The Vicious Female Supporting Character Awakened
"Sang Ying, are you willing to become my disciple?"
The Immortal Venerable, his face cold as frost, spoke in an icy voice. Behind him, a girl with reddened eyes timidly poked out her head, looking at Sang Ying with hostility.
Around the Immortal Venerable were faces both unfamiliar and familiar.
This was Sang Ying's disciple acceptance ceremony.
Sang Ying was Immortal Venerable Yanchen's second disciple. Immortal Venerable Yanchen was the Sword Master with the highest cultivation and status in the Flowing Light Sword Sect, and he was also the undisputed foremost figure of the righteous path in the current cultivation world.
His disciple acceptance ceremony should have been a grand affair, with nine tolls of the bell to announce it to the world.
Yet now, only a handful of Sword Sect elders were present to witness it.
Was it because he prized frugality and disliked extravagance?
No. At least, judging by his first disciple's acceptance ceremony, which had been so grand that it amazed the entire cultivation world, that was not the case.
"Sang Ying?" A white-bearded elder seated at the head of the hall called to her, discreetly giving her a meaningful look.
She immediately returned to her senses and kowtowed heavily to Immortal Venerable Yanchen. "I am willing. Greetings... Master!"
With that kowtow, their relationship as master and disciple was established. The elders' congratulations rang out all around them, making it sound like a joyous occasion.
But Sang Ying knew that Immortal Venerable Yanchen was unhappy, and so was his eldest disciple. As for himself, he was naturally even more unhappy.
That was because, when Immortal Venerable Yanchen had accepted a disciple all those years ago, he had made it clear that he would take only one disciple in his lifetime: Su Fuyun, who was hiding behind him and silently weeping.
The two of them, master and disciple, spent their days together and secretly developed feelings for each other. Yet because of their relationship as master and disciple, they had no choice but to suppress those feelings.
In the end, Su Fuyun became so tormented by love that she developed a heart demon. One day, she succumbed to demonic influence and committed a grave error. Thus began a ten-million-character tale of heart-wrenching love between them.
Don't ask Sang Ying how she knew. After all, she was the cannon fodder female supporting character who had watched that romance unfold from beginning to end!
Sang Ying had originally been the daughter of a Nascent Soul elder of the Sword Sect. The higher a cultivator's cultivation, the harder it was to have children. Her parents had gone through great difficulty to have a daughter, so naturally, they had showered her with love and pampered her as she grew up.
Sang Ying had not disappointed them. At an early age, she was found to possess a mutated ice spirit root and stepped onto the great path of cultivation.
Sadly, the good days did not last long. During a trip out for training, Sang Ying's parents died in a beast tide while saving others.
From then on, Settled Frost Peak was left without a master, and Sang Ying lost both her parents.
Sang Ying was still young, only twelve years old. Her parents had left behind considerable savings, and others had their eyes on them.
To prevent such a promising talent from falling victim to the sect's scheming and infighting, the sect master of the Flowing Light Sword Sect persuaded Immortal Venerable Yanchen, the Sword Master, to take her as his disciple.
The sect master's exact words were: "I do not ask that Grand Martial Uncle treat the girl as a personal disciple. I only ask that you accept her in name. Once Sang Ying has formed her Golden Core and gained the strength to protect herself, she will naturally be allowed to move back to Settled Frost Peak."
Sang Ying's parents had always treated others kindly and formed many good relationships, so the sect's elders were also willing to speak on her behalf.
After repeated persuasion from the sect master and several elders, the male lead, Immortal Venerable Yanchen, finally agreed.
And so, today's exceedingly meager disciple acceptance ceremony came to pass.
Following the sect master's instructions, Sang Ying presented Immortal Venerable Yanchen with a cup of tea.
He raised a hand and accepted it, but showed no intention of drinking.
"From this day forth, you are my disciple. I shall do my utmost to teach you, guide you toward goodness, and see that you cultivate diligently. Should you stray from the proper path, I will deal with you according to the sect rules, without the slightest leniency." After that stern warning, Immortal Venerable Yanchen presented her with a jade talisman.
Sang Ying accepted it with both hands, not daring to look at his face.
"This jade talisman can withstand a full-strength blow from a Nascent Soul cultivator. Consider it my gift to you upon our first meeting," he said.
Sang Ying tightened her grip on the cool jade talisman. She remembered the book saying that Immortal Venerable Yanchen's first meeting gift to the female lead, Su Fuyun, had been a red-grade spirit sword.
Spirit Artifacts in the cultivation world were divided into red, orange, yellow, green, and cyan grades. A red-grade spirit sword was already a rare treasure.
Sang Ying was not jealous, though. After all, she was only a disciple he had taken in as an afterthought. Getting a first meeting gift at all was already quite good.
"Thank you, Master." As she spoke the last word, she keenly noticed the female lead beside her tremble slightly.
Sang Ying had learned of her identity as a female supporting character the day before the disciple acceptance ceremony.
That night, she had been lying in her parents' cave abode, heartbroken over their sudden deaths.
Who would have thought that, after drifting off to sleep, she would see a glowing book?
Across its cover were the large words "The Legend of Fuyun's Cultivation to Immortality." It told the story of the female lead, Su Fuyun, who was born in a mortal village and, after accidentally setting foot on the path to immortality, met a cold and aloof master, a wickedly charming and arrogant demon venerable, a gentle and powerful beast god, and a proud, prickly demon emperor. After countless trials, she ultimately had a happy ending with her master.
As for Sang Ying, she was merely cannon fodder who helped deepen the feelings between the male and female leads and prompted the male lead to recognize his own heart sooner.
The Sang Ying in the book had failed to understand her place. She had vainly tried to snatch the male lead's affection, relying on her superior aptitude to target and frame the female lead time and again.
In the end, she died at the hands of the gentle beast god. Her incomparably pure ice spirit root was refined into a pill that completed the female lead's defective water spirit root, helping this darling of the Heavenly Dao become a genius of extraordinary aptitude.
After Sang Ying finished reading the book, she could not come back to her senses for some time.
She knew clearly that she was a living, breathing person, and that the twelve years she had spent with her parents were not a lie.
Yet the things written in the book seemed to burrow into her mind as though they had a will of their own. The words turned into images that replayed endlessly in her head.
Sang Ying felt as though she had lived through everything in the book over and over again. The final sword thrust into her Dantian by the beast god had left her in unbearable agony!
So from beginning to end, she had been nothing more than a stepping stone used to complete Su Fuyun's spirit root!
After waking, Sang Ying remained in a daze for a long time before calming down and slowly accepting the truth about herself. She thought over her current circumstances.
She had to become Immortal Venerable Yanchen's disciple.
At the Third Layer of Qi Refining, she could not possibly hold on to Settled Frost Peak or the treasures her parents had left behind. Only her status as the disciple of the foremost figure of the righteous path could keep her alive.
But now that she knew her future fate, Sang Ying would never take the path described in the book. She would not be jealous of the female lead, much less target her. As soon as she formed her Golden Core, she would leave Immortal Venerable Yanchen's Crimson Snow Peak and never have anything more to do with them!
Having made up her mind, Sang Ying packed her belongings and slowly made her way alone up the windswept, snow-covered Crimson Snow Peak.
This was the residence of the Sword Master, Immortal Venerable Yanchen, and also where Sang Ying would live from now on.
Snow covered Crimson Snow Peak all year round, and it was no ordinary snow. Even though Sang Ying protected her entire body with spiritual power, her hands and feet still gradually went numb with cold.
When the female lead, Su Fuyun, had become his disciple, Immortal Venerable Yanchen had personally flown her up on his sword, thoughtfully putting up a protective shield for her along the way.
This time, whether he had forgotten or for some other reason, he simply let Sang Ying climb the mountain by herself.
Sang Ying had not yet learned to fly on a sword.
After enduring the biting wind and finally reaching Crimson Snow Peak, Sang Ying had not even had time to rest when a little boy darted out from who knew where and blocked her path.
"Are you Grand Martial Uncle's new disciple?"
Sang Ying was taken aback and did not answer his question.
The child did not seem to care whether she answered and continued, "I've heard all about it. Grand Martial Uncle only took you in because he pitied you. You're just a disciple in name. The disciple Grand Martial Uncle cares about most, the only disciple he acknowledges, is Senior Sister Fuyun. Don't think you can steal Grand Martial Uncle's affection for Martial Aunt Fuyun!"
"Heng'an, stop talking nonsense!"
Before Sang Ying could say anything, Su Fuyun suddenly appeared and pulled the child behind her.
"J-Junior Sister, Heng'an just spoke without thinking. He didn't mean it. You won't hold it against a child, will you? Heng'an's father is the Peak Master of Azure Mountain Peak." Su Fuyun looked at Sang Ying as though she were some kind of ravenous beast.
The last sentence she added also seemed to be emphasizing something to Sang Ying.
Sang Ying could not be bothered to ponder the hidden meaning in her words. As she walked around Su Fuyun with her luggage on her back, she merely said softly, "Rest assured, Senior Sister. I will never compete with you for his affection."
After all, she truly could not afford the kind of affection Immortal Venerable Yanchen offered-one that tore at the heart and lungs.