I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 34
The Linjin Hidden Realm remained for a month since it was first opened. During that month, unlike other disciples who wandered in search of precious treasures and materials, Ah Luo chose to settle in a serene, picturesque valley.
The valley was nestled beneath a steep cliff and was largely inaccessible to most people. It was a haven of blooming flowers and verdant grass, and there was also a crystal-clear spiritual spring in its center.
What made it truly unique was a cherry blossom tree strikingly similar to the one in her courtyard back at Wandao Peak. Its petals danced in the wind and fell like fragrant, pink-white snowflakes.
Ah Luo spent two days building a small wooden cabin by hand and carefully decorating it piece by piece. When the house finally resembled her home at the peak, she stopped. Then, she resumed her daily routine of cultivation, studying spells, soaking in the spiritual spring, or napping under the cherry blossom tree.
It was almost identical to the life she’d known for over a decade.
The only difference was that there was another person accompanying her in this small, secluded haven—her master, Lu Cang, who was ever-clad in his pristine white robes and as cold and aloof as he always was.
While Ah Luo busied herself with her tasks, Lu Cang would often remain quietly nearby, either meditating with closed eyes or silently watching her.
The puppet spoke little, just like her real master. Most of the time, he was indifferent and silent, and he rarely initiated any conversation. Yet, in subtle ways, he was also different.
When Ah Luo built her house, he helped her chop the wood. He taught her spells with the same meticulous patience as he once did for her older sister. If she hid in the depths of the spiritual spring, he would dive in to find her. And when she fell asleep in the hammock beneath the cherry blossom tree, he would carry her back to the cabin with care.
It almost felt like a dream—like she was still on Wandao Peak, but just with her master always by her side and silently accompanying her.
One day, Ah Luo woke from a nap and saw the window open. Outside stood the cherry blossom tree in full bloom, its branches adorned with delicate pink flowers. The golden rays of the setting sun filtered through the lattice and painted the room in warm hues.
A tall figure stood by the window with his back to her. He was dressed in white robes, and his long black hair cascaded down his back.
The sunlight cast a golden edge around his silhouette. His posture was straight and unwavering, and he exuded an ethereal presence, as though he were a celestial being preparing to ascend.
Ah Luo stared at him for a long time. She couldn’t tear her gaze away.
Perhaps because she had stared at him for too long, he suddenly turned around. His cold, flawless face and his deep, unfathomable black eyes met hers.
She didn’t get up or speak. She was afraid that if she moved or spoke, this beautiful dream would burst like a bubble at a touch.
Lu Cang didn’t say anything, either. He simply stood there and looked at her with his dark eyes in silence.
Suddenly, a thought appeared in Ah Luo’s mind. Could it be that he understood her thoughts, and that was why he kept silent as well?
Finally, as the light dimmed with the setting sun, Ah Luo whispered softly to him, “Master…”
He stepped closer and sat by her bedside.
“We’ll leave tomorrow,” she murmured. Her tone was low and wistful.
“Mm,” Lu Cang replied faintly. His gaze was steady.
“Master… Could you… embrace me one last time?”
Her words carried a hesitant hope, and her delicate face tinged with longing. She lay there defenseless, as if offering herself up as a gift.
Lu Cang remained silent. Ah Luo’s hope slowly dissipated, and her eyes welled with unshed tears as she lowered her lashes.
“Forgive me… I’m asking for too much—”
Before she could finish, a low, succinct response interrupted her. “Okay.”
The girl was dressed in pink today. There was a pink ribbon tied into a beautiful bow on her chest, which made her look like a specially-prepared, exquisite gift.
A cold, jade-white hand grasped one end of the ribbon. With a clear exertion of the slender, defined fingers, the bow instantly unraveled.
Darkness swallowed everything, including the small house and the pair inside it.
As she became immersed in an endless tide of emotions, even her vision grew blurry. Ah Luo tightly embraced the man whose very body exuded an icy chill. Tears rolled down the corners of her eyes.
Cool fingertips brushed past her eye corners, and he whispered hoarsely into her ear, “Luoyin, you will always be my disciple.”
Ah Luo closed her eyes. In a trembling voice, she responded, “Yes, Master.”
This past month had already been his mercy and charity. She could not greedily ask for more. He had given her this moment of indulgence, and she should be satisfied with it.
How fortunate that, at least, her master’s true self remained as pure as snow, untainted and unblemished. Unlike this puppet, her master’s true self had never been desecrated by her.
Knowing this was enough for her.
***
The Linjin Hidden Realm reopened, and the disciples who had entered began emerging one by one. Ah Luo was among them, and she blended into the crowd of returning disciples inconspicuously.
With her head lowered, she stepped out of the gate of light. A guard elder stationed by the door asked, “Name? Which peak, and under which master?”
This was part of a headcount. The Linjin Hidden Realm was filled with both opportunities and dangers and each time, a number of disciples would fall. Thus, registration was always conducted before and after entry.
Ah Luo replied, “Lin Luoyin, second disciple under Master Lu Cang of the Wandao Peak.”
The elder raised his gaze in surprise. He cast a look that contained both curiosity and admiration towards her. His previously stern expression softened slightly. “Oh, so you’re under the Daoist Master Lu Cang’s tutelage. I remember you entered when you were at the seventh level of the Energy Refinement stage, but now you’ve reached the late stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. Not bad, not bad.”
Ah Luo left the gate in confusion. She couldn’t understand the elder’s surprise and his change of attitude. She hadn’t received this curiosity and admiration when she had entered the hidden realm.
Could it really be because of her rapid progress? That didn’t seem likely. Foundation Establishment cultivators were a penny a dozen in the sect. Moreover, while she had indeed made significant progress, her progress wasn’t extraordinary compared to prodigies like Lin Qingyun or Gu Xingjue.
What she didn’t know was that the elder’s reaction was tied to an incident not long ago.
The night before the hidden realm closed, Daoist Master Lu Cang’s aura unexpectedly spilled out once again. Normally, he would deliberately suppress his oppressive presence when appearing before others. This time, however, it seemed uncontrollable. His overwhelming aura burst forth and instantly caused several low-level cultivators nearby to vomit blood.
The icy phenomenon extended from a radius of ten miles to a hundred. It alarmed countless people and even drew the attention of the sect leader.
When the sect leader questioned him about the cause, Lu Cang gave no response. He simply sat there in silence, leaving everyone in nervous anticipation. After a long while, he finally stated that his cultivation had broken through and that he would soon enter seclusion to prepare for his tribulation.
With that, he abruptly left everyone else behind.
Since reaching the Great Ascension realm, Lu Cang had been quietly preparing for his ascension tribulation. In truth, many in Guiyuan Sect had only heard of his name and never witnessed his true strength.
This incident reminded everyone of the Daoist master’s might. Among those present were two seniors at the Void Return realms—individuals considered powerful wherever they went. Yet, even they could barely resist Lu Cang’s imposing presence.
Daoist Master Lu Cang was among the world’s most elite cultivators. To be his disciple was to have countless obstacles on the path of cultivation removed.
Now that he had shown further progress, many believed his ascension was imminent.
The elder’s thoughts were known to no one, and Ah Luo’s emergence from the hidden realm only garnered his attention. In contrast, her elder sister, Lin Qingyun, drew much more notice. The moment she stepped out of the hidden realm, she became the focus of everyone’s attention.
As a well-known disciple of the renowned Daoist Master Lu Cang, Lin Qingyun had grown up under the gaze of many. Her extraordinary talent and impressive cultivation at a young age made her an idol among her peers, comparable to Gu Xingjue, the sect leader’s direct disciple.
Lin Qingyun was known for her aloof demeanor, while Gu Xingjue was warm and approachable. Together, they were dubbed the ‘the Double Star of Guiyuan.’
No one had ever thought to pair them as partners. Most imagined they would be rivals, constantly at odds.
Yet this time, when Lin Qingyun and Gu Xingjue appeared in public together, they seemed to be quite close.
Someone stepped forward to congratulate him. “Senior Brother Gu, you’ve advanced to the Golden Core realm? That’s amazing! To achieve this at such a young age—you’re incredible!”
Gu Xingjue, who was known for his genial nature, had many people approaching him to offer their congratulations.
Some noticed Lin Qingyun standing beside him and asked curiously, “Did Senior Sister Lin accompany Senior Brother Gu in the hidden realm?” (2-18)
Lin Qingyun, who was naturally reserved, had few friends and rarely joined lively gatherings. She glanced around and quickly noticed Ah Luo before immediately walking over to her.
Lin Qingyun looked her up and down and grew visibly relieved. She said, “Yinyin, I’m glad you’re fine.”
Over the past month, Lin Qingyun accidentally entered an ancient ruin and was trapped inside it with Gu Xingjue. She had been unable to send out messages, and had been worried about her younger sister’s safety the entire time.
Ah Luo linked arms with her sister and gave her a sweet smile. “Not only am I fine, but I also advanced in my cultivation!”
Lin Qingyun nodded in satisfaction. “I can see that. It seems you’ve had quite an adventure.”
Hearing this, Ah Luo blinked. The smile on her lips faltered slightly before she softly murmured, “Yes… an adventure indeed.”
Before her sister could notice anything, she forced a bright smile and said, “Sister, let’s go back. I want to tell Master the good news—I’ve finally reached the Foundation Establishment realm!”
Lin Qingyun smiled gently in response. After bidding farewell to Gu Xingjue, she left with Ah Luo to return to Wandao Peak.
Shortly after the sisters departed, Elder Li Yu, the master of Dan Peak, arrived, seeking information. His daughter, Li Jiaojiao, had mysteriously perished in the hidden realm. He questioned the disciples who had entered the first level in the hope of finding clues regarding her death.
Unfortunately, all of them had nothing to offer him. A few mentioned brief encounters with her but had no knowledge of how she had died.
Li Yu, who had already deduced that his daughter’s body had been utterly destroyed, suspected foul play. It was clearly not the work of a beast. However, his inquiry yielded no results, and he left with a grim expression.
Back at the familiar Wandao Peak, Ah Luo found an excuse to send Lin Qingyun to visit their master first while she returned directly to her small house.
The quiet courtyard, with its white walls and blue tiles, remained unchanged. The cherry blossom tree in the yard was still in bloom. After a month of neglect, though, fallen petals had formed a thick layer on the ground.
Walking on them felt soft, like stepping on clouds.
The wicker chair beneath the cherry blossom tree was also covered with a layer of pink blossoms. Ah Luo approached it and slowly lay down.
She looked up at the sky and saw its blue expanse dotted with tiny pink and white petals that drifted like snow. She closed her eyes and drifted into a light sleep. When she awoke, she was greeted by the vast night sky, with stars scattered across its expanse. No one was there to gently lift her and place her on her bed anymore.
After brushing off the fallen petals, Ah Luo walked out of the courtyard and to the pitch-black grand hall.
As she approached the entrance, the heavy doors silently swung open from within. The luminous pearls hanging from the ceiling suddenly lit up and cast a soft glow on her, as though they had been waiting for her all along.