Chapter 2

“Hello, Host. The ‘Rescue the Love-Struck System’ is at your service.”

“Ding! A beginner-level love-struck scenario has been detected.

The female protagonist, Du Shao, gave up the opportunity to join a prestigious sect to follow her childhood fiancé into a lesser-known sect. However, her fiancé, in pursuit of a Foundation Establishment Pill, cozied up to the sect leader’s daughter and abandoned Du Shao, even allowing the jealous sect leader’s daughter to bully her.

In the end, due to a lack of cultivation resources, Du Shao was relegated to a menial servant position. She lived a life of hardship, never succeeding in reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, and eventually died old and alone.”

The man continued to persuade her relentlessly, even grabbing the woman’s hand to prevent her from leaving.

The green mountains stood silent and solemn.

The man began swearing an oath, “I swear, if you follow me into this small sect, I will be devoted to you for the rest of my life, and treat you well forever. If I break this vow, I will, I will…”

“Be struck by lightning and cursed to have no descendants?”

A lazy voice interrupted from the side, startling both of them. They turned to see who had spoken.

It was a sickly-looking child in a green robe, sitting on the ground.

The woman was momentarily taken aback, but soon her attention was drawn to the boy’s young yet extraordinarily serene and refined face. She felt a pang of pity.

Such a beautiful face, but his body seemed too weak even to climb the stairway to the heavens.

No matter how gifted he was, it was unlikely that any major sect would consider him.

Lin Du chuckled softly, blinking innocently. “In the storybooks, they always say that, sister. You should make him swear that under the clear blue sky, with a thunderclap as witness, his true feelings will be verified by heaven and earth. Then, you’ll know for sure that he truly loves you.”

“Oh, and be sure to clearly state your name, sister, and have him declare that heaven and earth bear witness to your union as partners, bound together in life and death. If he ever betrays you, he’ll be struck by divine retribution.”

Her attitude was so pure, like she was just offering a simple suggestion, that it left the man speechless.

In the cultivation world, swearing an oath to heaven and earth is no trivial matter. Breaking such a vow could result in being struck down by heavenly lightning.

The man forced a smile. “An oath to the heavens isn’t something to be taken lightly. This child doesn’t understand the weight of such things. Ah Shao, let’s go up.”

“A man of honor stands by his word. Did you really mean to swear just now, or were you just trying to get her to agree quickly?”

Lin Du continued to prod calmly. Although her words were provocative, her young age made them seem harmless, but they still struck a chord with Du Shao.

A sudden pang hit Lin Du’s chest. She instinctively clutched her heart, her long, slender fingers gripping her collar tightly. Her delicate skin, stretched taut over her bones, made her look particularly fragile.

Gasping for air due to the lack of oxygen, her face grew even paler.

“Are you alright?” Du Shao, moved by pity, shook off Li Dong’s hand that was holding her.

Lin Du cursed inwardly, feeling how frail her body truly was. She leaned weakly toward Du Shao.

“I’m…fine. You’re so kind, sister.”

The child was so thin that when she fell into Du Shao’s arms, her sharp bones pressed uncomfortably against her.

Beautiful yet fragile creatures often awaken a deep sense of care in people, especially when this porcelain doll of a child looked up at her with those big, grateful eyes, like a pitiful little kitten abandoned by the world.

Du Shao’s heart softened. “You seem too weak to make it up on your own. Let me help you.”

“You’re so kind, sister. Someone as kind as you deserves to be loved by the best man in the world.”

The system, observing the whole scene: What a strong aroma of tea.

Lin Du was sincere in this sentiment. She could tell that Du Shao was truly soft-hearted and kind.

A heart as pure as a child’s.

Having walked the world alone for many years, Lin Du could easily discern whether someone was genuinely helping her or merely pretending.

Du Shao helped Lin Du to her feet, and the three of them continued up the mountain together.

Li Dong was displeased. “It’s improper for men and women to touch, and besides, the path of cultivation is one that must be walked alone. Helping him like this is practically cheating.”

“Not to mention, with his physical condition, I doubt any sect will accept him. Going up there will only be torture for him.”

Du Shao looked at her fiancé with surprise. She hadn’t expected the man she had known for so many years to be so cold-hearted. Just as she was about to speak, Lin Du interjected, “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, brother. I’m actually a girl. But you’re right—the path of cultivation is a solitary one.”

She made a show of trying to pull away. “Sister, you should let go, so brother doesn’t get angry with you. I’ve been abandoned because of my illness and was born into loneliness. You’re the first person who’s been kind to me. I wish you all the best, that you’ll be accepted by a great sect and rise to the top.”

As Lin Du straightened up, a wooden charm at her waist swung into view, revealing an inscription in brilliant red-gold letters right in front of Li Dong.

His expression stiffened. Red-gold characters indicated exceptional talent and priority recruitment. Even Du Shao only had red lettering, not red-gold.

This sickly child was actually highly gifted.

Du Shao, now even more sympathetic after hearing Lin Du’s background, scolded Li Dong, “How could you say such a thing? It’s just a small act of kindness. It would be wrong of us not to help.”

This staircase wasn’t much of a challenge; there was no need to be so harsh.

What the three of them didn’t know was that dozens of eyes were watching them from the top of the mountain.

“Pure Ice Spiritual Root, extraordinary talent, but unfortunately, the disease has reached the lungs, and her heart’s arteries are blocked. Despite her talent, she’s essentially a cripple who can’t cultivate. Such a pity,” a deep voice commented.

“I see that this child has a keen understanding of the world, even at such a young age. Her Ice Spiritual Root talent is indeed remarkable. With the right medicine to clear her lungs, she could still cultivate. However…the resources required might be too much for any sect to handle,” a gentle voice added, followed by a soft sigh of regret.

Their words, spoken high in the clouds, did not reach the stone steps below, where only the breeze and the singing of birds could be heard.

“Don’t worry about him. It’s my choice to help you,” Du Shao said warmly. “My name is Du Shao, like the peony flower.”

She reached out and took Lin Du’s hand, her expression gentle and kind—more like a peach blossom in March than a peony.

Lin Du lowered her eyes, hiding a smile. When she looked up again, her face was calm, and she spoke softly.

“Lin Du, my name is Lin Du, like ‘crossing’ or ‘helping others cross.'”

Du Shao steadied her, “That’s a good name.”

Because they were helping someone so frail, the three of them moved slower than the others.

To avoid any awkward silence, Du Shao took the initiative to start a conversation. “Lin Du, do you have a sect in mind that you’d like to join? The Three Sects, Six Schools, and Ten Schools of Zhongzhou all have their strengths. I hear that those with exceptional talent even have the right to choose among them.”

Lin Du smiled faintly. “Me? With this frail body, as brother said, what sect would want me? But you, sister, might still have a chance to choose. Do you have a sect you’d like to join?”

Du Shao said softly, “There’s no need to underestimate yourself. With your exceptional talent, many sects will surely compete for you. I was just hoping that any sect would accept me. If I had a choice, it would be wonderful to join a sect dedicated to healing and helping others.”

She was referring to the Jishi Zong Sect, one of the Three Major Sects, the only one specialized in medical and healing arts.

Lin Du’s eyes flickered slightly as she felt a wave of admiration, then she looked at Du Shao seriously. “Healing and saving lives is a noble path. Your aspirations are pure, and I’m sure you’ll achieve your goal.”

“That’s still far from certain, and besides…”

“If I were brother, I would definitely support your dream. After all, the wishes of your beloved should be your own, shouldn’t they? And this wish, it’s one that benefits the whole world.”

Lin Du glanced at the man who was trying to argue but couldn’t find the words. Her smile deepened, full of sincerity. “There are always small sects near Jishi Zong Sect. If brother truly can’t bear to be apart from you, he can find a small sect nearby. That way, if he misses you, he can see you anytime.”

Joining a sect isn’t like being locked in a cage, and there isn’t a divine barrier drawn by the Queen Mother preventing visits. The only reason he’s worried is that he’s afraid his fiancée will walk a path so far ahead that he can’t catch up, so he wants to keep her close by.

She laid out the logic clearly, and Du Shao’s eyes lit up. The dilemma she’d been facing suddenly seemed easy to resolve with Lin Du’s suggestion.

Li Dong’s face darkened, but with an outsider present, he couldn’t say much. He would have to wait until they reached the square to address it.

【Current mission progress: 50%, reward: Yiqi Shuyu Pill ×1】

【Please keep up the good work, Host. Helping others helps yourself, and the Way of Heaven supports you.】

Another sudden pang hit Lin Du’s heart, causing her to stumble. Du Shao, caught off guard, couldn’t catch her in time, and Lin Du fell to the ground like a frozen pine needle.

Amid the confusion, Lin Du thought she heard a faint chuckle.