Chapter 7: 7: Honeyed Protagonist Halo - The Dragon-Blooded Paragon's Inauspicious Journey
Chapter 7: 7: Honeyed Protagonist Halo - The Dragon-Blooded Paragon's Inauspicious Journey
Gu Qingheng pursued him relentlessly. As a late-stage Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator on the verge of Core Formation—and one who possessed the Celestial Fox Physique—he had assumed hunting down a mere youth at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining would be as trivial as plucking a leaf from a branch. Who could have anticipated the uncanny, bizarre fortune protecting the brat? Time and again, the Foxfire homed straight toward him with no avenue of escape, only to inexplicably veer off at the absolute last instant, missing him by a hair’s breadth.
Losing patience, Gu Qingheng resorted to physical combat and struck out with a palm blast, yet the youth scrambled and tumbled his way right into a hidden mini-realm. By the time Gu Qingheng broke through the protective barrier and gave chase, he caught only a glimpse of the boy’s silhouette plunging over the edge of a sheer cliff. Below, a roaring river surged with violent currents, and the boy’s aura vanished completely. Gu Qingheng narrowed his eyes, scanned the surroundings several times over, and finally departed with an icy expression.
Resting her chin in her hand, Chu Yunmian sat beside the Sword-Cleansing Pool of the Qingfeng Sword Sect, letting out a soft yawn as she watched disciples bustle back and forth in the distance. Ever since her senior sister had brought her back, her father—the Sect Master—had summoned her briefly before disappearing again, leaving her unclear on the full details of what had transpired. She only recalled the chaotic flurry of activity in the grand hall: people entering with smiles and leaving with deathly pale complexions, while others went inside and never emerged at all.
Piecing together what her senior sister had mentioned, she pondered the situation. It was almost certainly tied to that batch of secret realm resources. Since the spiritual herbs hadn't been stolen this time, her father had finally found the time to settle the score! With nothing better to do, Chu Yunmian found a spot where the spiritual energy was particularly dense and began examining her current cultivation level.
After sending off a third wave of flirting disciples with an enigmatic smile, something suddenly plummeted from the upper reaches of the waterfall right beside her. Chu Yunmian stared up at the cliff, where the water cascaded down dozens of meters, and then looked down at the crimson blood spreading through the pool. She felt utterly numb. Good grief. Is someone trying to dump a body in the Qingfeng Sword Sect? Falling from that height was practically equivalent to crashing onto solid rock and bursting into a pile of mangled meat. What an atrocious way to pollute the environment.
Just as she hesitated over whether to investigate, the unknown floating lump drifted along the current right to her feet. A pale youth lay flat on his back, blood continuously oozing from his wounds and staining a wide swath of the crystal-clear pool. Chu Yunmian: "..."
She instinctively reached up to touch the hairpin in her hair. Should I use a blade, a sword, or a bow? I wonder if my biological mother could forge a handgun when she comes back. I need to teach this cultivation world what adults mean when they say "times have changed."
Ah, having too many choices is truly a headache.
Immersed in the water, Feng Chenlie felt his body fluctuate wildly between burning heat and bone-chilling cold, his blood draining fast. Clutching the ring at his chest, he knew his master had expended immense soul force to help him escape, only to plunge back into a deep slumber. The mysterious pursuer might still be hunting for him; he couldn't afford to pass out!
Blinking through a blurred haze, he caught sight of an exquisite face looking down at him expressionlessly. A sudden flicker of joy flared in Feng Chenlie’s heart. It’s her! Yet accompanying that joy was a sense of weary familiarity. Of course. It’s always like this. Ever since he grew up, every life-or-death crisis ended in him turning misfortune into opportunity. From the mortal realm to the cultivation world, a peerlessly beautiful young woman would inevitably step forward to save his life. He had met Shui Ling'er in much the same way. Feng Chenlie thought to himself: She must be deeply in love with me, just like all those other women. She'll definitely rescue me. As his tension eased, the excruciating pain overwhelmed him. He stammered weakly, "Woman... save me."
Chu Yunmian: "............"
Very well, your dear father is about to grant you an early entry into Nirvana. A flash of disgust crossed her eyes, and she turned around to walk away. Feng Chenlie: "?"
Soaking in the pool, he vaguely caught the chatter of passing sword sect disciples nearby:
"The Sect Master's daughter has such a breathtaking face, but what a shame her mind is impaired."
"So what? Just looking at that face is enough to soothe any soul!"
...Is her intellect truly impaired? Dazed and delirious, Feng Chenlie considered this. A wave of deep tenderness surged in his heart, along with a bizarrely satisfying thrill of fulfilled dominance.
Hidden behind a tree, Chu Yunmian finally managed to select a weapon capable of granting the Dragon-Blooded Paragon a swift journey to the afterlife—a spirit bow! A surprise attack was far superior; she was in the shadows while he was in the open. Even if the guy managed to pull off some plot-armor cheat code to escape, it wouldn't spoil her next ambush. If she weren't keeping his absurd protagonist luck in mind, she would have walked right up and shoved a cold blade through his throat then and there!
Though the spirit bow in her hands appeared light and delicate, it felt surprisingly hefty. The riser was crafted from secret silver, etched with intricate floral patterns, while the string stretched across both ends shimmered with a tenacious, indigo radiance—clearly woven from some unknown heavenly treasure. Curiosity stirred in Chu Yunmian's heart. She instinctively channeled her spiritual energy and plucked the bowstring. Instantly, an arrow composed entirely of condensed spiritual energy materialized on the rest. She stared at her hand in dumbfounded silence for a moment before offering herself a bit of comfort: Since I’ve already transmigrated, what’s wrong with having a little golden finger? It's completely logical! After all, I’m basically in the same weight class as Sun Wukong.
With that thought in mind, she nocked the arrow and drew the bowstring back with both hands. The moment the bow reached full draw, Chu Yunmian locked her gaze onto the figure floating in the pool, picturing him as a target at an archery range. Sorry about this, but all human lives must eventually come to an end. Dying earlier or later makes no difference—so why not die a little earlier, Paragon?
A piercing ray of cold light tore through the air as the arrow shot forth, creating a sharp sonic boom. Swirling with wind, the arrow shot toward Feng Chenlie—only to be deflected by an unseen force, veering off its trajectory at the final second. Just as it was about to splash harmlessly into the water, a star flared with brilliant light for a fraction of a second high above in the cloud layer. The deflected angle was inexplicably dragged back by a few inches! The arrow grazed the side of the youth's neck, missing his throat by a hair's breadth.
Startled out of his wits, Feng Chenlie clumsily flipped over and clutched his bleeding neck. His pupils shrank to pinpricks, assuming his attacker had caught up to him. With bitter malice, he crushed the final defensive spirit artifact in his palm.
BOOM! Water from the Sword-Cleansing Pool exploded dozens of meters into the air. Paying a heavy price, the half-dead youth vanished once more. Amidst the turbulent ripples, a ring whose hanging cord had been sliced by the arrow tumbled down into the depths. Within the ring, the remnant soul that had been slumbering was abruptly jolted awake: "???"
He felt the ring drift downward along the current until, after an eternity, it settled deep in the muddy silt of a Lotus Pond. A giant white goose foraging for small snails in the Lotus Pond suddenly raised its bead-like eyes, let out three loud honks, and swallowed the ring in a single gulp. The remnant soul watched in horror as a Foundation Establishment Stage-tier spiritual goose devoured his sanctuary: "..."
Meanwhile, deep within the mountain forest, Feng Chenlie slumped against a tree trunk and vomited a mouthful of blood. Instinctively, he reached toward his chest, only to grasp empty air. The youth shuddered, frantically tearing open his robes, only to find a severed cord. The ring that had hung there was gone without a trace. His face turned ashen in an instant.
Grinding her teeth, Chu Yunmian stepped out from behind the tree. Just as she had expected, a protagonist's fortune wasn't something easily overcome by ordinary means. Sigh. With a whole family of cannon-fodder underdogs like us, our best bet is to lie low, cultivate in secret, and wait for better opportunities. Recalling how Feng Chenlie had managed to escape from Nascent Soul experts back in his Qi Refining stage in the original novel, Chu Yunmian was speechless. Good grief! That plot armor is way too overpowered!
As she grumbled internally, a familiar voice called out from behind her: "Mianmian."
Chu Yunmian turned to see her debonair father, the Sect Master, descending gracefully from the sky. He affectionately patted her head with doting warmth. Glancing at the scattered water droplets and bloodstains on the ground, Chu Anhuai frowned slightly and exchanged a silent look with the stewards behind him. Recognizing the command, they bowed and withdrew to track the intruder who had dared disturb the sword sect.
Turning back to his daughter, his eyes brimmed with overflowing paternal affection. "Why are you out here, Mianmian? Did you encounter any danger?"
Ah, his daughter was far too innocent and impossibly beautiful. As her father, he had to be painstakingly vigilant just to keep her safe from the world.
Having just narrowly failed an assassination attempt, Chu Yunmian shook her head.
[Dad looks so exhausted. That batch of secret realm resources must be giving him a massive headache... Sigh, my poor dad is such a soft-hearted pushover, constantly getting scammed and taking the blame for others. I wonder if the Second Elder and his clique have been caught yet.]
[Dad! Behind the Second Elder, there's an even bigger fish from the Profound Heaven Sect! I think he's called the Master of Crimson Sun Peak... Ah, it's been so long, my memory is getting fuzzy, QAQ.]
A brilliant gleam flashed in the depths of Chu Anhuai's eyes. Without altering his expression, he subtly dissipated the lingering scent of blood clinging to his Lifebound Spirit Sword. Looking down at his seemingly blank-faced yet adored daughter, he said gently, "Would you like to take a look at those secret realm resources I mentioned earlier? Pick out whatever catches your eye."
In truth, the blame had already been pinned firmly on the 'missing' Second Elder. Once the Qingfeng Sword Sect quietly pocketed the batch of resources, no one would ever be the wiser. On the other hand, the peak master from the Profound Heaven Sect who had reached his hands out too far would have to pay dearly for his covert greed. Did he truly think he could snatch the spoils right from under the Profound Heaven Sect's nose while forcing the Qingfeng Sword Sect to take the fall? Fearing that the Profound Heaven Sect might trace the clues back to Crimson Sun Peak, that fellow was likely even more desperate than the Qingfeng Sword Sect to erase every trace of evidence. A subtle smile touched the corners of Chu Anhuai's lips.
Hearing this, Chu Yunmian's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly, an avaricious gleam flickering in her gaze. And so, father and daughter—each firmly convinced that the other was an utter soft-hearted pushover—strolled away together in high spirits.