Chapter 249 - 30: Berserk Junior Sister Refuses to Be Cannon Fodder (Part 30)

Staring into the mung bean eyes of the Wood Spirit Ginseng, Fourth Senior Brother found himself hesitating.

"This thing is too human-like."

The pleading and fear in its eyes he might have tolerated, but it even shed tears, streaming down. Though Fourth Senior Brother had a heart of stone, he felt eating this thing might harm his virtue.

"Are you going to eat it or not?"

"Isn’t there any other way?"

Jiang Lai nodded.

"Yes, this thing counts as a Spirit Plant and can be contracted. You should give it a try."

Fourth Senior Brother’s eyes lit up.

"Right, let’s try it."

Saying that, he bit his finger and pressed the blood onto the Wood Spirit Ginseng. At first, the Wood Spirit Ginseng struggled fiercely, but upon hearing Jiang Lai’s casual remark, "If you’re disobedient, I’ll eat you," it gave up resisting.

A flash of earthy yellow light passed by, a tattoo appeared on Fourth Senior Brother’s wrist, and the once unruly Wood Spirit Ginseng obediently climbed onto his shoulder, motionless.

"Junior Sister, I think you’re the Immortal sent by the heavens to save me."

Jiang Lai loved to hear compliments.

"Keep talking."

"You’re not only beautiful and skilled in fighting but also generous and forgiving. You’re simply the best little junior sister in this world. If it weren’t for you, I might have died down there. Really, Junior Sister, do you ever consider having an immortal partner? I can humble myself a bit."

Jiang Lai, expressionless, kicked him.

"In your dreams, get lost."

Why would she choose him as an immortal partner when she could choose Second Senior Brother, who is tall, handsome, strong, silent, and an action-taker?

Fourth Senior Brother was a bit hurt, and couldn’t help taking out a mirror to look at his reflection.

He looked fine, so why wasn’t the little junior sister interested in him?

——

After acquiring the Wood Spirit Ginseng, Fourth Senior Brother was content and followed Jiang Lai to find a way out.

Soon, they encountered Third Senior Brother and Zhang Qingqing at the exit.

Zhang Qingqing was injured, leaning weakly against Third Senior Brother. When she saw Jiang Lai and Fourth Senior Brother, she blushed slightly and stood properly, but her body still leaned against Third Senior Brother, wearing an expression of shyness that made one wonder what just happened between the two.

Fourth Senior Brother nudged Third Senior Brother’s arm with a mischievous grin.

"Not bad, kid. You’ve got quite the romantic luck."

This Zhang Qingqing was pale and thin, though her cultivation wasn’t much, her frailty made her easily evoke a protective instinct in others.

Third Senior Brother shook his head expressionlessly.

"It’s not what you think; she’s hurt, and I’m only lending a hand."

After speaking, he glanced at Jiang Lai silently, seeing Jiang Lai’s calm expression made Third Senior Brother’s heart ache like it was being twisted by a knife.

Jiang Lai had already made it clear, leaving him no room for fantasies, so Third Senior Brother had given up hope, only wanting to quietly watch over Jiang Lai from behind, feeling satisfied just seeing her.

Jiang Lai wasn’t interested in such love triangles and didn’t want to get involved.

On the way back, they met First Senior Brother and Su Furong. Seeing Du Furong’s reddened eyes, it was clear something had happened between them too.

Unfortunately, First Senior Brother’s righteous aura left no room for speculation, clearly a case of unrequited love.

Zhang Qingqing and Du Furong walked together and exchanged a glance.

"Did you tell him?"

"Yeah, did you tell him?"

"Yeah."

Du Furong wiped the corner of her eye.

"He said he wants to focus on the Dao and isn’t interested in matters of men and women, I understand."

So she didn’t persist.

Zhang Qingqing whispered.

"His heart is with Jiang Lai, I can see that."

"Don’t worry, Jiang Lai doesn’t like him, you still have a chance."

Zhang Qingqing nodded.

"Don’t worry, I won’t give up."

Little Buding overheard the two girls murmuring and sighed.

"As expected of a romance novel, everyone, whether protagonist or side character, is full of thoughts of love."

"Whether pursuing love or the Dao, it’s their choice, there’s no right or wrong."

"Then why do you say those things to provoke your First Senior Brother?"

"That doesn’t apply to a side character. The only way for a side character is to become strong, otherwise, even a hailstorm could kill them."

Little Buding realized, Jiang Lai’s nature was a bit indifferent, focused only on tasks and relevant people, not caring much about anything else.

She is mostly unaffected by others, consistently adhering to her own style.

So Little Buding chose to keep quiet, hoping she would continue her decisive way of doing things.

"Where on earth is Second Senior Brother, why can’t we find him?"

Now that everyone had found the exit from the Secret Realm, but after waiting a long time, there was still no sign of Wu Lie.

Then Jiang Lai remembered, in the original storyline, Second Senior Brother did have some trouble in this Secret Realm, but then the original character was on the verge of collapse, so she didn’t pay much attention to her silent Second Senior Brother.

Jiang Lai decided to go back and find him.

"I’ll go with you. The rest can wait here, the Secret Realm is complex, too many people going in might cause someone to get lost again."

First Senior Brother, being responsible, wouldn’t let Jiang Lai go alone on such a task.

So the two of them went back together, and in front of a mysterious creature floating with eyeballs everywhere, First Senior Brother suddenly asked.

"Did you look?"

"Yes."

"I looked too. Past lives, there’s nothing interesting, these things disturb the mind, better not to look."

Jiang Lai didn’t listen to him, once more staring into the floating eyes before her, and this time she saw an endless ocean, she seemed to be floating on the surface, rising and falling with the waves, feeling a strong sense of despair and loneliness.

Was this her past life?

Or the original character’s past life?

But then she saw a white yacht not far away, at that moment she felt a sense of joy at surviving against all odds.

Yet, as she swam desperately towards it, she saw two figures standing side by side on the yacht’s deck. Jiang Lai couldn’t make out their faces but could clearly see their eyes.

Derision, indifference, as if they were watching something entertaining, with a smile in their eyes.

At that moment, a stronger wave of despair and anger swept over her.

She swam toward the yacht like a maddened beast.

But the yacht drifted farther and farther away, leaving her alone on the open sea, watching helplessly as a massive wave crashed down.

And what was left, was a sense of futility.

Jiang Lai’s eyes snapped open.

Next to her, First Senior Brother watched her with concern.

"I told you, this shouldn’t be looked at. The past life is gone; live the present well."