Chapter 1 | The Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Becomes an Unfettered Immortal

“It’s all my fault. I’ve made Sister Ningyun suffer.”

Huh? Where did this green tea girl come from?

Gu Ningyun held her forehead, feeling a bit dazed.

The voice was right in front of her. “Today is Sister’s sixth birthday, the day you were supposed to have your spirit root tested. However, the testing requires an ancestral sacrifice, so we have to delay it by a month until I also turn six so we can go together.”

Ningyun? Spirit root testing?

Gu Ningyun looked at the clothes she was wearing, which resembled the style of the Wei and Jin dynasties, and the exquisitely patterned bedding. Her heart filled with shock.

Had she transmigrated into a book?

Had she entered that cultivation novel she read before, becoming the cannon-fodder supporting character with the same name? The one who had her spirit root stolen and her divine artifact snatched by the female lead, only to be killed off in the very first chapter?!

This little green tea girl claiming to be her sister must be the original novel’s heroine, Gu Lianxue.

Gu Ningyun was speechless. The only reason they were waiting to test their spirit roots together was because the spirit root transfer required both parties to have never practiced cultivation.

They wouldn't let her test early because they were afraid she might immediately start cultivating if she did, which would disqualify her as a donor. They were just making up excuses.

The voice spoke again. “Sister is so kind, I’m sure you won’t be angry, right?”

Gu Ningyun gathered her thoughts. Recalling the original host’s habits, she lowered her hand and gave the green tea sister in front of her a sweet smile. “Sister is so good to me, how could I bear to be angry?”

She mirrored the original host’s attitude, and as expected, the little green tea girl, Gu Lianxue, didn't suspect a thing.

“I came here to celebrate Sister’s birthday.”

Gu Lianxue pointed to a food box on the table. “Happy birthday, Sister Ningyun. I brought you some pastries from Guifang Pavilion. They’re delicious.”

The food box was half as tall as Gu Lianxue. From Gu Ningyun’s perspective as a college senior, this jade-white box had six tiers, each carved with beautiful patterns. The words 'Guifang Pavilion' were engraved on it, looking very luxurious.

“I even specifically asked them to pack it in an ivory openwork carved tiered food box. Isn’t it pretty?”

The unrefined Gu Ningyun thought to herself: Oh, so this fancy box is called an ivory openwork carved tiered food box.

Could these pastries sent by the heroine be poisoned?

Despite her thoughts, her face showed pure joy. “It’s beautiful! I love it so much!”

With a look of touched emotion, she hugged Gu Lianxue. “Sister is so good to me. I must pick out the best birthday gift to give you in return.”

...

After sending Gu Lianxue away, Gu Ningyun finally had time to assess her situation.

This was a classic, elegant lady’s bedchamber.

The bed she was sitting on looked like the carved nanmu beds seen in period dramas. The bed curtains were made of a light pink gauze—soft and delicate, though she couldn't tell what the material was.

Not far from the bed stood an elegant screen decorated with a scene of flowers and birds.

To deceive the original host, the Gu family had certainly done a good job with the surface-level appearances.

She swung her short legs and climbed off the bed. Rounding the screen, she saw a dressing table to the right with a clear silver mirror on it.

The cultivation world was indeed different from ancient history; in the real ancient world, it would have been a bronze mirror.

Reflected in the mirror was a young girl with lively eyes, delicate features, and a vibrant aura, wearing pink pajamas.

Gu Ningyun pinched her own little face. This face looked nothing like the sickly, beautiful face of the heroine, Gu Lianxue.

They weren't biological sisters, so it would be stranger if they did look alike, Gu Ningyun thought.

According to the original book, an old Taoist had once prophesied that the heroine’s spirit root was poor. Only by exchanging it with the original host’s spirit root could her path to immortality be smooth, allowing her to reach the pinnacle of cultivation.

Because of this, the Gu family had adopted the original host. However, the original host was merely a cannon-fodder tool; the book never described the process of her adoption, where she came from, or who her biological parents were.

The Gu family had treated her well on the surface all these years just to coax her into cooperating willingly when the spirit root transfer began.

Once the transfer started, it would be too late for the victim to regret it even if they noticed something was wrong.

Gu Ningyun pulled herself together. They wanted to swap her spirit root? She just had to run away beforehand.

However, this was the cultivation world after all. In the original host’s memory, the Gu Manor was heavily guarded and protected by formations. To escape safely, she would have to plan carefully.

...

Outside, the daylight was bright. Gu Ningyun looked at her pajamas and called out for the original host’s maid.

“Lvluo, I’m hungry!”

After getting dressed and finishing breakfast, Gu Ningyun took a walk around the Gu Manor under the pretext of stretching her legs.

As expected of the largest cultivation family in Yanlin Town, the estate was massive and the security was tight.

Based on her experience reading novels, there were likely hidden formations and cultivators on guard. Climbing over the wall to escape was unrealistic.

The only way to leave was to walk right out the front gate.

But the original host had never left the manor alone. The guards at the gate wouldn't let her pass easily. How could she leave?

Her gaze fell on the pastry box on the table. Gu Ningyun remembered her excuse to Gu Lianxue about buying a gift, and an idea formed in her mind.

Except... she was only a six-year-old child. How would she survive after escaping?

Recalling the plot of the original book, Gu Ningyun touched the jade gourd pendant on her chest, a plan forming in her heart.

She opened the food box on the table. Each tier contained a different kind of pastry.

Perhaps because they were made for children, each pastry was only bite-sized for an adult, but there were over twenty in each tier.

She took one pastry from each tier and placed them on a tea tray. After sealing the food box tightly, she called the maid inside.

Dinner had already been set. She handed the tray of pastries to the maid. “It’s my birthday today, and I’m in a good mood. I’m giving this tray of pastries to you. Let’s eat together.”

The maid, Lvluo, was actually placed by Madam Gu to spy on her.

Lvluo had played a significant role in the original host’s spirit root being stolen.

It was normal for a master to bestow food upon a servant. The maid didn't suspect anything and bowed as she took the pastries. “Lvluo thanks the Young Miss.”

Although the heroine likely wouldn't poison her to ensure the safety of the spirit root, it was better to be cautious just in case.

She finished her dinner while watching the maid finish the pastries, then said casually, “Tomorrow, I want to pick out a birthday gift for my sister. You will accompany me out of the manor.”

“Young Miss, you are still so young. It is not appropriate for you to leave the manor without an elder’s company.”

The maid in front of her looked submissive, but her tone left no room for argument.

Gu Ningyun propped her head on her hand. “But I already promised my sister I’d pick the best gift for her. Do you want me to break my word and make her sad?”

Lvluo hurriedly knelt. “I wouldn't dare, it’s just...”

“Just what? With you accompanying me, there won’t be any danger.”

Gu Ningyun stood up from the table. “It’s settled then. Have someone prepare hot water. I want to bathe and rest; I have to get up early tomorrow.”

She deliberately gave advance notice tonight to give Lvluo a chance to ask Madam Gu for permission. After all, who would dare let her out without Madam Gu’s word?

One by one, the candles in the bedchamber were extinguished, leaving only a single, faint light by the bed.

The original book mentioned that because the host was only a six-year-old child, and because the spirit root transfer was an evil technique, the fewer people who knew, the better. Madam Gu had only assigned Lvluo, a trusted confidante, to monitor her closely.

The original host had been very easy to manage since childhood, believing whatever the Gu family told her. Consequently, the people in the Gu Manor didn't take her very seriously, as long as she didn't leave the estate.

Therefore, as long as she was in the Gu Manor, she only needed to worry about Lvluo’s surveillance.

Gu Ningyun lay in bed and only sat up once she was certain Lvluo had closed the door and left.

The jade gourd hanging around her neck had reportedly been with the original host since she was a baby. It looked like an ordinary, unremarkable object.

It wasn't until the spirit root transfer was over and the heroine’s blood accidentally touched the jade gourd that it was discovered to be a spatial divine artifact.

Gu Ningyun took out a small stone she had hidden while walking around the estate and made a small cut on her index finger.

Once a bead of blood emerged, she smeared it directly onto the jade gourd.

The bright red blood was instantly absorbed. The jade gourd transformed into a streak of green light and vanished into her chest, leaving only the string hanging around her neck.