On a sultry summer night.
At the head of Linxian Bridge, Jian Huan sat at the edge, earnestly gnawing on a flatbread.
The flatbread was hard, and she gnawed at it with a grimacing expression, sweating profusely.
Around her, many townspeople sat fanning themselves to cool off, their casual conversations carried by the wind.
"If you ask me, running an inn is the most profitable business. Old Yang's inn has been fully booked this month, rooms are impossible to get even for a fortune!"
"Ah, I was thinking earlier today, maybe I should have my two kids move in with me in one room, and rent out the empty room - might as well earn whatever we can."
"Well, you better hurry then. The recruitment ceremony will be over in ten days, and there won't be as many people looking for rooms after that..."
Hearing this, Jian Huan suddenly stopped chewing.
She thought for a moment, carefully wrapped up her unfinished flatbread, and preciously tucked it into her bag.
After wiping her mouth, Jian Huan moved from one side of the bridge to the other, sat down next to the older woman, and carefully poked her with one finger.
The woman turned her head with a puzzled expression.
Jian Huan smiled, her eyes curving into crescents as she showed her neat white teeth: "Auntie, did you say you want to rent out a room?"
The woman discreetly looked Jian Huan up and down.
This young girl had clearly traveled a long way, covered in dust and dirt, presumably here for the recruitment ceremony.
Moreover, she didn't seem to have much money - her clothes were full of patches, mended over and over, looking quite shabby.
The woman's family wasn't wealthy, their rooms were small and run-down, and her target tenants were precisely such poor people who couldn't afford to stay at inns.
So, what perfect timing! Just as she had the thought, a potential tenant appeared!
The woman quickly responded with a warm smile: "Yes, yes, yes, but my two children are currently staying in that room, and it might not be possible for them to move out tonight..."
Jian Huan very familiarly linked arms with the woman: "That's alright, Auntie. To be honest, I only have eight copper coins."
The woman's smile froze: "..."
During the Jade Clarity Sect's recruitment ceremony, the city's inn prices had skyrocketed, with rooms costing several taels of silver per night.
Even though her room couldn't compare to the inns, it should still be worth at least a hundred copper coins per night, right?
Eight copper coins? That's barely enough for a beggar!
Just as the woman was about to refuse, Jian Huan added with a sweet smile: "How about eight copper coins to stay in your woodshed for one night?"
The woman paused, her large eyes rolling thoughtfully, and she swallowed her refusal: "That's fine, that's fine."
The woodshed was empty anyway, and eight copper coins were still money.
The woman immediately bid farewell to her companions and happily led Jian Huan home.
In the woodshed, Jian Huan helped the homeowner clear out a space.
She pulled out a blanket from her bulging bag, spread it on the cleared space, used her bag as a pillow, and lay down to sleep.
As night deepened and the heat dissipated, the drafty woodshed became quite cool.
Jian Huan touched the marriage certificate and matching pendants carefully hidden in her bosom, and began to dream about the comfortable life she would have after receiving the marriage annulment money tomorrow.
Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.
How difficult it had been.
This miserable month, this month that felt like years, she had finally made it through!
Even now, Jian Huan was still full of resentment about her situation.
Why did others who transmigrated into books live lives free from worries about food and shelter, while she transmigrated into such devastating poverty?
A month ago, Jian Huan, who had just bought a house in full, happily had a drink before bed, only to inexplicably wake up as the villainous female supporting character Jian Huan in the book "Junior Sister Jiang Qiaoqiao."
"Junior Sister Jiang Qiaoqiao" was a melodramatic romance novel set in a cultivation world.
The female lead Jiang Qiaoqiao had just joined the Jade Clarity Sect when she recognized Shen Jizhi, who had saved her in her childhood.
Afterwards, Jiang Qiaoqiao stayed faithfully by Shen Jizhi's side, and just as she was about to warm his cold heart, a fiancée appeared - none other than Jian Huan.
Jian Huan's grandfather had once saved Shen Jizhi's family of three when they were young, and the two families got along so well that they arranged a marriage between their young children, writing up a marriage certificate and giving them matching pendants.
However, after the Shen family left the Jian family, they lost contact.
Jian Huan, as the cannon fodder supporting character, grew up to be increasingly wicked and vain. After her grandfather died and her family fell into decline, she joined the Demon Clan out of poverty.
After three years of cultivation in the Demon Clan, due to her outstanding villainous qualities, she was assigned to be an undercover agent in the Jade Clarity Sect.
As soon as she entered the Jade Clarity Sect, Jian Huan recognized Shen Jizhi as her fiancé through the matching pendant.
Because of the life debt owed to Jian Huan's grandfather, Shen Jizhi didn't forcefully break off the engagement, but tried to peacefully dissolve it through money or other means.
But the original Jian Huan refused to break off the engagement no matter what, stirring up trouble between Shen Jizhi and the female lead, making Jiang Qiaoqiao very sad, Shen Jizhi very disgusted, and readers very frustrated.
In the end, the disappointed female lead fell into the arms of the gentle male lead.
When Shen Jizhi finally came to his senses, it was too late. He turned to the dark side and became a demon, disturbing the peace of the cultivation world, ultimately dying in an encirclement by the righteous path.
Regarding this, the transmigrated Jian Huan indicated that she was willing to peacefully dissolve the engagement, as long as Shen Jizhi could pay up.
According to the book, Shen Jizhi had offered the original Jian Huan one hundred thousand spirit stones.
One hundred thousand spirit stones...
Lying in the woodshed, Jian Huan silently repeated this in her mind, unable to suppress a gleeful chuckle.
-
The Jade Clarity Sect was situated at the peak of a mountain range.
Jian Huan set out before dawn and only climbed to the gate by afternoon.
Thanks to a month of traveling through mountains and rivers, Jian Huan's stamina had improved significantly. Even after climbing for most of the day with a large bag, she didn't feel very tired.
Five long queues stretched before the gate, all filled with young people who had come from various places to attend the recruitment ceremony.
Jian Huan stood on tiptoe to observe for a moment and noticed that one queue was particularly long, mostly filled with girls.
She looked away and picked someone nearby who seemed approachable to chat with: "Fellow cultivator, may I ask about the procedure for this recruitment ceremony?"
The book had mentioned the recruitment ceremony but only in passing, without any details.
In Jian Huan's plan, getting the marriage annulment money from Shen Jizhi and joining the nearby Jade Clarity Sect for cultivation were equally important matters.
The original Jian Huan had cultivated with the Demon Clan, which naturally wasn't an option for her.
The Jade Clarity Sect was the number one comprehensive sect in the cultivation world, teaching various disciplines. Of course, sword cultivation was their flagship program, but the others weren't bad either.
In simple terms, the Jade Clarity Sect was like the Tsinghua University of this cultivation world.
If she could get in, Jian Huan naturally wanted to attend Tsinghua.
The approachable young man, Gong Feihong, was very pleased when she initiated conversation with him.
He believed his good looks had attracted Jian Huan, so he was very enthusiastic: "First you line up, and when it's your turn, you put your hand on the spirit testing stone, look, it's that one over there—"
Gong Feihong pointed towards the front: "If the spirit testing stone lights up, you register your name, pay the tuition and accommodation fees, and then you can enter the sect. If it doesn't light up..."
Jian Huan's eyelid twitched: "Wait, tuition and accommodation fees?"
Gong Feihong was puzzled: "Yeah, what else?"
Jian Huan looked incredulous: "Isn't it supposed to be free?"
Gong Feihong was speechless: "Even private schools charge tuition fees."
Jian Huan: "..."
So in this world, you had to pay for tuition and accommodation.
But in other cultivation novels she'd read, the sects all seemed to offer free education and accommodation?
Damn, her luck was unbelievable - not only did she transmigrate into a book, but she ended up in a place where everything cost money.
Jian Huan clutched her chest and asked tremblingly: "So how much are the tuition and accommodation fees?"
Gong Feihong: "Tuition is three thousand spirit stones per year, and accommodation varies - there are single rooms, double rooms, triple rooms..."
Jian Huan felt dizzy.
She currently didn't have a single coin to her name, with all her possessions being just a worn blanket and a few tattered clothes and shoes.
But then Jian Huan had another thought - after settling the marriage annulment matter later, with one hundred thousand spirit stones in hand, how could she possibly lack these few thousand spirit stones?
A smile returned to Jian Huan's face.
She had originally planned to register first and then find her fiancé, but now, she needed to find her fiancé first to get the money before registering.
Thinking this, Jian Huan cupped her hands towards Gong Feihong: "Thank you for your guidance, fellow cultivator. I am Jian Huan."
Gong Feihong also cupped his hands: "I am Gong Feihong."
Hearing this, Jian Huan paused slightly, her expression becoming quite peculiar.
This person was also a named character in the book, but like her, he had drawn the mindless villain card.
Come to think of it, while her character at least died intact in the book, Gong Feihong died in pieces - much more tragic than her.
Ah, both villains by fate, why must we torment each other so?
Jian Huan reached out and patted Gong Feihong's shoulder sympathetically: "Take care, fellow cultivator Gong. Until we meet again."
Gong Feihong felt a tingling in his left shoulder and his face slightly reddened, thinking to himself that it hadn't even been the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, yet this Miss Jian was already so fond of him, making him feel quite embarrassed.
While he was happily lost in his imagination, he saw Jian Huan leave the queue and quickly called out to stop her: "Fellow Daoist Jian, where are you going? Aren't you staying in line?"
Jian Huan sighed softly: "To be honest, I can't afford the tuition fee right now."
Gong Feihong was stunned, feeling hesitant.
He was wealthy, but that didn't mean he liked being taken advantage of.
Some people never repay their debts no matter how much you chase them, while others can't wait to pay back what they owe.
He wasn't sure which type Jian Huan was.
But she had singled him out among so many people, showing such good judgment, so her character couldn't be bad.
Thinking this way, Gong Feihong no longer hesitated: "I can lend it to you."
Jian Huan was touched when she heard this, but still declined: "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Gong, but I have other ways, so I won't trouble you."
She disliked being in debt, which was also why she had chosen to buy her house with full payment in modern times.
Most people thought taking out a mortgage could help avoid inflation and let them move into a new house several years earlier. But having to make monthly payments would make Jian Huan feel insecure.
What if she lost her job? What if she couldn't stand her current job anymore?
She'd rather wait a few more years and save enough money before buying.
But when she finally could afford it, before she even had the chance to move into her new house, she was transported into this book...
Life was truly unpredictable.
Jian Huan was crying rivers in her heart as she walked toward the front of the line under Gong Feihong's watchful gaze.
When she reached the front of the queue, a female cultivator in white stopped her, saying officially: "Those testing for spirit roots need to queue at the back. No cutting in line."
Jian Huan blinked her eyes and replied sweetly: "But Sister Cultivator, I'm here to find someone."
The white-robed female cultivator asked puzzled: "Find someone? Who?"
Jian Huan took out a paired pendant from her bosom and showed it to the other party: "I'm looking for Shen Jizhi. I'm his fiancée. This is the Shen family's hereditary paired pendant, and Shen Jizhi should have the other half. Sister Cultivator, do you know him?"
The white-robed female cultivator was stunned, surprise immediately appearing on her face: "Senior Brother Shen?"
Shen Jizhi was someone everyone knew in the Jade Clarity Sect, from top to bottom.
The Jade Clarity Sect disciples responsible for testing spirit roots all had keen ears and eyes, and they all heard Jian Huan's words.
They looked at each other, then all turned to look in the same direction.
Jian Huan followed their gaze and saw a figure slowly standing up at the front of the longest queue, which was filled mostly with girls.
The thousand-year-old trees at the mountain gate had thick foliage, their layers of leaves blocking the afternoon sun, but a beam of light slipped through the gaps, sprinkling onto the young man.
He wore the white disciple robe of the Jade Clarity Sect, with an ordinary wooden hairpin in his hair, but his finely carved features made him appear as elegant as jade and orchids, even making the wooden hairpin seem precious.
The young man's complexion showed an unhealthy pallor, and his deep eyes were a light brown color, like amber.
He looked at Jian Huan, his face expressionless: "I am Shen Jizhi."
