Mu Li was in a state of mild panic, and QiQi, although well-intentioned, was only adding to the mess of thoughts in her head.
[QiQi: Host, would you like to receive the character memories?]
[Mu Li: ... Yes.]
[QiQi: Memories transferred, enjoy!]
Mu Li flinched as a barrage of scenes surfaced suddenly in her mind.
Mu RongXue was raised on Mei Hua Peak with her shifu, Mu YangXi. Mu YangXi was always very kind to her, but she couldn't help as people chattered about the Sect Master's true intentions for adopting a random child left at the gates of Qing Tang. She didn't understand why the other people disliked her but very soon she learned that the only way to shut them up was with actions.
They said she was just some dumb kid with a good spiritual root, so she started to dedicate herself to memorizing manuals and any scroll she could get her hands on.
They said she was naïve and not serious enough, so she kept her emotions guarded and strictly obeyed the sect rules.
They said she was not strong enough to succeed the Sect Master, so she cultivated and practiced sword arts like her life depended on it.
By the time she was twelve, she'd already reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment and earned the nickname "Snow (1) Princess". Mu RongXue became greatly admired by her fellow disciples and was revered by all her fellow cultivators as a genius.
Mu YangXi always doted on her, giving her only the best and personally taught and oversaw all her training. He saw how hard Mu RongXue was on herself and didn't know how else to treat such a disciplined and serious child, so he decided to support the child in everything she pursued with all he had. Mu RongXue grew up with only the highest quality goods. It was no lie to say she grew up pampered.
Mu Li clenched her fists, hidden now by the long sleeves of her light blue robe, and broke out in a cold sweat, "Wait a minuet, Mu RongXue?! This is Mu RongXue's body?! The main villainess of that web novel 《 Demon Fire Cultivator 》?! Which god did I piss off to land myself in this shitty role?!"
While she remained emotionless on the outside, her heart was now racing and her mind a mess. "B-but... Mu RongXue died in such a horrible way in the novel!"
< "How did you get in here?!" Mu RongXue spat, eyes cold as she glared at Yu TianMin.
"You're still as breathtakingly beautiful... and as poisonous as ever, shijie (2)," the taller female quipped, voice laced with sarcasm, "Your disciples aren't as good as people say they are. Anyone could come strolling in here. You should be more careful, or those looks of your's might lead to unwelcome company."
Mu RongXue snap closed the blue fan covering her face, "What buissiness do you have on my Mei Hua Peak," she asked coldly, not letting any emotion leak into her words, her stone cold black eyes glinting blue in the pale moonlight.
Yu TianMin ignored the other and smiled coldly, "You know, I've always really loved your eyes, shijie. If only they were a bit warmer I wouldn't mind keeping them." >
— Excerpt from《 Demon Fire Cultivator 》
"After that, Yu TianMin cut Mu RongXue's eyes out, gutted her, and made her body into a puppet, trapping Mu RongXue's soul and making her suffer forever!" Mu Li felt a bit faint, even if she couldn't return back to her world, she didn't want to die like this!
"Xue-er, if you are feeling unwell, shifu will go on his own, you should go back and rest."
Mu Li, now Mu RongXue, looked up at the concerned male in front of her. Mu YangXi's eyebrows were furrowed as he placed a hand on his spatial bag, as if tempted to take out an emperor grade healing pill and force Mu RongXue to consume it as soon as she replied. He was worried about this child who just doesn't know when to speak up.
Mu RongXue stared at her shifu blankly. Although he was already a few centuries old, Mu YangXi looked young enough to be her older brother. Ah, the benefits of being a cultivator.
Mu RongXue tried to recall her more recent memories. It's already been five months since Yu TianMin came to Mei Hua Peak. During the first two months, Mu RongXue had ignored her like the rest of her fellow disciples, mostly out of disinterest. However, due to a small incident on a mission with the protagonist three months ago when the protagonist began to show her skills, Mu RongXue lost face and she's been starting to slight Yu TianMin ever since. This instigated the other disciples, who were eager to please Mu RongXue and get on her good side, to bully the protagonist relentlessly.
Mu RongXue furrowed her brows slightly, if she remembered correctly, there should be an event that occurs while Mu YangXi and Mu RongXue are out of the sect.
[Mu RongXue: QiQi, does something important happen today?]
[QiQi: Emm... That I don't know~ Would you like to activate "Plot Analyzer" to access information on events?]
[Mu RongXue: Yes.]
[QiQi: Occurring event: Protagonist is beat up and bitten by centipede that impedes cultivation]
[Mu RongXue: ... Occurring?! As in right now?!]
[QiQi: ... En (3).]
Mu RongXue paled as she recalled the event. It was a chilly day in early spring. Yu TianMin, who was forced to sleep in the shed, was really cold and decided to seek out some extra grass for bedding. She was caught by some disciples and unjustly accused of destroying property. Yu TianMin, finally having enough of these people, lashed out using her spiritual energy directly to burn one disciple and angering the others. The disciples all ganged up on her and she was bitten by a centipede that one of the disciples trained. The poison of said centipede slows down the speed of cultivation by 3 times, which was only cured later on when Yu TianMin found the right type of spirit flower five chapters later. After getting sick of beating her up, the group of disciples left the protagonist, half dead and to her own devices. The Sect Master, out on a mission with Mu RongXue at the time, did not hear about the event, and so the protagonist never got justice.
"But that's not the important part!" Mu RongXue thought anxiously, "The important part is that this trigger event is what causes Yu TianMin to start hating this sect and start plotting revenge! No! I don't want to die!"
Mu RongXue's mind raced, she hated that she couldn't jump back to the peak right now and shield the protagonist. Unfortunately, she still had a character to maintain. She bowed her head slightly, as if embarrassed, "...Shifu"
Mu YangXi's brows furrowed in concern, "What is it Xue-er?"
"Truth be told, this disciple (4) isn't feeling the best... Many apologies but may this useless disciple be exempt from this mission and return to Mei Hua Peak to recover?" she asked in a small voice, bowing deeply. Thank heavens she had joined the drama club to fill her art credits, otherwise she doesn't know how horrible her acting might've been.
Mu YangXi heart wrenched at the sight of the daughter he doted on acting so meek when normally she would wear her pride like a crown. It was hard to notice but she was covered in sweat, her normally calm expression looked troubled, and her face was paler than usual. Ai (5), this child was too uptight! She should have spoken up before!
"What 'useless disciple'? Do not say that about yourself! Saying that is like slandering me as your father and as your teacher. You shouldn't have pushed yourself so far, Xue-er. Go back and rest, do you need me to take you?" Mu YangXi chastised gently.
Mu RongXue inwardly let out a breath of relief. Ah, being doted on by the sect master was truly the best!
"Xue-er did not mean to slander father. Xue-er will go back alone." Mu RongXue said, lifting her head and giving a strained smile.
Mu YangXi's heart melted, "This child definitely knows she can always get what she wants when she calls me 'father'... But it's not like I'll stop her."
"Alright, be careful."
"Thank you, father," Mu RongXue said bowing. She turned around and slowly made her way back through the mist. When she knew she was out of sight, she practically flew back up Mei Hua mountain.
Just as she stepped back into the gates of Mei Hua Peak, she was stopped. A male disciple, Ye Zhen, bowed and clasped his hands (6) when he spotted her, "Greetings to dashijie (7)." Mu RongXue slowed to a stop in front of him and snapped open her light blue fan, holding it close to her face. She nodded uncaringly in response to the greeting, her eyes drifting from him and focusing on something else in the distance looking as if she were about to leave.
"If I may be so forward, I heard dashijie and shizun had just departed on a mission... Why is dashijie here?" Ye Zhen asked meekly, although he was intimidated by the top disciple, it was rare that she would ever be alone. He could only steel his nerves and use this opportunity to try building some bridges with the notoriously cold person.
Mu RongXue wanted to cry. What was she to say? "Your dashijie has come back to try and save Yu TianMin, for she is actually the protagonist you see, so that she will not kill me for revenge in the future," she thought hysterically.
Mu RongXue's gaze focused on Ye Zhen, drilling into him in an accusatory and condemning manner, her sharp dark eyes flashing a dark blue as it became more severe. Ye Zhen suddenly found it very difficult to meet her freezing look. The temperature around him dropped a bit and he shivered.
It seemed as if hours had passed before the nerve-wracking silence was broken as the Mu RongXue. She turned away from the other disciple, saying "That kid... Yu TianMin. Find her and bring her to my pavilion."
That's right, when you can't answer a question, ignore it. It wasn't as if the other disciple had enough authority to question her in the first place. Mu RongXue mentally gave herself a pat on the back for he quick thinking.
Ye Zhen, who had barely heard Mu RongXue say anything other than 'En' before, was so shocked by the fact that she had spoken more than three words, and in addition to that, even made a request of him, that he didn't think twice before nodding vigorously and running off to find the child he saw getting beat up only moments before.
Mu RongXue watched as the other leave and let out a sigh of relief and frustration. "Fuck! That was close! I didn't think anyone would catch me as soon as I entered the gates! Was that shidi (8) waiting to ambush me or something? Now I can't even act like I just happened to pass by the protagonist, I have to see her directly. I'm almost amazed at the amount of pits I can dig for myself in a few minuets."
With an unwilling heart, she turned towards the direction of the Winter Pavilion, where she'd asked the protagonist be brought.
[Mu RongXue: QiQi?]
[QiQi: Here! (。･ω･｡)ﾉ ]
[Mu RongXue: Is there a function that can alert me when people approach?]
[QiQi: Em, no but I can just tell you when I sense someone in your vicinity~]
[Mu RongXue: Okay Xiao (9) Qi, I'm counting on you!]
[QiQi: QiQi won't let you down!ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ ]
Mu RongXue smiled under her fan at her little system and quickly made her way to her pavilion. Winter Pavilion was truly worthy of it's name, no matter what season it was, the area always looked like it was covered in snow.
Mu RongXue did not live with the other disciples in the communal dormitory, instead, her ever-doting shifu had a small house built separately for her on a part of the mountain closer to him. It was a decently sized, raised, white wooden house.
The house was very clean looking, there was a large window with thin white curtains that would sway gently whenever wind blew past. To the right of the house was a small pond of clear water, the bottom of the pond lined with spirit stones. The house was half covered by the shade of a large, white winter tree, the petals of the winter flowers occasionally drifting down like an illusion of snow, and falling into the lake, creating delicate ripples on the surface before melting away into the water.
Surrounding the house was a meadow of small white flowers that covered the ground completely. The main path, made of large flat stepping stones, led into the house while another path diverged from it leading to a tea table and chair crafted out out of white jade. On the table was a tea set for two and a half finished game of 'Go' she had been playing with her shifu a while ago.
Mu RongXue strolled over to the winter tree, placed one hand on the white trunk, and sighed. She was truly being spoiled by Mu YangXi.
Although the small house looked plain, it was actually crafted out of holy wood, it costs a fortune just to buy one block and Mu YangXi made a house out of it. The spirit stones that lined the pond were all mid or high grade, filling the water in the lake with concentrated energy and ridding it of impurities. The winter tree was also a legendary type of plant. The tree is acts an incubator for various legendary animals and is therefore sentient on a very minuscule level, making it very picky with who it will bloom for. It's flowers are an essential ingredient for high grade ice attribute cultivation pills and is highly sought after.
She was truly living an easy and lavish life in this world...
Mu RongXue pushed open the entrance and looked at her surroundings with an unnatural sense of familiarity. Although she remembered everything about this place, she'd never been here before.
The room itself was furnished simply. On the right wall was a huge bookcase filled with all sorts of cultivation manuals and jade slips. There was a large bed against the left wall that was separated from the rest of the room by a white curtain. Across from the doorway and towards the bookcase was a stone table and chair under a small window. On it's left a thin, open closet with a few sets of white, light blue, and indigo robes. To the right of the doorway was a large window with white curtains, and further to the right, towards the bed, was simple wooden desk and chair, on it were ink brushes of various sizes and random books strewn about.
Mu RongXue slowly made her way to the stone table and sat down, carefully taking in her surroundings. She placed her fan down besides her, always ready to pick it up, and felt the bottom of the silver teapot. Realizing it was still warm, she poured herself a cup of flower tea to relax. Mu RongXue sipped on the tea gazed out of the small window, as she tried to settle her nerves and prepare for the upcoming battle. Not a few minuets had passed before she heard the electronic voice of QiQi ring through her head.
[QiQi: Host! Two people are approaching Winter Pavilion!]
Mu RongXue already knew who they were but couldn't help asking; [Who?]
[QiQi: The protagonist and the seventh disciple, Ye Zhen]
Mu RongXue could only think, "Ah, so that was his name," as she put down her cup of tea and opened her fan to cover the lower half of her face.
Sooner than she would've liked, the two entered.
—✿✿✿—
The author has something to say:
Author: Em, Xiao Xue is truly spoiled, it's no surprise she turned out this way
Mu RongXue: I deserve to live a good life considering the hell I go through every day because of you.
Author: ^^;; I guess you're right...
Footnotes:
(1): Snow Princess is a reference to Mu RongXue's cold attitude along with her name: (木溶雪) "雪" meaning snow
(2): Senior sister; referring to a fellow disciple
(3): Sound of approval; similar to "yes" or "okay"
(4): It's normal to refer to oneself in the third person to show a difference in status; used in a humble way
(5): Similar to a sigh
(6): A respectful way of greeting where one hand is formed into a fist and is covered by the other hand
(7): Eldest senior sister; referring to a fellow disciple
(8): Junior brother; referring to a fellow disciple
(9): Little; can be used as a term of endearment or nickname