1 - The Cannon Fodder is Prepared to Divorce

At the foot of Luyi Mountain, within the borders of Qu Ren County. Looking up, the verdant peaks stretch endlessly, piercing the clouds. Deep within the unseen clouds, there's said to be the path of the immortals, inspiring awe and longing. Rumor has it that the largest sect of immortal cultivators in the world resides in these mountains, where celestial beings practice the ways of heaven. Occasionally, they venture into the mundane world, often stopping at Qu Ren County, where they are well-received and protected. Because this place is close to the mountains, surrounded by rivers, with a pleasant climate, it bustles with people and activity. Though officially a county, its scale is more akin to a large city. Yue Bai, feeling weary, didn't want to rush. Upon arriving at a village near Qu Ren, she saw that it was getting late. Without hurrying into the city, she found a small temple outside the village, leaned against the wall, spread some straw, and retrieved a small blanket from her luggage, planning to make do for the night. "Seems like you're quite used to this." A voice echoed in her mind, but Yue Bai wasn't surprised. This small temple was not well-maintained, with someone occasionally changing the candles. Tonight, the incense had burned out, and the roof kept out the rain and wind, but obscured the starlight. Sitting in a dark corner, leaning against the wall, and brushing her fingers over the straw beneath her, Yue Bai responded in her mind, "It's not so bad." Apart from the inexplicable body and the so-called mission, without being hunted or fearing for her life, Yue Bai was indifferent to the conditions. The voice asked curiously, "Why not enter the city?" Yue Bai tightened the blanket around her. Though it was early summer, nights were still chilly, and her ordinary clothes weren't very warm. Thankfully, the blanket was decent. "Couldn't move anymore." The voice in her mind snorted, clearly unconvinced, but it said no more, falling silent. Yue Bai rubbed her calves. Although she had no complaints about the living conditions, this small, human body caused her some hardship. In her previous life, she belonged to a powerful clan, with a robust physique and extraordinary talents. She could control the forces of nature, even manipulating time and space. Though not arrogant enough to claim to be the strongest, she was a rare match in her realm. One day, she lost consciousness while out and woke up to find her soul transferred into this young girl's body. A voice appeared in her mind, introducing itself as Jiu Yi—gender indistinguishable. Jiu Yi only asked for her help in completing some tasks, promising she could leave upon their completion. The name Jiu Yi was unfamiliar to Yue Bai. However, since he could appear directly in her mind but remained elusive, his ability was undoubtedly superior. With her current constraints, Yue Bai chose to comply, collecting clues and planning her next steps. *** The first clue was regarding the body she now inhabited. This body belonged to a fifteen-year-old girl, frail and weak, who had already died. When Yue Bai first woke up, it was pitch-black around her, and she felt an oppressive pressure. Sensing something was amiss but unable to identify it, she instinctively used her spiritual power. The surrounding pressure eased, but internally, her body tightened painfully. With a sweet taste in her throat, she glimpsed her small hands and feet by moonlight, hearing Jiu Yi's first words. “Oh dear, you just came back to life. Don’t kill yourself again.” Suppressing her pain and clutching her chest, she asked in a muffled voice, "What's going on? Who are you?" Around her, the wind rustled, and a few yellow papers fluttered down. Yue Bai sat in a shallow grave, covered in dirt. “I am Jiu Yi, and you are Yue Bai,” the voice said. “You’ve been conscripted. I'm your system, and if we complete some tasks together, you’ll be free to go.” “System? Conscripted?” “Uh… don’t call me a system, just call me Jiu Yi,” Jiu Yi said proudly. “I embody the Principles of Heaven.” Arrogant. Yue Bai asked why Jiu Yi couldn't complete these tasks himself. He seemed taken aback, slightly troubled, then admitted he didn’t know. “What if I refuse?” “You’ll be trapped here forever. When this body decays, your soul will be stuck in this world,” Jiu Yi said. “If we finish the tasks, you can return to your original time and place, back to your family. If you refuse, I’ll be stuck with you, unable to send you back.” “How can I trust you?” “If you don’t trust me, what can you do?” Jiu Yi replied. “I woke up here, too. Though I don't know why, I know I have a mission, which we need to complete together. Don’t worry, I won’t harm you.” Holding her aching chest, Yue Bai looked up at the bright moon, feeling detached. “What if we fail?” Jiu Yi said, “Your soul will weaken, part of your consciousness erased as punishment, and you’ll be sent to the next mission immediately.” “If this body dies, it counts as mission failure too.” “And you?” “Me?” Jiu Yi seemed puzzled by the question, thought for a moment, then said, “I don’t know.” Yue Bai asked a few more questions, but Jiu Yi couldn’t provide useful answers. She didn't trust him, yet doubted this was an illusion. If it was an illusion, one that she couldn’t detect, it wasn’t something she could fight against either. Unable to resist and without a better option, Yue Bai chose to comply for now. Injured and unable to walk, she discovered her spatial abilities were linked to her soul, and thus brought here as well. With this reliance, she took a pill and rested for a few days before setting out to fulfill Jiu Yi’s so-called tasks. *** Jiu Yi’s first task for her was to join the world's top immortal cultivation sect, the Sanqing Sect. The Sanqing Sect was located in Sichuan, far from where she initially found herself. Jiu Yi explained some of the world's background, but not in detail. Yue Bai often ventured into cities to observe, pretending to be a curious fifteen-year-old. With her delicate and proper appearance, her small frame, and sweet smile, people took her as an outsider and were willing to share information with her. The region recently suffered a drought, and many refugees were wandering. Pretending to be a displaced person helped her blend in. Because she was injured from using spiritual power upon arrival, Yue Bai restrained herself, traveling via ordinary means. The only exception was when she needed to stay at inns, using a transformation technique stored in a crystal to appear as an adult. Even though she reverted to her actual form as soon as she entered a room, the spiritual power flow left her drenched in sweat. Yue Bai sighed; this body wasn’t ideal for the task. Root bone was crucial for joining a cultivation sect, but this body had none. Her meridians were blocked, making it difficult to channel spiritual energy. Otherwise, the minor surge wouldn’t have caused such severe backlash. Fortunately, though her body was confined, her soul remained intact. The ability to manipulate nature’s forces seemed etched into her soul, unaffected by the physical body. However, the body serves as both conduit and vessel. If she intended to make progress in cultivation, she needed to refine this body meticulously, using the spiritual medicines stored in her space. The process of refining was excruciating, requiring her to channel precise spiritual energy through intense pain, cleaning her meridians meticulously, with no room for error. Yue Bai was cautious, unfamiliar with this new body, preferring this method to gain a deeper understanding, despite its slow progress. “Why put me in this body?” Yue Bai had tried swapping bodies, but to no avail. “It’s inconvenient.” “You’re an outsider, easily rejected by the Dao. A new body makes things easier.” Jiu Yi rolled his eyes, though Yue Bai couldn’t see. “As long as it’s within the world’s rules, you have free rein.” Internally, he was exasperated. Look at your space! Your soul alone is already a cheat, adding a body would crash this small world! *** So, Yue Bai walked by day, refining by night. Gradually, this body improved slightly. She no longer reacted to the stored techniques in the crystals. During this time, she gained a basic understanding of this world. Here, immortals, demons, spirits, ghosts, and humans existed, each with their own supreme beings. The Sanqing Sect was a major cultivation sect, closely tied to the imperial family. Every year, many sought to join, some genuinely pursuing the Dao for a pure heart and desires, others seeking methods for immortality, and some wanting connections with high officials to succeed in the mundane world. Motivations were mixed, as always. Rumor had it that the outer sect of Sanqing comprised Taoist temples. Only the destined or talented could ascend to the clouds to learn the immortal arts. The immortal masters were elusive, their stories numerous, but few had seen them in person. Yue Bai had no interest in immortality. She knew plenty of cultivation techniques. She and her sister had explored all the cultivation sects in her previous world, even creating their own. She had little interest in Sanqing. She had no idea why she was sent there. As someone who had lived thousands of years, Yue Bai pondered. “There’s a person of great destiny there,” Jiu Yi’s voice had a hint of slyness. “You need to help her and receive her assistance.” “Who is it?” “I don’t know yet,” Jiu Yi admitted, a bit frustrated. “These tasks are triggered by certain events. Until you encounter the target, I won’t know the next steps.” So for now, Yue Bai's task was merely to join the Sanqing Sect. Yue Bai touched the small blanket covering her; she had bought it along her journey. This world still used gold and silver as currency, and she had plenty stored in her space, ensuring she wouldn't suffer financially. The reason she chose to stay in this small temple instead of an inn wasn't only due to her sore feet. She intended to complete the final phase of body refinement during the late-night hours when no one would disturb her. It wasn't that she couldn't do this in an inn, but being near a sect of immortal cultivators, Yue Bai worried about accidentally exposing herself to any high-level practitioners who might be present. She had considered going up the mountain but heard from the locals that many rare and ferocious beasts, nurtured by the mountain's spiritual energy, roamed the area. Yue Bai knew she could scare them off with a bit of pressure, but once again, being near an immortal sect, she wanted to remain low-key. Any unexpected combat could lead to complications. With these thoughts, Yue Bai curled herself up in the pile of straw, wrapped her small blanket tightly around her, and decided to let her weary body relax for a while. *** She hadn't been asleep for long when her spiritual sense was alerted to two people fighting, drawing closer by the second. The sound of spiritual power tearing through the air and the clash of swords came rapidly toward her. Just as Yue Bai was about to conceal her presence, Jiu Yi's voice stopped her. “Wait! Those two are from the Sanqing Sect! Quick, pretend to be unconscious!” Pretend to be unconscious? Yue Bai didn’t quite understand. “Just lie down! Lie down and act like you’ve fainted!” Yue Bai got it now, but she still didn’t understand why Jiu Yi was suddenly so excited. “Jiu Yi, the Sanqing Sect's disciple recruitment is next month. Is it necessary to make contact now?” Yue Bai preferred staying under the radar. Despite not knowing the exact purpose of going to the Sanqing Sect, she ultimately didn't belong to this world and didn't want to attract attention. If things changed later, she’d deal with it then. “It’s a trigger!” Jiu Yi urged. “Hurry up!” Yue Bai wanted to ask more questions, but the voices were growing closer, now clear enough that she could hear their conversation. “Junior Sister, you—!” The male voice was angry. The female voice, however, was tinged with laughter, “Senior Brother, I’m determined to win!” As they drew nearer, the combined sword energy and spiritual power swept to within thirty feet of the small temple, stirring up a cloud of dust. “Junior Sister! Be careful!” Although the man said this, his sword's energy didn't relent. The woman called Junior Sister also didn’t relent; she merely laughed, “Senior Brother, when have you ever seen me make a mistake?” Yue Bai considered Jiu Yi’s instructions, thinking to herself, "Isn't this exactly when she makes a mistake?" Just then, Ji Wu Nian launched a sharp wave of sword energy, which Liu Li deflected, following up with three rapid strikes to block Liu Li's sides. Ji Wu Nian charged forward with the momentum of his sword. Liu Li scattered the incoming sword energy right in front of him, but when he raised his sword to block Ji Wu Nian's thrust, the sight of Ji Wu Nian's smiling face filled him with exasperated anger. "Junior—" “Crash—” “Ah—Help—” Both sword fighters froze, glancing downwards. The small temple’s rear corner had collapsed; the sword energy had sliced through one of the pillars. Their faces turned grim. Liu Li was the first to react. He thrust Ji Wu Nian away and immediately flew downwards, “Save her!”