Chapter 56 Part 1

You Lianmeng only casually glanced back without looking closely at the face. She still thought it was some miscellaneous disciple from somewhere, so she stroked the woman in her arms with one hand and smiled at the one behind her. “Go on, go on. Don’t meddle in adult business, kid.”

The abdominal wound had just been pressed by her, and now it probably throbbed with blood loss, hot and sticky. A hand stroked down her back, following the nerves.

Mu Qian Tan took a deep breath, forcibly gathering strength from the pain and anger to push away the person in front of her. But her wrists were gripped tightly, pressed down without the slightest room to move. “You…”

You Lianmeng flicked the woman’s cheek with her curved finger and laughed. “So angry. Looks like you really forgot me.”

“Are you bullying my master?” Shang Shan stepped over the scattered fruit on the ground and approached, her hand reaching into her pocket.

You Lianmeng let out a surprised sound and finally looked carefully at the person behind her. She leaned close to the woman’s ear. “Is she your disciple?”

She sized her up again. “The one called Shang Shan? Daoist Xie thought highly of you. Tsk, what expression is that… Ah, I remember now. I’ve seen you before, but I’ve seen too many people, so I can’t quite recall faces. Sorry about that.”

“You…” Shang Shan seemed to want to ask more but couldn’t hold back. Her hand searched her pocket and came up empty. She remembered the Golden Pills had been used up back in the Outer Mountains. With no choice, she erupted with golden spiritual energy from both hands and charged forward. “I don’t care what you’re doing! I’m going to hit you!”

She came like a small cannonball with ferocious momentum. You Lianmeng blinked lightly. A wall of smoke suddenly rose from the flat ground, enveloping the girl like a spider’s web.

Shang Shan flailed her hands desperately. Through the smoke, she saw the fine sweat of pain beading on Mu Qian Tan’s forehead. The spiritual power in her hands instantly surged, several times brighter than during their palm clash in the daytime.

She gritted her teeth, bloodshot veins spreading from the corners of her eyes. Fueled by headless rage, her spiritual power ignited. She twisted her palms, flipped her body, and burned the spider web smoke wall to ashes in an instant.

She burst out amid swirling black ash and slammed a strike toward the woman’s back. You Lianmeng raised her brows slightly. One hand still gripped Mu Qian Tan’s wrist as she turned, using her other hand to deflect Shang Shan’s attack. Her smile unchanged, she spat out another mouthful of smoke.

The mist enveloped her head-on. Not knowing what it was, Shang Shan instinctively held her breath, closed her eyes, and covered her ears. She shrank her body downward to dodge the fog, planted her feet firmly, and then rammed forward!

You Lianmeng praised, “Impressive indeed.” She released the person and dodged the collision. But Shang Shan, eyes closed and ears covered, couldn’t see or hear. Her momentum carried her straight toward Mu Qian Tan.

Just as she was about to crash into her, You Lianmeng yanked her collar from behind. Her feet nearly sparked against the ground as Shang Shan skidded to a stop. She released her hands, opened her eyes, and saw Mu Qian Tan leaning against the wall, regulating her breathing. The strange woman was already gone.

You Lianmeng shook out a smoke pipe from her sleeve and bit it between her lips and teeth. “You even warn before attacking. Your little disciple is so cute.”

Shang Shan whipped around, glaring furiously. “I hate you! Tell me your name. Later, I’ll…”

Before she finished, she was shoved aside by the face. Ignoring her still-bleeding wound, Mu Qian Tan flashed out, removed the Solitary Goose from her back, immediately drew the bow, and fired three Ice Arrows in a burst.

Blue spiritual power light fused with the golden light of the Power Gathering Gold Ring in her coldly enraged eyes, sparking fine lightning. Without pause, she advanced a few steps and fired several more in succession.

Those Ice Arrows brimmed with killing intent, utterly merciless. You Lianmeng brushed aside two, but the follow-ups came densely. Helplessly, she said, “So fierce.” A burst of smoke exploded around her, then dissipated in an instant. Only a little disciple remained standing in her original spot.

The little disciple seemed about to cup hands and beg for mercy, but before words came out, Ice Arrows struck one after another. She shifted into other appearances—even finally a harmless big-eyed dog—but nothing quelled Mu Qian Tan’s rage.

With no choice, You Lianmeng shook her head and finally turned into a fox, hopping away playfully. “I’ll come play with you next time.”

Mu Qian Tan’s breathing was unsteady, her whole body trembling. She hadn’t recovered much spiritual power in the past two days, and now she’d unleashed it all in a rage. Her body went hollow, her legs even softening.

She wanted to chase but collapsed after two steps. Shang Shan rushed to support her. “Master!”

Her stomach still churned. Mu Qian Tan choked back her throat and held it down, only gripping the Solitary Goose tightly and staring deadly at the direction the woman had left.

She had sensed it earlier. Even ignoring her current heavy injuries, even normally, she wasn’t that person’s opponent. The chances of winning head-on were slim, and chasing now was pointless.

That damn bastard…

To deal with her, she’d have to wait for later.

She had long known strength mattered, but she’d only thought it was for securing her position. Who knew she’d need it to fend off such a rogue!

Mu Qian Tan clutched her collar tightly, unwilling to recall what had happened. Seething with rage, she hadn’t even heard what the person beside her kept saying.

After catching her breath, she summoned White Pupil and hurried back to the Narrow Sea. On the way, Li Biyuan cautiously spoke up. “This, this, this—how can that person be like this!”

Mu Qian Tan covered her wound and sneered. “Relying on some skills to act without restraint. Sooner or later, she’ll pay.”

Li Biyuan said, “Was she just checking you? Or suspicious?”

Mu Qian Tan replied, “That Shen Xin already said no, but she still came looking for trouble. Whatever she wants, I’ve got her memorized now.”

Saying that, her mind couldn’t help pondering the reason.

Logically, she’d sent Shen Xin to test at the start, so she should trust her and accept the denial. Yet that dog thing You Lianmeng chased out anyway. Probably because the six-person panel Mu Qian Tan had gathered to judge her was disrupted by her sudden excuse of Qi Deviation, heart rupture, and amnesia. Feeling her face lost, she lashed out.

No matter how you looked at it, pure dog.

Li Biyuan said, “She seemed so familiar with you—no, with the original host. Knows every inch. What kind of relationship is that?”

Mu Qian Tan irritably replied, “How should I know? This character barely appears in the original story. Who knows what madness she’s on now.”

Riding White Pupil back to the Narrow Sea, her turbulent emotions finally calmed somewhat. Only the uncomfortable tactile sensation lingered on her skin.

Mu Qian Tan dismounted White Pupil and glanced at her wrist. A red mark had appeared, with clear finger indents.

She was done with it.

She had come out after sufficient rest, but now she was utterly exhausted again. Mu Qian Tan approached the Azure Palace and casually steadied herself on the door, feeling a rough texture in her palm. Lifting her hand, she saw a few grains of dust stuck there, like wall ash.

She paused, a realization flashing in her mind. Turning back, sure enough, Shang Shan stood in front of the palace. Her clothes and hair still bore white wall dust from being smacked into the wall during the daytime clash, not fully brushed off.

The girl now stood not far away, clutching her sleeves with both hands, blinking her eyes and silently gazing this way.

“…”

Mu Qian Tan finally realized that, in her fury, she had completely forgotten about her.

For her to be here now, she must have hugged White Pupil’s leg in the emergency to fly back.

“What are you waiting for over there?”

Seeing her finally notice the overlooked one, Shang Shan felt a spark of joy in her heart, instantly swallowed by irritation. She couldn’t help asking, “What’s that person’s name?”

Mu Qian Tan said, “You Lianmeng, a Hall Master.”

Shang Shan brushed the dust off her clothes, her tone laced with inexplicable emotion. “She bullied you. I hate her.”

Mu Qian Tan was silent for a moment before saying, “She’s nuts.”

It was like a small mountain weighed on her shoulders. Shang Shan lowered her head, shrugged her shoulders, stared at her toes, and mumbled sullenly, “Even when I was mad at you before, it wasn’t like this. How does she… So annoying…”

Her words were mumbled unclearly. Mu Qian Tan didn’t catch them and asked, “What?”

“Nothing.” Shang Shan shook her head. “How are you?”

“Not dying.” Mu Qian Tan gripped the door and walked inside.

In her peripheral vision, the last sight was the clearly sulky girl. The palace door boomed shut behind her. Hearing the sound, Mu Qian Tan instantly went limp, bracing against the door to avoid falling. She slowly made her way to the Jade Coffin and sat on it.

She removed her clothes and unwrapped the bandages, lowering her gaze to check the wound. Red flesh flipped open, blood trickling in serpentine paths. The previously applied medicine had been washed away, mixing with the bloodstains. It needed reprocessing.

Drilling pain surged in waves, nearly bending her at the waist. She endured for a moment, tossed the bloodied bandages aside. Even that small motion exhausted her utterly. She let her gaze go empty toward the pitch-black corner of the palace.

What the hell… Why did she have to endure all this?

Had she encountered a single smooth thing since transmigrating into this world?

Though there hadn’t been any before transmigrating either.

Her fingers slipped through her collar to her collarbone, feeling the hard bone and the two slight bumps of red moles on the skin. The not-fully-healed bite marks crossed over the moles, also tangible.

The slightly dazed cold anger turned to pure fury. Bitten in such an awkward spot, and discovered too. If that dog thing You Lianmeng spread it, what rumors would fly?

This stupid dragon…

Forget it. No more thinking. Medicine first.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Mu Qian Tan lowered her eyelashes and reprocessed the wound. After bandaging, she went out for a bath, scrubbing especially hard at the spots those dog paws had touched until the sticky spider-web sensation faded.

Throughout, that Shang Shan girl sat hugging her knees on a large rock, facing the sea, seemingly deep in thought, who knew what nonsense.

Mu Qian Tan paused at the door as she passed but still entered the palace.

Though it was still early, she desperately needed rest now.

Lying on the Jade Coffin, drowsiness hit amid her poor spirits, and nightmares arrived as expected.

After a white curtain, there was a lavish hall. Layered crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting off stacked tiers of wine glasses, scattering fragmentary light.

Many people stood in the hall, all in luxurious attire, chatting in small groups.

Gentle, uplifting music drifted in from outside, but Mu Qian Tan couldn’t relax at all. She sat before the vanity, looking at her gorgeously dressed self in the mirror—beautiful to the point of unfamiliarity. Anxious, she said to the back, “Mom, this dress is so uncomfortable.”

For her twelve-year-old age, this adult-designed gown had too many unreasonable aspects. She felt it the moment she put it on—like a hand gripped her throat and chest, propping her up in an excruciating pose.