Meng Li curled up into a ball, huddling in the corner of the room like a dumpling. After all, the ice bed was far too cold; sitting on it for so long had become unbearable.
“Wuwuwu… why do I have to suffer through this… wuwuwu…”
Huddled in the corner wiping away tears, Meng Li thought to herself: in the game, Ling Qingyue had the pure, noble image of a snow lotus, so why had she become so devilishly unhinged after rebirth?
All she had done was covet the other’s beauty, cripple her cultivation, imprison her, and then used her as a bed-warming tool in bed for ten years. She hadn’t done anything else besides that! If Ling Qingyue knew what Meng Li was thinking right now, she would have drawn her sword and struck long ago.
Recalling how the other woman had grabbed her throat with both hands while radiating murderous intent, Meng Li felt utterly terrified.
“Might as well sneak away come nightfall, find a place, and use the knowledge in my head to make a living…”
Still wiping tears with her hand, Meng Li had just finalized her escape plan when she suddenly felt a figure block her path. She cautiously lifted her head, only to see Ling Qingyue, who had been drinking tea moments ago, now standing right in front of her.
“Shi… Shizun! S-sorry, was I crying too loud?!”
“…”
Ling Qingyue said nothing, simply staring at Meng Li’s terrified expression. Yet this silence only made Meng Li more afraid. Just then, Ling Qingyue seemed to produce something and draped it over her.
“Put this on, then follow me out…”
“Eh…”
Meng Li looked at the oversized garment in her hands, thinking her Shizun was truly inconsiderate—tearing her clothes and then casually tossing her something that didn’t even fit.
“This will definitely be too big…”
Just as Meng Li was about to continue complaining, the words on the garment made her eyes widen instantly. Watching the clothes slowly emit a blue glow, Meng Li rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
[Superior Spirit Tool] (Blue)
[Dream Butterfly Immortal Garment]
Woven from century dream butterfly silk, inlaid with 1085 strands of Black Iron Soft Thread. A proud creation of the Thousand Dream Weaving Sound Workshop.
[Can withstand a full-force attack from the Nascent Soul Stage. All illusion realm effects reduced by 40%.]
“No way! A Blue Weapon!!”
Instantly, Meng Li’s previously disdainful expression transformed into one of gleaming excitement as she stared at the garment in her hands. She never imagined she would start with a Blue Weapon. When she played this game, the drop rate for equipment was pitifully low.
Sometimes, she would trigger a dungeon through sheer luck while exploring, but getting equipment through monster grinding or looting was practically impossible.
Let alone this blue equipment in her hands—when she cleared the game, she only had a single gold equipment piece, which she had grinded sect missions tirelessly to obtain.
“Th-this is for me!”
“If you find it distasteful, just throw it away…”
Ling Qingyue merely glanced casually at the starry-eyed Meng Li before turning and walking toward the cave abode’s entrance. Meng Li hesitated no longer and directly slipped the garment on.
“It’s a bit big, but getting a Blue item at the start means I won’t have to worry about sudden death when grinding early on!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the equipment on her body emitted a blue radiance. Immediately, the originally oversized garment began to change shape—the cuffs and collar continuously shrinking until they perfectly fit Meng Li’s petite frame.
“Eh?! It can even adjust its size!”
Turning to look at her reflection in the smooth stone wall, Meng Li felt she now possessed a hint of an immortal’s graceful bearing. A white flowing dress, a waistband embedded with soft armor, and even her hair styled into twin tails.
“As expected, clothing counts as a cosmetic item too—my appearance changed directly, just like in the game!”
Meng Li admired her current look for a moment. Seeing Ling Qingyue already at the entrance, she quickly trotted to catch up. Glancing at the blue equipment on her body, Meng Li felt she could wake up laughing even in the middle of the night.
“One bite and a neck choke for a Blue item… if only…”
Daydreaming, Meng Li slowly walked out of the cave abode’s entrance, just in time to encounter the two Senior Sisters bowing to Ling Qingyue.
“Greetings, Shizun…”
Ling Qingyue merely waved a hand lightly. Turning, she glanced at Meng Li, who had followed her out of the cave, then at Ye Qinglian and Situ Xue, who stood before her with cupped fists in salute.
“From today onward, she is your Junior Sister. Teach her everything I have taught you…”
“Yes…”
Hearing their unified reply, Ling Qingyue didn’t linger. She casually tossed the longsword in her hand to Meng Li. Seeing the sword—nearly as tall as herself—flying toward her, Meng Li hurriedly caught it with both hands.
“You may use this Black Iron Sword…”
“Black! Black Iron Sword!”
[Mid-Grade Mortal Tier] (Green)
[Black Iron Sword]
Forged from Black Iron, an extremely sturdy sword.
[Attack +20, Speed -5]
Feeling the weight in her hands, Meng Li slowly stroked the longsword. In the game, this green-quality Black Iron Sword had once been considered the most useless green equipment.
After all, not only was its appearance terrible, but its attribute bonuses were minuscule, and it even negatively impacted the crucial speed stat. However, Meng Li later discovered that this Black Iron Sword wasn’t so simple.
Due to the material properties of its equipment tier, its durability among the same rank was disgustingly high. In fights, it could even damage opponents’ weapons—even Spirit-tier Blue items could end up with a rolled edge.
“Shizun, is this really for me!”
“If you’re dissatisfied, go carve one out of wood yourself…”
Ling Qingyue glanced at Meng Li, assuming she was displeased. But seeing the twitching ahoge atop Meng Li’s head and her cute appearance, she subconsciously wanted to exchange it for something better.
“No, no, she’s already tricked me once, I won’t…”
Ling Qingyue slowly turned away, wondering why, knowing she should feel only hatred, she still allowed the other to live after her rebirth.
Even when meditating at night, Ling Qingyue’s mind was filled with the previous life’s pink-haired Unfilial Disciple, pinning her to the bed and committing heinous, treasonous acts—that smug expression.
“Shizun, why aren’t you saying anything? Your cries just now truly moved this disciple’s heart~ Could it be that this disciple’s tongue didn’t satisfy you~”
“Un… Unfilial Disciple… you… will die a miserable death!”
“Shizun still has the strength to speak, that’s good. This disciple here still hasn’t had her fill~”
Recalling those unbearable experiences before her rebirth made Ling Qingyue increasingly agitated. Yet for some reason, she simply couldn’t steel her heart to kill the Meng Li before her.
“Shizun~ This disciple really likes the sword you wield~”
Just as Ling Qingyue pondered whether something was wrong with her, that familiar voice echoed in her ear. A pink afterimage now perched on Ling Qingyue’s shoulder, causing her to frown in irritation.
This afterimage had grown increasingly tangible since Ling Qingyue’s rebirth, but now it seemed to her to be nothing more than that voice. Seeing Ling Qingyue ignore it, the pink afterimage floated over beside Meng Li.
“I never noticed before, but little me was actually quite cute. Could it be that Shizun prefers the younger me~”
The pink afterimage poked the ahoge on Meng Li’s head as it spoke. Ling Qingyue remained unmoved, and the pink afterimage revealed a wicked smile.
“Shizun, didn’t you want to kill me? How about this disciple helps you~”
Ling Qingyue told herself that it was merely an afterimage of hers. But when that afterimage slowly placed its hands around Meng Li’s neck, Ling Qingyue’s expression instantly darkened.
“Shizun, why aren’t you happy~”
“Meddlesome…”
At that moment, Meng Li, admiring the large sword in her hands, was still fantasizing about using the thick, long blade to teach those demonesses a lesson.
Although she had a reborn Shizun, the fact that she was given equipment and accepted as a disciple suggested she wasn’t going to be dealt with. After all, those things were done by the game’s Meng Li; what did they have to do with her?
“Thought I’d be killed the moment I crossed over. Looks like I can get along well with the beautiful Shizun after all~”
Already imagining being surrounded by Senior Sisters and Shizun, Meng Li suddenly felt something brush past her face. Immediately after, a fierce gale swept over her, making it hard to open her eyes.
“What! What! What’s happening?!?!”
Boom!!
Meng Li heard a massive explosion behind her, and a bad premonition arose. Especially seeing the shocked expressions on Ye Qinglian and Situ Xue, her two Senior Sisters, it was as if something unbelievable had happened behind her.
“Shi… Shizun, why does your expression look so terrible…”
Ling Qingyue didn’t speak, only looking at the pink afterimage beside her. Knowing full well it was just a wicked thought of her own, incapable of harming anyone, yet seeing those hands on Meng Li’s neck, her body had subconsciously acted.
“Shizun is as strong as ever…”
“Aiya, aiya, how are we going to explain this to the Sect Master when he arrives, the old man~”
Ye Qinglian and Situ Xue simultaneously looked at the mountain peak behind Meng Li that had been sheared clean off. Just one casual strike had lopped off an entire peak within the sect.
Meng Li still didn’t understand what had happened. But after Ling Qingyue’s attack, dozens of powerful auras instantly appeared around Jade Candle Peak. Among them, a black-haired elder, seeing the halved mountain peak, was so furious his beard bristled.
“LING! QING! YUE! You’ve destroyed sect property again!!!!”
“Ai! Ai! Vice Sect Master, calm down, you can’t beat her!!”
Seeing the black-haired elder wanting to charge at Ling Qingyue and fight to the death, several inner sect elders hurriedly stepped forward to restrain the charging Vice Sect Master.
“Didn’t the Sect Master say that whatever Elder Ling wants to do, let her be?”
“Yes, yes! At your age, it’s just a mountain peak! The inner sect disciples can fix it with the Earth Spirit Art in no time!”
“Damn it, how many is this now?!”
……………
After being stopped by the crowd, the black-haired elder slowly calmed down. Meng Li looked up at the figures in the sky, all radiating auras that screamed trouble, and her eyes widened.
“Why did so many people suddenly show up?”
“I find it quite lively too…”
Situ Xue had somehow arrived beside Meng Li. Looking up at this Senior Sister whom she had already conquered dozens of times in the game, hearing her cold tone, Meng Li felt a strange, slight sense of familiarity.
“Let’s go…”
“Eh? Where to?”
Before Meng Li could react, Situ Xue directly picked her up. Feeling the warm embrace, Meng Li felt momentarily at a loss, wondering since when this Senior Sister had become so agreeable.
“Shizun will handle the rest…”
“Ah?”
Only after being picked up by Situ Xue did Meng Li finally understand what had happened. The towering mountain peak behind Jade Candle Peak had its entire summit sheared off, and even Jade Candle Peak itself bore a terrifyingly long sword scar on the ground.
“Now that I think about it, isn’t that sword scar exactly where I was standing…”
……………
…
