As the day for the opening of the Immortal Platform approached, Xiao Ba became increasingly anxious.
Today alone, it had sighed in Su Luo's mind at least eight hundred times. Seeing that she remained indifferent, it finally couldn't help but ask, "There are only a few days left before the Immortal Platform opens. How exactly do you plan to stop Meng Shuying?"
Su Luo casually turned a page in her book, answering unhurriedly, "I have my ways."
These past days, Su Luo had mostly stayed in her room, only meeting with Xie Hanzhu a few times and rarely going out.
The day after discovering there was no newbie gift pack, she had gone to Zhan Xuehan to request a stack of books, then buried herself in them.
Xiao Ba had glanced over at them casually, only to find she was reading A Comprehensive Guide to Cultivation.
Since then, Su Luo had spent her days reading and her nights practicing, utterly consumed by her studies.
Fortunately, a cultivator's body, tempered by spiritual energy, wasn't as fragile as a mortal's. Otherwise, Xiao Ba would have worried that she might wear herself out before even completing her tasks.
With Su Luo so confident, Xiao Ba didn't press further, choosing to wait and see what her plan was.
Finally, five days before the Immortal Platform was set to open, Su Luo took action.
She approached Zhan Xuehan, telling her that she had recently made some progress in her cultivation and wanted to take a few disciples down the mountain for some practical training.
Cultivating immortality wasn't just about cultivating spiritual energy but also about refining one's mind and seizing opportunities.
Zhan Xuehan had long been worried about her niece's delicate temperament and reluctance to leave the safety of the sect. Hearing that Su Luo wanted to go down the mountain, she was overjoyed. She immediately wrote a pass for her and even gave her a Qiankun pouch.
Holding the Qiankun pouch, Su Luo channeled a thread of spiritual energy into it, and the pouch instantly recognized her as its owner. With just a thought, she could access the items stored inside.
This was Su Luo's first time seeing a Qiankun pouch, and she found it fascinating. When she opened it, she discovered an independent space inside, roughly a cubic meter in size, already stocked with various items.
There were spirit stones, magical tools, pills, and even a stack of talismans…
It seemed Zhan Xuehan had been preparing for this moment, just waiting for Su Luo to be ready to go down the mountain.
After accepting the Qiankun pouch, Su Luo mentioned, "There's one more thing. I'd like to bring a servant disciple with me this time."
Zhan Xuehan frowned at this, disapproving, "Nonsense! A servant disciple hasn't trained; they'll only be a burden."
Practical training carried certain risks. When other Foundation Establishment disciples went down the mountain, they often wished they could bring a Golden Core stage senior along for protection. Yet Su Luo wanted to bring a servant disciple?
Su Luo explained, "There have been several mysterious disappearances of young girls in the town below. I plan to investigate the truth behind these disappearances."
Zhan Xuehan furrowed her brow. "I'm aware of that. The Bai Zhan Peak has already sent disciples to investigate."
As far as she knew, both Bai Zhan Peak and Qionghua Peak had sent disciples down to investigate the matter, yet it had remained unresolved for some time.
But what did this have to do with a servant disciple?
"Aunt, you may not know, but these girls weren't simply disappearing—they were being abducted. The night watchmen in the town saw a black-clad figure entering a home at midnight, and the next day, the family's daughter was missing.
When the Bai Zhan Peak disciples went to investigate, the culprit must have noticed and stayed hidden.
I suspect this criminal has a method of identifying cultivators and is extremely cautious, hiding whenever they sense spiritual energy. I have an idea on how to lure them out, but I'm missing a bait."
After considering Su Luo's words, Zhan Xuehan nodded thoughtfully, "If you have a plan, then go ahead. But remember…"
She looked at Su Luo, whose face so closely resembled her late sister's, and reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"No matter what happens, don't put yourself in danger."
Cultivators were unique in their constitution, making it difficult for them to conceive children. It had taken years for her sister and brother-in-law to have Su Luo, and Zhan Xuehan had always treated her niece as her own child.
She knew her niece had many flaws: she couldn't endure hardship, was lazy in her cultivation, and wasn't as well-behaved as she appeared.
But in the end, she was her sister's daughter, sharing the same blood.
Su Luo nodded obediently, "Don't worry, Aunt. I treasure my life above all; I won't take any unnecessary risks."
…
This time, Su Luo brought only Xie Hanzhu, Han Yi, and Meng Shuying with her down the mountain.
Xie Hanzhu, as Su Luo's number one follower, naturally went wherever she did.
As they rode in the carriage together, with Xie Hanzhu humming a little tune beside her, Su Luo couldn't help but ask, "It's just a training trip down the mountain. Why are you so happy?"
Xie Hanzhu turned and gave her a big smile, "I'm happy to go down the mountain, especially with you, Senior Sister."
Her tone was light, and it seemed she genuinely believed that the trip was going to be fun.
Unfortunately, not everyone shared her sentiment. For instance, Han Yi, who was driving the carriage, was filled with bitterness.
Yesterday, when Xie Hanzhu had told him that she and Su Luo were going down the mountain for training and that they were taking Meng Shuying with them, he had been dismayed.
Everyone in the Qingxu Sect knew that going down the mountain for training was risky and required caution.
For someone like him, an outer disciple accompanying inner disciples on such a trip, it usually meant being cannon fodder. He'd bear the brunt of the hardship, take the blame if things went wrong, and if the mission didn't go well, he might even be scapegoated.
But Su Luo had already received the sect leader's authorization, so he had no choice but to comply. He consoled himself with the thought that Su Luo, being a favored member of the sect leader's family, wouldn't be sent on a dangerous mission.
As for why they were bringing Meng Shuying along, Han Yi didn't think too much about it. He assumed the two young mistresses had come up with some new way to torment Meng Shuying, without considering the upcoming opening of the Immortal Platform.
After all, in his mind, the girl sitting outside on the carriage seat was so scrawny and unremarkable that the idea of her awakening spiritual roots seemed laughable.
The road down the mountain was rough, but fortunately, the carriage was reinforced with a formation and had cushions, so it wasn't too uncomfortable. Xie Hanzhu, sitting inside the carriage, had somehow produced a set of white jade tea ware. As she busied herself with the tea, she happily remarked to Su Luo, "It was a good idea to bring Han Yi. Otherwise, we might have had to drive the carriage ourselves."
Su Luo smiled slightly, not bothering to respond. The original Su Luo had been pampered all her life, and Xie Hanzhu wasn't much better. As for Su Luo's experiences in the real world, they were utterly useless in this world of cultivation.
Without someone like Han Yi, who was familiar with the ways of the world, they would likely struggle even to find food and shelter after leaving the mountain.
The mountain breeze blew through, lifting the carriage's curtain to reveal a thin, gray-clad figure sitting outside.
Meng Shuying sat on the hard wooden seat, her back perfectly straight.
Seeing that gray figure, Su Luo thought for a moment, then lifted the curtain slightly and called out, "Come inside."
Meng Shuying didn't dare refuse. She lowered her eyes and slowly climbed into the carriage, but even after entering, she didn't dare sit, instead kneeling on the cushion.
With her inside, the carriage felt a bit cramped. Xie Hanzhu shifted to the side, grumbling, "Why did you bring her in here, Senior Sister?"
She glanced at Meng Shuying, then turned away with a disdainful expression, "She's filthy."
Meng Shuying showed no reaction to the insult, keeping her head bowed as she knelt in silence.
Su Luo tilted her chin up, discreetly studying her.
Meng Shuying seemed to be moving freely, so her injuries must have healed.
In truth, Meng Shuying wasn't dirty at all; she was actually quite clean.
Though her servant disciple's robes were old and didn't fit well, they had been meticulously washed.
After examining her, Su Luo leaned back against the carriage wall and commanded in a lofty tone, "Make tea."
Meng Shuying lowered her head further and obediently moved over to the white jade tea set, carefully brewing the tea.
Seeing that Su Luo had only called her in to serve them, Xie Hanzhu said no more, reclining back against the carriage wall.
According to the original body's memories, they had bullied Meng Shuying quite often.
Meng Shuying must hate them, but she hid her emotions well.
She was good at concealing her feelings beneath a calm exterior.
If she were naturally charming, people might even praise her for being mature and sensible.
But unfortunately, Meng Shuying wasn't one of those people.
With her thin eyelids and thin lips, paired with a sharp, angular face, her large, dark eyes seemed too intense and cold for someone her age, making her appear sullen.
That was probably why the original Su Luo had disliked her, even before her extraordinary cultivation talents had emerged.
Su Luo remembered that the original Su Luo had once ordered Meng Shuying to make tea. After taking just one sip, she had thrown the cup at her, scolding her for making the tea too hot.
Such incidents were not uncommon.
As these thoughts flashed through Su Luo's mind, Meng Shuying finished brewing the tea. She carefully held out the cup to Su Luo, her voice barely above a whisper, "Please enjoy your tea, Senior Sister…"
Su Luo rested one hand on her knee, the other supporting her chin, her gaze unfocused. When Meng Shuying spoke, she looked up, her expression complicated. After a moment, she said, "...Forget it, you drink it."
Su Luo couldn't help but think how difficult her situation was.
She had originally intended to do something in line with the original character's role, maybe bully Meng Shuying a little.
But Meng Shuying just looked… too pitiful.
This tea, Meng Shuying clearly wouldn't dare drink it.
She placed the cup back on the tray and poured another, this time offering it to Xie Hanzhu.
Xie Hanzhu took the cup, sneaking a glance at Su Luo. But Su Luo had already pulled out a book from her sleeve and was engrossed in reading, not paying her any attention.
Seeing that Su Luo had no particular instructions, Xie Hanzhu decided not to make things difficult for Meng Shuying.
With the tea prepared, Meng Shuying had nothing else to do. But Su Luo didn't allow her to move, so she didn't dare budge.
She knelt there with her head bowed, seeing that Su Luo was absorbed in her book while Xie Hanzhu dozed against the carriage wall.
Even though the carriage was cushioned and far more comfortable than the hard wooden seat, kneeling for a long time was still painful.
Seeing that no one was watching her, Meng Shuying quietly pinched her numb legs.
But just as she did, Su Luo's voice rang out, "Sit down, and stop fidgeting."
Su Luo's tone was cold, "Your fidgeting is distracting me from my reading."