Que Tang finally resigned herself to the fact that she still had a long list of missions to complete. She climbed out of bed listlessly, but as she did, her brow furrowed. She noticed the room looked a bit different than when she had last seen it. Looking closer, she finally realized what was wrong: a stroller had appeared next to her bed, and inside was a sleeping infant.
"What kind of plot twist is this?!" Que Tang grabbed Little Shiitake and held the cat up in front of her face, demanding an explanation in shock.
Little Shiitake was still clutching a piece of dried fish. Its large eyes blinked and shimmered as if they were full of starlight. Seeing that Que Tang remained unmoved, it pouted sorrowfully and explained, "This is our newly developed sensory-based nurturing mission. It’s currently in the testing phase. The goal is to allow players to experience the thrill of a 7D 'Beauty Dreamland.' You are very lucky to be the first trial user, meow~"
"Who wants this kind of 'user experience'? I'm not one of those otaku who loves hearing little girls call them 'Onii-chan'! Completing these missions is miserable enough, and now I have to take care of a kid... I don't know the first thing about it! What if it dies? Besides, I can't take care of a baby while I'm out on a mission," Que Tang complained in a low voice, mindful that the infant was still sleeping.
"Host, do not worry. You only need to select actions on the screen next to the stroller to complete the nurturing tasks, meow~"
Que Tang gave the cat a dead-eyed stare. She looked toward the stroller and indeed found a protruding LCD panel by the head of the bed. She stepped forward and tapped the screen. A line immediately appeared: *Welcome, Player, to 7D Beauty Dreamland. Please follow the instructions below.* Que Tang kept tapping "OK" until she reached the main menu. Sure enough, there was a row of data for the infant.
*Gender: Female. Current Status: Deep Sleep. Favorability toward Caretaker: One Heart (Max: Five). Satiety: 50%. Name: (Please enter; cannot be changed after entry).*
There were also command icons such as: *Prepare milk and feed, soothe to sleep, change diaper...* and so on. Finally, she found an "Auto-Care" command. After selecting it, she turned to the cat and scoffed, "So the point of this game is to raise your own lolita? What planet are you people from? This is way too depraved!"
"Don't worry, currently only the Host enjoys this benefit, meow~"
"I'm not worried, I'm distressed." Que Tang pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed in defeat. It was foolish to argue the nuances of human language with a cat. "Forget it. When does the next mission start?" She just wanted to leave this room as quickly as possible.
"If the Host is ready, we can proceed to the next mission immediately, meow~"
Just as Que Tang was about to say she was ready, the scenery before her eyes shifted into a series of mountain peaks shrouded in swirling mist. She found herself sitting cross-legged on the ground, dressed in ancient-style robes. Silently, she raised her right hand; the wide sleeve fluttered incessantly in the mountain breeze.
"...Didn't we agree that the next mission would let me be a 'Saintly White Lotus' young lady?"
"This *is* a Saintly White Lotus young lady, meow~" Little Shiitake landed beside her, still munching on dried fish.
Que Tang didn't even have the energy to wonder how this cat possessed items that didn't fit the world's setting. "And what kind of 'young lady' is this, exactly?"
"Don't be in such a hurry, Host. Let me tell you the story of this world in detail, meow~" Little Shiitake put on a pair of thick-rimmed academic glasses and began flipping through a book that had appeared out of nowhere with its paws.
Que Tang leaned down curiously to take a look, only to see the pages covered in various types of cat paw prints. Aside from the differing number of claws, there were full-palm prints, half-palm prints... After a moment, her eye twitched, and she pulled back. For the first time, she truly appreciated the importance of spoken and written language.
"Found it, meow~" Little Shiitake extended a paw to push up its glasses. "This is a Rebirth Cultivation novel. The character the Host is currently playing is the female lead who has been 'reborn'—or rather, the original world's antagonist. In the original timeline, you bullied the female lead at every turn because you couldn't stand her. Eventually, you were [BEEP] by the 'cheat-code' female lead, and thus, you were reborn. After being reborn, you swore to snatch away the female lead's opportunities and make the Eldest Senior Brother, who was stolen by her in the previous life, return to your side. This time, the Host's mission is the same: make the male lead's favorability reach maximum, meow~"
A sudden silence fell. Little Shiitake stared at Que Tang, and Que Tang stared at Little Shiitake.
"...Wait. Since this is a Rebirth Cultivation story, that means in the original text, the female lead ended up with the male lead anyway. Why do I have to go through the trouble of doing the same thing in a rebirth story?"
"Because you have to complete the mission, meow~"
"..." The cat's utter lack of integrity made Que Tang give up all resistance.
"But do not be sad, Host. Starting from this mission, you can learn 'Carry-over Skills' from each world, meow~"
"Fine. So, what's the deal with this 'Saintly White Lotus' character?" she asked, returning to the main topic with a sigh.
"This time, the Host is playing the only daughter of the Sect Leader of the number one sect in the cultivation world. From birth, you were a genius with a Single Spiritual Root capable of absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. By the age of fifteen, you had already broken through to the Nascent Soul stage. However, because you are naturally pure-hearted and the entire sect treats you like a precious treasure, you have been well-protected, resulting in a simple personality."
"Chotto matte. There's a contradiction. If I'm such a genius and have a 'White Lotus' personality, why would I bully the original female lead?"
"Because the 'antagonist' is the original female lead of this story; she has a 'Golden Finger' and an author-given system. Furthermore, she was originally an orphan. After her family was destroyed, she was brought back by a former neighbor who is now a janitor for the sect. During the entrance exam, she was found to have talent for cultivation and became a disciple. She found a pampered young lady like you to be an eyesore and mocked you endlessly. Originally, you didn't care, but then you discovered that the Eldest Senior Brother, whom you had always admired, was getting very close to her. The antagonist even schemed to let the Senior Brother witness a confrontation between you two. After she provoked you into attacking and you accidentally injured her, the Senior Brother became disappointed in you and withdrew his doting attitude. After that, you and the original female lead became like fire and water, constantly setting traps for each other."
"...So it's a True White Lotus versus a Black Lotus. Who did I offend to get stuck in this?" Que Tang was speechless.
"Today is the entrance exam. The antagonist is currently on her way to the test. Please begin your actions, Host, meow."
***
Wei Ruoyun walked arduously up the mountain path leading to the Great Sect. Countless ornate carriages passed her by, but none stopped.
Today was the sect's entrance examination. Even high-ranking officials and nobles from the secular world sought to send their children for a trial, hoping they might be lucky enough to enter the sect and one day become immortal masters who could protect their families.
She was also here to take the test. Previously, she was merely the daughter of a wealthy farmer in a small village at the foot of the sect's mountain. But one day, while accompanying her father to the city to pay taxes, she caught the eye of a profligate son of the local magistrate. When his attempt to force her into marriage failed, he resorted to murder to silence them. After she escaped, she encountered a former neighbor, Old Man Li, who now served as a servant in the sect's outer estates. He had rescued her.
Old Man Li told her that rather than living under someone else's roof forever with no hope of avenging her grievances, she should try the entrance exam. If she struck gold and entered the sect, even as the lowest-ranking disciple, the magistrate would no longer be a threat.
Wei Ruoyun was moved. After biting her lip for a long time, she knelt and kowtowed three times to Old Man Li, then set out on the road alone.
She had departed before dawn and had been walking for four hours just to reach the mountainside. Wei Ruoyun, whose injuries from the family tragedy had not yet healed, gasped for breath. As she forced herself to take two more steps, she accidentally tripped over a protruding tree root.
She closed her eyes, bracing for the pain of the fall, but to her surprise, her falling body was caught by a gentle force.
"Miss, are you alright?"
The soft, delicate voice made Wei Ruoyun open her eyes as if under a spell. Standing before her was a woman in white. Her features were gentle and beautiful, her brows held a hint of a smile, and her eyes were filled with concern as she looked at her. Wei Ruoyun immediately felt a sense of shame at her own disheveled state and tried to pull away, but it was in vain. "I... I'm fine. Thank you."
"I see that you seem to have injuries, Miss. It so happens I have a few healing pills with me. If you do not mind, would you be willing to accept them?"
Though Wei Ruoyun looked frail, she possessed an innate stubbornness. Unless it was absolutely necessary, she was usually unwilling to accept help from others. But this woman before her made it impossible to utter a word of refusal. She could only nod. The woman then revealed a sincere smile, which made Wei Ruoyun feel a sense of inferiority for the first time in her life. After taking the pill the woman offered, she swallowed it without suspicion. Instantly, she felt a surge of scorching heat rise from the soles of her feet. She sat on the ground, gasping in pain. Thinking she had been poisoned, she glared at the woman.
"My apologies, Miss. I was in a hurry and forgot to tell you that this pill cleanses the marrow and tempers the bones while it heals. A normal person taking it will gain a robust constitution, but there will be symptoms like yours during the process." The woman looked apologetic. She immediately reached out to hold Wei Ruoyun's hand, channeling a thread of True Qi into her.
When that True Qi passed from the woman's hand into her body, the burning sensation indeed subsided, gradually turning into a warm temperature that traveled through her limbs and bones. She also realized that the wound on her back no longer hurt... She felt ashamed for misjudging a good person. "Thank you, Miss... Immortal Lady."
The woman paused for a moment, then chuckled softly. "My name is Que Tang. You may call me by my name, but please, do not call me 'Immortal Lady.' Is the young miss heading up the mountain? I happen to be returning to the mountain as well. Shall we walk together?"
Wei Ruoyun blushed and nodded. "I... this humble one's surname is Wei, and my given name is Ruoyun. You may call me Ruoyun. If Miss... if Miss Que does not mind, I would be honored to accompany you."
As she spoke, a notification appeared in Que Tang's mind: *Antagonist's favorability toward the female lead has increased by 10 points. Current favorability: 10. Please keep up the good work, meow~*
*No... the 'Antagonist' from the last world was too terrifying. Let's not have the antagonist's favorability toward the female lead rise at all,* Que Tang thought with lingering fear, looking at the bronze-colored text reading "Antagonist of this World" above Wei Ruoyun's head. She remembered the horrifying way Qi Yunan had blackened at the end.
The result of the antagonist's favorability reaching maximum shouldn't be pushing her down, stripping her, and teasing her! It was simply too terrifying.
***
