Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 119: Her Family

The moment Mei Lan’s eyes suddenly lit up, Guan He jumped back two steps in fright and instinctively shielded Cheng Songyun behind him.

That once-gentle, restrained aura Mei Lan had was gone, replaced by confidence and poise. Seeing the look on Guan He’s face, as if he’d seen a ghost, she reached up to touch her changed eyes, then smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes.

“Cen Ling really did use the Substitution E,” Mei Lan said with a smile. “In a way, it’s poison against poison.”

Guan He didn’t understand at all. “…What do you mean?”

“I used to be a member of the Guishan Sect. I even dated Zhuang Pengdao.”

She stroked the pendant on her chest and spoke calmly. “Earlier, Cen Ling pretended not to recognize me because he thought I was hiding my identity for some secret mission. Now he’s definitely realized the truth.”

“They say the Guishan Sect treats traitors even worse than unbelievers. Looks like it’s true.”

She was part of that cult? The one she and Fang Xiu have always despised?

As part of the younger generation, Guan He didn’t have much concept of the Guishan Sect, so he didn’t react strongly. As for Zhuang Pengdao being her ex… Well, he was already dead. They hadn’t been deeply involved in that particular sacrificial event, so Guan He couldn’t muster much emotion either.

“Let’s shelve that for now. What exactly is Cen Ling’s ‘Substitution E’?”

Still confused, Guan He looked at Mei Lan but quickly grasped the key point. “…And what’s up with your eyes?”

“The Substitution E… It’s an Immortal E that can ‘borrow’ someone’s body and soul, as long as you know their full name and birth details. He wants to make me his pawn to battle the Grave-Sealing E to the death.”

“But you seem perfectly lucid,” Guan He said, utterly baffled.

“That’s because the one fighting isn’t me. It’s the Substitution E that has taken on my appearance, abilities, and life force.”

Mei Lan explained calmly, “By now, that thing should already be in action.”

“…Let me get this straight. You’re saying Cen Ling made that thing take your form and powers to fight Fang Xiu? And if it dies, you’re the one who pays the price?” Guan He was dumbfounded.

He’d heard of using stand-ins to ward off disaster, but a stand-in that automatically charges to its death? That was extreme.

“Exactly. Any damage it takes is transferred to me.”

Mei Lan pointed to her glowing eyes. “It’ll keep fighting unconditionally until I die. As we speak, it’s draining my strength.”

Cheng Songyun, who’d been silent, suddenly spoke. “Is there any way to stop it?”

Mei Lan looked at Cheng Songyun in surprise.

Her tone was unexpectedly calm, far calmer than Guan He’s reaction. Logically, Cheng Songyun should understand the dangers of the Guishan Sect even better.

Cheng Songyun stroked the little black dog that had its tongue out and lowered her eyes. “Xiao Mei… Miss, I know you’ve hurt people before, and you’ve kept a lot from us.”

“But right now the most important thing is solving the problem. If we waste time blaming and getting mad, we’ll get nowhere. At least you’re still on our side. We can worry about accountability later.”

Mei Lan stared silently at the two across from her.

Guan He scratched his head hard. “I think she’s right. Fixing this comes first. And it’s good you know so much. We can’t drag the team down like last time.”

He didn’t understand the tangled love-hate between Mei Lan, Fang Xiu, and the Guishan Sect. It all sounded complicated.

What Guan He did know was that Fang Xiu was in bad shape. Right now the three of them were healthy and capable. They shouldn’t just sit here doing nothing.

Mei Lan lowered her eyes. There was a faint redness on the corners of it. “Honestly, the best solution… would be for me to die immediately.”

If she died first, the Substitution E would have no life to borrow.

Cen Ling didn’t know anyone else’s birth details. He wouldn’t be able to use it again. By now, having cycled through three Immortal E, even the most sluggish Underworld enforcers should’ve noticed something was wrong. Her main objective was complete.

In fact, the fact that Cen Ling had been directly exposed was more than she had ever hoped for.

From the moment the ritual began, Mei Lan had been prepared to die.

Ultimately, this entire ritual had been her doing. Their teammates were in danger because of her misjudgment.

She had once been part of the Guishan Sect. She had hidden vast amounts of information. She had caused all of this out of selfishness… She’d thought Cheng Songyun and Guan He would be furious, that her upcoming “suicide” would seem justified.

But instead—

Cheng Songyun glared at her. “What are you saying? Cen Ling’s clearly powerful. Even if you die, he’ll have other methods. And then we’ll be down a person for nothing.”

Guan He was uncharacteristically serious. “We know nothing about their side. If you die here, we really won’t be able to help Fang Xiu at all.”

“Dying is the most helpless option. You don’t just lead with that.”

Mei Lan: “…”

What could she say? After five rituals together, her teammates had gotten way too pragmatic. They skipped right over emotional appeals and went straight to logical reasoning. Clearly, they were influenced by Fang Xiu.

She didn’t even know how to argue with that.

A smile tugged at her lips. “Alright. Then I’ll hold on a little longer.”

Guan He perked up. “Then let’s go intercept that Substitution E! If we can stop it, that’ll be a weapon in our hands.”

Fang Xiu wouldn’t let them near him? Then they’d just go sabotage his enemies.

Cheng Songyun nodded enthusiastically and kissed the little dog in her arms. “Good boy, can you help us find it?”

“Woof!” The black dog lifted its nose proudly.

……

The hunt for the Substitution E was easier than Mei Lan had expected.

Though the little black dog wasn’t allowed to attack evil spirits, its tracking skills were unmatched. As for the various evil spirits blocking their path… after enduring the Fierce Wind ritual, Guan He and Cheng Songyun were unfazed.

Guan He used his “Invulnerable” techniques to bait enemies, Cheng Songyun raised her ghost shield, and Mei Lan directed scarf-birds from behind it. Monster-luring, survival, bombardment, all were executed smoothly. Their pace didn’t slow at all.

The journey went so smoothly that Mei Lan had time to start explaining—

She had quite a good background.

Her mother was a guqin teacher. Her father ran an antique store. They weren’t rich or influential, nor did they have stable government jobs, but they gave her a comfortable childhood.

But like Meng Xiaomeng, Mei Lan’s parents were very busy. From a young age, she had to heat her own dinners at night.

Resentment built up silently.

Her mother stayed late teaching other people’s kids and was always gentle and kind to them but often snapped at her at home.

Her father spent all his time drinking with people from his “circle” to maintain business, reeking of alcohol. Because of this, her parents constantly fought. When things got heated, they’d throw pots and pans.

In her memory, it was always just her alone at night, watching the microwave spin her dinner.

The “ding” echoed through an empty house.

…The Guishan Sect found her when she was twelve.

Because her parents were always away, Mei Lan often played at classmates’ homes. Her favorite was a girl with a similar background, except her parents were warm and smiling, and their table was always full of food.

This friend bragged to Mei Lan about her family’s belief in the Guishan Sect.

“There are a lot of amazing people in it. Everyone takes care of each other like family,” she said. “My parents’ business only took off thanks to their help. It’s awesome!”

Mei Lan was deeply envious.

If her parents made more money, maybe their family could be like that too. And her friend’s family even prayed before meals, something Mei Lan felt was pretty cool. Mei Lan often pestered her friend’s parents, curious about the Guishan Sect.

So one evening, when the family went to a Guishan Sect gathering, they “naturally” brought her along.

“What happened next?”

Guan He was so absorbed he nearly got clawed by a skinless being.

His own family life had been a mess. He knew how alluring a “perfect” family could be. In her shoes, he didn’t think he’d have done any better than Mei Lan.

And honestly, nothing about the Guishan Sect sounded that awful so far.

Maybe something went wrong at that gathering?

Mei Lan gave a strained smile. “That gathering might’ve been the happiest moment of my entire life.”

Twenty years ago, the Guishan Sect was at its peak.

They had rented a luxury hotel venue. The place was filled with lavish food Mei Lan had never seen before.

Fresh meats gave off enticing aromas. Gorgeous desserts were stacked among flowers. Her usual microwave meals seemed like scraps by comparison.

The well-off followers wore stylish clothes, exchanging greetings like members of high society. The scene looked just like the glamorous worlds she’d only seen in movies.

Even her mother, whose job required her to dress well, had never looked this elegant. Mei Lan even spotted a few local celebrities!

Born into a business family, Mei Lan had some sense of money. She knew the shiny jewelry and leather shoes on those people were worth more than her family’s entire yearly income.

The Guishan Sect seemed so wonderful, she thought in awe.

Her friend’s parents introduced her with smiles and encouraged her to eat and have fun. Mei Lan clung to the dessert table, trying everything one by one. But deep down, she felt a bit sad. This was all thanks to her friend. She didn’t belong.

…Until a middle-aged man surnamed Zhuang struck up a conversation.

He was handsome and dignified, like a model playing a successful business in an idol drama. He studied her in surprise, then patted her head.

“Little girl, is your dad Mei Jinghan?”

Mei Lan nodded nervously hiding her cream-and-cake-covered hands behind her back.

“I’ve heard of him. People say the Mei family girl has real talent, but he won’t let his daughter get on the path.”

He sighed. “Such a gifted child—what a waste.”

Her friend’s parents quickly stepped forward. “Exactly, President Zhuang. We just wanted you to see her. We can’t let a good seedling go to waste!”

Mei Lan stared blankly at “President Zhuang”.

“Little one, want to learn magic?”

He smiled, made a few gestures, and conjured a beautiful white flame on his fingertip. “If you learn, you’ll be better than me.”

Mei Lan, who’d never seen any metaphysical arts before, was stunned. Her classmates were still waiting for their “eleven-year-old owl letter*”, while actual magic was blooming right in front of her.

*Reference to Harry Potter. He was 11 when he received the letter invitation to Hogwarts.

She instinctively looked to her friend and saw jealousy on the girl’s face for the first time.

Turning back, surrounded by music and light, with this man showing her miracles… it all felt like a fairytale.

“I want to learn.”

She swallowed hard, afraid she’d wake up from a dream. “If I do, can I join the Guishan Sect?”

President Zhuang laughed, as if he’d heard the best news in the world.

“Of course. From now on, you’re family.” He said gently, “We’re one big family. We’ll take good care of you.”

Mei Lan felt like she might float away from joy. “Th-then… can you help my parents too?”

“You’re such a good child.”

Zhuang praised her warmly. “If only our Pengdao were as thoughtful. Then his father wouldn’t have… Haa.”

That night, when her friend’s family took her home, her chest felt like it held a warm balloon. It filled her heart so full, she could barely stay grounded.

Maybe this was what happiness felt like, she thought.

After that night, her mother suddenly gained several new, wealthy “lady clients”. Her father’s antique store was “accidentally” promoted by a celebrity and quickly became the talk of the town.

The family’s income skyrocketed in an instant. Though her parents were still busy, their arguments dropped significantly. They even started cheerfully discussing buying a larger house and hiring someone to cook her meals every day.

This was all thanks to her. Mei Lan was filled with pride.

She was still just a child, yet she had brought so much help to the family! Those famous aunts and uncles all treated her like their own daughter.

So one evening, during a rare family dinner, Mei Lan spoke up and told her parents about the Guishan Sect’s help, expecting praise.

…Instead, the household plunged into unprecedented chaos.

Her parents were horrified. Her mother clutched her hair and muttered frantically about refunding every single client. Her father, in a panic, began considering selling the store and moving to another province entirely.

For the first time in years, they were in complete agreement: Mei Lan was never to have contact with the Guishan Sect again. They were willing to give up all the wealth they had just gained to enforce that.

Mei Lan couldn’t remember all the details of that night. Just the endless screams, fear, and tears—some hers, some her parents’.

At the time, she thought her parents were completely irrational, ungrateful even.

Hearing all this, Cheng Songyun had forgotten the side effects of the ghost shield entirely.

She held her breath and asked nervously, “So… did you move away?”

Mei Lan turned her eyes away. With a flick of her wrist, her scarf transformed into a green bird that darted through the shadows and pierced straight through a centipede evil spirit.

“We moved.” She licked her cracked lips.

Her parents had really moved to another province for her sake. To sever her ties with the Guishan Sect, they even had her suspend school for an entire year. Her mother quit teaching guqin and stayed home to watch over her full time.

But the move had taken a toll. Half a year later, her mother started taking on odd jobs again. During that time, she would leave Mei Lan with their neighbor across the hall—a kind and friendly woman who often chatted with her mother while grocery shopping.

But the first time her mother left her there, the warm-faced aunt closed the door, let out a relieved sigh, and said—

“You’ve worked hard, child.”

She patted Mei Lan’s head. “You disappeared without a word. Everyone was so worried. President Zhuang still wants to teach you more techniques.”

“Don’t blame your parents. They’ve been brainwashed. Poor things. From now on, come to Auntie’s place. Everything you need is here.”

…From that day on, Mei Lan learned to live a double life.

She pretended she’d cut ties with the Guishan Sect, quietly studying at home before her parents and secretly practicing magic and doctrine at the neighbor’s.

Her “family” would send her little gifts now and then, checking in with warmth on holidays and birthdays.

Her real parents, meanwhile, worked even harder than before to recover the money lost from the move. Her father especially looked ten years older.

Worse still, they’d become more paranoid. Every time an anti-Guishan program aired on TV, or the newspaper reported the sect’s crimes, they’d make Mei Lan watch or read it all, then write a reflection essay.

Mei Lan only paid lip service.

The people she’d met in the sect were the gentlest, kindest souls she’d ever known, and they could do magic! Those programs and reports were just slander. She didn’t believe them for a second.

As she scribbled perfunctory “reflections”, her mind was filled with metaphysical theory and spiritual techniques. A tragic sense of standing alone against the world welled up inside her.

Her parents simply didn’t understand and didn’t want to understand the truth. Once she grew up and became a powerful figure in the metaphysical world, they would wake up. Then she’d bring them into the Guishan Sect’s warm family, and everything would be okay.

They would finally become the happiest family in the world.

…But unfortunately, things hadn’t gone the way she had imagined.

As she told this story, the little black dog suddenly stopped at a fork in the tomb corridor.

The dog didn’t understand human joys or sorrows. It simply circled Cheng Songyun’s ankles once, then gently tugged her pant leg.

Just around the corner of the tunnel, another “Mei Lan” was wandering and searching, following the traces left by Fang Xiu.

It looked exactly like their Mei Lan, except there was no bird-shaped scarf fluttering at her side. In its hand, instead, burned a cluster of pale light.

Mei Lan closed her eyes briefly, then stepped forward and stood at the front of the group.

The fake Mei Lan turned to look at her immediately. Its gaze swept over her body, its head tilting to an angle no human could achieve, eyes utterly devoid of emotion.

Mei Lan almost laughed.

Back then… she probably had this same hideous expression.

She swung her arm. The scarf bird, glowing with green light, shot forward, aiming directly at the E’s lower body. The scarf’s texture shimmered as it flew through her memory, smooth and neat, resting on her father’s hand.

That year, Mei Lan was seventeen. That day, her neighbor had skillfully helped her contact President Zhuang again.

“Child, lately our teachings have been under heavy attack. Everyone’s getting ready to go into hiding. If we can’t take you with us… it’ll be hard to stay in touch later.”

President Zhuang sounded exhausted. “We’ve waited five years. We can’t wait forever.”

“I can go with you! I’m about to turn eighteen. My parents won’t be able to stop me!”

Mei Lan quickly expressed her stance.

President Zhuang looked at her with a mix of fondness and pity. “It’s not that simple, child.”

“To protect you, we’ve kept some things from you… Haa, you’ll understand once you see it.”

Confused, Mei Lan followed her neighbor quietly to her father’s new antique shop. For some reason, the neighbor even gave her a talisman to erase her presence; they were extremely cautious.

They hid in a back corner of the shop, watching her father attentively balancing the books behind the counter.

After sunset, several cultivators entered the small shop under cover of darkness.

After five years of metaphysical education, Mei Lan could tell. They were black Taoists.

“Mr. Mei, same as usual?” the leader asked with a nod.

“All prepared.” Mei Jinghan smiled. “I’ve even got some thunderstruck wood artifacts this time. Want to take a look?”

“Of course. The Mei family goods are always top-tier.”

One of them nodded with delight. “Hey, this scarf’s interesting. New item?”

“No.” Her father quickly put it away. “Just something I made for fun. It’s not for sale.”

The black Taoists didn’t press. They chatted casually.

“Lao Wang said you got a jade cicada. Any chance it’s ‘that’ one?”

“With Mr. Mei’s eye, it’s got to be the real deal. Ah, but if it is, some big shot probably already reserved it. We’ll just have to drool.”

“But Mr. Mei, you never do business with the Guishan Sect. Be careful. They might come knocking. Anyone with a name in the field’s got ties to them.”

Mei Jinghan’s expression changed.

“Forget it.”

Mei Lan had never heard her father sound so cold. “I’m no saint, but I won’t sink that low.”

“Come on, Mr. Mei. The Mei family’s respected. With your talent, why turn down money…”

“If the business ends with me, so be it.” Mei Jinghan gripped the scarf box tightly. “Even if I die, I won’t deal with that lot.”

A few steps away, Mei Lan felt like she’d fallen into a frozen abyss.

Her parents had lied. Her father had always been “in the business”.

She realized, then and there—she would never live to see the day her parents “woke up.”

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