These three questions weren’t hard to think about. Shang Shan rubbed her cheeks with both hands and pondered for a moment before answering, “First, I don’t know. Second: Every sentence was very strange. Third: No, she basically ignored me.”
She hadn’t been taken in as a disciple for long, so it was indeed too early to tell if she had any ulterior motives. Qin He realized her questions had been premature and continued, “Did the sect master say anything?”
At those words, Shang Shan instantly wilted. She grabbed at the hem of her clothes around her waist and muttered, “She said it was all a misunderstanding and that we needed more time to get along. And that Flapping Moth pretended to be pitiful! She looked like she was about to cry, and the sect master softened the moment she saw it!”
Qin He’s eye twitched slightly, her lips moving slowly. “Pretended to be pitiful?”
Shang Shan nodded. “Yeah.”
Qin He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She couldn’t help but imagine the scene, then frowned in disgust, seemingly unable to accept the image.
“You really seem to hate her…” Shang Shan tilted her head, her long curls cascading from her shoulder. “Why?”
Qin He had originally thought she had been bullied by Yao’e like herself, which explained the negative attitude. But now, it seemed like outright hatred—clearly different from her own feelings.
Moonlight from the courtyard danced on Qin He’s eyelashes. Her gaze fixed on the red pillar of the corridor for a long while before she turned back. Her palm rubbed the sword hilt. “Some things happened before… Things I haven’t investigated clearly yet, about my sister…”
Her voice grew lower and lower until she fell silent. She closed her eyes and opened them again, her expression changed. “Right, I haven’t asked yet—what brought you to Prosperous Joy City?”
The topic shifted abruptly; Shang Shan could guess it involved unpleasant memories. She didn’t press and replied, “She said she was coming to help me find Wu Gan.”
“Wu Gan?” Qin He paused to react. “To help you with Qi Aperture Opening?”
Shang Shan tapped her lips with a finger. “Something like that.”
It seemed Yao’e really intended to help her cultivate, but why the attitude? Qin He pondered. “That’s a good thing…”
Shang Shan raised her hand. “But I’ve decided now—I’ll help you complete your task first, then go find Wu Gan.”
Qin He chuckled lightly. “Put your own matters first. Be careful—if Yao’e finds out you’re helping me, she might get upset and cause you trouble later.”
Shang Shan patted her chest. “No problem! I have ways to deal with her.”
Qin He asked, “What ways?”
“I can spit fire, and I’m pretty good at fighting,” Shang Shan said with hands on her hips. “I just haven’t gone all out against her. If I did my best, who wins is anyone’s guess!”
Qin He smiled with pursed lips and didn’t tell her about the terrifying gap between mortals and cultivators for now. Instead, she latched onto another point. “Spitting fire?”
Shang Shan confirmed, “That’s right. Unfortunately, the timing isn’t right now—I can’t show you. But next time there’s a chance, I’ll perform for you.”
Mu Qian Tan, hidden in the shadows, felt utterly speechless at this and rolled her eyes slightly.
Did this Brain-Damaged Dragon have no sense of caution? Casually revealing something so unusual—didn’t she fear suspicion or coveting?
If it weren’t for facing the absolutely positive character Qin He from the book, it would definitely cause big trouble.
Qin He thought for a moment and guessed, “You can control fire—could it be innate fire spiritual power? No, you haven’t opened your qi aperture yet, so no spiritual power. Besides, fire and ice clash; they wouldn’t be cultivated together. Yao’e had no reason to take you as a disciple…”
She tried to deduce the truth from her experience but still felt that person had ulterior motives.
Qin He frowned and murmured, “Never mind that for now. Just the matter of taking a disciple—I can’t figure it out at all. From what I know of Yao’e, she’s not one to actively associate with others. She’s even said she wouldn’t take disciples. Why force you to acknowledge her as master?”
Shang Shan replied, “She said it was fated.”
Qin He sneered. “Don’t listen to her sweet talk. There must be something on you that she wants. Be extra careful in your dealings with her.”
Shang Shan laughed. “No worries. If she pushes me too far, I’ll bite her. My bites hurt, and with her like that, she definitely couldn’t handle it.”
Remembering the bandages on that woman’s hands from their evening encounter, Qin He knew she wasn’t exaggerating, but her brows remained furrowed.
After a moment of silence, she softened her tone. “Even if you can’t shake her off for now, don’t worry. Once the Prosperous Joy Workshop matter ends, I’ll return to the sect and ask my master to probe Yao’e’s intentions. Rest assured—I won’t let her have a chance to harm you.”
Her final words were deep and serious, laced with concern. Shang Shan grinned. “Great!”
They had talked for so long they nearly forgot their purpose. They walked side by side again. Qin He said, “Everything you just told me—don’t casually tell anyone else.”
Shang Shan asked, “What? The spitting fire?”
Qin He confirmed, “Yes. Showing unusual abilities makes you a target and wastes a trump card against enemies. Learn to hide your edge.”
Shang Shan clasped her fists. “Got it!”
Seeing her lively and cute, Qin He smiled and dropped the serious topics. She changed the subject. “Can I ask how you lived before coming to the sect?”
“Of course!” Shang Shan jumped up, gesturing animatedly. “Let me tell you—I was the famous Great Cat Official from our area, specializing in catching rats. Everyone knew me. As soon as I, the Evil Face Cat Official, appeared, rats for miles around fled in terror…”
The two gradually walked away, their voices fading until they could no longer be heard.
Mu Qian Tan flipped down to the ground and gazed toward the corner.
She had originally planned to scout the singing girls early and see what the demon looked like. But now that they had gone, it wouldn’t be good for her to approach—running into them head-on would cause chaos.
With two days left, there was no rush. Besides, after all this fuss, dawn was approaching. Better to head back.
She gave the end of the corridor one last glance, picked up the mud sculpture pipa, passed through the stage once more, and returned to the inn along the original path.
After a quick tidy-up, she lay on the bed, shook out the covers, and placed Solitary Goose and the rusted sword diagonally against the bedside. She removed her storage pouch and set it by the pillow. From her sleeve, she confirmed the snake venom and antidote, arranging everything within arm’s reach.
She scanned the room, used spiritual power to blow out the candle, then curled into the bedding, half her face buried in the pillow.
Exhausted from the day, she quickly fell asleep. As her eyes closed, the blackness spread through her mind, condensing into a thick liquid. Whether dream or hallucination, two small hands suddenly reached out from the darkness ahead, grabbing her sleeve.
Then came that familiar call: “Sister.”
Mu Qian Tan’s eyes snapped open. She sat up abruptly, chest heaving.
Someone knocked outside. “Guest, your breakfast is here.”
She had almost forgotten she ordered morning meal last night. Her voice hoarse, Mu Qian Tan said, “Just leave it at the door.”
“Alrighty.” The waiter walked away.
A few rays of sunlight slipped through the tightly shut window cracks. Dust floated in the air, and vendors’ calls sounded outside—far richer than the dream, dispersing the suffocating darkness.
Mu Qian Tan breathed deeply, shifted back against the headboard, and pressed a hand to her chest to calm her erratic heartbeat.
Li Biyuan was eating breakfast—it sounded like flatbreads. “What happened to you?”
Mu Qian Tan said, “Nothing.”
Li Biyuan replied, “Your voice is all floaty.”
She hadn’t slept much and was haunted by nightmares; something like bugs drilled deep in her skull. Mu Qian Tan pressed a curled finger to her forehead and asked, “Why exactly did the original host suffer Qi Deviation?”
Li Biyuan took a sip of soy milk. “Not sure specifically, but around that time, she seemed in bad shape—not eating or drinking, just lying on that jade coffin all day, who knows…”
Mu Qian Tan interrupted her. “Nightmares.”
“Hm?”
Mu Qian Tan’s eyes darkened. “What killed the original host were nightmares.”
Since arriving in this world and using this body, she had nightmares every time she slept. Though she had them before transmigrating, not to this nightly terrifying degree.
The problem had to stem from the original host.
Endless nightmares were likely the main cause of her Qi Deviation. But what extreme dream content could make her heart burst and kill her?
Fear? Guilt? Or pain?
No answer in the original work—she had to investigate herself.
Mu Qian Tan coughed lightly twice, her lips pale.
She pushed off the covers, got out of bed, and went to open the door while donning her outer robe. Breakfast box and a basin of wash water sat in the corridor.
She brought them in and opened the doors and windows for ventilation. As she rolled up her sleeves to wash her face, heavy footsteps approached.
Without looking up, she knew who had returned. Mu Qian Tan wet a towel and wiped her cheeks, recalling the badmouthing from this Brain-Damaged Dragon last night and pondering how to discipline her.
Shang Shan strode in boldly from the doorway, deliberately stomping each step to announce her return.
Once in the room, she puffed out her chest and showed off the two big bags of treats she brought. “Look!”
Mu Qian Tan finished washing and straightened with the towel, gazing at her with cold eyes.
Shang Shan shook the items in her hands. “Qin He bought all this for me to eat. She’s such a greeeeat—good person.”
Damp stray hairs stuck to her cheeks; hot water had touched her lips, returning some color to her pallor, though still an unhealthy faint pink. Mu Qian Tan gently wiped the water away, ignored her, and sat at the table.
Seeing no reaction, Shang Shan went to the table and sat opposite. She spread out all the food, making Mu Qian Tan’s meager breakfast look pitiful by comparison.
“Bet you didn’t expect this—even without you, I can live great. But you? Seems not,” Shang Shan said, peeking pretentiously into her bowl. “Just porridge? That won’t fill you up.”
Mu Qian Tan swallowed half a spoonful of porridge and glanced up at her. “Where were you last night?”
Shang Shan said, “I went to find Qin He.”
Mu Qian Tan asked, “And then?”
Shang Shan paused, chewed two mung bean cakes, and mumbled, “Went out for a bit.”
“Where to?”
“What’s it to you!”
Mu Qian Tan turned sideways, legs crossed. “Curious.”
Shang Shan exclaimed, “You’re curious about me now? How weird!”
She vented by swallowing two meat buns and continued, “I told Qin He everything you did to me. She got so mad—said she’d help me escape your clutches. See? Normal people think it’s wrong. No idea how you grew up with such messed-up ideas.”
Mu Qian Tan chuckled lightly. “Maybe without those wrong choices, I wouldn’t have grown up at all.”
Shang Shan sensed something off and grew wary. “What’s with you today?”
After a few exchanges, the other hadn’t gotten angry—instead, responding politely. Something was wrong!
Feeling unwell, even a bowl of porridge was a struggle. Mu Qian Tan set down her spoon. “What could I do?”
She massaged her brow, increasingly despising this body—weak and sickly at the drop of a hat, headaches and fevers normal. Even at her worst before, it never reached this level. Ridiculous.
But on second thought, it was probably the lingering trauma from the Qi Deviation.
Shang Shan pondered seriously. “You haven’t hit me yet. That’s not right…”
After muttering, she realized her words were off and quickly changed topics to avoid provoking the woman. “I just remembered—I want to discuss something with you.”
Mu Qian Tan leaned back in her chair. “No.”
“I haven’t even said it!” Shang Shan protested, then lowered her voice. “I want to help Qin He with the demon exorcism first, then go find Wu Gan.”
Mu Qian Tan looked up. “Mind your own business.”
![Why You Get to Be the Protagonist? [Transmigration]](https://i3.wp.com/dobytranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/masterr.png?resize=151,215 "Why You Get to Be the Protagonist? [Transmigration]")
