Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

no response.

"Gunner? Are you there?"

The gun remained silent, still unresponsive.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a little embarrassed, like a fool talking to a stone.

He shook the gun barrel, and the gun vibrated slightly, emitting a very faint hum, but that was all.

"Are you asleep?" he muttered, a little disappointed, yet also a little taken for granted.

Just as he was about to put the gun away.

A voice rang directly in his mind, carrying a hint of languor from just waking up and... impatience?

"What are you doing?"

Jiang Xiaochuan's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the gun.

He blurted out, "Wow, you can really talk!"

The voice seemed to roll its eyes: "Nonsense, what else would it be but a ghost talking to you?"

"It feels about the same," he muttered to himself.

"What?"

"It's nothing, I... I was just trying it out. Thank you for yesterday."

"Thank you?" she drawled, with a hint of amusement.

"How should I thank you? Logically speaking, since I saved your life, shouldn't you repay me with your body?"

Jiang Xiaochuan choked, then said, "No, I didn't mean that."

"Oh." The voice sounded a little disappointed.

"Never mind then, let's talk about it after I have a body."

Jiang Xiaochuan felt something gently pinch his cheek; it was cool and felt quite comfortable.

"You're quite shy. By the way, just call me Hongli from now on, Hong as in red and Li as in glass. I'm going to sleep now, don't make a sound."

"...Okay, Sister Hongli."

"Good girl."

Immediately afterwards, he felt a gentle rub on the top of his head.

"You cut your hair? It looks bad."

After saying that, the feeling completely disappeared, and my mind returned to calm.

Jiang Xiaochuan held the gun and stood in the darkness for a long time.

Then he slowly withdrew it, the dark red light shrinking back into his palm and disappearing.

He lay on the bed, staring at the dark beams. Hong Li's interruption seemed to have eased his initial melancholy.

Then he remembered something else.

Lu Xueqi.

She saved herself today.

How can I thank her?

Sending a gift? What kind of gift?

She seemed to lack nothing. The Heavenly Sword, a cold and aloof demeanor... she seemed completely unrelated to the cosmetics and floral decorations that ordinary girls would like.

As I thought about it, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

The bead on her chest quietly emanated a coolness.

I did fall asleep, but I didn't sleep very soundly.

In my dream, there was a scene of blood and white bones...

A nightmare.

…………

early morning.

Jiang Xiaochuan pushed open the door and went out; the cool morning air dispelled the gloom of the previous night.

I walked to the eighth room on the right and knocked on the door.

There was a rustling sound inside, and soon the door opened. Zhang Xiaofan was already dressed.

"Senior Brother Jiang?" He was a little surprised that it was so early.

"Let's go eat, then I'll take you to do your homework," Jiang Xiaochuan said briefly.

In the dining hall, Song Daren and several of his fellow disciples were slurping down bowls of thin porridge. They were all taken aback when they saw Jiang Xiaochuan enter, followed by Zhang Xiaofan.

With his mouth full of porridge, Wu Dayi mumbled, "Sixth Brother? Up so early?"

"Did the sun rise in the west?" Zheng Dali joked with a smile.

"Xiao Fan got up early too, good, good." Song Daren nodded honestly.

Tian Buyi was sitting at the head of the table, biting into a steamed bun. When he saw Jiang Xiaochuan, his eyes lingered on Jiang's short hair.

He said, "What kind of behavior is this?"

But he didn't say much more.

Su Ru served him a bowl of porridge and added a poached egg, saying, "Eat quickly, you're not fully recovered yet, don't push yourself."

Tian Ling'er was the last to skip in. She immediately noticed Jiang Xiaochuan's new hairstyle and burst out laughing: "Sixth Senior Brother, your hair... looks like it's been chewed by a dog."

Jiang Xiaochuan ignored her and lowered his head to drink his porridge.

He hadn't eaten such a proper meal in a long time; usually he would sleep until late morning and then just grab a quick bite.

After finishing his meal, Tian Buyi wiped his mouth, glanced at Zhang Xiaofan who was eating in silence, and said to Jiang Xiaochuan, "Are you taking him to the back mountain?"

Jiang Xiaochuan nodded and said, "Mm."

"Doing homework?"

"Um."

Tian Buyi didn't say anything more, got up and left.

Su Ru told him to be careful, and then followed Tian Buyi.

Tian Ling'er finished her porridge in a few gulps, wiped her mouth, and said, "I'm going too! It's my last year, I can't slack off."

She skipped over to Jiang Xiaochuan's side, her eyes shining.

So the three of them and their dog (Big Yellow had somehow caught up with them) headed towards the back of the mountain.

The mountain path was slippery, and the morning dew was heavy.

Zhang Xiaofan walked very carefully, while Tian Ling'er walked like a little deer, with Da Huang circling around her feet.

Zhang Xiaofan finally couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Jiang, are we... going to cultivate Taoist arts?"

"Cut bamboo." Jiang Xiaochuan walked ahead without turning his head.

"Cut...cut bamboo?" Zhang Xiaofan thought he had misheard.

"Yes, cutting bamboo, cutting black bamboo. It's an introductory course at Dazhu Peak. New disciples have to cut bamboo for three years," Tian Ling'er answered eagerly.

"Our Qingyun Sect originates from Taoism," Jiang Xiaochuan said.

"Taoism emphasizes the cultivation of both nature and life. Nature refers to one's mind and understanding. Life refers to one's physical body. When one's Taoist cultivation reaches a high level, moving mountains and filling seas, and flying through the sky on a sword, all depend on the support of this body. Without a good foundation, the flow of spiritual energy will be obstructed, and even magical treasures cannot be activated. Cutting bamboo is a way to strengthen one's muscles and bones, train one's strength, and also train one's patience."

Zhang Xiaofan nodded, seemingly understanding, so it was about laying the foundation.

"Then... then Senior Sister Ling'er, are you going to chop it too?" Zhang Xiaofan asked Tian Ling'er.

Tian Ling'er said, "Of course, I started chopping when I was ten, and this is my last year. Of course, my senior brothers started chopping much earlier. As for Xiao Chuan..."

She glanced at Jiang Xiaochuan and said, "His father took him up the mountain when he was six years old, and he has already completed his cultivation. Now he is lazy and unwilling to cultivate, so he always runs to the back mountain, claiming to be comprehending the world, but in reality he just sunbathes and takes a nap."

Jiang Xiaochuan blushed, coughed twice, and said, "Nonsense, I... I was just..."

"What's that? Humph, I even saw you drooling in your dream once." Tian Ling'er made a face.

Chatting and laughing, we arrived at a bamboo grove on the back hill. The bamboo here was thinner than elsewhere, only about the thickness of a wrist, with jet-black joints that looked sturdy.

Jiang Xiaochuan pointed to a patch of thin bamboo and said, "This will do. For the next three months, you need to cut down one bamboo every day to complete your assignment."

Zhang Xiaofan looked at the thin bamboo shoots, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Just... one? They're so thin, isn't one too few?"

"Give it a try." Jiang Xiaochuan crossed his arms.

Tian Ling'er handed over a wood-chopping knife with a grin, looking like she was looking forward to a good show.

Zhang Xiaofan took the machete, walked to a thin bamboo stalk, assumed a fighting stance, took a breath, and chopped down hard.

"clang!"

A crisp sound, like striking a stone.

The machete suddenly sprang up, making Zhang Xiaofan's hands go numb and his arms ache.

The thin bamboo, bent forward by his cuts, was extremely resilient and then rebounded at an even faster and stronger speed.

A machete was extended from the side, which I gently blocked.

With a "snap," the rebounding bamboo was blocked.

Jiang Xiaochuan was standing next to him at some point, holding another machete in his hand.

Tian Ling'er laughed so hard she almost fell over: "Hahaha, Xiao Fan, black bamboo isn't ordinary bamboo, it's really tough!"

Zhang Xiaofan's face turned bright red. Looking at the faint, almost negligible white mark on the bamboo, he realized that things weren't that simple.