The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

It was a good thing Lu Sangjiu was now in the Golden Core Stage. Otherwise, with how fast Gu Jue’s sword moved, she might not have been able to dodge it.

’To be accidentally killed by a friendly would be an incredibly frustrating way to go.’

Having narrowly dodged Gu Jue’s strike, Lu Sangjiu was about to speak.

But just then, Feng Lin’s voice rang out. ”Not good, someone’s coming! Fall back, now!”

The words Lu Sangjiu was about to say to reveal her identity caught in her throat. ’Right,’ she thought, ’I can sense him too.’ It was the Second Elder.

Thankfully, upon hearing Feng Lin, Gu Jue broke off his engagement with Lu Sangjiu and immediately turned to flee.

No longer in mortal danger and knowing they had alerted others, Lu Sangjiu decided to play along with the act.

”Help! Assassins! They’ve kidnapped the prisoners!”

As she shouted, she saw the Second Elder leading his men in the direction Gu Jue and the others had fled. She quickly followed, ready to act as the situation developed.

Seeing the pursuers, Gu Jue made a split-second decision. ”You all go first,” he said to Feng Lin. ”I’ll cover our retreat!”

Liu Xi’s initial joy at seeing her senior brother had now morphed into guilt and worry for him.

”No! If we’re going, we go together!”

Gu Jue didn’t look back. He said only one word: ”Go.”

Feng Lin was also a decisive person. She knew that if they left first, there was a chance Gu Jue could still escape on his own, given his power.

So she said directly, ”Chi Yan, we’ll each take one. Carry them away!”

Chi Yan got the message, immediately hoisting the struggling Liu Xi onto his shoulder and breaking into a dead run.

Liu Xi’s struggles and shouts were useless. She could only watch as Gu Jue’s solitary figure was swallowed by the horde of enemies.

Feng Lin, who appeared to be carrying A Zhi, kept pace with Chi Yan. They didn’t stop for a moment, speeding along the escape route they had planned on their way in.

Lu Sangjiu frowned slightly. Seeing that the Second Elder had caught up and cornered Gu Jue, she knew that staying behind wouldn’t necessarily help. ’Better to help Feng Lin’s group escape first,’ she decided.

So she took the initiative, shouting, ”Brothers, don’t let them escape! Follow me and give chase!”

With that, she took the lead in chasing after Feng Lin’s group. Without a second thought, some of the others instinctively followed her.

Then, at a fork in the road, she deliberately led them the wrong way. By the time they came to their senses and tried to find the real trail, the escapees were long gone.

Of course, amidst the chaos, they couldn’t find the person who had led them astray, either.

Her mission accomplished, Lu Sangjiu slipped away. Once she confirmed with her Divine Sense that Feng Lin and the others were a safe distance away, she quietly returned to where Gu Jue was.

Gu Jue was very powerful. Ordinary Golden Core Cultivators were no match for him at all. So, after he had dispatched the others, he was left to face the Second Elder, a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.

Seeing this, Gu Jue directly released fifty percent of the Phoenix Cry Sword’s seal. His power surged, allowing him to fight the Second Elder on even ground.

However, just as he, unwilling to prolong the battle, was about to take the opportunity to leave, Lu Sangjiu suddenly felt the power of the Divinity Transformation Stage radiating from the center of the camp!

An immense power, one befitting the Divinity Transformation Stage, crushed down and pinned Gu Jue to the spot.

Then, a black-robed figure appeared in the air above. It was the very same Divinity Transformation Cultivator from the courtyard behind the Second Elder’s great hall.

”The Phoenix Cry Sword? Heh, a fine treasure indeed.”

The black-robed man recognized the Phoenix Cry Sword at a glance and effortlessly snatched it from Gu Jue’s hand.

But the Phoenix Cry Sword was Gu Jue’s Lifebound Magical Treasure. No one could take it from him unless he was dead.

The black-robed man realized this and, without the slightest hesitation, raised a finger toward Gu Jue, his killing intent clear.

Lu Sangjiu was terrified. She hastily jumped out and cried, ”Spare his life!”

She knelt on the ground and said in a rush, ”Your subordinate has heard that Gu Jue’s relationship with Lu Sangjiu is not a shallow one. Since Lu Sangjiu still refuses to show herself, I believe we can temporarily spare Gu Jue’s life to threaten her into appearing!”

The Second Elder frowned. ”Insolence! How dare you speak out of turn in the Sect Leader’s presence? Stand down at once!”

’So this black-robed man is the Qilin Sect’s Sect Leader, huh?’

But Lu Sangjiu could not back down if she wanted to save Gu Jue. Even with the Second Elder’s rebuke, she could only brace herself and kowtow again. ”Sect Leader, I urge you to reconsider!”

As she spoke, she felt the black-robed man’s intense gaze fall upon the crown of her head. Her heart leaped into her throat, terrified he would see through her ruse.

Fortunately, the item from Xie Ningyuan was good enough. The black-robed man saw nothing amiss and finally spoke. ”What you’ve said is not without reason.”

The Second Elder immediately chimed in. ”The Sect Leader is right. Capturing Lu Sangjiu is the priority right now. There is no harm in letting him live for the time being.”

Gu Jue, however, spoke up anxiously, ”Mr. Lu and I are merely passing acquaintances. It’s impossible for you to use me to lure her out!”

The black-robed man said with amusement, ”Passing acquaintances? Then what’s your hurry?”

”Heh heh. Useful or not, we’ll only know once we try.”

After a pause, he waved a hand. Chains immediately appeared on Gu Jue’s wrists and ankles, sealing away all his Spiritual Power.

Then he glanced at Lu Sangjiu. ”What is your name?”

”Your subordinate is named Lan Yu!”

”Mm. Since you’re the one who suggested it, I’ll leave the task of luring out Lu Sangjiu to you.”

”If you fail to do so... you understand the consequences.”

Lu Sangjiu hadn’t expected such a stroke of luck; now she wouldn’t have to scheme and maneuver. She immediately replied, ”Your subordinate obeys!”

The black-robed man grunted in assent, and his body transformed into a streak of Light and vanished on the spot.

Of course, he didn’t forget to take Gu Jue’s Phoenix Cry Sword with him as he left.

’Hss...’ This put Lu Sangjiu in a difficult position. ’Saving Gu Jue is manageable, but how am I supposed to get the Phoenix Cry Sword back?’

’Does this mean I really have to fight a Divinity Transformation Cultivator head-on while I’m still in the Golden Core Stage?’

As her thoughts ran wild, the Second Elder approached her. ”Since the Sect Leader has taken a liking to you, you’d best do a good job.”

”The man is in your hands, but his accomplices were not found. To prevent anyone from returning to rescue him, I will assign men to help you watch over him.”

As he spoke, he waved a hand, and four Golden Core Stage Cultivators stepped forward.

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

’I really have you to thank,’ she thought. ’How very thoughtful of you!’

She managed to force a smile. ”Thank you, Second Elder. As for the specifics of what to do, I’ll need to think it over. Would it be all right if I gave you a response tomorrow?”

The Second Elder didn’t make things difficult for her. He grunted and waved a hand. ”Go.”

Lu Sangjiu had no choice but to take the four Golden Core Stage Cultivators and Gu Jue back to her small courtyard.

Although the four Golden Core Stage cultivators were supposedly there to assist her, it was obvious none of them respected a minor cultivator from the Foundation Establishment Stage.

They couldn’t even be bothered to waste a word on her. After entering her courtyard, they shoved Gu Jue into a cage and found places to sit down and rest, all without consulting her.

”Miss Lan, we were ordered to guard him, so we’ll make sure nothing happens to him. You can go back to your room to think about your plan. We’ll stay out of each other’s way and quietly do our jobs.”

Lu Sangjiu maintained a smile and replied with a very pleasant attitude, ”What you gentlemen say is right. However, there are a few things I need to ask him alone. Would you mind accommodating me?”