Chapter 9: The Bitter Taste of Destiny

Xiao Changgu had just briefly marveled at his sister’s transformed beauty.

Following this, an awkward silence settled within the room.

Xiao Changgu had originally intended to ask Xiao Xixi about her experiences at the Azure Phoenix Sect the previous day.

However, seeing his sister slumbering so peacefully, he couldn’t bring himself to disturb her.

Bai Luozhu, observing Xiao Xixi’s brother remain motionless, found herself at a loss for how to react, as she rarely interacted with others.

Consequently, this uncomfortable atmosphere gradually pervaded the entire room.

Fortunately, Xiao Changgu soon detected a faint scent of traditional Chinese medicine wafting through the room.

Following this subtle aroma, his gaze swiftly landed on a bowl of thick herbal concoction resting on the table.

Unlike the newly transformed Xiao Xixi, Xiao Changgu, having undergone transformation five years prior and possessing extensive experience interacting with humans, held a considerable understanding of medicinal herbs.

He quickly discerned, by scent, that the herbal soup likely contained ‘Hundred Leaves,’ ‘Azure Delay,’ and ‘Fallen Wood’—several remedies for colds. Given that Bai Luozhu was a cultivator of the Crystallization stage, she would naturally not contract a common cold. Thus, the recipient of the medicine became quite apparent.

Considering that the senior sister before him was the esteemed personal disciple of Violet Cloud Peak, her status was second only to the Peak Lord, revered by countless others.

The fact that she held his younger sister in such high regard, even personally brewing medicine for her, began to ease the resistance Xiao Changgu had felt towards the Azure Phoenix Sect since his arrival.

Gazing at Senior Sister Bai, he promptly bowed respectfully, expressing his gratitude.

“Thank you, Senior Sister, for brewing medicine for my little sister…”

Xiao Changgu had intended to express his profound thanks to Bai Luozhu, yet he hadn’t anticipated the effect of his words.

The moment “brewing medicine” left his lips, the small figure, who had been sleeping so soundly in bed, suddenly jolted awake and sat upright.

Xiao Xixi, now seated in a ‘duck sit’ position, was utterly bewildered.

Her sudden, dramatic movement was purely a subconscious reaction; her mind hadn’t fully ‘booted up’ yet.

Why such an extreme reaction, one might ask?

The story traced back to the traditional Chinese medicine she had been given last night.

Last night, after her transformation, Xiao Xixi found herself without the natural covering of fur. Having transformed atop the extremely windy Violet Cloud Peak, she unfortunately caught a severe cold.

Soon after, she watched as the “heroine,” Bai Luozhu, brewed a bowl of traditional Chinese medicine for her.

This act, in itself, should have been a good thing. Bai Luozhu was exceptionally beautiful, and her thoughtful gesture made her seem incredibly virtuous—a perfect feminine trait. By all accounts, there should have been no issue.

Furthermore, as someone who was once a boy, Xiao Xixi naturally wasn’t afraid of bitterness.

The problem, however, lay in the sheer quantity of the medicine.

Xiao Xixi couldn’t help but notice that the bowl, by visual estimate, was larger than her current face.

More significantly, the bowl was incredibly deep, resembling the colossal bowls used for ‘malatang’ sold by weight, like a sixty-yuan portion.

Gazing at that immense bowl of medicine, Xiao Xixi had desperately wanted to refuse the previous night.

But having just transformed, she had yet to master human speech. As a fox capable only of “Xixi-ing,” she struggled immensely to convey her inner thoughts.

Xiao Xixi distinctly recalled that in her desperation, a large green bubble had even popped from her nose with a soft ‘pop.’

Subsequently, lacking any cultivation, she was effortlessly subdued by both Su Mei and Bai Luozhu, who then spoon-fed her the entire colossal bowl of medicine.

Though Su Mei and Bai Luozhu occasionally offered her candied fruits to alleviate the bitterness, she could distinctly feel the cold slowly receding as the medicine entered her system.

Nevertheless, it was undeniable that last night’s traditional Chinese medicine had left a significant trauma in Xiao Xixi’s heart.

In truth, Xiao Xixi had wanted to communicate with the system in her mind the previous night.

However, her consciousness had disconnected the moment she finished that bowl of medicine.

Now, hearing the nightmarish word ‘medicine’ once more, and recalling that immense, round bowl, Xiao Xixi’s very DNA, etched into her bones, forcibly wrenched her from her sweet dreams.

Xiao Xixi, perched on the bed in a ‘duck sit,’ swayed gently twice before finally steadying her small frame.

She slowly opened her bright, misty eyes, and then, to clear her blurred vision, she instinctively reached out a right hand, hidden beneath the voluminous hem of her *ruqun*, and gently rubbed her eyes.

Her guileless expression, tiny figure, and clumsy movements unexpectedly mirrored those of the adorable little zombie, Qiqi, from a certain popular game.

Upon seeing her junior sister rise, Bai Luozhu found the unconscious series of endearing actions so charming that the smile she had just suppressed resurfaced on her face.

When she noticed the little girl, Xiao Xixi, spotting a full bowl of traditional Chinese medicine again, her fair, delicate face became etched with pure resistance, causing her to involuntarily shrink back into the bed with an utterly adorable, wary expression.

At this, the usually aloof Senior Sister Bai Luozhu could no longer contain her amusement. She covered her mouth, letting out a soft, bell-like chuckle.

The dormitory was not large, and the morning was exceptionally quiet. Although Bai Luozhu’s laughter was soft, the serene environment amplified it, making it particularly noticeable.

Drawn by the sound, Xiao Changgu instinctively turned his gaze towards Senior Sister Bai Luozhu.

Meanwhile, Xiao Xixi, her mind forcibly cleared by the ‘medicine,’ also noticed her brother’s unexpected presence in the room.

Xiao Xixi wasn’t overly surprised by Xiao Changgu’s appearance.

During her month of survival in this world, she had observed that Xiao Changgu, who shared both the name and exact appearance of her brother in reality, was unexpectedly doting towards her.

Initially, Xiao Xixi had believed her identity to be the supporting character Qing Zhou, always feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

However, to avoid arousing suspicion that she was an imposter, Xiao Xixi had never inquired about it.

Now, having learned her true identity as his sister, Xiao Xixi, and realizing their sibling relationship, she finally pieced everything together.

Although Xiao Xixi still didn’t know what had become of Qing Zhou, who had made a fleeting appearance in just one chapter of the original novel before receiving his ‘lunchbox’ (dying).

Yet, now was clearly not the opportune moment to ponder Qing Zhou’s disappearance.

For at this very instant, watching her brother admiring the faintly smiling Senior Sister Bai Luozhu with such keen interest, an alarm bell began to clang in Xiao Xixi’s heart.

The reason?

It was quite simple: in the original novel, her brother, Xiao Changgu, was the ‘Great Villain’!

And who was Bai Luozhu?

She was the very first heroine to appear in the story.

Although she hadn’t yet encountered the protagonist, Ye Chen, she still appeared rather aloof, with slightly long bangs and a subtle aura of melancholy surrounding her.

Nevertheless, a heroine remained a heroine, regardless of circumstance.

Even to Xiao Xixi’s current perception, Bai Luozhu was an incredibly charming young woman.

According to the original novel’s description, Xiao Changgu had joined Violet Cloud Peak two years from now, in the year 185 CE.

Subsequently, after interacting with Senior Sister Bai Luozhu, and acting as a perfectly qualified villain, the arrogant Xiao Changgu naturally came to regard Bai Luozhu as ‘his woman.’

Not long after, the protagonist, Ye Chen, who had previously trained with Bai Luozhu and fought alongside her, also joined the Azure Phoenix Sect.

With protagonist Ye Chen also developing feelings for Bai Luozhu upon entering Violet Cloud Peak, the conflict between the righteous and villainous factions intensified with each passing day.

Finally, their animosity erupted during the Sect Tournament.

Despite the villain Xiao Changgu employing numerous forbidden medicines during the competition, good ultimately triumphed over evil. Ye Chen, blessed with overwhelming luck, shattered Xiao Changgu’s dantian with a single palm strike.

After the Sect Tournament, Xiao Changgu, stripped of his cultivation, became the target of revenge from the very disciples he had once bullied within the sect. His ultimate fate was to fall to his death from Violet Cloud Peak.

Recalling this segment of the original plot, and seeing her brother still staring blankly at Bai Luozhu, Xiao Xixi felt as though a massive ‘DANGER’ sign was emblazoned on his forehead.

However, the ‘DANGER’ sign she had envisioned quickly failed to materialize.

Instead, in her line of sight, a vivid red exclamation mark appeared on her brother Xiao Changgu’s forehead.

As a former shut-in who had played countless online games, Xiao Xixi was intimately familiar with such exclamation marks.

‘Wasn’t this the universal symbol for accepting a quest?’ she thought.

‘A quest? Right now?’