After the Villainess Awakens

A hush fell over the Hall of Healing after her bold declaration.

These words weren't from the cheat sheets secretly passed around by the prospective disciples. This was Leng Mushi speaking from the bottom of her heart.

She really wanted to cling onto Second Elder. Even in their brief encounter yesterday, Leng Mushi had already glimpsed the woman's wickedness.

But today, in the grand hall, this woman was so brazen, even the sect leader openly reprimanded yet secretly protected her. It was clear how formidable a figure she was in Tai Chu Mountain!

Thinking of this, Leng Mushi tightened her grip on the elder's leg.

Besides, she had no other way out, did she? So what if she awakened her cultivation early? With her trash spiritual root only suitable for farming, could she even secure a spot sweeping floors in the outer sect? The immortal mountain was spotless; how much land could there be to sweep?

Leng Mushi's heart pounded with excitement. Today, it was either success or death. She knew Second Elder wasn't a good person, but neither was she. If the upper beam was crooked, wouldn't the lower beam be askew as well?

Leng Mushi's sudden act of acknowledging her master silenced the entire hall. Even Hua Yanyue was taken aback by her abrupt kneeling.

If only Leng Mushi had a slightly better spiritual root, Hua Yanyue would've been ready to snatch her up today. It wasn't that she, a master of alchemy, didn't accept disciples. It was just that whoever she accepted would end up dead. It was a waste of effort, and no one was willing to become her disciple. If she wanted to snatch someone today, it was to make a deal with this little girl.

She just didn't expect that although the girl's spiritual root was weak, her courage was considerable, even crying and shouting to become her disciple.

Amused by her words, Hua Yanyue chuckled from the bottom of her heart. However, a "tsk" escaped her lips, sounding like mockery.

She reached out and patted Leng Mushi's raised head. "How do you know my aspiration is to heal the world with alchemy, and not poison it?"

Leng Mushi: … Unable to find a response, she simply smiled.

The elders present, who had been poisoned since childhood until their bodies developed resistance and were no longer useful as test subjects, felt chills run down their spines.

They looked at Leng Mushi with pity. This little girl had no idea what kind of fiery pit she had jumped into. Hua Yanyue loved using people to test her medicines.

For a moment, an atmosphere of universal salvation filled the hall. The elders recalled the days of being poisoned, then force-fed antidotes, only to be forced to consume poison again after recovering. They all silently shed tears of past suffering.

Of course, they didn't know that even if it were a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, Leng Mushi would still jump in to give it a try. Her life was already fraught with thorns; a trial by fire wouldn't make much difference.

Hua Yanyue, initially hesitant to stay, was swayed by Leng Mushi's kneeling and the sweet sound of "Master." Pulling Leng Mushi up, she said while walking out, "My Cangsheng Courtyard has all kinds of medicine, except for regret."

Leng Mushi hurriedly bowed to the elders in the hall and trotted after Hua Yanyue.

Hua Yanyue continued as she walked, "Being my disciple isn't easy. You have to help me take care of those things in the courtyard."

"Those?" Leng Mushi had only seen a four-legged Bone Crusher Lizard that day.

Hua Yanyue glanced at her, a wicked smile playing on her lips. "Did you think my treasures were that few?"

Leng Mushi was basically afraid of nothing. The only thing she feared was death. But there were many ways to die, and she would rather die outside the plot of the original story.

So she narrowed her fox-like eyes, smiling like a wicked accomplice plotting to destroy the heavens alongside Hua Yanyue. "Don't worry, Master. I will definitely take good care of them. I'm basically not afraid of anything."

Hua Yanyue raised an eyebrow and continued, "Being my disciple requires you to test my medicines. One wrong step, and you might die."

Leng Mushi quickly caught up to Hua Yanyue and said earnestly, "Don't worry, Master. I'll strive to live a few more years! To help Master refine more spiritual medicines!"

Only then did Hua Yanyue stop at the end of the stone steps. Putting away her smile, she carefully sized up Leng Mushi.

She was extremely satisfied with this new disciple. Although her spiritual root was indeed terrible, as long as this little girl was as resilient as she appeared, Hua Yanyue had plenty of ways to make her spiritual root top-notch. Even if it meant forcibly purifying it with pills, she could refine it into a pure, single-attribute spiritual root.

She took off the elder's jade pendant from her waist and handed it to Leng Mushi. "Go to the Spirit Harmony Courtyard and get your disciple uniform and anything else you need. Then come back to Cangsheng Courtyard. With my jade pendant, the barrier won't stop you."

Leng Mushi's heart raced as she solemnly accepted the jade pendant and nodded.

"Yes, Master." Leng Mushi smiled at Hua Yanyue like a little fox who had gotten away with mischief.

Hua Yanyue smiled back and turned to head back to Cangsheng Courtyard. Leng Mushi suddenly remembered something and called out after her, "Master, this disciple's name is Leng Mushi, and my courtesy name is Nianci, meaning 'kindness.' Master can just call me Nianci!"

Hua Yanyue waved her hand dismissively, and Leng Mushi happily went to collect her disciple uniform.

The Spirit Harmony Courtyard was where the entire sect's magical artifacts and various other items were stored. Like the Scripture Library, it was guarded by low-level disciples in rotating shifts. There was no fear of anyone stealing anything because all spiritual weapons and artifacts had special seals. Without an elder's special jade pendant, no one could touch them.

Normally, new disciples would have their uniforms distributed by a senior brother or sister from their respective elder's courtyard. However, Leng Mushi was a special case. After all, she knew she didn't have any senior brothers. Xuan Zhu was also an illusion conjured by Hua Yanyue, though Leng Mushi didn't understand her master's peculiar hobby.

But having no disciples at all must be embarrassing. Having to do everything herself compared to other elders with their entourage of disciples was indeed a loss of face. It must be because of this that Hua Yanyue would go as far as to conjure an illusion of her own disciple.

When Leng Mushi went to collect her uniform with Hua Yanyue's jade pendant, the senior brother guarding the gate was already prepared with third-grade disciple uniforms, knowing that it was the day for new disciples' entrance trial. He was about to hand one to Leng Mushi when he took her jade pendant and his eyes widened in shock.

"This…" The senior brother stared at Leng Mushi in astonishment. "Dare I ask, Junior Sister… are you Second Elder of Cangsheng Courtyard's disciple?"

Leng Mushi nodded. "Yes! Thank you, Senior Brother." She smiled brightly. She finally had a master.

She even boasted to the Law about not having to sweep floors in the outer sect. The Law was silent for a long time before cautiously saying—Congratulations, but I'm a little worried.

Pink Lotus, however, was delighted. She wouldn't have to hide anymore. The Second Elder knew of her existence and didn't harm her. Besides, that Second Elder even kept a Bone Crusher Lizard from the Demon Realm in her courtyard. Her presence as a great demon wouldn't be unusual there!

Just as Leng Mushi was about to take the uniform, the senior brother suddenly withdrew it and said, "This won't do for you. Wait here while I find something else!"

With that, he ran into the artifact storage. A moment later, he rushed out and handed her a set of whiter robes with more intricate rune patterns on the shoulders. "Wear this. Don't worry about the size. These are all crafted by the sect and will adjust to your figure."

The senior brother in charge of the Spirit Harmony Courtyard said, "This is a first-grade rune-embroidered disciple uniform. You can take it."

He then gave Leng Mushi a storage bag and stuffed it with piles of daily necessities. After filling it up, he smiled shyly and handed the storage bag to Leng Mushi. "Here you go, Junior Sister. If you need anything else, come find me. I'm Xiao Mei, Mei as in plum blossom."

Xiao Mei?

Leng Mushi smiled, thinking that Senior Brother Xiao Mei's name was quite unique.

However, she could clearly sense his kindness. A first-grade disciple uniform sounded impressive, although Leng Mushi didn't know what its specific function was.

Taking the storage bag along with the uniform, Leng Mushi said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Xiao Mei. My name is Leng Mushi. My given name isn't important. My courtesy name is Nianci, meaning 'kindness.' My mother gave it to me. Senior Brother Xiao Mei can just call me Nianci."

"Junior Sister Nianci, I'll remember that. You should head back now."

Leng Mushi was so happy she could barely contain herself. As she held her things and walked towards Cangsheng Courtyard, she was almost in tears.

This might be a good start. This time, she would definitely be able to avoid the bullying and humiliation from those outer sect disciples in the original story. Full of hope, she entered Cangsheng Courtyard, ready to endure any hardship. Be it testing medicines or tending to Hua Yanyue's collection of demonic beasts, she was finally…

"Ah—" Leng Mushi, carrying her new disciple uniform and filled with joy, entered the inner courtyard. With Hua Yanyue's token, the barrier indeed didn't stop her.

But the moment she stepped in, something sent her flying!

After rolling on the ground several times, her new uniform and storage bag scattered. Even the token in her hand flew away. Leng Mushi scrambled up from the ground, dazed, and came face to face with a giant snake head as thick as her waist.

No, it was a python. A giant, crimson python of unknown species. It rattled with every move, its scales like armor scraping against the brick ground, making a teeth-grinding sound.

Leng Mushi's side burned with pain. A sense of crisis exploded within her. Seeing the crimson python open its jaws, she quickly rolled away. The next moment, the bricks where she had been kneeling sizzled.

It was a pool of venom potent enough to melt a person completely!

"Master, Master, help!!!" Leng Mushi scrambled to her feet and ran, abandoning her disciple uniform and screaming as she went.

However, that wasn't the end. The crimson python didn't chase her, but a hideous beast covered in pustules, its species unknown, sprang out from the bushes ahead, tripping her.

As she fell, a giant talon shot out from the sky, snatching her up and carrying her high above the barrier.

Leng Mushi looked down and almost fainted on the spot. When she had entered with the other disciples yesterday, she had only encountered a Bone Crusher Lizard and assumed that was all. Moreover, that lizard was tamed and only ate the bright yellow fruits from the trees.

But it wasn't until today, at this very moment, that she finally saw the entirety of Cangsheng Courtyard from this aerial perspective.

This place was basically an exotic beast park. Lurking everywhere, sprawled on rooftops, even hanging from the cliffs of the back mountain, tied to the beams of houses, were countless strange beasts she had never seen before in her life.

She wouldn't be naive enough to think that these were all tamed. At least, judging from the venom spat out by that crimson python earlier, if she hadn't dodged in time, she would have been melted on the spot, perhaps not even leaving bones behind.

Finally, it dawned on her, sending chills down her spine. Only now did she realize that what she had tearfully thrown herself into wasn't some ordinary place where she could learn skills with a bit of hardship. It was a blazing furnace that would incinerate anyone who entered.

But before she could even contemplate the consequences of betraying her master now, the unknown bird of prey carrying her suddenly released its grip!

Author's Note: Leng Mushi: I think I've unlocked a hell-level dungeon.

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