I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script

**Is the Medicine Not Bitter, or Is the Heart Not Aching?**

Bai Roushuang, her eyes red, hugged Xu Shulou, who returned the embrace gently. "Don't be afraid," she whispered.

The kinder Xu Shulou was, the more Bai Roushuang wanted to cry.

She wanted to say, *I’m not afraid*—wanted to say, *I’m more worried about you*—wanted to ask if Xiao Ya had provoked her.

But in the end, she said none of it. Instead, she nodded firmly. "Mm. With Shijie here, I’m not afraid."

Xu Shulou smiled and resumed carefully brewing the medicine, while Bai Roushuang quietly kept her company.

*So people like this truly exist in the world,* Bai Roushuang thought. Even after reliving those painful memories, Xu Shulou still remembered to personally prepare a calming tonic for her junior sister.

"It’s ready." Unaware of her thoughts, Xu Shulou cooled the earthen pot with a touch of spiritual energy, then retrieved a porcelain bowl from her Qiankun Bracelet. She poured the medicine and handed it to Bai Roushuang.

Without hesitation, Bai Roushuang drank it all in one go.

Xu Shulou popped a candied fruit into her mouth. "Good girl."

"This medicine… really isn’t bitter," Bai Roushuang murmured, gazing at her. A thousand questions swirled in her mind, but in the end, she only asked one: "Shijie, that young man from the illusion… did you ever see him again?"

"Ah, the scholar who became the top scorer in the imperial exams?" Xu Shulou smiled faintly. "I visited him once, years later. By then, his hair and beard had turned white. He said he was sorry for what he did to me, but that he had lived with no regrets toward the people."

"And… that was all?"

"That was enough." Xu Shulou rinsed the pot and put it away.

*That was enough…* Bai Roushuang nearly asked if Xu Shulou had ever loved him, but she swallowed the question.

What did it matter, in the end? A hundred years had passed. He had lived without remorse, and she had lived freely.

Even if there had been love once, it had never been the most important thing in either of their lives.

Suddenly, Bai Roushuang felt at peace. She knew neither of them would ever mention what they had seen in each other's heart demons again.

Xu Shulou pulled out a lounge chair from her Qiankun Bracelet. "You’ve been through a lot in the Heart Demon Mirror. Rest a while."

*Just what* doesn’t *that bracelet contain?* Bai Roushuang nearly laughed, but she obediently lay down—only to watch as Xu Shulou produced a thick blanket and draped it over her.

*"When it's cold, remember to add more layers."*

Those were the last words Empress Xu had left for her daughter. Xu Shulou clearly remembered them well. Though her cultivation made her impervious to the cold, she still carried these things, ready to help others stay warm.

Bai Roushuang’s heart softened. In this moment, all past grievances and fears melted away. Carefree, she listened to the wind over the mountaintop, the chirping of insects, the scent of grass in the air—and slowly drifted to sleep.

When she woke, she found her senior brothers and sisters crouched by a small pond, fishing. They hadn’t caught anything yet, but they were already debating whether to grill or stew their future haul.

No one complained about her holding them up—they simply invited her to join them for the meal.

Xu Shulou was setting up a stove nearby. Bai Roushuang walked over and blinked. "Shijie, you even brought scallions, ginger, and garlic?"

"Better safe than sorry," Xu Shulou said, glancing at the fishing group. "I’ve got the dishes ready—where’s the fish?"

"Fifth Shixiong jumped in to catch some!" Ji Ci reported. "He got a crab—big as a washbasin!"

*A crab that big?* Curious, Bai Roushuang went to inspect the catch. "I’ll make stuffed crab for everyone."

They nodded eagerly. Ji Ci beamed. "Without you, we’d just grill it and waste good ingredients."

Jiang Yan tossed two large fish onto the shore. Everyone looked expectantly at Bai Roushuang, but she turned to Xu Shulou. "Shijie, how would you like the fish prepared?"

Xu Shulou smiled. "We found some pine mushrooms earlier. How about pine mushroom fish soup?"

"Done!" Bai Roushuang set to work cleaning the fish, and Xu Shulou handed her a scaling knife at just the right moment.

The crab was huge, so she split it in half—half for stuffed crab, half for pan-fried.

She sliced one fish thinly for sashimi, then prepared sweet-and-sour fish and the pine mushroom soup. Determined to give Xu Shulou a proper meal, she managed four dishes and a soup right there in the wilderness.

The fish from the cold spring were extraordinarily fresh, reminiscent of shad but with fewer bones. The group feasted heartily.

"Junior Sister’s mental state has improved?" Jiang Yan remarked happily during the meal. "The Heart Demon Mirror really works."

But Bai Roushuang shook her head. "It wasn’t the mirror."

"Then what was it?"

She looked at Xu Shulou and said softly, "It was Shijie."

Xu Shulou, mid-bite into a massive crab leg, grinned at her.

Bai Roushuang covered her face, unable to bear the sight.

After the meal, they packed up and prepared to continue their journey.

Given Bai Roushuang’s two close calls, the group kept a close eye on her—almost as if they wanted to tie her to Xu Shulou.

*Honestly,* Bai Roushuang thought, *I wouldn’t mind a rope connecting me to Shijie’s waist.* But the idea was too embarrassing to voice.

This time, though, trouble found someone else. A desperate scream pierced the air, startling Bai Roushuang.

When Xu Shulou suggested investigating, Bai Roushuang wasn’t surprised—it felt almost inevitable.

Soon, they arrived at the source: a massive crocodile, thrice the length of a person, chasing a female cultivator. The woman, clearly exhausted, could barely defend herself.

Xu Shulou told the others to stay back, then flew forward. She seized the crocodile’s jaws, forcing them shut. The beast writhed violently but couldn’t break free.

Still holding the crocodile, she asked the woman, "Are you hurt?"

The cultivator, her features strikingly beautiful, shook her head tearfully. "No, but it swallowed my companion."

"Whole or in pieces?"

The woman blinked. "W-Whole, I think."

"Then there’s still hope." Xu Shulou released the crocodile—only for it to lunge at her the moment it could. She leapt up, landed on its head, and drove it into the ground. Striding down its back, she grabbed its tail and began spinning the massive creature in circles.

The alligator was swung around until it was dizzy, leaving Bai Roushuang utterly dumbfounded. By the time the creature had been forced into two-and-a-half mid-air rotations, it let out a retching sound and vomited up a scattered pile of debris.

Jiang Yan, sharp-eyed as ever, spotted the largest humanoid-shaped object among the mess. She leaped up to catch it and, holding her nose against the stench, extended it toward the female cultivator. "Your companion?"

The woman shook her head blankly. "No."

Hearing this, Xu Shulou proceeded to swing the alligator again until it regurgitated another humanoid figure. This time, the woman recognized the clothing from afar and cried out excitedly, "That's them!"

Xu Shulou gave the alligator a few more whirls to ensure it had nothing left to expel before casually tossing the now-unconscious creature aside.

Judging by her practiced movements, Bai Roushuang had every reason to believe this wasn’t the first time her senior sister had rescued someone from an alligator’s maw.

Sure enough, the disciples of Dustless Island laid the two victims flat on the ground. Xu Shulou stepped forward, expertly checking their eyelids before retrieving medicinal pills from her Qiankun Bracelet and feeding one to each. She reassured the woman, "Don’t worry, they’re not in mortal danger."

Overjoyed, the woman bowed deeply to Xu Shulou. "Thank you for saving us, miss."

True to her word, it wasn’t long before the woman’s companion stirred awake. The two embraced, weeping with relief.

Seeing that the situation was under control, Bai Roushuang tugged at her senior sister’s sleeve. "What should we do with the alligator?"

"Do you want to eat it?" Xu Shulou countered.

Bai Roushuang took a horrified step back. "N-no, thank you."

Xu Shulou nodded, looking almost disappointed. "I see."

What exactly do you see?!

The newly awakened woman also came forward to bow in gratitude. Like her companion, she was strikingly beautiful, with a bewitching figure and an alluring fragrance that wafted through the air as she moved.

"No need for formalities," Xu Shulou said, gently helping her up. "Are you two demonic cultivators?"

"Yes. Because my human form is unstable, Rendong risked entering this place with me to search for Shapeshifting Grass," the lovely demonic cultivator explained, wiping her tears. "Most cultivators scorn us—no one is willing to travel with us."

In an unnoticed corner, Bai Roushuang rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t fall out. With a sob story like that, there was no way her soft-hearted senior sister would refuse them.

Sure enough, Xu Shulou’s next words were: "If you don’t mind, you’re welcome to join us as we explore the secret realm."

The demonic cultivator’s face lit up with joy. "Thank you for your kindness! We swear to repay—"

*Boom!*

The group turned in surprise. Before she could finish, the woman had vanished, leaving behind only a small fox curled up on the grass.

It seemed her claim about an "unstable human form" hadn’t been a lie.

They gathered around to inspect the creature. Its fur was neither fiery red nor pure white, but a delicate blend of pinkish hues, glossy and irresistibly cute.

Xu Shulou was immediately smitten. Seeing the trembling little fox—likely still frightened—she scooped it up and began stroking it soothingly.

The fox, thoroughly enjoying the attention, twitched its ears and nuzzled deeper into her arms.

Bai Roushuang rolled her eyes again. That fox was far too suspicious.

What kind of fox was *pink*? It had to be a deliberate ploy to seduce her senior sister.

By evening, her suspicions only grew. While preparing dinner, she saw Xu Shulou lounging in a chair with the fox curled on her lap. After eating, she meditated briefly—only to return and find the fox *still* there. And when she finally headed to bed...

Bai Roushuang couldn’t take it anymore. Summoning her sweetest tone, she cooed, "Senior Sister, aren’t your legs sore from holding it all day? I made a little nest for it—let me take it there."

The fox let out a pitiful whimper and clutched Xu Shulou’s sleeve with its teeth.

Xu Shulou tenderly stroked its fluffy tail. "It’s fine, I’m not tired. You go ahead and rest, Junior Sister."

This was the first time Bai Roushuang had ever been refused by her senior sister. She nearly ground her teeth to dust.

*Ugh! Typical fox spirit—scheming, shameless hussy!*