Chapter 30: A Roar for Justice (Not Really)

Bai Lingxiao let out a soft laugh, half her face illuminated by the firelight, appearing exceptionally gentle. "You have nothing to do with this; there is no need to involve yourself and get dragged into this for no reason."

"I say these things not to recruit you as allies, but merely..." Bai Lingxiao gave a bitter smile. "I just wanted to unburden myself."

If she had initially harbored thoughts of pulling Yun Zhao in to help her seek revenge, this outpouring had dispelled that notion. Hu Guichen was not only a master of profound cultivation but also the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect. She wasn't even sure if she could succeed in her vengeance; what right did she have to drag others down with her?

Gu Dinghan grew anxious. "Senior Sister, why are you backing out again? We had already agreed..." He left the rest of his sentence unsaid, but Yun Zhao had already guessed his meaning.

"So, your actions tonight were not to obtain the Dragon Saliva Grass, but to test our cultivation levels." Yun Zhao’s gaze turned cold. "Well? How was the test?"

Gu Dinghan offered a sheepish smile. "Junior Sister Yun, let’s not dwell on the past, shall we?"

Yun Zhao was speechless. Could something that happened less than an hour ago truly be called "the past"?

"Or perhaps it was a bit of both," Qi Yan said, peeling an orange and handing it to Yun Zhao. "When the first plan failed..."

"The second plan failed too," Yun Zhao added.

Gu Dinghan: "..." That stung!

Yun Zhao chuckled. "Although both your plans failed, I heard your story, and you drank my honey water—so, we are friends now."

"When a friend is in trouble, how can I not help?"

"Besides, we are righteous cultivators. Seeing injustice and... ahem, drawing our blades to help is our duty, is it not?" She turned to her companion. "Right, A-Yan?"

Qi Yan offered an enigmatic smile. "Right."

*Are you sure you’re a righteous cultivator?*

Yun Zhao remained composed: *I say you are, so you are.*

"I also have my own selfish motives," Yun Zhao said, resting her chin in her hand as she tilted her head toward Bai Lingxiao. "I’ve heard that Senior Sister Bai is the greatest genius in swordsmanship. I am a sword cultivator myself, and I hope Senior Sister Bai might offer me some guidance."

Bai Lingxiao smiled wryly. "Junior Sister Yun, stop joking. If you wanted to learn, you wouldn’t be lacking for masters, would you?"

"But I specifically want Senior Sister Bai to teach me." Yun Zhao did not allow for a refusal. "After the Sect Grand Competition, come back to the Azure Cloud Sect with me, Senior Sister."

"Senior Sister Bai and I hit it off immediately in the mystic realm. I’m sure Sect Leader Hu would agree to let you stay for a few days." Yun Zhao calculated silently: *This way, I can buy time to find a solution while preventing Hu Guichen from acting against her.*

Gu Dinghan’s eyes lit up. "Senior Sister, this is actually a pretty good idea."

"Meng Wenchang and I thought the same, but if Hu Guichen finds an excuse to refuse, our Master won't agree either."

But Yun Zhao was different. As a young girl and the darling of the Azure Cloud Sect, if she acted spoiled or stubborn to get Bai Lingxiao to go with her, Hu Guichen might just agree out of courtesy.

Meng Wenchang touched the tip of his nose. "If Gu Dinghan and I tried to act spoiled or stubborn, our Master would probably fold us into 'triple-star folding screens' out of pure annoyance."

That was the advantage of being a young woman. Gu Dinghan glanced inadvertently at Yun Zhao holding Bai Lingxiao's hand, feeling a sudden, deep regret that he wasn't a woman.

Bai Lingxiao lowered her eyes, deep in thought, but Yun Zhao didn't let her dwell on it.

"Senior Sister Bai, it will be dawn in two hours. That tent over there is for you all to rest. A-Yan and I are going to get some sleep." She yawned. "This night has been truly eventful; I’m exhausted."

With that, Yun Zhao pulled Qi Yan into the tent.

"A-Yan," Yun Zhao rubbed her eyes. "Are you tired? If you are, rest. If not, meditate for a while. I need to sleep."

"I'm not tired," Qi Yan said, finding a spot to sit. "You sleep; I'll keep watch."

Yun Zhao nodded vaguely and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Qi Yan sighed helplessly and tucked the blanket around her. *Is she really that tired?*

He brushed a stray lock of hair from Yun Zhao’s face and murmured, "Helping them... it can't just be out of simple kindness..."

"Why can't it be?" Yun Zhao opened her eyes suddenly, staring at him with round, clear eyes. "I am beautiful and kind-hearted; what's wrong with helping those in need?"

Qi Yan laughed softly. "Yes, yes, you are the most beautiful and kind-hearted."

Content, Yun Zhao closed her eyes again. In truth, Qi Yan was right—it wasn't just simple kindness. Yun Zhao pulled up the plot summary and read it word for word.

When she first transmigrated, she had been focused entirely on her mission, paying little attention to other plot points. But she vaguely remembered seeing that Bai Lingxiao had a connection to Qi Yan later in the story.

"Found it."

According to the plot, Bai Lingxiao failed in her assassination attempt on Hu Guichen and was nearly killed by him. She managed to escape, but due to severe injuries, she was left with little time to live.

At that time, Qi Yan, who had already become a minor leader among the demon race, had helped her out of convenience, shielding her from Hu Guichen's pursuit. Bai Lingxiao had wanted to gift him her "Sword Bone" as a token of gratitude before she died, but Qi Yan had refused.

*As if,* he would have thought. *I am a demon who has fallen into the path of evil; what would I do with the Sword Bone of a righteous cultivator?*

Righteous and evil were incompatible. If two conflicting powers were in his body, would he even survive? He had only saved Bai Lingxiao to cause trouble for the righteous sects; he didn't want the already formidable Hu Guichen to obtain the Sword Bone and become an even greater threat.

And there was another reason—he...

"Garbled code?" Yun Zhao was speechless. "System, are you glitching again?"

The system remained silent.

Yun Zhao had no choice but to skip it and read on: Qi Yan refused, settled Bai Lingxiao in a safe place, and left. By chance, Song Zhiyuan and Xue Hairui encountered Bai Lingxiao. They did a few favors for her, and in return, Bai Lingxiao split the Sword Bone in two, giving them each a piece.

*Well, how should I put this?* After all that, Qi Yan still ended up with strong rivals—two of them! *What an unlucky kid.*

Yun Zhao complained silently. Regardless, even if just to prevent the male and female leads from obtaining the Sword Bone, she had to help Bai Lingxiao.

The next morning, Mu Qianqian woke up feeling unusually refreshed, not having dreamt at all. But when she saw Yun Zhao and the others sitting together eating breakfast outside the tent, she felt as if she were still dreaming.

Why on earth were Bai Lingxiao and her two companions sitting with Yun Zhao? She must still be dreaming. Definitely!

"Ouch—" Shuang Yue clutched her forehead, eyes welling with tears. "Senior Sister, why did you stop so suddenly?"

Mu Qianqian ignored her, rubbing her own forehead while muttering, "It hurts... I'm not dreaming."

Shuang Yue: "?"

Hearing the commotion, Yun Zhao walked over. "Senior Sisters, you're awake? Come have some breakfast."

Mu Qianqian grabbed Yun Zhao’s hand. "Zhao, what is going on here?"

Knowing exactly what she wanted to ask, Yun Zhao spread her hands. "Just what you see."

So, overnight, former enemies had turned into friends?!