The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Hearing this, Lu Sangjiu set the book down, not pressing the matter further.

Then the man said, ”Now, you just need to sign your name in this book, and you will be the protagonist of this world.”

”Everything I just promised you will also come true.”

But Lu Sangjiu didn’t pick up a pen. Instead, she looked up at the illusory figure in the distance and chuckled softly.

”So, is this how you tempted Ye Zhiyao to sign her name and become this world’s protagonist back then?”

The man seemed to suddenly realize something. His voice dropped, filled with coldness. ”What do you mean?”

Lu Sangjiu picked up the book and, with slow, elegant movements, began to tear it to shreds, piece by piece.

”What I mean is... this sort of trick might work on a fool like Ye Zhiyao, but don’t embarrass yourself by pulling it out in front of me.”

Her words seemed to instantly enrage him. ”Insolent!”

A teacup shot out from the pavilion in the lake, flying straight for Lu Sangjiu!

It was incredibly fast, and with Lu Sangjiu currently powerless, it seemed she could only wait for death.

Yet, Lu Sangjiu showed no fear or panic. She was calm, not even making an instinctive move to struggle or defend herself.

The teacup stopped barely an inch from her face. The wind it generated tousled her hair, but the cup itself seemed bound by some force, unable to advance any further.

It hummed and trembled as if in protest, struggling before abruptly shattering.

The shards fell, but before they could touch the ground, they dissolved into nothingness, as if they had never existed at all.

Or perhaps... it never belonged to this world in the first place.

’Maybe the two sides of the lake are two different worlds?’

Lu Sangjiu smiled, her grin brilliant. ”See? You can’t actually kill me, can you?”

Her only answer was dead silence.

Lu Sangjiu’s smile grew wider.

”The future you just painted for me is indeed beautiful. A pity... I don’t like my fate being controlled by someone else, whether for better or for worse.”

Besides, even if she became the protagonist, countless people might die just for the plot to revolve around her.

She would walk her own path. She didn’t need it paved with the lives of others.

”Besides... is becoming the protagonist really as good as you say?”

She twitched the corner of her mouth. ”Everything you said to tempt me, and everything recorded in that book, all comes to an abrupt end at Ascension.”

”So what happens after Ascension? Is it because you can’t predict it, or is it because... all that’s left to face is cruelty?”

The man sneered, ”Foolish. You’re going to give up the only chance to change your destiny over mere speculation?”

”Lu Sangjiu, I told you I would only give you this one chance. If you refuse me now, don’t regret it later.”

Lu Sangjiu was completely unfazed by his threats.

”Stop pretending. I’m guessing you’re not this world’s Heavenly Dao at all, are you?”

The man paused slightly, then retorted instead of answering, ”Heh, I’m not the Heavenly Dao? Then who do you think I am?”

”Well, there are many possibilities. For example... an Upper Realm Cultivator?”

The moment those three words were spoken, a crack finally appeared in the man’s relatively stable composure!

His voice instantly became so cold it could freeze water. ”Enough. Stop showing off your petty cleverness.”

”In my eyes, you’re less than an ant.”

”You don’t really think you can defy my will, do you?”

”I advise you not to bring ruin upon yourself. Otherwise... you won’t even have the chance to beg for death!”

The threat sounded terrifying, but Lu Sangjiu just wanted to laugh.

”The way you’re losing your cool is truly pathetic.”

”I can make you furious with just a few words. If you could kill me, would you have let me live this long? Don’t make me laugh.”

As she spoke, her gaze turned icy. ”You’re just some trash from the Upper Realm, and you really think you can rule this world?”

”The day I ascend to the Upper Realm, it’s not yet certain which of us will be the one to die.”

”...Fine. Very good!”

The man’s voice was laced with savagery. ”Lu Sangjiu, you will pay the price for today’s arrogance!”

Lu Sangjiu hadn’t gotten her fill of cursing and opened her mouth to shoot back another retort, but her vision suddenly went black, and everything before her vanished.

When she regained consciousness, all she felt was pain coursing through her entire body.

”HISS...” Just a slight movement made her feel the open, gaping wounds all over her body.

’So it’s not that it didn’t hurt, but that my Divine Sense was pulled into that space right when the lightning struck, so I didn’t have time to feel the pain?’

Thankfully, her body was quite sturdy. Although she was in a miserable state, she had ultimately survived the final bolt of the Heavenly Tribulation.

She struggled to sit up, feeling the Demonic Qi and Spiritual Energy circulating wildly within her.

And in her Dantian, a Golden Core and a Demon Pill were slowly condensing at the same time, separated by that wisp of Heavenly Punishment Qi.

The moment both cores fully formed, Lu Sangjiu felt some kind of shackle within her suddenly loosen. A massive amount of nature’s spiritual energy swarmed toward her, rapidly repairing her body.

Exhilarating!

In both body and mind, Lu Sangjiu felt an unprecedented sense of relief and exhilaration!

She had always felt that all of this was some kind of conspiracy. Although there was still much she didn’t understand, she had at least uncovered the tip of the iceberg.

Whatever that man’s goal was, Lu Sangjiu would absolutely not back down!

But soon, Lu Sangjiu sensed Cultivators approaching. They had likely noticed the disturbance here and were coming to investigate.

So, she didn’t linger. She carefully erased her aura and departed quietly.

After finding a new spot to meditate for a day, Lu Sangjiu adjusted her condition to its peak. Only then did she grit her teeth and spend a top-grade spirit stone to take a long-distance Teleportation Array to Qingyun State.

Qingyun State was the territory governed by the Joyful Union Sect, and the Teleportation Array led directly to Luo City, the closest city to the Joyful Union Sect’s headquarters.

The people from the Qilin Sect had only told her to come to Qingyun State to find them, but they hadn’t specified a more precise location.

Since Luo City was the liveliest and largest city in the area, she figured that information would be easier to come by here.

So she found an inn to stay at, deciding to remain for a couple of days to gather some news.

’Even if I don’t find anything, maybe the Qilin Sect has spies in Luo City who can find me?’

’It doesn’t matter who finds whom first. The real beginning is finding the opponent.’

After thinking for a moment, Lu Sangjiu first used a Communication Talisman to contact Feng Lin.

”Feng Dao You, I’ve been a bit busy lately and haven’t had a chance to ask, how are things on your end?”

Feng Lin replied quickly.

”Liu Xi was kidnapped. We’re still looking for her.”

Her voice was tinged with exhaustion; she sounded very tired.

Lu Sangjiu frowned. ”Who would dare to kidnap a True Disciple of the Lingjian Sect?”

”We don’t know, but they’re definitely not up to any good. We suspect it might be Evil Cultivators, but we’re not sure yet.”

’Evil Cultivators?’ Lu Sangjiu’s brow twitched. ’It can’t be such a coincidence, can it?’