I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script

Xu Shulou and Song Ping swiftly flew back to the Harmony Sect. Fan Zhi was likely preoccupied with treating her elder brother, which was why she hadn’t pursued them.

Seeing that Xu Shulou had brought back the young sect leader, the Harmony Sect members were overjoyed and quickly took Fu into their care. Xu Shulou held on until the little girl was safely handed over before collapsing from exhaustion.

Sect Leader Luo Hongtang scooped Xu Shulou up in her arms and carried her into an inner chamber.

Song Ping had witnessed Xu Shulou’s fiery temper mellow into calm composure over time, but he had never seen his senior sister appear so vulnerable. Xu Shulou was too strong—so strong that her peers could scarcely hope to match her. Only when she curled up in Luo Hongtang’s embrace did he realize for the first time that even his senior sister needed protection.

Xu Shulou slept for a full day and night. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was an opulent canopy adorned with pearls and jade. The faint scent of ambergris lingered in the air. Her mind was still hazy, and in the warmth and fragrance of the soft drapes, she felt as though she had returned to her carefree youth, when no worries weighed on her heart.

For a fleeting moment, she almost expected to hear the playful voice of a lively palace maid teasing, "Your Highness, you’re awake! The stables welcomed a newborn foal this morning—would you like to see it?"

Xu Shulou nearly believed she could rise from bed at once, and the maids would dress her. She could then seek out her mother to fly kites on the most beautiful spring day, adorned in the most dazzling jewels, or coax her father with a bit of teasing, ride horses with her elder brother, or ask the top scholar for poetry lessons…

She had already begun to smile at the thought.

But the voice that reached her ears was a different one—languid and alluring. "Miss Xu."

Xu Shulou closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, her gaze was clear. "Sect Leader Luo."

A century had passed. Her homeland was gone, and the lively palace maid of her youth was long buried in some unknown place.

The smile on Xu Shulou’s lips didn’t falter—at least, Luo Hongtang didn’t notice anything amiss. "Is the young sect leader well?"

"She’s awake. I’ve examined her, and she’s fine—still mischievous enough to wheedle me out of my anger. I gave her some calming elixir," Luo Hongtang said, her worried face appearing in Xu Shulou’s line of sight. "But what about you? Your junior brother mentioned you were ambushed. What exactly happened?"

"Fan Yang hid a gu worm in the young sect leader’s body…" Xu Shulou recounted the process of being infected.

Luo Hongtang listened carefully before pressing her fingers to Xu Shulou’s wrist. After a long pause, she shook her head. "I can’t identify this gu, but I’ve studied poisons—most gu require the caster to undo them. Should we capture Fan Yang and force him to resolve it?"

Xu Shulou covered her face. "This is the downside of not understanding gu poison."

"What do you mean?"

"I already killed Fan Yang."

Luo Hongtang froze, then pressed, "Are you certain he’s dead?"

Xu Shulou glanced at the folding fan in her hand, which had returned to its original form. "Well… I’m quite certain, yes."

"Miss Xu, you truly are… decisive," Luo Hongtang said after a long silence, finally settling on a fitting description.

Xu Shulou chuckled but didn’t elaborate.

Luo Hongtang frowned. "You killed an elder of the Lingxiao Sect. Will there be consequences?"

Xu Shulou waved a hand. "It’s fine. Just Fan Yang. I’ll have far greater grievances with the Lingxiao Sect in the future."

"…" Luo Hongtang, who had been anxious over a mere conflict with Dustless Island, was stunned by Xu Shulou’s cavalier attitude—like a lice infestation that doesn't itch or a debt that doesn't cause worry.

Song Ping had been keeping watch nearby. Seeing her awake, he hurried over anxiously. "Sect Leader Luo, could you check my senior sister’s dantian? She forcibly activated her core energy to kill Fan Yang—could there be lasting damage?"

Luo Hongtang tensed again, instructing Xu Shulou to channel her spiritual power for inspection. After a swift examination, she exhaled in relief. "Fortunately, there’s no harm. You’re truly reckless—forcing your dantian like that could have shattered your golden core!"

Xu Shulou sat up, wrapped in blankets. "Living without vengeance would be worse than a shattered core."

That wasn’t the only reason, of course. At the time, the situation had been dire. Fan Yang wouldn’t have killed her, but he would have detained her until he was certain the gu could control her. But what about Song Ping? He wasn’t part of Fan Yang and Fan Zhi’s plans, and having witnessed most of the events, they would have surely silenced him.

If Xu Shulou hadn’t acted, her second junior brother would have died on the spot.

Her golden core could be reforged if broken, but a lost life could never be reclaimed.

Hearing that her core was intact, Song Ping relaxed slightly, though his brow remained furrowed. "Senior Sister, with this gu inside you… do you feel any discomfort?"

"None," Xu Shulou shook her head. "I feel completely normal—my thoughts, my spiritual energy, everything seems unaffected."

She recalled Fan Yang’s words and frowned. "But I don’t understand. If Fan Yang wanted to control me, why didn’t he do it himself? Why involve Lu Beichen…?"

She replayed the scene in her mind—Fan Yang deliberately driving her toward Lu Beichen’s corner, then calling for Lu Beichen to assist her the moment she was infected. Was this the gu’s "imprinting" condition? Falling for the first face seen after infection?

At the thought of Lu Beichen’s face, Xu Shulou’s heart inexplicably fluttered. She pressed a hand to her chest.

Luo Hongtang couldn’t help but smirk. "You don’t get it, do you? Lu Beichen is at least young and handsome, and as your betrothed, your affection for him wouldn’t raise eyebrows. But if you started obeying Fan Yang—that wrinkled, decrepit old man—anyone would suspect something was wrong."

Song Ping, envisioning Fan Yang’s aged, leathery face, wholeheartedly agreed.

Xu Shulou laughed. "Still, I never imagined Fan Yang hated me so much. He never intended to let me or the young sect leader leave unharmed."

"To some people, pride is everything," Luo Hongtang said mockingly. "You humiliated him—that sealed his enmity."

"…"

Just then, a maid announced from outside, "Miss Xu, your junior sister Bai Roushuang has successfully formed her foundation. She heard of your peril and is desperate to see you, but she’s hesitating at the door, afraid to disturb you."

"I’m fine now," Xu Shulou smiled. "Let her in."

"Senior Sister!" Bai Roushuang rushed in, nearly flinging herself at Xu Shulou before remembering her condition and skidding to a stop. She composed herself and approached with measured steps. "Senior Sister, are you alright? What happened?"

Xu Shulou summarized succinctly: "Fan Yang infected me with an unknown gu poison. Then I killed him. So, one bad news and one good news."

"That bastard Fan Yang!" Bai Roushuang seethed, her delicate features twisting in fury.

Jiang Yan, Ji Ci, and others soon crowded around the bed, some with red-rimmed eyes.

Xu Shulou shivered. "Stop weeping at my bedside like you’re sending me off."

"......" Bai Roushuang looked deeply distressed as she gently grasped Xu Shoulou's hand. "Senior Sister, you don’t have to put on a brave face in front of us. You can cry as much as you need—I’ll lend you my embrace."

Xu Shulou couldn’t help but laugh. "Have you been reading too many romance novels?"

"It’s alright," Xu Shulou smiled at her. "Congratulations on reaching the Foundation Establishment stage."

Bai Roushuang brightened immediately. "That’s right, I’m at Foundation Establishment now! From now on, I can actually be of help to you, Senior Sister!"

"Good," Xu Shulou patted her head. "I might need you to protect me in the future."

Bai Roushuang nodded solemnly. "Senior Sister, I swear I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

The gravity of her words stirred a quiet warmth in Xu Shulou’s heart. "I believe you."

Bai Roushuang tucked the blankets around her. "Rest well, Senior Sister. I’ll go make you some chicken soup to help you recover."

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Shulou added, "And I’d like some shrimp rolls too."

"No problem, I’ll make you an entire pot!"

...That might be a bit excessive.

Luo Hongtang sighed. "You should stay at the Harmony Sect for now. At least the people from Lingxiao Sect won’t be able to reach you here. Miss Xu, you can also try to suppress the gu poison. I’ll use my cultivation to help slow its fusion with your blood. Once the situation stabilizes, we can plan our next steps."

Xu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍Shulou thanked her for her kindness.

Song Ping had long since noticed the relationship between Lu Beichen and Bai Roushuang. Being meticulous by nature, he pulled his junior sister aside after leaving Xu Shulou’s room to explain the effects of the gu poison.

"Such a thing actually exists in this world?" Bai Roushuang was first horrified, then sighed softly. "I understand now. Between me and Senior Brother Lu... Thank you for the warning, Second Senior Brother. I know you’re worried I might hurt Senior Sister’s feelings, but I would never."

Song Ping nodded in relief. "I know. It’s a difficult situation for you."

In the days that followed, Bai Roushuang and the others treated Xu Shulou as if she were a fragile porcelain doll, afraid she might shatter at the slightest touch.

Xu Shulou initially tried to resist, but after being spoiled with endless treats by her junior sister, she found this lifestyle rather comfortable—lying in bed, requesting dishes, enjoying meals, strolling around the lake in Harmony Sect, and swinging on the swings.

The swings in Harmony Sect were ingeniously designed, suspended right above the center of the lake. Sitting on one, the view ahead was vast and open, water and sky blending seamlessly. Swinging high felt like being the only person left in the world, all worries momentarily forgotten.

Not that Xu Shulou had many worries to begin with. She wrote herself a letter, secretly hiding it in her Qiankun Bracelet, informing her future self—who might lose memories of the gu poison’s influence—that she had been poisoned, that her feelings for Lu Beichen weren’t real, and that she must never resent Bai Roushuang for it.

Luo Hongtang often found Xu Shulou’s demeanor baffling. As the sect leader put it, being unable to control one’s own emotions was the most tragic thing in the world.

Especially someone like Xu Shulou, a true prodigy who carried herself with more pride than most—how could she endure such humiliation?

So Luo Hongtang couldn’t understand why Xu Shulou could still smile.

Truthfully, Xu Shulou didn’t quite understand either. Had this happened to one of her junior siblings, she would have been far more distressed. But since the gu poison was affecting her, she simply couldn’t bring herself to worry. Perhaps she was just naturally indifferent to her own suffering.

At the moment, for instance, she was far more concerned about Zhang Baihe than her own predicament.

She visited him daily, but he showed no signs of regaining his senses. Even Harmony Sect’s members were at a loss. Xu Shulou had already sent word back to Dustless Island, explaining his condition and asking the sect leader and others for advice—and whether they knew of any experts in gu poison.

Zhang Baihe had once been a good man. And if he was good, she would try to save him.

Harmony Sect rarely admitted men, so the female disciples had initially been wary of Jiang Yan and Ji Ci. But after Xu Shulou rescued Luo Fusheng, their attitudes warmed considerably.

Once, when Jiang Yan and Ji Ci were idly drawing a makeshift chessboard on the ground, one of the female disciples even brought them a proper board with a smile.

Bai Roushuang couldn’t help but wonder—if there were no men in Harmony Sect, who did the female disciples practicing dual cultivation techniques cultivate with?

"We did have male disciples in the past," Luo Hongtang shook her head, clearly unwilling to elaborate. "Now, if any of our disciples choose to pursue dual cultivation, they must leave Harmony Sect. But they’re always welcome to visit."

Fu, knowing she had been rescued by Xu Shulou, clung to her with affection.

The little girl was remarkably fearless. Despite being kidnapped once by Fan Zhi, she showed no lingering trauma, remaining as bright and cheerful as ever.

Luo Fusheng had no playmates her age in the sect, and the sect leader kept her on a tight leash, never letting her venture far. By now, Frostless City was the farthest she’d ever been, leaving her quite lonely.

And after this incident, Luo Hongtang would likely forbid her from even wandering the nearby mountains.

Recalling the tragic fate of Luo Fusheng in the novels—only leaving Harmony Sect for the first time after its destruction, alone and fleeing for her life—Xu Shulou’s heart ached. Realizing the girl’s loneliness, she made an effort to keep her company whenever possible.

Like now, when the two of them were hunting caterpillars in a tree. Xu Shulou lifted a plump one with a twig and remarked, "Harmony Sect truly nurtures exceptional talent—even the caterpillars here are so refined and elegant."

Fu leaned in, studying it intently, but couldn’t for the life of her figure out where this caterpillar’s "refinement" or "elegance" lay.

Nearby, Bai Roushuang splashed into the lake with a loud "plop!" Xu Shoulou carefully returned the caterpillar to the tree and flew over to fish her out.

Now that Bai Roushuang had reached Foundation Establishment, she could officially learn sword flight. The Harmony Sect leader had provided the perfect training ground—a small slope by the lake. If she failed to stay airborne, she’d just fall into the water, unharmed.

So nowadays, whenever Xu Shulou took a lakeside stroll, she often ended up retrieving a drenched, wobbling Bai Roushuang.

Her junior sister was clearly obsessed with flying, practicing relentlessly, even at night—leading to rumors of a ghost haunting Harmony Sect. Some disciples swore they’d seen a pale, dripping figure crawling out of the lake in the dead of night, giving them quite the scare.

The lake housed a waterweed spirit, and Bai Roushuang disturbed its peace countless times a day. Eventually, it grew so annoyed that whenever she fell in, it would simply bundle her up and toss her back ashore. Unfortunately, this only made Bai Roushuang practice even more enthusiastically.

Xu Shulou decided this wasn’t working. "You’ll never learn if you only practice in safe places. Try jumping off Verdant Mountain instead."

Bai Roushuang trembled. "Senior Sister, have I offended you somehow? Was this morning’s glutinous rice ball not good enough? Was it the almond powder? Do you hate almonds?"

Xu Shulou was baffled. "What are you talking about?"

Bai Roushuang pouted. "Then how did you learn sword flight, Senior Sister? Any tips?"

Song Ping, Jiang Yan, and others took turns sharing their insights on sword flight techniques, but Xu Shulou had little to contribute. When she tried to recall her own learning process, she racked her brains but couldn’t pinpoint any useful tips.

"It just… happened naturally," she said.

"…"

Bai Roushuang was so disheartened that she momentarily lost the will to engage further.

Song Ping, however, had plenty to say: "Being the second disciple under our master was truly a trial. Shijie (senior sister) assumed everyone was a prodigy like her—she’d demonstrate a sword technique once and then wonder why I hadn’t mastered it yet. By the time the third disciple joined, she finally grasped the concept of proper teaching."

The group couldn’t help but shed a sympathetic tear for the second brother.

Mention of this elusive third disciple piqued Bai Roushuang’s curiosity: "Since I joined, I’ve never met San Shixiong (third senior brother). Has he been traveling all this time?"

Jiang Yan and the others chuckled. "San Shixiong is… quite a character."

"How so?"

Xu Shulou explained: "One day, he decided to cultivate the Path of Emotionless Ascension. After surveying his circle, he couldn’t bring himself to kill anyone close to him. So he hatched a plan—raise a spirit beast, bond with it, and then sacrifice it. But when the time came, he couldn’t do it. Last I saw him, he’d amassed twenty spirit beasts of all kinds, from sky-soaring to earth-roaming, parading around wherever he went."

Bai Roushuang found this delightful. "I can’t wait to meet him!"

Xu Shulou rested her chin on her hand, musing about her eccentric shidi (junior brother). "I wonder if he’s given up on the emotionless path by now."

Bai Roushuang’s curiosity flared again: "I’ve only read about the Path of Emotionless Ascension in Bright Moon Peak’s archives. Has anyone actually succeeded in it?"

"I doubt it," Xu Shulou shook her head. "Cultivators are still human. True detachment from emotions and desires is impossible. Besides, killing innocents to prove your path only incurs karmic debt. How could ascension come so easily?"

"True," Bai Roushuang murmured thoughtfully.

Ji Ci added, "It must be a myth. Otherwise, wouldn’t everyone just sacrifice a loved one to ascend?"

"If it’s easy to sacrifice them, were they ever truly loved?"

Xu Shulou stretched and lay back on the grassy lakeshore, a blade of grass between her teeth and a folding fan tucked at her waist, embodying the carefree decadence of a young noble.

Despite knowing she carried a venomous gu poison, simply being near her lifted spirits.

Bai Roushuang lay beside her when Xu Shulou suddenly asked, "Want to hear a full tune played on a grass blade?"

"Really?"

"Of course." Xu Shulou plucked the blade, brought it to her lips, and a lively folk melody spilled forth, evoking the bustling energy of a marketplace.

"It’s The Peddler’s Song," Bai Roushuang recognized. "You must’ve lived among commoners for a long time."

"I have. I’ve wandered far and wide," Xu Shulou grinned. "I also know a Miaojiang tune. Want to hear it?"

"Yes!"

So she played again, swaying with the rhythm, utterly absorbed.

Luo Fusheng danced along, her twelve-year-old grace hinting at future beauty. Jiang Yan hummed a few off-key notes. "This is lovely. What’s it called?"

"Killing the Centipede."

"…"

"Don’t like it? I’ve got another—Searching for the Bull."

"No, this one’s fine."

And so, the Dustless Island group lounged on the grass, listening to Xu Shulou’s Killing the Centipede, gazing at the boundless sky, savoring the serenity.

The world was peaceful; time flowed gently.

Until a Harmony Sect maid disrupted the calm: "Lady Xu, a man named Lu Beichen is at the mountain’s base. He came alone, asking to see you."

"What does he want?" The group tensed instantly.

Song Ping frowned. "Shijie, don’t go. I’ll send him away!"

"It’s fine. Testing the waters might help us understand the gu poison’s effects. You’ll be with me," Xu Shulou brushed off the grass and stood, reassuring them. "If you notice anything odd in my words or actions…"

She mimed a chopping motion.

Bai Roushuang nodded solemnly. "Understood. We’ll knock you out immediately to stop the conversation."

Xu Shulou glared in mock outrage. "Why hit me? Hit him!"