Soft and Clingy [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 3

That softly spoken “Oh?” drifted lightly through the room, unhurried and casual. Yet the woman standing before her felt her heart tighten. Her brow throbbed as an inexplicably intense sense of unease rose within her.

‘That can’t be. We’re all outer disciples who failed the assessment,’ the woman told herself, suppressing her unease. ‘She’s only putting on a show.’

Thinking this, she regained some confidence. She abruptly stepped forward and raised her voice. “Are you deaf?! Hurry up and go!”

Zhang Lan leaned against the wooden wall. Lazily raising one hand, she gathered a clear, translucent petal between her slender, pale fingers.

She gently rubbed one corner of the petal with her fingertip and drawled, “How unusual. You’re the first person who has ever dared order me around like that.”

The woman in front was about to say something else when another gray-robed woman suddenly stood and tugged on her sleeve, her voice trembling slightly.

“Yuanshuang, stop talking. Come back quickly.”

Yuanshuang frowned. “What are you doing? Are you afraid of her?”

The woman shook her head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, “Look at the petal in her hand.”

The petal Zhang Lan held was truly strange. It had none of the veins or patterns of an ordinary plant. Instead, it was as clear and translucent as gold and jade, as though it had been condensed entirely from spiritual energy.

Before Yuanshuang could turn her head, Zhang Lan made her move.

With a flick of her fingertip, the petal shot forward in an instant. A cold wind rushed against Yuanshuang’s face as it grazed her neck and viciously embedded itself in the wall.

A sharp pain flared across Yuanshuang’s neck. She instinctively raised a hand to cover it, only to find her palm smeared with blood.

N-No, that was impossible. She was obviously only an outer disciple. How could she possibly—

Zhang Lan lazily lifted her eyelids and gave an unreadable smile. Just as she was about to speak, the wooden door behind her suddenly burst open with a loud bang.

Everyone froze. Even Zhang Lan turned around in a panic and stood rooted to the spot.

Xia Zhitao held on to the door, her chest rising and falling slightly. Seeing one woman clutching her neck while several others stood nearby in gray robes, she demanded sharply, “What is going on?”

She grabbed Zhang Lan by the arm and pulled her behind herself. Then she turned toward the women and said, “I could hear you from far outside! How dare you bully someone so openly? What kind of behavior is this?”

The women stared at her in stunned silence. Yuanshuang remained frozen for a long moment before remembering that she had shouted, “Are you deaf?” earlier. Xia Zhitao must have happened to hear her.

“My junior sister only arrived on the mountain today, and this is how you treat her?” The more Xia Zhitao thought about it, the angrier she became. Her voice turned colder. “You’re truly bringing shame upon the Yashan Sect.”

Bullying her? That frail-looking girl had carved such a huge gash into my neck that she nearly sliced my head off! Who exactly was bullying whom?!

Yuanshuang had no way to voice her grievances. Clutching her neck, she could only watch as the young girl’s expression changed as swiftly as a face-changing performance in a Peking opera. With a soft whimper, Zhang Lan grabbed Xia Zhitao’s clothes and hid behind her.

“Senior Sister, they didn’t bully me,” Zhang Lan said quietly, sniffling. “They only asked me to fill the water vat outside…”

Only asked her to fill the water vat outside?

Xia Zhitao remembered the enormous water vat by the door, which was nearly as tall as Zhang Lan herself, and became furious.

Her junior sister was so tiny. If they made her fill that entire vat, wouldn’t she have to spend the whole night doing it without sleeping?

“This is outrageous.” Xia Zhitao immediately took Zhang Lan’s right hand and pulled her toward the door. “We’re leaving. You’re not staying here.”

Zhang Lan obediently allowed herself to be led outside.

Only after walking for a while did Xia Zhitao suddenly smack her forehead as she remembered one important matter:

She had impulsively taken Zhang Lan away, but where was Zhang Lan supposed to sleep tonight?

Her junior sister had been carefully observing Xia Zhitao’s expression. When she saw Xia Zhitao stop hesitantly, she stopped as well and said softly, “There’s no need to trouble Senior Sister. I can go back and live with those people.”

Hearing this, Xia Zhitao could not resist turning to look at her.

Her junior sister’s gaze was open and sincere, and her expression earnest. For a moment, Xia Zhitao was rendered speechless.

She sighed quietly and tightened her hold on Zhang Lan’s hand before turning her attention back to the road.

“The Yashan Sect is enormous. Surely we aren’t so lacking that we can’t find a single room for you.”

While she was considering where she could temporarily arrange for Zhang Lan to stay, the junior sister behind her rolled her eyes and excitedly moved closer.

She gazed at Xia Zhitao with shining eyes and blinked expectantly. “Th-Then may I impose on Senior Sister?”

Xia Zhitao did not immediately understand what she meant and hesitated. “Huh?”

。

A short while later—

“Thank you, Senior Sister!!”

Watching her junior sister excitedly spin around the room while carrying a quilt and pillow, Xia Zhitao raised a hand and rubbed between her brows, sighing helplessly to herself.

She really was far too softhearted.

She had never intended to share a room with her junior sister. Yet when Zhang Lan gazed at her with such an expectant, pleading expression, the words of refusal suddenly lodged in her throat, and she could not bring herself to say them.

In the end, Xia Zhitao could only resign herself to her fate and nod helplessly, silently agreeing to Zhang Lan’s request.

Fortunately, her junior sister was not exactly a stranger. Although her excitement was somewhat excessive, her behavior remained perfectly proper.

Before Xia Zhitao could say anything, Zhang Lan consciously took out a bamboo mat and spread it over the floor. Crouching down and bobbing her head happily, she carefully arranged her quilt and pillow.

She looked so serious that Xia Zhitao did not have the heart to tell her that although the wooden cottage appeared small, there was actually—

Another room next door.

Zhang Lan moved swiftly and efficiently. In the blink of an eye, she finished making her bed, stood up, dusted off her hands, and silently looked toward Xia Zhitao.

This was not Xia Zhitao’s first time guiding a new junior disciple. After thinking for a moment, she said, “I’ll take you around the Yashan Sect.”

Although she had not spent that long in the sect, she had already more or less memorized the various places.

There were only a few places to visit anyway. They could look at the mountains, look at the water, and perhaps look at some cliffs. After that, there was nowhere else to go.

For something truly interesting, they would have to descend the mountain and visit the marketplace. It was prosperous, lively, and full of people—far better than the cold and deserted Yashan Sect, where one rarely saw anyone else most of the time.

After showing Zhang Lan around, Xia Zhitao discovered that her junior sister was rather interesting.

When they visited the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, Zhang Lan yawned so much that she nearly fell asleep. Yet the deserted Scripture Library caught her interest. Unfortunately, since she had not yet formally entered the sect, she could only look from outside.

Seeing the sky gradually darken, with inky color spreading across most of the blue heavens, Xia Zhitao led Zhang Lan back.

Coincidentally, they took a different path on their return and happened to reach a place Xia Zhitao had rarely visited.

Before them lay a deep lake. At first glance, it appeared ordinary and showed nothing unusual. Yet when Xia Zhitao casually looked at it a little longer, an inexplicable chill suddenly rose within her.

Looking more carefully, she noticed that the surrounding ground was dry and barren, without any sign of plant life. Even the vast surface of the lake remained completely still and lifeless.

“This is Shuijing Lake. Hardly anyone normally comes here, though disciples occasionally practice their techniques here and things like that.”

After spending the entire day acting as a guide, Xia Zhitao naturally began introducing the “scenic spot.”

However, Zhang Lan, who rarely frowned, furrowed her brow as she stared at the lake and whispered, “…Ruoshui?”

Xia Zhitao froze. Turning her head, she asked hesitantly, “What?”

“Water from the Heavenly River. Even a swan’s feather cannot float on it, and birds lose their feathers and fall from the sky. It has devoured the lives of countless people.”

As Zhang Lan explained, she crouched down and lightly disturbed the surface with her fingertip. “Ruoshui can also absorb spiritual energy and use it for itself. Look underneath.”

Xia Zhitao crouched beside her. Only then did she discover that a mystery was hidden beneath the colorless surface.

Beneath the heavy body of water, something seemed to store the brilliance of the daytime sun. Light shimmered through it, transparent and bright, illuminating a flourishing scene—

Within her field of vision lay an enormous hidden space. Vines climbed the walls, rocks covered the ground, and she could even see grains of sand slowly rolling.

“It’s hollow underneath?” Xia Zhitao asked in disbelief.

Unable to restrain herself, she reached out, intending to touch the surface just as Zhang Lan had.

Water floating in the air was far too contrary to the laws of nature. A certain highly respected old English gentleman would probably be throwing open the lid of his coffin, too furious to speak.

“—Don’t touch it.”

Xia Zhitao’s hand was stopped in midair. Zhang Lan gently held her wrist, her expression unusually serious.

“Ahem, well… Grandmaster said that Ruoshui devours spiritual energy, so it must not be touched carelessly.”

Xia Zhitao looked at her junior sister in surprise. While silently thinking, “Didn’t you just touch it yourself?” she obediently withdrew her hand.

Her junior sister nodded solemnly, maintaining a serious expression. Her little face puffed up until it was round like a small soup dumpling, making her look rather adorable.

Xia Zhitao reached out and ruffled her hair. “All right, let’s go.”

Zhang Lan made a muffled sound of acknowledgment. When Xia Zhitao was not looking, she turned back and glanced at the lake several more times before jogging after her.

。

For some unknown reason, Xia Zhitao slept exceptionally soundly that night. The chaotic dreams that usually flooded her mind suddenly ceased, allowing her to enjoy a peaceful night’s rest.

When she woke the next morning, the first light of dawn was just beginning to appear. Xia Zhitao rubbed her eyes and immediately saw the bamboo mat laid out beside her.

Her junior sister did not seem to be awake yet. Her breathing was steady, her long lashes lowered, and her small body curled into itself like a ball of glutinous rice.

Xia Zhitao called her several times but received no response. She was about to take advantage of Zhang Lan’s sleep to pinch the cheek that looked exceptionally soft.

However, the moment her hand approached, Zhang Lan’s breathing stopped. Her eyes abruptly opened, and she swiftly rolled over and sat upright, startling Xia Zhitao.

Zhang Lan stared at her blankly for more than ten seconds before finally saying in a daze, “…Good morning, Senior Sister.”

“Mm. Tidy yourself up and get up.” Xia Zhitao rose with an air of maturity, cleared her throat, and said, “I’ll take you to the White Jade Altar to have your spiritual energy assessed.”

Zhang Lan nodded. After the two finished preparing, they immediately set out.

Halfway there, Zhang Lan suddenly crept closer and leaned toward Xia Zhitao’s ear.

“Senior Sister, Senior Sister,” she whispered, “what level is your cultivation?”

“Mine?” Xia Zhitao was slightly surprised but answered anyway. “Third stage of Foundation Establishment.”

Zhang Lan gave an extremely serious “Mm,” then obediently retreated behind Xia Zhitao once more.

By the time the two arrived at the White Jade Altar, Grandmaster had just reached it as well.

He led Zhang Lan onto the elevated platform, patted the towering stone pillar in the center, and said, “Place your hand on it. Let me see your cultivation.”

Zhang Lan replied, “All right.”

With that, she gently placed her hand against the stone pillar.

In an instant, the pillar abruptly lit up, brilliant streams of light overflowing from it. Grandmaster could not help frowning.

Author’s Note:

Mini Theater:

Xia Zhitao (pushing up her glasses): I understand. Shuijing Lake is a rare state in which gas and liquid coexist.

Zhang Lan: Huh?