(Xiaoya's POV)
Currently, I was dreaming.
A situation that I was aware of but had no way of breaking.
Because this was not a dream induced by my slumber but by my consciousness being affected by plane scale teleportation.
'I screwed up.'
I sighed wryly with a smile leaking from my lips. (within dream)
Originally, I had intended to use large scale teleportation to escape from my clan for a short awhile, but instead, I somehow got stuck in this unfamiliar plane.
'Well, it is not too bad I suppose.'
Chuckling lightly, I tried to console myself.
At any rate, the well-being of the person named 'Ling Xiaoya' was not of concern to most of my clan members.
What they were concerned about was only the 'Heavenly talent Xiaoya of the Ling Clan'.
A reality that was currently being played in my dream right now.
"๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ค๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ."
An old man of about sixty said to the little girl of about six in my dream while looking at her with a strict gaze.
This was the person whom I should call as the patriarch of Ling Clan, and my instructor.
Yet not once, did I ever sense a bond of familiarity with him.
"๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ด๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ญ๐บ? ๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต, ๐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ."
The dream progressed with the old man sending the girl into a cage filled with various beasts.
Apparently, it was a method to accelerate life-death encounters.
And he was not wrong.
It indeed made me stronger faster.
At the cost of my identity.
If not for my sister finding out about this and saving me from that nightmare, perhaps I would not even be 'Ling Xiaoya' anymore.
I would simply be a tool.
Or maybe, I already was one.
Even when the clan later assigned me a new instructor, it was by no means due to their sympathy at my plight nor my family's appeal.
No.
It was simply because of their fear.
Fear that the fangs they sharpened would later bare at them.
For while they were people of esteemed position, it simply meant that they were unable to ascend.
And even if they could, they would not progress much further.
It was the reason behind their newly found care, and ironically the reason behind my past instructor's methods.
By the time I got a new teacher, I was nine.
โฆ.
๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ.
๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ช๐ถ๐ด.
๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ช๐จ๐บ.
As the dream progressed, I saw the girl being called by various names.
But I no longer truly cared.
After realizing their ugliness, I only cared about my sword.
For it was something that stood by my side.
I fell in love with swordsmanship.
But it seemed like actively going into adventures and hunting was rather troublesome for my family members.
In the end, I was forced to adopt aloof look and proper manners when others came by.
To tell the truth, it was rather annoying.
I had to maintain proper grace, speak so politely like salesman, and raise my head like a proud peacock.
After three years, I had it enough.
I wanted to play.
I wanted to set myself loose.
So, I went to grab the teleportation crystal.
Which is why I am here now.
( ยดโขฬฅรโขฬฅ` )
....
(MC's POV)
There are different kinds of addicts in the world.
There are drunks who are addicted to drinking alcohol.
There are Quan Luos who are addicted to getting beaten.
And there are us normal cultivators who are addicted to drinking a cup of Spiritual green tea.
"Seems like she is about to wake up"
I said to Lily who was sitting next to me, while continuing to drink my green tea.
Imitating my actions, Lily tried to do the same.
But she forgot to add any sugar.
Feeling the bitter taste in her mouth, Lily asked a bit aggrieved.
"Master. What do you plan to do with her?"
In response, I replied with no visible disturbance in my tone.
"We will look after her until she meets her family members."
Hearing my words, Lily relaxed a little.
Initially, I was planning to tell her that they may not even be in our plane.
But my senses honed from numerous bad experiences made me feel like something bad would happen if she got to know about it.
So, I kept my lips shut.
Sometimes, not being a smart mouth is the correct answer.
โ((ใปโฝใป))โ
"Urghh."
The girl in the bed made a slight sound as if to indicate she was regaining consciousness.
The darkness due to dusk outside and the combination of that voice created a lot of grounds for misunderstanding.
Thankfully, no one else was here.
Other than Lily who was glaring at me like it was my fault.
Seriously?
How is that my fault?
And I only have digs for onee-sans.
Have her go to the hyperbolic chamber and we will talk.
( ร โธ ร)
At any rate, it would be rude for us to keep the sleepy head loli waiting.
So, I asked her.
"Are you feeling fine?"
In response, Xiaoya nodded while still a bit muddle-headed and thanked me.
"Benefactors, thank you for taking care of me. Someday, I will definitely repay this favor."
Ho ho.
Don't worry, little girl.
In the future, I will need all your help as my wing girl and piggy bank.
( อกยฐ อส อก ยฐ)
But first, gotta do standard procedures to make myself look less suspicious.
Nodding a little, I asked.
"Why did you fall from the sky and where are your family members? I will take you to them."
Hearing my words, the little girl in front of me opened her lips a few times but did not register any words from them.
Bowing a little in a manner which was unthinkable from a missus of an aristocratic family, she apologized with a tinge of regret in her voice.
"I am sorry but I cannot answer your question due to various circumstances. However, all I can say is that I have no one I know in this world."
Heh.
I smiled a little in my heart.
Smart.
Technically, she was not lying since she specified the word 'world'. She indeed did not have any members of her family in this world of the mortal plane.
But, she used a tone as if to indicate she was being chased by some powerful people who killed her family.
This had two purposes.
One was to check if we had ulterior motive or not.
Because if we had, we would probably try to take advantage of her now or simply run away.
Second was to see if I had what it took to resist such force.
She was no idiot and could clearly see my cultivation state.
If I did not falter, it would show that I had a considerable backing as well.
In turn, it would mean that I had a higher chance of ascending.
Sure, her methods would seem rather ungrateful to many.
But she was from the Spiritual Plane where smile with daggers were a common theme, especially around the noble clans.
Moreover, our favor was not a favor of life but simply that of picking her up.
Thus, I did not really mind her current actions.
After all, my actions of associating with her were not based on pure motives either.
With a sad expression of my own, I consoled her.
"What you may have experienced is something I cannot imagine. If the unknown circumstance related to you is due to devil cults, you can follow us for the time being until you are ready to walk on your own."
Goodness without reason is prone to suspicion, so she might suspect my intentions.
But still, she will need to follow the breadcrumbs I lead her to.
"Is it truly fine?"
She asked with a bit hesitant expression in her face.
"Of course. I am Xin Fan, an elder from the Immortal Divinity Sect and she is my disciple Lily."
I answered her with a smile.
She will use me for her future like I will use her for mine and my future children's.
"Thank you very much for your help. You can call me Xiaoya."
She replied in a polite tone.
Hope we have a good co-operation in the future.
Ling Xiaoya.