Chapter 5: Chosen One Sister

What if I've transmigrated into a book and become an NPC?

Not just any NPC, either. I'm a super marginal, unlucky one, a thousand miles from the main plot, utterly insignificant. Now I'm here, I don't even know where the story is, only that my life is likely in danger.

This is so troublesome...

Qiao Suihuan bit her lip, thinking. It was a little terrifying, but maybe it wasn't that bad. Perhaps I've just been kidnapped from City A and brought to a place called Lin'an... Well, that's not much of an improvement.

But what if I really have transmigrated into a novel?

How can I get back to my original world?

And that person I fell for at first glance—is she a real, tangible person, or just a fictional character?

Could someone who made me feel so real in my world just be a string of characters back there? If I return, will I never see him again?

Qiao Suihuan wrestled with these thoughts for a moment, feeling increasingly distressed. She decided to double-check before letting her imagination run wild.

What if this is all just a misunderstanding? What if there's no supernatural event at all?

Perhaps she simply didn't know about a small town called Lin'an near City A.

She still wanted to confirm her situation. Only when she was certain she was no longer in the original world and was no longer the original Qiao Suihuan would she be satisfied.

If all of this were happening in the real world, that would be ideal. At least then she wouldn't have to hesitate about pursuing Sister Xinxuan.

Qiao Suihuan glanced at the young Daoist beside her and noticed that the girl, who looked about her age but surprisingly ancient and simple, had already packed her bag and seemed ready to leave.

"Huh?" Qiao Suihuan was startled. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Of course I'm leaving. Are you planning to spend the New Year in this forest?" The young Daoist glanced back at Qiao Suihuan with even more surprise, stating the obvious. "Hurry up, you too. I'll take you out first."

"You know where I live?" Qiao Suihuan was even more astonished.

She didn't even know what kind of place this was or how to get back to her school. How could this young Daoist know?

Did she know her that well?

"How would I know where you live?" the young Daoist replied, even more self-righteously. "I'm just taking you out of the forest. Can't you get back on your own?"

Qiao Suihuan choked on her words, momentarily speechless.

Never mind, the important thing is to get out of here.

She brushed the dirt off her clothes and stood up, following the young Daoist out of the forest. As they walked, she asked, "Do you know what date it is?"

It was strange. She couldn't see any trace of the evil temple from the night before, no matter how far the young Daoist had carried her. That was truly remarkable.

The young Daoist glanced at her. "Don't you have your phone with you?"

Qiao Suihuan snapped back to reality. She patted the pockets of her jeans and then held out her empty hands to the Daoist.

The young Daoist looked at her in surprise, then patted herself down. She muttered, "No way. Did that evil cultivator throw your phone away? I thought the Celestial Master got it back..."

"Who?" Qiao Suihuan hadn't heard clearly.

"No one," the young Daoist answered quickly. She rummaged through the cloth pouch hanging from her waist and pulled out a white phone. With a sigh of relief, she handed it to Qiao Suihuan. "There you are. I knew it was here somewhere. Last night was so chaotic, and I didn't want to go rifling through your pockets, so I forgot to put it back."

"Oh." Qiao Suihuan took the phone and, upon seeing it wasn't the model she usually used, her last shred of hope dwindled.

Fortunately, unlocking the phone proved surprisingly easy.

At least it was a way to get information. Even if she wasn't the original owner, she could still glean some basic, crucial details from this phone, preventing her from being completely lost.

When the phone powered on, she was surprised to find it had 63% battery left. There were also numerous missed calls and WeChat messages. Within seconds of the screen lighting up, notification pop-ups flooded the display, nearly freezing the device.

The contacts with the most unread messages were saved as "Dad" and "Sis." Their messages were stacked in layers, and new message alerts kept flashing across the top of the screen.

Through the flashing notifications, Qiao Suihuan caught glimpses of the messages. Most were urgent questions demanding specific information, while very few actually expressed concern for the owner's well-being. This struck her as suspicious.

Qiao Suihuan frowned slightly, her gaze lingering on the labels indicating familial relationships. She couldn't help but ponder the content of the messages.

This is a bit strange... Is this how family members talk to each other?

She glanced at the timestamps again. The messages from those two had flooded in all at once in the dead of night. What had they been doing earlier? Did they only remember to look for her after she was already gone and it was late?

Qiao Suihuan thought back and decided that given the circumstances last night, it had been impossible to tell time. She turned to the young Daoist beside her. "What time was it when you saved me last night?"

"Midnight, the very stroke of midnight. A little later, and that evil cultivator would have turned you into a fierce corpse," the young Daoist replied, giving Qiao Suihuan a puzzled look. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, just curious. I wanted to know." Qiao Suihuan smiled faintly. "I was just trying to figure out how long I'd been asleep."

The young Daoist pouted and turned away, clearly bored. No matter how long you slept, you were still bewitched by that evil cultivator, she thought, ignoring Qiao Suihuan.

Qiao Suihuan's smile faded. She glanced at her phone, frowned in thought, and ultimately didn't reply to their messages asking for her location.

The flood of messages that came in at midnight, the dead of night, and the late hours of the night was a peculiar time and pattern.

Consider the fact that the original body had collapsed and been left in the wilderness.

If it were Qiao Suihuan herself, someone would have to know her very well and have a meticulous plan to abduct her, avoid all witnesses, and transport her to the wilderness in the middle of the night. It would be impossible otherwise.

Kidnapping was never simple, but Qiao Suihuan wasn't even sure of the original body's personality, habits, or what had happened before the abduction. She couldn't determine how the original body had ended up in this predicament or what role her family might have played in the incident.

As Qiao Suihuan walked, pondering the matter, she grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of clarity. She switched to her banking app to check her account balance.

Not bad, she had a little money.

With funds, she could at least escape the original body's familiar environment and observe her situation from a distance.

After all, in the original story, the NPC identity she was currently using seemed to have been eliminated long ago, and she had no idea when she might be killed off.

Given that her own life was hanging by a thread, it was only reasonable to be suspicious of everyone, wasn't it?

Qiao Suihuan quickly calmed herself down.

This was a world overrun by ghostly creatures, and the original body had apparently died at the hands of an evil cultivator. The most dangerous threats were likely those connected to dark and malevolent entities. That meant the safest place was undoubtedly by Sister Xinxuan's side!

After all, Sister Xinxuan had saved her from the evil cultivator. Following her was the best course of action.

...But she wasn't sure if Sister Xinxuan was strong enough.

In any novel, the most powerful young character was usually the protagonist. Neither Sister Xinxuan nor she seemed like protagonists, at least based on the original text's descriptions, which indicated that Sister Xinxuan had no connection to the two main characters.

If Sister Xinxuan wasn't strong enough... wouldn't rashly getting involved in the original plot put them at a disadvantage?

Qiao Suihuan pressed her lips together, unsure of what to do.

For her, interfering with the original plot was inevitable. Her name had already appeared in the story, forcing her to become involved. If nothing went wrong, something unexpected but related to the main plot would eventually intrude on her life, attempting to set the story back on course.

Given this, rather than waiting for others to harm her, it was better to act immediately, using the original plot stored in her mind to take the initiative. With the entire plot playing out in her head, she could do anything she wanted. As long as she could determine where the story had progressed, it wasn't impossible to find the protagonists early on.

But Sister Xinxuan was different.

What if Sister Xinxuan wouldn't have been affected by the original plot's events at all, but her rash actions drew her into them? Wouldn't that disrupt Sister Xinxuan's original life?

Just as Qiao Suihuan was lost in thought, the young Daoist beside her nudged her arm with her elbow.

Qiao Suihuan: "?"

When she snapped back to reality, she realized the scenery around them had completely changed!

She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't paid attention, simply following the young Daoist as she walked. Now she noticed that the descent down the mountain path should have been long, yet they had only walked a short distance and were already at the foot of the mountain!

How could they have gotten down so quickly?

"Here, take this." The young Daoist rummaged through the satchel hanging from her shoulder and pulled out an Incense Talisman Pouch, which she had carefully stored. She glanced at the pouch, then at Qiao Suihuan, and reluctantly handed it over.

"What's this?"

Qiao Suihuan took the pouch and examined it. It looked like the common peace talisman pouches sold at temples, except this one didn't bear the name of any temple. Instead, it was neatly embroidered with a golden Bagua diagram.

The young Daoist snorted softly. Seeing Qiao Suihuan's apparent lack of appreciation, she became even more reluctant to part with the talisman. Staring at the pouch in her hand, she said with a hint of resentment, "What do you know? This is a peace talisman personally drawn by my family's Elder! Its power is immense—it's incredibly rare!"

Qiao Suihuan's eyes lit up. She lowered her gaze to the cloth pouch in her hand, her fingers softening as she gently stroked the fabric. "Did she give this to me?" she asked, her voice tinged with surprise and tenderness.

"Hey!" The young Daoist frowned, suddenly sensing something amiss in her tone. She turned to glare at Qiao Suihuan, her voice sharp with suspicion. "What's with that tone? How dare you speak to my Elder like that?"

These Daoists, devoted to their cultivation, might not be worldly-wise, but they possessed sharp intuition. They could instantly sense subtle shifts in events or a person's demeanor.

Qiao Suihuan felt a blush creep up her neck under the young Daoist's scrutiny. She cleared her throat, too embarrassed to keep examining the safety amulet. Carefully, she tucked it away.

Yet the amulet continued to stir her heart, a quiet yearning to draw closer. Unable to suppress the impulse, she blurted out, "Can I come with you? You said I'm not safe here. Could I join you?"

Yes, that's it, she told herself. I'm just concerned for my safety, not trying to chase after Sister Xinxuan or start a romance with her.

The moment the words left her mouth, the young Daoist, who had been staring at her with suspicious intensity, instantly retreated five or six steps. Without a word, she replied with a solemn refusal: "No. Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Qiao Suihuan couldn't help but press.

"Because it's dangerous, of course," the young Daoist replied, puffing out her chest. "The Elder and I aren't here for a vacation. We're here to quell chaos! Our mission is to hunt down evil cultivators, and we have to follow them wherever they go. We go wherever we hear of their presence. It's the duty of the... the Righteous Path. That's why our movements are unpredictable. We might have to sneak out at night to travel, so we can't take ordinary people with us.

And don't think we saved you out of special care. We just happened to be passing by. We encounter situations like this all the time, and we'll save others the same way we saved you. Do you know how dangerous that is? How could we possibly take you with us?"

Qiao Suihuan felt a moment of confusion. "Then... if I ever want to find you, it'll be really hard, won't it?"

"Yeah, what do you want with us?" The young Daoist narrowed his eyes at her. "We're just strangers who met by chance. Saving your life was already a stroke of fate. What could you possibly want from us?"

Qiao Suihuan hadn't been too worried before, thinking she'd run into them again next time. But the young Daoist's words made it sound as if she might never see Sister Xinxuan again. A sudden panic surged through her, and she couldn't help but try one more time:

"But I'm in danger right now. You said it yourself—I'm an easy target for bad people. What if someone else comes after me? I only have this one talisman. How can I possibly avoid being tricked? You just said my life was saved by your Elder. We have a connection. Could you really stand to watch me be in danger?"

"What! What did you say!" The young Daoist's fur bristled. "Get it straight—what do you mean only one talisman? This was drawn by the Celestial Master himself! Do you know how rare that is? Countless people would give anything for just one talisman from the Celestial Master! And now, the Celestial Master drew one for you personally during a break from demon-slaying and even helped you put it away. What more could you want?!"

Qiao Suihuan blinked, momentarily stunned. Her life was usually a whirlwind of studying, classes, and occasional side hustles and hobbies, leaving her with little time for folk customs. She hadn't kept up with the young Daoist's emotional outburst and asked blankly, "What's a Celestial Master? Are they really that powerful?"

The young Daoist froze for two seconds before completely losing it.

"What do you even mean by that?!"

"Oh." Qiao Suihuan flinched at the outburst and took two steps back.

"Do you even understand what a Celestial Master is?" The young Daoist stepped forward, grabbed Qiao Suihuan's collar, and shook her violently. "She's the most powerful cultivator in the Righteous Path, the very pillar that upholds the principles of heaven and earth! Born with a Daoist bone, pure and untainted, she's as serene as the winter moon and as thunderous in motion. Where she goes, evil retreats and ghosts dare not approach. The entire Righteous Path takes pride in following a Celestial Master. She's the pride of our generation, the cultivator we all aspire to become!"

As Qiao Suihuan listened, her expression suddenly changed. She grabbed the young Daoist's hand and asked, "Is her surname Gu? The Celestial Master you're talking about—is she surnamed Gu? It's her, isn't it? She's surnamed Gu, named Gu Yuehuai."

"What?" The young Daoist blinked, as if suddenly regaining her senses. She violently shook off Qiao Suihuan's hand and stumbled back several steps, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What are you doing?"

"The person you're talking about—the one who saved me last night—is her name Gu Yuehuai?" Qiao Suihuan's voice was unusually urgent. She took two steps forward, reaching out again to grab the young Daoist.

The young Daoist's expression shifted instantly, as if caught with a terrible secret. Her eyes darted away, and she said guiltily:

"W-what are you talking about? Don't ask about the Celestial Master's name! You can't just call her by her name! Anyway, stop asking. It's none of your business. Just keep that talisman safe, and avoid dark, evil places, and fewer people will notice you. I have things to do, so I'm leaving!"

With that, the young Daoist turned and whoosh! She darted into the mountain forest and ran.

"Wait!" Qiao Suihuan reached out, but her hand closed on empty air.

That seemingly clumsy young Daoist moved with surprising agility!

Qiao Suihuan urgently looked in the direction the Daoist had fled. She was about to chase after her when she realized the Daoist had vanished!

There was only a narrow path. How could she have disappeared so quickly?

Qiao Suihuan's eyes widened. After a moment of surprise, she suddenly remembered that their descent from the mountain had also been strange. They had traveled such a long distance, yet arrived at the foot of the mountain in what felt like no time at all.

Could there be some hidden mechanism at play?

Qiao Suihuan froze, remembering the 'Qimen Dunjia' mentioned in the original novel. According to the text, if one followed the correct formula and moved in the right direction, the technique could achieve effects nearly as powerful as the Earth-Shrinking Step or passing through walls.

Could this be that technique?

How could she possibly keep up?

Frustrated, Qiao Suihuan bit her lip and cast a resentful glance at the narrow path before her.

It was right there, and she'd missed her chance... What if she failed this time? What would happen to Sister Xinxuan?

She'd been so preoccupied with whether to follow Sister Xinxuan and how to approach her without dragging her into the plot that she hadn't even considered the possibility that Sister Xinxuan was a character in the story from the beginning—and a significant one at that!

If it were just a minor plot point, that would be one thing... No, even that wouldn't be acceptable. She still wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with Sister Xinxuan. In that case, she might have been able to wait for a gentler, more natural opportunity to approach her.

But now, she remembered: in the original novel, Sister Xinxuan was a supporting character who died young!

How could she just stand by and let that happen?