I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script

As Xu Shulou pulled the gu worm out, visions seemed to flash before her eyes. An extremely gentle voice whispered temptingly in her ear:

"Why bother? Doesn't it hurt? Wouldn't it be better to let it stay? You could be an ordinary girl, experiencing romance and love. You don't need to be strong or powerful—someone will cherish and pamper you, accompany you under moonlit blossoms, and shield you from life's storms.

You don't have to be everyone's senior sister, always looking after them. It should be someone else's turn to care for you.

There's no responsibility in this world that was ever meant to fall on your shoulders.

You don't need to remember to add layers to others' clothing—you could be the one doted upon, cherished beyond measure..."

In the illusion before her, under the flickering candlelight, Lu Beichen smiled tenderly as he draped an outer robe over her shoulders. The scene radiated warmth and safety...

He stood before her, hand outstretched, as if waiting for her delicate fingers to slip into his, so they might intertwine and never part again.

When she still didn't take his hand, the voice in her ear rose in pitch, tinged with urgency.

"If you remain aloof your whole life, you'll never know the joy of marital harmony or children gathered at your knees."

Xu Shulou never paused in her efforts, yanking the gu worm out completely. After confirming it was fully intact, she promptly flattened it with a slap: "What nonsense is this? It hurts enough to kill me—who has the patience to listen to your rambling?"

If the gu worm had an afterlife, it might sigh at having wasted its charms on blind eyes.

Xu Shulou glanced down at her wound. Aside from the carefully avoided meridians, her left shoulder was nearly gouged into a hole.

She quickly fetched blood-staunching and flesh-regenerating medicine and sprinkled it over the injury.

Bai Roushuang stood frozen. She'd only stepped out to buy wine and food, yet upon returning, the courtyard gate stood wide open, the room splattered with blood, and even Gao Ming—a living, breathing man—had vanished.

Xu Shoulou stood amid the bloodstains, mop in hand, smiling warmly at her: "What wine did you buy?"

"Senior Sister, you... are you mopping?" Bai Roushuang nearly thought her senior sister had killed that detestable physician and swiftly dismembered him here, now cleaning up the evidence.

"Blood splattered everywhere when I dug out the gu worm. I'm cleaning up for Fellow Daoist Gao—after all, this is his bedroom."

Gao Ming's courtyard was small, with only three rooms: a bedroom, a woodshed, and a kitchen. Xu Shulou had chosen the most logical one for gu extraction.

"Oh, let me help—wait..." Bai Roushuang could hardly believe her ears. "You already dug out the gu worm?!"

Xu Shulou pointed to a thoroughly flattened object on the table: "There it is."

"You sent me away on purpose while extracting it?"

Xu Shulou feigned innocence: "But I made sure to leave it here for you to see."

Bai Roushuang leaned in to inspect the disgusting thing and grew even angrier: "Who wants to see this?!"

Xu Shulou lowered her eyes—almond-shaped, they took on a pitiable softness when cast downward: "Then I'll burn it."

"..." Bai Roushuang inexplicably felt guilty, as if she'd bullied her senior sister. She cleared her throat, trying to sound firm: "Did it work? Any lingering effects?"

"Probably not, but to be safe, we should have Physician Gao check."

"Then where is he?"

"Taken by Black Tortoise Tower," Xu Shulou replied with a smile. "I was just about to head there. Why don’t you stay and finish mopping?"

"I'm coming with you—don’t even think about ditching me again!"

"Fine, shall we go now?"

"Wait." Bai Roushuang thrust the wine and food at her stiffly, determined to make her senior sister aware she was still upset. "Eat first while I pack. You should recover a bit—digging out a gu worm must’ve been agony."

Xu Shulou accepted the meal, glanced down, and smiled softly: "You bought all my favorites."

Bai Roushuang clutched her chest and muttered, "Wasn’t the love gu supposed to make people compliant? Why were you so fierce while infected, yet gentler now that it’s gone?"

Though the medicine had been applied, Xu Shulou’s flesh hadn’t fully regenerated yet. She dared not move her left hand, so she opened the meal box one-handed. Bai Roushuang grumbled but stepped forward to arrange the dishes and pour the wine.

Xu Shulou chuckled: "You’ve changed, Junior Sister. When we first met, you spoke so softly and sweetly. Now you’re so... lively."

...Were you about to say "fiery"? Bai Roushuang glared. "And whose fault is that?!"

Xu Shulou swiftly changed the subject: "My plan is to stake out Black Tortoise Tower, snatch a couple of their disciples, and sneak in wearing their uniforms."

Bai Roushuang scoffed: "Oh? After brute-forcing a gu worm out bare-handed, I thought you’d just sword your way straight through."

Xu Shulou blinked innocently: "How could I?"

Bai Roushuang studied her. Seeing her senior sister now dressed in dark robes, hair tied simply into a ponytail, her heart softened again: "You changed clothes and hairstyle—were the old ones soaked in blood and sweat?"

Xu Shulou, however, was cheerful: "A small price for removing a love gu—what does it matter?"

Bai Roushuang could only sigh and follow her lead: "By the way, when I went for wine, I passed a gambling den and saw Shen Ji."

Xu Shulou’s brow twitched: "Oh?"

"Think you can kidnap Shen Ji?"

"Shouldn’t be a problem."

"Don’t push yourself," Bai Roushuang warned. "Remember, you’re still injured."

"Precisely because I’m injured, I said ‘shouldn’t be a problem.’ If I were unhurt, I’d say ‘absolutely no problem.’"

"..."

Two hours later, Bai Roushuang stared at the unconscious left guardian of Black Tortoise Tower—Shen Ji—lying on the bed in nothing but his underclothes and had to admit this wasn’t bravado.

Beside him lay a stranger in an outer disciple’s uniform, thoughtfully given a pillow by Xu Shulou.

As Bai Roushuang began stripping the disciple’s clothes, she asked, "How did you even get Shen Ji back? Half the city knows his face."

"Step one: follow him to a secluded spot and knock him out. Step two: disguise him. If you lack a face-changing artifact, a cloth mask works just as well." Xu Shulou lectured her junior sister earnestly on abduction protocol. "Step three: carry him back quickly so no one gets a clear look."

She had already changed into Shen Ji’s clothes and was stuffing cotton into the waistband to match his build.

Face-changing artifacts only altered facial features. Xu Shulou caught herself fantasizing about someday robbing a body-transforming artifact to pair with it.

Bai Roushuang’s disguise was simpler—just a fake beard, tied-back hair, and thick eyebrows before she followed her senior sister to Black Tortoise Tower.

With so many low-ranking outer disciples, the guards didn’t recognize everyone. Seeing her token, they let her pass.

As for Left Protector Shen Ji, he didn’t even need a token. His temper had always been notoriously bad, and the gatekeepers, upon seeing his face, didn’t dare ask for one. They simply forced a smile and said, "The Fifth Young Master asked us to inform you that what you requested has already been delivered to your room."

Xu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‍Shulou gave a cold nod and stepped through the gates. Bai Roushuang quickly moved closer and asked, "What could Shen Ji have asked for?"

"Right now, we’re facing a much more pressing issue," Xu Shulou said, gazing up at the intricate network of suspended walkways and corridors crisscrossing overhead. "Forget whatever’s in the room—I don’t even know where my room is."

Bai Roushuang sucked in a sharp breath. Who would have thought that getting lost would be a bigger problem than being exposed?

Fortunately, there was always a way. Xu Shulou pondered for a moment before saying, "I’ll hide first. You stop a random disciple and tell them you’re new, that Left Protector Shen Ji sent you to deliver something to the Fifth Young Master, and ask where his room is. We’ll go straight to find Gao Ming."

"Got it!"

Black Tortoise Tower, having acted as the local tyrant in Ruzhou City for so long, had grown lax in security. Bai Roushuang easily tricked a disciple into revealing the Fifth Young Master’s location.

Unable to navigate the maze of aerial corridors, the two simply flew up to the fifteenth floor where the Fifth Young Master resided. The moment they landed, they ran straight into Gao Jie himself.

Surrounded by attendants, he smirked at Xu Shulou and waggled his eyebrows. "So? Do you like what’s waiting in your room?"

Xu Shulou deepened her voice. "I haven’t been back yet. What is it?"

Bai Roushuang marveled at how her voice had shifted into a low, masculine tone—whether it was an additional feature of the disguise artifact or her own ventriloquism skills, she couldn’t tell.

Gao Jie laughed heartily. "You’ll see when you get back. It’s a surprise."

Xu Shulou nodded. "Did you bring Gao Ming back?"

Bai Roushuang tensed. Wouldn’t such a direct question make him suspicious?

But Gao Jie didn’t seem wary at all. He just waved a hand impatiently. "Ugh, you’ve already heard? Which blabbermouth let that slip?"

Xu Shulou’s mind worked quickly. She glanced meaningfully at his lower half. "Problems down there again?"

"Shh! Keep it down!" Gao Jie leaned in, lowering his voice. "Don’t say it out loud! You know how I’ve been indulging lately, so I invited him over to help me… readjust. Just don’t tell my father, alright?"

"Why would I bother the Tower Master with something like this?" Xu Shulou cleared her throat. "Just one thing—when you’re done with him, send him to my room. I could use a checkup too."

Gao Jie immediately brightened, slinging an arm around her shoulder with a knowing grin. "So even Left Protector Shen Ji suffers from depleted vitality? No shame in it! With our relationship, if you need him tonight, I’ll send him straight to your room for a thorough examination."

Bai Roushuang covered her face, certain that the real Shen Ji would be furious when he found out—not only had someone impersonated him, but they’d also saddled him with rumors of impotence.

When the two finally returned to the room and saw what awaited them, Bai Roushuang decided the rumor was fitting after all.

The so-called "surprise" was a young woman bound tightly with immortal-restraining ropes, gagged, and dressed in flimsy robes—clearly prepared for Shen Ji’s… enjoyment.

Xu Shulou strode forward and removed the gag. The girl’s eyes welled with tears. "Please let me go! I beg you! You can drain my cultivation, just don’t kill me! I swear I won’t tell anyone!"

It was the plump rabbit girl Xu Shulou had patted in the Drunken Life Pavilion about ten days prior.

"Ping’er, it’s me." Xu Shulou wiped her face, removing the disguise artifact and revealing her true appearance.

"Miss?" Ping’er’s eyes widened in shock and relief. "What are you doing here? And why are you dressed as Shen Ji? Where is he?"

"It’s a long story." Xu Shulou untied the ropes binding her.

The moment she was free, Ping’er threw herself into Xu Shulou’s arms, sobbing. "Thank you, miss! I was so scared! Everyone at the pavilion says Shen Ji is a monster behind closed doors, so the sisters always hide me in the courtyard when he visits. But they caught me and brought me here… I thought I was going to die!"

"Don’t be afraid. You’re safe now." Xu Shulou gently patted her back until her sobs subsided.

Bai Roushuang sighed softly, wetting a handkerchief with water from the room and wiping Ping’er’s face.

Gao Ming likely wouldn’t arrive until evening, so Xu Shulou decided to take the opportunity to explore Black Tortoise Tower.

But Bai Roushuang insisted on accompanying her, and Ping’er, still shaken, clung to her and refused to let go.

Ping’er nodded eagerly.

Xu Shulou sighed and began pulling out the cotton padding stuffed between her inner and outer robes, making space for Ping’er to curl up against her stomach. Feeling the warm little bundle nestled there, her heart softened, and she gently rubbed the rabbit’s head through the fabric, adjusting the collar to give her more air.

Disguised once more, Xu Shulou strolled confidently through Black Tortoise Tower with her two companions in tow. When they reached the twentieth floor, she suddenly asked her junior sister, "Want to see the Tower’s guardian spirit beast?"

"The cute one?" Bai Roushuang nodded immediately. "Yes!"

When it came to spirit beasts, Xu Shulou suddenly seemed like an expert. She swiftly guided them through a door—

—where Bai Roushuang was met with a colossal creature spanning roughly ten floors. She fell silent for a long moment. "This is Black Tortoise Tower’s guardian spirit beast?"

"Obviously."

"But… I thought you meant the fluffy, round kind!" Bai Roushuang gestured emphatically. "The kind that’s soft to pet!"

Xu Shulou looked puzzled. "Black Tortoise Tower’s guardian is, naturally, the Black Tortoise."

"But it’s… you said it was cute!"

"Oh." Xu Shulou finally understood and mimed with her hands. "It can shrink. When it’s tiny, it’s actually quite adorable."

"How tiny?" Bai Roushuang tried to visualize. "Breakfast bun-sized, or lunch pancake-sized?"

"Pancake-sized."

"Shijie!" Bai Roushuang yelped as the Black Tortoise suddenly stirred. "I think it doesn’t like being compared to food!"

Xu Shulou was already coiled tightly in the serpentine tail, barely able to move. She shielded the rabbit in her robes and gritted out, "Thanks for the warning. I noticed."

The Black Tortoise’s voice boomed like thunder in her ears. "Shen Ji? I thought I warned you never to show your face here again."

Just how universally despised is this guy? Xu Shulou sighed and wiped her face, reverting to her true appearance.

"You?" The Black Tortoise sounded even more shocked. "What are you doing here?"

Before Xu Shulou could answer, the serpentine body of the Black Tortoise leaned in and plucked a trembling rabbit from the collar of her robes. "And what is this? You brought a rabbit to see me?"

"I... well..." Under the simultaneous gaze of the Black Tortoise's two large eyes, Xu Shulou found herself inexplicably flustered.