Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Rong Shu Who Died Five Years Ago

In the empty room, Yu Ruan Ruan stared at the dusty string of Ancient Beads on her wrist and snapped in a near-mad whisper: “What exactly is going on? Why did Rong Shu appear at Heaven’s Evolution Sect’s entrance trial? Didn’t you say you had already dealt with Rong Shu?”

Clearly a person who died five years ago had no business standing perfectly fine before her five years later.

An androgynous voice sounded in Yu Ruan Ruan’s mind: [Don’t panic.]

Biting her lip, Yu Ruan Ruan argued in a low voice: “How am I supposed to stay calm? Rong Shu still made it to Heaven’s Evolution Sect, Master even accepted her as a disciple, and even her spiritual roots…” These five years had almost allowed Yu Ruan Ruan to forget that everything she currently possessed had been stolen.

She lowered her voice, a trace of panic breaking through: “Also, you told me to let Rong Shu enter Master’s tutelage. Are you sure that won’t backfire?”

Unable to blame the one who gave the idea, the System, Yu Ruan Ruan pushed all the fault onto Rong Shu instead. All of this was Rong Shu’s fault; why did she still come to Heaven’s Evolution Sect?

The voice in her mind remained indifferent: [Relax. With me here, even though I do not yet understand why Rong Shu is alive, the karmic fortune clinging to her is becoming difficult to read. Keep her close and you can make better use of her.]

At that, Yu Ruan Ruan slowly calmed. Right, she had the System behind her.

Even so, unease lingered as she asked softly: “When we interact in the days to come, will Master end up liking Rong Shu? After all, Rong Shu, she…”

The voice prodded her with cool amusement: [You have schemed for five years. Do you truly have no confidence in your own charm?]

“Of course not,” Yu Ruan Ruan said as she lifted a hand to stroke her pure, winsome face.

The voice continued its guidance: [Find a way to get close to Rong Shu and win her favor; it will be easier to seize her karmic fortune that way.] [Someone who never grows and then loses her fortune again will, in the end, be at your mercy.]

Yu Ruan Ruan drew a deep breath, a glimmer of greed and heat flashing in her eyes as she answered: “I understand.” She was only a dual-root good-for-nothing anyway; so much karmic fortune was wasted on her and would be better put to use by Yu Ruan Ruan.

Thinking along those lines, Yu Ruan Ruan immediately felt justified.

Meanwhile, after receiving the new-entrant benefits, Rong Shu ate her fill at the dining hall, then rode a Red-crowned Cinnabar Crane back to the courtyard at Limitless Peak.

A stranger stood in the yard wearing the garb of a registered disciple. At his feet sat a travel bundle that Rong Shu recognized at a glance as her own.

Seeing Rong Shu enter, the man’s expression warmed like a spring breeze as he saluted: “Greetings, junior sister.”

With an easy smile he introduced himself: “I am a registered disciple under Immortal Venerable Ze Yu of Limitless Peak. My name is Fang Ren. I have been in the sect for ten years and am at the fifth layer of Qi Refining.”

Rong Shu set down the bundle in her hand and returned the salute: “I have met Senior Brother Fang Ren; I am Rong Shu.”

Pointing to the travel bundle at his feet, Fang Ren said with courtesy: “Junior sister, this is the bundle you left with the new disciples’ office. You may check it over to see if anything is missing.”

Right in front of Fang Ren, Rong Shu untied the bundle and inspected its contents. It held a few changes of clothing, bedding and a pillow, and a small pouch of silver and copper coins—things she had brought for the entrance trial. They were all very ordinary items, so she was not worried about Fang Ren seeing them.

After checking, Rong Shu nodded to Fang Ren: “Thank you, senior brother. Not a single item is missing.”

Fang Ren added with consideration: “Since junior sister has not yet begun Big, I specially went to the outer sect dining hall and collected three days’ worth of grain for you. I have already placed it in the small kitchen.”

At Heaven’s Evolution Sect, the outer sect dining hall provides new entrants with one month of free meals; after that, payment is required.

Rong Shu took out a single Spirit Stone from her bundle and offered it to Fang Ren: “This is a small meeting gift from your junior sister. Please accept it, senior brother.”

At the sight of the Spirit Stone, Fang Ren’s smile grew more genuine as he accepted it: “From today we are fellow disciples. Junior sister has just entered the sect and already become a personal disciple, with boundless prospects. If there is anything you need help with, just say the word.”

“With those words from senior brother, I am relieved,” Rong Shu replied.

After Fang Ren left, Rong Shu carried everything into the house. It was spotless inside, saving her the time of cleaning. The interior was divided into three parts: a main hall, a bedchamber, and a cultivation room.

By now, dusk had fallen. In the cultivation room, Rong Shu lit a candle, then sat upon the meditation mat. Beside her she set a white porcelain bottle filled with Qi Induction Pills and two jade slips.

She picked up one of the jade slips and lightly pressed it to her forehead. The contents of the Basic Introductory Qi Induction method immediately unfurled within her mind. Even with mental preparation, Rong Shu could not help but sigh at the convenience; it spared her the trouble of memorization, and with a mere nudge of thought the mnemonic verses of Qi Induction surfaced in her mind at once.