Gu Baiyi chuckled softly and asked, "Why don't you want to?"
Truthfully, Ji Rong didn't know either. But she really didn't want to kill Gu Baiyi.
She remembered, in the original host's memories, the woman kneeling in the Judgment Hall.
The jade tiles were freezing cold. Gu Baiyi knelt there, lifting her head slightly, her gaze locked on Ji Rong with an expression that was impossible to put into words.
What kind of gaze was that, exactly?
Ji Rong thought about it for a long time, but couldn't find the answer.
But when she saw that woman curled up on the icy floor, clutching blood-soaked hands, she had to admit, her heart clenched for a moment.
As if the tip of the sword hadn't just pierced Gu Baiyi's dantian, but her own as well. It hurt.
At that moment, Ji Rong empathized with Gu Baiyi.
So she shed tears, for that woman whose eyes curved like the moon when she smiled.
…That silly, sweet girl.
Now, as Ji Rong looked at Gu Baiyi standing before her, the heroine's eyes were black, and her clothes were black too. If someone threw her into a vat of water, they could probably dye a whole barrel of ink with what came off.
Empathizing with a blackened, deranged heroine, Ji Rong figured she must be out of her mind, asking for death.
So she answered calmly, and honestly, "I don't know."
Because she really didn't.
Gu Baiyi smiled lightly at that and said, "It's fine, Senior Sister."
"Because even if you told me, I might not believe you. In that case, it's better not to say anything at all."
But then, a voice crept into her sea of consciousness, like a ghostly whisper from her inner demon: "If Ji Rong really told you, would you really not believe her?"
"No."
"Tch, idiot. You've burned that hair ribbon how many times now, don't tell me you've forgotten?"
Gu Baiyi didn't reply.
After a moment, she smiled faintly and said in a soft voice to the inner demon, "Get lost."
She was so angry that, without thinking, she accidentally said it aloud.
By the time Gu Baiyi realized it, it was too late.
Because Ji Rong had already rolled off to the side with a blank expression.
Gu Baiyi: "…"
She took a deep breath.
That damn inner demon.
Ji Rong, who heard her say "get lost," obediently rolled away and didn't say another word.
In fact, she was delighted. The farther she could roll, the better. The farther away from the unhinged Gu Baiyi, the safer.
After Ji Rong rolled aside, she hugged the fox and tried hard to recall any plot points involving the Bodhi Sect.
Naturally, she didn't notice that the one who'd told her to get lost was now gripping her sword tassel so tightly, she nearly tore the threads off.
So annoying.
That inner demon was way too annoying.
Gu Baiyi looked down at the silk wrapped around her fingers, a cold glint in her eyes. One day, she swore she'd kill it.
While the two of them were lost in their thoughts, the flying palanquin landed smoothly in Kongshan.
Ji Rong was about to lift the curtain and step out when Gu Baiyi stopped her.
Ji Rong looked at her calmly, waiting to hear what she had to say.
Gu Baiyi originally wanted to explain, that what she said earlier wasn't her true intention. But after a second thought… why should she have to explain herself?
She frowned. The words changed in her mouth: "Senior Sister, you'd best not say the wrong thing later. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise you'll stay far away from me, and I'll die from the poison. Right?"
Gu Baiyi: "…"
Then she gave a nonchalant smile. "As long as you understand, Senior Sister."
Tch. I'm a professional NPC, as if I'd say the wrong thing.
And anyway, if I die, so be it. I'm not afraid of dying anymore.
Cold and unimpressed at having her villain credentials questioned, Ji Rong completely ignored the twisted, psycho smile on Gu Baiyi's face, lifted the curtain, and stepped out.
Gu Baiyi stood there for a long moment, dazed. She began to wonder if she'd been too soft on Ji Rong, was that why this woman was so bold in front of her?
Still, boldness wasn't so bad. Made things interesting.
She chuckled softly, lifted the curtain, and followed her out.
Behind them, Xie Bai watched their departing figures. He rubbed his nose, feeling incredibly out of place.
If this were a storybook, he'd probably be that irrelevant side character no one cared about.
The forgotten man and fox exchanged glances, clearly reluctant but forced to follow behind.
On the other side, a monk stood by the palanquin, smiling and waiting for Ji Rong to step down. He waited a while but saw no sign of her coming out and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
He was just about to send a voice transmission into the palanquin when Ji Rong finally stepped out slowly.
The monk smiled, pressed his palms together, and said, "Benefactor, please follow this humble monk—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a hand emerged from inside the palanquin.
Long, slender fingers, pale as jade, gently lifted the curtain.
The monk fell silent.
The woman before him wore simple clothes, with a plain-looking sword at her waist. Her features were elegant, but there was a coldness in her lowered gaze.
She stood beside Ji Rong, smiling as she asked, "I am the lady's personal guard. May I ask the master's Dharma name?"
The monk snapped back to his senses, still smiling as he pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. This humble monk is called Changhui."
Gu Baiyi returned the gesture respectfully and said with a nod, "Greetings, Master Changhui."
Changhui replied, "Amitabha. Please, Benefactor, don't flatter me. This humble monk is but a speck of dust in the Bodhi Sect, unworthy of such praise."
He was all smiles, speaking kindly to Gu Baiyi.
Ji Rong thought to herself—damn.
The heroine's a social butterfly. Just a few words and she's laid out her whole background, even flattered Changhui into a good mood.
Impressive.
Gu Baiyi was about to respond, still smiling, when Xie Bai stepped out of the palanquin too, followed by Wu Yan.
The monk's expression shifted.
What was going on today? Why were people popping out of the palanquin like dumplings?
He looked at the black-clad Xie Bai and couldn't help but ask, "And this benefactor is…?"
"She's my bodyguard."
Ji Rong calmly followed up on the monk's question.
Considering that Xie Bai, for all intents and purposes, was still a man and she, a Stepping on the Moon level immortal master, having such a completely useless man as her personal bodyguard looked more than a little odd.
So, after a moment's thought, she added, "Not the personal kind."
Chang Hui: "..."
Gu Baiyi: "..."
Xie Bai: "..."
Chang Hui looked over at Xie Bai, whose entire demeanor radiated unseriousness, and silently questioned what sort of protection this man could possibly offer.
But to his surprise, Xie Bai shamelessly played along with Ji Rong's words.
He cupped his fists solemnly and said with righteous conviction, "Though I am not Miss Ji's personal guard, I shall still do my utmost to protect her!"
Of course, his bandaged finger, still slowly seeping blood, undermined his bold claim just a little.
Ji Rong's eyelid twitches. She had a strong suspicion this idiot was doing it on purpose.
Trying to mask her embarrassment, she kept her face expressionless and replied faintly, "Mm."
Fortunately, Chang Hui figured that since both Xie Bai and Gu Baiyi had emerged from Ji Rong's palanquin, they probably weren't notorious criminals. He didn't dwell on it.
He stepped up onto the stone stairs, preparing to lead the trio into the Bodhi Sect, when the gates of the temple creaked open by themselves.
Chang Hui was startled. Strange things really did seem to be happening one after another today.
He peered through the crack of the door.
Behind the red-lacquered gates stood a figure.
Mist and backlight obscured the face, so it was difficult to make out who it was. The only clear detail was a hand pushing the wooden door open.
When the doors opened completely, Ji Rong squinted, finally getting a good look at the figure.
It was a young person with long black hair held up by a simple wooden hairpin. Their features were delicate, suggesting they were likely a youth.
Clad in plain clothes, a peachwood sword strapped to their back, the youth slowly descended the stairs.
Their steps were swift; in the blink of an eye, they emerged from the mist and stood before them.
Only then did Ji Rong realize with surprise that this wasn't a young man at all, it was a woman.
She wore unremarkable clothing, and the peachwood sword on her back looked completely ordinary.
She stood there, tall and relaxed, like a nine-mile-fragrance shrub blooming idly on a hillside, neither beautiful nor eye-catching.
But her eyes were striking. Like a cold moon under a starry sky, they gleamed with clarity.
Ji Rong stared at the woman. For some reason, she looked incredibly familiar.
Where had she seen this person before?
Gu Baiyi narrowed her eyes as she studied the woman.
She was sure she had seen this person before too, but exactly where...
A thought flickered through Gu Baiyi's mind.
It must have been in Tianshui Prefecture.
Standing off to the side, Xie Bai's face went rigid the moment he saw the woman.
Wasn't this that crazy woman, Jiang Fei?
But a moment later, Xie Bai calmed himself.
Luckily, he'd been masked when Jiang Fei chased him. And now, with different clothes and a changed look, she probably wouldn't recognize him.
Seeing that it was Jiang Fei, Chang Hui pressed his palms together and smiled gently. "Amitabha. So it is Benefactor Jiang… but why do you remain outside the gate?"
Jiang Fei stood idly on the stone steps, eyes lowered to gaze at the group below.
As she looked, she opened her palm, popped a sour plum candy into her mouth, and silently began to chew.
The group stood frozen, watching Jiang Fei chew that single piece of candy. No one dared say a word.
Three Stepping on the Moon cultivators and one late-stage Riding the Wind expert, ignored like background props, while the woman calmly ate her candy.
Few people would dare do this. Even fewer could get away with it.
But if it was Jiang Fei, then it all made perfect sense.
After finishing the candy, Jiang Fei looked wistfully at her empty palm, then moved her lips and finally answered Chang Hui's question. "Master, I'm waiting for someone."
Before he could reply, she continued slowly, "And I've been waiting a very, very long time."
Then Jiang Fei smiled, raising her eyes to look directly at Ji Rong.
The moment their gazes met, Ji Rong suddenly understood why this woman looked so familiar.
Holy crap. This woman was—
A glimmer of cold starlight sparked in Jiang Fei's eyes, overlapping perfectly with the boy who had performed the Nuo ritual dance during the New Year sacrificial ceremony.
Ji Rong remembered the lead dancer from that day, the one who had wielded a spear, shield, and dagger.
Same build. Same stance.
That performer who danced to exorcise demons with all the ferocity of an ancient warrior charging into battle, that was Jiang Fei?
The same dancer she and Xie Bai had once mocked for looking like a man yet being shorter than everyone else, that was Jiang Fei?
Then she remembered something else: the system had, inexplicably, added favorability points for a mysterious figure that day.
That meant Jiang Fei's initial favorability toward her wasn't zero, right?
Tears welled up in Ji Rong's eyes. Somehow, unknowingly, she'd latched onto a major power.
A real heavyweight.
One that the entire cultivation world acknowledged.
But just as Ji Rong stared longingly at Jiang Fei, Gu Baiyi stepped forward, just like she did that day during the Nuo dance, blocking their line of sight all by herself.
At that moment, Ji Rong wanted nothing more than to smack Gu Baiyi aside.
Damn it, don't get between me and my golden thigh!!
As Ji Rong silently cursed her to the depths, the system's digital chime sounded:
Ding! Jiang Fei's favorability +20
Tears streamed down Ji Rong's heart. Indeed, there is still kindness in this world…
And then—
Ding! Gu Baiyi's favorability –50
Ji Rong: "..."
Yep. She had successfully clung to one thigh, only to lose another she'd never even managed to grab.
Still, not a bad trade.
*************
Note: If you guys want to read up to 15+ chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on Patreon. We're already chapter 90 there!
Link: Patreon.com/Crimson_Lore