Upon returning to the sect, they headed straight for Wei Ruoyun’s current residence, where Que Tang was gently laid upon a couch. She had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief when, in the next instant, Wei Ruoyun suddenly reached out with both hands and forcefully yanked her collar open, revealing her inner garment.
"Junior Sister!" Que Tang cried out in shock. "What are you doing!" The movement, the posture—the sense of déjà vu was far too strong!
"Senior Sister, I am merely checking your meridians," Wei Ruoyun said, her hands reaching out to pull further.
Que Tang urgently blocked her. "There is no need, Junior Sister. Father has already examined me personally. I simply failed my breakthrough; it is not so serious that I require a full-body examination."
Seeing how certain her senior sister was, Wei Ruoyun had no choice but to let go. "Senior Sister, rest well for now. I shall go pay my respects to Master and return shortly."
As soon as she left, Que Tang immediately scrambled up, opened the door, and summoned her flying sword.
"The female lead just placed a restriction. No one can enter or leave except for her. Meow~" Xiao Xianggu was nearby, batting at a butterfly.
"...Isn't this just imprisonment in all but name!" Que Tang retracted her sword in shock and frustration. She bent down and scooped up Xiao Xianggu. "You cat, all you do is eat and sleep! You’re supposed to be a guide, so why haven't you given me any plot hints at all!"
"Meow~ You forgot that you were the one who told me not to give hints," Xiao Xianggu said, arching an eyebrow.
"How could I have ever said such a thing?"
"You did. Five years ago, at 10:20 and five seconds. You said you were sleeping and I was too noisy, so I should stop giving plot hints. Meow~"
Que Tang glared at the cat, and Xiao Xianggu glared back, refusing to back down. The atmosphere was tense and explosive; after many years, the human and the cat were on the verge of fighting once again.
Although Wei Ruoyun had set a restriction, her heart felt uneasy after paying her respects to her master and chatting for a few moments. She ended the conversation abruptly and hurried back. Seeing her senior sister playing with the cat again, she momentarily fell into the illusion that they had returned to fifty years ago. Back then, she was merely a disciple at the lowest level of the sect, while her senior sister was a deity high above.
Now, everything was reversed. She now had the power to protect and help her senior sister.
Noticing the cat’s claws were out and about to scratch her senior sister’s beautiful face, she immediately stepped in and pulled Que Tang into her arms.
"Senior Sister, why are you still as mischievous as you were fifty years ago?" Her tone was helpless yet doting. What did a little mischief matter? She, Wei Ruoyun, was willing to spend her entire life protecting her senior sister.
"You're back, Junior Sister." Que Tang blinked. "By the way... why did you set a restriction?"
"Do you wish to leave again, Senior Sister?" Wei Ruoyun narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"Since I've returned, I should go back to my own residence. Staying here with you is quite an imposition..." Moreover, she couldn't forget that the "Deviant Value" had been unlocked once the "Blackening Value" was full. It felt terrifying... not to mention the "Romance Value" that unlocked after the "Affection Value" maxed out.
"It is no trouble. I am not at ease with Senior Sister’s current condition; it is better for my peace of mind if you stay by my side." Wei Ruoyun dismissed her request nonchalantly. "Rest and recover here. Once I have delegated the sect's affairs, I shall accompany you down the mountain."
Que Tang stared blankly at her junior sister, thinking deeply about where the story had gone wrong. *My junior sister couldn't possibly be this overbearing.*
"Actually, she can. In the later stages of the original story, the female lead was always this headstrong because she was dark from the start. You just flipped the switch early. Meow~"
"I only spent a month with her. This kind of obsession is terrifying."
"It's because she was struck by your 'Saintly Radiance' and became your die-hard fan. As the saying goes, one 'Saint' can create a world of idiots. That saying exists for a reason. Meow~"
"..."
"Senior Sister, staring at me like this... have you taken an interest in me?" Wei Ruoyun tilted her chin up.
The danger meter in Que Tang’s mind blared an alarm. She quickly pushed her away and stepped aside. "Ju-Junior Sister, don't joke like that. How could we possibly..." She was being teased again!
"Junior Sister! Junior Sister Ruoyun, are you there?" a shout came from outside.
"The Senior Brother is here." Que Tang’s eyes lit up.
Wei Ruoyun’s face darkened as she lifted the restriction to let the First Senior Brother in.
When Yunkong Aotian entered, the first thing he saw was the junior sister he hadn't seen in a long time. Joy spread across his face. "Ah-Tang, you've finished your seclusion?"
However, Que Tang’s eyes widened in absolute shock. Because the First Senior Brother actually looked like Takeshi Kaneshiro.
"You... you never mentioned this to me!"
"You never asked, meow~"
"I-I'm a fan of Takeshi Kaneshiro! Senior Brother is so handsome~ I was wrong, this author has incredible taste!" Que Tang’s cheeks flushed as she stared at Yunkong Aotian without concealment. This caused a flash of darkness to cross Wei Ruoyun’s eyes as she watched her.
"Is the host sure she wants to fight the female lead for a man? Meow~"
"..." Thinking of the female lead who had now unlocked her Deviant Value, she silently extinguished the flames of love. "I'll just be a fangirl. Reality only makes affection wither into disillusionment."
"Aotian, why have you come?" As soon as Wei Ruoyun spoke, the male lead immediately tossed the long-lost junior sister aside, his eyes filled with adoration as he looked at the female lead.
"I heard from Master that you had returned, so I came to see you immediately. Did you capture the demonic cultivators?" Yunkong Aotian suddenly froze. "Junior Sister, did you just call me by my name?"
Seeing "Takeshi Kaneshiro" looking at the female lead like a lovestruck fool, even though she knew this was just a fictional mission, Que Tang couldn't bear to watch. She turned her head away and walked further into the room to keep it out of sight.
Having achieved her goal of letting Que Tang see this side of the Senior Brother, Wei Ruoyun promptly sent him away.
"The male lead’s affection for the female lead is maxed out. Meow~"
Que Tang felt depressed. "Now that the mission is complete, I can leave this world, right?"
"No, meow~ Because the female lead promised to accompany you to break through your bottleneck."
"Hey, that's not right! I never agreed to that!"
"The system has already listed this as a mandatory task. Meow~"
"There's actually a task like this? Why didn't you tell me again?" Que Tang went berserk.
"Meow~"
"Are you asking for a beating?"
"Meow~"
"You're getting one!"
When Wei Ruoyun entered the room, Que Tang was once again engaged in a human-cat war, chasing Xiao Xianggu all over the place. Wei Ruoyun reached out and caught Que Tang as she ran toward her. "Senior Sister, there is no time to lose. Let us head down the mountain immediately."
"But... Junior Sister, didn't you say you had to handle sect affairs?"
"I have already spoken with Senior Brother." Wei Ruoyun’s eyes were soft and full of affection as she gazed at her senior sister. "I am now free of worldly duties. Let us hurry down the mountain to find your opportunity for breakthrough."
Just as when she arrived, Que Tang was taken away without any chance to protest.
The two sisters disguised themselves as wealthy youths traveling for pleasure. To avoid the inconveniences of being women, Wei Ruoyun insisted they pose as a young married couple.
They eventually arrived at a southern town and sat in a teahouse, ordering several plates of pastries.
"Junior... Husband." Que Tang felt deeply that she was being taken advantage of, but she had to bow her head while under another's roof. "Why did we specifically divert to this town? Is there something happening?" She squeezed Xiao Xianggu tightly to vent her frustration.
Wei Ruoyun’s male disguise was handsome and upright; women passing by couldn't help but steal glances at her. But her eyes were always only for her senior sister.
She arched an eyebrow and smiled thinly, reaching out to tenderly tuck a stray hair behind Que Tang’s ear and straighten her clothes. Only then did she speak: "I received a letter from the sect mentioning traces of demonic cultivators in this town. They asked us to investigate. My lady, do not be afraid. As your husband, I will protect you and ensure you come to no harm."
Que Tang found her heart rate accelerating unscientifically. Recalling the "Romance Value" that had been slowly growing over the past few days, her expression changed, and she said seriously, "Then we should investigate quickly. Those demonic cultivators are cold-blooded killers. We mustn't delay and give them time to prepare."
"My lady..." Wei Ruoyun leaned in slowly. Gasps could be heard from the surroundings, but she didn't care at all. She cupped Que Tang’s cheeks with both hands, her thumbs lingering to caress her earlobes. "Do not worry. Your husband will handle everything. You need only be at ease."
"Junior Sister... can you not lean so close?" Que Tang couldn't resist and pleaded in a low voice, but the other had no intention of letting her off.
"Mm, my lady, you called me by the wrong name. You should call me 'Husband'."
Biting her lip, Que Tang wanted to refuse pridefully, but the tingling sensation at her ear forced her to surrender. With a slight sob, she called out, "Husband." *Dammit, how did my junior sister become so wicked and overbearing!*
Wei Ruoyun let go, satisfied. She then looked out the window and secretly left markers on several suspicious figures.
Late at night, while they were sharing a room, Wei Ruoyun sat by the table calmly drinking tea. "My lady, one cannot bathe while fully clothed."
"Junior Sister, have you never heard that one should not look at what is improper?" Que Tang said righteously.
"Senior Sister, we are both women. What do you have to fear?" Wei Ruoyun smiled and picked up a flower. Suddenly, her expression changed. "Senior Sister, stay here. I am going out to look." The traces of a powerful magical battle drifted through the air. She immediately leaped out the window, heading toward the distant flashes of blades and shadows.
Que Tang blinked. "Do you think I should take this chance to run away, you stupid cat?"
"The female lead is about to be surrounded by the demonic sect, meow~" Xiao Xianggu was rolling around on the bed. "If the host doesn't care about the mission failing, feel free to run, meow~"
"Dammit, that threat again!" Que Tang leaped out the window in frustration, following the giant floating text that read "This World's Female Lead."
Wei Ruoyun followed the magical traces to a manor outside of town. She saw a group of demonic cultivators surrounding her fellow sect disciples. Without hesitation, she drew her sword and charged.
There were too many demonic cultivators. The disciples around her fell one by one until finally, only she remained, struggling to hold her ground against a hundred. But even a swarm of ants can kill an elephant. Even though Wei Ruoyun was the top talent of her generation, she couldn't withstand such numbers. Just as her strength was exhausted and she missed a move—at the very moment an enemy’s sword was about to pierce her—a figure lunged in front of her to take the blow.
"Que... Que Tang?" Wei Ruoyun caught her falling body in disbelief. But Que Tang had been pierced through the heart; she was only hanging on by a thread. "Junior Sister..." Wei Ruoyun’s eyes were bloodshot as she held her.
"Ju-Junior Sister." Que Tang reached up to lightly stroke her cheek. "You're safe... that's wonderful." She could finally complete the mission. Her hand fell, and the light left her eyes.
"Congratulations to the host for completing the Cultivation World mission. You have reached the hidden ending: 'I love her, she loves him, he loves her—wait, why is no one in this world actually in love?' You have earned an extra 1,000 points. Meow~"
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 鬼畜 | Deviant / Twisted | Refers to obsessive, sadistic, or dark personality traits in ACG subculture. |
| 圣母 | Saint / Holy Mother | A character who is excessively kind or self-sacrificing. |
| 脑残粉 | Die-hard fan / Brainless fan | An obsessive, uncritical follower. |
| 邪魅狂狷 | Wicked and overbearing | A classic trope describing a charming yet wild and dominant romantic lead. |
| 金城武 | Takeshi Kaneshiro | A famous actor known for his good looks. |
| 禁制 | Restriction / Seal | A magical barrier or spell used to confine or protect an area. |
| 既视感 | Déjà vu | The feeling of having experienced a current situation before. |
| 夺舍 | Possession | (Contextual) Though not explicitly used here, the "failed breakthrough" and "re-cultivation" are common covers for such tropes. |
| 道侣 | Dao Companion | A spouse or partner in cultivation. |
