The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 180

Chapter 180: I’ll Support You By Handing Out Flyers Part 25

The Fu residence in the mountains was vast, and along the way from the main gate, they saw Fu clan disciples in similar robes, their every action following strict rules.

If it weren’t for the modern hairstyles and occasional dyed hair on some of the younger women, Tao Ning would have thought they were projections from a thousand years ago.

Tao Ning’s silence made Fu Guanyue uncomfortable, and she leaned against Tao Ning’s shoulder, wanting to talk.

This ancient, elaborate residence wasn’t exactly a young person’s ideal home, and Fu Guanyue was already planning to take Tao Ning back down the mountain after meeting her great-grandmother and visiting the ancestral shrine.

She was used to this life, but she didn’t want Tao Ning to suppress herself and adapt for her sake.

And she, a junior, wouldn’t be of much help with repairing the Yu family’s formation.

Tao Ning, lost in thought, instinctively wrapped an arm around Fu Guanyue’s shoulder, her cheek resting against her hair, as she leaned closer.

The car stopped before another gate, and Fu Guanyue straightened up, holding Tao Ning’s hand: “We’re here, let’s go.”

The car door opened, a cool mountain breeze greeting them.

Fu Guanyue got out first, then walked around the car and offered Tao Ning her hand.

Tao Ning took it, their hands clasped together, and they entered the residence.

The driver, seeing they didn’t need her, waited by the car.

“Are they back?”

“Yes, they just entered.”

Fu Niyun, who had been waiting since morning, could no longer sit still, and hearing her niece’s reply, she stood up and walked towards the entrance.

“Finally home after so many days, I have to go see them.”

How could she miss such an exciting event? Everyone was curious about the person who had captivated Fu Guanyue, the person she was even bringing home.

They met Fu Niyun halfway, her eyes crinkling with a warm smile: “Welcome back, Qing Que, you must be tired from your journey. This is Tao Ning, right? Such a beautiful young lady, with such bright eyes, no wonder you like her, I like her too.”

Tao Ning: “Qing Que?” She looked at Fu Guanyue, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Fu Guanyue was momentarily speechless.

Fu Niyun took Tao Ning’s arm, patting it gently: “She probably didn’t tell you, Qing Que is Guanyue’s nickname, she cried so loudly when she was born, and her great-grandmother said, ‘A young phoenix’s cry is clearer than an old phoenix’s,’ and ‘Zhu Que’ (Vermilion Bird) was too grand a name, so she named her Qing Que (Azure Bird).”

Tao Ning thought of Fu Guanyue’s light green spiritual energy and the Shanhe Brush’s reaction to her birth, perhaps the name was related to that as well.

Seeing Tao Ning listening attentively, Fu Niyun continued, unable to stop, “I don’t know if it’s because of the name, but she was very talkative as a child, chattering like a little bird, but she’s so quiet now, she was so cute when she was young, calling me ‘Mama’ with a doubled syllable.”

Fu Guanyue coughed: “Mom.”

Fu Niyun pointed at Fu Guanyue, her tone slightly scolding: “See? Just like that, ‘Mom,’ just one word, nothing more, she was so cute when she was young.”

Fu Guanyue sighed in exasperation.

“Haha, Auntie, you’re so funny.” Tao Ning seemed to understand why Fu Guanyue had been talkative as a child, perhaps influenced by her mother.

Having told Tao Ning that her family was discreet, Fu Niyun, seeing the growing crowd, hiding and observing with interest, felt a shiver down her spine.

She quickly said, “Let’s go inside, Guanyue, A-Ning must be tired from the journey.”

Fu Niyun knew what Fu Guanyue meant, and it made sense, so she led them inside.

They walked towards the main hall, their luggage taken care of by the servants.

Fu Niyun said, “Unfortunately, Qing Que’s father is away on business, and Great-Grandmother has something to attend to, she’ll be available tomorrow, she’s heard about you and is eager to meet you.”

Tao Ning: “I wouldn’t want to trouble the elderly, I can meet her whenever she’s free, but your husband is also…?”

Also what? What else?

Fu Niyun looked at Fu Guanyue, who nodded, and she understood, replying truthfully, “No, he’s an archaeologist, currently digging in the wilderness, no signal in the mountains, I can’t reach him.”

Tao Ning: “…” Auntie is quite open-minded, she didn’t know what to say.

To avoid overwhelming Tao Ning, there weren’t many elders present, the atmosphere quite harmonious.

When dinner time arrived, and they were about to be seated, a large group of people suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, taking over the servants’ duties, carrying dishes and serving food, driven by curiosity.

Fu Guanyue, seeing the familiar faces: “…”

She hadn’t realized they were so free, neglecting their cultivation to serve food, just to catch a glimpse of Tao Ning.

There was only so much food, and after it was all served, the usual post-dinner fruits and tea began.

Even during Old Madam’s assessments, they weren’t this enthusiastic, everyone had come out today.

Fortunately, Tao Ning seemed oblivious, adapting well.

After dinner, Fu Niyun excused herself, having someone escort Tao Ning to her room, saying she could meet Old Madam Fu tomorrow.

Before leaving, Fu Niyun held Tao Ning’s hand: “Please make yourself at home, I’ve heard about your situation, we don’t mind, as long as you’re happy. And Qing Que has already told me, she wants to hold a ceremony and officially become your Dao companion.”

Tao Ning smiled faintly, her head bowed: “Me too.”

Fu Niyun patted her shoulder: “Go on, let Qing Que take you to your room, she can’t wait to talk to you.”

As a guest, Tao Ning naturally wasn’t given the same room as Fu Guanyue, but it was nearby.

Guests weren’t usually given rooms in the inner courtyard, this area reserved for close family and friends.

Arriving at the room, Fu Guanyue said reluctantly, “You’ll be staying here, let me know if you need anything, I’m in Qing Que Courtyard over there.”

Tao Ning, following her gaze, said in a drawn-out voice, “So far away.”

Fu Guanyue’s reluctance turned into a smile: “It’s the closest room to mine, after we meet Great-Grandmother in a few days, we’ll move down the mountain, I have a house there too.”

Tao Ning thought for a moment: “Okay, I’ll be good, behave myself.”

She opened her arms, smiling: “Hug, to ease my longing.”

Fu Guanyue, amused, hugged her: “Hug.”

However, the next day, Old Madam Fu still hadn’t appeared, having entered seclusion for some reason.

But she often did this, disappearing for a while before returning, so the family wasn’t surprised, inviting Tao Ning to stay longer.

Tao Ning didn’t refuse, a few more days wouldn’t hurt.

With Old Madam Fu in seclusion, Fu Guanyue wasn’t idle, not yet revealing Tao Ning’s situation to the other elders, it wasn’t urgent.

Having some free time, she took Tao Ning on a tour of the residence, the Fu clan’s ancestral home, carefully preserved through generations, every detail a testament to its history.

Walking under the shade of the trees, their hands clasped together, Fu Guanyue said regretfully, “Great-Grandmother is in seclusion, so we can’t use the artifact in the ancestral shrine to test your spiritual roots, I was quite curious.”

Tao Ning’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of this: “It’s not urgent.”

Fu Guanyue nodded: “You’re right.”

They chatted as they walked, alone and undisturbed.

Reaching a long corridor, Tao Ning looked at the intricate carvings on the wall, puzzled: “What is this?”

Fu Guanyue, realizing where they were, replied, “These are the life stories of our past clan heads, the one at the end is our ancestor, Fu Chengbi.”

“Fu Chengbi,” Tao Ning repeated, the name sounding familiar.

The one crying at my doorstep, her name was also Fu Chengbi, it must be the same person.

Fu Guanyue, looking up at the familiar murals, every stroke etched in the memory of every Fu clan disciple, said with a hint of emotion, “I don’t think I’ll ever forget this place.”

Tao Ning looked away, surprised: “Why?”

Fu Guanyue recalled her past, still slightly traumatized: “Because every Fu clan disciple, when they start their training, if they can’t draw a talisman perfectly, or create their own, or make any mistakes, they’re punished to copy talismans here, and for every mistake, our ancestors will appear in our dreams and knock us on the head, until we learn our lesson.”

Even Fu Guanyue hadn’t been spared, waking up with a throbbing headache and a swollen forehead.

The Fu clan’s position as the leader of the cultivation world was partially due to their ancestors’ strict discipline, if they couldn’t even copy a talisman correctly, they deserved to be punished!

Tao Ning, never having experienced this, was curious: “So strict, what if we couldn’t memorize the incantations?”

Fu Guanyue closed her eyes, a pained expression on her face: “Mouth ulcers.”

Tao Ning: “…”

520, amused: [… The ancestors are truly watching.]

Tao Ning, sympathetic: “That must be painful.”

She recalled her own childhood, the only injuries she had suffered were from practicing swordsmanship and accidentally hitting her foot with a hammer, she had never been physically punished.

Being the youngest, her older siblings always protected her, and whenever she was punished, they would plead for leniency on her behalf, pulling her away before she even knelt down, giving her candy and sending her off to play.

Fu Guanyue shook her head, not answering, her expression clearly indicating it was painful.

Of course it was, but they still had to memorize the incantations, the pain subsiding only after they succeeded.

“This was my favorite spot for copying talismans, out of the sun, warm in the winter, cool in the summer.” Speaking of her childhood, a smile appeared on Fu Guanyue’s face.

Tao Ning followed her, looking around: “You have good taste, this is a nice spot.”

As she grew older, Fu Guanyue was punished less often, and passing by the corridor again, years later, she saw younger disciples copying talismans.

They reminded her of her younger self, rubbing their heads, diligently copying, under the watchful eyes of their ancestors.

It was then that she understood why her elders often lingered in the corridor when she was young, watching her for a long time before leaving.

A hand gently touched her forehead, and Tao Ning said comfortingly, “You’ve become a powerful celestial master now, your hard work paid off.”

For some reason, these words filled Fu Guanyue with pride, she had indeed become the person she wanted to be.

Fu Guanyue, appeased, pointed towards the end of the corridor: “That’s the mural dedicated to our ancestor, do you want to see it?”

Tao Ning, thinking, Since we’re here, nodded: “Sure, I also want to talk to you more, hear about your childhood.”

Reaching the end of the corridor, they saw the largest mural, an entire wall dedicated to Fu Chengbi’s life.

The intricate carvings vividly depicted her life, from her expulsion to becoming the clan head, leading the Fu clan to its peak, the last image showing her facing a thunderstorm, her tribulation.

A brief inscription summarized her life, and Tao Ning didn’t need to read it to know that no one in this world could ascend.

Every cultivator who faced a tribulation, no matter how talented, died, their cultivation returning to the heavens.

She had discovered this secret, a rare exception, not dying but instead residing in a memorial tablet, worshipped by her descendants.

Actually, if the great demon Xu Cun had died, everyone would have celebrated, no one would build a memorial for her, not using her tablet as a doorstop was already considered restraint.

Fu Guanyue, whispering in Tao Ning’s ear, told her everything she knew, her voice low, afraid of being scolded by their ancestors in her dreams.

Fu Chengbi was sentimental, wanting her descendants to stay together, forbidding them from separating.

But later generations believed this rule stemmed from her own experience of being expelled and exiled.

She had lived in that barren wasteland for a hundred years, forgotten by everyone, until her name reappeared, the Yingshan Fu clan almost extinct, only Fu Chengbi remaining.

But she didn’t return to Yingshan to rebuild the clan, claiming to be an outcast, unworthy.

Actually, she simply didn’t want to return, establishing her own clan in Qizhou, which was still a forbidden land then, abandoned by the heavens.

No one knew how she managed to survive there, even making the barren land flourish, anyone who tried to claim it for themselves defeated.

One day, she returned with three children, regardless of their origins, all given the surname Fu.

She raised and trained them, and they in turn took on disciples, the Fu clan growing steadily.

Until now, they had become the most powerful cultivation clan.

After the story, they left the corridor.

The golden sunset light streamed in, creating small, coin-like spots of light on the floor, like a rain of gold.

Old Madam Fu’s seclusion was shorter than expected, and the next day, she summoned Fu Guanyue with a communication talisman.

Not just her, but all the clan elders were summoned, while Fu Niyun, her cultivation not high enough, entertained Tao Ning with tea and conversation.

The longer Fu Guanyue was gone, the more her secrets were revealed, even the childhood incident of trying to summon a Pokemon with a magic circle drawn from a cartoon.

Fu Guanyue, sitting at the end of the table during the meeting, sneezed, rubbing her nose, and wondered, Is it autumn already?