Tianshui Secret Realm

Gu Baiyi was completely unaware that Ji Rong had mentally branded her as "useless." Seeing the slight furrow in Ji Rong's brow, she couldn't shake the feeling that something about it was strange.

However, Ji Rong merely cast her a fleeting glance before turning away, saying nothing more.

This brought Gu Baiyi's thoughts back to the events of the previous night.

Atop Chong Hua Tower.

Ji Rong had been drunk, propping up her chin as she gazed at Gu Baiyi and asked, "Have you ever felt like you had no control over your fate?"

Gu Baiyi watched the countless lanterns drifting down from Ji Rong's eyes, remaining silent for a moment. She knew Ji Rong was intoxicated, so she simply replied, "More often than not."

Ji Rong smiled faintly, patted her shoulder, and said, "It doesn't matter. Staying alive is what's most important. Once you're dead, there's nothing left."

Gu Baiyi didn't respond, merely watching her quietly.

Ji Rong was thoroughly drunk. She reached out, placed her cup down, then leaned against Gu Baiyi's shoulder.

Perhaps finding her too thin and bony, she frowned, shifted her position, and instead rested her head on Gu Baiyi's lap.

The moonlight was soft and clear. The woman's dark hair, smooth as silk, spread evenly across her robes, reflecting a silvery glow.

Gu Baiyi sat stiffly. She had hands and feet, certainly, but at this moment, she had no idea where to place them.

A cool night breeze drifted past. Tentatively, she reached out and touched Ji Rong's furrowed brow. Her fingertips hesitated for a moment before smoothing out the crease.

Looking at Ji Rong's face, Gu Baiyi seemed to see a flurry of plum blossoms scattering, blood staining jade steps, and shattered swords forming a burial mound.

Her fingers eventually stopped at Ji Rong's brow, going no further. Instead, she softly asked, "Senior Sister, if you were me, would you still want to live?"

For a long time, she listened to the gradually steady rhythm of breathing beside her and gazed toward the sky.

The bright moon hung high, clear and round.

She knew that some things were like the moon, just having them there in the sky was enough to bring joy.

Gu Baiyi looked at Ji Rong's delicately sculpted face and slowly withdrew her hand.

This was enough.

While both were lost in thought, two outer sect disciples entered the hall. They cupped their hands in greeting, first to Sect Leader Mei He, then to Ji Rong and the others.

One of them was Ye Chuyang, whom Ji Rong had already met. The other was someone even more familiar.

Wasn't this the little junior sister with the lantern?

Yun Ying was petite, her hair tied in a neat bun. Upon seeing Ji Rong, she appeared momentarily stunned.

Then she turned her gaze to Gu Baiyi, who stood beside Ji Rong. Her ears reddened slightly as she cupped her hands and greeted the three of them. "Yun Ying greets Senior Sisters."

Gu Baiyi smiled and replied, "No need for such formalities, Junior Sister."

Neither Qiu Sushuang nor Ji Rong spoke, only nodding in acknowledgment.

Ji Rong maintained a calm expression, but secretly, she stole glances at Yun Ying. The small girl, delicate and lovely as carved jade, reminded her of a long-eared creature.

Lolis truly were a treasure.

Then, she noticed something peculiar, though Yun Ying's face remained composed, it seemed as if she was also sneaking glances at her, shifting her gaze between her and Gu Baiyi.

Ji Rong suddenly recalled the sect tribunal, where she had thoroughly embarrassed herself. If she remembered correctly, this little one had been a witness to the whole ordeal…

Her expression darkened at once. If only Mei He would hurry and finish speaking so she could find a hole to crawl into.

Mei He didn't actually have much to say. Unfortunately, the last outer sect disciple was running late, delaying things further.

The person in question, however, seemed utterly unfazed. Casually stepping over the threshold, he cupped his hands toward Mei He and smiled. "Apologies for my tardiness, Sect Leader. I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."

Mei He nodded and replied kindly, "It's no trouble."

After offering his apologies, the newcomer turned to face the others.

As they looked at him, an unspoken thought crossed everyone's mind, he resembled a certain wild pheasant.

Dressed in red robes and silver-red boots, with a vermilion mark at the center of his brow, he carried a folding fan, its surface painted with a mountain full of crimson maple leaves.

The various shades of red gave the impression of a red-beaked reed pheasant from the back mountain.

Yet this flamboyantly dressed man bowed politely and said with an easy smile, "I am Xie Bai. Greetings, Senior Sisters and Brothers."

A perfectly good name—Xie Bai—so why was he dressed entirely in red?

The group nodded in silence, at a loss for words.

Only Ji Rong's eyes lit up upon hearing his name. Finally! Someone on her side, a fellow villain.

In any game, there were two types of characters, those who sided with the protagonist and those who, in one way or another, opposed them.

While both contributed experience points to the protagonist, allies needed to stay alive to be useful, whereas villains could only provide benefits upon their demise.

Characters like Mei He, Wei Zongqiu, and Liu Ningshui were clearly meant to survive until the final act, so Ji Rong found no solace in their presence.

But Xie Bai was different. He was one of the most hated villains, second only to Ji Rong herself. Players cursed and mocked him across every discussion board, treating him like a rat scurrying through the streets.

"That damn red-cloaked clown"—that was him.

So when Ji Rong saw him, she felt an instant sense of camaraderie.

After all, they were both villains dancing on the edge of a blade to survive. And when villains met, they naturally formed a kinship.

At this moment, all the disciples had gathered aboard the Penglai Ship, heading toward Tianshui.

This vessel looked no different from an ordinary pleasure boat, but with Mei He's spell, it could soar through the skies.

Initially, the disciples found great amusement in opening the windows to watch the drifting clouds, but the incessant noise soon became unbearable.

The source of this noise remained blissfully unaware, as Xie Bai's talkative nature compelled him to strike up conversations with the main group.

Though his enthusiasm was met with indifference, he was undeterred, stubbornly forcing his way into their midst.

After a long-winded remark, he idly toyed with the jade tassel on his fan and recited a couplet: "Resting on water, sailing with the wind, I revisit my dreams upon the misty waves. Why bother with makeup, when true beauty lies in simplicity?"

He sighed theatrically. "Everyone, fleeting beauty must be cherished. Moments like these are rare."

Ji Rong looked at Xie Bai's ostentatious mannerisms and refused to acknowledge him as a fellow villain.

He was a disgrace. Calling him a villain was an insult to the word.

Ye Chuyang, ever studious and upright, couldn't help but correct him. "Senior Brother Xie, that's not quite right."

Xie Bai imitated Ye Chuyang's tone with a blank expression. "Junior Brother Ye, what's wrong? Please tell me."

Ye Chuyang, oblivious to the mockery, hesitated.

Before he could respond, the sound of a flute abruptly ceased.

Qiu Sushuang, having been playing "Cloud and Water Ballad," had been at peace, until Xie Bai's chatter shattered her tranquility.

Setting down her bamboo flute, she said expressionlessly, "Senior Brother Xie, aside from completely missing the poem's meaning, you also recited a couplet about West Lake when we're heading to Tianshui. How is that even remotely relevant?"

Xie Bai, accustomed to pretending at refinement, hadn't expected to be so bluntly called out. For a moment, he was speechless.

But his thick skin quickly reasserted itself. After only a brief pause, he chuckled. "Senior Sister is truly knowledgeable. I am humbled."

Ji Rong: "..."

She glanced at Xie Bai, who was grinning from ear to ear, showing not the slightest trace of shame.

After suffering a setback at Qiu Sushuang's hands, Xie Bai abandoned his poetic musings and instead turned his attention to Ji Rong.

This Senior Sister was indeed as enigmatic as the rumors claimed. She betrayed no expression, remained silent during the conversation, and simply listened with quiet detachment.

He thought to himself: This person is either transcendentally aloof or profoundly shrewd.

What he didn't know was that Ji Rong was merely maintaining her character setting and preferred not to speak unnecessarily. Besides, she was intently observing her second wife and her beautiful Junior Sister, leaving her with no time to concern herself with idle chatter.

Xie Bai wasn't particularly eager to befriend someone so cold and distant, but recalling the instructions given to him by a certain esteemed person before departure, he smiled and said, "To be honest, among all the people traveling to Tianshui this time, the one I'm most curious about is Senior Sister Ji."

Ji Rong thought to herself: Although we're both villains and each have our own brand of wickedness, we've barely interacted. What's there to be curious about?

Xie Bai pondered for a moment before continuing with an admiring expression, "I've long heard that the daughter of the Lord of Xuanji City is unparalleled in beauty. I also had the honor of witnessing Senior Sister Ji's prowess at the martial arena. But now that I've met you in person, I find that you are even more—"

"Even more what?"

Xie Bai was momentarily surprised, because the one who had cut him off wasn't Ji Rong, but Gu Baiyi, who had just lifted her head from her book and was smiling gently.

Yet despite her gentle smile, Xie Bai couldn't shake the feeling that her gaze was shadowed, carrying an almost imperceptible chill.

But in the blink of an eye, when he looked at Gu Baiyi again, she appeared as warm and lovely as a spring blossom, completely approachable.

Reassured, Xie Bai continued, "—even more breathtaking than the rumors say."

Gu Baiyi smiled at his words, then casually turned to Ji Rong and said, "It seems that Junior Brother Xie holds quite a bit of admiration for you, Senior Sister."

Ji Rong: "?"

No way, no way, where did she even get that impression?

Meeting Gu Baiyi's gentle gaze, Xie Bai inexplicably felt a chill down his spine. He forced a laugh and said, "Admiration is too strong a word. Compared to Senior Sister Ji, I can only say that I am far beneath her."

Good grief. As fellow villains, could he not stop piling on the compliments in front of so many people and making her a target for resentment?

Ji Rong's expression remained indifferent. "You flatter me."

Sensing that Ji Rong had no interest in talking further, Xie Bai could only chuckle awkwardly and turn to chat with someone else.

[Ding! Gu Baiyi's Favorability +10, Xie Bai's Favorability -5]

Xie Bai's decrease in favorability was expected, but Gu Baiyi's sudden increase was completely baffling.

How did that even earn favorability points?

Ji Rong was now certain—the system had glitched. Again.

She turned to look at Gu Baiyi, whose smile remained, her eyes dark and unfathomable.

Noticing Ji Rong's gaze, Gu Baiyi smiled and asked, "Senior Sister, is something the matter?"

"Nothing."

The moment Ji Rong saw her smile, her scalp tingle. She quickly averted her eyes, pretending to admire the white clouds outside the ship with an air of serene indifference.

Gu Baiyi chuckled softly, then lowered her gaze back to her book. Yet as she flipped the pages, the corners of her lips curled ever so slightly.

While the group was chatting and admiring the scenery, the Penglai Ship soared through the sky. Within an hour, they had arrived just outside Tianshui City, where it landed steadily on flat ground.

Tianshui Prefecture lay in the southeast, bordering Qixia Mountain, where the Tianyin Division was located halfway up the mountain. As hosts of the secret realm expedition, the Tianyin Division had taken charge of the arrangements.

No sooner had they stepped off the ship than a group of Tianyin disciples, smiling warmly, greeted them.

These disciples, identifiable by the flutes at their waists, were exceptionally courteous. One of them bowed politely and said in a gentle voice, "You have traveled far. Our master has prepared a humble banquet. If you would honor us with your presence, please join us for a light repast."

No one in the group was particularly good at socializing, so they all instinctively took a step back.

And so, Xie Bai, the designated social butterfly, was left standing alone at the front, engaging in an extended exchange of pleasantries with the Tianyin disciples.

The disciples maintained their polite smiles as they led the group toward Qixia Mountain.

The mountain was a place of extraordinary beauty, covered with vast stretches of larch trees. Brimming with spiritual energy, it was home to abundant flora and fauna, making it an ideal place for cultivation.

As they walked along the plank roads and ascended the stone steps, they soon caught sight of Tianyin Division's gleaming glazed rooftops, nestled among the shadows of the trees.

From a distance, the entire complex looked like a silver island, exquisite and elegant. Among its pavilions and terraces stood a jade statue holding a flute.

Ji Rong gazed up at the statue. It was finely carved, its translucent surface glistening, its eyes sharp and piercing—almost as if it were a living being watching her.

Xie Bai fanned himself and said, "That must be a statue of the previous Tianyin Master, Yan Haiyao. It's said that Master Yan possessed profound skills and shared an inseparable bond with the current Tianyin Master, Meng Ruo. The world remembers their tale as one of legend."

A nearby Tianyin disciple smiled and nodded. "Senior Brother is correct. Master Yan was already a figure of great renown before I was even born, but his virtue and achievements remain well known."

For some reason, though the jade statue was undeniably handsome, Ji Rong found herself growing uneasy as she stared into its eyes. A chill ran down her spine.

If she remembered correctly, Yan Haiyao had been a great cultivator of the previous generation—one who had perished in battle of demon suppression within the game's storyline.

And yet, at that moment, Ji Rong suddenly heard a mechanical voice in her mind.

[Ding! Upon the opening of the Tianshui Secret Realm, the player must complete Yan Haiyao's storyline and obtain one of the Five Swords—the Cangming Sword.]

[Ding! Warning: This mission is classified as Hell-Level Difficulty, with a risk of death. The player is advised to consider carefully before proceeding.]