Chapter 1: Defying Fate as a Cannon Fodder by Refusing to be a scapegoat!

“Kneel down! Don’t you know your mistake?”

“Your junior sister is so innocent. Yet you ruthlessly pushed her off the cliff, and now she’s gravely injured, her life hanging by a thread… Have you forgotten all the teachings of our sect?”

“I’ll ask you one last time, why did you instigate Xixue to go to the forbidden area? Confess now!”

In the great hall, the elders’ harsh reprimands echoed deafeningly.

Chu Sang had just opened her eyes, still dazed by the scene before her. A hoarse rebuttal, laced with the taste of blood, escaped her lips before she could think, “I did nothing wrong!”

“Wicked disciple, you dare to quibble!”

The man in white robes, aloof and otherworldly, finally lost his temper. With a wave of his sleeve, he sent her flying dozens of meters.

Boom! Chu Sang crashed into a stone pillar.

“Puh!” She spat out blood, staining most of her pristine white robe. Her hair was disheveled, and she looked utterly miserable.

“Cough, cough…”

It was this pain that jolted her awake – she had returned!

Chu Sang was originally the second senior sister of Tianyan Sect, but by a twist of fate, she had transmigrated to the modern world and read a cliché Mary Sue dog-blood novel, only to discover she was merely a cannon fodder character in this story.

The novel, 「Delicate Little Junior Sister: All the Big Shots in the Cultivation World Are Head Over Heels for Me」aptly reflected the story’s tone. The protagonist, Qin Xixue, was the pampered junior sister of Tianyan Sect, a once-in-a-century rare fire spirit root prodigy who could casually pick up thousand-year-old immortal herbs. Divine beasts and spiritual treasures rushed to form contracts with her, and she had multiple identities, excelling in both sword cultivation and pill refining.

A classic trope-filled cultivation novel with multiple identities and face-slapping, Qin Xixue was the epitome of a dog-blood Mary Sue. While engaging in a forbidden romance with her aloof master, she also pursued a cross-species romance with the young master of the demon race. Even the cold and abstinent Demon Lord couldn’t resist pinning her against the wall for passionate kisses. Even the top disciple of Tianyan Sect was so captivated by her charm that he killed his childhood sweetheart and fiancée for her sake.

Ironically, Chu Sang was this fiancée, doubling as a tool to highlight the female lead’s beauty, kindness, and good qualities.

Last night, she discovered her junior sister sneaking out. As the responsible second senior sister, Chu Sang followed her, fearing for Qin Xixue’s safety. To her shock, Qin Xixue had ventured into the forbidden area of Tianyan Sect!

Legend had it that ten thousand years ago, a great war erupted between the cultivation world and the demon race, turning this place into a graveyard for countless cultivators. Many powerful treasures were left behind, but the area was also sealed with unimaginable evil spirits and demons.

Even the sect leader and elders dared not approach casually, strictly forbidding disciples from entering. Yet last night, Qin Xixue seemed possessed, insisting on going. Unable to dissuade her, Chu Sang had no choice but to accompany her.

Unexpectedly, upon reaching the forbidden area, Qin Xixue jumped off the cliff. The elders, alerted by the activation of the forbidden formation, arrived just in time to witness this scene and immediately assumed Chu Sang had pushed her.

After being rescued, Qin Xixue was barely alive. No matter how many spirit pills and elixirs were fed to her, she showed no signs of waking up, and her situation looked grim.

Chu Sang sighed inwardly. How could the protagonist possibly die? This was her grand opportunity. In the forbidden area, Qin Xixue had obtained a jade pendant containing the spirit of an old man with a white beard, setting the stage for her future rise to power.

Meanwhile, Chu Sang was merely a scapegoat. Once the celebrated second sister of Tianyan Sect, she possessed a rare fire spirit root and had reached the peak of Qi Refinement at twelve, just a step away from Foundation Establishment.

However, three years ago, she was injured on a sect mission and fell into a coma. Upon waking, she found her spirit root damaged, rendering her unable to cultivate. She had become a useless waste.

Once a prodigy, she now faced disdain, becoming timid and insecure. Only her master, Chang Yu, and the newly joined junior sister treated her with kindness. Unaware of the truth back then, Chu Sang was grateful, showering Qin Xixue with extra care and affection. She willingly gave up valuable opportunities, proudly claiming the title of “scapegoat.”

This incident mirrored past events – once again, Qin Xixue caused trouble, and Chu Sang bore the blame.

Trespassing into the forbidden area was a grave offense, punishable by expulsion. Not punishing the disciple would undermine the elders’ authority. Therefore, the truth was irrelevant; Chu Sang was merely a scapegoat for the beloved junior sister.

“Both have heaven-grade fire spiritual roots, but the junior sister has already broken through to Foundation Establishment stage in just three years, surely to become one of the most outstanding geniuses in the cultivation world!”

“In contrast, the second senior sister is still at the late stage of Qi Refinement after ten years, with no progress in the past three years. She’s basically finished…”

Outside the hall, disciples gathered to watch the drama unfold. Some spoke with ridicule and envy, “Even if she had talent back then, so what? Now that her spirit root is damaged and she can’t cultivate, she’s just useless, occupying a direct disciple’s position for nothing. What right does she have?”

“Junior Sister Qin is usually obedient and well-behaved. How could she possibly not know that the forbidden area is strictly off-limits? How could she trespass without reason? And with Chu Sang of all people?”

“It must have been Chu Sang who instigated it in secret!”

“I bet the second senior sister couldn’t break through to Foundation Establishment herself, so she resented the junior sister who also has a fire spirit root. That’s why she took this opportunity to lure the naive junior sister to the forbidden area and even pushed her off the cliff!”

Some disciples sympathized, “But the second senior sister is also pitiful. She was also a once-in-a-century rare fire spirit root, the sect’s most promising genius. Three years ago, at just twelve, she had already reached the late stage of Qi Refinement, progressing even faster than the junior sister. If it weren’t for that accident… sigh…”

Those in the know only said that life is unpredictable.

Someone chimed in, “Come to think of it, it’s quite a coincidence. After the junior sister joined, she also tested as a rare fire spirit root, stealing all the limelight, and even broke through to Foundation Establishment before Chu Sang.”

“Well, anyone would feel unbalanced in that situation…”

Immediately, a disciple retorted with a cold snort, “Jealousy shouldn’t be a reason to harm a fellow disciple. Someone with such a vicious heart should be expelled from the sect! To serve as a warning to others!”

The condemning and disgusted gazes of everyone fell on the blood-covered girl kneeling in the great hall.

The sect leader’s face grew even darker as he sternly rebuked, “Let’s set aside the fact that you two went to the forbidden area together. Why is it that only Xixue was injured while you’re unharmed?”

“As a senior sister, you should have the responsibility to look after your junior sister. Why didn’t you stop her at the time?”

Failing to fulfill her duty as a senior sister, it was her fault no matter what. There was no way to defend herself.

Chu Sang saw a corner of a moon-white robe embroidered with exquisite cloud patterns float before her eyes. She looked up and wiped the blood from her lips. “Master…”

The man before her, looking only in his early twenties, was the youngest elder of the Tianyan Sect, Immortal Master Chang Yu. Not yet fifty, he had already reached the Nascent Soul stage. He was the master of both her and Qin Xixue, and also one of the harem members who would start a forbidden master-disciple romance with Qin Xixue.

His beloved little disciple was now between life and death, and the culprit was right before his eyes. It was evident that Chang Yu was struggling to control himself. His hand inside his sleeve was clenched white-knuckled, and his cold, otherworldly handsome face could barely conceal his anger. “Stubborn and rebellious. If you confess the truth, I can give you a lighter punishment.”

His voice was as clear and cold as jade striking a pearl dish – beautiful, but icy and heartless.

Kneeling in the great hall, Chu Sang’s knees were painfully scraped. Her throat was dry and hoarse, mixed with an iron-like taste of blood. The pain from the intertwining of two sets of memories in her mind was also unbearable, making it difficult for her to speak coherently.

The elders and sect leader all thought she was about to confess. They solemnly said, “Disciple Chu Sang, for disregarding sect rules and entering the forbidden area, and harming a fellow disciple, according to sect regulations, you should be given thirty lashes with the soul-shattering whip and expelled from the sect…”

“Wait.”

Chang Yu frowned and coldly interrupted.

He looked down at the silent girl from his high position, pursing his lips and speaking softly, “If you’re willing to admit your mistake, I can give you a lighter punishment considering our past master-disciple relationship. Fifteen lashes with the soul-shattering whip and three months of confinement for self-reflection. Are you willing?”

It wasn’t a question, but a condescending offer, waiting for the girl to express gratitude.

Chu Sang laughed coldly in her heart. Acting so righteous, isn’t he just unwilling to let go of his “free blood bank”?

For some unknown reason, her blood had always had a very significant healing effect on Qin Xixue’s body.

In the original story, it was because of this incident that she endured fifteen soul-shattering lashes and was then confined for three months on the freezing, steep Reflection Cliff. She fell into a coma, and Chang Yu secretly took her heart blood while she was unconscious and gave it to the female lead.

The next day, the female lead’s injuries recovered completely, and not long after, she awakened a trace of the legendary primordial qi. From then on, her cultivation path was smooth sailing, envied by all.

As for Chu Sang, with her spirit root damaged, severely injured, and her heart blood taken, she became a completely useless and injured waste. Just as she turned into a vicious female antagonist, she was run through with a sword by her childhood sweetheart and fiancé, the big senior brother, dying miserably in a mass grave and being eaten by wild wolves.

So, the reason her respected master had picked her up and brought her into the sect, and the sect had painstakingly taught her for ten years, was all to raise her like a pig for slaughter!

Damn it, she’s going down the mountain!

Get away from the female lead and her bunch of extreme fawning followers, and embrace a better life!

Having made up her mind, Chu Sang suppressed the blood in her throat and looked at the white-robed man with an indifferent expression before her and said with a hoarse voice, “Master.”

Everyone’s eyes fell on her.

Chang Yu’s eyes flickered slightly.

“Perhaps this is the last time I’ll call you Master.” She leaned against the wall and stood up shakily. Then, in front of everyone, she took off the blood-stained robe that symbolized her status as a direct disciple.

She threw it on the ground.

“All these years, Master has always focused on the little junior sister and big senior brother, and hasn’t given me anything good. The sect missions I’ve done daily should be enough to repay Master and the sect for these years of nurturing… Oh right, my mission points were previously recorded on the little junior sister’s jade tablet. If you don’t believe me, you can check. It’s all recorded in the jade tablet.”

She threw the identity jade tablet that had been with her for ten years on the ground with a loud clatter. “Chu Sang is willing to be expelled from the sect without complaint!”

Then, under everyone’s gaze, she extended her right hand towards the slightly stunned Chang Yu, bent four fingers, with the middle finger pointing straight down at 180 degrees.

“Screw you, goodbye!”

Leaving these words behind, she turned and fled from the great hall, heading straight down the mountain. She showed no sign of sadness; in fact, she seemed quite happy?

The hall fell silent for a moment. No one had expected Chu Sang to actually voluntarily give up her status as a direct disciple.

How foolish!

And what did her last words mean? No one understood, but for some reason, they all felt a sense of humiliation, as if they had been insulted??

On the other side, a young man in black robes tensed, instinctively stepping forward to chase after her, but was stopped by Chang Yu’s cold voice, “Qingchen.”

Mo Qingchen’s feet felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. He clenched his fists and lowered his head, muttering, “But, Master, junior sister, she…”

Everyone turned to look at the young man, their hearts filled with pity.

Mo Qingchen was the most talented sword cultivator the cultivation world had seen in a century. With an extremely rare mutated ice spirit root, he had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage at just eighteen, mere months away from breaking through to the Golden Core realm.

His talent even surpassed that of Elder Chang Yu in his youth.

Unfortunately, this brilliant prodigy had been betrothed since childhood, much to the disappointment of sect leaders and clan patriarchs with eligible daughters.

His fiancée was none other than Chu Sang, who had just been expelled from the sect.

Originally, they were both considered geniuses, making their engagement a perfect match. But now that Chu Sang had become a useless cultivator, she was clearly no longer worthy of Mo Qingchen.

Their differing talents foretold the vast gap in their futures, destining them to walk separate paths.

Yet, Mo Qingchen had shown no intention of breaking off the engagement. However, it was evident to all that their relationship had grown distant over the years, to the point where they might as well have been strangers. In contrast, he had grown noticeably closer to the sect’s new talented junior sister, Qin Xixue.

Everyone who saw these two equally gifted cultivators together couldn’t help but remark on how well-matched they were.

Mo Qingchen’s heart was in turmoil. He absent-mindedly picked up the fallen token from the ground, gripping it tightly.

He and Chu Sang had grown up as childhood sweethearts, entering the sect together… The gentle, refined junior sister he remembered seemed to have changed since Qin Xixue’s arrival. She often caused trouble, her temperament becoming strange and aloof. How could she have disrespected their master in front of everyone just now? And had she really trespassed in the forbidden area last night, perhaps even pushing Qin Xixue?

He found her increasingly difficult to understand.

“She has become more and more reckless in recent years. Today she dares to trespass in forbidden areas; tomorrow, she might venture into demon lairs. If we don’t teach her a lesson, I fear she’ll stumble into even greater trouble!”

Having lost face in public, even the proud Chang Yu struggled to maintain his composure. He remarked coldly, “It’s time to curb her bad temper. Everything I do is for her own good. You should understand your master’s intentions, right?”

“…Yes, disciple understands.”

Chang Yu’s eyes turned cold as he pondered. Chu Sang had no money and no family to support her. She would struggle to survive outside.

“There’s no need to worry about her. She’ll come back.”

“Did you obtain the Mystic Spirit Jade Fungus?” Chang Yu suddenly remembered an urgent matter, showing rare impatience.

Mo Qingchen nodded absent-mindedly. Out of sight of the others, he slipped the token into his storage ring and took out a wooden box containing the ten-thousand-year-old Mystic Spirit Jade Fungus from the Demon Ravine.

The Demon Ravine was in demon territory, and one could imagine the hardships the young man had endured. His arm bore several deep, bone wounds surrounded by dark energy, a shocking sight.

“Well done.”

Chang Yu was very pleased. He took the box and gave Mo Qingchen a bottle of healing pills. “Come with me to visit your junior sister.”

Mo Qingchen cast a long, deep glance at the hall’s entrance before finally turning away to follow Chang Yu to the Jade Pavilion.