The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Lu Sangjiu returned to the inn, and when she found Luo Linlang reeking of alcohol and passed out cold in the room, she was utterly speechless...

’So, she didn’t reply just because she drank too much and fell asleep. And here I was, worrying for nothing.’

Resignedly, she walked over and tucked Luo Linlang in, then returned to the outer room to get some rest herself.

But just as she lay down, she heard something strike the window.

This was no ordinary impact. After all, the room was protected by a Barrier. If someone had just carelessly tossed something this way, it would have been repelled long before it reached the window.

Therefore, for something to actually strike the window, it had to have been done intentionally by someone with considerable power.

Lu Sangjiu instantly grew wary. ’I just made a new batch of enemies. They couldn’t have tracked me down this quickly, could they?’

After a quick glance confirmed that Luo Linlang was still sound asleep, Lu Sangjiu had no choice but to cautiously approach the window on her own.

She braced herself defensively before carefully pushing the window open a crack. Down below, she saw a figure standing there with a casual air.

He was dressed in a dark red robe. His black hair was loosely half-tied, held in place by a wooden hairpin stuck in at an angle.

As if sensing her gaze, he suddenly looked up toward the window. He raised a hand and gave her a wave, his dark eyes curving into a smile, as brilliant as starlight.

The overall impression he gave... was that of someone who didn’t take things very seriously.

’With a look like that, no one would ever believe he was a Buddhist Practitioner. If you said he was from the Joyful Union Sect, though, that might be somewhat believable.’

That’s right. The visitor was none other than Xie Ningyuan, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

He looked up at her and, without making a sound, mouthed a single phrase. ”Come down.”

Lu Sangjiu hesitated for a moment. ’He probably wouldn’t do anything to hurt me,’ she thought. ’Besides, it would be poor form to take his things and then immediately give him the cold shoulder.’

So she closed the window, moving softly so as not to wake Luo Linlang, and slipped out the door to head downstairs.

When Lu Sangjiu stepped out of the inn, she didn’t see Xie Ningyuan. As she was looking around for him, another small stone landed at her feet.

She looked up in the direction it came from and saw Xie Ningyuan sitting on the roof of the tall building across from the inn.

With a few quick leaps, Lu Sangjiu landed beside Xie Ningyuan. She watched as he waved a hand, setting up a Barrier around them.

”Sit.”

He gestured to the spot beside him and poured her a cup of wine.

Lu Sangjiu was about to refuse when she heard him say, ”Top-grade Moon Clear Wine. Are you sure you don’t want any?”

The refusal died on her lips.

’Moon Clear Wine... It really was good stuff. Not only did it taste superb and contain abundant Spiritual Energy, but it also offered many benefits to one’s cultivation.’

’Back when she was a Demon Cultivator, even though Spiritual Energy wasn’t exactly beneficial for them, she couldn’t help but sneak a few sips now and then just because she craved the taste.’

’Now that she was an Immortal Cultivator, she could drink as much as she wanted. The problem was, a single pot cost at least ten top-grade spirit stones, and she could never bring herself to spend that much.’

’Now that a big spender like Xie Ningyuan was offering it for free, how could she possibly resist?’

Sitting down beside Xie Ningyuan, Lu Sangjiu accepted the small cup of Moon Clear Wine. She took a tentative sip, her eyes instantly narrowing in bliss.

”Good wine!”

Xie Ningyuan watched her and chuckled softly before tilting his own head back for a large swallow.

Lu Sangjiu watched with a trace of envy. Although it was excellent wine, with her current cultivation level, she didn’t dare overindulge. It would take her half a day just to process that one small sip.

So she set down her cup and took the initiative to ask, ”Is your old injury doing better?”

Xie Ningyuan grunted in acknowledgment and answered lazily, ”I won’t be dying anytime soon.”

Lu Sangjiu faltered. ’Not anytime soon? Does that mean he might later?’

But considering their relationship wasn’t close enough for such questions, she suppressed her curiosity. Instead, she just nodded and said, ”So, did you need me for something?”

He fell silent, seemingly weighing his words. After a long moment, he finally asked, ”The Immortal Demon Dual Cultivation... did she teach it to you, or did you learn it from that coffin in the Secret Realm?”

Hearing those first four words, Lu Sangjiu’s pupils constricted, and she subconsciously prepared to strike.

But Xie Ningyuan was faster. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, and she was instantly immobilized.

”I know it’s a bit forward of me to ask, but you should know I mean no harm. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here now, just chatting with you.”

Lu Sangjiu felt the power radiating from his hand, and a bitter taste filled her heart. ’This guy really is terrifyingly strong.’

’Even though he appears to be only at the Late-stage Golden Core, his true strength is far beyond that. Even if I played all my trump cards, I wouldn’t be a match for him.’

The realization sent a chill down her spine, but paradoxically, it also caused her to calm down.

’Never mind that he claimed to have no ill intent. Even if he did, it’s not like I could fight back anyway.’

Steeling herself, she didn’t answer his question directly. Instead, she countered, ”You were in the forest earlier today?”

Sensing that she was no longer on edge, Xie Ningyuan released his hand from her shoulder and readily admitted with a nod, ”I was.”

”I was going to step in and help, but I discovered you were even stronger than I’d imagined.”

”And so?” Lu Sangjiu’s lips twisted into a sneer as she stared at him coldly. ”You discovered I had another secret you didn’t know about, so you decided to follow me all day?”

Sensing her hostility, Xie Ningyuan arched a brow. ”Angry?”

Lu Sangjiu snapped, ”What do you think? You followed me all day. Am I supposed to thank you for it?”

In truth, she was less angry at Xie Ningyuan and more at herself.

’I was too careless. Even though I didn’t really have a better option back then, the fact that I completely failed to sense Xie Ningyuan’s presence forced me to confront my own shortcomings.’

’I’ve been relying on my Divine Sense, which is on par with the Divinity Transformation Stage. Since Cultivators at or above that level are rare, I just assumed that if I didn’t sense anyone, no one else was there.’

’This time it was Xie Ningyuan, but what about next time? If anyone else discovers my secret, I’ll be doomed.’

All her frustration with herself was now being directed at Xie Ningyuan with pointed hostility.

Seeing her reaction, a helpless look appeared on Xie Ningyuan’s face. ”I thought we could be considered friends by now. Why do you still view me with such prejudice?”

Lu Sangjiu asked herself the same question, and the answer was... the unknown.

He was powerful and mysterious—a completely unpredictable factor in her life.

To make matters worse, he knew so many of her secrets. It was incredibly difficult for her to ever completely let her guard down around someone like that.

Seeing her silent refusal to answer, Xie Ningyuan didn’t press the issue. He just explained with a sigh, ”Relax. I really didn’t follow you this time. I found you in the forest, and once I saw you were alright, I went after the accomplices of those people.”

Lu Sangjiu froze for a second, then exploded, ”Not *this time*? So you admit you’ve followed me before?!”

Xie Ningyuan: ”...”

’Leave it to her to pick up on that.’

He had no rebuttal and could only cough to cover his awkwardness. ”At a time like this, shouldn’t you be more concerned with whether or not I caught them?”