I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 38

Fortunately, Xu Shulou had excellent taste in food, and the dishes she packed away in their enchanted lunchbox were all delicacies. Bai Roushuang had grown accustomed to her senior sister's culinary selections and trusted her judgment implicitly.

For breakfast that morning, they enjoyed peach blossom pastries—flaky and fragrant, made with lard in the dough, crispy on the outside yet tender within. The box contained both sweet fillings like red bean and sweet potato, as well as savory ones like pork and lamb. Thanks to the enchanted lunchbox acquired in a secret realm, the pastries retained their freshly baked aroma. Paired with a cup of milk tea, the meal was utterly satisfying.

But their supplies were running low.

Bai Roushuang lifted the carriage curtain and peered outside. "Where exactly are we now?"

"No idea," Xu Shulou admitted, rather unhelpfully. "I’m not even sure if we’re getting closer to or farther from Dustless Island."

"..."

"Oh, right," Xu Shulou suddenly remembered. "Now that you’ve reached the Foundation Establishment stage, you’ll need to visit the Ancestral Hall upon returning to Dustless Island to offer incense to the sect’s ascended ancestors. Don’t forget."

Bai Roushuang acknowledged the reminder, though she paid little mind to their current location. The lush green mountains and clear waters were soothing to the soul, so she stepped out to practice her swordplay again.

That night, she awoke in a small mountain gully—this was the consequence of letting the oxen roam unchecked. The carriage wheels had gotten lodged against a rock on the narrow mountain path, rendering them immobile.

Xu Shulou was outside inspecting the wheels when Bai Roushuang woke. She smiled at her junior sister. "We’re stuck. The path ahead is only getting narrower. I can store the carriage in my Qiankun Bracelet, but living creatures can’t go in. That means we’ll have to carry the oxen out of the mountains ourselves. How about it—one ox each?"

"..." What a novel way to travel.

Bai Roushuang opened her mouth to reply when she noticed flickering torchlight in the distance—a group of people ascending the mountain path with torches in hand. Their voices had been what woke her.

In the dead of night, Xu Shulou worried that making the carriage vanish into thin air might frighten these villagers, so she decided to wait for them to pass. But as the group approached, they scrutinized the two women and promptly surrounded the carriage.

A middle-aged man in plain clothing stepped forward and asked, "Young ladies, since you came from outside the mountains, have you seen a girl of about fifteen or sixteen passing by? She’s shorter than you and wears rough hemp clothing."

Xu Shulou shook her head honestly. "No, we haven’t. Has someone gone missing? Perhaps we can help search."

The man exchanged glances with the others before replying, "That’d be good. But there are wild beasts in these mountains, so it’s best if we men handle the search here. The women are combing the village—you two should join them. Your carriage seems stuck, so if you don’t mind, you can stay the night in our village. At daybreak, we’ll help you free it."

Xu Shulou’s gaze flickered to the man’s left hand, hidden behind his back. Suddenly, she smiled. "Then we’ll trouble you for your hospitality."

The man assigned one villager to escort them to the village. Bai Roushuang followed behind, feeling not the slightest bit of tension. Though only at the Foundation Establishment stage, she could easily handle ordinary mortals—let alone with her senior sister present.

The two were led into the village and settled into a household. Whether out of excessive generosity or some other motive, the family vacated their main room for the guests, squeezing into a side room instead.

The night passed without incident, though shadows occasionally flitted past the window. Some even pressed their faces against the glass to peer inside, as if afraid the women might flee.

The next morning, Xu Shulou was swarmed by a group of enthusiastic village women, all clamoring to help her wash up and dress.

One even produced a set of bright red wedding robes, explaining, "My Sanniang is about to be married. She’s in town learning bamboo-weaving techniques and hasn’t had time to come back for a fitting. Since you and she are about the same size, would you mind trying these on for me?"

The excuse was so flimsy it was almost insulting. Xu Shulou suspected they thought her a fool.

"Not even my junior sister would believe that," she said dryly. "Speak plainly, or we’ll leave."

Bai Roushuang, still at the early Golden Core stage and thus unable to forgo food, was munching on a corn cob offered by a village woman. At her senior sister’s words, she rolled her eyes. She’d spent ten years in a brothel, a place teeming with all sorts of characters—why did Xu Shulou make her sound like some naive simpleton?

After a shared glance, the villagers reluctantly confessed the truth.

This place was called Seven Bamboos Village. Though life was hard, the villagers had always managed to scrape by in peaceful obscurity—until a few years ago, when an immortal took notice of their "auspicious land" and established a cave dwelling nearby. He demanded they send him a virgin bride every year.

"An immortal?" Xu Shulou arched an eyebrow. "Why one per year? What happens to the girls sent to him? And what if you refuse?"

The woman before them shook her head: "If we send him the offering, he blesses us with favorable weather and good harvests. If we don’t, he ensures our fields yield nothing. None of us want this, but how can we let an entire village starve to death?"

Another woman chimed in hastily, "Miss, you’ve just come at the wrong time. Originally, this year’s chosen bride was the Li family’s daughter. But her parents had no sense—last night, they sneaked into the granary where she was being kept and set her free. When our men went searching for her, they happened upon you two. So now, you’ll have to take her place."

"..."

The woman then glanced at Bai Roushuang, who was staring blankly at the corn in her hands, looking somewhat dazed. She turned back to Xu Shulou, alternating between coaxing and threatening, "If you obey quietly, we won’t lay a finger on your sister. But if you resist, she’ll just have to take your place."

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Xu Shulou also looked at her seemingly foolish "little sister" and sighed. "Then at least give her a bowl of porridge. Don’t make her gnaw on dry corn like this."

"..."

Bai Roushuang glanced at the corn, then at her senior sister, and finally at the scheming women around them. She fell silent, torn between praising her sister’s thoughtfulness and recognizing the inappropriateness of the moment.

The women were overjoyed. "If you cooperate, miss, we’ll do more than just porridge—we’ll fry your sister some eggs right now!"

They moved quickly. Moments later, Bai Roushuang found herself staring at a steaming plate of scrambled eggs with scallions, a dish her sister had bartered for with the promise of "marriage." She pondered the situation briefly, but the aroma was irresistible. With dignified restraint, she picked up her chopsticks and took a bite.

The women continued their persuasion. "Miss, you’re so beautiful—none of the previous offerings could compare to you. Who knows? The immortal might take a liking to you and spare your life. He might even take you with him to become an immortal yourself!"

"Fine, go ahead with the makeup," Xu Shulou agreed after a moment’s thought. She obediently changed into the bridal gown and even offered critiques on their technique. "This makeup is too plain. Do you have any floral decorations? Stick one on my forehead."

The women exchanged glances. This girl was lovely, but clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed. They’d only been bluffing, yet she actually believed them?

And her sister—why wasn’t she the least bit worried? She was just sitting there, happily eating away.

The women sighed. Who knew where these two had come from? So young, and already so dim-witted.

"Why are you spacing out?" Xu Shulou urged them on, surprisingly enthusiastic. "This is my first time wearing bridal attire. Please put some effort into it."

"Of course, of course, we will!" As long as she went willingly to the bridal chamber, they’d humor her. Under her direction, the women carefully applied rouge and powder, and when they finally beheld the radiant beauty they’d created, they couldn’t help but stare in awe.

The women, who rarely wore makeup themselves, suddenly felt a surge of pride in their handiwork.

Once the makeup was done, they skipped the traditional wedding rituals and sent Xu Shulou straight to the bridal chamber. To prevent her escape, guards took turns watching outside. All they had to do now was wait for nightfall, when the immortal would come to claim her. Then this year’s duty would be fulfilled.

Bai Roushuang asked to accompany her sister, and no one stopped her. After all, as long as no one left, it didn’t matter how many went in. If the immortal took both, they might even skip next year’s offering.

Breakfast ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍had included scallion-fried eggs, but now that the girl had been coaxed into the bridal chamber, the villagers grew lax.

The bridal chamber’s table held nothing special. Xu Shulou nibbled on a few slices of radish and complained, "I want hot pot."

"Alright," Bai Roushuang said, rubbing her stomach. "Once you deal with this so-called ‘immortal,’ we’ll go to the nearest town and have hot pot—extra spicy."

Xu Shulou sighed. "But I want it now."

Footsteps sounded outside, and both fell silent. A monstrous shadow with horns appeared on the paper window, eerie and terrifying.

The guards outside, too afraid to look upon the "immortal’s" face, quickly dispersed.

The so-called "immortal" strode into the room, brimming with smug satisfaction.

The bridal chamber was brightly lit with candles. As the saying goes, candlelight enhances a beauty’s charm threefold. Xu Shulou was already stunning, but with such bold makeup, she was radiant—outshining even the candlelight itself.

The "immortal" had never seen such beauty. He gaped, eyes gleaming, rubbing his hands together as he prepared to "comfort" his trembling little bride.

Every year, it was the same—the girls forced to wait for him either wept pitifully or cowered, begging for mercy.

He reveled in it—their tears, their pleas, their despair.

But this time, the beautiful girl before him was staring back with the same eager gleam in her eyes—only far more intense than his own.

"A goat demon? What luck!" He watched as she slammed the table in delight. "I was just craving hot pot, and here comes the main ingredient!"