I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script

"Oh, hit him..." Bai Roushuang had made a blunder, needlessly steeling herself for tragedy. After a moment's thought, she found she had absolutely no qualms about beating up Lu Beichen and readily agreed, "No problem!"

The group marched out with menacing expressions.

Lu Beichen waited at the foot of the mountain, lost in thought. When Xu Shulou appeared in his line of sight, his expression turned complicated. "I didn’t think you’d come to see me, given the love poison... You’re very brave."

Xu Shulou pressed a hand to her chest and said softly, "The brave one is you."

Huh? Was the poison already taking effect? Bai Roushuang gritted her teeth and sidled up to Lu Beichen, ready to strike at any moment. Lu Beichen remained oblivious to her malicious intent and even gave her an innocent smile.

"The brave one is you," Xu Shulou continued, looking at him. "You do realize that to prevent the poison from taking hold, I could just kill you outright, right?"

Lu Beichen stiffened. "Shulou..."

Under normal circumstances, he trusted that Xu Shulou would never kill lightly. But she had just slain Fan Yang a few days ago—what if she was still in the mood for bloodshed?

He had no desire to be dragged down by that scoundrel Fan Yang.

Xu Shulou reassured him, "Don’t worry, I’m not planning to do that right now."

Lu Beichen relaxed slightly at her tone—until she added frankly, "If I can’t find anyone to undo the poison, I’ll just kill you then. No rush."

"..." Lu Beichen nearly burst into tears, cursing Fan Yang and Fan Zhi inwardly. How dare those old bastards call this a "love poison"? How dare they claim this was meant to humiliate Xu Shulou? Were they trying to ensure his death as the Lingxiao Sect’s senior disciple?

He had no idea how to respond, so he tactfully changed the subject. "I owe you an apology, but I swear I had no idea what they were planning. When Fan Zhi first brought back that little girl, I objected, but they assured me she wouldn’t be harmed—they just wanted to exchange her for Senior Uncle Zhang... I never imagined things would escalate like this. I don’t even understand why they suddenly attacked you. But I believe once I report this to the sect, the Sect Master will punish Elder Fan Zhi severely."

Xu Shulou nodded. "I believe you."

Seeing Bai Roushuang fidgeting behind Lu Beichen, Xu Shulou added with amusement, "That’s not the poison talking. I trust Senior Brother Lu isn’t that kind of person yet."

Lu Beichen wasn’t inherently evil. As a disciple of a prestigious sect, his path had been smooth, untouched by underhanded schemes. He wasn’t yet capable—nor had he any reason—to do such things.

He was even a bit naive, convinced the Lingxiao Sect would surely punish Fan Zhi for this.

That was also why Xu Shulou couldn’t bring herself to cut him down without hesitation.

Lu Beichen’s expression softened slightly, and he lowered his head before sharing what he knew. "Elder Fan Zhi... has returned to the Lingxiao Sect with Fan Yang’s remains. Once I go back, I’ll report everything. This wasn’t your fault—Fan Yang struck first. But from the look on Fan Zhi’s face, she despises you now. Be careful around her."

"I understand," Xu Shulou said gently, accepting his well-meaning warning without mentioning that Fan Zhi was no match for her. "Thank you."

"As for the poison, I asked Fan Zhi. She doesn’t know how to undo it either. She only said it’s extremely potent, meant to make the victim... uh..." Lu Beichen wisely rephrased, "meant to strip the victim of all dignity, like a dog. She also said Fan Yang stumbled upon it by chance—he only knew how to administer it, not cure it."

Xu Shulou nodded, unfazed. She didn’t regret killing Fan Yang on the spot, and this news didn’t change that.

Even if Fan Yang could have undone the poison, she wouldn’t have regretted cutting him down.

"I should head back," Lu Beichen said, eager to avoid lingering in Xu Shulou’s presence. What if she changed her mind about killing him mid-conversation? Having said his piece, he bowed to Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang. "Until we meet again. Please take care of Little Martial Aunt for now."

"Of course," Xu Shulou clasped her hands in farewell.

Bai Roushuang watched Lu Beichen’s retreating figure with mixed feelings.

Once he was out of sight, the others immediately crowded around Xu Shulou, having held their breaths anxiously during the exchange. "Senior Sister, how do you feel?"

Xu Shulou shook her head. "He doesn’t affect me much. Don’t worry."

"Really? Senior Sister, don’t push yourself."

After hearing Lu Beichen’s words about the poison reducing its victim "to the level of a dog," their hearts had nearly frozen. Seeing Xu Shulou so nonchalant now, they struggled to believe it.

"Really, I’m fine."

Xu Shulou pressed a hand to her chest.

She flicked open her folding fan and smiled. "What’s for dinner tonight?"

---

Xu Shulou finally got her wish—she pushed her junior sister off the peak of Verdant Summit.

Bai Roushuang stared at her nervously. "Senior Sister, you’ll catch me, right?"

"No," Xu Shulou said sternly, mustering all her coldness. "I’ve fallen for Lu Beichen. Now I see you as a rival in love, so I want you dead."

"What? Senior Sister, don’t joke like this—AHHHHH!" Bai Roushuang plummeted with a scream.

Xu Shulou stood leisurely at the mountaintop, watching. "Fly! If you can’t, I won’t save you."

Bai Roushuang fell, watching Xu Shulou’s face shrink in her vision. She flailed midair, but Xu Shulou didn’t move an inch—no heroic rescue in sight.

Tears blurred her vision. At the brink of life and death, she mustered every ounce of strength to summon her sword. With a desperate surge of energy, she suddenly found herself standing steadily on the blade, hovering in midair.

She stared at her feet in amazement, shifting cautiously. The sword wobbled, and she froze in fear before slowly regaining balance. After some fumbling, she managed to fly smoothly, circling twice before carefully guiding the sword back to the peak.

"Senior Sister... wuwuwu... Senior Sister..." The moment she landed, Bai Roushuang threw herself at Xu Shulou, clinging to her leg, her face a mess of tears and snot. She was utterly heartbroken and aggrieved. "I want my old Senior Sister back! The one who protected me! The one who bought me iced milk cakes! Wuwu... I hate Fan Yang, that bastard... Wuwu... Maybe we should just kill Senior Brother Lu after all..."

"Junior Sister, why are you crying? Were you scared?" Song Ping’s concerned voice sounded behind her. "Did you just say you wanted to kill someone?"

Bai Roushuang turned to him, tear-streaked. "Second Senior Brother? Why are you here?"

"I’ve been waiting at the base of the mountain the whole time. Senior Sister said she was worried you wouldn’t be able to fly, so she had all of us stationed below to catch you."

"..."

Jiang Yan and the others also flew up to the mountain peak, where they caught sight of Bai Roushuang clinging to her senior sister’s leg, crying pitifully in a rather disheveled state. They were all slightly startled. "Little junior sister, what’s wrong? Why are you crying so sadly? Who upset you?"

Bai Roushuang looked up blankly at Xu Shulou, who couldn’t help but smile apologetically. "Sorry."

"Senior sister!" Bai Roushuang was so angry she started rolling up her sleeves.

Xu Shulou had already darted away as lightly as a swallow. "Want to hit me? Come catch me first."

"You—!" Without another word, Bai Roushuang stepped onto her sword and gave chase.

Her sole focus was on catching up to her senior sister, and in that moment, she forgot her earlier caution. She felt her sword move with her will, gliding through the air as smoothly as flowing water.

In the blink of an eye, several towering mountains passed beneath her feet. She flew so high she could nearly skim the clouds. After soaring through the sky for a while, Bai Roushuang suddenly realized that her fear of flying alone at such heights had been overcome—just like that.

Xu Shulou abruptly turned around, and Bai Roushuang, unable to stop in time, crashed right into her. Xu Shulou took the opportunity to wrap her arms around her junior sister mid-air. "Sword flight isn’t just about technique—it’s more about feeling."

"......"

Seeing her silent, Xu Shulou coaxed, "Alright, dear junior sister, don’t be angry."

Bai Roushuang’s face flushed. "I… I’m not angry with you."

"Really?"

"Mm! I know senior sister meant well."

Xu Shulou chuckled, lowering her head to gently bump foreheads with her. "Good girl. I won’t scare you like that again."

Bai Roushuang’s pretty face turned even redder. Strangely enough, there was a kind of person in this world whose charm seemed unrelated to gender or even romance—they simply stood there, and others couldn’t help but look up to them.

Xu Shulou held her as they descended, and Bai Roushuang only then noticed they had flown deep into the mountains, landing beside a secluded stream.

The mountain brook murmured softly, undisturbed by human presence. Even the little deer drinking from it barely flinched at their approach. When Xu Shulou moved closer, the deer, perhaps thinking she also intended to drink, politely shuffled aside to make room.

Xu Shulou hesitated but ultimately declined the offer, instead stroking the deer’s antlers before turning to her junior sister. "This little one is on the verge of developing spiritual awareness."

Bai Roushuang found it fascinating. "I’ve never seen a deer demon before."

"Demonic cultivators are rare. Their path to cultivation is inherently more difficult than a human’s—achieving human form is hard enough, let alone ascending to immortality."

Bai Roushuang suddenly asked, "Senior sister, do you really want to become an immortal?"

Xu Shulou tilted her head. "Why the sudden question?"

"I just thought… with senior sister’s extraordinary talent, you’ll surely ascend soon." Bai Roushuang bit her lip. "When that happens, I’ll miss you terribly."

"Silly, why worry about something so far away?" Xu Shulou pondered for a moment. "Truthfully, I don’t have any particular desire to become an immortal."

"Why not?"

"The mortal world is lovely. Who knows if the celestial realm has Dongpo pork or beggar’s chicken?"

Bai Roushuang laughed. "Can immortals even return to the mortal realm?"

"Not a single trace of an immortal has ever been seen back here," Xu Shulou shook her head. "It seems the path to heaven is one-way."

Bai Roushuang offered a thought-provoking guess. "Maybe the celestial realm is just too wonderful, and they don’t want to come back?"

"......"

"Senior sister!" Song Ping’s voice called from afar. "A reply from the sect has arrived!"

The momentarily pensive Bai Roushuang sprang to her feet, yanking Xu Shulou up with her. "Senior sister! Hurry back and read the letter—maybe it has a way to cure the gu poison!"

"I know, don’t rush—" Xu Shulou was already being dragged along mid-flight by her overeager junior sister. "Wait, is this really how you’re using the sword flight I taught you?"

Xu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍Shulou unfolded the letter while the others crowded behind her to read.

The letter contained only two matters.

Regarding Zhang Baihe, the sect leader instructed them to bring him back to Dustless Island first. As for the gu poison, the sect leader regretfully stated that Dustless Island had no experts in gu techniques.

Xu Shulou wasn’t surprised. Righteous sects traditionally looked down on gu sorcery, considering it a lowly practice, and few studied it openly. Those who did kept it hidden, afraid of others finding out.

Fortunately, the sect leader also pointed them toward a solution—a small, obscure sect in Miaojiang specialized in gu poison, though ordinary people had no way to approach them. However, the mother of the Black Tortoise Tower’s eldest young master had once been a member of that sect. They might seek him out for answers.

"Black Tortoise Tower?" The group exchanged startled looks. "The same Black Tortoise Tower that vowed to destroy the Harmony Sect?"

Jiang Yan mused, "I’ve heard that the Tower Lord’s first wife had a dubious background and a ruthless temperament, which is why he holds little affection for his eldest son."

Luo Hongtang, leader of the Harmony Sect, sat nearby, having refrained from crowding around the letter. Now, she spoke up. "The man you seek is named Gao Ming. He injured his meridians while saving one of my sect’s disciples, and the Tower Lord used that as an excuse to declare war on us. The disciple he saved, Yue Ling, has stayed by his side to repay the debt. If Gao Ming refuses to see you, seek her out—she may put in a good word."

"What a coincidence," Xu Shulou closed the letter. "It seems a trip to Black Tortoise Tower is unavoidable."

Song Ping nodded. "The gu poison must be dealt with urgently. Let’s split up—I’ll take the junior brothers and Senior Uncle Zhang back to Dustless Island, while you, senior sister, take—"

Bai Roushuang eagerly raised her hand. "Take me! I’ll go with senior sister!"

Song Ping was taken aback by her fervor. "Uh, alright, you go with her…"

He glanced at Bai Roushuang again, still uneasy. "But senior sister is poisoned—take two more with you."

Xu Shulou shook her head. "Even if Lu Beichen said Fan Zhi returned to Lingxiao Sect, she might still double back if she’s persistent. Your group is actually in greater danger."

Luo Hongtang interjected, "Don’t worry. I’ll arrange an escort to ensure Zhang Baihe is delivered safely to Dustless Island."

The others sighed in relief, but Xu Shulou exchanged a grave look with Song Ping, who nodded. "Understood. I’ll take Senior Uncle Zhang directly to Bright Moon Peak and have the junior brothers take turns guarding him—no intermediaries."

Luo Hongtang turned to Xu Shulou. "Lady Xu, I’ll also send more people to escort you."

"No need," Xu Shulou refused. "If the Harmony Sect sends a large group into Black Tortoise Tower’s territory, won’t it be seen as a declaration of war?"

"Then I’ll accompany you myself."

"Can you afford to leave the Harmony Sect for so long?" Xu Shulou studied her. In the tales, it was only after Luo Hongtang’s passing that Black Tortoise Tower dared to attack the Harmony Sect in full force. Her presence was crucial to their safety.

The remark struck a chord. Luo Hongtang couldn’t bear to leave her sect unprotected, yet she also couldn’t ignore Xu Shulou’s plight. "You recently collaborated with us to hunt down that demon. If Black Tortoise Tower learns of it, they won’t treat you kindly. Since this matter involves the Harmony Sect, I can’t stand by and do nothing."

Xu Shulou reassured her: "It's fine. Even if the people from Black Tortoise Tower treat me poorly, this matter can't be entirely blamed on the Harmony Sect."

"Why not?"

"Well, about Black Tortoise Tower... I haven’t mentioned this to anyone, but a few years ago, I had a bit of a disagreement with their Left Protector."

Luo Hongtang paused, thinking Xu Shulou was just saying this to comfort her, and felt a warmth in her heart. Just as she was about to speak, Xu Shulou continued, counting on her fingers:

"Then there’s their Sect Leader’s third daughter and fifth son, a guest elder, and those in charge of recruiting new disciples—what were they called again? Oh, right, the steward disciples. Oh, and their sect’s guardian spirit beast..."

As she went on, Xu Shulou grew slightly sheepish: "Actually, now that I think about it, our collaboration with the Harmony Sect to hunt down that demon is probably the least of their concerns."

The warmth in Luo Hongtang’s heart vanished entirely. "How did you even manage to offend a spirit beast?"

On this matter, Xu Shulou felt truly wronged. She straightened her back indignantly. "Who knew something so adorable would refuse to be petted?"

Luo Hongtang was beyond astonishment. "Maybe you should just go in disguise."

"...Good idea."