The first half of Yu’s life

Cao Xueyan woke from her confusion and found the room dim.

She thought her eyes had malfunctioned.

After all, such darkness shouldn’t exist inside this cave-heaven.

After a few breaths, her muddled mind finally reacted.

The tribulation cloud that swept over just before she lost consciousness had already covered several li around the Daoist temple.

The strange sight of sun and moon shining together outside the window had vanished, replaced by oppressive darkness.

The tribulation… still hasn’t disappeared?.

“How long was I unconscious?”.

Cao Xueyan vaguely remembered fainting, perhaps for the first time in over ten years since transmigrating, experiencing such heart-tearing pain.

Her hand instinctively touched her legs — below the knee, everything felt cold.

Not only cold — there was the coolness of applied healing ointment and the tingling sensation of wounds slowly healing.

This feeling… wasn’t unfamiliar to her.

Ten years as an outer-sect disciple meant she’d worked many jobs for spirit stones, naturally getting bruises and cuts often.

“Awake?”.

Lu Qianyun’s voice sounded beside her.

“You slept for quite a long time.”.

Cao Xueyan turned toward the voice.

The demon woman was sitting on a meditation cushion, posture careless, her long legs stretching out from beneath her dress.

In such darkness, the large expanse of pale exposed skin was hard not to notice.

Cao Xueyan’s accidental glance made Lu Qianyun smile charmingly.

She hooked a jade-white finger at her skirt and slowly lifted it upward.

Her full, rosy lips curled.

“Interested?

Of course — I’m quite satisfied with my body too, especially these legs.

Ah, but the furnaces under me love them even more, though there’s only so much we can do.”.

Cao Xueyan blushed and turned away.

Lu Qianyun was a Saintess of the Pleasure Sect — saying wolfish, indecent words without warning wasn’t surprising.

But her own reaction was a bit too fast.

Well… she did understand quite a lot herself.

“The tribulation clouds still haven’t dispersed.”.

Cao Xueyan said, worry showing on her face.

“Could it be… she still hasn’t passed the tribulation?”.

“Far from it.

You were only unconscious for two hours.”.

Lu Qianyun seemed bored from waiting and yawned widely.

“In that amount of time, she’s probably only passed the first disaster — the wind calamity.

I advise you, no matter what happens now, the best thing is to stay inside the room.”.

“Staying here is safe?”.

“Or what?”.

Lu Qianyun shot back.

“Why else do you think I chose to stay here instead of leaving when you abandoned me earlier?”.

“In this cave-heaven, nothing can harm you…”.

Cao Xueyan stopped mid-sentence as realization hit her.

“Tribulation is the manifestation of Heaven’s will.

No matter how mysterious this cave-heaven is, before Heaven’s will, it must retreat.

But for now, the room is still the safest place.”.

Lu Qianyun said casually.

Cao Xueyan felt uncomfortable in her current position and tried adjusting —

But the moment she moved, it was like triggering a switch.

The pain she thought long gone surged back violently.

She gasped sharply, curling up on the ground like a boiled shrimp.

Lu Qianyun’s gloating laughter sounded:

“I advise you to stay exactly as you are.

Don’t move.”.

When the pain finally subsided, Cao Xueyan’s breathing steadied.

But her forehead was already covered in sweat.

She didn’t dare move again.

Her thighs were pressed against the cold floor — extremely uncomfortable.

Because of the dim light, she only now realized her dress — which should’ve reached her knees — was gone.

The long skirt had become a short one.

Aside from the Pleasure Sect, few cultivators dressed so boldly.

Cao Xueyan had unintentionally set a new fashion… though against her will.

“Lu Qianyun!”.

Cao Xueyan immediately snapped at the woman lazily lying like a cat beside her.

“When I fainted… you didn’t do anything improper to me, did you?”.

“I may be the kind who takes advantage of others’ misfortune…”.

Lu Qianyun interrupted calmly.

“But cutting your skirt wasn’t for that kind of thing.

Your legs were badly injured.

To apply medicine, I needed access, didn’t I?”.

“A pity, though — such fine fabric.

Even I rarely have clothing made from such material.

That must’ve been lent to you by Qin Ximo, right?

She really does care about you.”.

Cao Xueyan hesitated, then looked at the bandages wrapped around her knees — clearly made from the cut-off skirt fabric.

She begrudgingly accepted the explanation.

Such fine material, now stained with her blood.

Lu Qianyun added:

“That Fairy Qin isn’t stingy, is she?

If not, she wouldn’t get angry over a single ruined dress.”.

Cao Xueyan replied:

“She’s too carefree to be petty.”.

“What is Qin Ximo to you?”.

“Nothing.”.

Lu Qianyun wasn’t offended.

She continued asking:

“Nothing?

Then why disguise yourself as my maid and come all the way here to change her fate?”.

“This has nothing to do with you.”.

Cao Xueyan didn’t want to say more — the more she spoke, the more likely she’d slip.

She truly feared this woman.

Lu Qianyun refused to give up.

She stood, walked in front of Cao Xueyan, and slowly crouched down.

All Cao Xueyan saw were those blindingly pale thighs crossing in front of her.

Looking upward, that beautiful yet unsettling face of Lu Qianyun.

“Can you tell me your real name?”.

Lu Qianyun asked seriously.

“So you can curse me when we get back?”.

Cao Xueyan knew well — some demonic cultivators could kill across thousands of miles with just a strand of hair or a person’s name and birthdate.

“My, you really do know those tricks well.”.

Lu Qianyun smirked.

“But I’m not interested in curses or voodoo.

Such cheap methods can’t even kill a Foundation-establishment cultivator.

I simply think — since you ruined my plans — I should at least know your real name.

Don’t worry, I’m no fortune-telling elder from the Heavenly Secrets Sect.

Even if I know your name, I probably won’t track you down.

Just grant me this small wish, won’t you?”.

Lu Qianyun spoke sincerely, but Cao Xueyan wasn’t moved.

She pouted — in ten sentences, Lu Qianyun might say only one or two true words.

“She’d have to be brain-damaged to tell her real name.”.

“You can call me Shen Yuemian.”.

Cao Xueyan closed her eyes.

She wanted to see what was happening outside, but even sitting up was difficult.

“And the original Yue’er?”.

Lu Qianyun asked, her smile fading.

“You killed her and replaced her?”.

“Think whatever you want.”.

“You really are—”.

Lu Qianyun suddenly stopped speaking.

Cao Xueyan enjoyed the silence —

But moments later, Lu Qianyun’s earlier question surfaced in her mind.

“Yes…”.

“Where did the original Shen Yuemian go?”.

“That girl named ‘Shen Yuemian’ — was her life before my arrival real, or fake?”.

Cao Xueyan suddenly wondered —

If the simulator created another bindable romance target…

Would another “Shen Yuemian” appear?

A person she could replace at any time?.

She didn’t know.

For the first time, the simulator she had relied on felt frighteningly unfamiliar.