I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 79

Playing in the Mortal World

Outside the minor secret realm, Master Zhou of the Xuan Cang Academy looked at the group of students sprawled on the ground and laughed heartily. "The very students Old Li favored the most have now ended up at the bottom. It seems you've lost this wager right from the start."

The man referred to as Old Li strolled over, seemingly unbothered by the outcome. He cast a calm glance at the students on the ground. "They were knocked unconscious by someone."

Master Zhou chuckled. "You should have joined me in betting on Student One-Twenty-One."

"Hmm," Old Li hesitated slightly, but in front of his old friend, he admitted his thoughts. "I don’t particularly like that student."

Master Zhou was surprised. "Why?"

Old Li shook his head, choosing not to answer for now. "First, use your Xumi Mirror to check on the situation inside the minor secret realm."

Master Zhou didn’t press further and activated the Xumi Mirror, allowing the surrounding teachers to observe the students' performances inside the realm.

Time flowed differently within the minor secret realm. The group huddled together, watching the rapidly shifting scenes in the mirror—some students fled in defeat, while others fought back. The teachers alternated between shaking their heads and stroking their beards in amusement. But when they caught sight of what Student One-Twenty-One was doing, they all paused in surprise.

Teacher Xue, the swordsmanship instructor, laughed. "Is she seriously running an inn inside the minor secret realm?"

———

Inside the minor secret realm, Xu Shulou bid farewell to Student Thirty-Three and his companions. Considering she didn’t know how long she’d be staying here, she decided to find a sunny plain, took out a small pavilion from her Qiankun Bracelet, and set it up as a temporary residence.

No sooner had she placed the pavilion than waves of enormous birds swooped down to attack her. These birds had razor-sharp claws and beaks, repeatedly aiming for her eyes. After driving off several waves, Xu Shulou finally realized they weren’t trying to steal her pavilion—she had unwittingly set up camp in their territory.

Feeling a little guilty, she considered returning the land to them. But the birds, thoroughly subdued by her, now hung their heads dejectedly and crouched nearby, seemingly acknowledging her presence and agreeing to coexist.

Unintentionally playing the role of a tyrant, Xu Shulou rummaged through her Qiankun Bracelet and pulled out a few white radishes she had originally planned to cook with beef in a copper pot. She held the crisp radishes out to the birds. "Want some?"

The birds eyed her warily before cautiously approaching one by one to pluck the radishes from her hand. Satisfied that she had successfully established neighborly relations, Xu Shulou reached out to pat their heads. When none resisted, she smiled.

Returning to her pavilion, she placed a reclining chair by the entrance, set up a small stove, and brewed herself some tea. While waiting for the tea to steep, she lounged in the chair, flipping through a borrowed tome of spells from the academy’s library.

Occasionally, her new neighbors took flight, their massive wings kicking up clouds of dust and sand into her face. But this was a minor inconvenience—she could always talk to them about it later.

Soon, Xu Shulou finished brewing a pot of Snow Camellia tea and took out a plate of egg-yolk pastries, leisurely enjoying her snacks and reading. Just then, a figure clad in the Xuan Cang Academy’s uniform plummeted from the sky, landing face-first in the ground not far from her.

Xu Shulou deduced he hadn’t landed voluntarily, given the way his face had made impact first.

Out of camaraderie, she set down her book and helped him out of the human-shaped crater. "Are you alright?"

The male cultivator, now aware of the beauty before him, hastily wiped his face—only to smear the blood from his nose across half of it. Oblivious to the mess, he clasped his fists in greeting.

Xu Shulou took a step back and pointed to her pavilion. "There’s clean water inside. Go wash up."

The man, covered in dust and grime, disappeared into the pavilion and emerged moments later, freshly cleaned. He then begged a cup of tea from Xu Shulou and bowed. "Thank you, miss."

"It was no trouble at all."

Noticing the plate of egg-yolk pastries, the man couldn’t help but ask, "You seem so at ease—have you really encountered no dangers since entering the secret realm?"

Xu Shulou thought for a moment and shook her head. Nothing so far had been particularly threatening.

The man sighed bitterly. "You’re quite fortunate."

Xu Shulou fetched another reclining chair for him, and the man collapsed into it, utterly exhausted. His eyes then caught sight of the wine jar warming by the stove, and his expression brightened. "Is that spirit wine?"

Xu Shulou nodded.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‍man’s face lit up. "I desperately need to replenish my spiritual energy. Would you be willing to part with it?" Before she could answer, he produced ten high-grade spirit stones and offered them to her.

Xu Shulou shook her head. "I studied 'Floral Arts and Winemaking.' This is just something I brewed casually for class. It’s not worth nearly that much."

"But in this minor secret realm, we’re all competitors. The fact that you’re willing to sell is rare enough. I just didn’t expect the spiritual energy consumption here to be so intense—I wasn’t prepared." Seeing his insistence, Xu Shulou didn’t refuse further. She accepted the stones and handed him the jar of mulberry wine.

The man took a sip and exclaimed in delight. In no time, his strength returned. He then studied the small pavilion with newfound appreciation. "This place is completely safe—you’ve chosen well! Might I… if I can’t find secure lodging tonight, could I stay here? Of course, I’ll pay in spirit stones."

Xu Shulou nodded. "You may."

That night, the man did indeed return—in an even more pitiful state than before. His eyes were swollen, and when he met Xu Shulou’s calm gaze, he nearly burst into tears.

Without a word, Xu Shulou pointed to the pavilion, letting him wash up again.

This time, he took longer inside. When he emerged, Xu Shulou was grilling slices of beef over the stove—pre-marinated with various spices from the mortal world’s eateries. All she had to do was flip them a few times before they were ready to eat.

The man sat across from her, savoring a small sip of mulberry wine and inhaling the rich aroma. He stared at Xu Shulou in silence.

She sighed. "Hungry?"

The man nodded eagerly, and Xu Shulou served him a plate of grilled beef.

At the first bite, he looked as if he might weep from sheer happiness. "Let me stay here with you. I’ll be your guard."

"I don’t need a guard."

Just then, one of the enormous birds took flight nearby. The man flinched, ready to defend himself—only to see the bird flying cautiously, not even stirring a speck of dust. He blinked in confusion. "The birds in this secret realm really are different from the outside world. How strange."

Xu Shulou smiled.

The man deflated. "No wonder you said you don’t need a guard. These birds are the first living things I’ve met here that don’t attack people. Your luck is just too good."

Xu Shulou handed him two grilled chicken wings and waved off his attempt to pay again. "Consider it included in your lodging fee."

The next morning, before leaving, the man asked if she had any more spirit wine.

Xu Shulou nodded. "What flavor would you like?"

"I can choose?" The man looked as if he’d been granted an unexpected favor.

Xu Shulou smiled faintly. She still had plenty of spirit wine in her Qiankun Bracelet, so she carelessly handed the male cultivator two jars. In the end, he chose one jar of the mulberry wine they had drunk the day before and a jar of grape wine before reluctantly leaving the refuge.

After he left, Xu Shulou inexplicably found herself hosting a steady stream of fellow disciples. Upon inquiry, she learned that the male cultivator had shared the location of this refuge with a few friends, and one of them had spread the word, leading to an unending flow of visitors seeking shelter.

This group even came up with a slogan for her: "A place as warm as home when you're exhausted from running for your life." ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Xu Shulou was both amused and exasperated, but she didn’t turn anyone away. Those who wanted lodging were charged the same rate as the male cultivator. Those who couldn’t afford spirit stones were allowed to stay outside within the safe perimeter, and she didn’t drive them off.

Occasionally, she would take a walk at night, casually slaying monsters along the way.

If someone came to buy wine, she sold them a jar. If someone needed a quick meal, she served them a bowl of spicy bamboo noodle soup she had packed from the mortal realm. When she found someone severely injured collapsed at her doorstep, she brewed a pot of medicine for them. She truly lived like an innkeeper.

But when a female cultivator timidly presented a damaged artifact and asked if she could repair it, Xu Shulou’s expression finally cracked.

"I’m really not omnipotent."

"..."

Perhaps because they hadn’t expected to stay in the minor secret realm for so long, these fellow disciples were woefully underprepared and now overly enthusiastic about buying anything available—even the Crocodile Transformation Pills given by her sixth junior brother, Ji Ci, were snatched up in an instant. Xu Shulou hadn’t even had the chance to turn into a crocodile and roll around in the pond, much to her regret.

During this time, her junior brothers and sisters all came to see the so-called "refuge and supply point" for themselves. The moment they recognized Xu Shulou, their expressions all said, "Of course it’s you."

A few stayed to share a meal with their senior sister before setting off again to fend for themselves.

Before Ji Ci left, Xu Shulou called out to him and tossed him the spirit stones earned from the Crocodile Transformation Pills. Ji Ci’s expression turned odd. "Senior Sister, you’re truly a business prodigy."

Xu Shulou sighed. "What prodigy? I don’t even know how this business started."

———

Outside the minor secret realm, the observing masters were nearly doubled over with laughter.

"Xu Shulou’s actions are truly unprecedented."

"Only someone with her capabilities could pull this off."

"To her, this minor secret realm seems like a game."

"Isn’t it just a game?" Master Li, who had disliked her from the start, remarked coolly.

Master Zhou, curious, asked his old friend, "Why do you dislike her so much?"

"Xu Shulou?" Though she hadn’t taken his classes, Master Li, as a teacher, knew her true identity. "I find her dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"Everything is just a game to her," Master Li mused. "With such talent and strength, her progress will undoubtedly be rapid. The world holds little peril for her. Without stimulation, she’ll grow bored—and who knows what she might do then?"

"You’re overthinking it."

"Don’t call me paranoid," Master Li shook his head. "Have you forgotten my ancestor who wreaked havoc in the mortal realm? She shares all his traits—extraordinary talent, treating everything like a game… They even both survived the destruction of their kingdoms."

"I think you’re misjudging her."

"Care to make a wager, then? I bet that neither the mortal realm nor the cultivation world can contain her. If she ascends smoothly, all the better. If not, she’ll fall into darkness."

"I’ll take that bet," said Teacher Xue, recalling the tune Xu Shulou had played that day. He gave Master Li a knowing glance. "Bored? I think she’s quite content in this world."