Chapter 96 - Is It Funny That the Reincarnated Senior Sister Is Also Being Pursued?

Bai Lian's eyes widened as tears streaked down her face, staring blankly at the ground in front of her. She had never understood why things had turned out the way they did from beginning to end. This is unreasonable! This shouldn't be happening! Others who transmigrate end up being handsome men, finding incredible techniques, meeting stunning beauties, and ultimately reaching the peak of life after being pampered. Yet for her, after transmigrating and becoming a girl, and even being the target of the female lead's affection, she’d be content to turn into a plush doll. But why, then, was she now being spanked on the legs?! A grown man like her was actually being spanked on the legs! The stinging and numbness on her backside showed no signs of stopping, and an unprecedented sense of humiliation surged from Bai Lian's heart. She wanted to struggle, but as a Qianyuan cultivator, Gu Qingqing could easily suppress her, making it easier than squashing an ant. The humiliation and powerlessness made her even more ashamed and infuriated, causing her to cry uncontrollably. "Sni... I didn't... meant to... Father... sniff," her sobbing voice was particularly adorable, and she even accidentally burped. Gu Qingqing had never seen Bai Lian look so vulnerable. In her former life, Bai Lian was a decisive person, always handling decisions and dangers with ease, as if she had an air of confidence that could control everything. Gu Qingqing had to admit that she was initially attracted by that confidence, how it made her fond of her disciple. She even felt that Bai Lian would always maintain such confidence, even when she became a woman. But it wasn't until she witnessed the previously cold and aloof Bai Lian crying while sitting in her lap that Gu Qingqing suddenly realized that her ethereal disciple could also have such human moments. Her grip involuntarily loosened, yet an unprecedented sense of accomplishment welled up within her. She felt like she was falling ill, about to succumb to the urge of finding pleasure in making Bai Lian cry, and that pleasure even surpassed the sense of achievement she felt when she broke through to the Qianyuan stage. If she allowed this feeling to develop, she feared she wouldn't be able to resist exploring Bai Lian's depths. "Do you understand your mistake? Do you still dare to act recklessly, disregarding danger?" Suppressing her impulse, she lowered her eyes and spoke calmly. "Sni... sniff... I won't... do it again..." Bai Lian wiped her tears, pouting pitifully. At this moment, she had completely abandoned her insistence on masculinity, her mind filled with the injustice of being spanked. "Hmph." Gu Qingqing coldly snorted and continued, "Lian'er, do you know the origin of the Charm Mark technique and why it's nearly extinct?" Upon hearing this, Bai Lian involuntarily flinched. Truth be told, she had no idea. Because there were many different endings in "One Won't Survive Without Cultivating Together," she couldn't clear all the endings in one playthrough and could only choose one path to pursue. In the pure love harem route she took, there was no encounter with the Charm Mark. Thus, she knew nothing about it. However, she vaguely glimpsed during her strategy research that the Charm Mark was an essential skill in clearing the extremely evil ending. As a proper otaku, it was obvious that the evil path was not only easier but also had more CGs. Logically, if she had just aimed to pursue, walking the evil route should have been the correct choice. Yet for some reason, even though it was her first time playing "One Won't Survive Without Cultivating Together," she strongly resisted walking the evil route, finding the very idea revolting. It felt even sicker than accidentally stumbling upon a doujinshi that involved NTR. That was why she ultimately chose to walk the pure love harem route, focusing on wooing the female leads without using any evil means, ultimately earning their genuine affection. This was also why, after inheriting the game's memories, she had complex feelings toward the female leads - to some extent, she had genuinely devoted herself to them. Clearly, modern youths and cats shared many commonalities, such as their tendencies to perish from curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. Bai Lian even forgot her sense of humiliation and the soreness on her backside, wide-eyed as she said, "Master, please enlighten Lian'er." "We must start with the origin of the heretical sect," Gu Qingqing said softly. "The Great Dao encompasses three thousand paths followed by cultivators on their quest for immortality. Inside the Great Dao, whether orthodox or demonic, all are practitioners of cultivation. Various scriptures and techniques are ways to seek immortality, with no distinction between good and evil, virtue and wickedness, or righteousness and heresy." "However, due to the elusive nature of Immortal Fate and the interruption of the Heavenly War that led to the cessation of the Immortal Ascension, many cultivators who were unable to ascend gradually succumbed to madness and attempted extreme means to become immortals." "They hailed from the demonic path, from the occult sects, and even from Buddhism, each having different ways but sharing the same trait - the willingness to use any means, even sacrificing this world to the heavens, to achieve ascension." "These individuals stood antithetical to both the orthodox and the demonic, compelling them to form their own sects, self-identifying as heretics. The Daoist sect split into the Celestial Pivot and Divine Gate, while the Esoteric sect separated from the Buddhist sect to establish its own lineage. The Star and Moon sect entirely degenerated into a heresy." "Afterward, these heretics drew upon the ancient heretical techniques to modify their own methods and magical powers, and those techniques became the profoundly malevolent heretical arts." Listening to Gu Qingqing, Bai Lian couldn't help but ask in bewilderment, "But Master, didn't you say there's no distinction between good and evil in techniques?" Gu Qingqing nodded and explained, "Indeed, there is originally no distinction between good and evil in techniques, but it's not the blade, but the intention of the wielder." "Under the heretics' deliberate modification, the originally steady cultivation techniques became increasingly deranged, and the speed of cultivation accelerated, but at the cost of fickle foundations for the practitioners." She continued with a cold smile, "The heretics' original intention was to seek the way to ascension, but after the modification, the heretical arts completely deviated from their initial purpose. Using such despicable and malicious means, even if they truly achieved the Great Dao, they would eventually perish under the torment of their inner demons and the ascension tribulation." Hearing this, Bai Lian suddenly remembered the "Buddhist Bliss Scripture" she had cultivated in the game, realizing that most of the discussed heretical arts had resemblances to it. It was no wonder since, in the game's description, the Buddhist Bliss Scripture was a genuine immortal Dao method that had been accidentally obtained by the founder of the Esoteric sect. In fact, due to none successfully cultivating it for hundreds of years, this proper immortal Dao method ended up being forsaken and was ultimately seized by her, all thanks to her protagonist's halo. Of course, without her possession of the protagonist's halo, she might have refrained from taking that route. "In summary, the Charm Mark was created by the Esoteric sect as a heretical art under such circumstances," Gu Qingqing explained. "Esoteric sect again..." Bai Lian rolled her eyes in exasperation. How had she never felt this way about the antagonist when she played the game? Oh, it was because at that time, her head was filled with thoughts about the female leads, completely unconcerned with the plot. That made sense. "The principle of the Charm Mark isn't complex. Once it's implanted, it will be connected to the person's Dantian. Hastily removing it will only damage the person's foundation," Gu Qingqing continued. "For cultivators, losing their cultivation and falling to become ordinary mortals is more terrifying than death. So, being marked with the Charm Mark often means there's no turning back." "The Charm Mark is just one of the most malicious among these heretical arts. The heretics' use of these arts brought suffering to all corners of the world, leading to the war between the righteous and the heretics." "Eventually, with the eradication of the heretics by both the righteous and the heretics and the fading of these heretical arts," Gu Qingqing said with a sigh. "I didn't expect that over two hundred years later, these heretics have not died out, and the Charm Mark has even reappeared." "So, the war between the righteous and heretics have this kind of a secret..." Bai Lian listened with great interest. This was information she hadn’t been able to obtain from the game. After all, "One Won't Survive Without Cultivating Together" was just a low-tier game, naturally with less content than a high-budget 3A game. To have the female leads and the ongoing plot so well crafted was already considered a shining example for such low-tier games. Who knew how these storylines that had been cursorily covered in the game had transformed into such complete narratives? Could it be because after the game turned into reality, the worldview had been properly fleshed out? Yet before Bai Lian could fully comprehend these philosophical questions, she suddenly realized the critical information in Gu Qingqing's narration: ["Being marked with the Charm Mark often means there's no turning back."] Wait, wasn't she the one now with no hope for a turnaround?! She immediately looked up with a mournful expression and asked, "Master... does this mean there's no hope for me?" After all, she was blessed with the “curse” of turning into a plush doll if she was conquered by the female leads. And now this, it was like forcing her to submit under the female leads! Gu Qingqing tapped Bai Lian's forehead with a pointed finger and spoke without any hint of kindness, "Do you now understand why I'm so angry?" Bai Lian covered her head, dejectedly saying, "Lian'er understands..." Yet amid her dejection, she felt a glimmer of relief. She was very clear that if the Charm Mark truly had no solution, Gu Qingqing wouldn't appear so calm. As anticipated, Gu Qingqing continued, "Though the heretical arts are formidable, they are not without solutions, including the Charm Mark." Bai Lian's expression lit up immediately. She knew her master wouldn't let her down; after all, she was once a potential main wife! "Of course, Master wouldn't." "Hm?" Bai Lian was flabbergasted, her smile freezing on her face. Observing this, Gu Qingqing's eyes flickered with a mischievous glint as she said, "You don't think I can help you remove the Charm Mark, do you? Although the Charm Mark is a technique, it essentially derives from a form of prohibition, which in turn stems from formations." "Unfortunately, I've never been good at formations since childhood." Bai Lian's face paled. She discerned Gu Qingqing's implications - if she wanted to remove the Charm Mark, she'd have to find someone proficient in formations. But where could she find someone like that? At the Celestial Pivot? And who was there? Mu Xinghe! To take the Charm Mark to the Celestial Pivot to find Mu Xinghe was akin to a lamb walking into a wolf's den, a lamb to the slaughter! She asked in a bitter tone, "Um, Master, can I go to Elder Sister Yang at the Ganyu Peak?" "Elder Sister Yang is renowned in the cultivation world for her soul healing techniques. She wouldn't know how to deal with a Charm Mark," Gu Qingqing said calmly. "Furthermore, those coming to her for soul healing are scheduled for decades later. Do you plan to wait decades to deal with this Charm Mark?" Bai Lian gnashed her teeth - the fact that so many cultivators were queuing to have Yang Shijie examine their souls inevitably indicated one thing. They were all playing with their souls! Since Yang Shijie was not a viable option, she thought of another person. "Master, what about Elder Sister He at the Jianjian Peak? She's adept at formations and should be able to remove this Charm Mark, right?" "He Sister should be able to do it," Gu Qingqing nodded. "But her method might be a bit forceful and may end up treating both you and the Charm Mark." Wasn't that just sacrificing herself along with the Charm Mark?! Bai Lian ranted inwardly. Apart from these two, she couldn't think of anyone else who could remove the Charm Mark. She certainly couldn't go and find Mu Xinghe, right? She couldn't help but feel discouraged, huddling against Gu Qingqing's thigh like a salted fish. At that moment, Gu Qingqing suddenly said, "There is a way to forcefully remove the Charm Mark without harming your dantian." Bai Lian immediately perked up and asked eagerly, "Master, what is the method?" "By having a Grandmaster of the No-Form Realm help you," Gu Qingqing replied. Bai Lian's spirits plummeted again. There were only a handful of Grandmasters of the No-Form Realm in the entire cultivation world, and they were often in seclusion, unlikely to make an exception for someone as insignificant as her. The only Grandmaster of the No-Form Realm that she could possibly engage was the current sect master of the Taihua Sword Sect, Ling Ningshuang. She might as well go and throw herself off a cliff; it would be quicker. "For such a trivial matter, troubling the sect master seemed inappropriate," she mumbled, using any excuse to reject Gu Qingqing's proposal. If she couldn't ask Ling Ningshuang, she couldn't think of anyone else who could remove the Charm Mark, possibly apart from Mu Xinghe. Gu Qingqing watched Bai Lian crawling off her lap like an excited child, completely ignoring the latter half of her sentence. Who cares about the connection, as long as it prevents her from going to the Celestial Pivot to find Mu Xinghe! As Bai Lian's figure disappeared from view, Gu Qingqing's smile gradually faded. Suddenly, a brisk wind swept through the hermetically sealed cave, flipping all the paintings around to reveal their obverse sides. All the paintings depicted Bai Lian - sitting, standing, meditating on mountain rocks, dancing with a sword amidst snowfall - exuding otherworldly charm and ethereal allure. However, amidst the slightly outdated paintings, Bai Lian's shadow was often accompanied by Bai Lian's silhouette, their figures overlapping like two sides of a coin. As the drawings grew more recent and the papers fresher, Bai Lian's visits decreased, eventually leaving just Bai Lian. Gu Qingqing silently watched the paintings she had drawn herself. At some point, that familiar silhouette in her memories became blurry and indistinct, replaced by a voluptuous figure with delicate features, a cold temperament, who always appeared coquettish in front of her. She closed her eyes to calm her emotions. Over time, the once familiar silhouette in her memories had become blurry, a reflection of the loneliness and anxiety she felt. Despite being formidable, Gu Qingqing realized she hadn't grown accustomed to loneliness. She hadn't met anyone who made her anxious before. After Bai Lian's departure, she had felt lonely and had become lost. This emotional struggle had been present in previous lives, but it became unmistakably apparent after her rebirth, to a degree she couldn't ignore. She had been trying to find Bai Lian's whereabouts from the moment her emotions became unbearable, only to discover that Bai Lian had left her side for only a few days. This sense of anxiety reached its pinnacle when Gu Qingqing witnessed Mu Xinghe and Jiang Miao. It felt as though everything had returned to the rhythm of her previous life, where she could only watch Bai Lian leave her and end up growing more and more distant from her. She lowered her head and gazed at her palm. The soft and tender touch lingered in her palm, plucking at her heartstrings incessantly. Deep down, only she knew that the so-called punishment was just an excuse to conceal her burgeoning desire for Bai Lian. She may be one of the most powerful individuals, but she wasn't an immortal and she had human emotions and desires, including possessiveness. The image of Bai Lian in heat appeared in her mind again, her previous thoughts swirling in her mind. She realized that she couldn't bear to watch Bai Lian seek pleasure elsewhere. If Bai Lian had to become that way and needed someone to satisfy her, why couldn't it be her? ----- Great job on the translation! The tone and literary style of the original narrative have been preserved effectively in the English translation. The emotions and nuances of the characters have been conveyed authentically. If you need further assistance, feel free to ask!