Chapter 38 | Reborn as the Villain, I Didn’t Want to Cultivate an Invincible Heroine

Gu Yanqing emerged from the inner sect's Lecture Hall and walked down the mountain path.

A whole mountain peak separated the inner sect from the outer sect.

The inner sect was located at the summit where spiritual energy was most concentrated. Cultivation rooms, the Scripture Pavilion, and the Lecture Hall were all clustered there, and just a few steps outside offered a view of a sea of clouds.

The outer sect lay below the mountainside, where spiritual energy grew thinner the farther down one went. By the time one reached the residence area, the faint sound of the mountain stream flowing at the base could already be heard.

As he crossed the Cloud-Connecting Bridge, he looked down at the abyss below. Mountain winds rushed in from both sides of the bridge, causing his robes to flutter continuously.

Past the bridge was a steep flight of stone steps, easily numbering four or five hundred. Halfway down, he was already out of breath, sweat drenching his forehead and soaking his collar.

In a brief pause as he looked up, several inner disciples stepped on flying swords and glided leisurely between the two peaks, their robes fluttering as they disappeared into the cloud layer in the blink of an eye.

One could practice the sword flight technique as long as they reached Foundation Establishment, so the barrier to entry wasn't high. But the original host, being a lazy glutton for ease, hadn't even bothered to practice. He felt it was too embarrassing to wobble on a flying sword in midair and preferred walking instead.

The misery his legs were enduring now was entirely the fault of the idiocy of his past self.

The first thing he would do upon returning was master flying on a sword.

Making a firm mental note, he leaned against the railing and climbed another hundred-plus steps before finally reaching the outer sect residence area.

These quarters were far more densely packed than those in the inner sect, built along the mountain contour in overlapping tiers on a relatively gentle slope.

The outer walls were made of rough-hewn stone, lacking the intricate carvings and formation lines of the inner sect, but they were kept reasonably neat and tidy.

A few outer disciples were squatting by a water well washing up. Seeing him dressed in the robes of an inner disciple, they stole extra glances at him, their eyes filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

He wandered around among the similar-looking stone houses for two rounds, nearly taking a wrong turn down two alleys. In the end, he asked a disciple drawing water by the well before finally finding the room where Lin Zhixue lived.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and a round face peeked out.

Seeing an inner disciple at Foundation Establishment standing at the doorway, Zhou Xiaoyuan's eyes widened like brass bells. Her mouth opened and closed, her tongue completely tied.

She had been here for several months, and this was the very first time an inner disciple had ever knocked on this door.

“E-excuse me...”

“Does Lin Zhixue live here?”

“Y-yes!”

Zhou Xiaoyuan nodded vigorously, unable to speak fluently.

“She just left for the herb field.”

“Turn left, go all the way to the end, then turn right. Cross the small stone bridge and look to your left—that spirit herb field is it! She's weeding over there; you'll see her as soon as you walk over!”

Gu Yanqing offered his thanks and turned to walk toward the herb field.

He felt a strange sense of coincidence. In the Gu manor, Lin Zhixue had spent her time in the field, and now that she was in the sect, she was still in the field.

Only after he had walked several paces away did Zhou Xiaoyuan close the door. Leaning her back against the door panel, she took a deep breath and turned to Chen Jing, who was folding clothes, her face looking as if she had been struck by lightning.

“Foundation Establishment! From the inner sect! Here for Zhixue!”

She kept her voice low, but could not repress her excitement, dropping heavily onto the edge of the bed.

“What's their relationship?”

Chen Jing folded the last Daoist robe and put it into the wardrobe, her tone calm. “Ask her yourself when she gets back.”

The outer sect's herb field was far larger than the one back at the Gu manor. Over a dozen terraced plots had been cleared along the mountain slope, planted full of low-grade spirit herbs, with several outer disciples scattered about working in the fields.

The morning mist had not yet fully dispersed, and dew hung from the leaves, glinting in the sunlight.

Walking along the field ridge, he saw a familiar figure squatting beside a furrow weeding from afar. Her movements were swift and neat, and a small stack of pulled weeds had already accumulated beside her.

Back at the Gu manor, she had worked squatting just like this, staying down for half a shichen at a time and only standing up to clap the dirt off her hands after finishing an entire furrow.

Xiaoyu floated out from the jade pendant first. Having just woken up, it rubbed its eyes and yawned.

The morning sun filtered through the light mist onto the ridge. Floating beside Lin Zhixue's shoulder with half-lidded eyes, it was just about to begin its daily nagging when it caught sight of a familiar figure walking toward them along the ridge in the distance.

“Who's that? So early in the morning...”

It narrowed its eyes to make out the person, and its voice abruptly spiked. “Oh, it's Gu Yanqing... Wait! Why are you here?”

Hearing Xiaoyu's shouting, Lin Zhixue looked up, her trowel freezing in midair.

Gu Yanqing was walking toward her.

The sweat on his forehead wasn't even wiped clean yet, his collar was slightly disheveled, and his chest heaved slightly.

As if he had come from a long journey?

She was a bit surprised.

Inner disciples wouldn't come all the way to the outer sect's herb field early in the morning for no reason, let alone looking as if he had walked all the way down the mountain.

“Why are you here?” She stood up and patted the dirt off her hands.

“I need a study companion over at my place,” Gu Yanqing got straight to the point. “Are you coming?”

Lin Zhixue paused.

A study companion.

She had seen this term yesterday when flipping through 《Overview of Yunxiao Sect Rules》. Inner disciples could designate an outer disciple to assist with daily cultivation, during which the study companion could receive a portion of inner sect resource subsidies.

But she hadn't expected him to come all the way here specifically to ask her.

“Why me?”

Gu Yanqing's heart skipped a beat.

On the way here, he had been so focused on climbing down that he forgot to prepare an excuse beforehand.

He couldn't possibly voice his true thoughts; doing so would be tantamount to admitting he had been intentionally paying attention to her all along.

His gaze instinctively swept around, landing on the mud-stained trowel in her hand. His mind raced rapidly through several thoughts before finally seizing upon the only excuse that was both plausible and wouldn't arouse her suspicion.

“My body cultivation technique isn't finished yet,” he said. “After the medicinal bath, I still need whip lashings for body tempering. You were the one helping me before. I wouldn't be used to anyone else.”

“In the sect, I can't just grab a random disciple I don't know and say, ‘Whip me a bit.’ They'd probably think I have something wrong with my head.”

“Besides, the outer sect is far from the inner sect. I can't come down the mountain to fetch you every time I need to get whipped.”

Xiaoyu immediately floated in front of Lin Zhixue, hands grabbing at her sleeves. Though it couldn't touch physical objects at all, its entire spirit body was bobbing up and down in excitement.

“Yes, yes! Of course Zhixue is willing! A study companion gets to live in the inner sect area—hurry up and accept!”

Lin Zhixue looked at Gu Yanqing standing there, waiting for her answer as if he intended to march right back up the mountain if she refused.

“Alright,” she said. “Let me go back and pack first.”

Holding her trowel, she returned to her quarters and pushed the door open.

Zhou Xiaoyuan was sitting on the edge of the bed swinging her legs, waiting for her return. The moment Lin Zhixue walked in, Zhou Xiaoyuan leaped up and rushed over, looking as though she had been holding something in for a long time.

“Zhixue! Who was that? An inner disciple at Foundation Establishment, and so handsome! Is he your Dao companion?”

Lin Zhixue was taken aback by the question.

She thought for a moment.

“Just a friend.”

Before Zhou Xiaoyuan could press further, Chen Jing reached out from behind, grabbed her collar, and pulled her back toward the bed, her tone as level as ever.

“Stop asking everyone if they're Dao companions the moment you see them. She said they're friends.”

“Friends can develop into—”

“Say another word and I'll throw your blanket out.”

Lin Zhixue lowered her head and began packing her things, a subtle smile touching her lips.

She had only stayed here for a single night, but these two roommates made her feel quite warm.

She folded up the bedding she had laid out just yesterday, then put her Daoist robes and pill bottles back into her storage bag one by one. She didn't have much, so packing was done in no time.

“What's going on?” Zhou Xiaoyuan leaned over, her gossipy expression turning into confusion as she saw her packing her bags.

“He asked me to go to the inner sect to be his study companion.” Lin Zhixue tied her storage bag shut and straightened up. “Thank you both for taking care of me.”

Zhou Xiaoyuan and Chen Jing exchanged a glance.

Arriving yesterday and moving out today—such luck was practically unheard of among outer disciples.

How many outer disciples squeezed their heads flat trying to shove into the inner sect? Forget a study companion—they'd fight tooth and nail just to be a chore disciple there.

Still, neither of them said much more. Chen Jing helped hand over a hair ribbon left behind at the head of the bed, while Zhou Xiaoyuan pushed the wooden token she had forgotten on the windowsill into her hand.