Chapter 34 | Transmigrated Into a Female-Oriented Novel, My Junior Sister Is the Villain

As time wore on in battle, the sky gradually darkened.

Night in the secret realm was far more perilous than in the outside world; not only was vision impaired, but the activity of certain nocturnal source beasts and demonic creatures grew considerably more frequent.

“Everyone, follow me. We’re going to camp in the Stalagmite Forest ahead,” Su Yi directed without the slightest hesitation, pointing the way.

In the game, that place had been jokingly dubbed the “Safe House” by players. It occupied elevated terrain that was easy to defend and hard to attack, surrounded by natural boulders that could effectively stave off the incursions of most low-tier source beasts. Moreover, an obscured underground tributary of a spiritual vein ran nearby, offering relatively abundant and gentle spiritual energy that was ideal for regulating one’s breath.

Naturally, no one objected. After the events of the day, Su Yi’s authority was already firmly established.

When the group arrived at the area where countless colossal stalagmites stood erect like stone towers, the disciples were left marveling in secret.

Not only was the terrain ideal, but Su Yi also instructed them to plant simple early-warning and protective formation flags at several crucial positions.

Even though they were merely improvised from readily available stone and spiritual plants in the surroundings with slight modifications, their effectiveness was surprisingly remarkable.

Campfires were lit, dispelling some of the chill and darkness.

Sitting together in small groups of three to five, the disciples spoke in hushed voices, their faces mostly wearing expressions of excitement and relief.

“It’s truly incredible! Wherever Young Manor Lord Su said source beasts would be, that’s exactly where they were!”

“That’s not all! My elders explicitly warned me before entering that the secret realm was riddled with traps, yet along the way, we haven’t hit a single snag!”

Ling Qingyu listened to the chatter within the group, equally puzzled. Truth be told, when she had first heard her Senior Sister tell her to seek someone else’s protection, she had looked down on the idea.

Yet now... having someone else handle all the trouble really was comfortable!

‘What am I thinking? Do I want to become useless?’ Ling Qingyu shook her head. How could one ever grow on the path of cultivation if they constantly hid beneath someone else’s shelter?!

“Senior Sister Ling,” Shang Shuyi called out softly from beside her.

Ling Qingyu came back to her senses and lifted her ice-blue eyes. “Junior Sister Shang, what brings you over?”

Her voice remained aloof, yet devoid of any intent to keep others at arm’s length.

Shang Shuyi sat down in the empty space beside her, turning her gaze toward the dancing flames as she said in a tranquil tone, “Nothing much, really. I just wanted to discuss Young Manor Lord Su with you, Senior Sister.”

Ling Qingyu’s slender brows arched almost imperceptibly, her tone flat. “He is right over there, having a lively chat with Shi Yan. If you have questions, Junior Sister Shang, you can simply ask Young Manor Lord Su directly.” She pointed toward Su Yi, whose shoulder was currently draped by Shi Yan’s arm not far away.

Shang Shuyi shook her head lightly and turned to look at Ling Qingyu with an earnest gaze. “You are a smart woman, Senior Sister. Why play dumb with me?”

Ling Qingyu fell silent for a moment, the corners of her eyes sweeping toward Su Yi once more. Only someone as simple-minded as Shi Yan wouldn’t have noticed anything out of the ordinary.

“What do you want to discuss?” Ling Qingyu indeed harbored doubts of her own; it was merely her temperament that made her dislike talking about people behind their backs.

Yet now, she truly could not suppress her curiosity, eager to learn more about the unknown through someone else.

Seeing Ling Qingyu lower her guard, Shang Shuyi leaned slightly forward and dropped her voice even further, ensuring only the two of them could hear. “I imagine you, Senior Sister, were just like me today—having your eyes opened by Young Manor Lord Su.”

Ling Qingyu wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin lightly upon them, a slightly relaxed posture that betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

She nodded, not denying it.

Back at Ancient Sword Mountain, she had heard plenty of rumors about Su Yi, but the vague descriptions from her senior martial brothers and sisters were nowhere near as shocking as witnessing it with her own eyes today.

“He knows these source beasts too well,” Ling Qingyu’s voice carried a hint of bewilderment. “Certain habits of source beasts weren’t even mentioned in detail by my seniors at Ancient Sword Mountain, yet he recites them like the back of his hand, as if he has lived in this Foundation Establishment secret realm for ages.”

For a cultivation world that relied heavily on experience and legacy, this was truly bizarre.

Shang Shuyi picked up the thread. “Not only that. His control over the battlefield is exquisite; every single command was spot on, allowing us to reap maximum rewards with minimal expenditure. And furthermore...”

She paused, directing her gaze toward Su Yi once more. “You saw it too, Senior Sister. I have never seen anyone in the Qi Condensation realm effortlessly activate hundreds of Golden Body Mantras simultaneously without showing the slightest trace of exhaustion afterward. This... is simply not something an ordinary Qi Condensation disciple could pull off.”

The two heavenly favored maidens exchanged a look, both seeing the same sentiment reflected in each other’s eyes—not merely admiration, but deep down, an indescribable wariness.

Recalling the person mentioned today by the disciples of Divine Might Manor—someone who could actually make Su Yi care...

At that moment, they simultaneously voiced the question they had been most curious about all day.

“Senior Sister Ling.”

“Junior Sister Shang.”

“Have you ever heard of Zhao Qian?”

...

After a moment of silence, Shang Shuyi cradled her forehead in exasperation. “Senior Sister Ling, you don’t know either?” She had assumed Ancient Sword Mountain would be better informed.

Ling Qingyu closed her eyes, her slender eyelashes fluttering slightly, the corner of her eye twitching a bit. “Did your brother not mention a single word to you either, Junior Sister?”

The two lapsed into silence once more, with only the crackling of the campfire filling the air.

One was a Heavenly-grade Ice Spirit Root meticulously nurtured by Ancient Sword Mountain; the other was a wood spirit root genius valued by Elders of Return to Origin Sect, whose brother was a leading figure among the younger generation.

In their daily lives, they interacted with nothing less than the prominent figures of various sects, and their sect’s internal intelligence reports and lists of rivals to watch were committed to memory.

Yet before today, the name “Zhao Qian” had been a complete blank to them.

If they were pressed to name any impression of her, it was only Su Yi’s seemingly “special care” earlier today, alongside some vague rumors among the Divine Might Manor disciples about Su Yi having once been close to Zhao Qian.

Yet why would such a disciple—mediocre in both talent and present display, virtually devoid of presence in this secret realm expedition—spark rumors within Divine Might Manor that Su Yi held her in high regard?

“My brother only told me to stick with Su Yi. He said that while his actions seem erratic, profound intent lies beneath them, and urged me to observe, learn, and not jump to conclusions lightly,” Shang Shuyi mused, not revealing everything. After all, she harbored some personal curiosity as well.