I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script
Chapter 118

The Moonlit Pear Blossom Fan

Having concluded their escort mission, Xu Shoulou and Bai Roushuang were about to return to their sect when they received a message from their sect leader. It turned out that the latest Trial of Techniques was about to be held, and the two outstanding disciples were invited to lend their presence to the event.

Bai Roushuang flipped the message over and over in her hands, unable to suppress her pride. "The sect leader called me an outstanding disciple! Who would have thought I’d now be qualified to lend support to the newly recruited junior disciples?"

Xu Shoulou chuckled at her enthusiasm.

Bai Roushuang continued, "Thinking back, the first time I met you, Senior Sister, was when you came to the Trial of Techniques to support me. Back then, I didn’t understand anything and failed to recognize your kindness. I even thought you were there to give me a hard time because of Senior Brother Lu."

"That’s all in the past," Xu Shoulou reassured her.

"It’s almost laughable now. You’ve stayed by my side all this time, while Senior Brother Lu, whom I once fought so hard to win over, has long since drifted away," Bai Roushuang sighed. "Who could have predicted how things would turn out?"

Such is the way of the world.

The bonds between people are always mysterious. Unless one walks the path themselves, who can say who will remain by their side in the end?

"I never expected things to turn out this way either," Xu Shoulou smiled. "But I’m glad they did."

Bai Roushuang covered her cheeks with her hands. Xu Shoulou rarely indulged in sentimentality, but when she did, it was impossible not to smile in response.

Xu Shoulou then added wistfully, "Just like back then, I never imagined my majestic phoenix-drawn carriage would vanish without a trace."

"..."

By now, summer was waning. The days still carried the heat of the season, but the nights had begun to cool with the touch of autumn. A gentle breeze swept through—the most comfortable time of the year.

This time, without the phoenix carriage, Xu Shoulou’s arrival at the Trial of Techniques lacked its usual grandeur. Still, the moment she landed, she was surrounded by a crowd. Surprisingly, most of the greetings were directed at Bai Roushuang.

At first, when she and Ji Ci had proposed creating new flavors of fasting pills, no one took them seriously. After all, only low-level cultivators who hadn’t yet achieved fasting would need such things. But as time passed, everyone began to notice the enormous profits involved. Many sects wanted a share of the venture, but Bai Roushuang, though seemingly approachable, proved unyielding. Now that they had finally caught sight of her at the Trial of Techniques, they were eager to make another attempt—so eager that they even overlooked the infamous Xu Shoulou standing beside her.

Seeing her junior sister’s helpless expression, Xu Shoulou flicked open her Moonlit Pear Blossom Fan and cleared her throat.

The crowd paused. After the incident with Yu Qishuang of Qingcheng Sect, the cultivation world had come to a consensus regarding Xu Shoulou’s strength:

"A warning to all cultivators below the Transcendent Realm: If you happen to encounter Xu Shoulou in the wild, you may exchange a few moves with her while she wields her fan. But if she draws her sword… What are you still thinking about? If she draws her sword, run for your life."

They were all curious to witness her swordsmanship firsthand—provided, of course, that they weren’t the ones forcing her to draw her blade. So, they smoothly switched to polite smiles. "You two must be tired from your journey. We’ll talk another day," they said before dispersing.

Bai Roushuang found it amusing. Her senior sister had grown adept at leveraging her fearsome reputation. Those who knew her well understood she wouldn’t attack someone just for being noisy, but these people had been easily frightened off.

"Were they all here to discuss the fasting pills with you?" Xu Shoulou asked. "Is there even any room for them to intervene in this business?"

"They have all sorts of schemes," Bai Roushuang sighed. "Some even suggested collaborating on a line of premium pills—adding rare ingredients, fancy packaging, and selling them exclusively to the wealthy."

Xu Shoulou shook her head. "The fasting pills were originally meant to benefit low-level cultivators. If they turn it into a luxury, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?"

"Exactly. Mr. Dan didn’t give me the recipe to amass wealth," Bai Roushuang said firmly. "Sixth Senior Brother has also had his share of persuaders. No matter what they say, neither of us will agree. To me, the fasting pills aren’t just a business."

Leaving the crowd behind, the two went to meet the new female disciple from Biqu Peak of Wuchen Island—the one participating in this year’s Trial of Techniques.

The young girl greeted them obediently. "Senior Sister Xu, Senior Sister Bai, thank you for coming to support me."

Bai Roushuang found the experience strangely nostalgic and quickly assumed the demeanor befitting a senior sister. "Hello, Junior Sister. We’re staying at the nearby Cangzhu Residence. If you have any questions about your cultivation, feel free to come to me anytime."

"Thank you, Senior Sister Bai!"

Both of them had prepared gifts. Bai Roushuang gave her an assortment of fasting pills, including some unreleased flavors. The girl accepted them gratefully.

Back during her own Trial of Techniques, Bai Roushuang had relied on her defensive treasures to defeat several opponents. Now, with a changed perspective, she understood that over-relying on such advantages hindered progress. So instead of gifting treasures, she opted for pills.

Xu Shoulou, however, was more direct—she presented the girl with a rare medicinal herb for healing injuries. Bai Roushuang’s lips twitched. Was the message here that defensive treasures were unnecessary, and they could just heal any injuries afterward?

As the new junior sister walked away, Bai Roushuang watched her retreating figure, filled with the satisfaction of being a senior sister.

When she turned back, she found Xu Shoulou watching her with an amused smile. "What?" she asked curiously.

Xu Shoulou shook her head. "By the next Trial of Techniques, you won’t need me anymore. You’ll be fine coming alone."

Bai Roushuang bit her lip—a gesture she had mostly outgrown in recent years, but one that now felt natural, whether due to nostalgia or the setting. "No, I still need you to scare off those annoying people."

Xu Shoulou only smiled in response.

The two settled into Cangzhu Residence, arranged by the host sect for the Trial of Techniques. Late summer and early autumn were usually ideal for restful sleep, but these past few nights, Xu Shoulou had been restless.

Every time she closed her eyes, she found herself trapped in the same dream—a dark backdrop with stark white characters reading "The End." Occasionally, the words flickered, as if struggling against their own finality, as though the dream itself resented its conclusion.

When she awoke, she felt as if she had stared at those characters so long they no longer looked like words.

Stretching, she heard Bai Roushuang’s voice in the courtyard. "Your foundation is solid, but don’t rush your progress. If you take it step by step, you’ll surely achieve great things."

The junior sister’s bright voice replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister Bai!"

Xu Shoulou felt a sudden sense of déjà vu. Over a decade had passed—it was like a small cycle repeating itself.

During their stay, Bai Roushuang had been enthusiastically coaching the junior sister in techniques, sometimes leaving Xu Shoulou to nibble on pastries alone in the courtyard.

When Xu Shoulou praised her kindness, Bai Roushuang grew bashful. "I’m just doing for her what you once did for me."

"..."

"Because I know all too well how crucial proper guidance is when one first steps into the world of cultivation," Xu Shulou patted her shoulder and said no more.

The trial competition, participated in entirely by newcomers, naturally lacked much excitement. Only a couple of promising talents drew widespread praise, and Xu Shulou mingled among the crowd, clapping along.

The new junior sister performed quite well. Her weapons were a pair of Emei daggers, and when she took the stage, Bai Roushuang watched with even more focus than she had during her own debut.

The only minor commotion occurred in the afternoon. The competition platform was built in the middle of a lake, with spectators gathered around the shore. During one match, two evenly matched contestants fought for a long time before finally determining a winner. Exhausted, the victor flew low over the lake when suddenly a massive fish leaped high from the water, its jaws gaping wide, and swallowed the unsuspecting cultivator in one gulp before diving back toward the lake.

The lake was connected to a river, and if the fish escaped, where would they even begin searching?

The crowd quickly reacted, casting spells and drawing weapons, but the fastest was Xu Shulou’s fan. Today, to match her elegant misty-rain-and-pear-blossom dress, she wielded a Moonlit Pear Blossom fan—hardly a weapon that looked formidable. Yet when the surrounding cultivators recognized it as Xu Shou’s, they relaxed slightly.

The fan struck cleanly at the fish’s gills, sending the massive creature flying uncontrollably. Everyone watched intently as it was hurled several yards across the lake, landing heavily on the opposite shore with a loud thud and bouncing a few times before being pinned down by spectators there, preventing its escape.

"It’s demonic energy!" someone shouted. "This fish is tainted with demonic energy!"

The crowd erupted in murmurs, though the energy was faint—otherwise, they would have sensed it earlier and not had to wait until physical contact.

Apart from its size, the fish looked no different from an ordinary lake dweller, leaving everyone puzzled about where it had been corrupted.

With such an incident happening in full view, the organizers felt embarrassed and rushed to assist.

The fish was quickly beaten to death by the mob, and after retrieving the unfortunate cultivator from its belly, they tossed the carcass back into the lake.

A single fish tainted with weak demonic energy wasn’t a major concern, but the real worry was whether some malevolent force lurked nearby, targeting the seedlings of the cultivation world. These newcomers, still lacking self-defense skills, left the senior cultivators on high alert. They gathered to discuss protective measures with the hosting sect.

Suggestions poured in, some sensible, others absurd—like inspecting every fish in the lake or freezing the entire surface to resume the competition.

Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang stood by the shore, observing the floating fish and discussing something, oblivious to their new junior sister nearby.

The young girl, currently in awe of her two senior sisters—the effortlessly cool and heroic Xu Shulou with her fan, and the kind-hearted Bai Roushuang who had helped her—admired them deeply. Both were renowned figures in the cultivation world, and just imagining their daring exploits filled her with admiration.

Seeing them now, deep in serious discussion, she assumed they were analyzing the demonic energy and worrying about the future of their world. How she wished she were skilled enough to share their burdens!

Filled with reverence, she edged closer—only to hear Xu Shulou ask, "Do you think this fish would fit in one pot?"

Bai Roushuang nodded thoughtfully. "Probably. A village banquet-sized cauldron should do, with room for tofu and other side dishes."

"..."

Disillusionment ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‍struck in an instant.