Why Are You Here?

Morning light shone into the room and fell across the young woman's face. Her long lashes trembled faintly.

Lu Qingchen propped his head on one hand and gazed at her sleeping face. With a flick of his fingers, the Merfolk Canopy fell, shutting out the dawn.

Footsteps suddenly sounded outside. Afraid they would wake Ning Xiang, he cast a Soundproofing Spell and extended his spiritual sense outside. To his surprise, it was Jiang Miaomiao, who had previously informed the sect that she would enter seclusion for three years.

How long had she even been in seclusion before coming out?

Carrying the Ethereal Sword, Jiang Miaomiao stormed into Chengfeng Courtyard.

A faint displeasure stirred in Lu Qingchen, as though... someone had interrupted something lovely.

He turned his head. Ning Xiang slept peacefully beside him, and his heart could not help settling into tranquility.

He curled a finger, intending to brush her cheek, then withdrew his hand. Better to let her rest properly.

Lu Qingchen appeared before Jiang Miaomiao.

"Master?" Jiang Miaomiao looked up. Before she could offer a delighted smile at the sight of Lu Qingchen, the icy aura around him frightened her.

"Weren't you in seclusion? Why are you here?"

"This disciple suddenly felt uneasy early this morning. I was afraid something might happen to you, Master, so..." Jiang Miaomiao bit her lip.

"So you left seclusion early?" Lu Qingchen's expression darkened. "If I truly encountered trouble that even I couldn't resolve, what use do you think your presence here would be?"

Panic and unease flashed through Jiang Miaomiao's beautiful eyes. "My concern clouded my judgment."

What was wrong with Master?

Her master had always treated her coldly, but never like this, making her feel as though frost were seeping out through the cracks in her bones.

Lu Qingchen clasped his hands behind his back without looking at her.

Was he telling her to leave?

Jiang Miaomiao cast him a timid glance, then reluctantly turned away.

Out of the corner of her eye, however, she spotted four... completely bald birds in the courtyard?

Two of them seemed to be Xingu and Hezhen?

Where had the other two strange-looking creatures come from?

What exactly had happened while she was in seclusion?

When Ning Xiang opened her eyes again, she felt refreshed, with none of yesterday's discomfort.

She stared at the room's furnishings, stunned for a full quarter of an hour.

Those chaotic, absurd memories from last night flooded her sea of consciousness.

Ning Xiang stared blankly ahead. Had she done something bad last night?

At that thought, her limbs went weak.

She wished she could sprout wings and leave at once. If she delayed and ran into Lu Qingchen, it would be unbearably awkward.

Yet before she could even get up, Lu Qingchen returned. "You're awake?"

His tone was actually quite calm?

Ning Xiang's gaze fell on Lu Qingchen's incomparably handsome face, and then on the several... scratches on his neck. Surely she hadn't scratched him?

"Good morning, Master. Did you sleep well yesterday?"

She greeted him with a guilty conscience.

Lu Qingchen leaned down to look at her and said softly, "It's no longer morning. As for how I slept last night..." He paused. "Would you care to help your master remember?"

Ning Xiang's heart skipped a beat. She had never imagined Lu Qingchen could say anything so improper. Her face and ears burned, and then... she grabbed the Silk Quilt and spinelessly bundled herself into a ball. Her muffled voice emerged from within. "This disciple didn't rest well. Master, please allow me to take a day off."

Lu Qingchen rubbed her head through the Silk Quilt, amusement coloring his eyes. "Weren't you quite bold yesterday? Get up. Do you think your master will eat you?"

With that, Lu Qingchen went out first.

Ning Xiang threw back the Silk Quilt and let out a breath. Then she cast a Cleansing Spell, took a set of clean, dry clothes from her Spirit Bracelet, and changed before going outside.

"What happened to you yesterday? Why did you become like that?" Lu Qingchen chose his tone carefully.

Ning Xiang clutched her head and said in a rush, "Oh no, I've lost my memory! I've lost my memory! I can't remember what happened yesterday."

[Sob, sob, sob! I absolutely cannot let Lu Qingchen know I accidentally took an aphrodisiac. How humiliating!]

An... aphrodisiac?

Lu Qingchen was bewildered.

Where would something so improper come from in the Profound Heaven Sect?

Before Lu Qingchen could ponder further, Ning Xiang said, "Master, this disciple recalled your usual teachings. I must practice my sword diligently every day and never slack off. This disciple will go to Brightheart Hall to practice now!"

Without waiting for Lu Qingchen to answer, she had already slipped away using Wind Riding.

Ning Xiang left Lu Qingchen standing alone in the courtyard. He gazed at the snow resting on the tips of the green bamboo nearby, his figure looking particularly desolate. Only after a long while did he return indoors.

After leaving Chengfeng Courtyard, Ning Xiang stroked her chest to soothe her wildly pounding little heart. Then she ran into Jiang Miaomiao, whom she had not seen in ages... or perhaps only a few days.

Jiang Miaomiao spoke first. "Senior Sister, why were you in Chengfeng Courtyard?"

Why did that tone, that stance... seem like a lawful wife arriving to catch an adulterous couple?

Ning Xiang had initially felt a little guilty, but on second thought, Wait, this was clearly all Xie Feihong's fault. Yes, blame Xie Feihong! And Jiang Miaomiao, couldn't you have arrived just a little sooner?

She adopted a cold, haughty air. "What? As Master's disciple, am I not even supposed to enter or leave Chengfeng Courtyard in your eyes, Junior Sister? Didn't you say you were going into seclusion? How long has it been, and you're already out?"

Jiang Miaomiao's eyes reddened slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Ning Xiang gave a cold snort and was already far away.

Once she returned to Lingling Cottage, the damned system finally rose from the dead.

[Wait! Why has the plot gone so badly off the rails?]

If the system had a physical form, it would surely have been a monkey leaping up and down, scratching its ears and cheeks.

Ning Xiang wore an utterly innocent expression. "I followed your instructions to carry out the quest. You can't blame me if it failed."

The system practically blazed with anger.

[Do you realize you'll be erased if the quest fails?]

"Why don't you beg the Heavenly Dao for mercy? You're his employee, after all. Surely the esteemed Heavenly Dao would give you a little face?"

The system said coldly,

[How could things possibly be that easy?]

It was just about to announce the quest's failure in an icy voice when-what did it see???

The quest panel actually showed that Ning Xiang had successfully completed the quest?

That counted too?

The system was stunned, its jaw hanging open.

When the system remained unresponsive, Ning Xiang asked tentatively, "What exactly happened?"

The system slowly produced a sentence.

[Congratulations, esteemed host, on successfully completing the Main Quest.]

Ning Xiang was startled. "That counts as completing the quest? But in my previous life, I acted exactly according to the script. Why did I still fail in the end? Besides, according to the original story, shouldn't they have..."

She asked suspiciously, "Is someone secretly rewriting the script?"

The system was listless.

[In any case, that is how things stand.]

"Then what's the reward for this quest?"

[The reward has been delivered to your Spirit Bracelet, esteemed host. Please check it.]

Ning Xiang extended her spiritual sense inside. Had she not looked, all would have been well. The moment she did, her expression changed dramatically.

"This is..."

[As you can see, esteemed host, this is the genuine Soul-Devouring Whip.]

"No kidding! As if I wouldn't recognize the Soul-Devouring Whip! The real question is, how exactly did you get Ming Old Dog's Soul-Devouring Whip, and why are you giving it to me? As a quest completion reward, no less?" Ning Xiang practically gritted her teeth through the final words.

How many more times was this so-called villainous Supporting Female Character Survival System going to screw her over?

If Mingyuan discovered that his bonded magical treasure was in Ning Xiang's possession, who knew how he would torment her? The mere thought sent a chill down her spine.

"No! I don't want it. Send it back right now! If you're so capable, why don't you get the Demon Venerable and give him to me?!"

She had no intention of accepting this hot potato.

Would the rebellious system listen to Ning Xiang?

Of course not.

The system ignored Ning Xiang's demands.

[Esteemed host, please flip a card to select an attribute point.]

Ning Xiang: "..."

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

The system spoke mechanically.

[If you do not flip a card, esteemed host, you will be considered to have forfeited this opportunity.]

Ning Xiang: "..."

Clearly, the damned system could muster no empathy for poor, pitiful Ning Xiang. She could only drop the matter for now.

Remembering that her last several draws had all been "Defense," Ning Xiang's expectations plummeted straight to rock bottom.

She refused to believe her luck could stay this rotten forever!!!

Excellent. Sure enough, it was not Defense this time, but-

"Evasion."

Was this teaching her that whenever danger struck, she should either take a beating or run like hell?

The system said,

[Esteemed host, don't forget that you still have two important quests to carry out.]

Ning Xiang waved weakly to indicate that she knew.

She was too ashamed to face Lu Qingchen, so she simply sent him a message saying she had suddenly gained an insight during her cultivation and needed to enter seclusion for a few days.

Ning Xiang did not want to see anyone, so she activated the Lingling Cottage Protective Array.

Legacy Wind Hall.

Xie Feihong asked in puzzlement, "Why hasn't Junior Sister come? Wasn't she perfectly fine when I saw her in Chengfeng Courtyard last night?"

Then he looked toward Jiang Miaomiao beside him. How strange. During the months Jiang Miaomiao had been absent, he had almost forgotten he had another junior sister.

Lu Qingchen's gaze settled on Xie Feihong. "You saw her yesterday?"

"Yes. Junior Sister and I discussed and exchanged some... academic knowledge, drank a little tea, and then I left first." Oh, no, that wasn't right. He hadn't drunk a single cup. Junior Sister had finished it all.

Tea...

Lu Qingchen caught the crucial word.