Wangchen looked at her. He noticed the subtle change in her posture, the way she stood straighter, breathed deeper. He didn't know about the artifact, but he sensed her relief.
"The General?"
"Father is on our side," Ji'an said, linking her arm through his, a gesture that made Wangchen stiffen and then secretly lean into. "Come on, Little Puddle. Let's go home and pack the last of the snacks. Tomorrow, we conquer the world."
"Or just the Sect," Wangchen corrected, falling into step beside her.
"Same thing," Ji'an laughed.
As they walked back to the West Courtyard under the starlight, Ji'an looked back one last time at the sprawling Lin Mansion.
She had arrived in this world terrified, bound by plot and cloth. Now, she was leaving with a cheat-code artifact, a devoted (and terrifying) bodyguard, a father who was ready to go to war for her, and a stockpile of spices.
"So what if she's a Minister's daughter?" Ji'an thought, a vicious satisfaction curling in her gut. "My Dad has an army. Checkmate on you, old hag!"
[System Notification: The 'Lin Family Arc' is complete.]
[Completion Rating: SSS.]
[Reward: The "Father's Wrath" Event has been triggered. Madam Lin's fate has been sealed.]
[Next Stop: The Celestial Sword Sect.]
The carriage rattled rhythmically over the cobblestones, a soothing, hypnotic sound that usually lulled travelers to sleep. Inside, however, there was no peace for Xie Wangchen.
"Wangchen. Hey, Wangchen. Little Puddle."
Poke. Poke. Poke.
Lin Ji'an was sprawled across the plush velvet seat opposite him, her legs crossed in a manner entirely unbecoming of a noble son, though perfectly comfortable thanks to the looseness of her robes now that the binding cloth was gone.
She held a half-eaten stick of candied hawthorn in one hand and was using the other to prod Xie Wangchen's knee repeatedly.
"Ignore me all you want," Ji'an chirped, her mood soaring higher than a kite in a hurricane. "I know you're listening. Your left ear twitches when you're pretending to meditate."
Xie Wangchen sat in the lotus position, his eyes closed, his back straight as a sword. His hands rested on his knees, and indeed, his left ear gave a microscopic twitch.
He opened one eye. It was dark, sharp, and filled with a long-suffering patience that was slowly fraying at the edges.
"Young Master," he sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. "We are an hour away from the Silent Crow Pass. The terrain is treacherous. I am trying to maintain a state of heightened awareness to detect bandits."
"Bandits?" Ji'an scoffed, taking a crunchy bite of her snack. "My Dad's shadow guards swept this road like a broom yesterday. Even the squirrels are probably traumatized. Relax. Live a little."
She leaned forward, her face invading his personal space. "So, tell me. When we get to the Sect, what kind of cultivator do you want to be? The cool, silent type who stands on mountain peaks? Or the flashy type who flies around on a giant fan?"
Wangchen looked at her face; her face was too close, too bright, too... distracting.
He leaned back slightly, his heart doing that traitorous stutter it had developed over the last week.
"I will be whatever type serves the Young Master best," he recited the standard answer.
"Boooo," Ji'an gave him a thumbs down. "Boring. Zero points for creativity. I think you should be the 'Ice-Faced Demon Lord.' It suits your aesthetic. You can freeze people who cut in line for lunch."
She laughed at her own joke, a clear, bell-like sound that seemed to chase away the gloomy shadows of the carriage.
Internally, Ji'an was doing a victory lap. The System notification from earlier that morning was still glowing in her mind's eye like a trophy.
[System Notification: Side Quest 'Backyard Fire' Complete.]
[Status: Madam Lin has been stripped of her household management rights. General Lin has initiated a corruption investigation into the Minister of Rites. The Original Owner's resentment has dissipated by 100%.]
It was the perfect ending to the prologue. She had avenged the original Lin Ji'an without getting her own hands dirty, relying purely on acting skills and the "Father" card.
Now, the toxic home environment was in the rearview mirror, literally and metaphorically. She was free.
"System," she thought, grinning at Wangchen while mentally browsing the interface. "What's next?"
[Updating Plot...]
[Arc 2: The Celestial Sword Sect.]
[Current Location: Boundary of the Myriad Beast Forest.]
[Main Plot Event: 'The Hidden Entrance Exam' is about to begin.]
Ji'an's grin widened.
Ah, yes. The classic trope.
In almost every cultivation novel, the prestigious sect never just opens the front door. They always dropped the unsuspecting disciples in a dangerous forest and said, "Good luck, try not to get eaten." It was a test of character, survival, and luck.
"Driver!" Ji'an called out, banging on the carriage wall. "How much farther?"
"Young Master!" The driver's voice came back, sounding nervous. "We are approaching the Stone Tablet. I... I cannot go further. The horses refuse."
The carriage slowed to a halt. The rhythmic rattling was replaced by a profound, heavy silence.
Ji'an hopped out before the carriage had fully stopped, landing lightly on the mossy ground. She took a deep breath.
The air here was different. It didn't smell like the dusty road anymore. It smelled of damp earth, rotting leaves, and... faint, sweet poison.
"We walk from here," she announced, stretching her arms above her head.
Wangchen stepped out behind her, Winter's Sigh already in his hand. He scanned the tree line.
The trees here were massive, their roots twisting like giant serpents, their canopies so thick they blocked out most of the sun. A thick, low-lying mist curled around the trunks.
"This place..." Wangchen frowned, his instincts screaming danger. "The Qi is chaotic. And there is a killing intent in the wind."
"Of course there is," Ji'an said cheerfully, dismissing the driver with a wave and a heavy tip. "It's the Myriad Beast Forest. It's basically a buffet."