Chapter 9: 9: The Wheel of Fate Turns—This Sovereign Is Quite Awesome
Chapter 9: 9: The Wheel of Fate Turns—This Sovereign Is Quite Awesome
The book was speaking. It possessed a bizarre, unidentifiable accent that set Chu Yunmian’s teeth on edge. Her immediate instinct was to hurl the thing across the room. She snatched her longbow from her white jade hairpin and scrambled toward the door, watching the object with narrowed, suspicious eyes. Just a heartbeat before it struck the floor, the tome lurched upward, hovering in mid-air. "Now, now, don't be so jumpy," it said. Its pages fluttered like wings, snapping back and forth with rhythmic precision. "I am the Abyssal Profound Compendium."
Chu Yunmian stared, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. The Abyssal Profound Compendium? That was supposed to be Feng Aotian’s legendary cheat item. What on earth was it doing inside a Sumeru Mustard Pouch belonging to the Qingfeng Sword Sect? The book continued, its voice regaining a measure of practiced calm. "I awoke within a secret realm and remained sealed within your esteemed sect’s treasury until I finally found an opening to seek my own path to survival."
Chu Yunmian’s breath hitched. She vaguely recalled the original plot; the Compendium had been snatched by Feng Aotian from a disciple of a major sect during her Foundation Establishment Stage Stage Stage stage. That disciple had been... right, the grandson of a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Profound Heaven Sect. This must have been part of the same haul of spoils. The wheels of fate were spinning indeed, turning round and round without pause. "Nurtured by the heavens, I observe the shifting tides of the cosmos and unravel the mysteries of the ages. I am truly a peerless treasure," the book boasted. Chu Yunmian frowned. Why did it sound so... surreal? The flavor of its speech was utterly bizarre. "Chu Yunmian," the book declared, "you have been chosen. You are destined to be favored by the mandate of heaven. Quickly, drip your blood upon me." "Absolutely not," she muttered. Who in their right mind would sign a blood pact with something this ominous? As she recited silent protests, she noticed the book was bobbing up and down, making it a difficult target for her bow. She switched tactics, drawing a spirit blade from her white jade hairpin. The blade was short and razor-sharp, with a cold, glistening sheen. Aside from looking suspiciously like a kitchen knife, it was flawless. She gripped the kitchen knife—no, the spirit blade—across her chest, making experimental slashing gestures as she watched the book with wary anticipation. As far as she knew, the Abyssal Profound Compendium was the ultimate encyclopedia of the cultivation world, but that was when it was in Feng Aotian’s hands. If it fell to a cannon-fodder character like her, would it come with some sort of bad luck debuff? Besides, the version in the novel was dry and rigid, a mere Q&A machine. This thing had a personality that was far too eccentric. Her rejection was glaringly obvious, and the Abyssal Profound Compendium instantly lost its composure. If it went another month without a master’s spiritual energy to nourish it, its consciousness would dissipate entirely! It didn't matter what kind of trickery it had to resort to; it had to find a master today. "Do you not wish to possess an all-knowing treasure?" it blurted out. "It’s me! I'm right here!"
Chu Yunmian shook her head with supreme indifference. The book flipped frantically, trying to sell itself. "Observing the shifting tides of the cosmos, solving the mysteries of past and present..."
Chu Yunmian had already taken a step across the threshold to leave. The Compendium panicked. Realizing time was running out, it lunged forward with a tearful wail, colliding with the girl and binding itself to her in a master-servant contract. It felt a profound sense of humiliation. As a celestial spiritual treasure, it had once bound human cultivators as its slaves! When had it ever fallen to such a pathetic state? Chu Yunmian froze. Since when did books resort to forced sales? "You’ve gained an immense bargain," the Compendium whimpered, "yet you still treat me with such disdain."
Only then did Chu Yunmian realize she could communicate with the contraption in her mind. "I never asked for this bargain!" she snapped. "Who would dare sign a contract with a weird thing like you?"
The Abyssal Profound Compendium sensed its new master’s fortune and nearly burst into tears. "You people..." "What about me?" she asked. The book’s voice trembled. "I have lived for tens of thousands of years. I have witnessed countless cultivators and even contracted ten people of great destiny."
Chu Yunmian rolled her eyes. "And so?" "I have never seen anyone like you..."
She lowered her kitchen knife and sat at the table, gulping down a cup of tea. She shoved her little treasury back into the Sumeru Mustard Pouch and chuckled inwardly. 'Never seen anyone with fortune as heaven-defying as mine, right? I am a reincarnated star spirit, after all. I should keep a low profile.'
The Abyssal Profound Compendium flopped onto the table, its voice reeking of existential despair. "Even a stray dog in the Canghai World possesses more destiny than you. How can you have absolutely none at all?"
Chu Yunmian’s smile vanished. "Excuse me?"
She yanked the book up. "Is this thing broken? I am the daughter of the Qingfeng Sword Sect Leader! How could I have zero destiny?"
The cover flapped weakly. "I might as well let my consciousness dissipate... I’ve lived too long to suffer such torment."
It sounded as though it had been forced into a life of infamy. Chu Yunmian composed herself. "Fine. Let’s just break the contract right now."
The book bolted upright, suddenly ingratiating. "Darling! Don't be so cold! As they say, after extreme misfortune comes great fortune. Perhaps having no destiny is a heaven-defying destiny in itself!" "Why does your tone change every second?" she asked. The book rubbed its pages against her fingertips, reverting to a solemn, aged tone. "Ah, I’ve contracted too many cultivators. Their temperaments inevitably rubbed off on me."
This book’s brain was definitely malfunctioning. Chu Yunmian made her verdict and slapped it flat onto the table. Crack—the fissures on the jade tabletop widened, and the table wobbled. The Compendium cautiously slid away from her hands. "Let’s give you a name," she said. "I’ll call you Little Mirror!" "Little what?"
Before the dawn’s light had fully spilled over the peaks of the Qingfeng Sword Sect, a rap sounded at her door. "Senior Sister, time to wake up."
The youth’s voice was crisp, carrying a trace of curiosity. Chu Yunmian buried her head in her blankets, wanting to doze. Then it hit her. Senior Sister? There was only one person who would call her that. It was the lunatic grand boss, the villain of all three books—her junior brother, Xie Xuan! She jolted upright, but the sudden movement left her dizzy. She collapsed back onto the bed. The knocking sounded again. "Senior Sister, Master told me to take you to Tianshui Hall to meet an instructor. Everyone is already in class!"
Dragging herself up with a sense of dread, she tidied herself, tucked the sulking Little Mirror into her robes, and shoved the door open. The youth outside flashed a smile. He was handsome, with eyebrows like brushed lacquer and eyes that tilted upward, though his sharp features stripped away any hint of a seductive vibe. Bathed in the dawn light, his elegance was breathtaking. However, that wasn't what caught her eye. Chu Yunmian was nearly blinded by the radiant golden glow emitting from him. Xie Xuan was clad in a golden dragon-patterned brocade robe, a jade-inlaid silk sash, and gilded tassels. Enormous pearls on his crown gleamed with brilliance, and strings of imperial ornaments hung across his chest. He was sparkling from head to toe, as if he had plastered himself with the words: I! Am! Rich!",
"quality_score": 95
}