This Young Master is not Cannon Fodder

Chapter 71: Before the Duel

Jiang Chunye scrunched her brows together. She was currently cultivating quietly inside underground ground inscribed with formations to increase the density of spiritual qi.

She released a sigh as frustration welled up within her chest, but unable to be vented. After the defeat by her sister’s hand, Chunye reflected that she was too arrogant.

When she had opened her eyes after the original owner of the body perished after falling into the pond, she had thought that she had time traveled into ancient times. But she had not, despite the archaic society, this world was nothing but filled with fantasy compared to Earth.

Jiang Chunye was an assassin from modern Earth and had subconsciously looked down on her sisters. Swords, spears, bows and arrows, needles, whips, she had disdained all of these weapons. Instead, she recreated a primitive gun as an assassination tool.

But calling her creation an assassination tool was laughable. The barrel was forged from metal at the Core Formation Realm, and so were the bullets. But upon activation, it would unleash a loud explosion. An assassin who exposed herself during an attack was third-rate.

The only assassin-like feature of the gun was that it did not require the usage of spiritual qi. In one aspect, it could be considered a perfect assassination weapon against cultivators.

Chunye’s creation even allowed her to kill a Core Formation Master before when his guard was down. Perhaps that’s how she grew arrogant. She thought that her tools and abilities were more than enough to make up the difference in cultivation levels.

But upon Daoyi, a woman she even placed less importance then Jiang Qingya, being defeated and having her prized trump card fail, was enough to wake her up. She had gotten complacent.

Certainly, Chunye’s unique methods from her time as an assassin in the modern world were unique within the Huang Realm. But she had also suffered losses at the hands of cultivators using methods that she thought insane. Sometimes, she didn’t even know how it was accomplished.

Chunye glanced at her second spatial pouch that Yi Dongli had returned to her after her defeat. Everything was there, except the most valuable egg that she spent weeks to steal. All the efforts she placed into the heist and the aftermath was negated, and she came out of the whole situation even worse.

She wrapped her right hand around the bracelet on her left wrist. The only reason Chunye even snuck into the Zeng Estate was because something in her bracelet was calling out to the egg hidden in their treasury.

Everything had proceeded as plan until the last moment. She didn’t expect to be caught once she exited the treasury. Had she not been seen, everything that happened earlier would not have occurred, and she would not be in such a weak and passive state.

Chunye had thought that her diversion was perfect. The Zeng young master certainly did not foresee her having Yi Dongli carry her second spatial pouch. It wasn’t that Chunye unconditionally trusted Yi Dongli, but she always had a habit of preparing for the worst.

Yet she never thought that even with the egg on Yi Dongli, it would mysteriously disappear. Not even Yi Dongli detected anything wrong, and he was the one carrying the spatial pouch!

Chunye’s gut instinct pointed to Xi Tianyi.

When Chunye first laid eyes on Tianyi years ago, she thought, “What a beautiful child, like a porcelain doll.” They never interacted much, so Chunye didn’t think much of it. Rather her attention was placed on Daoyi, who had suddenly been accepted by Tianyi’s mother as a disciple.

She was there when the imperial edict summoned Daoyi to the palace. Chunye wasn’t dumb, she read between the words. She had inwardly sneered, feeling no pity towards Daoyi but apathy.

From her original body’s memories, Daoyi had been like a transparent person. Unless you focused on her, you would forget that she existed. But there was a feeling of animosity whenever she laid eyes on her third sister.

It was like the two were two irreconcilable, at least from her point of view.

Although rage had colored Chunye’s thoughts, she knew that she could not expose Tianyi. First, she had no proof, and second, Tianyi was far more powerful than her.

She already thought Yi Dongli powerful and even suspected that he hid his real cultivation, but the feeling Tianyi gave her was that of a force of nature. Chunye had never felt such a sensation before.

In addition, Chunye felt that something was off in the Northern Regions. From her journey from the Central Regions to the Northern Regions, there was no noticeable shift, but Chunye’s sixth sense was telling her that it would become dangerous.

As an assassin, Chunye’s sixth sense has saved her life multiple times. But just as she was prepared to leave the Northern Regions, numerous cultivators attacked her. It would not be a lie to say was it not for Yi Dongli’s timely appearance, she would have died.

Somehow word got out that she possessed the egg of a beast of the immortal realm. Chunye snorted, even she didn’t know what rank the egg was. It seemed that many cultivators lusted after the illusionary immortal ranked egg.

If Chunye had to guess, the perpetrator was most likely Xi Tianyi. A cold smile formed on her face. Perhaps Tianyi had acted out against her in revenge for nearly killing Daoyi or some other reason. But since it has already reached this step, there was no point reconciling.

Besides, the brief instance of killing intent she felt could not be chalked up to an illusion. Although Tianyi hid it quickly, it could not escape Chunye’s senses that had been honed through countless life and death situations.

As for whether the Zeng Family released the information? Forget about it. The group of people who attacked her included two Nascent Soul Grandmasters. For a small place like the Pan Kingdom where the only Core Formation Master was the king, the Zeng Family wouldn’t dare to release such information.

In fact, the current Zeng Family was being paid a “visit” by a Nascent Soul Grandmaster according to Yi Dongli. Chunye snickered as she imagined the turmoil that Zeng Family have went through. They too, like her, have been guilty of owning an item beyond their ability.

But the main threat wasn’t the irrelevant Zeng Family anymore, but someone far more dangerous.

She, Jiang Chunye, would use all her resources to eliminate the threat known as Xi Tianyi.

Chunye snorted, “I’m just a lowly Foundation Establishment Disciple, and Xi Tianyi is the son of an Immortal Empress. I can only defend against him for now.”

Her biggest problem now was how to escape the Northern Regions.

“Miss Jiang, are your injuries healed?” Yi Dongli asked as he opened the door to the room.

“Thank you Mister Yi, were it not for you, this Jiang would have been just a lump of flesh now.” Chunye released a genuine smile towards Yi Dongli. This lad had saved her life, so giving a sincere smile was the least she could do. “In the future, when there’s a chance, I will definitely repay you.”

Yi Dongli had been momentarily stunned by Jiang Chunye’s smile. Before, he had always seen her smile, but it was a fake smile created to deceive. Yi Dongli, who had lived a lie in the Northern Region, found himself attracted to this woman who had a smile much like himself. This genuine one, filled with no lies, caused warmth to flow from the center of his chest.

“Miss Jiang, what are you saying. We are friends, think nothing of it.” Yi Dongli said.

“How can? Friendship is friendship, and a debt is a debt. And I am a woman who always repays her debts.” Chunye said.

“How about this then, stop calling me Mister Yi? Call me Dongli.” Yi Dongli said.

“This… ” Chunye thought about it for a moment before she agreed. “Only if you call me Chunye from now on. If I called you Dongli and you still called me Miss Jiang, it would be awkward.”

“Naturally, naturally,” Yi Dongli said as his smile widened even more.

Pan Lanyue was stood still as she tried to process what was happening before her eyes.

In front of her, Tianyi was sitting and moving his arms. And beside Tianyi, Daoyi was sitting and playing a calming tune that Lanyue had never heard of before.

The problem was that Tianyi’s arms disappeared at their elbows. No, they didn’t disappear but were inserted into black holes that materialized in the air. She could see Tianyi pulled his arm out and insert them back.

Lanyue felt someone tapped her should and turned around to look. What she saw caused her heart to nearly leap out of her chest.

“YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKK!!!”

The disembodied, jade-white arm stiffened for a moment before it started to disappear in the hole in space.

Embarrassment colored Lanyue’s face, but it soon turned to rage as she directed her ire at Tianyi was chuckling at her reaction.

“Senior brother, stop being naughty. You’re like a child who has gotten a new toy.” Daoyi said, reprimanding Tianyi for his prank. Though, there was a slight tug on the edge of her mouth.

Lanyue huff as she inelegantly sat down on the chair. “Brother Xi, just what was that?” Lanyue had a clue, she didn’t dare believe it.

“You can consider it a technique based on the concept of space,” Tianyi said.

“The legendary Dao of Space!?” Although Lanyue had already guessed it, she still couldn’t believe it.

“Mhm,” Tianyi grunted as he continued to experiment.

“Is that what you used to take the egg from second sister’s spatial bag?” Daoyi asked. The “immortal beast” egg was resting on her lap, below the table.

“Yes,” Tianyi said.

Lanyue sighed, no longer able to feel anything Tianyi did that was out of her expectations. Her world view had changed when she discovered Tianyi became a Nascent Soul Grandmaster. Her shock of Tianyi utilizing the Dao of Space to create a hole in space, something normally only the cultivators of the immortal realm could accomplish.

“How long did it take you to learn such a technique?” Lanyue asked, surely Tianyi spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours and effort into it.

“I just tried it out, I didn’t expect it to work,” Tianyi said.

“You…just tried it?” Lanyue said.

“Hmm? Yeah,” Tianyi said as he continued to mess around with the wormholes. “I sensed that Yi guy having a spatial pouch. He was guarding it pretty well, so I would be detected if I used my spiritual sense to enter it. I suddenly had an idea to try to create a wormhole into the spatial pouch. I succeeded on the first try.”

Pan Lanyue felt something inside of her crack and shatter at Tianyi’s words.

Tianyi didn’t notice at all as his mind wandered.

Jiang Chunye should be a reincarnator like me. Although her talent isn’t enough to get into the Buzhou Immortal Sect, she still rose to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Was I hasty in causing trouble for her? No, since she dared try to kill Daoyi, then she should expect me to retaliate.

… I sound like those father of the young master stepping stones. “How dare you win against my son!” Or rather junior sister in this case.

Pffft.

This situation is different from the scenarios in the stories I’ve read. Daoyi wasn’t trying to kill her…was she? If someone really had been possessing Chunye’s body, Daoyi would’ve likely killed her. But in the end, Chunye tried to kill Daoyi.

Getting grudges is so easy.

Jiang Chunye, even though you are a reincarnator like me, I’m going to have you die. Compared to a person I’ve never met on Earth, I’d prioritize my junior sister.

Geez, I”m meeting all these people with main character settings, but they’re all becoming my enemies.

Although Tianyi was lamenting, his face revealed an excited smile.