You are Wrong

Xiao Lanle took Lin Qianshuang’s hand and led her towards the dining hall, a dissatisfied pout forming on her lips. “Senior Sister Lin, you’re still not a cultivator. Only disciples who haven’t established their foundations are hungry. We senior disciples all practice fasting and rarely go to the dining hall.”

Lin Qianshuang, startled by the natural way Xiao Lanle held her hand, hesitated for a moment before gently returning the grip.

She smiled at Xiao Lanle, “In my eyes, eating is just as important as cultivation. Enjoying food is a way to enjoy life. This life is inherently boring and long. I only have a few pleasures. If I don’t even have this pleasure, then what’s the point?”

Xiao Lanle tilted her head, her gaze drawn to Lin Qianshuang’s face. The sunlight filtering through the leaves made her features seem even more clear and captivating. Lin Qianshuang’s eyes narrowed slightly, their crystal clarity seeming to hold the shimmer of a flowing spring.

They were eyes that could disarm anyone, a blend of warmth and transparency. The way they narrowed in thought, the slight dip of the pupils beneath her lashes, gave off an air of silent detachment. But when she smiled, the corners of her eyes would lift, transforming the roundness of her gaze into a playful, cunning twinkle, a gesture that somehow felt oddly familiar and endearing.

It was a strange contradiction, this combination of extreme coldness and warmth existing within the same person.

Xiao Lanle’s gaze lingered on Lin Qianshuang’s face, captivated by the shifting emotions reflected in her eyes. This was the first time she had encountered someone as complex and unpredictable as Lin Qianshuang, someone whose thoughts were a labyrinth she couldn’t hope to unravel.

The people around her were all raised within the sect, sheltered from life’s storms. They were simple, with clear-cut notions of right and wrong. But in Xiao Lanle’s eyes, Lin Qianshuang was something entirely different, a third answer beyond their simple binary.

Xiao Lanle’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Lin Qianshuang was unlike anyone she’d ever met, unlike any other woman she knew. She was unique. If they weren’t rivals, they could have been friends.

“Xiao, how can they serve this in your dining hall? It’s all black and barely cooked. Is it even edible?”

Lin Qianshuang frowned, staring at the half-cooked mess in the wooden barrel. It reminded her of pig slop. She held the wooden spoon and bowl, hesitant to even touch it.

In the Demon Realm, she had dined on delicacies from mountains and seas. Even ordinary vegetables were prepared in seven or eight different ways. But here at Penglai Immortal Sect, it was nothing but half-cooked, burnt vegetables and blackened meat. This stark contrast was unbearable for anyone.

Xiao Lanle sat at a long wooden table in the dining hall, sipping a cup of warm water to soothe her throat. She gestured towards the disciples who were eating slowly and methodically, saying, “Look at them, they seem to be enjoying it. Senior Sister Lin, you’re too picky.”

Lin Qianshuang’s lips twitched as she observed the disciples, their expressionless faces betraying no hint of pleasure as they ate like they were completing a task. She tapped the wooden barrel with her spoon, saying with a touch of pity, “They’ve been eating this all along. No wonder the Penglai Immortal Sect disciples are all as frail as bean sprouts.”

Xiao Lanle propped her chin, reading a book of mental cultivation techniques. She glanced at Lin Qianshuang, saying, “Senior Sister Lin, this isn’t the main hall of the sect, nor is it your private quarters. There are dedicated cooks for those places. This is simply the dining hall for registered disciples. The chef is Granny Zhang from the Laundry Courtyard. She has a terrible temper. If she hears you complaining, she’ll chase you with a broom.”

Lin Qianshuang examined the unappetizing food, starting to understand the situation.

Golden Core cultivators who could abstain from food were few and far between, even in the entire cultivation world. Within Penglai Immortal Sect, they must be even rarer.

Food is essential for people. The registered disciples of Penglai Immortal Sect ate these hastily prepared stews every day. It was clear they weren’t valued by the sect. If their food was so meager, their cultivation resources must be even more scarce. This explained why, when Xiao Shen was killed, hundreds of Penglai Immortal Sect disciples were unable to withstand Liang Jingxuan’s mere dozens of trusted followers.

Lin Qianshuang realized the need to cultivate promising disciples to support Xiao Lanle in the future. She vividly remembered how Chen Shangqing was utterly defeated by Liang Jingxuan, due to a lack of both popular support and combat strength.

Approaching Chen Shangqing was merely the first step. In the future, Lin Qianshuang would work tirelessly to make this man, who deeply loved Xiao Lanle, become her most valuable asset.

Lin Qianshuang offered a nonchalant smile. She wasn’t a benevolent savior. Chen Shangqing had to die, otherwise the plot would unravel. Maximizing the benefits of his death, while ensuring his inevitable demise, was a priority worth considering.

Her gaze fell upon the meager food in the barrel. The most pressing matter was how to improve the quality of the meals.

“Senior Sister, if you’re finished, could you please move aside? We’re still waiting in line,” a senior brother urged impatiently, holding his bowl.

Lin Qianshuang placed her wooden spoon down and glanced at the long queue behind her. She turned to the fellow disciple who had spoken, “Junior Brother, do you know where the kitchen is?”

The moment the disciple saw Lin Qianshuang’s face clearly, his cheeks flushed, and he stammered nervously, “Senior… Senior Sister, you look so young. No, no, I should call you Junior Sister. It’s, it’s just inside the side room to the right of the exit door, and Granny Zhang is also there.”

Lin Qianshuang found his flustered expression amusing. She deliberately curved her eyes into crescent moons, smiling brightly, “Thank you very much.”

The fellow disciple was stunned, pushed several times by the others behind him before he reacted. He couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at Lin Qianshuang as she left before finally moving away.

The disciples in the dining hall began to whisper amongst themselves. Tianshu Peak had gained another beautiful junior sister. Could she be a new disciple of Master Tianshu? But Master Tianshu already had a closed disciple.

The peak was strictly controlled, with little communication between disciples. Registered disciples rarely left the peak, so naturally, no one recognized the closed disciple of Fairy Jinghua, the master of Haoqing Peak.

Everyone was curious about this newcomer.

Xiao Lanle, holding her book of mental techniques, heard the whispers around her. She frowned and scolded, “What are you discussing? You’re not allowed to talk during meals. Have you forgotten this basic rule? Do you want to be punished by copying the peak rules a hundred times?”

Junior Sister Xiao was usually warm and cheerful, treating everyone kindly. She rarely got angry like this. No one dared to provoke the headmaster’s daughter, unless they were seeking death.

The disciples who had been gossiping fell silent and ate in a muffled manner.

Xiao Lanle sat on her stool, absently looking at her book of mental techniques, not registering a single word. She was thinking about Lin Qianshuang’s parting words: “Wait for me.” She was a little hesitant, wondering what Senior Sister Lin was doing. Didn’t she say she was hungry and wanted to eat?

A few moments passed.

Xiao Lanle stared out the window, lost in thought, when a fragrant aroma of vegetables reached her nose. She lowered her head to find several delicious-looking dishes and soups placed before her.

“Meat foam with mushrooms and tofu, stewed mixed vegetables, braised bamboo shoots with sliced meat, and green vegetable and meatball soup,” Lin Qianshuang introduced each dish, handing Xiao Lanle a pair of chopsticks. She propped her chin with one hand and smiled, “Junior Sister Xiao, please try these dishes I made. Are they good?”

Xiao Lanle took a spoonful of green vegetable soup and bit into a meatball. The sweet and soft flavor filled her mouth, and her eyes widened in surprise. A tear glistened in her eye, and a faint smile touched her lips. She looked up and asked, “Senior Sister Lin, did you make all of this?”

Lin Qianshuang observed Xiao Lanle’s reaction and replied casually, “I saw that the food for the fellow disciples was so poor, so I told Granny Zhang that I wanted to improve the recipes. Granny Zhang told me that if Junior Sister Xiao thinks these dishes are good, she’ll make them according to the recipes I gave her.”

Xiao Lanle drank the soup in the bowl in one gulp and stared at Lin Qianshuang with an unreadable expression in her clear eyes.

Before her mother passed away, she also loved to make green vegetable and meatball soup. She always liked to add a little surprise to a meatball, putting in sweet fairy fruit flesh. Back then, Father wasn’t yet the head of the Penglai Immortal Sect, and the clan wasn’t as vast and prosperous as it is now, with all sorts of different surnames joining the alliance of interests, making it complex and confusing. They lived happily with their clan brothers and sisters, and during New Year’s Eve, whoever ate the meatball containing fairy fruit pulp would be rewarded by the clan leader. Those rewards were meager, far less than what she gets now. But at that time, she was the happiest, and that meatball containing fairy fruit pulp was the most delicious thing in her memory.

Lin Qianshuang looked at Xiao Lanle expectantly. She had specially added fairy fruit to the meatballs, remembering clearly that in the original text, Liang Jingxuan had specially asked someone to cook this unique green vegetable and meatball soup to please the angry Xiao Lanle. After eating this dish, Xiao Lanle’s anger subsided, and the two got back together, becoming even closer than before. This soup must be Xiao Lanle’s favorite dish. As long as it was made, she should like it.

Xiao Lanle put down her bowl and chopsticks, saying, “Senior Sister Lin, who did you learn this dish from?”

Lin Qianshuang listened to Xiao Lanle’s question and said naturally, “I made it myself. Is there a problem?”

Xiao Lanle set down her bowl and chopsticks, then walked over to Lin Qianshuang. Cupping her face in her hands, she stared intently at Lin Qianshuang, as if trying to confirm something.

After a while, feeling increasingly confused and a little nervous under Xiao Lanle’s gaze, Lin Qianshuang asked, “What is it?”

Xiao Lanle took a step back, her clear eyes filled with an unpredictable mix of emotions. She looked at the woman before her, the turmoil in her heart impossible to quell. Why was it her?

The only people who knew about this dish, besides her mother and the family members who were wiped out, was the masked youth who had saved her and her mother when she fled at the age of ten.

Xiao Lanle calculated the time. When she fled at the age of ten, it was the same day the Penglai Immortal Sect disciples were traveling. At that time, Senior Sister Lin was in her twenties, and her stature was almost the same as she vaguely remembered.

Senior Sister Lin was actually the person who had saved her when she was young.

No wonder, when Senior Sister Lin had carried her on her back while escaping from the Demon Realm, the warmth radiating from her body had been so comforting and reassuring.

Xiao Lanle bit her lower lip, her gaze fixed on Lin Qianshuang, brimming with a complex mix of emotions. She’d always resisted acknowledging the ridiculousness of finding such a long-lost warmth in her rival. It turned out Senior Sister Lin was her savior, explaining the familiar feeling.

Lin Qianshuang’s questioning expression mirrored in Xiao Lanle’s eyes, stirring a confusing turmoil within her. Senior Sister Lin was a barrier between her and Senior Brother Liang, leading to a constant sense of rejection and even thoughts of using underhanded tactics to sever their past connection.

Now, she learned that Senior Sister Lin was her childhood lifesaver. And in their interactions, Xiao Lanle felt a genuine connection, a potential for friendship beyond Senior Brother Liang. The thought of harming someone who had been so kind to her was unbearable.

Xiao Lanle looked at Lin Qianshuang and bit her lower lip. She didn’t want to hurt her, but she wouldn’t back down in matters of the heart either.

“It’s so painful,” she thought, “Why is she my savior?”

A strange, almost manic feeling surged within her. It was as if a voice whispered in her ear, “This is simple. If Lin Qianshuang likes women, then everything will be solved.”

The crazed part of her had resurfaced. Ever since her mother died tragically in front of her as a child, she’d been prone to these intense emotional swings. For the past few months, whenever this “madman” within her appeared, she’d been taken by Master Tianshu to the Yixiang Tower in Tianshu City to listen to Jieyu Gongzi’s music. But now it was too late.

Lin Qianshuang approached Xiao Lanle and said with a smile, “Junior Sister Xiao, do you agree? Then I’ll call Granny Zhang over.”

Xiao Lanle grabbed Lin Qianshuang’s arm, preventing her from leaving. Her clear eyes fixed intently on Lin Qianshuang, and a sinister curve played at the corner of her mouth. “Senior Sister,” she said, “I’ll tell Granny Zhang about the recipes myself. But first, I need to confirm something.”

Lin Qianshuang, puzzled, asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Come with me,” Xiao Lanle said, pulling Lin Qianshuang’s arm. They walked to a secluded room, pushing open the door and locking it before setting up a barrier with Xiao Lanle’s natal spirit sword.

Lin Qianshuang, noticing Xiao Lanle’s unusual behavior, grew worried. “Junior Sister Xiao, did the person chasing me reappear?”

Xiao Lanle ignored her question, squatting down to move some firewood and lay a layer of straw on the ground.

They entered a storage room for firewood, dimly lit by a single, barred window. The room was filled with wood, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere.

Lin Qianshuang felt uneasy. This semi-enclosed space seemed ominous, perfect for hiding a murder. She couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

Xiao Lanle finished laying the straw and stood before Lin Qianshuang. In the dim light, her pink clothes seemed washed out, casting a somber shadow over her.

“Senior Sister Lin, I just want to ask you a question: do you like men or women?”

The utility room was silent. Xiao Lanle’s voice, usually clear and ethereal like a girl’s, seemed to echo in the quiet space, almost supernatural.

Lin Qianshuang felt a chill run down her spine, as if she were in a ghost movie. She had no idea why Xiao Lanle had brought her here or what she hoped to achieve by asking this strange question. She could only force herself to speak truthfully: “Junior Sister Xiao, didn’t I answer this question already? I like men.”

“No, you like women. It can only be a woman, it must be a woman!”

Xiao Lanle’s voice was sharp, her words like a whip. She stepped closer, pushing Lin Qianshuang towards the dim wooden window and grabbing her shoulders. Her eyes were red, almost feverish.

Lin Qianshuang’s shoulder slammed into the window, the impact of the wood blocks dislocating with a heavy thud.

She was frightened by the struggle, the pain, and the ferocious red in Xiao Lanle’s eyes. Worried, she reached out to touch her face. “Junior Sister Xiao, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Xiao Lanle grabbed Lin Qianshuang’s hand, squeezing her fingers so tightly it felt like she was trying to crush them. Her soft and gentle face was twisted with a sickly madness. “Senior Sister Lin, you must be very proud now. You are my savior, and you are unique in Senior Brother Liang’s heart, no one can replace you.”

“Don’t think that just because you’ve been kind to me, I’ll let you have Senior Brother Liang. That’s absolutely impossible.”

Xiao Lanle’s grip on Lin Qianshuang’s hand tightened, causing her to spasm in pain. The danger in Xiao Lanle’s eyes was palpable, and Lin Qianshuang felt a wave of panic. Her pupils constricted in fear, but her voice remained calm and low as she warned, “Junior Sister Xiao, I don’t understand what you’re saying. I don’t like Liang Jingxuan, and I’m not the savior you claim. Let go of me, or don’t blame me for retaliating.”

Xiao Lanle finally released Lin Qianshuang’s hand, tears streaming down her usually delicate face. They dripped onto her clothes as she murmured, “Why? Why are you my savior, Senior Sister Lin? You’re going to steal Senior Brother Liang away from me. You make me feel so helpless, so worried. I only have one person in this world who cares about me and loves me. If you take him away, what am I supposed to do?”

Seeing that Xiao Lanle’s emotions had calmed, Lin Qianshuang relaxed slightly. “Don’t you still have your Master? There are many people who love you in this world. Don’t let Liang Jingxuan deceive you, Junior Sister Xiao. He’s not a good person.”

“Master.” Xiao Lanle repeated the word, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She leaned closer to Lin Qianshuang’s face, “You mean the Headmaster, the one who only cares about his own glory and wealth and doesn’t care about my feelings at all.”

Lin Qianshuang pushed Xiao Lanle away, feeling uncomfortable with her proximity. “Junior Sister Xiao, let’s go outside. This isn’t a place to talk properly.”

Xiao Lanle’s usually placid face suddenly took on a cold, dark cast.

“Senior Sister Lin, I brought you here to make you say what I want.”

“I’ll ask you again, do you prefer men or women?”

Lin Qianshuang looked at Xiao Lanle as if she were insane, bewildered. “Didn’t I already tell you?”

“Everything you said is wrong. Today, I’ll only let you leave if you say it right.”

Xiao Lanle took out her silk handkerchief and blindfolded herself, a sinister smile playing on her lips.

With lightning speed, she pinned Lin Qianshuang to the straw mat. In the darkness, she bit her own lips, a fierce, sweet pain, and ripped at Lin Qianshuang’s clothes with brute force. Her fingers explored the delicate, warm skin beneath the torn fabric, the touch sending a shiver through her. The warmth and softness seemed to satisfy her.

“Xiao Lanle, what are you doing!”

Lin Qianshuang, bound and helpless, her face a mixture of anger and panic, was incredibly weak. Demonic energy surged through her spine, spreading down her back, threatening to paralyze her. Her silver beast ears and long tail shot out, her animal form flickering into existence.

“Lin Qianshuang, when I touch you like this, do you feel it? The blood of a divine beast, touched at these sensitive points, will stir powerful emotions. And when you’re half-human, half-beast, if you have sex with a human, you can conceive a spiritual fetus. I have the Shark Pearl of the Tianshu City Lord, and this ancient secret is known only to me.”

Xiao Lanle’s eerie chuckle brushed past Lin Qianshuang’s ear, laced with a hint of disdain. Yet, her hand didn’t stop, her movements growing bolder. She pressed her hand against Lin Qianshuang’s tailbone, and said, “You know, only when you truly care about someone will these points trigger such a response. But you’re in heat right now, in front of me. You say you don’t like women, but I suspect you’ve harbored some not-so-innocent thoughts about me.”

Lin Qianshuang, drenched in cold sweat, was rolled onto her stomach. She looked up at the figure sitting on her, her humiliation palpable. “You should think of Xiao Lanle,” she said, her voice weak but defiant. “She likes Senior Brother Liang. If she knew you did this to me, someone she despises, what would she think?”

“Lanle won’t know about me,” Xiao Lanle replied, “because I’m the only one who can truly protect her.”¹

Xiao Lanle tilted her head, her pretty face flushed. She grabbed Lin Qianshuang’s hand, her eyes still covered by the blindfold. “I told you, I just need one answer from you. As long as you answer correctly, I’ll let you go.”

“Xiao Lanle, you’re so naive,” Lin Qianshuang sneered. Her body was immobile, the pressure on her death point agonizing. She gritted her teeth and said, “I like women. I’m finished. Are you satisfied?”

“I didn’t hear you. Say it again.”

Xiao Lanle pinched Lin Qianshuang’s waist, a tingling sensation shooting up her spine, making Lin Qianshuang tremble and let out a soft gasp.

Amidst the suggestive touch, Xiao Lanle suddenly laughed and whispered in her ear, “You’re still a virgin, you can feel it even with just this touch. Senior Sister Lin, in this regard, you’re still honest and haven’t lied to me.”

“Didn’t I tell you to say it again? I’m listening.”

Lin Qianshuang bit her lip and said fiercely, “I like women.”

“Very well, Senior Sister Lin. You have to remember, you like women. And Senior Brother Liang is mine. If, one day, I find out that Lanle is sad because of you again, I will come out and punish you.”

Xiao Lanle untied the blindfold, her eyes examining Lin Qianshuang’s flushed and sweaty face. She threatened word by word, her hand pressing against Lin Qianshuang’s abdomen, a wicked smile playing on her lips. “Remember, stay away from Senior Brother Liang. I know you wouldn’t want to end up with an unexplained, illegitimate spiritual fetus in your belly.”

The oppressive feeling on Lin Qianshuang’s body vanished.

Lin Qianshuang, nearly spent, struggled to her feet. At that moment, Xiao Lanle collapsed into unconsciousness.

As Xiao Lanle slept, her face was serene and peaceful, devoid of the terrifying aura she had just exuded. Lin Qianshuang, initially wanting to slap Xiao Lanle for her actions, hesitated, seeing her innocent slumber.

It wasn’t her fault…

Xiao Lanle had a double personality, a protective shield against her profound insecurity. But what had triggered this sudden shift?

Lin Qianshuang’s thoughts drifted to the bowl of vegetable and meatball soup. Xiao Lanle’s strange behavior must have been linked to it. Perhaps the soup had stirred up painful memories, unleashing her darker side.

In the original story, Liang Jingxuan had prepared this same soup for Xiao Lanle, and it had helped them reconcile.

There must be something fishy about this.

Lin Qianshuang thought to herself, resignedly lifting Xiao Lanle from the ground and placing her on her back. She then used her demonic energy to control the sword, flying through the air.

Along the way, many fellow disciples stared at her in astonishment. Several disciples who knew her from before curiously approached, asking who had beaten the senior sister of Penglai Immortal Sect into such a sorry state with sword energy.

Lin Qianshuang remained expressionless throughout the entire process. Even when she asked Xiao Lanle where her cave was, she kept a stiff demeanor. Many disciples who admired her, seeing her endure this humiliation with such grace, couldn’t help but secretly admire her resilience.