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Chapter 37: Tracer (Part 1)
The rain in Penglai has been drizzling for ten days.
Raindrops fall from the eaves, forming a line that reflects in the boy’s dark pupils.
This young man was facing and sitting by the window with the corners of his mouth slightly curved. However, his eyes were lazy and vacant, as if he had no interest in the world around him.
He sensed something and suddenly reached for an overturned mirror on the dressing table beside him, holding it up to his face.
The inconspicuous bronze mirror indeed emitted waves of spiritual energy. This was the “Light Retracing Mirror” that Lu You had exchanged from the system, which usually disguised itself as a mirror and was hidden among various cosmetics. But as the demon king’s power gradually recovered, his perception of spiritual energy became increasingly sharp, and this minor anomaly was detected.
Lu You was naïve to the ways of the world, and Xie Yuzhen was always secretly clearing away various dangers for her. Now that the mirror was in his hands, being coldly scrutinized, if it were some cursed object someone else had given her, it would silently be crushed by him.
However, Xie Yuzhen’s gaze sharpened.
Lu You had just used the Light Retracing Mirror not long ago; the mirror pointed toward Penglai, tracing Xu Qianyu’s aura, and had not yet been retracted. At that moment, the mirror’s surface unexpectedly displayed an image:
An old man with an immortal demeanor was staring in astonishment toward the door of the lecture hall, where several young children in white robes sat in front of jade tables, whispering to each other due to the disorder.
Xie Yuzhen’s gaze fixed on a brilliant splash of color approaching.
She wore a dark green top with a golden-embroidered skirt, her face like floating snow, with a red dot on her forehead. The girl glanced around with an indifferent expression, ignoring the buzzing of the children, and sat down directly in the center of the front row.
Xie Yuzhen flipped through the mirror again, confirming that the image was indeed being projected by this mirror, not an illusion or figment of his imagination. He noticed that the disciples wore white robes adorned with a dark pattern of lotus flowers, identical to the ones printed on the drapes fluttering beside him.
The scene was taking place within the boundaries of Penglai.
Why was she here?
How could she be here?
As Xie Yuzhen continued to observe, it seemed that her presence had stirred public anger; the old Taoist was coming down with his scroll, reproaching her, while several inquisitive children behind him stood up to get a better look.
The girl’s back was steady as she sat, her hair styled in a cloud-like bun that swayed with her movements, easily imagining her lifting her chin while speaking, exuding an air of superiority.
Who else could it be but Xu Qianyu?
Xie Yuzhen slightly curled his lips, his gaze not leaving the mirror, revealing an odd expression in his glassy eyes—neither surprise nor mockery.
He had thought she would be devoured by those demons in the temple, but it seemed she had survived after all.
Could it be that day, like Lu You, she encountered a fortuitous event and was taken to Penglai?
It seemed that there had indeed been an extraordinary woman in the temple that day, likely affiliated with the cultivator who had attacked him. That cultivator had wielded a sword against him while she rescued Xu Qianyu and brought her to Penglai.
Suddenly, the mirror slipped from his hand.
Xie Yuzhen turned around, and someone had taken the mirror. The girl before him wore a flowing white gauze dress, embroidered with a pale yellow crescent moon and a jade rabbit. She looked like a celestial maiden from the moon palace, smiling at him with crescent-shaped eyes: “Yuzhen, why are you playing with my mirror?”
Xie Yuzhen looked at her and reached out: “Give it to me.”
“This mirror was a magic tool gifted to me by Elder Xiao. It has some spiritual energy and can reflect the surroundings of Penglai; it helps me familiarize myself with the environment. Don’t worry, it’s not a dangerous object.” Lu You had already hidden the mirror behind her, opening the panel while anxiously asking the system, “How did he find out about the Light Retracing Mirror? He wouldn’t have discovered my identity, would he?”
Although Xie Yuzhen softened his expression after hearing her explanation, the cold and harsh look on his face when she took the mirror still made her feel uneasy.
The system responded: “Xie Yuzhen’s favorability has not decreased.”
Lu You secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She should have managed to deflect it.
Lu You placed the Light Retracing Mirror back among the clutter on the dressing table and grabbed the young man’s wrist: “Come on, I have something to show you.”
Xie Yuzhen let her pull him into the hall.
On the small table lay several exquisite dishes surrounding a slightly larger rose-flavored milk cake, topped with a crooked sparkler.
“Today is your birthday; let’s celebrate it together, okay?”
Lu You tilted her head, looking at him shyly, her eyes reflecting the morning star.
Celebrating the lonely demon king’s birthday was an important part of winning his affection, and this time, there was a significant chance to increase his favorability.
“Sure,” Xie Yuzhen smiled, blooming like spring flowers. He reached out to touch the tip of the sparkler, instantly igniting dazzling sparks that illuminated his dark pupils.
His eyes held no joy, only a hint of childlike curiosity.
He was not afraid of fire, even reaching out to touch the sparks as if tenderly caressing a flower petal, slowly retracting his hand after a moment.
Today was not actually his birthday.
He had made up the date when speaking to Lu You, not expecting her to take it seriously and remember this day.
He didn’t even know when his actual birthday was because he was not “born” in the human sense; instead, he emerged from a piece of a cultivator’s tailbone, gaining consciousness from chaos. No one had ever celebrated his birthday for him. This was his first time.
Xie Yuzhen looked at Lu You with a softer gaze, trying to remember her face. This girl was his only connection to the world. Lu You clasped her hands together, smiling in the glow: “Yuzhen, make a wish.”
As she spoke, she closed her beautiful eyes, her lips curling into a smile.
“Bang bang bang—”
The warm atmosphere was suddenly broken by a knock at the door.
Lu You opened her eyes, confused, turning back as a voice called from outside: “Is Miss Lu there?”
Why was Elder Xiao here at this time? Lu You felt a surge of anxiety in her heart, but she heard a soft laugh beside her: “Go open the door.”
When she turned back, Xie Yuzhen and the table full of food and cake had vanished outside the window.
The window was half-open, and the rain outside had soaked part of the window frame. The room was somewhat cold, leaving only traces of the girl living there.
Xie Yuzhen had always been lurking in the shadows to protect her. He appeared only when she needed him, not letting others notice, making things easier for her.
Lu You sat still for a moment, letting out a breath, then quickly went to the dressing table to tidy her hair. She wiped away the lipstick she had applied for Xie Yuzhen and switched to a lighter lip color, preparing to open the door for Elder Xiao when her heart sank.
The mirror she had placed among the blushes was gone.
She looked out the window, feeling quite flustered: Did Xie Yuzhen take the mirror with him when he left? Hadn’t she appeased him enough by celebrating his birthday earlier? Did he still have doubts?
Lu You asked the system, “What should I do? Can I prevent him from seeing the content of the mirror?”
Xie Yuzhen was too intelligent; she feared that he might figure out how to use the mirror or command it to show him her true identity or her interactions with others. That would be disastrous.
“It’s possible,” the system replied in a mechanical voice. “Items in the shop can be ‘deleted,’ but once deleted, no points will be refunded. If you need to use it again next time, you will have to repurchase it.”
That would be such a waste of points.
But Elder Xiao Changqing’s knocking at the door interrupted her thoughts. In the chaos, Lu You pressed her temples and thought for a moment before saying, “Delete it.”
After all, Xie Yuzhen was her most important task, and for safety’s sake, it was best to be cautious. Points could be earned again later.
The door opened.
Elder Xiao Changqing from Penglai appeared to be in his thirties, wearing a blue Daoist robe. He was tall and slender, with sharp Phoenix eyes that held a hint of cold arrogance. He resembled the cranes he loved, exuding an air of grace, untouched by the mundane world.
However, upon seeing Lu You, he surprisingly smiled and nodded, his eyes warming slightly.
Lu You welcomed him inside, feeling anxious.
This life’s plot had changed so much that she had completely lost her reference points.
Not long ago, while she was shopping in the market with her senior brother Li Qingyuan, who had always supported her, they were ambushed by demons. The scene was chaotic; Li Qingyuan swiftly picked her up and placed her on the back of a spiritual crane, using a talisman to command the crane to flee while he stayed behind to deal with the demons.
But as soon as she sat on the crane, the system alerted her that this crane was not ordinary. It possessed intelligence and was a mount of a certain elder from Penglai, capable of communication.
After hearing this, Lu You stroked the crane’s feathers and, using her “animal healing” ability, coaxed the frightened crane to turn back and return to the market to save Li Qingyuan.
If something happened, Xie Yuzhen would come to her aid. For the sake of her reputation in Penglai, she couldn’t leave her senior brother behind. If the crane saw her violating the female lead’s image of kindness and resilience, it would lead to future troubles.
However, the two demons were ferocious, and Li Qingyuan was struggling alone. By the time she arrived, he was already lying in a pool of blood, unable to speak, tears in his eyes as he looked at her.
She cried out and grabbed Li Qingyuan’s hand. Suddenly, he held her hand tightly, and she felt a surge of energy flowing into her body.
He knew his time was short and was transferring all his spiritual power to her!
As the warm current circulated through her body, Lu You felt her spiritual pool heating up and had a bad premonition. Sure enough—heaven struck with a loud thunder, and a white rainbow descended, enveloping her in a beam of light, illuminating the world as bright as day. Everyone in the market screamed in chaos.
Li Qingyuan’s actions triggered her spiritual root awakening.
Lu You remembered that in her first attempt, her first spiritual root had awakened during a crisis when Xu Qianyu publicly questioned her and struck down in front of everyone in Penglai.
It had been an excellent moment of vindication, resulting in a sudden surge of over a thousand points.
Moreover, at that time, her third senior brother, Shen Suwei, had protected her, opening up the hidden task line for her targets, making it a win-win situation.
But this time…
She had awakened her spiritual root in a market where no one recognized her?
Yet this awakening triggered another key event.
When the divine thunder fell, it instantly obliterated the two demons swirling above the market. In the midst of the light, her clothes fluttered and her hair danced, resembling a celestial maiden, yet she only focused on holding her injured companion’s hand, tears shining in her eyes, moving everyone.
The crane let out a cry, and behind her, the blue-clad immortal appeared, watching everything unfold.
This was Elder Xiao Changqing from Penglai, who had come to retrieve the crane.
This moment of astonishment and admiration brought her celestial fate, and he took her back to Penglai.
It should have been a good thing.
But Lu You always dreamed of the way Li Qingyuan looked at her in the end.
This boy had already been successfully conquered by her. She knew he liked her; before he died, he devoted all he had to her, saying he sought no reward, yet his eyes shone with hope as he looked at her, clearly expecting something.
Lu You knew what he was expecting.
He hoped to hear her say, at the very end, that she liked him too.
But she couldn’t say that. Because Xie Yuzhen stood in the shadows, and he was her “official match.” Ordinary cannon fodder, even though she always gave them some hints ambiguously, she couldn’t form any real relationship with them.
So she could only act dumb, looking down and sobbing, watching as the boy’s bright eyes slowly dimmed in disappointment, eventually turning into a dry well. She pulled her hand out of the corpse’s grasp, her heart pounding heavily.
Don’t blame her; she had experienced too many worlds and had become an emotionless conqueror.
Soon, the character card for “Li Qingyuan” turned gray, a large “X” appearing on it, returning it to the pile of useless cards.
Li Qingyuan had done nothing wrong to her; she felt guilty. This left her feeling quite uncomfortable.
This world, which should have been very enjoyable, was not enjoyable anymore.
Why couldn’t it be like the first attempt, where she awakened her spiritual root while slapping the face of the female antagonist?
“There’s no way,” the system said. “The plot has changed. This is all due to the butterfly effect caused by your misjudgments in the first five years. As an experienced task performer, please focus on completing the remaining tasks.”
The system’s cold voice held a subtle hint of blame, making Lu You shiver.
The butterfly effect meant Xu Qianqian was no longer dead, and her original substitute plot was uncertain.
As an experienced task performer, she shouldn’t dwell on the failures of the first attempt. She needed to immediately regain her spirits and start tackling the task.
Currently, she was in Penglai, placed in a secluded and elegant pavilion by Xiao Changqing. She typically helped disciples heal some injured pets or mounts and was referred to as “Miss Lu,” with no clear identity, and she couldn’t interact with the core disciples.
“I need to find a way to enter the outer gate early and become a disciple of Penglai.
Xiao Changqing had long recognized her talent, and sure enough, he came today to bring up the subject: ‘With Miss Lu’s qualifications, if you were a disciple of Penglai, the sect leader wouldn’t have to worry about a lack of disciples in the immortal sect.’
‘Can I really do that?’ Lu You said in a soft voice. ‘I didn’t have a spirit root before; I was just a mere servant. Here, with the spirit cranes as my companions, I already feel very content.'”
Lu You was originally an actress known for playing soft and adorable roles, which came easily to her. With bright eyes, she twisted her hands and wore a shy expression, appearing very innocent.
“You shouldn’t underestimate yourself,” Xiao Changqing said, gazing steadily at her. He had long intended to take on an apprentice but hadn’t found anyone suitable until now. The girl before him was kind and innocent, indifferent to fame and fortune, unexpectedly resonating with him. “You have exceptional talent and have already surpassed most disciples. If you apply yourself, in time, entering the inner sect won’t be impossible.”
Lu You lowered her long lashes, having detected that Xiao Changqing wanted to take her as his disciple. Unfortunately, she ultimately had to join under the sect leader. However, she didn’t reveal this and thought to ask Xiao Changqing to help her get into the outer sect first.
She said, “I also respect Elder Xiao very much. If I have the chance to learn from you, I would truly be happy. But the current immortal sect no longer accepts disciples over the age of nine. Since I’m already this old and have yet to cultivate, I fear I might become a burden to you.”
“You need not worry about that,” Xiao Changqing said, raising two fingers to stop her from speaking, smiling calmly. “I heard that the sect leader just arranged for a fourteen-year-old who has just begun cultivating Qi to join the outer sect. If she can get in, why can’t you? We will find an opportunity to send you into the outer sect sooner or later.”
Lu You felt slightly reassured. This time, unlike in her previous life, where she had no spiritual root and was easily manipulated, she not only possessed a top-tier lightning spiritual root but had also received abundant spiritual energy from Li Qingyuan, directly advancing to the fifth level of Foundation Establishment. Among the outer sect disciples, she should be considered outstanding.
However, she recalled the shocking image she caught a glimpse of when she snapped the time mirror. The fourteen-year-old who began cultivating Qi couldn’t possibly be Xu Qianyu, could it?
A few months ago, Xu Qianyu hadn’t even entered Penglai, and now, not only had she started cultivating, but she was also smoothly admitted into the outer sect, arranged by the sect leader?
Lu You took a sip of tea and suddenly felt anxious.
Though she knew Xu Qianyu practiced diligently, this speed was astonishing. She clearly remembered that Xu Binglai didn’t like Xu Qianyu, so why was she arranged to enter the outer sect?
On the rooftop, Xie Yuzhen boredly twirled the mirror in his slender fingers.
It had been a quarter of an hour, and Xiao Changqing still hadn’t finished speaking, which made him feel displeased.
Being with Lu You was very enjoyable, but she had too many visitors. Various disciples seeking help, female cultivators coming to cry about being bullied, injured spirit pets… She welcomed them all.
The demon king preferred to monopolize and never liked to share.
Yet, in front of Lu You, he felt like a vicious dog, like a gentle lamb beneath a goddess’s feet, only protective, with no desire for possession.
He glanced again at the sponge cake on his lap and the half-burnt fireworks stick. With a thought, those items instantly charred, twisted, and turned to dust scattered in the air. The boy smiled at the mirror, seemingly unfazed by the destruction, still gazing into it.
After Xu Qianyu was kicked out of the classroom, she hadn’t returned.
Xie Yuzhen smirked, thinking how annoying it was that a girl like her attracted trouble wherever she went.
At that moment—the image in the mirror suddenly went black.
Lu You had “deleted” the time mirror. Its spiritual energy dissipated, transforming it into an ordinary bronze mirror.
Xie Yuzhen apathetically stared at it for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the mirror, and after a brief moment, he forcefully unraveled the mirror’s magic, causing the image to reappear. However, the mirror couldn’t withstand his demonic energy and cracked with a “snap” from behind.
It was still that old Taoist holding a scroll, spinning around while lecturing
Yet, after that class ended, Xu Qianyu did not appear again.
At this time, Xu Qianyu was briskly walking in the training ground, feeling particularly relaxed.
She wasn’t actually expelled; she was “gently persuaded” to leave.
During her noon class on the history of immortal paths, as soon as she entered the classroom, she was reprimanded by an old Taoist who seemed like a scholar invited by Guan Niang. He scolded her for being late, for not wearing disciple robes, and for lacking self-awareness by sitting in the front row at her height. What about the disciples in the back?
Displeased, she crossed her arms and refused to stand, debating with him for three hundred rounds.
That old Taoist, just like those scholars, made her so angry she nearly fell over. The class was disrupted, unable to continue. He pointed at her nose with the scroll, demanding to know which disciple she belonged to and threatening to hold her accountable.
She had no choice but to say she was the sect leader’s “relative” who had just transferred from the mortal realm not long ago.
The old Taoist’s expression instantly turned uncertain, urging her to quickly be quiet.
In the past, there had been some immortals who benefited from mortals and brought them into the sect as repayment. Those mortals were always grateful, humble, and diligent, striving to bridge the gap with the sect’s disciples. Never had he encountered someone so arrogant, claiming a familial connection to the sect leader.
Relative… just how close could that be?
Seeing Xu Qianyu so domineering, the old Taoist began to wonder just how much favor the sect leader had bestowed upon her. He also noticed the younger disciples giggling and watching the spectacle, feeling his pride wounded, so he had no choice but to soften his tone and privately negotiate with Xu Qianyu.
He told her to go back and review the content on the dream shadow tubes. If there was anything she didn’t understand, she could come find him for a private explanation; he would tell her everything. This way, he wouldn’t offend the sect leader and could spare the younger disciples the spectacle.
Xu Qianyu nodded indifferently.
As the old Taoist watched her leave, he sighed in relief.
Xu Qianyu had two dream shadow tubes with her, one from Wuzhen and the other from the old Taoist, which suited her just fine. She had trouble getting out of bed that morning. Moreover, she preferred the individual lectures by the scholars rather than being in a noisy class with a bunch of kids.