She Jumped Off a Cliff

"Since you weren't planning to take the path of truth, goodness, and beauty, Host, then we need to change the mission plan." Having made up its mind, the system quickly rallied.

As a system on its first mission, it possessed a certain youthful vigor. Even when things went slightly awry with its host, Bai Lan, it could swiftly adjust its state.

Bai Lan nodded slightly. "Not bad. You finally understand me. In my view, since the Child of Destiny wants to destroy the world, then we should kill the Child of Destiny first."

"...You're playing this big!?" The system choked, only speaking hesitantly after a long while. "Fine. As long as you're happy, Host."

"Of course, if we can't kill him, then we'll give up and cultivate hard until Spirit Transformation. We'll ascend as soon as possible, shatter the void, and get far away from this world." After making her lofty declaration, Bai Lan promptly mapped out her escape route.

Fight if you could win; run if you couldn't! That was the one and only truth!

The system fell silent for a while. "That second half was what you really meant, wasn't it! Hmph, you never intended to complete the mission at all. You just wanted to come to a cultivation world and use the spiritual energy here to cultivate."

Bai Lan did not deny it. "You've become smarter, little system."

The system snorted. "In any case, you got Long Aotian's first opportunity before he did. That also counts as indirectly cutting off one of his future harem members. Congratulations! So next..."

"What next?"

The system rolled up its sleeves, opened the plot script, and operated it with a solemn expression.

"According to the Daughter of Destiny's plot progression, after entering the cultivation world, Bai Ling happened to encounter True Person Qing Xuan, the Peak Master of Jade Purity Peak, by chance. The two formed a bond thereafter, laying the groundwork for True Person Qing Xuan taking the female lead as his disciple later on!" The system's tone gradually grew excited. "Host only needs to meet True Person Qing Xuan before the female lead does..."

"Not going." Bai Lan refused decisively.

The system froze. "Huh? Why?"

"What would I go for? To win True Person Qing Xuan's favor and have him take me as his disciple?" Bai Lan asked in return.

The strategist scratched his head in confusion and spoke weakly. "Isn't... isn't that how it's supposed to be..."

"The fundamental reason Qing Xuan took Bai Ling as his disciple was because Bai Ling had exceptional aptitude—a Single Spiritual Root, something seen only once in a century. Only secondarily was it because they saw eye to eye. So... even if I won Qing Xuan's favor, at most he would take me as a nominal disciple."

Bai Lan chuckled. "After all, by this world's common standards, Five Spirit Roots are trash."

"Ah, is that so... Sigh." The system sighed and sank into thought again.

More importantly, she already had a master. Even though her old master had been dead for many years, Bai Lan did not want to acknowledge someone else as her master behind his back—much less become a nominal disciple. If the old man knew in the underworld, he would probably be furious.

"In short, that suggestion is invalid. What I want are the Child of Destiny's cheat-like opportunities and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures! Not their romantic interests and love. Skip every plotline like this from now on." Bai Lan waved a hand. "Men! Women! They'll only affect the speed at which I draw my blade!"

"...Then, then it seems there aren't any plot points requiring Host's attention in the short term." The system scratched its head. "Later, Long Aotian will meet two harem members, while Bai Ling will encounter one male romantic interest. According to the mission objective, Host should stop them from meeting..."

"Tch, what a waste of time. They can do whatever they want; I don't have time to care about them. Time is tight and the mission is heavy. Next, I need to cultivate properly and strive to break through to Qi Refining level one before entering the sect!" Bai Lan's expression was resolute.

Her opponent was Long Aotian three months from now. This battle could only succeed.

She truly loved cultivation.

Helpless, the system could only follow Bai Lan's lead.

After making a huge detour from the bottom of the cliff, Bai Lan trekked on foot for most of the day before following the mountain path back from the cliff bottom to the Minister's Estate in the capital.

Jumping off the cliff had felt exhilarating, but climbing back up along the mountain path had nearly exhausted Bai Lan to the point of collapse.

Still, she had stolen Long Aotian's opportunity, so the trip had been worthwhile.

A mortal body was ultimately frail. After merely walking for most of the day, Bai Lan was already panting heavily from exhaustion.

Just as she wanted to slip into the courtyard through the back gate, before Bai Lan could react, a beautiful woman swept her into an embrace.

"Lan'er! Lan'er! You're finally back! Where on earth did you go? Mother was worried to death!"

Held in someone's arms, Bai Lan's entire body instantly stiffened. The sudden concern and embrace left her completely stunned for a full minute.

The woman stroked Bai Lan's head, her voice choked with emotion. "After the Spirit Testing Assembly, I heard from the maids that after you returned to the estate, you muttered to yourself for quite some time before going out of the city alone. Mother was afraid you would do something foolish, so I sent people to find you. We searched every place you usually liked to visit, but we simply couldn't find you. Where exactly did you go?"

The system gave a light cough.

Of course they couldn't find her. Who could find someone by a cliff?

Wasn't it thrilling? Your precious daughter had jumped off a cliff—three or four times in a row.

It had nearly scared a system to death.

Bai Lan sighed softly.

The real Bai Lan had long since died. The one standing here now was merely another soul.

She had been unable to bear the fury and malice of the two Children of Destiny. Though she had clearly done nothing, her Lineage had been wiped out and both her parents had died.

After death, she had chosen to sell her soul in exchange for release.

"Mother needn't worry. I merely went out to clear my head." Bai Lan shook her head slightly.

The beautiful woman had calmed down somewhat by then. She took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "I heard from Cuizhu that today... Long Aotian publicly made trouble for you. He is now... no longer what he once was. Lan'er, don't do anything foolish and go head-to-head with him."

"Rest assured, Mother. I know my limits." Bai Lan nodded.

The system twitched its mouth.

Right, right, right, you knew your limits. Then you publicly provoked Long Aotian.

"What bones in a grave are you? Do you dare fight me?"

Provoking an enraged Long Aotian—just the scene alone had nearly scared a system to death.

"I never expected our Minister's Estate to produce two people with spiritual roots. I don't know whether it is fortune or disaster..." The beautiful woman let out a long sigh. "Though Mother never liked that daughter of the concubine, I never treated her harshly either. But I fear she is one who remembers grudges but not kindness, and may hate you because of the difference in treatment in the past. I only hope the two of you will not have any conflict after entering the cultivation world."

Bai Lan fell silent.

Mother had hit the nail on the head. Bai Ling not only resented her, but regarded her as her greatest enemy and desperately tried to kill Bai Lan.

"Enough. Look at how muddy you are. Go wash up first and get some proper sleep." The beautiful woman smiled as she pushed Bai Lan away, concealing the tears in her eyes. "Mother will pack your luggage. In a few days, you'll be heading to the cultivation world. Once you leave home, you must take good care of yourself."

Bai Lan nodded. Only after watching the beautiful woman leave did she follow the servants back to her own courtyard.

Such sincere concern was rather nostalgic.

But what concerned Bai Lan more was what she had just said. The beautiful woman's worries were not without reason.

Bai Ling, the Destined Female Lead, was the child Minister Bai had left behind after a one-night affair outside the estate.

Bai Ling's birth mother had been a dancer. She died in childbirth after giving birth to Bai Ling, and Bai Ling subsequently lived in the Minister's Estate as the daughter of a concubine.

Because her birth mother's status was low and Bai Ling's identity was sensitive, she had lived as an invisible person from childhood, enduring cold looks and contempt. It was precisely because of this that she came to hate her father, who had ignored her completely.

Perhaps she hated the house along with the crow; she had come to hate Madam Bai, Bai Lan, and even the entire Minister's Estate.

Both were daughters of the Minister's Estate, yet the better Bai Lan lived, the more Bai Ling hated her.

"Perhaps this emotion should be called jealousy?" Bai Lan soaked in the bathing tub, chatting with the system on the other side of the screen.

The system asked in confusion, "Isn't Host an orphan? Since you both lacked fathers and mothers, I thought Host would be able to empathize with her deeply."

She was indeed an orphan, that was true.

The kind of background where nine out of ten protagonists were orphans.

But compared to those protagonists in novels with incomparably tragic backgrounds, Bai Lan's childhood had been quite happy.